Comments on: Review: 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart

By: Michael Ayoub

Michael Ayoub — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 15:12:04 +0000

PLENTY of people think the GT-R is ugly (I’m not one of them, but still).

By: ar_ken

ar_ken — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:17:02 +0000

joker702: ok.. just because he said the GT-R is ugly… doesn’t mean he has no taste… there are numerous reviews out there for the GT-R from various publication and usually “beauty” is not the first word to describe it…

I agree the GT-R might be a great performing car at a great price, but “sexy” is usually not the first thing that comes to mind…

Back to the Ralliart. Here in Canada it starts at 33k for a “base” model and shoots up to 39k fully loaded.. not a bad price, but I wonder at 39k, how many people would still pick this when the Audi A3/A4’s starts around the same price (yes, with worse performance, but unfortunately it’s not everything when it comes to buying a car). I haven’t seen one on the road so far and I’m in the Toronto area (ricer-central). Either the supplies are very low or they are just not selling…

By: joker702

joker702 — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 23:48:17 +0000

ok NickR who ever u are i grant you that u know ur shit about cars but ur taste in cars sucks u are the first person i have ever hear say that the GT-R is ugly so in response to that you are a idiot it is by far one of the sexyest cars on the road pull ur head out of ur ass and enlighten the world and everone on this site if u think that car is ugly what looks good in ur book?

By: jerseydevil

jerseydevil — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:07:13 +0000

it looks like it needs an orthodontist.

By: Matthew Sullivan

Matthew Sullivan — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:59:46 +0000

I own an ‘03 Evo. I love it.

If I had been designing something like a Ralliart, I would have forgone the flappy paddle gearbox and instead used the money to get the Evo’s suspension.

I think my car’s “Evo-ness” comes from its steering, suspension, and utter driver-focusedness of the cockpit.

All that Evo-ness could have been had in the Ralliart. Mitsubishi focused on the bling, rather than the substance.

By: Samir

Samir — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:32:24 +0000

TTAC’s true taste in cars is revealed!

Careful, at any given time, TTAC uses about 20 writers. All of these writers have their own opinions.

By: kurtamaxxguy

kurtamaxxguy — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:40:02 +0000

TTAC’s true taste in cars is revealed!

So would this car work for TTAC if it got the COBB or other tuning treatment: track-tuned suspension and the usual stuff along with it?

By: JEC

JEC — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:56:54 +0000

I was impressed when I read this review – it sounds light years ahead of the old Ralliart, which was just a tarted up Lancer with a few extra horses. Now it’s a tarted up Lancer with AWD and a lot of extra horses.

Then I poked around for info on the new WRX. 265hp and 0-60 in… 4.8 seconds. That obliterates the LR which posts in the 6 second range.

Nice to know the power wars have gone a bit further downmarket… But they are all still too expensive. Put them up for 25K (Canadian) and people would flock to the dealers. As is you get more bang for your buck from the Camcordtima6 lineup (if you opt for a V6 and don’t mind porky road manners).

By: BEAT

BEAT — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:45:10 +0000

Superman the rims are Lancer GTS rims. The Evo has a wider rims and it’s a spider spoke style almost has wide with a BMW M3 rims.

The tranny is develop but Aisin Seiki of Japan.

By: SupaMan

SupaMan — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:29:14 +0000

Is it me, or do those 18″ wheels look small compared to whats on the base Evo?

In my opinion, the Ralliart Lancer is less an Evo-Lite (which I think was what everyone was expecting) and more of a Lancer-Plus. If Mitsubishi had fiddled with the suspension a bit more, threw in some wider 18″ tires and had a manual tranny option, the car would’ve been better aimed.

Oh well…

By: ambulancechaser

ambulancechaser — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:33:43 +0000

I say it time and time again. That car will retail in the high $40k’s in Canada.

By: Facebook User

Facebook User — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:16:51 +0000

That it comes with an automatic mode gives the Evo an edge in versatility over some of its traditional competitors

But, I would hope not an edge among those who seek a cheap sporty car. How many people looking for a rally type car a) can’t drive a manual or b) prefer an auto to a manual?

Maybe my wife and I are atypical, but we both prefer a manual over an auto. My wife has stated that she will never own a manual; I guess that I’m a little more pragmatic or less strident. I will never own any of the current automatic offerings if given a choice.

