FWIW, I've launched mine the total of once, just to see. My stock Advans lasted ~7500 miles, rotated/aligned regularly with all-street driving, to give an idea as to the exploration of the car's performance envelope. However, I don't drag race and I like my drivetrain, so there's no reason to launch.

 

+1

 

as everyone has said Get a 8 and do a decent inspection and you'll be fine

 

^ a lot of people said get a 9...

 

I have one of both worlds available. 9 mr 43k miles, 2nd owner. not the classifieds section, but pm for more info. I am letting it go for less than trade in!

 

I think the safest way i can go is with a 9...im leaning towards that i think. still gonna do all the research n inspect it top to bottom but thats just what my gut is telling me to do. thanks for all the input everyone and if anyone else has any other input feel free to post. hope everyone has a great new years!

 

I'm having this same dilemma as well. Though I'm looking at 8s, 9s, & 10s as well.

 

10's are nice dont get me wrong but i fell in love i with the 8/9 body style, plus 10's are out of my price range. meet in the middle and get a 9 tho!

 

There are plenty of stock evo's out there just people are not selling them. I recently purchased my evo 9 with 5500 miles on it completely stock. Im positive it has always been stock also.

 

evo 9.. i luv mine i wen from have 03 evo 8 to evo 9 like it 30x better then the 8.

 

now heres the questions...if i go with a 9, do i settle for the base gsr or do i go mr or even se? mr is tempting but have heard that their tranny's arent as reliable but i dont plan on launching or anything like that so i feel as if i should be fine?

 

You may want to search for the big 6-speed thread and see what the issues really are. Launching is not a problem, but overheating in higher gears is. If you're not planning on road racing and/or attending track days, you don't have much to worry about.

There isn't a whole lot of difference between the various model designation, so it's not an issue of "settling" for something. Contrary to what some may have heard, the MR is generally not the most desirable to Evo enthusiasts. The SE comes with an aluminum roof, HIDs, and a 5-speed. It's a unique combination of features that couldn't be had together otherwise, and it's arguable the Evo to look for, but it may not be depending on your planned use for the car. If an aluminum roof is of little importance to you, then go for a GSR. If you want every single accessory attached to the Evo and don't mind a sightly heavier car, buy a MR. Ultimately, it doesn't really matter.

Too, and please take this in the best way possible, as you plan on looking over the car, yourself, you have a lot of studying ahead. Good luck.

 

I dont think MR's have problems with launching, its just problems with high rpm shifting, i kow the MR trannys are weaker than the 5 speeds. I got the SE SSL. I love the sound/ sunroof/ leather package.. makes it that much nicer to drive in.

 

Depends on what you want. if you wanna build a beast go with an 8. If you want fun and enjoy some good power go with a 9. I have an 8 with really low miles selling for 13k

 

Sorry, there's no such thing as a SE SSL. I suspect that you installed SE seats in a SSL, but the aluminum roof (ie, the performance advantage) isn't there. Worse, there's a heavy sunroof attached, ironically defeating the notion in spades. This isn't to say there's something wrong with a SSL; it's just not a SE. Two different models. BTW, high RPM shifting isn't the issue with 6-speeds. It's sustained operation in higher gears (mostly 4th) that causes overheating.