I was wondering about this for a while. I see EVO (and other like this one - STi included) like cars as something built on the top of the mid size sedans and that comes from the sized of the interior and exterior. They do come with a lot of fancy little things and lots pf power. 4 door sedan, AWD, turbo charged engine, racing based suspension and very stiff chassis.

So, from the size point of view, it goes with the cars that regular Lancer is after as well. All of those cars can transport 4 or 5 passengers around, get the groceries and other things around the house. Great commuter cars!

From the price point of view, it goes against very nice cars like 350Z, BMW Series 3, Audi A4, G35, Z4 and bunch of others. All of those cars are way more luxury looking (inside and out) than any of those EVO like ones. When you sit in the 330i, you know that you sat in the $30k car and there is no doubt about it.

Now, those EVO like cars really belong in its own class, I guess. Performances are mostly unmatched from the anything that is above and often have much more expensive car to be compared at. Just remember the test between the EVO 7 and the E46 M3, where EVO dominated. So, they have parts of both from the above, but it is hard to compare to either of them.

Finally, the question....what is your reason for buying an EVO like car and not buying something else?

Thanks!

Fedja

 

That pretty much says it all. My wife and I just recently returned an S4 lease and just picked up an X5 so I get my luxury there. The Evo is for kicks and I can take it to a track and have alot of fun unlike a Porsche or Ferrari where I'd have to tape it all up and constantly be worried.

 

Personally...

I've owned a lot of the alternatives.

I owned a 2000 BMW 328i. Great all around car. Amazing fit and finish. Amazing handling. Just didn't have the power I wanted in a car.

At the same time that I owned the 328i, I bought a 225hp Audi TT coupe. More power than the BMW, certainly felt a lot faster with the turbo. Great design, great form factor. AWD was damn nice in the winter. Decently sporty, but just way too heavy. Understeered like a pig around the track... I'd have to throw the car around the track (using trailing throttle oversteer and lift-off oversteer to get the rear end to come around) which was certainly hard on the tires. Plus the cargo space was good, but the ability to carry four people in a pinch is good to have in my book (for a street car).

Sold both the BMW and the Audi and upgraded to an e46 M3 when they came out. Amazing car. BMW quality and luxury combined with an amazing engine and over-the-top styling. But in the grand scheme of things, a few lifestyle changes came along and the cost for the car just wasn't worth it for me.

So I sold the e46 M3 and bought a 1995 e36 M3 to turn into a full-on race car. Plus bought a beater (a 1987 5-series) to be my daily driver.

Now, a year-and-a-half later, I'm ready to get another "street" car.

I've been interested in the Evo for a long time.

Been a longtime fan of WRC. Watched some of the dominance there firsthand. Of course, the various Grand Turismo games didn't hurt either.

My main qualifications for buying a new street car:

- had to be sporty. Not looking for luxury here.
- AWD certainly a plus
- ability to seat four in a pinch a plus
- turbocharger a big big plus (easy upgrade path)
- four doors nice but not a necessity
- price point under $40k a must. Under $30k even better.

The Evolution came along at the exact right time.

I was considering the following:
- BMW 330i coupe or sedan
- Nissan 350Z
- Subaru WRX
- VW Jetta / Golf
- Audi TT
- Audi A4
- Mazda 6S
- Nissan Sentra SE-R
- Toyota Supra (used)
- Mazda Rx-7 (used)
- Mitsu Eclipse (used)

Short summary to a long answer - the Evolution has everything I'm looking for. A turbocharged AWD "sports car" with four door and four seats, with an easy upgrade path, under $30k.

 

My reason to buy an evo is pretty simple. I am only 19 and I know most people will flame me and say its to much of a car for me, and it may be in the beginning, but obviously here are my reasons.

1. I can either buy a new car or spend money on decking my current lancer that i have already paid off on my own. $$ would be just as high if i bought an evo so i figured i want to get my money back if i sell my car.

2. My mothers neighbors go to the race track, and want to take me so I would rather race with an evo that has AWD than a front wheel drive lancer.

