Is the Evo easy to drive?
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Joined: May 2005
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From: Australia
Wow thanks for the replies guys. I appreciate the help! 
The reason i'm planning to get an Evo is because i want a bit more room and power. The S2000 is a very good car but it's a bit on the small side and there's not much room for anything else. The Evo also happens to be within my budget and i really dig the look of the Evo IX.
I don't intend to drive the car very fast everyday. Over the weekend where there's fewer cars i might push the car a bit, but most of the time i drive in busy streets at moderate speeds. Some cars are fast but very difficult to drive slowly. I want to find out if the Evo is such a car.
The reason i'm planning to get an Evo is because i want a bit more room and power. The S2000 is a very good car but it's a bit on the small side and there's not much room for anything else. The Evo also happens to be within my budget and i really dig the look of the Evo IX.
I don't intend to drive the car very fast everyday. Over the weekend where there's fewer cars i might push the car a bit, but most of the time i drive in busy streets at moderate speeds. Some cars are fast but very difficult to drive slowly. I want to find out if the Evo is such a car.
Thread Starter
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Joined: May 2005
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From: Australia
That's awesome! If the only problem is about self control from the driver then there should be no problems for me to drive it. Do Evos have any reliability issues with any mechanical parts?
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From: From Ohio, now in N. Virginia
Originally Posted by sodaz
That's awesome! If the only problem is about self control from the driver then there should be no problems for me to drive it. Do Evos have any reliability issues with any mechanical parts?
You can always check TSBs for the car to make sure...basically, there's not major problems like the LSD going out or anything like that. It's reliable. I can't think of any stock Evos with massive mechanical problems.
my friend with a new Mazda 3 has had more mechanical problems...his factory fuel pump keeps failing...this would drive me nuts.
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Joined: Jul 2005
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From: Indianapolis
I had an S2000 prior to the Evo, no problem with the change. Both have the ability to go fast, just depends whether or not you want to at the time. I flipped the S2000 on the highway end over end on the highway about 120ft and it's the only reason I got a new car as I had no intentions of doing so prior till then.
IMO, both cars are great and you can't go wrong either way. I do miss the drop-top though, in particular in the Fall/Spring. +'s and -'s to both.
Edit: Like the other mentioned above, the shifting on the S2000 is hands down smoother, quicker, and overall better IMO. Loved the short shifts and how you could just slam it between the gears. Do that with this car and you might have problems down the road. Makes a loud bang when you do it, probably not good, so don't recommend doing it.
IMO, both cars are great and you can't go wrong either way. I do miss the drop-top though, in particular in the Fall/Spring. +'s and -'s to both.
Edit: Like the other mentioned above, the shifting on the S2000 is hands down smoother, quicker, and overall better IMO. Loved the short shifts and how you could just slam it between the gears. Do that with this car and you might have problems down the road. Makes a loud bang when you do it, probably not good, so don't recommend doing it.
Last edited by INCaneFan; Oct 26, 2005 at 08:10 AM.
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From: Frederick, Maryland
Originally Posted by SLO4DR
whether or not the car is easy to drive depends on your level of driving ability and level of car control.
it's an easy car to drive at the speed limit. I know lots of dumb kids who crash Evo's because they push beyond their driving abilities, driving too fast on the street.
The Evo's quick steering is great; but a typical novice mistake is too over-correct if the car gets a little loose. Over-correcting with an Evo is a sure way to crash.
If you have never driven a car on an autocross course, never driven a car on a road course, never driven a car with more than 300hp, than yes, you should be a little concerned.
But if you are a responsible driver, and don't push the car hard you should be fine.
BTW: don't buy an Evo just so you can sit in heavy traffic, you can do that with a Honda Civic, it's a lot cheaper. Evo's are designed to be raced.
BTW#2: you drive a torqueless S2000 and you are worried about turbo lag? You are hilarious. An Evo has a much broader powerband than a S2000.
it's an easy car to drive at the speed limit. I know lots of dumb kids who crash Evo's because they push beyond their driving abilities, driving too fast on the street.
The Evo's quick steering is great; but a typical novice mistake is too over-correct if the car gets a little loose. Over-correcting with an Evo is a sure way to crash.
If you have never driven a car on an autocross course, never driven a car on a road course, never driven a car with more than 300hp, than yes, you should be a little concerned.
But if you are a responsible driver, and don't push the car hard you should be fine.
BTW: don't buy an Evo just so you can sit in heavy traffic, you can do that with a Honda Civic, it's a lot cheaper. Evo's are designed to be raced.
BTW#2: you drive a torqueless S2000 and you are worried about turbo lag? You are hilarious. An Evo has a much broader powerband than a S2000.
The Evo definitely isn't a car for a novice driver. It's like a wild animal. If you can control it, great, but turn your back on it, and it WILL bite.
I would say anyone can drive this car steering wise, but shifting takes some practice.
The shifting at high rpms is tricky at first, you might miss a gear.
The clutch is very grabby and is on a high release so its easy to make an easy smoothe shift
You wont feel turbo lag if you gradually floor through 2500rpms(IMO the turbo sounds the best spooled up gradually) only when your rpms are at 1k and put your foot completly to the ground fast you'll feel turbo lag or driving low rpms in 4th and 5th gear
The gear box feels just perfect...not too stiff not to feathery.
The shifting at high rpms is tricky at first, you might miss a gear.
The clutch is very grabby and is on a high release so its easy to make an easy smoothe shift
You wont feel turbo lag if you gradually floor through 2500rpms(IMO the turbo sounds the best spooled up gradually) only when your rpms are at 1k and put your foot completly to the ground fast you'll feel turbo lag or driving low rpms in 4th and 5th gear
The gear box feels just perfect...not too stiff not to feathery.
Like what andrews (hobiekopek) sig says "ahhh V-TEC...all the lag none of a turbo, its like waiting for bad sex"...a turbo is not much different than the s2000 when it comes to building power at certain rpms. Im sure you stayed out of v-tec when it came to city driving...just keep out of boost (which is lower rpms then hondas v-tec) and you should be fine.
by the way...max boost on stock 16g is 20.71 PSI at 3000 rpms..just shift below that...you will be gettin the torque of a regular 2.0 DOHC with a little help from the turbo...
