Hi, I am seriously considering an Evo for purchase (leftover 2003, or 2004 new or used) but am concerned that it won't be particularly reliable, especially in the areas related to the clutch and the 19.5 psi of boost. What do you all think? I previously owned a 1987 Starion and had lots of electrical problems with it although the turbo and clutch were fine beyond 130K miles (when I got rid of it). I hear about the 2003 clutch being bad for a significant percentage of the forum members. (Question 1) Is it better on the 2004? (Question 2) Also, with such a high maximum boost pressure, should we be concerned with the longevity of the turbo or other engine components? Will it last me 100K+ miles before I have to change out some components?

I'm also considering the Infiniti G35 Coupe 6MT. Surprised I'm considering a car of such a different class? Well, I am 35 years old now and don't know if I want my kidneys bouncing around like a basketball anymore. I am the current owner of a stiffly sprung 1995 Acura Integra GSR with 152K+ miles (and still going strong but will probably readjust my Koni shocks)...if it's not obvious yet, I do care about the quality and longevity of cars. I know about Evo's reliability record in Rally racing but does that translate necessarily into long-term consumer car reliability?

Thanks for your help,
Young

 

How reliable you car is, is how you take care of it and how your drive it. The car was built to run on 19Psi. You cant compare a 1987 to a 2003 in terms of reliability just for 1 simple fact that technology has come a far far way since then and stuff these days are made different. I have a EVO and i love it to death, i blew a clutch at 2500 miles and i didnt care cause it was me who tore it up, not the car. Buy a EVO and treat it like its your last car u will ever have and you wont have any problems.

 

or worst case scenario, buy a infinite g35 coupe, then have a EVO hand you your ***. Then decide which you should have gotten.

 

Get the G35. If I had it to do all over again thats what I would get. Not because of a performance aspect, because the EVO hands down is a better car in that respect, simple because Infinity takes care of it's customers SOOOO much better then Mitsu.

 

That's funny...even with all the prefacing I still get that response . I know the Evo will hand me my *** IF I get the G35. I know the pros for the evo:
(1) Faster from standstill
(2) More tossable
(3) Better winter usability in the snow belt states
(4) Four doors for future children
(5) A little less expensive

And yes, you are correct about the 87 not being a fair comparison, although I have yet to find any reliability records on this low volume car (JD Power, Consumer Reports, etc.) or even good, detailed information on the regular Lancer for that matter.

But the unbiased also knows the pros of the G35 which I won't even go into (the previous post mentions a good one)...It's a different class of car, more like a "Grand Touring" car versus a "Sports Car".

Why would I want to do that? Believe me, towards the latter years of my 87 Starion, I did baby it thinking that if I sneezed something else would go wrong...I always made sure that I cooled the turbo before turning her off, never turned on too many electronics at once, never overdid it with keeping her on boost, etc... I'm not comparing the 87, I'm just saying that I don't want to baby my "sports car"...if I can't drop the clutch at 4K+ RPM because I'm afraid of frying it, what's the point? BTW, I've never ever had to replace any of my clutches, even with all those miles... Life is too short to be worrying or stressed about breaking your car.

I want to buy the slightly less expensive Evo even though my wife hates the "ridiculous wing" (I like it). Can you reassure me that it's a car that will give me miles of quality? Maybe if I swap out the clutch for a more suitable performance-oriented one (adding another $1500), will I then have a reliable car?

 

You're in luck, because im definitely in the mood to speak on this topic. My car has 17k miles on it now and I've had it for almost a year. Before I bought it I looked into the 350z seriously and the STI. I never did get to test drive the EVO and it was my first manual transmission car but the feel of this car is so unique. The shifter is direct, the motor is extremely lively and practically bullet proof, this car is in no ways similar to previous Mitsu/DSM turbo cars. The transmission shifts butter smooth after break in and the power is incredible, moreso with slight modification. The seats are the perfect mix of race and street design, the shifters throws are short and direct, the throttle response is great while the fuel mileage is in line with teh best in its class.

Now to the down points. At 17K, today I just learned that my clutch is about to go. A few launches and a good deal of spirited driving on my first manual transmission car might have helped that along but as far as aftermarket replacement you're more then covered. My Front brake pads wore out at 13,500 and my rears are gone at 17K, so as far as true wear items be prepared if you're going to drive this car enthusiastically. After having gotten this news I was down overall and drove by a Honda dealership on the way back after picking it up. Took out a 2004 S2000 6spd and felt the car out totally. Power wise no comparision, less practical overall and not nearly as comfortable. Not quite as special either. I've driven a new Mazda RX-8 and felt that car out pretty well, also had an oppurtunity to test out the STI.