By: mastermik

mastermik — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:03:16 +0000

To anyone who is interested (and has a mac), I’ve made a handy little TTAC RSS reading widget for dashboard. Grab it at http://www.people.virginia.edu/~mst3c/TTAC.zip

By: James2

James2 — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:22:11 +0000

About that front end… I blame some egomaniac over at Audi. We must hunt him down and beat him senseless. But even then it would be too late.

By: Squares

Squares — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:03:16 +0000

From what I’ve read and I’m sure some of you have as well, is that the problems with the Ralliart’s handling stems from it not having the wider track and control arms of the Evo as well as not sharing miscellaneous other bits.

I’m pretty sure that the suspension in the WRX and STi are more similar to each other than the relationship between the Ralliart and Evo.

The Ralliart with the Recaro Sport Package is $3700 (+/-) less than a base Evo GSR :( .

Also, hoon vs suit age sucks.

By: Areitu

Areitu — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:49:24 +0000

I can’t help but feel like this car, an affordable, fun and direct competitor the WRX (as opposed to the expensive EVO) is arriving several years late to the scene.

By: Orangutan

Orangutan — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:47:20 +0000

I’ll take the Ralliart Sportback, please.

By: iganpo

iganpo — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:21:43 +0000

I could never own cars like the Infiniti FX or Lancer because looking at them makes me feel … angry. Japanese car designers should find other ways of conveying sporting intentions. Get some ideas from German cars, for example.

By: argentla

argentla — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:20:26 +0000

I kind of like the Ralliart and Evo’s exterior styling (the basic Lancer’s more cautious approach to the same shape and body shell is not an improvement), but every time I see one, I’m startled by how big it’s gotten. I saw one parked next to an Acura RSX, and I was amazed at the size disparity. Aside from the hodgepodge handling and dodgy interior, it’s just way too big for my tastes.

By: Robstar

Robstar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:25:33 +0000

Wow have cars gotten that expensive?

I bought my 05 STi new for only $33.5 with a ton of options….

By: BEAT

BEAT — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:15:34 +0000

This is the Mid Grade Lancer. If you want the Evo power with lesser price this is the car.

$28,000 fully loaded. Yes WRX is faster but only a hundred of a second.

I have the Mitsubishi Lancer 2008 with 37,600 miles WTIH NO Problems. I have been to Michael Karesh web site True Delta but I can guarantee you won’t get dissappointed

My Lancer has a 2 liter engine but it pack a punch. I can drive it rough and aggressively with no complaints and get about 300 to 350 a full tank compared to WRX.

see and drive it on the real Life.

A lot of cars today have similar design with the new Lancer. If I can only download my pics of my car. you will be suprise what it looks like and the 4 star is accurate.

I love the Lancer AUDIO system. Compared to all Japanese cars out there. the sound system is GREAT and I am only talking about the system without the Sub-Woofer and 6 speakers but handling is the best.
I love my Lancer

By: SunnyvaleCA

SunnyvaleCA — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:10:11 +0000

“Flappy paddles” is a toy? As in: entertaining? I thought a well-executed stick-shift would be the appropriate toy in the class of car.

By: psarhjinian

psarhjinian — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:40:35 +0000

Well, hard, dour black plastic at least looks better than hard, dour gray or beige plastic. Heck, I’d take hard black plastic over soft plastic in any other colour.

By: Michael Karesh

Michael Karesh — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:37:50 +0000

Yes, that power output isn’t so extreme these days. I wouldn’t be concerned about its longevitity on that basis alone.

I had hoped that the new Ralliart would hit a price/performance sweet spot. But reviews of the handling have been so-so at best. So it seems that without the electonics of the Evo to balance things out the current Lancer simply isn’t much of a handler.

In my experience of the GTS, the ride also isn’t smooth, owing not to the suspension but to the low-profile tires.

The interior–well, it is s big step up from the old Lancers…shame they don’t offer the upgrades shown in the concept Lancers / Evos, though.

TrueDelta has reliability information on the regular 2008 Lancer–seems solid so far.

http://www.truedelta.com/latest_results.php

By: ARacer

ARacer — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:19:29 +0000

@NickR
100+bhp/L is fine in a reasonably designed engine. My 2003 WRX (113bhp/L) has 180,000 miles on it and still runs great. Original everything.