Why a Ralliart?
Aug 12, 2014, 08:56 PM
#16
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I like the Ralliart because it’s a great noob track car; there is no pressure to win in a Ralliart.
Initially I took my stock Porsche 968 to the track to practice but people love to challenge me because: Porsche. Everyone wants to bench their car against a Porsche. The problem for me is that the stock 968 is old and slow by today’s standards and combined with the fact that I am a noob track guy, I lose all the time. When they beat my Porsche, they cheer and hi-5 the f* out of each other as if they’ve just done a great feat of heroics. Even when I win they still feel smug because: Porsche. It sucked for me because it is a lose/lose situation. As a result I brought my Ralliart instead hoping people would leave me alone; they don’t.
Most people don’t know about the Ralliart. The car is poorly advertised and no one knows about it. Most people think my car is a stock Lancer with the Evo hood. People think that I am trying to disguise a GTS or a GT and therefore am a total poser. They challenge me to embarrass me and because they think it’ll be an easy victory. The problem for them is the fact that they don’t necessarily win. 235HP is enough to take on a surprisingly very wide range of cars. When they lose, they get this expression on their face as if they are saying, “The f* just happened?! Did I just get whipped by a stock Lancer?” Even when I lose they are still going, “The f* just happened?! Did I just nearly get whipped by a stock Lancer?” Win/win. It’s the ultimate underdog. With the Evo X, like the Porsche, you are expected to do well because the car has a reputation as a technological marvel.
It’s also a great noob track car because we get the TC-SST for cheap. The TC-SST is like training wheels for actual manual driving. I’ve driven automatics my entire life. One of the main reasons I bought the car was because it was advertised as an automatic. I am a manual noob through and through. The TC-SST is a great introduction to manual driving. After two years of TC-SST in manual mode, I learned to read the RPM and shift by sound and feel. When I got my Porsche 968, I took to the manual like fish to water. However, The TC-SST shifts much, much faster than I ever can and when you are travelling at high speeds at the track, you have more driving operational variables to worry about than shifting. The simple flick of the paddle made life really easy for me and I can focus on the more difficult aspects of tracking.
235HP is enough power for a beginner. I test drove my buddy’s maxed out 800hp M3 and it’s not happening. If that was my first car I think I would be dead by now. However, with the Ralliart, we get the option to make stock MR level power or better with bolt-on swaps. After you’ve gained a certain amount of confidence tracking your car and want to try out more power, you can spend like $2,000 to $4,000 or cheaper, depending on your mechanical/tuning skills, to mod the car instead of buying a whole new car. After talking to other car guys, apparently getting 60 or 70HP for even $4,000 to $5,000 is a bargain for quite a number of people. For example, my buddy with the Audi A3 would kill to be able to bolt S3 go fast bits in his car. All he can do is bolt on the visual bits but that’s cheesy. The cost to swap out the A3 drive train to the S3 equivalent makes the whole project unfeasible and impractical.
The Sportback adds another layer of practicality as a track car. I can bring the racing wheels and all my tools to the track all in one car.
There is actually more but I think my rant is long enough.
Initially I took my stock Porsche 968 to the track to practice but people love to challenge me because: Porsche. Everyone wants to bench their car against a Porsche. The problem for me is that the stock 968 is old and slow by today’s standards and combined with the fact that I am a noob track guy, I lose all the time. When they beat my Porsche, they cheer and hi-5 the f* out of each other as if they’ve just done a great feat of heroics. Even when I win they still feel smug because: Porsche. It sucked for me because it is a lose/lose situation. As a result I brought my Ralliart instead hoping people would leave me alone; they don’t.
Most people don’t know about the Ralliart. The car is poorly advertised and no one knows about it. Most people think my car is a stock Lancer with the Evo hood. People think that I am trying to disguise a GTS or a GT and therefore am a total poser. They challenge me to embarrass me and because they think it’ll be an easy victory. The problem for them is the fact that they don’t necessarily win. 235HP is enough to take on a surprisingly very wide range of cars. When they lose, they get this expression on their face as if they are saying, “The f* just happened?! Did I just get whipped by a stock Lancer?” Even when I lose they are still going, “The f* just happened?! Did I just nearly get whipped by a stock Lancer?” Win/win. It’s the ultimate underdog. With the Evo X, like the Porsche, you are expected to do well because the car has a reputation as a technological marvel.