In the end, after a long day like today and having been given a pretty attractive proposal on that S2000 I still can't see myself trading it. It has its problems as ALL cars do although what matters most will not change, it has the strongest motor internally in its class with a proven drivetrain, best braking in its class and best overall handling. If you're on the fence wait for the EVO MR in 2005, if not make the one decision you won't regret and pick up an EVO.

 

another pro to the EVO is insurance! 4 door sedan listed, much cheaper. I pay $99 bucks a month and i am 23 years old.

 

MMmm G35 coupe.... MMmmmmm.

 

Any car will only last as long as how good you treat it. It is obvious you think the EVO may be a little too uncivilized when comparing it to a G35, although almost any car is civilized compared to the EVO. The reliability of the clutch and drivetrain will be fine if you don't plan on launching the car hard day in and out. It also sounds like driving a manual won't be new to you either so the syncros should enjoy your driving.

If you find the suspension to be too hard just change to a softer touring tire. The Advan's that come stock are an awesome tire and match the car in terms of performance, although for ride they are a joke. When I put on my snow tires I couldn't believe how tame the car was...its almost like switching the suspension from full stiff to medium or so. It made drivability much better.

Just because your 35 doesn't mean you still cannot have fun, and if it is the 4 doors that bother you, most of the time you won't even know that they exist. If you want a little more pleasing of an interior then you may want the Infiniti, but obvisouly your performance minded and these things are not the first reason you would buy a car. Don'te let these forums get to you...there are MANY EVO drivers that do not have any problems, and if it helps the 04' models come with a longer warranty...so that may make the 04' model a selling point for you. I don't think there are enough 04' models out to claim if they have improved on anything.

Hopefully this helps your decison. Always a pleasure to help out someone who wants to buy an EVO.

 

If you want the best performance car for the money with whole lot of history buy the EVO
if not buy the G35 ......

 

Man, you guys must think I'm old. That's OK, I'm pretty young at heart when it comes to cars. I personally loved the S2000 and STI when I recently test drove them... they were true "Sports Cars", and I'm sure I'll feel the same way when I get around to test driving an Evo which will be more practical for me than either of the those cars.

So that's it huh? Pop in a new beefy aftermarket clutch and I'll be good to go? Not an unreasonable solution, I guess. Also, Car and Driver said that the Evo was "turbocharged to within an inch of its life with a maximum of 19.5 pounds of boost". Hope that really was a joke with no grain of truth to it.

 

that last comment on the turbo is a crock, alot of people get 23 lbs out of the turbo with out problem some say the internals are good for about 25lb but you better tune it good and then only race fuel for safety . look around this motor combination is tested and true.

 

Cool. I'm going to campaign my wife for the Evo. It looks like I can even get a used 2003 Evo with less than 1K miles for $25.5K. And it seems like the ACT or UR clutches have great performance and are a great deal for less than $1000 installed? (Are those among the best bang for buck choices?) That'll be SO much cheaper than the G35.

 

I didn't take you as getting too old! I take yuo as becoming more refined and upgrading from the Integra to an EVO will make you feel like a kid again. You will not regret your purchase. About the clutch, I say wait until it goes and then worry about it. Don't replace it until it breaks, if you found a car with those low of miles for that price you may have a winner.

As far as being "maxed out", no way. Just take a quick look at BuschurRacing's staged mods and what they got out of their shop EVO. You will see real quick that there is still many ways to improve on the already great stock EVO platform. Every magazine or source has to try hard to find CONS about a car, and in my opinion a car running stock on 19lbs a boost must tell you about how good Mitsubishi feels about their product.

 

The resale on the g35 should be better but that would be the only plus for me if I were weighing options. You say you haven't driven an EVO, I say you haven't driven your next car then. These cars are completley bad A. I think of the clutch the same way I think of brakes and tires ie. expendable parts. My wife hates the wing too but loves to drive the car anyway. I think it is a great thing to wiggle in the faces of Camero drivers (will I ever grow up..hope not), being large they can see it for a longer time as I pull away from them.