well, i've been reading up on alot of stuff about the evolution lately, and really im looking for just an everyday driver - no huge mod ideas but the basic rims / exhaust / maybe BoV

wondering if Evo is the right place to be? i want a used one with no mods at all, pretty much like the overall looks and feel of the evo, and i don't race often enough to actually try to supe it up a whole lot, trying to make my final choice. people tell me SRT4 is the best bang for the buck, but i dont like FWD, and i don't like neons/dodge period. and i know, i should deside on a car that i would enjoy and not something other people tell me to get. thats why im here

prolly looking at an 03/04 evo from 10k - 40k miles.

for an everyday driver, will the evo last a long time?


and i've also read that some mods require a tune, and sadly i have no idea how to do that. can someone explain to me on what/how to tune, like say i put on new exhaust system - how would i tune it?

and does a BoV need tune?



sorry for all the newb question's, but i have to start somewhere. i've been into car's my whole life, but the evo really didnt spark my attention untill a few months ago. so any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Instead of apologizing, go search for your questions, read all of the info, then come back with more informed, specific questions. Knowing what "tuning" consists of is one of the most basic and elementary things there is. Also, rims are definitely not considered a basic mod. They are VERY expensive. Lastly, a BOV will not be on your list after you do your research.

The Evo is not a great daily driver, and no, it probably won't last a long time. There is one with over 100k miles that is moderately modded and gets driven lots of miles everyday, but that is not the norm.

 

An Evo would be a good daily driver if:

- money is not a concern for you (understanding that some older Evos do not have any problems while others have numerous problem. I guess it depends on your luck)

- you would not mind additional attention

- you have some basic knowledge on how to take care of a turbo car

- and of course, you are a car enthusaist

I understand that at this moment, you said you would not race the car, but after a while, I would suggest you to attend at least 1 track day with the Evo, so you can learn and improve your driving skills and the "feeling" of how well you can control your car.

As of the BOV question, you better read up more and use the search feature to answer this question or this post will turn into another arguing thread.

 

EVO's makes a great everyday driver.....although it can get somewhat expensive to maintain, and as you may soon find out, modding becomes addicting. If you want an EVO your best bet is to do all or most of the maintenace/modding yourself and use other EVO owners and forums such as this one as a resource and for guidance.
In regards to your other questions, the EVO has a recirculating BOVbecause it uses an Air Flow Meter, and unless you have an aftermarket intake you really dont hear it....an aftermarket intake without your car being tuned is actually detrimental to the cars performance. Tuning can be as simple as getting a mail in flash(tuner tunes your ECU and sends it back) Your best bet is to ask around some more, maybe go to an EVO meet and search more about the mods that you want to do to your car. And dont rule out getting a car that already has been modded...There are many people on this site who love their EVO's and have taken very good care of them and for one reason or another have to part with them.

Good Luck!!!
P.S. Best mods in most peoples opinion include Turbo-back exhaust, boost controller/Gauge, and a tune.

 

Hey man. If you are in Huntsville, AL look up Victor Brant(I think that is his real name). He works for Mitsu and drives a Blue Evo7. He call tell you all about the Evo and how to modify em.
But from your first post, I think you are better suited with an RX8 or something NA as they are cheaper to maintain.

 

Judging by some of your questions I have a feeling that this car will not meet some of your criteria.

DAILY DRIVER: I have driven ALOT of cars, and in my humble opinion, the Evo is not a very good daily driver. It is hard and loud and sucks gas like a V8. I have several cars myself and they often remind me how harsh the Evo is. It sounds like a meat grinder at times. And make no mistake, the more mods you put on it is the louder and cruder the car will get. Your best bet is to test drive one back to back with a VW GTI, or a BMW 3 series to see just how much you are giving up in terms of quiet, smoothe, luxury.

Unless you like loud and harsh, if you do get one keep it as stock as possible. K&N drop in filter and a base flash. (maybe a cat back if you want a little rumble). If you want to swap out the BOV - just get a JDM MR BOV. Anything else than a fully recirculating valve like this and the neighbors will hear you coming 2 blocks away. None of the above needs any tuning.