3. It would be impressive to see a person at my age acheive a car and be able to pay it off.

4. Its the only actual speedy and performance car that i can take 4 other friends around in and be able travel with it.

5. I am not a fan of the WRX or STi.

6. I think i ran out of reasons at the moment.

7. Oh and to race my moms Corvette, my neighbors Z06, and my fathers sl600. Of course I would still lose but it would be a better shot than my lancer.

 

I can't wait to learn the art of AWD drifting . Yes I'm only 20 but have driven quite a few different cars so far and am almost always the driver in the group. Just becuase your young doesn't mean you can't handle a car thats better then a civic. Its all about practice and keeping the car in control.

 

Amen.... Hopefully after I recieve my car if i can attain one. I am going to take some defensive driving and stunt driving so i can learn to control my car. Last thing we need is someone who gets a car with a lot of power and kills or hurts themself or others. have fun but be intelligent about it.

 

Don't count on losing so quickly... you'll be suprised.

 

Why I would like an EVO...

- I can't drive a Grand Cherokee like a Rally Car.

- Hearing my nine year old daughter call out " 3 left! Slippy right!".

- I need to shave a few minutes off of the time it takes me to get my kids to school.

- So passengers who ride with me will stop saying " What the @#$% are you doing? That's how you roll one of these..."

- Very, very bored with SUVs.

 

Me?

Well, I've had sports cars all my life.... however, they are ultra-unpractical where I live... (Wisconsin). The weather up here is less than rear-wheel drive friendly and there is a possibility of snow 9 months out of the year. So, being a performance car lover, I wanted something that works well in the snow, while still giving me the performance that I want.

An AWD race car is exactly what the doctor recommended. I've checked out the Scooby's pretty throughly and have come to the conclusion that they're cheap and not that well put together. Now looking at Mitsubishi's, I'm finding that the quality is on par with something like BMW or whatnot, just without the Luxury. (We're talking about fit and finish, and reliability here).

For me, there's nothing else that can fit into what I'm looking for.

Evo is for me.

 

 

Well it goes without saying that the technical and practical reasons, in my opinion, make it worth owning cars such as these. I want the car because of pretty much one reason.

Have you ever fallen in love with something but you couldn't quite get anyone you know to understand why? That's my reason.

 

Love sports cars + love to autox + have a baby on the way = Evo (or STi)

 

I can tell you aside from your age..I won't base my reasoning on that as I was your age once, because at your age I owned a 7.5 litre Buick that had enough torque to yank out a tree. However hindsight tells me that my car was too much for me.

IMO you should use your current Lancer to go to the track because a car like an EVO can and will get you in trouble faster than you can read this. Especially on the racetrack. I'm assuming you meant road race track and not the drag strip. The reason I say what I do is ANY driving instructor will tell you that it is easier to go FASTER in a low horsepower car than it is in a high horsepower car. For example, my co-worker has a 88 Honda Civic DX that has coilovers, TSW 15x7 wheels and 205/50ZR15's, strut bar and tokico's all the way around. Mind you any import guy knows a DX has as much power as a lawn mower. Haa! However, the thing corners like it's on rails and stops equally as well. Anyway, he can keep up with most anyone in cars that have twice the power and after graduating from the Honda he's up grading to a much faster BMW that he'll be prepared to handle. Just as you would. Trust me...my Talon has probably 240hp if I'm lucky and it scared the hell outta me with how quickly the corner came up. Especially, when a professional driver is behind the wheel and has the street tires howling. You haven't lived until you've been above 120 and the instructor says brake at the 400 mark and your not even close to it. Oh I forgot to mention that was at Watkins Glen with all that nice BIG BLUE ARMCO just waiting to put a stripe down your car.

Well, if you do buy one enjoy it for the reasons that you stated, but think how cool it is that the car can be so civil and get great mileage and at a moments notice can be a rip snorting beast guzzling gas faster than you can imagine. Haa!

 

remember a lot of the formula 1 drivers are only 18 or 20, age doesn't have anything to do with car control its mostly experience.

 

All Wheel Drive. 'nuff said.