Test Driving the Evo9 MR (again), Mazdaspeed 6 and Ion Redline

[AKLGT]

So, after being bored yesterday and going for a test drive in the Evo9, Phil was upset that he didn't get to go. Today, we decided to do some "research" on 6 spd AWD vehicles for me to replace my LGT come next fall. I'm still hell bent on my Spec B, but after driving that Evo9, I thought maybe I should consider other like vehicles. Of course, the Ion Redline isn't 6 MT or AWD, but it does have a supercharger and i was just curious...Evo9 MRI've already added my main comments in another thread, but driving it for a second time today... WOW! i've not driven an STI yet, nor a WRX, but just WOW! Pulls hard in low gears, very similar to mine, but then it just keeps pulling in 4th - 6th, unlike mine (damn auto!). the 6 speed is so much fun, i miss it soooooo much!Phil still hasn't changed his mind, but had to admit he was loving it, especially when he got it sideways going around a corner. the salesman (i used to work with him long ago) was having a great time too. LOL. Phil didn't care for the interior but like the exterior, whereas I don't care for the exterior and liked the interior. Downside, i LOVE my girlie amenities like power heated leather seats, sunroof, etc. no such luck on the Evo9MR. the price of the MR is a bit steep, $36K ($41K with the dealer mark up). still, just an awesome car! it gets my two Mazdaspeed 6For fit and finish, the Mazdaspeed 6 is a beautiful car. from the exterior to interior, it was top notch. however.... they had so many cool nifty gadgets like memory seats, window memory (from the key fob) and the one we test drove had a spiffy credit card type key thing (but no actual key). as long as you have the credit card dealie bob, you just turn the knob and away you go. what they failed to do, even with all these great things on the car, the drivers seat was power while the passengers seat was manual. that made no sense to me! LOL. It had a very cool pop up screen available for Navi and that would have been PERFECT for me! however, it was a $2K option and they didn't order it because it doesn't work up here (DVD based).driving the Speed6 was smooth and classy, very refined. it wasn't choppy or fast like the Evo9. To me, it was slow, but then again I am running stage 2.5 in my Legacy GT, even though it's Auto. I was a bit disappointed when it came to the power. Ya, I know I was kinda coming off the Evo9 and comparing it to my stage 2.5 Leggy, may not have been fair. It's been since May since I added power mods, but I think even with the car stock, my LGT auto would have been very very close or similiar to power and torque on the road, even though on paper, it would seem the Speed6 would be a little faster. then again, on paper, the Speed6 is very similiar to the Evo9 as far as power and torque, but a very very different car. Phil said he could definitely tell it had a lot more power and oomph (this was before he drove the Evo9) and I must be smoking something. Of course, he's used to driving his vibe and I'm used to driving my LGT. still a beautiful car no doubt and worth taking a look at if you are interested to spend about $28-$34K. all in all, i'd say the exterior and interior are both but the power was a bit more lacking and i'd give it a [Saturn Ion RedlineWe actually should have test driven this car FIRST before anything else. Going from a Speed6 to Evo9 to Redline put the Saturn in a very poor position. It is hard to compare after you just finished driving an Evo. Exterior was nice, not too bad at all, no hideously HUGE wing! LOL. the interior was odd with the guages in the center of the console and a boost guage on the steering column. i couldn't figure out where to look and hardly even looked at the speedometer because i kept looking down at the boost guage instead of the tach! i definitely did not like that! and no center armrest over the console. how wierd is that? obviously, it is not fair to compare the FWD redline to the Evo, Speed6 or even my LGT. in comparison to the vibe, it was only so so. I felt that the vibe and even the vibe GT would be a better comparison. so, i will compare the power and torque to that. I'll be pretty frank, it sucked. I thought the supercharger is supposed to give you more low end torque and power? even after gunning it (not fully on it), it felt sluggish and slow. practically no torque either. when we looked up the specs back at the dealership, all the power and torque isn't even reached til well over 4400 rpm! Phil said it was peppy, but he didn't see it as much of an improvement to his vibe with intake, exhaust and unichip. however, the price was only $22K so quite affordable. overall, if they had the Redline available at the time I purchased the Vibe GT, it would have been a formidable contender. as for at this junction in life, it wouldn't be on my list of things to consider. the interior was and the exterior was just so-so. the power and performance was still as I feel my Vibe GT and even Mav's base 5 speed with basic mods was equally zippy. the price however is a definite

[ajflan]

You shoulda tested the Mazdaspeed 3. Its faster and more agile than the six.

