EVO VIII/IX vs CJ RALLIART

J

jbeckhaus

New Member
Hey guys,

I'm looking into buying a Lancer for approx $35k - $45k.

I've had a look at my options, and basically it comes down to either a brand new CJ Ralliart, a used CH ~2004 EVO VIII or a used CH ~2006 EVO IX.

Any thoughts?
I'm upgrading from a 2006 CH ES, so both options are a performance boost... just can't decide which one to choose!

Thanks in advance
Justin
 
If it's for a daily then the RA is going to be a superior car, much nicer interior, better features and all the mod cons for your daily commute.

If you are getting it more so for a car that will be more for spirited weekend driving and track use, then the Evo is going to come up hands down simply because they are built for that and their suspension (generally lighter alloy parts) and chassis are more ideal for this. The RA is still using the same base car as the VRX CJ Lancer, so it has cheaper pressed steel suspension arms (increasing your unsprung weight) and its chassis was designed for a FWD but has then had an AWD for the RA adapted into it. (the Evo X uses a redesigned Chassis which was designed for AWD).

Oh and how did you hear about this forum?
 
Hi Ryan,

Thanks for the rapid reply.
I found you guys searching for this topic on google, and finding a similar (but unrelated) topic here, so I figured I'd ask.

As for the car, I am a very lead-footed driver. It will be (practically) my only car, so it would be doing the commute, weekend drives etc. That being said, I don't mind a bit of a rougher ride (within reason). And the spirited weekend driving is pretty much me all the time.

It won't really be getting much (if any) track use, but I've read a few reviews on the RA which don't seem to like it very much - Motor (incl BFYB) thought it was rubbish.

Obviously I'd prefer to get a new car over a used one, but I'd be worried of always wishing for that extra power...
 
Extra power can very easily be unlocked from the RA by means of intake and exhaust upgrades coupled with a ECU remapping...

Given it's your daily I would lean towards the RA, you've got your 7 air bags, stability control, emergency brake assist which would make it a much safer car in the unlikely event you crashed (ANCAP score the lancer as 5 stars for safety). Then you've got the extra stereo, bluetooth handsfree, auto headlights and wipers, FAST key (keyless entry and ignition because their is a wireless chip embedded in the key), climate control, larger boot, etc that would be of benefit to someone using it for the daily commute. Plus there is the peace of mindof knowing the car's service history,etc and warranty that comes with buying a new car!

RA's have similar suspension to a VRX stock, so yeah its quite sloppy and not suited to track use, but add a set of coilovers whilst the ride will get somewat bumpier, the extra composure through corners is crazy. I have BC Racing coilovers in my VRX and they transformed my car, I now get much less understeer that you could be forgiven almost for thinking it's not FWD, so I'd love to see how a RA would go with them!
 
Have you thought about an older evo, ie 6-6.5? can pick them up cheapish now and will give you some money to spend on mods

But if thats not your thing. I'd defiantely say the evo 9
 
The prospect of buying a used performance car is a bit scary. I'm not mechanically minded, and I'd be afraid of getting a car which has been thrashed to bits... I know you can get them checked, but I'd still be worried.

Would those mods blow the warranty? - warranty would be a huge pro of buying a new RA...
Are those mods relatively cheap/easy to do?

Hi Bryce, I have a couple of mates with 6-6.5s so I'd cop flak for being a copycat. Great cars though! Why would you suggest EVO 9 over the RA?
 
Ralliart looks like everyother CJ, nothing stands out. they share the same lights, kit, everything

However with the Evo9 alot is different compared to that over the base model CH.

You could also look for a newish evo9 that still has some of its 5yr warranty left on it
 
would depend what you do when it comes to intake and exhaust. But flash tuning would void the warranty on the motor and possibly the gearbox if the flash tune caused the engine to fail...


RA has a different front and rear bar, plus u can get evo-x style wings fairly easily.
 
First off.

"Auto" or Manual?

If you want a clutch pedal, the VIII and IX are the only way to go. If you don't mind having the gears changed for you 90% of the time get an RA.

Personally, given the choice I'd take an IX any day of the week. They are proven monsters and look porn.
 
