Originally Posted by DGS

I was 48 when I bought my EVO VIII.

That was over a decade ago. I was 58 when I took delivery of my X MR a year ago.

As a DD, the things to watch for:
- The ride is harsh. Be ready to steer around the worst road patches.
- The steering column doesn't telescope. I'm 6'4" and I can get enough leg room, but it's a bit of a reach for the wheel.
- The heater isn't going to cook your feet. It'll warm your cabin, but heat rises, and it doesn't blow much hot air onto the floor.
(More of an issue for old guys with poor circulation. )
- Unlike the VIII, there's no rear wiper. Okay if you're moving, but in the city, the drops can leave little circles from dirty rain.
- The trunk isn't exactly spacious. I put runflats on mine (even harsher ride), but got back some trunk space by leaving out the donut spare.

I have the NAV option, so the answers below might differ without it:
On the MR, yes.


Not built in. I keep my door opener in a dash cubby.

Yes, plus a USB connector in the glove box.
I can charge my phone while I drive.


Not sure. Never had them fog up on me.


No. But with the NAV option, you can insert an SD flash card in the user slot, for music, with no moving parts.
MP3, but this isn't a Roller: the audio differences in the cabin aren't going to be obvious, if you have older ears.
I put a 4G flash card in, and have several hours of music without having to take up a lot of space or worrying about changing media.

I use my home computer to rip my favorite tracks from my CDs and encode them in high quality MP3.
The only annoying part is that it doesn't follow the directory tree on the SD card when playing.
(Sort by title, by artist, etc. So set the ID3 fields on your MP3 files.)


A couple, but not large. Decent glove box, and a pretty good armrest box.


There's that annoying 2 cup holder in the console that can't be used for anything else, without it getting under the cup divider and jamming.
But I wouldn't carry a cup in a car that can pull over 1G in a corner.
This is a car to *drive*, even on a commute. Have breakfast before you get on the road.

The first time I went to a burger drive-thru in the VIII, I put the bag on the pass seat and started for the one block drive home. I stopped at the corner --- and all the fries wound up in the passenger foot well.
The 30 lb computer bag rolls around the trunk of the X, even sitting in the donut tire well.
This is a performance car. Anything not nailed down is going walkabout.

Those heavily bolstered front seats aren't just for show.



As for the big wing: the X doesn't really need it.

The VIII was the basic econobox shell, with the sharp drop off the roof and a big rear deck. The vacuum lift of the rear deck wasn't significant to the FWD econobox, but the AWD needed the spoiler to keep the rear wheels glued down.
But the X is more aerodynamic. The cabin is further aft, the rear window has more slope ("fast back"), and the rear deck is higher and much smaller.
So there's nowhere near as much rear lift as the VIII.

The VIII didn't get the full good out of the wing until you approached 80.
The X wouldn't need a wing at any speed that wouldn't get you arrested on the spot.


The biggest issue with a used one would be to find a car that's still stock.
There's a lot of extra performance to be found in ricers, but it tends to be at the price of reliability.

After 11 years, my VIII only needed oil changes, routine service, and one HID replaced -- but I kept it stock. (Oh, yes: The factory battery only lasted 9 years.)

I ordered mine from the factory.
The twin-clutch Getrag is a joy to live with, but I'd want the warranty on such a complex big-ticket item.

Originally Posted by FastDad

Unfortunately I don't have an MR, but I do drive a GSR which I daily. However I am 6'2 and the seats make a significant difference since it's actually starting to add on to my back pain (Note I am 22). ...

Originally Posted by DGS

Try a little less recline on the seat back.
The reach for the non-telescoping wheel can lift your shoulders from the seat and add to the back strain.
Putting the seat back more vertical can make a shorter distance from the seat back to the wheel ...
... if you have the head clearance.

The seats could also use better lumbar support.

The X has air curtains in the side bolsters, so swapping to a better Recaro isn't as easy as it was on the VIII.
(But the X has much better side impact protection than the VIII.)

Originally Posted by DGS

Try a little less recline on the seat back.
The reach for the non-telescoping wheel can lift your shoulders from the seat and add to the back strain.

Originally Posted by ddawg1130

They're racing seats, not cruise around and hotbox your car seats. They belong in the up-right position. I'm 6'2" and I bought my X when I was 24 and I have made multiple lengthy road trips in that car without any issues, cause I keep the seatback very upright.