I am considering EVO as my next car to replace Cobb stage2 WRX. For those who have made similar decision in the past, how has your experience been with the vehicle in terms of reliability, quality and performance? What is common weakness found on EVO compared to WRX or STi?

I believe I can get a stock 05 model for around $27500 out the door before tax and other fees. I would love to get a used MR, but they just cost too much.

Thanks in advance!

 

The STi has a stronger transmission, while the power levels can not be matched with the evo8 if the STi has the stock motor and turbocharger, etc.

The evo8 has a greater power potential and feels a bit more planted but has a weaker transmission. If you don't constantly launch your car at every traffic light then you should be ok. It really depends on your driving style and how hard your on the car. If you like to drag-race be ready to spend a good amount of money on a quality clutch.

Good luck on your decision and with 0% from mistu I would think its a no-brainer.

 

I came from a Cobb Stg 2.5 WRX ... No turning back man - there is no weakness - cept maybe for the gastank? .. Hmmmm - And you'll miss the familiar boxer rumble from the engine .... besides that - no turning back ...

 

well with the tranny thing, lets put it this way, I talked to Tim at AMS and they were running the Stock tranny w/ out any problems all last season in there 10 second shop car. The Evo tranny is VERY strong, if you know how to drive a AWD car you will be fine.

 

I hear a lot of people saying that EVO has relatively weak diffs. and tend to blow when launched aggressively. It's something I rarely hear from WRX/STi forum (broken tranny is common on 5sp). Beside weak tranny, diff, and clutch, anything else I need to be aware of?

Finally, is it worth getting EVO9 over EVO8?

 

If your not cranking out 600 hp on the stock diffs you'll have nothing to worry about, i launched the sh|t out of my last Evo (w/minor mods)all the time and never had a Tranny, T.Case, or Diff issue. Although with hard dumbass driving i did have to replace the clutch after 24k miles. So far i have 9500 miles on my MR with over 350hp and no problems. I would wait to check out the Evo 9, i would have waited but the MR was there and i had to take it!

 

There are some factory freaks that have strong transmissions, but most Evo's don't. The STi's drivetrain is pretty much bullet proof compared to the Evo drivetrain. Search this forum and look at all the complaints about Evo drivetrain problems. The Evo is still a top notch car, you just need to upgrade some of the parts just to be on the safe side. Oh and believe me, this is not opinion. I have had to upgrade mine already and it is pretty much stock as well as I don't drive mine very hard most of the time.

 

With the great financing options available I would say no. If you can afford to spend the extra money and time willingly to wait for mods, ecu reflashes, etc. then go ahead.

 

Lies, Lies, al lieessssss. J/K. Just dont beat the bloody hell out of a $30K car and it wont beat the hell out of your wallet. You will not regret making the move from boxer land to 4g63-ism. And as far as the evo 8 vs 9 thing, no one will know for sure until the car's been out for a while. Good luck!

 

The Diffs are fine .. its the TC that "seems " ... I like to blame the stupid drivers who dont know how to launch there car/drive awd and think its a fwd/rwd they can just bang the gears through ...

Its the same from the WRX/STi - if you abuse the drivetrain - it'll abuse your pocketbook .. Keep in mind Mitsubishi's warranty isnt so forgiving .... Or isnt there @ all in some cases ....

Besides that - tires wear quickly and are 238 a piece brand new from tirerack ... You can go for cheapie tires, something I would never do again I add ...

Good luck!

 

The worst thing about Mitsubishi is customer service and bad corporate image. The Evo is the only saving grace for them. I was lucky to get a good car that has not given me any problems so far but if you plan on driving the snot out of the car don't expect Mitsu to take care of you.

 

i made the same move that you are planning andd here is how i see it:

1) there is no comperison between the evo to my stage 4 wrx. the evo stock would kill my wrx in every aspect...
2) the evo never gave me problems but i also took good care of it. i drove it the way it was meant to be driven but i didn't launch at every stop light and i made sure to change drivetrain fluids frequantly.
3) i love the evo to death and it is the only car that i have ever owned that i truly miss.
4) chances are that i will never own another evo because of the company and not the car. it was amazing car but the company is just crap. i have never seen a company that treat their customer in such a bad way.
5) i have owned 4 subarus in the last 5 years and even though i think that the evo is a lot more fun than the sti, my next car will probably be an sti (unless the bastards finally bring over STI wagon or forester STI). i will give up alittle bit of handling and power potential to be with a company that treats me right. i have had nothing but good experiences with my subarus so to me that means alot.

but again, it is all up to you and what you value. i have many friends that will buy a car based on the company which is fine. i also have alot of friends who could care less who made the car because they will never step foot in a dealership. i like a little bit of both so i choose a fun car with a deccent company

 

I switched from a 2004 black sti to a 2003 evo 8. The cars are actually quite different so it kind of depends what you want. The sti was an awsome car if you just want a fast car out of the box that you are just going to drive. The reason that I got an evo is because I wanted more power in the future, and the sti takes way more work and money to make the power that a 4g63 can make. I think stock to stock, the sti is a nicer car. On the handling side, the evo steering is unbeatable, and I also like the fact that you can get leather and a sunroof. One more thing to keep in mind if you are going to buy a new evo is that Mitsubishi is having SERIOUS financial issues, which would concern me because of the warranty. They commited pretty serious corporate crimes in Japan, and frankly they don't seem to be very concerned about their customers. That is why I bought a used evo, because there is no reason to pay for a warranty that doesn't protect my car. Good luck with your choice

 

well said dsevo, i agree with everything you said the only thing to add is that the 05 sti is vvery different from the 04 sti. the steering and handling are much better in the 05 as well as the interior and wheel options. also keep in mind that the STI power is getting better by the day and most tuners are getting alot better with the platform. there are many high power sti's out there and it wil get better once tuners have fully cracked the car. the 4g63 has been with us for many many years so it is no suprise that there are tons of evo's out there that make great power with very little mods.

 

WRX to EVO, I'm happy with my purchase and never looked back. I know the EVO is much stronger than the WRX in every respect and I haven't had a single problem with the car. The dealership (MetroMitsubishi) is has treated me very well and taken care of all my tiny requests. Service greatly depends on the dealership you go to ...
The EVO has a stronger engine than the STi, its cheaper to mod for more power.....
The tranny on both EVO and STi are about the same .... in both cases I haven't heard of stripped gears, only broken axles ...
STi has more low end torque ....
EVO wins in the handling dept., hands down no contest ....
A few 03 EVOs had their Transfer Case go bad because the parts were incorrectly shimmed from the factory but that has been long fixed ....