Anna and I went up to Brookdale today and went for a short drive in the new Lancer Ralliart this afternoon. I have to say, this is a really nice little car. It feels solidly built, has great torque down low (even stock), and really really fills the gap between the regular lancer and the evo. The SST tranny is fun, and in sport mode gives quick, snappy upshifts and smooth, rev-matched downshifts. The base seats are a nice material that offer great support. Recaros are optional as part of a package, but for some reason Anna seems to prefer the standard seats to the recaros, not sure why!
So, overall, very impressed with this car. It has some decent options to load on, but the base model has all the fun stuff you'd want in a good reliable DD, and with a tune and some parts it'll make some decent power. Yes it'd be cool if it had a 5-speed, but really if this tranny and its clutchpack can handle it, why not rock it. Every shift is picture perfect, and I can put one in my wife's hands and not worry if she'll grind the gears just trying to get around.
These are making about 190whp/215wtq (mustang) stock. A new version of EcuFlash was released a few days ago that will allow flashing of this car for DIY custom tuning. A tune alone on a 100% stock car bumps it up to around 240whp/240wtq.
Anna's car right now (06 GLI DSG) is probably making about 200whp/235wtq, and I have about $1k in mods to it. It has its advantages, but these ralliarts are looking nicer and nicer for her. Most importantly, she likes it, and so do I.
Linear Mode
