Hello all.......first post here.......did so to get people's opinions on it.

I live in Canada and want to buy a car soon, and was really interested in the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart. I've read the ES and the OZ-Rally, while decent enough, aren't as great in comparison to the Ralliart, not only in performance, but value as well.

I know a lot of people love Mitsubishis, so their opinoin is biased, however, I was hoping for people to offer some insight, some honest statements, and some pros and cons of the car, with respect to different models/companies out there. I like the look, I like the blue dashboard at night (lol), the price, the warranty, and the prospect of a decent enough sound system.......

How does this car do with gas?
Has anyone had problems with it?
Is the 2007 model going to be drastically different?
Will the 2006 models be significantly cheaper in a month or so?

Anything else?

Any help would be fantastic.........thanks in advance.

The ralliarts are not a "hot" enough item for it to make a huge difference when you buy it. Your best bet is going to be find a dealer who has one that has been on their lot for a while. Do not act too excited about the car. just point it out and say something about the color or hey that one looks nice, can I drive it? The manager will be wanting to sell it because he has had it so long and he will give you a great deal. One tip though, make sure you get a good deal all the way around, not just on price. Make sure the APR is in line with your credit score, Warranties are good prices and they do not charge you other fees other than taxes and tags.

I've had many different brands of vehicles in my day, so I'm biased for or against Mitsubishi.

I would get a Ralliart over a ES or OZ. The ES and OZ have the same engine and it's pretty slow of a car.

But, to answer all your questions.

The Ralliart will have worse gas mileage than the ES/OZ (29 hwy/23 city vs. 35 hwy/28 city).

I've had my 05 Lancer ES for over a year (bought with 75 miles on it), and now I have 31,000 miles. All I've done is change the oil inspect things as called out in the maintenance manual. Before I bought the car I researched any frequently reported problems, and there were none.

The 06 Lancer should look exactly the same as the 07 Lancer.

The 06 should be cheaper in a few months since it will the year end clearance and they'll want to get rid of any 06 cars on the lot to make way for the 07 cars. Just follow Mrep_VB's suggestions as how to act around a dealer salesman.

As far as sound systems are concerned. I really like the Infinity Sound System. However, for the cost of this, you could install a really nice aftermarket sound system. I have the Infinity Sound System because I found the package on Ebay and bought it for $100. The actual package you have to purchase is the "Sun and Sound Package" for $1,250.

If you do end up buying the car, I suggest not to get the extra service plans (warranty extensions). The dealer I bought my car from was very pushy about it, and I should have told him, "look, I don't want the extended service plan, if you don't stop being pushy about it, I'm not going to buy the car". The good thing is, if I don't use it, I get the money refunded once the car reaches 100,000 miles.

Other cars similar in class.

Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V
Toyota Corolla XRS (if they still make it)
Honda Civic SI

I'm not going to go into details as to pros/cons because I'll leave that research up to you. But, my opinion is that the Ralliart will be a good car that you will enjoy.

Best of luck.

I love my lancer ralliart, but soon you will find out, you will need more horsepower because the car handle so well, you just dont want to go at 90 km/h

For Gaz, i'ts a gazhoolic, be prepare to not do more than 450 to 500 km (at 110km/h with the 50 liter tank

for price, they will not reduce the price here in canada but they'll offer you good purchase plan if there is too much stock on the 2006 but in august.

Enjoy your purchase

Okey dokey, I have driven two of the three up there. Here's my two cents (or, with inflation, like a buck-tweny five or something):

The Civic Si is QUICK. Two main problems stop this car though: premium fuel (for the '06) and very little torque. This is a problem, not for speed, but for feathering the clutch more when trying to take off out of 1st gear. I also don't think, for the money and what you get, that the car is worth $22K. The sound system isn't as good as the Sentra SE-R Spec V or the Infinity in the Lancer. But...Honda engines last FOREVER, and the K20Z3 is a STRONG engine and has many mods for it, or even a supercharged K24 with the CR-V block/TSX head and intake manifold and K20 oil pan could go into the car.

The Corolla isn't that fast. They don't call it the XRS anymore, it's now just the S. I know people that have them, and the sad part is, it's basically a low-model CE with some upgrades.

The Sentra SE-R Spec V is also VERY FAST. Like the Si, it comes with a 6 speed. The Rockford Fosgate system has more power than the Infinity system and sounds a little clearer. The front has an AUX-in for portable players, same as the Si. Only problem with the Sentra is that it burns through the stock tires fast.

Let's also take this into account: Corolla - 15" rims, 185mm tire.. Lancer/Sentra - 16" rims, 205mm and 195mm tire. Civic Si - 17" rims, 215mm tire. Don't know if you plan on keeping the stock rims/tires, but the wider 205's on the 16's from the Lancer are great. Personally, I think the 17's on the Si are overkill, but that's my opinion.

Out of all of them, the Sentra was the most fun to drive.

I just bought an '06 RalliArt, im also located in Canada, and have so far enjoyed the car. I just a made a long trip, 1254 km, and noticed that the fuel economy wasnt that bad, but as said above, dont expect more then 500 km to the 50L tank. But the car does handle very well, on both ice and snow, and the stock 2.4L enigne has some kick to it. The sound system is all right, im leaving it in for the remainder of the winter, then im gonna upgrade. The tranny is very smooth, mind you all new cars are this way. Umm, the RalliArt's come with the stabilizer bars, and the strt tower bar, and you can definately feel the difference at how the car corners at higher speeds. I have driven turbo cars without strut bars and i definatley will be turbo'ing this car in the near future. Comfort wise, its an alright ride, a little rougher then some other cars i have driven, but not too bad.

As i mentioned above, thecar does handle well on ice and snow, but i would highly recommend upgrading to a good winter tire, and then running either the stock tires for the first few summers, or getting good summer tires as well, all depends on the size of your pocket book. I am planning on a few mods in early spring, so ill let you know how those go.