It’s also a great noob track car because we get the TC-SST for cheap. The TC-SST is like training wheels for actual manual driving. I’ve driven automatics my entire life. One of the main reasons I bought the car was because it was advertised as an automatic. I am a manual noob through and through. The TC-SST is a great introduction to manual driving. After two years of TC-SST in manual mode, I learned to read the RPM and shift by sound and feel. When I got my Porsche 968, I took to the manual like fish to water. However, The TC-SST shifts much, much faster than I ever can and when you are travelling at high speeds at the track, you have more driving operational variables to worry about than shifting. The simple flick of the paddle made life really easy for me and I can focus on the more difficult aspects of tracking.
235HP is enough power for a beginner. I test drove my buddy’s maxed out 800hp M3 and it’s not happening. If that was my first car I think I would be dead by now. However, with the Ralliart, we get the option to make stock MR level power or better with bolt-on swaps. After you’ve gained a certain amount of confidence tracking your car and want to try out more power, you can spend like $2,000 to $4,000 or cheaper, depending on your mechanical/tuning skills, to mod the car instead of buying a whole new car. After talking to other car guys, apparently getting 60 or 70HP for even $4,000 to $5,000 is a bargain for quite a number of people. For example, my buddy with the Audi A3 would kill to be able to bolt S3 go fast bits in his car. All he can do is bolt on the visual bits but that’s cheesy. The cost to swap out the A3 drive train to the S3 equivalent makes the whole project unfeasible and impractical.
The Sportback adds another layer of practicality as a track car. I can bring the racing wheels and all my tools to the track all in one car.
There is actually more but I think my rant is long enough.
Aug 14, 2014, 06:11 AM
#18
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^^ That's a great post ApeIron2012
For me it was all about cost. Car prices in Australia are ridiculous, you're talking low 40s for a RA vs. high 60s for an Evo.
For me it was all about cost. Car prices in Australia are ridiculous, you're talking low 40s for a RA vs. high 60s for an Evo.
Aug 14, 2014, 01:56 PM
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cant wait to buy another DD, so i can track my RA in peace... for anyone remotely interested, i suggest you take a test drive. our car is obviously more comparable to the MR, than the GSR. but, much much cheaper and a bit lighter, and if youve ever tracked you know what lighter means: better handling from the start. ive added KWs for even better handling and im about to add my CTS-V brakes and the evo X turbo, after that, im sure it will crush most 4wd competitors at the track, and dont fell bad driving an auto at the track, a manual 6 speed can be a real test for a newbie.. so, its really a great car to use for DD and the occasional track day.. for the $24k i dont think anyone would be disapointed. and if there was no evo avail, this car would rank much higher in everyones opinion..
Aug 19, 2014, 05:57 AM
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For me it was the options list vs. need for what else the Evo can offer.
The RA was a no brainer, I was able to get a capable motor, good awd set up and every option I wanted (projectors,sunroof,fast key,nav,etc). To get these options on a '13 Evo or even a '13 WRX would of priced me out.
The RA was a no brainer, I was able to get a capable motor, good awd set up and every option I wanted (projectors,sunroof,fast key,nav,etc). To get these options on a '13 Evo or even a '13 WRX would of priced me out.
Aug 19, 2014, 06:46 AM
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I had a 2012 Ralliart with Premium package and traded it in for a 2014 Evo X GSR with handling package. The Evo X just like the Ralliart is an excellent daily driver. Other than the Premium package which I miss in the Ralliart, would I trade it all back for the Evo X? No sir 
For me, both cars are great daily drivers. I already have a 10 second DSM, so I am not looking into tracking or modding either cars. The performance, handling and looks of the Evo does it for me
For me, both cars are great daily drivers. I already have a 10 second DSM, so I am not looking into tracking or modding either cars. The performance, handling and looks of the Evo does it for me
Aug 19, 2014, 09:33 PM
#23
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I had a 2012 Ralliart with Premium package and traded it in for a 2014 Evo X GSR with handling package. The Evo X just like the Ralliart is an excellent daily driver. Other than the Premium package which I miss in the Ralliart, would I trade it all back for the Evo X? No sir
For me, both cars are great daily drivers. I already have a 10 second DSM, so I am not looking into tracking or modding either cars. The performance, handling and looks of the Evo does it for me
For me, both cars are great daily drivers. I already have a 10 second DSM, so I am not looking into tracking or modding either cars. The performance, handling and looks of the Evo does it for me
Or do U-turns.