[AKLGT]

They aren't out yet. and the dealer up here is only getting 2 of them they say. i hope i can take one out if they do. and as for being faster than the Speed6? i don't believe it is. not judging from the numbers.. but then again, numbers on paper don't always tell the whole story. guess we'll have to test it out and see.

[Mavrik]

Yeah the speed 3 isn't out yet and if they were and Continental Mazda had one we would have taken it for a spin instead. Even my fellow Continental Motors employees doubt the Speed 3 will be a launch demon with the fact its front wheel drive. And they get to chat with the Mazda reps to while myself at Continental Subaru get the subie reps heh...Anyway... it did the redline little justice to the fact we test drove it last. I'm sure my Vibe is going to feel slow as snot tomorrow when I go for a drive.Speed6:I liked it. Exterior and interior stylings are nice and user friendly. Felt sporty even for a sedan ment to compete with the other higher end sedans. I did not like the black and white interior though and although it was different... I am a sucker for a dark interior. Exterior wise I disliked the exhaust tips. Basicly they are obvious little pipes exiting bumper mounted crome tips. Overall though I liked it a lot but would need dark interior and erase the fact I know about its target market Subaru Spec B. Evo 9MR:Well not surprisingly this car is a beast. The power and handling are there. I even got it sideways going uphill around a corner which was fun. I would have pushed the car harder but... its not my car and I can't afford to buy it if I wreck it. For those not wanting a Sti, I'd suggest an Evo in a second. Its a very nice car but of course I have a couple dislikes. Interior wise everything is kind of dull and tasteless. The dash is light with dull red lights. The amp/oil pressure and boost gauge pack is located down by the shifter. The seats are great but the back adjustment is a weird shaped knob on the side. With me in the seat position I need, I can't reach the knob because the mid pillor between the front and rear door is right against it. No head support for the rear passanger during WOT. I'm also not a fan of carbon fibre trim all over the interior.Basicly I liked the exterior a lot better then the interior.Still a very cool car and if I wasn't set on an STi... the Evo 9MR would be my next choice. It has enough things I like about it to overlook the things I don't. Ion Redline:Putting it bluntly I was rather disapointed in this car. But then again look at what I drove first lol. Either way it felt lacking in both appearance and power... both of which it brags to have. It sure didn't feel while driving it that it had 205 HP and 200 torque. My Vibe feels more spirited when shifting through the gears even though I have no doubt the ION could smoke me at the 1/4. And I'm the farthest thing from a fan of the centre dash Horrible. And I never got a chance to see if I could get it sideways either.Verdict.Speed 6 Evo9MR Ion Redline

[northvibe]

Ion redline and those gauge postions drove me nuts too! but having been runnnig around with cobalt ss sc's, they must run faster or something cuz they pull like a a mo fo for a fwd. a guy i know beat a srt4 neon in his cobalt ss sc. i know for sure the ion has a different motor position because of the 3rd door thing... anywho. yea the ms6 vs a lgt the subie was faster but they said the ms6 was more refined etc etc like you guys said about the interior and stuff. ah the evo mmm i hear they are beastly and real easy to tune up, but i still think they are way to skinny! its weird, i like the STi and its wideness over all i think they are some sweet cars you guys test drove, thanks for the reviews...now wheres the pics!!!!

[AKLGT]

ok, not to call your bluff, NV, but HOW the HELL does a 200 hp Cobalt SS SC BEAT an SRT4?? not stock for stock, because an SRT4 will beat a WRX (all stock of course) in a line. after driving that redline, it was just slow... but again, it's really tough to compare when you just got out of an Evo9 and drive a stg 2.5 turbo'd car (even if it is an auto) that's probably pumping out 280 hp/280 tq itself. if it weren't for my auto transmission, the car would pull harder and be just as fast as a stock evo9 and sti. hell, i'm hanging with most of the stock sti's anyways. ok, so back on topic... if i'd have thought of it, we'd have test drove the ion redline first, then the speed6 then the evo9. and driven the Vibe to each location.

[joatmon]

Quote, originally posted by trdvibe »Today, we decided to do some "research" on 6 spd AWD vehicles for me to replace my LGT come next fall. Doesn't it get expensive to get a new car every other year?

[northvibe]

ok ok so the cobalt ss sc wasnt "stock" lol he had a stage 1 kit and half of the stage 2. the srt4 i do not know what was done. but it was the cobalt, srt4 and a eclipse gsx that he beat all at the same time. and wow that balt was friggin flying. there are already kits for the balt ss to get 300+hp. but yea after a evo i think tons of cars would feel doggy as heck hahhah mmmmmmm i should never drive a faster car than the vibe or bad bad things will happen to my bank account

[ramenboy...]

hope!!!!!! i'm shocked!!!!!! when it comes to evo vs wrx, i thought i'd never read something even close to leaning towards the evo end of the scale!!!!thanx for a great unbiased review. the wrx and evo (swoon) are both great cars. presently they're a little out of my reach, but some day....

[Atomb]

Quote, originally posted by trdvibe »... i've not driven an STI yet, nor a WRX...wait a second. you haven't driven these cars yet?!?! so how do you know that the same mistaken impression you had of the EVO won't happen with either of those two? You did say that you were mistaken about the EVO and now that you've driven it you have a different view of the vehicle.What if the STI and/or WRX drive horribly once you get into them?...with all the raving and praise i read you say about these cars, i thought you had at least driven these cars at some point. ??

[Mavrik]

Quote, originally posted by Atomb »wait a second. you haven't driven these cars yet?!?! so how do you know that the same mistaken impression you had of the EVO won't happen with either of those two? You did say that you were mistaken about the EVO and now that you've driven it you have a different view of the vehicle.What if the STI and/or WRX drive horribly once you get into them?...with all the raving and praise i read you say about these cars, i thought you had at least driven these cars at some point. ??I've driven both the WRX and the STi and couldn't be swayed towards an Evo but if I ever (never) changed my mind on an STi, the Evo would do.As for pics, I was thinking the same thing but sadly no pics. We both forgot our cameras. Well she did... she never leaves the house without hers lol So I blame her.And yeah no way a stock colbalt SS could beat an SRT4. I'm no SRT4 fan by any means but I would have to find myself defending it after driving the redline yesterday.Well the thing is about a new car every other year is next year I'll be getting an STi. She is entertaining the idea of trading in the LGT for a Legacy 6spd Spec B. Most of her current mods would bolt right over to the spec B. But thats a year off still so anything can happen. You have to take into consideration that trading in the LGT with its high monthy financed payments could be less on a new Spec B because by then the credit is much better between her and I.

[drunkenmaxx]

the payments may be lower, but keep in mind, especially since the interest is high, the loan will be pretty damn upside down, thus digging a deaper hole.mav, is there an overlay available for the STI to cover up the pink? for god's sake, on such a powerful car, why pink???

[DarkShocker]

A guy i work with has a Sti with a bunch of after market ups on it (Down pipe, short shifter, intake, turbo) but he test drove an Evo for ****s and giggels last week and he says the evo is over all a better car lol. Even with his mods he likes the Lan Evo over all and i can only imagin if the dealer had an MR.

[Mavrik]

The pink has its roots from the STi rally history dating back to 1988... only way to remove the pink is... remove the badge.Darkstalker you need to tell your STi friend to go to PDXtuning and purchase himself a CobbAccess port and get custom maps. TRDVibe put that on her LGT with gutted pipes. It took her car from high to mid 14 second times on the 1/4 mile to mid to low 13 on the 1/4 mile. She can fill you in on the technical data though ------One thing I forgot to mention about all three cars we drove. All 3 were manual and only the evo and the Mazda speed6 were simple enough to shift into reverse. For some odd reason the ION though a 5spd with reverse over and down like our Vibes had an idiot lock on it. And it was the hardest thing to get your fingers on to pull up.

