Hey im losing sleep over this. Im going to buy the new EVO X next week and i still cant decide between the GSR or the MR. Seems like the MR has less tranny problems then the GSR, but has none of the benefits ( convenience) of the 5 speed manual. I never owned a manual car and come from a 5 speed auto, but drive my brothers manual MazdaSpeed all the time. Im not a pro at manual, but not a noob either. Im not buying this for the track, just a DD. I wanna keep it bone stock for at least a year. Then some light mods to push it into the 320hp range. Money is no problem, as i know the MR is more expensive. Please help guys. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

 

gsr doesn't have tranny problems it has clutch problems. Get a mr cause you'll eventually blow your clutch if your not a pro. I owned a manual car for two years before my evo and had to change my clutch after 7k

 

If you're keeping it stock and daily driving, get the MR.

 

yea sorry, i meant clutch problems. *Typo

 

If money is no problem, you don't want much more hp, and you're not tracking it much. Get the MR. I've had the oppertunity to do a pretty rough test drive of both (sorry whoever buys/bought the car, I'm sure it still runs, I know what I'm doing). And the MR was a blast to drive. Putting it in D and not worrying about shifting or anything while in traffic was great. Then put it in sport and start shifting when you need to.

 

i think get a gsr.. i jus dont think the MR will be as fun as a gsr!!! also if u dont act like an idiot and do made take-offs and other stupid stuff ur clutch in the gsr will last awhile!

 

I must agree. I had the pleasure to test drive both. Even though I drive a stick, previously in an '08 STi and now '07 RS4, the MR was a blast to drive.

I don't track my cars, they are more for everyday driving here and there so I think the MR would be a better choice.

I didn't know what to expect first with the MR because of the lack of the 5 speed manual but going through the gears with the paddle shifters got me excited.

And having the ability to put it in Drive and not worry about doing the clutch work and changing gears constantly was a nice change. I think being able to change gears via the paddle shifters or leaving it in drive is a nice trade off.

 

Thats what im worried about. I always had an auto, but driving my bros manual with a turbo is so fun! And im not gonna launch the car, Im 24 and have killed tons of cars, i got it out of my system. Plus AWD cars are not meant to be launched. I did my HW.

 

If you even think that you're going to want to mod and make some decent power get the GSR, if not, the MR's tranny is S W E E T!!! As of right now, the MR tranny is untested on even moderate power.

 

Plan on keeping it stock for one year then light mods to 320whp eh?

Well I was having a discussion about a turbo upgrade with a friend who has a 600rwhp SC ... and he gave me one word of advice

whatever you think your power goal is ... get the turbo one step above that, because you'll just end up spending more money later to swap out to that one.

how does this apply to you ... you might think you only want 320whp. But when you see how easily you can get 320 ... and how good it feels ... I'm willing to bet you'll want more. Doesn't matter if you track the car or not ... you live in LA ... so do I ... I'm sure you merge onto freeways ... LA traffic is horrible ... but LA freeways such as the 5 and 405 often times have an average speed of 80mph ... with 85-90 being common flow of traffic in the fast lane.

and you say you aren't buying it for the track ... ya I said that too.
Until you realize you can go to autocross events for $40-50, and track days for $120-160.
That's like a day in grown up car lover Disneyland.

Basically, my recommendation is buy for what might be ... not just for right now.

 

to me its a matter of manual v. automatic

 

Haha, good point man. The 405 is such a POS at like 4-7pm. But i see what you are saying. Does your personal experience show that you find yourself in traffic often? hoping to put the car in D and let it do its own shifting? Im still undecided as to the GSR or the MR. Besides, just reflashing the ECU will yeild HP even if car is stock right? there is my 30 hp with no bolt ons or piping done.

 

I would go MR all the way especially for DD. More livable suspension, quieter, and.....leather!!!

 

i say MR too, because if your not looking to mod the car for high hp, then mr would be your best fit for DD.

 

I DD my X ... but my commute is against traffic and its on the 118. Even when I have been in traffic the manual didn't bother me because all my cars have been manual (even took my drivers license test with a manual). How long is your commute and how often are you in traffic anyway?

As for 30hp ... if your goal is 320 ... did you mean 320 brake hp or 320 wheel hp?
the car is rated at 295 or whatever at the crank ... but that only translates to like 250-260 at the wheels (even less depending on the dyno).

My personal recommendation is get the GSR, especially if you aren't driving ridiculous amounts of traffic all the time.
Leather seats you say? F-that ... get some Brides.
You want quieter? Get a Camry then.
Softer suspension? Get Robispec'd.