Aug 21, 2014, 10:23 PM
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It's pretty foolish to fight amongst ourselves over which is a better car. Mitsubishi gimped us all in their own special way.
It's as if they made the Evo IX and decided, "Well, shucks, we accidentally made the perfect car. We can't have that in the Evo X or else no one would want to buy the Evo XI."
So they gimped the MR with a weak sauce transmission, I know they got the same TC-SST as us, but for the money the MR guys are paying, it can't hold power worth a damn.
For the GSR, they shortchanged them a 6 speed.
For the Ralliart, the suspension/wide body.
My track instructor loved my car and uses it to smoke cars out of its league regularly. He told me that if our cars were badged as a BMW, an Audi or even a Toyota or a Ford, they would've been heralded as the second coming and would've sold like hotcakes. However, too bad: Mitsubishi.
I love my car but my relationship with the Ralliart feels as if I am being best friends with a cancer patient. I love hanging out and driving the car but it feels like the car will drop dead at any moment; the TC-SST, the ACD pump, the timing belt and who knows what else. Our cars have no prestige but have prestige car maintenance costs. I treat my 20+ year old Porsche rougher than my Ralliart.
I honestly can't care less if the Evo XI is gonna have a hybrid power-train and cost like $80k+, it's the reliability and the warranty support that bothers me. Sure they can improve on the reliability for the XI but they lack the legacy of reliability in their cars. How the heck are we supposed to trust them with that kind of money?
My brand new Ralliart had a bad TC-SST straight from the factory. It leaks transmission fluid and for the ’09 and ’10, it’s widespread and well documented on these forums.
When I inquire the sales rep about the weird shifting and overall bizarre drivability, he told me, “Oh yeah, the car is suppose to run like that. It’s a dual clutch. Once it’s broken in it’ll be smoother. You’ve never driven a dual clutch before so…”
Other gems I've heard includes:
“Oh no, that’s not transmission fluid in the undertray, the technician must’ve overfilled the engine oil.”
“Transmission is fully functional within our parameters.”
They did a full diagnostic and swapped my transmission practically right before it seized and only because I wouldn’t leave, I threatened legal actions and I have documentation from two independent shops verifying the dying transmission. Even then they are like, “Wow, we’ve never seen this defect before. Your car must be the exception.”
Who the heck are they trying to kid?
The sad fact is that it’s probably quite a number of people. Consumers that browse enthusiast forums like these represent only a fraction of all car buyers. Ignorance is rampant out there and is abused often by dealerships and manufacturers. As a result, there is a reason why the resale value of our cars is so low universally.
I nearly gave in at one point and almost traded the car back in after only a few month for less than half the value I bought it for fully aware that they aren’t gonna do a damn thing about the transmission once they got it back. Pass the buck so to speak, why should I care, I was tired. The TC-SST is probably the first set of dual clutch most of us have ever experienced. How many of us can immediately recognize a fully working TC-SST from a faulty one? How is the next buyer expected to know what they are getting?
There is no way I would trust Mitsubishi when it comes to a brand new technology. All this bickering over which version of the Lancer is better is a farce. There is no “best” version because none of our cars are meant to be the “best” by design. It’s meant to distract us from the big picture and keep us unsatisfied and perpetually wanting the next best thing. Instead of arguing over which car is the best we really need to focus on ways to make our cars better ourselves. We need to learn to deal with the inherent flaws of our cars and just deal with it. Else we’ll just end up playing their game by their rules and bounce from one disappointment to another and perpetually trying to convince ourselves that, “At least our car is better than some other car.”
It's as if they made the Evo IX and decided, "Well, shucks, we accidentally made the perfect car. We can't have that in the Evo X or else no one would want to buy the Evo XI."
So they gimped the MR with a weak sauce transmission, I know they got the same TC-SST as us, but for the money the MR guys are paying, it can't hold power worth a damn.
