I'm looking to get a new EVO X by the end of the summer and I had been trying to convince myself I wanted an MR because of its practicality, liking of the SST, among other things. But I think I have just been lying to myself, I've always wanted a manual car.

My question for EVO X owners is how do you feel about only having 5 gears?
Do you wish the car was a 6speed? How is the car driving on the highway?


Thanks!

 

Do I wish it was a 6-speed? Sure. Did it stop me from buying the X? No!

 

Are you saying you never owned a manual car before? The Evo is not much different from any other. The clutch is a little heavier than my Honda was. Cruising on the highway at 60mph will put you around 2,700rpm. Not that big of a deal for me. I would love a 6-speed, but it was not a deal breaker for me.

 

So you want to know if you need 6 gears for highway driving? Not at all.

 

5 gears is enough for me. not too worried about the miniscal mpg's which is pretty much what that extra gear is for

 

Right, my concern was the cabin noise inside the car at highway cruising speeds, but then I thought about how my last car (07 TL-S) was a 5AT, but it was a completely different car.

@tml148: No I have never owned a manual before. I have driven friends cars that are manual... e46 3series, e92 335i... my friends like BMW's.

 

Also, how much better are the brakes found on the MR vs the GSR?

 

This! Sure it would be nice, but the car is still fine even on long roadtrips @ 80-85mph the entire time.

I really enjoy my 5-speed after doing bushings, fluid, and a shifter; very tight and precise with smooth shifts.
MR rotors are lighter, but stopping distance and braking performance are nearly unchanged besides for the slight benefit of less rotational mass. The pads and calipers are identical.

 

A friend of mine owns a WW Evo X SE that I get to test drive next weekend. I guess I'll see how I feel after I get a feel for the SST tranny.