[avro206]

I went and looked at the Mitsu dealer today and talked with the saleman.

My immediate impressions were how good looking the car is. Better then the 3 BUT different. It has more of a street racer look--which may turn some people off. Styling is so subjective though. It also looks quite big.

I like the white faced guages and seating position.

Spec wise, they are very similar and price is within a few hundered $$
(base GT VS base Ralliart)

ISince you can only really tell if you like the car by driving it. plan to go back for a test drive sometime and drive the 3 as well.
Might be worth a look.

Lease rate is much better @ 3.9% though.

EDIT: Thread title :twisted:

 

[USCMazda3]

Re: anyone crossing shopping the Lancer Ralliart?

I went and looked at the Mitsu dealer today and talked with the saleman.

My immediate impressions were how good looking the car is. Better then the 3 BUT different. It has more of a street racer look--which may turn some people off. Styling is so subjective though. It also looks quite big.

I like the white faced guages and seating position.

Spec wise, they are very similar and price is within a few hundered $$
(base GT VS base Ralliart)

ISince you can only really tell if you like the car by driving it. plan to go back for a test drive sometime and drive the 3 as well.
Might be worth a look.

Lease rate is much better @ 3.9% though.

Very funny you should mention that. As taken as I am with the 3, I also became interested in the Ralliart after seeing pics, specs and reading reviews this afternoon.

I'll have to take a look at the Ralliart before deciding on the 3. It's the only other compact which can compete with the 3 in performance (the 3s will probably have the edge in cornering and braking) and the fact that it is built in Japan.

The Ralliart styling is definitely more street-racer. I think it looks cool now, but whatever car I end up with I will have to hold onto until I'm 25, so I just don't want to get too tired with/annoyed by/"outgrow" the styling.

 

[vaBooM]

When we were looking for a AWD turbo beast, we happened to look at the Lancer Evo before the WRX STi.

I seen the Ralliart, and I knew I needed a daily commuter. So I test drove it. EWWW. How could you even justify saying its in the hatchback/sedan category. First off, it wasnt very responsive. Cornering sucked, compared to the Matrix I drove that morning. The interior was so-so... another BIG complaint we had with the Evo. Seats were nice, a little mushy.

The exterior does look appealing, but its not for me.

Oh btw, we ened up with the WRX STi at the very end.

 

[anamnesis]

I agree with vaboom completely. I made a post about this some time ago ... http://www.mazda3forums.com/viewtopic.php?p=3521&sid=e91a5f8d5b5707f75072b9b86e176d45#3521

The 3 has the Evo beaten in every department except speed. The 3 is quieter, rides better, and has smoother response. When I rode in the Evo, I was impressed only with it's wild power. It is just a powerful engine stuck into a crappy little car with average build quality and an absolutely horridly dated interior. The interior could pass for a car built seven or eight years ago. It is bland and not NEARLY as well built as the 3.

Additionally, I am not a fan of 'Fast and the Furious' ricer crap with pointless aluminum wings and super-mega-dragonball Z R-type ninja gaiden stickers and body trim ... no doubt the 3 will become a target for the riceboy community, but while the Evo may look cool, not everyone wants to draw attention to themselves. Actually, I should say, not everyone wants to draw the attention of dumbass ricers, because they're the only ones drawn to the kind of styling knick knacks on the Evo. The design of the 3 is clean and strong, not over-the-top, and that's part of the 3's intrinsic appeal -- it doesn't need pointless tack-on parts to look great or convince people it is solid and well-built. Even at $30k, Mitsu can't beat Mazda's build quality. Sad.

But, if you must have speed at the expense of ride comfort, interior quality, interior design, storage capacity, and lots of extra features -- and let's not forget another $10k -- then by all means, have fun in your Evo!

 

[USCMazda3]

I agree with vaboom completely. I made a post about this some time ago ... http://www.mazda3forums.com/viewtopic.php?p=3521&sid=e91a5f8d5b5707f75072b9b86e176d45#3521

The 3 has the Evo beaten in every department except speed. The 3 is quieter, rides better, and has smoother response. When I rode in the Evo, I was impressed only with it's wild power. It is just a powerful engine stuck into a crappy little car with average build quality and an absolutely horridly dated interior. The interior could pass for a car built seven or eight years ago. It is bland and not NEARLY as well built as the 3.

