2010 Sportback Ralliart
What do the 2010 Mitsubishi Ralliart, along with the Honda Civic Si, MazdaSpeed3, and the Subaru WRX all have in common? Could it be that they are all Japanese import tuners? Could it be that they all have 4-cylinder engines which produce just over 200 horsepower? Or could it be that they are just a hell of a lot of fun to drive? Well, it can be all of the above, if you ask me. However, I know of just one little thing that the 2010 Mitsubishi Ralliart Sportback has that stands out from the rest: It has an optional SporTronic Dual-Clutch transmission, so for those of you who do not know how to drive a manual, but you want the performance of a manual, this is the one for you. Unlike the WRX and the MazdaSpeed3, the Ralliart feels a bit roomier inside, which is a plus for me as far as carrying both moderate cargo, and my girlfriend along with a couple of my other buddies.
The 2010 Mitsubishi Ralliart’s 2.0-liter MIVEC Turbo inline-4 engine generates 237 horsepower, and if your timing is right on up-shifting with the Dual-Clutch transmission and paddle-shifters on the steering-wheel, the 237 horses are not that useless. On a quick side note, I drove a 2005 Subaru WRX with the 4-speed Sportshift transmission a few years back, but the Subaru came with only 10 ponies LESS than the Ralliart; therefore, it goes to show that the WRX’s Boxer-4 is not quite as peppy as the Ralliart’s MIVEC Turbo. Besides, that WRX model was five years old at the time. Gas mileage is descent for a turbocharged car like the Ralliart—18 miles per gallon in the city, and 26 miles per gallon on the highway.
The Ralliart’s performance was out of this world. The Turbo does kind of engender some Turbo lag while in second gear going up a hill, but all in all, this was a very fun car to drive. As far as comfort and convenience features go, Bluetooth is standard on the car, but the iPod interface is optional. The RECARO® seats were very comfortable once I got to sit in the car for the first time. The cargo bay is sufficiently big enough to fit my two guitars, my laptop and my amplifier without even having to put the seats rear seats down. The RECARO® package, which includes the standard RECARO® seats, also comes standard with HID headlights, a 710-watt Rockford-Fosgate® stereo system with an integrated 10-inch subwoofer in the back.
If someone wants to buy a car which has the performance of a Lancer EVO MR, but does not want to pay that high of a price, the Lancer Ralliart is the way to go.
