If he is concerned about the reliability of the engine on the X, then...yeah.

 

If an when we get those at the local dealerships, I have already told the sales/service manager not to kick my sleeping bag too hard when he comes into work that morning. Hitting it with the door isn't cool, either.

 

I have been hopeful that Ford would actually do this. Their WRC Focus is a great car, so they have the right experience.

 

For something in the same format(AWD,4 Cylinder Turbo)
Mercedes A45 AMG/CLA45 AMG
MK VII or MK VII Golf R

 

09+ cts-v isn't a bad choice either

 

Well if we're getting into that price range I say Corvette or GTR are your best options.

 

A CTS-V is an amazing car for the money. It appears to be very moddable, and the purchase price seems more reasonable than a Vette or GTR. However, the price is well beyond what I would consider to be Evo 8/9 price range territory.

 

I think used ones with under 30k miles go for the cost of a new evo. 35-40. I think that's comparable.

 

mrfred,

I bought a 2013 VW Golf R. It actually reminds me a little of an 03 Evo. (open diff, etc) It's impressed me more then I thought it would. If you look at it as a capable street car it's great.

Every body says they cost too much but forget smart people do not pay MSRP for cars. It's a fully loaded 4 door (HIDS, Sunroof, Leather, keyless, upgraded stereo) MSRP is 37k but I bought it for 33K brand new.

I've had it for almost a year now. Here is my pros/cons list:

Pros
Hatchback (tons of room)
AWD
Great interior quality for the money
"light AWD sedan" (same weight as a Evo 8, 32XXlbs)
Strong motor (Cast iron block, forged internals, etc)
Ability to self tune
Great ride but still handles well (still not an Evo though, but what is)
Smooth 6spd trans
27mpg hwy / 22 city

Cons
So much more complex then Evo (I think a tenet of German engineering is making things complex just for the hell of it)
15 min ecu flash times (ugh!)
$700 for self tuning cable/software (limited defs)
Euro tax (parts cost a ton)
Not a 50:50 AWD system like Audi Quattro but still not bad
Fuel system constraints so E85 is hard (HPFP + LPFP, etc)

I have about $1200 into it power mod wise and it's about +50whp/50wtq. Just two power mods, an intake ($300) and a high pressure fuel pump ($950+!!!) and of course another $700 for the tuning solution. Still not bad.

 

razorlab,

definitely a nice looking car, and i like the cast iron block. i've wondered about how much challenge there is to supplying additional fuel for direct injected cars. is the ecu rom available?

 

You can just eeek by with E85 on the stock K04 turbo with stock injectors but upgrading the HPFP. After that you have to look into larger injectors and also upgrade the in-tank LPFP.

Problem is, the rom isn't very well defined with the user ended tuning solution (Eurodyne Maestro 7) and the support is VERY lacking.

There are other tools to disassemble, visualize and flash but they are very non user friendly and I haven't even touched them.

Here is a 2011 Golf R bin file and a excel file of all the map names and descriptions. I don't have the raw bin file from my own 2013 USDM R because Maestro wraps it into a different file (like cobb does).

http://norcalmotorsports.org/users/b...20original.bin

http://norcalmotorsports.org/users/b...hAcronyms.xlsx

The MED 9 bosch ecu is pretty complex (surprise!). It's all torque based, even boost control. That's why having a not so well defined rom has been a bit frustrating for me. Couple that with 15 min flash times making it even more frustrating that I haven't really tuned the car much. I think I've flashed it a total of maybe 8x this whole year.

 

I really hope that HPFPs come down in price someday as DI engines continue to propagate in the market. MS3s and STs have the same problem where you run out of fuel and need to spend a fortune on a custom-built HPFP to continue making power.

 

The actual OEM pump is "only" $350. It's the "euro" tax that all aftermarket companies are adding that is driving the price up. APR charges $1099 for their upgraded pump which is just some internal upgrades. It's nuts.

Catbacks are $900+
Downpipes are $600+

It's a bit ridiculous. It's like I'm driving a Porsche or something.

Honestly, I've been kicking around the idea of getting rid of the car and picking up a 2014 Evo GSR. It's hard to go back to that horrible interior though.

 

After selling my Evo's I tried a couple different things.
1s was a 4dr SI CIVIC , nicer interior, quieter and better mpg ...HATED IT .
2nd up was a Camaro SS (ls3) , looks "cool" , no room inside, takes a lot of $$ to make power after the 40hp from bolt ons .
So I'm coming to the realization there is NO REPLACEMENT for evo/4g63 close to the price.

 

To add to my post(s) above.

I have decided to sell the Golf R and I picked up a 2014 Evo GSR this last weekend...