Hey guys, I'm new to the community and hope to be a regular soon.

I'm graduating this year and am using the money I've accumulated over the years to purchase my first vehicle. I've looked at many cars (such as the 350z, infiniti g35, etc) and come to the conclusion that a 4 door car would be the only type of vehicle within my price range. This is due to the high insurance for my age. Two days ago I was shopping around at different dealerships and came across the Ralliart (I had previous knowledge of the Evo, but not the RA) and I believe it would be a nice fit for me. I'm just wondering what you guys think of the RA as a first car, and how it stacks up compared to other high end vehicles such as the Mustang, 350z, g35, etc.
I'm also open to any ideas / suggestions that I can do to make myself more familiar with everything.

Thanks in advance!

 

You have set your sights high for your first car! Mine was a 1970 6-cyl Chevy Nova, beat to hell, and I loved it.

Anyhow, I see you are living in Toronto. You really can't beat the AWD performance in an area with every weather condition under the sun like yours.

The RA is easily upgraded, and provides great gains with a tune and an $18 boost pill.
[And technically, you could tune it yourself with a laptop, free software, and an $180USD cable.]

It is capable of running 0-60MPH in the 5's stock (Motor Trend lists 5.4). For the money, IMO, that's awesome!

 

it's a great car, and beats all those cars you mentioned.
Your very lucky it's your first car, how old are you?

 

first car was a 1994 accord with 130,000 miles on it. lol

 

My first car was a 1977 Toyota Celica Hatchback...I loved that car.

Anyway, the RA is an excellent choice for a first car, seeing as how you just graduated. I would highly recommend it to anyone, especially if you like the EVO, but can't afford it, along with insurance, maintenance, etc.

Once you have it paid off and keep your driving record clear in a few years you can upgrade and go full Evo.

In terms of power, performance, handling, daily driving, creature comforts, etc. this is a great all around car!

 

eyz

As a ralliart owner I can tell you that is is the best bang for your buck. To have a four cylinder
Mivec Turbo car for your first vehicle ever is pretty damn good.

This car is not only economical on gas but its got a nice zip around corners and and bends.


This car trives the most on county roads and suburban hills etc. Its a ralli car which I think is the most awsome car for a guy coming out of school.

G35s, 350Z's, are for an older more sofisticated crowd. I'm not saying you are not sofisticated but I take it you are young and you want to have fun for a decent price.

EVO's hmmmm. if you don't mind going 5 speed manual only 5K more then the ralliart then I would definately not count it out. If you are going for auto/manual an MR is 12,000 more then a Ralliart. I say stick with the RA.

Personally speaking I love my car. I get more heads turning for my rotorglow then some BMWs get.

I suggest going to this tread and you will see what I'm talking about

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/20...s-your-ra.html

 

Also. As a first car it dont hurt to mention the RA is a very safe car. I believe it has a 5 star safety rating.

Oh and everything everyone else mentioned about its performance dont hurt as well.

 

He's trying to avoid high insurance no? lol. Anyway yes it makes for a great first car and is very tune-able and can achieve better than evox numbers with bolt-ons. That being said not sure what you have driven already but I know this was my first turbo car and it took some getting used to. Also AWD is great, but it's no save all either in bad weather, don't get too overconfident.

 

Hell my car was a 1979 Chevy C10 and i still have it! its a great car with good platform to build on. Hell even AMS has theirs into the 12's already. Great car for the buck! If yo looking into any other cars just to see check out the genisis coupe that thing is awesome

 

If you're a first time driver, I would suggest something cheaper. A car like a Ralliart isn't cheap to run, insure or buy, all of which are bad for someone fresh out of high school. Also, these cars (AWD turbocharged 4-bangers) have very high thresholds for stupidity which makes them easy to drive fast, a very bad thing for the unexperienced.

 

Amby is right but its all up to you and how much you respect the power in your car. You control how much power you use so just be careful where you use it.


Don't be dipping lanes in traffic and dragging on local roads. Take it to the track and get experience in it.


With turbo cars you really need to be alert. But don't let no suby's 07s come by and disrespect.

especially if you plan to mod it out.

 

agreed any new sports car will be high on maintenance, insurance, and dangerous to other drivers out there, i remember my first car 1992 ford mustang 4-banger convertible (which did not work) and the tranny always over heated and a top speed of 80 mph i guess thats why i dont like mustangs stick with the GTS and work your way up theres no need to become a casualty on the road to look cool in front of your friends.

 

Everybody pushes their cars, especially if they're the kind of person to ask advice on a car forum. The big risk with RAs, Evos, STIs, WRXs, etc. is that they let you push them very very hard before they let go. If you've never dealt with a slide or understeer or whatever and it happens at 60 MPH vs. 30 MPH in another car, you're in for a world of hurt. Think of how many "I crashed my Evo" threads have appeared on Evom in the last 6 months. 90% of the time people are driving on the street when it happens and it's a matter of a lack of experience, they go into a slide, don't know what to do and do the wrong thing. Starting with a slower, less performance minded car allows you to gain that experience and learn what to do in adverse situations before you step into a car that will bite your face off for making a mistake or mask your mistakes until it's too late. If you want a great example of this, look at supercars. If you make a mistake in a Viper, it lets you know right away and you pay dearly for it.

 

Amby has a good point here, this is a lot of car for a teenager. I remember how I was with my first car. If I had owned this RA back then I really would have killed myself. In all honesty, I wouldn't want my son or daughter to have one of these for their first car either.

You may be better off going with a base Lancer for a couple of years then trading up for the RA (or Evo) later.

Just a thought.

 

Bingo, there's no shame in getting a slower car first, even Hamilton didn't jump into a F1 car right away.