Additionally, I am not a fan of 'Fast and the Furious' ricer crap with pointless aluminum wings and super-mega-dragonball Z R-type ninja gaiden stickers and body trim ... no doubt the 3 will become a target for the riceboy community, but while the Evo may look cool, not everyone wants to draw attention to themselves. Actually, I should say, not everyone wants to draw the attention of dumbass ricers, because they're the only ones drawn to the kind of styling knick knacks on the Evo. The design of the 3 is clean and strong, not over-the-top, and that's part of the 3's intrinsic appeal -- it doesn't need pointless tack-on parts to look great or convince people it is solid and well-built. Even at $30k, Mitsu can't beat Mazda's build quality. Sad.

But, if you must have speed at the expense of ride comfort, interior quality, interior design, storage capacity, and lots of extra features -- and let's not forget another $10k -- then by all means, have fun in your Evo!

Although I have not seen the car in person, I would tend to agree, having seen more photos. I was thinking to myself that this was definitely a car that went into development in the mid-90s...and it shows...

 

[avro206]

I agree with vaboom completely. I made a post about this some time ago ... http://www.mazda3forums.com/viewtopic.php?p=3521&sid=e91a5f8d5b5707f75072b9b86e176d45#3521

The 3 has the Evo beaten in every department except speed. The 3 is quieter, rides better, and has smoother response. When I rode in the Evo, I was impressed only with it's wild power. It is just a powerful engine stuck into a crappy little car with average build quality and an absolutely horridly dated interior. The interior could pass for a car built seven or eight years ago. It is bland and not NEARLY as well built as the 3.

Additionally, I am not a fan of 'Fast and the Furious' ricer crap with pointless aluminum wings and super-mega-dragonball Z R-type ninja gaiden stickers and body trim ... no doubt the 3 will become a target for the riceboy community, but while the Evo may look cool, not everyone wants to draw attention to themselves. Actually, I should say, not everyone wants to draw the attention of dumbass ricers, because they're the only ones drawn to the kind of styling knick knacks on the Evo. The design of the 3 is clean and strong, not over-the-top, and that's part of the 3's intrinsic appeal -- it doesn't need pointless tack-on parts to look great or convince people it is solid and well-built. Even at $30k, Mitsu can't beat Mazda's build quality. Sad.

But, if you must have speed at the expense of ride comfort, interior quality, interior design, storage capacity, and lots of extra features -- and let's not forget another $10k -- then by all means, have fun in your Evo!

umm.....this is not about the EVO--but the Ralliart. Although some of your impressions could be said about the Ralliart I guess.

 

[vaBooM]

avro - if you didnt notice, all of Mitsubishi's cars (sedans) have the similiar interior. We are not putting the 3 against the Evo. We are just saying, if you gonna spend $30k, would you want the same interior as the $15k younger brother?

$30k cars open up a whole new world. We ended up with the STi because of sheer performance. We didnt get the WHALE spoiler or anything of that nature. Hell, my brother recommends going RWD, ha.

Back to the subject, for the money, the build quality on the new 3 is a sure winner. Keep in mind I did, personally, drive what was available in the price range.

Overall, this is how I rate the cars based on driving them:

Mazda3
Matrix
Civic SI hatchback
Jetta Wagon/Jetta
Lancer Ralliart
PT Cruiser
Vibe GT

Dont even think about the CorollaS or the Civic EX, this is the wrong category for them. This list is personal preference. I didnt use any hp or tq figures. I drove them all in a 3 day span.

And besides... I could drive any of them. I work on most of them daily.

 

[lmp180psu]

avro - if you didnt notice, all of Mitsubishi's cars (sedans) have the similiar interior. We are not putting the 3 against the Evo. We are just saying, if you gonna spend $30k, would you want the same interior as the $15k younger brother?

$30k cars open up a whole new world. We ended up with the STi because of sheer performance. We didnt get the WHALE spoiler or anything of that nature. Hell, my brother recommends going RWD, ha.

Back to the subject, for the money, the build quality on the new 3 is a sure winner. Keep in mind I did, personally, drive what was available in the price range.

Overall, this is how I rate the cars based on driving them:

Mazda3
Matrix
Civic SI hatchback
Jetta Wagon/Jetta
Lancer Ralliart
PT Cruiser
Vibe GT

Dont even think about the CorollaS or the Civic EX, this is the wrong category for them. This list is personal preference. I didnt use any hp or tq figures. I drove them all in a 3 day span.

And besides... I could drive any of them. I work on most of them daily.

Just wondering, how come the Matrix is so high on your list, yet the Vibe GT is last? I thought they are virtually the same car but with different exterior styling. What was so different b/w the 2 IYO that they were not ranked similarly?

 

[avro206]

oh, okay I get what you were saying. It just that Mitsubishis are new to Canada (for 03), I have never looked at one and the EVO is a moot point----we don't get them here.