Me too, if I had to give up the Ralliart, I would go a Tommy 6.5 - blood red and the decals on the sides. There are huge differences from the 9 to the 10 or even the 9 to the CJ Ralliart. The Evo 8's and 9's were old style basic 3 pedal, no frills track cars you could drive on the road, but the Ralliart/Evo 10 was designed for more daily driving with more on-board computers and gadgets. I like the shape of the CJ's, and couldn't ever consider buying a CH design. But evo's are evo's......cult status, and a Ralliart will never be an evo even with power upgrades and a wing (members on another site thought this was the case...dumbasses :lol: )
 
Celtic Warrior said:
... and a Ralliart will never be an evo even with power upgrades and a wing (members on another site thought this was the case...dumbasses :lol: )
Click to expand...

Yeah and those MRT tunes they do to try match the Evo power seems to end in CEL nightmare :lol:
 
Not worth the hassles. Just do a tune and cat back system. No need for turbo back and hi flow cat. There's the trouble. Too much extra air going through (not through the car, just through the owners head) Too much air in an idiots head can lead to some catastrophic stupidity!! :lol:
 
Cheers for the tips!

Yeah, I definitely want a clutch pedal. is that an option in the CJ RA?

Also I thought the new car warranty only applied to the first owner?

Looking at some specs, apparently the IX does 0-100 in about 5.8 vs the RA's 7.1.
Comparing that 7.1 to my stock ES 2.4L, that's not much faster at all!
 
The twin clutch autos (RA and Evo X) dont get a good take-off, but once they are up and running engaged in first gear the box is lightning fast.

Manual isn't yet a option in the RA, although the MY11 RA is rumoured to possibly be released in manual. But for thre MY09 and MY10 RAs you get the automated manual twin clutch box, with paddle shifters.
 
yup - if you want a manual in the lancer range your choices are the Lancer ES, VR, VRX and basline Lancer Evolution although they all use a 5 speed manual ur best option is to go with the auto since it provides better fuel consumption, you cant really misstreat it like the manual and ull never do a failed launch or grind the gears, if you go the VRX auto you get the 'magnesium' paddle shifters (who the hell cares what theyre made out of lol?) which lets you change gears on the steering column which might satisfy some manual lovers out there. .... ditto with the TC SST transmission in the ralliart n evo -- so it all comes down to what ur price range is and what your looking for in a car ...the ralliart is probably the best bang for ur buck but if you really want a manual and cant justify going the 70+ grand for the evo, u might want to look at a WRX subaru ......but then again dont do that :p uve gotta get a mitsubishi :)


...also heard some awesome things about turbo VRX lancers - if u can spare another 4-5 grand for a turbo upgrade on the lancer then ull have a thing that supposidly goes harder than a ralliart and is a lot more fun - but all depends what kinda car u want - and dont expect ur warranty to hold up if the dealer looks under ur bonnet if u wack a turbo on it lol
 
i'm yet to see a decent turbo setup for the VRX. I wouldn't even touch the XtremeBoost or RoadRace Motorsports one with a 10 foot barge pool...

On another ccertain club, some made rash claims that they could bolt a turbo kit on their VRX and have it beat an Evo, in terms of straightline and cornering ability, however we are still waiting to see this 'Evo-killer' which has never come to fruition... In fact we're yet to even see it successfully run with a turbo kit, yet aslone beat an Evo! :lol:
 
mate think of a gts r32 skyline, its a pos but goes like a rocket built cheap and is old school plus the gtr is only a tad bit faster, go the ralliart it will dominate :)
 
If you are interested in an 8, then consider importing one, and don't buy someone else's former flog toys. There aren't many in Australia that haven't been raced, and for the price, it makes more sense to import. (not as much as it used to. The government started the increased import tax in the mid 2000's) There are reputable dealers that can do all the leg work, show pics and most of them have credible suppliers from Japan that can tell you of a lemon from a mile away. The 9's were sold locally, but you can still import the 5 speed japan model I think.

When I went to buy my car, I wanted a 34GTR V-spec with 40,000k's on the clock, but a few I saw were very dodgy and didn't want to spend my money on a potential lemon. Thats why I went the new car method, and went for the Ralliart (couldn't justify the extra 20grand on an evo)

Your choice, your money. Just take care and do your research!
Cheers
 
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