Hey everyone, i dont know if this is the right section to post this on but.. here goes..

Im considering buying an 08 Evo X or a 06-07 STI (currently own a 07 2.5RS) and i wanted to ask what your opinions on both cars are. I know this is an evo forum so i expect to get "get the evo" replies but i posted the same question on the subaru forums and got pretty good answers. Im going to be using the car as a daily driver but i will be modding it with small stuff (maybe more eventually) like intake,exhaust,etc. I know that both cars are about equal in power supposedly but i havent driven the EVO so i dont know what its power or handeling is like. One main reason im thinking of going for the EVO is the SST twin clutch. I thought of going full manual but you get tired of driving a stick so the SST would be nice because you get a mix of both. I live in Saint Louis, Missouri so if anyone knows any dealers around here that have em or close to saint louis that i could go test drive one at. Also can anyone give me a price range or release date for the EVO X MR?(think thats the 6speed automatic)

 

Well, first off, you are a newbie, so this is always the right section

The two cars you are looking at are actually pretty different. Normally people would consider ones of the same generation of price range. In this case, and 06-07 sti will end up being about 15k cheaper with evo MR prices coming in just under 40k. If you can get a based out MR at a good price, you may be able to do 37 and change, but not sure and pricing is not official yet. With that kind of price difference, they are in different leagues.

For all sorts of reviews and information on the X, browse the evo X general forum here. The MR version has been delayed and wont be out for a few months. Once out, expect it to be a while before it can be modified. The transmission is incredibly sensitive to changes and will shut down at the first sign of power modifications. It wont be untill someone figures out how to flash the main ecu AND transmission ECU that power mods will be and option.

In terms of difference you can expect, The 06-07 sti is a bit more torquey, especially when modded and tuned. In terms of easy of making more power, we wont know just yet, but probably pretty similar The steering response and fee is not nearly as good as an evo of either generation. The Evo also has more interior room, especially back seat leg room. Also, more supportive recaro seats. Interior refinement is about the same. The evo has a better stereo, even with the base unit. This should help you to start getting an understanding of things. An Evo IX would probably be more direct competition for that STI if you want to stay closer to the same price.

 

yeah i didnt know that the evo will be unmoddible for a while.. the IX just doesnt really appeal to me in terms of looks id rather get the STI.. the only thing that i dont like about the STI is that its full time shift and i will mainly use it for city driving so theres plenty of stop signs. I doubt i will even hit 3rd gear most of the time unless im on the main streets. I can always swap the seats out only like $300-$400 so not too worried about that. And i plan on getting the EVO used so hopefully that will lower the price. Im hoping to be able to get the car by the time school ends at the end of May. Or if i decide to get the EVO by the time school begins in August. What are the miles per gallon like on either and how is it driving a stick in the city or how is the STI for a beginner stick driver?

 

In terms of easy relative to other standard shift cars, both the sti and evo are as easy as it gets. A standard in the city is annoying, but i do it. Paddle shift with full auto option would certainly be more convenient. Ther eis another option you may not have considered which is the Lancer Ralliart do to be released this summer. It will have a price likely in the mid 20s and comes standard with the SST transmission from the MR. It has the body of a regular lancer, ie no flares, but has AWD with the active center diff, the 4b11t engine slightly detuned from evo, and many options. It wont be quite as fast as an evo, but once it can be tuned, it will easily get back up there in power. There is more info on it on the feature posted on the front page.

 

The Ralliart sounds like a good recommendation for him based on what he wants

 

If you got the bank i'd personally get teh Evo X, if you dont wanna spend as much, prob the STi. Just my .02 cents tho!

 

The Ralliart sounds nice.. didnt even know about it till now. Is there any differance between the Ralliart and X or is it just the power differance? Also i heard that the 07 STI has longer gears than the 06 STI.. can anyone explain what that means?

 

my advice would be to stay away from the first year of a new gen car (the X) since there will probably be "kinks" in the car that the manufacturer will fix and change to the cars later. that just my .02

 

yeah im kind of thinking that im going to get a STI... its just the shift thats bothering me.. this will be my 1st manual and i have never driven one before. So i dont know what its going to be like to actually drive one, its different when you see it done and read up on it than when you actually do it.

 

After doing it for a week though its a piece of cake. I dont even notice it anymore. Driving an automatic is the crappy part, always try and push in the clutch in autos and end up nailing the brake

 

yeah i know how to drive it its just that i dont know how to slow down to stop at a light or like if i have to hold clutch and brake to slow down/stop or if i can stay in 2nd gear or if i gotta go back to first.. also i read somewhere something about using the e brake when starting so you dont roll down hill (if parked on one) if someone could explain that would be nice

 

depending on teh speed and rpms determines which gear you put it in. If you come to a complete stop you would go into first, if im rolling and not at a complete stop, my srt let me go into first. I only go back to first when coming to a complete stop.

 

here's a quick driving lesson for you. you probably know how to jam a gear just like every other gear jammer in here, now lets teach you the right way. LOL. here's what you should do when you come to a stop. I ALWAYS rev match. that means as I down shift I give the gas a quick blip of throttle to bring up the revs to match the next gear down upon clutch release. it's a natural thing to learn and greatly improves clutch life. your foot will learn how much with practice. also here is the number one no-no that I'll bet nearly everyone in here does and I'll tell you why you shouldn't. when you know you are coming to a light or stop, shift down into 3rd (rev matching of course) and then just brake like an automatic and just before you stop, put your foot on the clutch and niceand easily shift into first as you are coming to a halt. it's that simple. why you may ask...........here's why. when I learned to drive in England, my first lesson was clutch usage. and here's the down and dirty on it. look at it this way the less you use your clutch, the more life you get out of it. plain and simple. also, brakes are easier and cheaper to replace than a clutch, so use the cheaper one more. make sense? let that be alesson to everyone on here. LOL. of course, there are gonna be times when you want to show off and up shift and down shift all over the place like you're Steve McQueen in Bullit or Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit. let's face it, who doesn't right? lmao. so for that, remember the rev match. as for hill starts, it'sno big deal. try it first on a hill somewhere where there is no traffic and no possibility of screwing anyone else up. LOL. it's real easy. assuming you are on the hill, your e-brake will be on/up. click your button on the brake handle but hold the brake handle up. so now the catch is released but the brake is still on. play the clutch/throttle just as you would any other time, only this time you will let the e-brake go just as contact is made with the clutch/tranny. understand? so as you feel the bite, is the point when you let the handle down and not before or you will roll backwards. practice makes perfect and it's not difficult, but it's a hell of a lot more fun than auto....................puke. lol. hope that helped.

 

thanks for all the info.. one of my friends owns a 03 wrx so ill ask him to show me. The only thing im sorta still kind of unsure about is slowing down and stopping but im sure it will be easier to understand when you see it done in person.

 

Ralliart and X or is it just the power differance?
No the ralliart has a dif body.. The only thing the ralliart and the EVOX share are engine recaros pedels sst trans and hood. It has 235 hp 256 torq so ur looking at a car compeatin with the WRX.. Lookin the Ralliart Forum and the New 09 RALLIART THREAD to find out more info