For the GSR, they shortchanged them a 6 speed.
For the Ralliart, the suspension/wide body.
My track instructor loved my car and uses it to smoke cars out of its league regularly. He told me that if our cars were badged as a BMW, an Audi or even a Toyota or a Ford, they would've been heralded as the second coming and would've sold like hotcakes. However, too bad: Mitsubishi.
I love my car but my relationship with the Ralliart feels as if I am being best friends with a cancer patient. I love hanging out and driving the car but it feels like the car will drop dead at any moment; the TC-SST, the ACD pump, the timing belt and who knows what else. Our cars have no prestige but have prestige car maintenance costs. I treat my 20+ year old Porsche rougher than my Ralliart.
I honestly can't care less if the Evo XI is gonna have a hybrid power-train and cost like $80k+, it's the reliability and the warranty support that bothers me. Sure they can improve on the reliability for the XI but they lack the legacy of reliability in their cars. How the heck are we supposed to trust them with that kind of money?
My brand new Ralliart had a bad TC-SST straight from the factory. It leaks transmission fluid and for the ’09 and ’10, it’s widespread and well documented on these forums.
When I inquire the sales rep about the weird shifting and overall bizarre drivability, he told me, “Oh yeah, the car is suppose to run like that. It’s a dual clutch. Once it’s broken in it’ll be smoother. You’ve never driven a dual clutch before so…”
Other gems I've heard includes:
“Oh no, that’s not transmission fluid in the undertray, the technician must’ve overfilled the engine oil.”
“Transmission is fully functional within our parameters.”
They did a full diagnostic and swapped my transmission practically right before it seized and only because I wouldn’t leave, I threatened legal actions and I have documentation from two independent shops verifying the dying transmission. Even then they are like, “Wow, we’ve never seen this defect before. Your car must be the exception.”
Who the heck are they trying to kid?
The sad fact is that it’s probably quite a number of people. Consumers that browse enthusiast forums like these represent only a fraction of all car buyers. Ignorance is rampant out there and is abused often by dealerships and manufacturers. As a result, there is a reason why the resale value of our cars is so low universally.
I nearly gave in at one point and almost traded the car back in after only a few month for less than half the value I bought it for fully aware that they aren’t gonna do a damn thing about the transmission once they got it back. Pass the buck so to speak, why should I care, I was tired. The TC-SST is probably the first set of dual clutch most of us have ever experienced. How many of us can immediately recognize a fully working TC-SST from a faulty one? How is the next buyer expected to know what they are getting?
There is no way I would trust Mitsubishi when it comes to a brand new technology. All this bickering over which version of the Lancer is better is a farce. There is no “best” version because none of our cars are meant to be the “best” by design. It’s meant to distract us from the big picture and keep us unsatisfied and perpetually wanting the next best thing. Instead of arguing over which car is the best we really need to focus on ways to make our cars better ourselves. We need to learn to deal with the inherent flaws of our cars and just deal with it. Else we’ll just end up playing their game by their rules and bounce from one disappointment to another and perpetually trying to convince ourselves that, “At least our car is better than some other car.”
Aug 22, 2014, 09:57 AM
#25
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ApeIron2012, that was probably one of the best written, well stated, complaints about Mitsubishi I've ever read. Although I've had a wonderful experience with my Ralliart, I agree with your assessment that Mitsubishi service and reliability is holding the company back from greatness.
Aug 26, 2014, 08:48 AM
#26
^true. And 
probably doesn't even care. They are complacent about being 'last' (even the US Domestics realized they had to address reliability...) 
But - I will keep my car and deal with the design shortcomings as best I can.
Kinda' like that hot chick you date despite the rumor she has an STD...
probably doesn't even care. They are complacent about being 'last' (even the US Domestics realized they had to address reliability...) But - I will keep my car and deal with the design shortcomings as best I can.
Kinda' like that hot chick you date despite the rumor she has an STD...
Aug 26, 2014, 10:15 AM
#27
Evolving Member
I still miss my RA and think it was a perfect DD. Still, the stock performance of my Evo is worlds apart from what my RA was even tuned. Whats crazy is I might pick up another RA sometime in the future as another DD. I think they are more rare than Evos as well lol
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