bigboygmc

Hey guys potential new evo owner here. Today I was at the dealer and got to sit and test drive the 14-15 MR. My previous evo experience was with a friends evo IX MR and that car was nice. Felt like an actual race car. Im not feeling the paddle shifters on the new MR's at all. Does anyone here have the new MR and is the paddles and the lack of Racaro seats a big thing in these cars? It seems to be the deal breaker for me, but 2013-14 gsr's are hard to find. So my question is should i get the 15 X, wait for a 14 gsr (w/racaros) or just count it as a loss and hope to find a deal on craigslist. I thought about the sti but heard nothing but bad things about the motor not being reliable. My intentions for the car would be DD/ occasional trackday car. thanks for your input.

Lightsaber

The new 2015 model year Evo does come in GSR with 5-speed manual, although the USDM version no longer has Recaro bucket seats.

bigboygmc

yea the seats are really killing the deal. The new seats feel really cheap and not worth the +$30K

AngryEvo

This is as funny as the guy who passes up a great house because he doesn't like the kitchen countertops...

bigboygmc

yea i know lol but the automatic trans. just seems boring to me. I just sold a '12 gti that had paddles and that car was fun for a little while then i used the paddles less and less. Then it just became an auto car. Something about the shifter that makes you feel like you are part of the car and the seats damn those seat felt cheap in the MR...

sixsixty

I just got a 2015 GSR a couple weeks ago. I share your disappointment on the missing Recaros, but my advice is to work the best deal you can on the car (and dealership fees), and then use that savings towards a seat swap. Don't let them scare you with the "there are only a few cars left ..." There are still plenty roaming around on dealer lots with various configurations. I paid below TrueCar pricing for mine. Just do your research, be stern about what you're willing to pay and question every line item cost ... or do what I did and bring your wife.

bigboygmc

We did exactly that yesterday... But we didnt try to haggle just yet because I needed to get over the shifter and wasnt 100% happy with the car. Its a great car but the stealership said the lowest that they could go on a 15 MR was $38K out the door..

How do you like the shifter? Is it still fun as the earlier version of the evo?

Napalm_Enema

I have owned a 2014 GSR and a 2014 MR back to back. If I walked on the lot tomorrow I'd buy the MR.

My suspicion is that you didn't put the MR in 'S Sport' mode to drive it, and just had it in normal mode flipping the paddles.

That's a horrible driving experience because it's in 'cruiser' mode.

Push the tab up to put it in Sport mode, then release. Then push it up and hold it for five seconds to put it in S Sport mode (you will see the display say so in the middle of the dash)

Now put it in manual mode and go for a drive. Because you are new to the car, and don't know how to get the most out of it, let the car show you what it can do. Find a nice stretch of road with some curves and turns. Put car into Auto now (Auto-S Sport) and punch it and hold on / steer and brake when needed. The car will shift like a pro and keep you in boost constantly.

That's how it feels like to drive an EVO MR. Anything less and yes you won't see much to be excited about.

As a lifelong stickshift fanatic, I love the MR. I can shift so damn fast and really just feel so connected to the road I love it. Still huge love and respect for stickshifts, but I can't shift as fast or precise as the MR it's something else.

MisterRegato

iTrader: (4)

The MR paddles suck, he car is basically a automatic, its boring. Get a GSR if you want to have some fun.

bigboygmc

Good to know the dealer only let us keep it in one mode didnt tell us about the other modes and it was just stop light to stop light short drives. Understandable you cant let everyone joy ride it. How do you like the seats? Yea looking for a gsr but if i cant find one with low miles then the MR is the car i will get. I hate buying brand new cars because you always take the hit on the car value.

MisterRegato

iTrader: (4)

you can always buy my MR

sixsixty

I personally think the gear-shift in the GSR feels pretty good stock, but I'm not coming from modern sports cars (mostly classics and 80's beaters). I've also never driven a pre-X Evo, so I can't compare. It does feel a little stiff, but they say that loosens up with time. Either way, it encourages double-clutching and rpm matching. No matter how good electronic clutches get, I'll always prefer a manual clutch pedal, but maybe that's just cause I'm just an old fart.

Napalm_Enema

I love the Recaros, can't speak about the 15 seats as I never sat in them. As far as the GSR goes, be aware that those have very short gears. What this means is you will be at around 3000 RPM's on the highway at 65. If you are getting the GSR, I'd at least get a 14 or 15 with the Sight and Sound package which adds a bit of noise dampening which I think the GSR needs a bit of for a daily.

Take the GSR up on the highway, and listen with nothing else on. The MR has a 6th gear so not as loud overall and a bit refined.

Love both cars, but just thought you would want to know what to consider.

SVPxTuRbO

Nice you got a test drive. Went through 4 dealerships before getting mine a few years back, and none except for 1 would let me test drive the car. Actually the last spot took me shotgun in one of the used models instead and drove around the back neighborhood. He was hitting the turns pretty hard and scared the **** out of my wife. I was smiling the whole time.

Anyways, if you can't find one with recaros, you can always get aftermarket seats. You might spend more (bracket + seat) but atleast you can pick and choose color, trim and material.

sixsixty

This is all 100% true, except, I *think* you need to get the "Premium" package to get the sound dampening. My GSR has Sight and Sound and I'm certain I don't have it.