Evo X & STI test drive.

[boosted3]

What a huge disappointment. I don't see what all the hype over these cars comes from.
It looks like a Volvo S series.
It has absolutely no trunk space.
The seat bolsters are a wear spot waiting to happen.
The body kit just below the doors will be torn up in no time from being stepped on.
The cockpit.. oh Lord.. It's reminiscent of an early 80's Sentra.
The dash pod looked like an afterthought.
And, the lame attempt to push the carbon fiber look to the next level failed miserably.

The drive-
It was okay. The car drove really heavy so it felt smooth. It certainly didn't feel like it was designed by performance driven creator. There was absolutely no place to rest your arms while driving, so your arms just hang. Visibility was excellent and it had tons of passenger space. I wasn't very impressed with the power. It felt like it came on quickly, but never really progressed into a boosted pull. The car lunged forward when you stabbed the throttle and you brace yourself for the boost that is to come.... but, it never does come.. down low or up top.The needle just sort of drones into the next hash mark on the speedo, but not nearly as quickly as you'd expect. I know what the mags say, but they must be driving some other Evo X.
I'd give it a 6 overall.


The STI.. heh. If I didn't have a Speed3 I'd be all over this car. I didn't get to drive it, though... I opted out and drove the WRX instead. The salesmen was really trying to talk me out of driving it and I didn't want to push too hard. He was a nice fella protecting his product. We hit it off and I didn't want to ruin that by being too pushy.
The interior is spot on. It feels like the cockpit is custom tailored around you and it's not cheap looking/feeling. It had some trunk space and the backseats have enough room for two adults... It REALLY, REALLY looks like an S3 in person with slightly more bulbous fenders. The salesmen came out and told me that when I drove in all 3 of them came to the window to see who drove in with the new '08 STI. He said they didn't realize it was a S3 at first.I'm not even going to discuss the WRX except to say that I told the salesmen it felt anemic.. He gasped! and told me that it ran neck and neck with the Speed. He was a performance enthusiast so he'd read about the speed3. i told him mine was a bid modified and that the WRX doesn't pull nearly as hard and it only had a launch advantage. He laughed and politely told me how wrong I was. I offered to let him drive mine... he gave me a sheepish grin and accepted. I told him to get into it and he obliged... 1st.. 2nd wheelspin and a quick chirp going into the 3rd. He cracked a huge smile and said.. "oh, shit.. this thing's no joke.. It definitely pulls harder than the WRX. Now I know what you mean when you say anemic.. if you're used to this." I asked him how it felt compared to the STI and he dodged the question... 3 times. heh He finally admitted that the Speed3's problem was traction(duh) and if I could get the wheelspin under control it should walk away from a stock STI. if the STI is any comparison to the EVO X, from any rolling start it would get walked. Absolutely no doubt in my mind.

[chronus377]

Great report from the front lines (thumb).

I must say the new STi/WRX has grown on me. Now I think it's their best design yet (which isn't saying too much).

But I'm very surprised in what the EVO has become... it seams like a backwards evolution in a Darwinian sense.

[channah]

haha ya i personally love the new sti. i went to a dealership to chec it out but my saleman wouldnt let me drive it either. he was an idiot and did not know a single thing about the car. i was very impressed by it

[boosted3]

The EVO X is a 40k dollar bag of ass..

[Haltech]

What is with these Suburu dealers? I too tried to go test drive a STi... They wouldnt do it! The first time was when i pulled up in the S3. I tried a different dealer with the Lightning because i knew for hell they would hear me pull in and still wouldnt let me test drive it! Its not like im in my 20's. I requested the sales manager and asked him why customers cant drive the damn car. He tells me " Well, most people who want an STi know what it is and dont need to drive it until the paperwork is signed." I laughed and told him that letting customers drive cars is the key to sales.

[D_Roc7822]

What is with these Suburu dealers? I too tried to go test drive a STi... They wouldnt do it! The first time was when i pulled up in the S3. I tried a different dealer with the Lightning because i knew for hell they would hear me pull in and still wouldnt let me test drive it! Its not like im in my 20's. I requested the sales manager and asked him why customers cant drive the damn car. He tells me " Well, most people who want an STi know what it is and dont need to drive it until the paperwork is signed." I laughed and told him that letting customers drive cars is the key to sales.

I totally agree... I basically had to beg the salesman I bought my speed3 from. He did have a good excuse though.. and said that most people just want to hot rod the things. I do also look like im 17 lol so I guess that didnt make matters any better. I told the dude that if I cant drive it.. then Im not buying it. And even though he was not happy about it.. he let me drive it. And then I bought it lol. He turned out to be a pretty cool dude. And even let me get in it a little bit. About the STI I thought it looked hideous when I first saw it... and was in love with Evo X. Now the roles have switched I think. Im really disappointed with the X(291) performance.. up only 4-5 HP from the Evo 9 (287). Ill give it a few months and then try and test drive the Evo X. Ill prolly stick with the speed though.... mainly because me and mitsubishi's dont tend to get along and I dont want to spend 800 a month on a car.