 

[vaBooM]

Just wondering, how come the Matrix is so high on your list, yet the Vibe GT is last? I thought they are virtually the same car but with different exterior styling. What was so different b/w the 2 IYO that they were not ranked similarly?

The Vibe looks like a cheap POS. The Matrix looks soo much cleaner. They performed the same, but I hate the exterior.

Even tho its the worst car IMO (exterior wise), its still on my list because I did drive it.

 

[Slalom]

rant

the Lancer, even with the 2004 refresh is old looking... its profile is very 90s and out of date... i took a 2003 Lancer for a drive when they came to Canada and was unimpressed... overly assisted granny steering, soft suspension and just plain ugly (this was an OZ edition)... the wheels and the body-kit look terrible... I dont know what mitsubishi is doing but they sure ruined the look of the Galant and Diamante with the 2004 refreshes, the Outlander and Endeavor are hideous and the Eclipse and Montero have been ugly for several years now.

sorry... rant off.

 

[LeeLee]

I know I am a little late, but why not.

I love the way the Lancer looks on the outside. Before it came to the U.S. I saw them on the streets in China and thought they were so cool looking. The concept was appealing: compact car with zippy engine, tuned for good handling, and with styling to match.

But once the Lancers finally came to the US, they were kind of dull. The engines were underpowered and the interior looked drab. I've driven quite a few base model Lancers as rental cars. The GM-like interior is a poor match for what is supposed to be a youthful car.

Just a few days ago I was in the local CarMax getting a quote for my old Accord in preparation for buying my MZ3. They happened to sell new Mitzubishi at this CarMax so my wife and I sat in a few of them. The same drab interior just killed it for us. The seats also didn't feel right. I felt like I was going to slip forward no matter how I adjusted the driver seat. And the wagon version reminded me of the late-80's early-90's Corolla wagon with the flat-slab lines in the back.

 

[cowtown]

"It is just a powerful engine stuck into a crappy little car with average build quality and an absolutely horridly dated interior."

Absolutely.

"Additionally, I am not a fan of 'Fast and the Furious' ricer crap with pointless aluminum wings and super-mega-dragonball Z R-type ninja gaiden stickers and body trim ..."

Lol! You wouldn't believe what I saw today. A totally stock Acura TSX (nice car by all accounts) with a Sheet Metal Wing bolted onto it. I couldn't believe it...

"styling knick knacks"

Excellent way of describing any Mitsu Lancer model...

 

[Bombadil]

A TSX with sheet metal wing and you don't have a pic???

That is something I'd like to see ... and laugh at.

 

[USCMazda3]

A TSX with sheet metal wing and you don't have a pic???

That is something I'd like to see ... and laugh at.

Better that there are no pics. That would be a very sad sight to see, considering that the TSX is a very nice car. It just makes me angry when stupid, ignorant people are wasteful with money.

It pisses me off when I see all these people driving luxo/performance cars they have no clue about.

:evil: :evil: :evil:

 

[Fobby_Monkey]

Lol! You wouldn't believe what I saw today. A totally stock Acura TSX (nice car by all accounts) with a Sheet Metal Wing bolted onto it. I couldn't believe it...

HAHAHAHA was it a RED TSX? Haha i think I saw the same one.. and laughed at.

 

[cowtown]

"A TSX with sheet metal wing and you don't have a pic???

That is something I'd like to see ... and laugh at."

Yeah sorry I was walking back from lunch.

"HAHAHAHA was it a RED TSX? Haha i think I saw the same one.. and laughed at."

Yeah Fobby I saw it parked in front of the Calgary Police office downtown, maybe he was cited for being completely retarded. I wish I got a pic though, I'm sure it get on a page like Brians Rice Boy Page.

 

[XpLicit toNe]

i also was trying to decide on whether to go for a Ralliart or the MZ3 and ive decided that the MZ3 might just be better in the long run.
For example resale value.
anyways im planning on buying one in march for my 21st b-day.
ive never bought a new car before but i hope with a 6 thousand downpayment i can get the vehicle for a good deal!

 

[Fobby_Monkey]

i also was trying to decide on whether to go for a Ralliart or the MZ3 and ive decided that the MZ3 might just be better in the long run.
For example resale value.
anyways im planning on buying one in march for my 21st b-day.
ive never bought a new car before but i hope with a 6 thousand downpayment i can get the vehicle for a good deal!

ahhahaha you are like me! haha I was thinking aobut the ralliart and the mazda 3.. and the mazda 3 just looks ALOT better IMO and it was more fun to drive then the ralliart. and I also got the mazda 3 for my 21st bday.. hahaha right on.

 

[XpLicit toNe]

:lol: