With 237 horses, AWD, and a dual-clutch gearbox, it's as quick to 60 as an Evo MR. However, with the portliest body, it's an Evo lite that's a tad too heavy and blunt."The Ralliart is Mitsubishi's long-awaited answer to the Subaru WRX."
How in the world, you're asking in head-shaking bewilderment, did a car that makes as much eminent sense as the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart not, at the very least, make the cut into our comparison's top four? Must have been some kind of mix-up in the paperwork process, you're muttering. Well, now that the tire smoke has cleared from our octet's asphalt battlefield, how about we go back and pick through the smoldering evidence for some forensic answers.
Going into this scrap, the Ralliart appeared to be holding an unusually strong hand of cards. In essence, the Ralliart is Mitsubishi's long-awaited answer to the Subaru WRX. From its re-sculpted nose to its judiciously trimmed tail-wing, it appears to be the result of a great deal of very practical-minded sifting through its flagship Evo's parts bin. And when any of the mighty Evolution's especially desirable components appraised a little too dearly, Mitsubishi improvised more affordable, Ralliart-specific solutions. Think of the car as a much more serious package than common-grade Lancers, a solid-step ahead of the sport-oriented GTS and in many ways a far more livable set of solutions than the relentlessly brass-knuckled Evo.
What's notable on the hardware roster? The Ralliart employs the Evo's 2.0L block, but caps its revs at 6500 rpm instead of 7000. There's a single-scroll turbocharger (not the Evo's pair of spinners) and consequently a smaller intercooler. Not surprisingly, then, its power registers-in lower, at 237 ponies, 54 fewer than the Evo. But, notably, the Ralliart's power max is achieved at 6000 rpm rather than 6500. And even more attractively, its torque number -- 253 pound-feet (47 fewer than big brother) -- is available at 1400 fewer revs (3000). Notable, as well, is the car's trimmer curb weight, which scales about 175 pounds below Mr. Evo, but still manages to weigh-in as the heaviest of this group.
In the chassis department, there's more evidence of hyper-rational thinking, as the Ralliart is shod with grippy 215/45R18 Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires, which are put to good effect by stiffer front strut towers and revisions to the stock Lancer's rear suspension. What's most noticeably lacking, visa-vie the Evo, is the latter's wide-stance front and rear tracks.
However, the coolest bit of hardware here is the standard (yes, standard) double-clutch transmission (named Twin Clutch Sport Shift) which is basically Evo-spec except for the absence of the latter's S-Sport mode, plus some tweaking of the ratios to achieve better highway mileage (that said, the Ralliart delivered a lowest-in-test 17.0 mpg observed). The all-wheel-drive system is Evo-based as well, but in this case it hails from the previous Evolution IX, meaning it offers fewer electronic tricks.
Price? The Ralliart opens at $27,185. Compare that to a $38,985 double-clutch Evo -- gads, it's a jaw-dropping $11,800 less. That's a lot of cash these days.
And what a compelling point then, to revisit our original question: why didn't the Ralliart even break into the top four?
Well, while its price is a sizzling deal relative to the Evo's, among its peers, it's actually on the pricier side (though the double-clutch tranny does get thrown into the deal, remember). On the road, some of us felt the car's chassis poise was at times lacking. A clanking in the front suspension certainly wasn't reassuring and bumps tended to perturb the car's cornering composure. When hard charging, the standard seats' lateral support proved non-existent (the Recaro Sport Package, which solves this, costs $2750). The engine, though more than peppy enough, got occasionally boomy near redline, and the double-clutch transmission was sometimes abrupt in its machinations coming to a stop in automatic mode. Arguably, the interior's material standard is sub-par in this field as well.
And it's the rest of the field that's really the Lancer Ralliart's main problem here. For the most part, they're really heavy-hitters -- in many cases, take-no-prisoners-good. That doesn't means we don't like the Ralliart a lot. We emphatically do. It's a kick to drive, a plausible option for drivers hankering for a taste of the street-racer scene but don't want to unrelentingly suffer its consequences. Indeed, many of us would actually prefer its recipe of better ride quality and a less cacophonous interior to the Evo's, regardless of the baby brother's killer price advantage. And even performance disadvantage.
For a lot of folks, the Evo is simply the category's ultimate alpha-male on wheels. And were the bank to say no to a $40K automobile loan, a Lancer Ralliart is the only imaginable substitute. The other seven cars in this group don't even begin to illuminate their synapses.
And if you're one of them, pal, here's your winner. -- Kim Reynolds
...
>>next page