[ToolGuy]

I will never get used to the center dash cluster like on the Ion. If it were so great then why are others not following? And I also thought the Cobalt SS and Ion lacked in power as soon as they came out. I mean look at SRT4 when it came out and look were SRT4 is headed with the Caliber. And why is the 4 door Colbalt SS less HP then the 2 door? I have never figured that out!

[AKLGT]

Quote, originally posted by DarkShocker »A guy i work with has a Sti with a bunch of after market ups on it (Down pipe, short shifter, intake, turbo) but he test drove an Evo for ****s and giggels last week and he says the evo is over all a better car lol. Even with his mods he likes the Lan Evo over all and i can only imagin if the dealer had an MR. if he's got all that on his car and the stock Evo is faster, he's not done something right. if my LGT was a manny tranny, it'd be just as fast. and an sti with stg 2 parts but no ECM upgrade.... well, why even bother adding the parts?? it's a waste of time and money if you don't reflash the ECM to what it's fully capable of doing. and PDX is one of the best tuner shops for subies around. they make your car go even faster! LOL

[AKLGT]

Quote, originally posted by Atomb »wait a second. you haven't driven these cars yet?!?! so how do you know that the same mistaken impression you had of the EVO won't happen with either of those two? You did say that you were mistaken about the EVO and now that you've driven it you have a different view of the vehicle.What if the STI and/or WRX drive horribly once you get into them?...with all the raving and praise i read you say about these cars, i thought you had at least driven these cars at some point. ??stock cars are not the same as modified. once a car is modified it's just not the same. so you cannot compare one stock car to another stock car. i need to drive STOCK Sti and a STOCK Wrx to get the same feel in order to be unbiased.

[AKLGT]

Quote, originally posted by drunkenmaxx »the payments may be lower, but keep in mind, especially since the interest is high, the loan will be pretty damn upside down, thus digging a deaper hole.actually NO. being that i'm still $2K below Trade In because A. I got a very very good price on the car and B. It's amazing what happens when you slap down $8G so I would not be upside down later. when I bought the car last April, my credit was only so so because of my divorce. now, i happen to make twice as much, less debt, and actually good credit considering the Mitsu dealership said i'd have no problems getting into an Evo9MR that was priced at $41G. So being that I will be moving to a $33G vehicle (also the MSRP of the current) with some equity (even though you really never have equity in a car unless it's paid off) and money to slap down, not to mention that we'd be looking at also purchasing Phil's STI about the same time, we should be getting a very good price and deal. He's an employee and gets a little better deal than the average Joe off the street. In addition, I've signed us up for the Subaru VIP program that prices 2% BELOW invoice plus all dealer incentives and rebates. We have no taxes, so whatever the price is at the bottom line, is the price that I actually pay. if it weren't for the fact that all my performance and suspension mods bolt right onto the new car, i have to admit... that EVO was just damn fun! i miss having a 6 speed! then again, without actually driving a stock Sti, i could always go that route. I just don't care for the ricer boy look of either car. I love the look of the Legacy and Spec B. it's more professional and classy. but the Speed6 was nice, just seems like I wouldn't really be gaining much if at all going with that vs a Spec B. I'll keep searching... I am so fickle because I love so many cars! LOL I want them ALL!!!

[CAN-AWD-VIBE]

you're gonna pic the rex... you're gonna pic the rex they are both really nice... but come on. Only one of them is a Subaru.mabe I'm a little biased.CAN-AWD-VIBE

[AKLGT]

no, i'm not getting a rex. Mav is getting an STI next year. I'm the one trying to do some research. it's a lot of money to spend on a car if you don't know FOR SURE it's what you want. I like too many cars is the problem. granted, we're talking 10 months from now, but I like to get started early, do all my research and figure out what is better, both on the performance side, cost, quality, value, etc. if i get another Sube, then it will be the Spec B 6 speed. it's the upgrade of my current car which is why all my performance and suspension mods will fit right onto the new one. the only thing that will not fit would be the ECM. I would have to get another one to go with the newer tranny, but I could sell the current for about $400-500 because i have the custom tuned maps.

[drunkenmaxx]

here is a thought. for the price of what you plan on slapping down for the down payment, could you do a manual transmisison swap? that would allow you to keep the look you like and get the power you're being robbed of, all the while not starting all over on a car loan.

