Originally Posted by akgvr4riceater

yea, thats why i perfer to use my sti as a daily driver, and my evo for the night crusing. the sti interior just out weighs the evos. i feel like i have paid 15 grand for the car when i sit into it, but with the sti, i feel that my money went where my eyes can see. but for performance, the evo hands down beats my sti. pluss. i dumped a whole lot more money into it. lol.

Originally Posted by BDM

He knows exactly what he is talking about. Did anyone notice that the review was for CNET? CNET's thing is electronic technology and he reviewed the car from that angle. The review didn't go into performance because that's not what CNET is about. We never trash the auto magazine reviewers for not going into detail about the stereos.

Originally Posted by Yur

I posted this review on C|Net in response to their origina review, i doubt they will publish it though:

C|Net's original review does not address the main purpose of this great vehicle. That is to offer pure uncompromised performance wrapped in a form-follows-function shape.

For this reason the reviewer failed to understand this car.

Everything about the Evo 9 is aimed to increase feedback control and power. You will never understand until you truly drive it. When you do, you will instantly forget the lack of navigation and other gadgets and appreciate this car for what it is.

It's said that when Michelangelo was asked how he was able to sculpt The David, he answered that 'Creating the David was easy - all I had to do was remove all that was not the David from the stone.' - And that is exactly what the Evolution 9 MR is - all that you want and none of what you don’t.

When buying a car like this, would you rather pay for a nicer stereo or stronger brakes?

Case in point: The WRX STI (yep, the "i" is now capitalized) has a slightly better interior with climate control and nicer glowing buttons and gauges. Drive it back to back with the Evolution and you will see that all those "extras" robbed the STI of its primary function. Turn is not as crisp, high-speed stability is not as secure-feeling. Mid-corner damping is not as effective. The car just feels bloated. As if somewhere under all the extra packaging there is a true sports car but it’s distant. Dont get me wrong, it is a fantastic car but with the edge polished out a bit. Its perfect for many and in fact i found the STI to be a blast until i drove the MR. Still, the point is, you take away the edge, you stoften things up a bit and you end up taking away part of the spirit and part of the experience.

The Evolution on the other hand is exactly the opposite. Here is all that you need and all you came here for. Take it. It’s yours. Should you feel a need to add extras with time, feel free but this is what this car is. Nothing more and nothing less. A 4-door saloon capable of shaming most of the sports car "pretenders" out there.

Another example: Slide into a 350 Z and you will love the intimate interior and most of the materials used. It’s full of clever features. Drive it slow and you are amazed at how good the car sounds and how everything falls to hand. Drive it a bit faster and it falls apart on you. No power. Average handling. Poor suspension balance, etc. It’s a sports car for those who don’t want to drive a sports car but just want to look like they are driving one.

Again, the Evolution is the opposite. Drive it like your Grandpa and it feels restless. It wants to go out there and have fun. Sure it can play nice but its always saying "Come on, let me show you what I can do!” Once it does, the grin on your face will be permanent.

I drove many different cars, luxury, touring, sports, etc. My second car is an '06 Saab 9 3 (Named as the top sporty compact executive saloon by many automotive publications in Europe) and it serves its purpose which is to transport my wife, son, myself and whatever we bring along from point A to point B in great effortless and for most part completely uninvolving comfort. Yes, it’s our living room sofa on 4 wheels and it is very good at what it does. When the time arrived to pick out something for myself I went high and low in search for that magic feeling. I came close a few times but still came away feeling as if the absence of soul was often covered up with eye-candy and gadgetry. Until I drove the Evolution 9 MR. Its does not pretend to be anything it is not and it’s everything it has to be to wear that carbon fiber wing.

The official C|Net review did not do this car justice. This is not a car you can review the same way you would a Toyota Avalon. This is not a car for everyone and thus its true beauty may elude the average person but for those who understand what a sports car should be - this is the perfect choice. In a way, the 9 MR is more Porsche than Porsche.

In the end let me just say this: If you want your car to feel closer to your home or apartment, forget about the Evo. If you want your car to tell you where you need to go or to figure out how much cold air to blow out to keep you cold, don’t even look at the Evo. On the other hand, if you want your car to follow your every move and react to your every input with purity and precision - do yourself a favor and drive the Evolution 9 MR. Trust me, you will not care about navigation or the sound system. I've owned the car for a week now and I am yet to turn on the radio. The unearthly mechanical sounds this car makes when you apply a bit of your right foot's weight are enough to form the perfect driving sound track.