Those lucky bastards over at Edmunds Inside Line (Robert would call them collaborators) have already got their mitts on the Lancer Ralliart apparently, and with the news of the model released yesterday they posted their review today. Some interesting info that was previously unclear: the engine has a single scroll turbocharger, versus the twin scroll unit on the Evo; also, there is not going to be a traditional three pedal version (dual clutch auto standard and exclusive transmission). EIL did not perform instrumented testing, but estimates 0-60 to be on par with the WRX and Mazdaspeed3, and price was also not released, but will probably clock in somewhere between $25,000 and $30,000. Worry not, though; we at TTAC will be driving and reviewing the Lancer Ralliart ASAP.
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I shall worry not, three pedals or I’m not interested. However, it is neat that swapping in an Evo turbo essentially gives you the Evo powertrain. They will probably be cheap once the Evo owners upgrade to a larger one.
Sadly, still too expensive IMO. This needed to be slotted in at 20-25k for me to give it consideration. Build quality that falls behind the Subaru or Mazdaspeed and Mitsu’s use-it-for-80k-miles-and-dispose-of-it drivetrain keeps this a non-starter at that price point, and still makes it a stretch for $5k less. It’d be a fun lease, but not a car that i’d buy looking to put 125k miles onto. Which, unfortunately, is where my car buying decisions are focused on.
It could be 2k cheaper with a three pedal set up. Sorry, no
135
246R
not interested.
At to collaborators, Edmunds at least notes when the y attend a manufacturer sponsored event (such as this article), so even if they don’t disclose how much they were wined and dined they have more accountability than some others.
No three pedal model?
Drat.
$25 – $30k starting price instead of $20 – $25k?
Crap.
Oh well, guess it’s back to Mazda I go for the Speed3. And I had such high hopes for the Ralliart.
Edmunds has been known to get it wrong.
You’ll probably see three pedals.
Certainly I’m not the only one witnessing the extinction of the three pedal manual. I believe multi-tasking while driving is the culprit. (When are we collectively going to begin taking driving seriously?) Three pedals will eventually be available on select sports cars only. I’m going to try and ignore that fact now so I don’t cry.
ejacobs
You’re right though. I was just doing a used car check (because I’m in the market and want to explore all options) for manual tranny Honda Accords withing 50 miles of my area and out of 115 general hits, only about 6 were manual equipped. So I tried another for used Nissan Altimas (I mean c’mon, who wouldn’t want a manual tranny hooked to that monster 3.5 motor) and out of 108 hits, only THREE were manual equipped.
The hell is wrong with this generation? Have we become that lazy?
Jonny, I really hope you’re right about Edmunds getting their info wrong.
A female friend of mine was recently offered her parents’ car.
She is just in the process of getting her license.
She and her boyfriend aren’t exactly well off.
And she told her parents to give the car to her brother.
Why? Because it was a standard.
It’s sad that today a manual transmission is something to fear.
Revolver,
If it was a turbo powered mitsubishi she is better off without it anyway. It would just bleed her dry in repairs until it completely quits and costs money to haul off.
As a gearhead who drives an automatic, it’s pretty hard to have an opportunity to drive a manual. Because of the scarcity of manual-equipped cars out there, I have very few acquaintances with such vehicles. None of my friends are very much into cars. It also takes a good friend to put their car in your hands and endure the unavoidable stalls that come with learning to drive a manual.
Basically, I’ve had to brave driving manuals without someone to learn from. My first time in a manual was at GM’s Auto Show in Motion in a Solstice, and only stalled once. Then at Mazda’s Zoom-Zoom Live, I drove the Mazdaspeed6 and RX-8 (didn’t stall). After that, I started test-driving vehicles, and did pretty well, except for one time where I was stopped uphill in an A3 and I stalled about 4 times in a row. That was the most embarrassed on the road I’ve ever been.
So yeah, it’s not that easy for someone out there looking to learn how to drive a standard. Which makes less people buy a manual, which leaves less people to teach their friends, et cetera, et cetera.
One idea that I recently found out about is that Saturn still offers 24-hour test drives. I might try to grab a manual Astra for a day and finally get comfortable with a stick.
Love the car, though I’m concerned the by the quality control reports from existing Evo owners. At least two have had the gas pedal physically break off, and the Recaros seem to have trouble holding their seams together.
If Mitsubishi can decently equip this Ralliart, out the door, for around ~$28K, they’ll sell plenty. The Mustang GTs of the world don’t offer this sort of handling, and the Pontiac G8 is too large. Mazda’s RX-8 is only an alternative for some because of its packaging, styling, and lack of torque. But I’m with those above; if this car starts encroaching on a BMW 135i or the G35, it’s going to have problems.
For those that would complain about the SST: it’s is a major reason I’d even consider the car. The 5-speed doesn’t have a deep overdrive gear for highway use, so the Evos drone away at high speed. The SST is better at literally everything. There isn’t a single performance or mileage metric where the ordinary stick excels, except perhaps the ability to shift directly from fifth to second, and the elusive “fun factor.” To me, the 6th gear alone makes up for the 15% fun I’d sacrifice by losing the clutch.
I’ll also second Seoultrain above. I rarely test-drive manual cars because I’m afraid of embarrassing myself in front of the salesman. I have only a vague idea what constitutes a “good” gearshift or clutch, which shortchanges any designs on used cars with a stick. The first vehicle I learned on was a friend’s Nissan pickup. The second one, four years later, was another friend’s E36 M3. It’s been two years since then. Short of buying myself a racing wheel and a copy of rFactor, or renting an econobox for a day, there’s no way to practice stick technique. And then I’ve got parents telling me that buying a new stick will kill the resale value of the car. It’s hard to justify.
seoultrain, knightRT:
I wouldn’t let embarrassment stop you. The first time I drove car with a manual transmission was on a new car test drive. It went fine! In 5 minutes I was on the road, in traffic. Most salespeople are perfectly willing to teach you on a new car test drive, as long as they know you’re serious about buying. After all, they do work on commission.
I ended up buying a manual a few days later (from a different dealership because of price), and haven’t looked at an auto since. Although DSGs are tempting…..
I also wouldn’t worry about resale value. On my current car, 2005 Mazda3, the difference between auto vs. manual new was $800. Today, it’s $500 according to kbb.com. So I’m $300 up, not counting time value of money.
I like it, I dont think the biggest problem is the transmission, it is all of the kids who will try to race you.
Jeez, people, heard of driving schools?
Over a decade ago I went on a trip to the UK and booked a car for a week. Because manual tranny cars were half the cost of autos I went with the stick, despite not having any significant seat-time in a manual-equipped car.
Before the trip I called up one of the major local driving schools and for maybe $35 got a one-hour lesson with an instructor in one of the school vehicles. That’s all I needed — one freaking lousy hour with someone that could teach the finer points of clutch engagement, revs, and hill start control, without worrying about burning the clutch on a sales demo.
So if you want to learn stick, call a local driving school. The bigger ones will certainly have three-pedallers.
With DSG transmissions becoming more common on obtainable cars, the case for a stick becomes harder to argue. I believe the death knell has been sounded for the stick, but it’s really hard to hear an eight millisecond knell. If you drive a stick (or three) like I do, do yourself a favor and test the DSG. You’ll begin to understand why us purists are sweating…