[enganear]

I just received my new copy of Rod & Truck. They have a major article about EVO vs. STI. They chose the EVO hands down, winning in almost every category. The EVO actually pulled 0.97g on the skidpad! It destroyed the STI on the racetrack and the twin clutch automatic version of the EVO was fastest of all running in full automatic!

The cover shows both cars with the headline "Best Bang for the Buck you can buy!". How fickle can they be and how WRONG!

The automatic yaw control on the EVO is impressive and is responsible for the handling and racetrack victories. It would be interesting to know how this works on low speed corners like in an Autox.
-enganear

[Powerslave]

I just received my new copy of Rod & Truck. They have a major article about EVO vs. STI. They chose the EVO hands down, winning in almost every category. The EVO actually pulled 0.97g on the skidpad! It destroyed the STI on the racetrack and the twin clutch automatic version of the EVO was fastest of all running in full automatic!

The cover shows both cars with the headline "Best Bang for the Buck you can buy!". How fickle can they be and how WRONG!

The automatic yaw control on the EVO is impressive and is responsible for the handling and racetrack victories. It would be interesting to know how this works on low speed corners like in an Autox.
-enganear

in most other test results if youve been looking at magazines over the past few months the sti is alwasy over a secong quicker to 60 and in the quarter mile?? I saw that new mag yesterday to maybe its cuase now they have the evo with that double cluth auto that shift SUPER fast?? super write up boosted 3!!

[channah]

ya the suby dealers suck.i told them the same thing. why would i waste my time with papers or even talk about it if ive never driven the car, its common sense. it waws funny too the sticker was 35k and i asked the saleman how much i could get it for if i payed cash? he said 38k haha i laughed and he tried to bring up some bs about tax and license

[MS3-oholic]

When I test drove the STI it was the dealer who had to convince me to test drive it. The interior looked nice but if you sit in it you will be dissapointed and I wasn't impressed by the performance either. MS3 ftw!

[enganear]

in most other test results if youve been looking at magazines over the past few months the sti is alwasy over a secong quicker to 60 and in the quarter mile?? I saw that new mag yesterday to maybe its cuase now they have the evo with that double cluth auto that shift SUPER fast?? super write up boosted 3!!

In the R&T tests, the EVO GSR (5 -spd) was quicker through the 1/4 than the EVO MR (twin clutch auto). The MR was quicker on the track.

The 1/4 times seemed a little slow:
EVO GSR - 13.6@100.9
WRX STI - 13.6@98.2

This is what you get for spending another $10k+ over a MS3???
-enganear

[subparpunk03]

for $35k you could be riding around town in a BMW 135. A twin turbo 6 with super gorgeous interior.

the evo and the sti are good cars, but cmon, you can get a MUCH nicer car for the same price. What made these cars great when they first came to the states was that they were much more affordable than most high performance cars.

Mitsu should bring back the VR-4. That car was awesome.

My next car is either a 135 or 335, for sure.

[Haltech]

for $35k you could be riding around town in a BMW 135. A twin turbo 6 with super gorgeous interior.

the evo and the sti are good cars, but cmon, you can get a MUCH nicer car for the same price. What made these cars great when they first came to the states was that they were much more affordable than most high performance cars.

Mitsu should bring back the VR-4. That car was awesome.

My next car is either a 135 or 335, for sure.

Problem is, i cant justify $35K for a 135i.. twin turbo or not, you are paying way to much for way to little.

[subparpunk03]

Well... keep in mind that ultimately it is a luxury car, and 35k for a luxury car is about normal. You'll pay that whether its for a G35, is350 or bmw. You'll pay even more if its a benz.

Now, if it came down to paying 35k for a luxury sedan or an sti.... I'd have to go with the bmw cause its just a better car for "around town" driving. I can't take a $35k car to the track b/c I can't afford to wreck it.

Just curious Haltech, if you had $35k what would it go to, for a daily driver?

[AllLostThings]

Dealerships are so stupid like that. I got lucky and landed a good one where I got my Speed3. I was testdriving the car 15 miutes after showing up and I never even asked to testdrive it. The sales guy was my age (25-30) too so I think that helped.

[lazyboi808]

for $35k you could be riding around town in a BMW 135. A twin turbo 6 with super gorgeous interior.

the evo and the sti are good cars, but cmon, you can get a MUCH nicer car for the same price. What made these cars great when they first came to the states was that they were much more affordable than most high performance cars.

Mitsu should bring back the VR-4. That car was awesome.

My next car is either a 135 or 335, for sure.

agreed/same here(bowdown)

[Haltech]

Well... keep in mind that ultimately it is a luxury car, and 35k for a luxury car is about normal. You'll pay that whether its for a G35, is350 or bmw. You'll pay even more if its a benz.

Now, if it came down to paying 35k for a luxury sedan or an sti.... I'd have to go with the bmw cause its just a better car for "around town" driving. I can't take a $35k car to the track b/c I can't afford to wreck it.

Just curious Haltech, if you had $35k what would it go to, for a daily driver?

Umm a 1 or 3 series isnt considered a luxary car. When you get into the 5 & 7's, than we can discuss luxury on a BMW.

How do you know a 1 series BMW is a better car driving all around town?

i do have $35K for a car and seriously, i bought a MS3 GT for my daily driver. I wasnt about to pay $58K for a Shelby and the ultimate car i wanted and kick myself in the ass for not buying when i had a chance was the Ford GT. I was going to go for the V8 M-3 until they raised the price another $10K. Remember, this is STILL a 3 series car.

when i look at cars to buy, sticker is one of the few things i consider. I look more at what i can do with it and where mods will put me. If i got the Shelby, i would have a 9 Sec daily driver.. but in the end, its still a damn mustang and ive had to many.

[Haltech]

Dealerships are so stupid like that. I got lucky and landed a good one where I got my Speed3. I was testdriving the car 15 miutes after showing up and I never even asked to testdrive it. The sales guy was my age (25-30) too so I think that helped.

The Mazda dealer i went to had only 3 speeds, which were 07's back in July. The sales woman couldnt drive a stick and never been for a ride in a speed 3.. Lets just say, we both enjoyed the test drive.

[jungleradio]

I drove the new EVO and STI.

car and driver's comparo (w/ the vw R32 as well) is spot on.

the only thing i want to add to that is how unimpressed i was with the STI's interior. if i had to choose between the EVO and STI, it would be the EVO based on an incredible performance tool. include the R32 in that list and I would easily choose the R32.

the speed3 isn't even in the same category, that's a fact.

[boosted3]

Tsssss, yeah.. I'm.... uhh.. gonna have to sort of disagree with your there...

[subparpunk03]

The R32 is a piece of junk. It may have nice fit and finish, but I was expecting more performance for the price.

[northmiler89]

I drove the new EVO and STI.

car and driver's comparo (w/ the vw R32 as well) is spot on.

the only thing i want to add to that is how unimpressed i was with the STI's interior. if i had to choose between the EVO and STI, it would be the EVO based on an incredible performance tool. include the R32 in that list and I would easily choose the R32.

the speed3 isn't even in the same category, that's a fact.

Agreed.. since it is almost half the price of a nicely equipted STI... or $20k cheaper...and i cant wait to find either of those cars- x, sti or r32 at a 40 or 50 roll and open up 3-4 cars...nevermind the highway (bump)

[mk_slayr]

for $35k you could be riding around town in a BMW 135. A twin turbo 6 with super gorgeous interior.

the evo and the sti are good cars, but cmon, you can get a MUCH nicer car for the same price. What made these cars great when they first came to the states was that they were much more affordable than most high performance cars.

Mitsu should bring back the VR-4. That car was awesome.

My next car is either a 135 or 335, for sure.

Wasn't the 3000gt over 30k new? I was trying to find an accurate price quickly but found a lot of stealth rt tt prices. I remember going to an auto show where the best import was a 95 (pretty sure) 3000gt convertible the guy had an original window sticker of over 60k and said that vr-4's were a few thousand more. Anyone remember how expensive they were, or how expensive the old galant vr-4's were?

-edit-
"a '95 VR-4 with the 320-horsepower V8 [didn't think they came with v-8s thought it was a 6?] and standard niceties like four-wheel steering -- has a take-home tag of $65,424, and even a "basic" hardtop VR-4 will set you back about $45,000."

I thought they were really overpriced but I couldn't remember. Used their a steal though, if you can find maintained one.

[swimman]

A 1999 Mitsu 3000 GT VR4 was around 45k. A 1991 was around 30K

[Donas64]

I drove the new EVO and STI.

car and driver's comparo (w/ the vw R32 as well) is spot on.

the only thing i want to add to that is how unimpressed i was with the STI's interior. if i had to choose between the EVO and STI, it would be the EVO based on an incredible performance tool. include the R32 in that list and I would easily choose the R32.

the speed3 isn't even in the same category, that's a fact.

If by not in the same class, you mean costs a boatload of cash less, then you'd be right.

But personally, I'd spend 29K (If I had it) and buy a Pontiac G8 GT. Not as nimble a handler but you get a nice interior, very comfy cabin, big boot, RWD, oh yeah, and a 361 HP V8 that would be iver 400hp with minor mods.

Look for a souped up manual trans version in showrooms soon.

[desperado-c]

for $35k you could be riding around town in a BMW 135. A twin turbo 6 with super gorgeous interior.

the evo and the sti are good cars, but cmon, you can get a MUCH nicer car for the same price. What made these cars great when they first came to the states was that they were much more affordable than most high performance cars.

....

My next car is either a 135 or 335, for sure.

I like the 135 too. If they'd bring over the hatch, I'd start saving my pennies right now. But if you want to compare it to the X/STi, it could only be as an all-arounder. It would undoubtedly have it's cute little baby Beemer behind handed to it in the performance shoot out.