dadriva

iTrader: (5)

Fireball, read posts 23 & 26.

"alcantra is the way to go" & "it's a moot point with th 06's out now"

I guess they have signifigantly improved the interior of the MR with alcantra. All you need is a quality stereo and deal without having a sunroof.

res04

iTrader: (2)

MR is money well spent for resale value alone. Sunroof, stereo, all subjective. 6 speed, aluminum roof, suspension = all great upgrades IMO over the others.

GPTourer

I think the 6 speed in the IX MR shifts smoother and feels better then the 5 speed, but I don't like the wheels (on any Evo really, but the IX GSR wheels are okay). So I agree with the previous poster who said he'd be getting wheels and shocks, am not worried about the weight penalty of a sunroof over a aluminum one and I don't slide around in the leather - so an SSL was an easy choice. (the employee discount didn't hurt either)

I remember when the MR first came out, one of the Cali salespeople were talking about how they had put a roof in one. Even when we were putting roofs in Lancer ES's, they would have to cut through steel cross bar(s), so I'm sure they do the same or more so in an MR. Seems like a good way to ruin a car with such a high resale potential.

Stealth-Ghost

I test drove a SSL 04 and the interior was really nice but the sound was really desorted from what I remember, too much base (obviously you can turn it down but most cars the base comes out right when you pay that kind of money). I just recently saw a IX without SSL, the interior is nice allthough i like leather better, but the sound system came out really clear and had enough base to where it makes the song good, not enough to go bomping down the street with 25 inch rims and your windows down thinking you're cool.


I don't like sun roofs since I never use them, I had my moms car for 2 weeks and I used her sun roof once to throw a bottle at my friend but I could have just used the window!

Cloth holds up a lot better unless you REALLY take care of leather, and the ones in the IX are cloth in the middle and leather trimmed so you're getting the best of both worlds really.
Once I call my insurance company for a quote if it' not too high I can list my wrangler for sale, sell it, and get the IX I saw in the showroom if they still have it, can't freaking wait, I loved that car.

AWDrift07

iTrader: (2)

My skinny *** slid all over my friends SSL Evo. No, i'm not saying you're a fat ***. But i had to brace myself against the firewall through tight turns that i would not have had to do in my Evo. Mine handled better too. Maybe he had some slippery leather conditioner on them or something...but i had bruises on the side of my right knee from the center console at the end of the day. I'm sure this would not be the case if he had harnesses. But thats not what we're talking about.

A Lexus LS? I fail to see the correlation between an MR and a $60k+ luxury car. I couldn't care less about creature comforts. Hell i'd buy an RS before i bought a GSR.

An MR, for what you get for the money, may be unjustifiable to you but calling it "a huge waste of money" is a pretty extreme. Worth is relative. It's worth it to me but not to you. Same can be said about most car owners: to them, it's not worth spending $30k+ for a car that among other things, only comes in stick with a rough, loud ride, and a far from luxurious interior.

AWDrift07

iTrader: (2)

This is my understanding also. The aluminum roof has been thoroughly reinforced to attain the same torsional rigidity as the steel roof while still being significantly lighter. I'm sure removing some of the reinforcement by cutting out a rather large area of the roof can only have ill effects.

M3ss

iTrader: (20)

Aluminum roof is not a big deal i don't think and from what i heard the aluminum roof was put on the MR to compisate the weight due to the heavier 6spd tranny ! Maybe i'm wrong !

AWDrift07

iTrader: (2)

The lighter by 8lbs aluminum roof lowers the center of gravity. That's why they did it. The amount of weight saved is negligible but when that saved weight also lowers the center of gravity, its a big deal. It's a rally thing... you wouldn't understand.

Sure it saves weight but to say they did it to compensate for the weight of the trans is kinda silly.

Anyone know if the USDM MR has aluminum instead of steel front door impact bars like the JDM MR did? Or did this get scrapped for higher crash ratings? I'm not gonna cut my doors open to find out. Cuz if they do, add that to the list.

M3ss

iTrader: (20)

Like i said it was what i heard! Rally ? Yeah i would'nt understand!!

AWDrift07

iTrader: (2)

I'm just messing with you! No hard feelings.

Soon2BEVO

iTrader: (41)

I didnt mean to say its a waste of money, but it would have been a waste for me. Why? Mostly because I planned to get upgraded wheels and suspension which would mean I was paying all the extra money for an aluminum roof which I didnt care much about and the 6spd (which is nice!)! I didnt mean for it to sound like that. I think the MR is awesome for guys that dont plan on changing much. If you plan on modding the crap out of it, I would just rather get the GSR or even the RS.

shivaswrath

iTrader: (9)

the stereo is amazing, i have no idea what you guys consider good or not, but really, the infinity system on my SSL rivals anything IMO. . .

yeah, adding weight to the roof is counterintuitive for performance, but remember, the GSR has stiffer valving, so our lane change handling is actually BETTER than the MR. . .

the leather and everything else is on par with a car that costs this much, I wouldn't have it any other way. . .but that's me. . .wait for the IX's Alcantara to wear. . .have you seen worn Alcantara??? It's not pretty, it pills and looks nasty. . .I'm glad they got rid of the cheesy blue theme, I like the new IX seats, but would pick the SSL everytime. . .

AWDrift07

iTrader: (2)

Agreed!

Mr. Stock

iTrader: (3)

Being an 05 SSL owner, here's my take; stereo system is actually quite good. I swapped out the stock head unit for a top of the line Eclipse and then spent two weeks making it sound as good as the factory head unit (many, many options with the new Eclipse!). The leather really adds a bit of class as does the sunroof if that's what you're looking for. One can upgrade the wheels and suspension to superior pieces than come stock on the MR and the difference in handling with the OEM suspensions is negligible, especially on the street.

The MR has the panache and probably better resale value although one will have to look at depreciation for both cars from new and original cost. It'll also depend on the area you live in. Despite the fact I live in SW Florida, the slate gray leather and nicer overall interior appearance will bode well come resale time, as will the sunroof. Personally, I'd love to have the 6-speed in my SSL. Everything else (save the aluminum bits), I can add/upgrade to the same or superior items.

Considering I have another "race" car, the ultimate Evo for me is the SSL package with a killer street powerband, 340wheel hp, reasonably quiet, a set of Aragosta coil-overs, blacked out head/tails, vortech generator, do-luck lip (imitation) and some helium-light unobtanium wheels. You'd have a good combination of looks, speed and comfort. It'd be nice if Mitsubishi would honor their warranty too. Ha! On a different note, I recently read the X may come with around 320hp with higher hp models available in the US up to 400hp. All speculation at this point.

A nice MR with all of the above and say a set of Bride Low-Max seats, and a nice aftermarket stereo wouldn't be too bad. If you really wanted the leather, either get aftermarket covers if available or find a leather interior used. I guess you really can't go wrong with either car!

moviebumm

Actually if one wants an MR, you can get leather but it would not come factory equipted. The leather is an aftermarket option (not mentioned) at the dealer. I believe they cover the seats with leather over the cloth. I love leather and have had it in every car I have owned but the new seats in the IX (any trim really) do look good. I have no idea how comfortable they are though. Also a sunroof could be added if one really wanted one. I don't know if a dealer would do a job like that but one could ask. The Audi A8, Jaguar XJ both are made entirely out of aluminum (chassis and body) and both cars have sunroof's in them.