WRX Takes On Ralliart: Subaru vs. Mitsubishi

FOR MORE WRX VS. RALLIART:
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Comparos/articleId=138347??tid=ed...

Stuff the 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX into a corner, and you know it deserves a rematch with the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart.

It's no less refined than the 2008 WRX, but it goes in without paralyzing understeer and doesn't keel over as soon as you load the outside tires. Provoke it and you'll get some attitude. When you're back on the throttle hard at the exit, there's no rush to grab 3rd gear. Rescued from last year's rev-starved funk, the 2.5-liter boxer-4 engine wants to see its 6,500-rpm redline again.

Most important, the 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX isn't trying so hard to distance you from the drive. It rewards your efforts in the cockpit — one of the things that made the previous-generation WRX so likable.

Probably this is also why the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart is so involving to drive. Introduced last summer, this Lancer Ralliart is the long-awaited head-on challenge to the WRX dynasty and it kicked the 2008 WRX while it was down. Even compared to the 2009 WRX, Mitsubishi's Ralliart is a flashier package. It has mechanical limited-slip differentials both front and rear, a very neat automated dual-clutch gearbox, Recaro seats and the schnoz of a tiger shark. Evo Jr. has a nice stiff chassis, too.

If the homely gray Subaru has any shot at winning here, it will have to do more with less.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• 2009
• Mitsubishi
• Lancer
• Ralliart
• vs.
• Subaru
• Impreza
• WRX
• Edmunds
• Inside
• Line
• car
• auto
• street
• race
• racing

[btsc1]

The old subie looked 100 times better!

[morri908]

once you upgrade to evo/sti... mitsu becomes the winner.. And always has been... I guess they just had to be nice to Subbie and let them win something

[FormulaDStock]

You don't even need to see what car they're comparing. 235mm tires on the WRX have way more grip than 205mm tires on the Ralliart. That's almost 5 inches of extra tire on the ground! Even if the WRX had the same horsepower/ torque as the Ralliart, the WRX would still win because of the grip from the 235mm tires. Mitsubishi should have ditched the advanced AWD technology and went with wider tires. Good job Subaru for being smart.

[gostx22008899]

Ralliart - wrx

[DOHCEJ22E1]

And I'll let me, who is currently in the process of putting together my 2nd DOHC EJ22, tell you that a Subaru or any other engine won't die unless it's abused to hell. You & your 'buddy' can't tell me weaknesses that I don't already know about the L's 22E/222. You can count on that. I've seen 4G63s (4 Eclipses) blow head gaskets with my own eyes & I've heard 3 more with crankwalk (ugly sound).

[gabos23]

@DOHCEJ22E1

I'll let my buddy that is both a NASA and SCCA racer (RallyX and Rally) know your thoughts since both his L and STi are currently down on power due to blowing smoke or in the process of having something serious rebuilt.

[DOHCEJ22E1]

On the point of YAW, put a system like that in an STi & watch the game change a lot. Without YAW, Mitsu's system understeers as hard as a WRX & both cars have to be driven very similarly.

You see, Subaru works on make it's cars more driver focused & involved. Always has. Ask ANYONE who's ever truly driven both an Evo & an STi (I have) & they'll all tell you that you need to get involved with the Subaru much more.

On shifting, don't get me started on the Mitsubishi's Playstation shift paddles...

[DOHCEJ22E1]

1:Funny, because I raced my old 'L' around some curves a few times (mind you, N/A 2.2L) & nary a turbo Eclispe (pick one, doesn't matter, you'll fail) could catch me. Granted I had Whiteline/STi all over my suspension but it didn't matter.

2:I've worked on too many cars to be able to say this: THERE IS NO MITSUBISHI THAT'S AS RELIABLE AS A SUBARU. PERIOD. NON-DEBATABLE.

3:Ralliart does not 'own' an STi. Get off of that already. It takes an EVO to beat an STi but the STi is more driver involved.

[iStubz]

if you take the garbage 7" wide wheels off the lancer, and put the subbie wheels/tires on it for a comparison it would definitely win.

[morri908]

@91kient :D

I love both cars for what they are, and would drive the STi over the Evo, just because I like the feel of the Sti...

but then again, i haven't gotten the opportunity to drive the Evo... so I guess my opinion is sort of biased.

Also, my comment was true. The Evo typically outperforms the STi..

[91kient]

@morri908 lol god, thats such a baby fanboy thing to say. And because of that, it makes all of your opinions immediately irrelevant and pointless to bother reading