Reliability is hit and miss. Most Evo's run great, but we have heard alot of complaints on here about clutches dying, and a string of misfire codes and check enging lights. This car needs regular maintainence with expensive synthetic oil.

With a turbo back exhaust, and HKS intake, my car is almost unbarably loud at highway speeds over 70 mph. It also has no cruise control.

That being said - the beauty of this car is the ability to tune it easily to make mad power. I autocross my car very often, so that is just fine with me.

The car is a strong runner that is alot of fun and livable if you can keep it quiet. If you decide its the car for you, you can PM me and I will tell you more on what you might want to mod, and what the effects will be.

Another strong contender for a daily driver in my books is the Pontiac GTO. You can get a used one for low 20's the same as an Evo.

 

I own both a 2005 EVO VIII and a SRT-4, both are good cars and fun to drive (pricewise the SRT-4 costs a lot less and has some features the EVO doesn't).

Dave

 

SRT-4 is a great car for the price but i rather get an 06 WRX. so what's SRT-4 have that Evo doesn't?? like Front wheel drive, slow *** car, sound like a*s*s, american made car that try to compete with japanese cars?? :-) SRT-4 is a boys car, but Evo is a man car.

 

hey

this was one of my concerns prior to getting into an evo and I've got to say that i haven't regretted one minute of it...the evo is rough and eats up gas and maintenance is definitely another green burner...however, i haven't driven anything as reponsive as this evo - w/ the stock brakes and precise steering alone, there's no other car out there i'd feel safer in...

 

The Evo will be an expensive daily driver. I've had no problems with my evo with over 30K miles on it, but the maintenance/gas/insurance is expensive. For a good low cost reliable daily driver, buy an rsx-s or even better yet, the new civic si instead.

However, if you can afford the high insurance and maintenance of the evo, it is an extrememly rewarding car to drive fast.

 

What expensive maintenance is there? Oil changes?

 

A search would provide more answers, but here's a quick summary:
1) Tire rotations every 5K
2) Most likely need an alignment twice a year (if you are like me)
3) Driveline fluids every 15K (sometimes less depending on your driving)
4) Oil changes are fully synthetic, plus you shouldn't stretch past every 3K
5) Basic modding gets expensive too. A few toys and you're adding in an average of $50-$100 per month...
6) The list goes on if you have one of the aforementioned "cars with maintenance problems" (i.e. clutch dying)

 

Don't forget advans need replacing often, and they are some of the most expensive tires you can buy. Factory brakes wear out fast too, fortunately, you can swap in better/cheaper pads if you do it yourself.

One of the car mags summed up the maintenance expenses. It came out to about 300$ a month. That sounds about right if you drive the evo the way it was meant to be driven.

 

I wouldn't just take what some magazine says and take it as the absolute truth. I have put 11,000 miles on my 05 Evo and the only thing I have had to pay for is oil changes. I have also done 11 autocrosses and 8 track days. The oil change would even be free but I like to do them myself. I finally killed my stock brake pads at a track day, otherwise they would be fine. 30$ a month isn't exactly killer. Mobil 1 is 25$ at WalMart and a Mitsu Oil Filter is 5-6$. I also changed my tranny fluid, that was a whopping 18$ and 5 minutes of my time.

Not sure where they get these figures from.

 

My EVO and I have only been together a short while, so I only have one oil change under my belt. Modding is addictive. I'm at 1500 miles and I've already spent more money on mods than gas. It works well as a daily driver for me because I work less than 3 miles from home. The rest of the time, the EVO is my toy.

If you do a lot of driving and want a car in the same price range, less maintenance, and comfortable, check out a used G35 coupe or something along those lines. But, if you don't mind the expense of maintaining and minor inconveniences of the EVO, go for it.

OH, and definatly find an EVO meet in your area. I learned more at my first meet than all the time I've spend on the site. Seeing it first hand and talking to people while seeing exactly what they are talking about is very helpful.