You can call it a "mid muffler" if you really want to, since it does in fact eliminate sound. But the mechanic/parts counter person will still look at you funny. They tend to call parts according to what the parts manual calls them or by their proper functional term.
as far as resonators go, you seldom have to change them as often as your muffler, since they are merely a shaped tube which reflects the harmonic sound wave back on itself. A muffler has baffles which burn/ rot out.
Of course, some cars have crappy factory exhaust piping which burns out even faster than the muffler does.
You get what you pay for in most cases, the cheap disposable commuter car probably won't have agood stainless steel piping like the higher end car does.
Again, wrong. (How many times does this really have to happen?) I own a car with a mid muffler. Maybe you don't. Maybe you aren't hip to new terminology. Part numbers follow -
1H0 253 409C Mid Muffler Golf Jetta 4 cyl. 1993-mid. 95
1H0 253 409F Mid Muffler Golf Jetta 4 cyl. mid. 1995-99
3A0 253 409A Mid Muffler Passat 1995-97 VR6
http://www.williamsautomotive.com/new%20parts/new_parts.htm
as far as resonators go, you seldom have to change them as often as your muffler, since they are merely a shaped tube which reflects the harmonic sound wave back on itself. A muffler has baffles which burn/ rot out.
The Bosal/Brospeed system seems to be the most restrictive of the bunch, and seems to create an actual torque boost with no improvement in upper end. They utilized a can type mid muffler which creates significant backpressure.
http://www.gti-vr6.net/library/engine/general_exhaust_info.html
Exhaust pipe running from catalytic converter to mid-muffler completely corroded and separated from catalytic converter.
http://www.carsurvey.org/review_68848.html