I picked up a brand new 2012 EVO MR last week, after selling my CTS-V as a daily driver. In the interim I also briefly owned an '07 Saleen Boss 302 Parnelli Jones Edition Mustang (#51 of 100) and an '07 BMW M6. I'm excited to have the EVO MR, and owning an '09 GT-R the EVO MR is a bit of relation. I might not go so far as to make a comparison as a, "Baby Brother", but related nonetheless. Anyway, here are my initial observations:

As soon as I drove into the dealer's lot and saw the MR waiting for me, my first impression was how awesome it looked from the outside. Somewhat muted, but enough telltale features to to show more than the casual observer that this car means business.

The Recaro seats up front stood out right away, and I liked their styling.

Loved the BBS wheels, the red Brembo covers, and rear lip spoiler (as opposed to the Racer Boy rear wing).

Did not like the Sirius/XM pole antenna on top of the vehicle.

Opened the trunk and, whoa, where is the space inside? Very tiny! Guess the back seat is going to have to serve as an additional cargo area.

Opening and closing doors...no heft to it, feels cheap.

Like the Information screen on the dash, as well as the multi-function display.

Can't play iPod or MP3's with USB connector (nothing appears to connect). Is there a, "trick", to this?

Overall impression of interior: very, very cheap looking, in fact, to the point of disappointment. I really thought that with the Premium and Touring packages, I was getting something measurably better quality than the standard EVO interior. The headliner looks like my wife's Highlander. Cheap plastic abounds. Even considering spending on custom interior work (leather) for the surfaces.

Took the family out for a drive and they all said it was more comfortable than my former M6. Plenty of room for everyone and we love the four doors. Like the carpet mats with the Evolution stitching.

Steering wheel width/grip is narrow.

Really wish the seats had a power option.

Major disappointment--no Homelink feature to synchronize garage door remotes.

Limited storage space about the console area. Looking for a place to set up my smart phone to have it within a safe viewing area (I use Waze).

Can't say much about the actual handling and performance because I'm in the break in period.

All in all, I'm happy with my purchase, because it is intended to be a daily driver, and living in the DC area, we can sometimes we a fair amount of snow dumped on us. So the AWD is a must. Will definitely be looking at snow tires in a couple of months.

 

I think you are missing the point of the car in a few of the areas you brought up...

First the doors are light due to weight reduction. They are not heavy like cars you u have owned such as the audi and cts-v which are made way for safety.

Second, and the most common complain from new evo owners is the interior. Yes it could be better but unlike a BMW or Audi that is at the same price point, u are not buying a luxury sedan with the evo. It is a rally bread race car. They decided to cut costs on things like the dash and no wood grain so that the car would not be starting at 50k. Also, who wants a race car with wood grain? Not me IMO. Also there is no power seats due to weight. Remember it is a rally car not a BMW 3 series.

When you buy an evo It's about the ride, the wonderful recaro seats that a lot of ppl have to buy after market...it's about the amazing s-awc that is unmatched in any car in the evos price point. It's about the ability to mod and tune the car to the point where it can run and or bury a lot if not most cars out there. I have friends with evos who push 500whp and 780whp...with all the mods and the price of the car they are still well behind cars like gt-rs, and such and their evos have crushed those cars.

Bottom line, appreciate the evo for what it is rather that what your use to that it does not have, because in the end it's a totally different car

 

Did you actually try the car before you bought it? I'm surprised you listed so any negatives but still said you like the car at the end.

The EVO isn't about luxury.. it is about performance. They made the car more enjoyable for daily driving with the higher trim levels... but it is still not a luxury car. If you want more refinement you should buy a luxury sports sedan.

 

not sure about the homelink but the FUSE has a USB that you can connect your phone as well as bluetooth.

 

I was also a bit disappointed about the lack of Homelink feature as well. But I quickly solved that issue by double taping a remote control above where the cigarette lighter is. It works perfectly and looks completely stealth.

 

Thanks for the good idea

 

it sounds like you absolutely hate it you'll learn to squeeze stuff into the trunk + back seat, its an art form. wait until all the rattles start, then you'll really love it

 

What are your impressions of the gtr as opposed to the ctsv? I'm thinking of making the switch. I have a 09 ctsv pushing 580 whp an evo an a s2000. Was thinking of selling both the v and s2000 and get a 09 gtr

 

Wow, I really struck a nerve here! Okay, guys, take it for what it's worth, an initial impression of mine, mostly subjective, good and bad points. I think some of you need not get so sensitive about any criticism regarding the EVO. Look, I bought one, and that was over having an M6, CTS-V, and S4. What does that tell you? Sorry I didn't throw myself to the ground in ecstasy when I first saw my EVO. It's a nice car, and it's going to be a great daily driver. Is the trunk small? Without question. Is the overall interior top shelf? Not by any stretch of the imagination. But it's functional and with all the packages I selected with my MR, some of those issues over quality, fit, and finish have been mitigated in my opinion. I like the car!

Again, I realize it's not a high performance luxury car, and I knew what I was getting into. Why do you think I got rid of the M6? For the lack of a Homelink feature, I am looking at a substitute to fill that void. Regarding the comments about a GT-R vs. the EVO, I'm not even going to get into that, as I've already seen too many flame wars on here about that. I have noticed there are other GT-R owners who also own EVO's, and that's a good thing. Best of both worlds! But you really can't compare the two, and I don't mean that in a negative way.

 

evo vs R34 gtr yes, evo fq400 vs r35 gtr maybe. but USDM evo x vs r34 gtr, no. the gtr has extended itself to supercar status as it is in price because of its capabilities. welcome and enjoy your evo. I was looking for the same luxury, equipment when I got my evo but the driving experience was the clincher.

 

That was a big factor to me, too. Still can't stand the cheap look of the interior, so at some point I will try to convince my wife to pay for a custom interior job (minus the seats, they are fine).