[AKLGT]

honestly, no. the spec B is essentially doing that. it's like trading a base vibe in for a vibe GT. plus, the spec B also has fold down rear seats (i really need them and don't have them now), and other nicer upgrades like the stock audio system MP3 player, built in Navi unit (which I would replace and probably sell if i can- install my car PC in it's place), Ipod interface built in (so I wouldn't have to hack up the dash like i've done), plus it's upgraded bilstein shocks, better suspension, tires/wheels, lighter weight vehicle, etc. easily upgradeable to an STI due to the 2.5L boxer and 6 MT. all i'd need to do is swap out the manifold, turbo and intercooler and voila! STI but in a sleeker, classier body (Phil already knows how i feel about the exterior of the Evo and Sti). Love the performance, just not the look.

[drunkenmaxx]

i totally agree about the STI and the EVO, they are both a 16 yr old punks wet dream.but really do you dislike your car that much? look at all the time and effort you've put into it already. starting from scratch sucks, i am going crazy in my maxx, i have no mods! (besides tint and my subs)

[AKLGT]

oh i know. that's why the spec B is so appealing to me. all my mods will BOLT right onto the spec B. obviously tint won't be pretty much everything else, even my sound system (to be finished in the next month or so).

[drunkenmaxx]

aaah, i see. so if you do eventually get the specB, will it have to have the billboard on it too?

[drunkenmaxx]

i agree. it's just a car afterall. that's a small house where i live!

[Mavrik]

Quote, originally posted by drunkenmaxx »i totally agree about the STI and the EVO, they are both a 16 yr old punks wet dream.I guess I'm just not ready to grow up yet. Plus she has some time to decide. She knows my STi comes first if at that time we can only afford one car. It will just mean she would then have even more time to decide on what she wants.

[drunkenmaxx]

to each his own man, if you like the looks, then great. it's not the appearance that sells that mofo anyway.

[DarkShocker]

No hes not saying his car isent faster then a stock evo but he said what impressed him was the fact that the evo was a beast straight off the show room floor with no mods. Over all he would say the Evo is a better Buy for sure

[Mavrik]

the evo is a great car but its like they ran out of ideas by the time they got to designing the interior. Its very bland, poorly laid out. And if your not a fan of carbon fibre... well tough, the car is covered in it.

[DarkShocker]

lol come on who doesent love Carbon Fiber ?

[Mavrik]

I'm not a fan of carbon fibre when it comes to using it as dash trim.

[AKLGT]

Quote, originally posted by drunkenmaxx »aaah, i see. so if you do eventually get the specB, will it have to have the billboard on it too? no, i don't plan to do such large graphics, but i will most likely put something on there. afterall, since i've added those enormous graphics, my sales have jumped anywhere from 20-30%! that's a HUGE difference! but it'd be a lot smaller and not so "out there!"Quote »lol come on who doesent love Carbon Fiber ?I don't at all.

[ColonelPanic]

Quote, originally posted by drunkenmaxx »mav, is there an overlay available for the STI to cover up the pink? for god's sake, on such a powerful car, why pink???ha ha ha!!! That's fricken tacky man! I'd put pink stickers on a car but that's just me trying to be a jacknad and screw around with people. But I'd never do it with the serious thought of "hey, pink would look fricken HOT on this car!" Quote, originally posted by mavrik »The pink has its roots from the STi rally history dating back to 1988... only way to remove the pink is... remove the badge.1988, that was a great year. Oh yes. That was when well-known rally racer, Philip McRevis, piloting his rocket powered Barbie pink Subaru Justy with the legendary gold wheels up Pike's Peak, shattering all records known to man!!!! So, somebody at Subaru said "hey, we've gotta use this color more often!" And the rest is history! lol

[drunkenmaxx]

damn colonel, that's all i can say.the running of the bulls is a tradition, but that doesn't mean it's a smart one...

[Mavrik]

your to funny CP but you forgot to mention the prodrive stickers on the loyal for added horsepower.

[ColonelPanic]

Oh yeah, I forgot! I need to brush up on my rally history, it is good so not at times.