What do you all think the lifespan of this car would be with regards to total miles? I'm considering driving this for work and I average sometimes 100+ miles a day. I've got a 97 jetta vr6 with 160,000 miles on it and it runs like a top, and I haven't grandma'd it either, nor have I beaten the tar out of it, just spirited driving overall. So do you all think the EVO would have a prayer of making that far even?

 

So far, so good.


Seriously, this car doesn't feel quite as "solid" as the Celica ST165 it replaced, but I got 15 years out of the AllTrac.

The longevity of a car - Yugo, Mitsu, or Ferrari - depends entirely on the quality of the service. (And good rust-proofing -- if the unibody rots, the service doesn't help.)

After 15 years, I could no longer get competent service on the Celica. My independently serviced Alfa is going on 25, and still going strong.

How good is your local Mitsu shop?

 

I have a '00 A4 and while the evo's interior and fit and finish isn't up to Audi standards, it seems to be pretty well screwed together. The suspension is very stiff and the car doesn't have any rattles yet. Anyway, you better enjoy your VR6 while you can, those motors have a service life of around 160-170k miles (VW runs them pretty hot). Get ready for some lost compression before too much longer That said, the VR6, when uncorked, has an induction/exhaust note right up there with Ferrari, etc...

 

When you still have Evo I and II rally cars running around, the car has to be pretty durable. Resale value sucks, but the integrity of the car is pretty good. I imagine only the rattles and squeaks will ever be an issue.

 

I'm thinking more along the lines of engine/drive train issues. I'm pretty much prepared for rusting being that I live in the snow belt.

 

I think the engine and drivetrain (except for the wearable parts like the clutch and synchros) will be fine. If you do mods, stay within safe parameters and the 4G63 should last a long time. If you want to really find out, go to a DSM board and ask some of the guys with 10-year old + DSMs...

 

There's a thread here somewhere (do a search) where someone asked people from countries that have had previous generations how durable the cars have been. The overwhelming consensus was that they are solid and last forever.

--Josh

 

I agree - I'm not from rust country, so I figure my body will be fine. The engine seems to be put together solidly, and it is chocked full of some of the best parts you can buy. I like doing my own maintenance and everything I took apart went back together with less fuss than my prelude, so I'm a happy camper. Hopefully I'll be driving it 10 yrs down the road, but I'm sure the suspension is going to cause rattles later on.

 

FWIW: I got 180K of hard miles out of my '90 GSX. I'd feel confident that a well taken care of 4G63 can turn 200K.

 

i doubt many will ever survive 100k if you've had "fun" with it the previous 99k

 

Even if you drive it untill the Engine dies, you can always have a JDM replacment put in it for a couple grand, then keep going.

 

If you get unlucky, you could suffer blown transfer cases and clutches at ridiculously low mileage, like I did at 11K, I would never want to be driving this car 100 miles a day. my interior vibrates everywhere.

 

There's always a chance your call will fall apart at 10k miles. Cars are rather complicated...

Really, though, if you maintain the car well (oil, diff, tranny fluids, belts, hoses, tires, etc), don't beat the living snot out of it (i.e. no 5000 RPM launches), and keep it clean and waxed, it'll last a long time. Maybe not 150,000 miles, but certainly 75-100k. Also, not all miles are equal - driving 50 miles on the highway to work isn't nearly as bad as doing 10 miles of stop-and-go errand running.

 

I've had a total of 3 4G63's. A 99, a 97, and a 90 and each had at least 60k miles...my 90 had 141k when i sold it. It did have a new turbo though. The shortblock was untouched. Original tranny too, but two clutches, a radiator, turbo, and all of the hoses were changed.

 

In my opinion, id buy a civic with a 100k on the clock for a few grand and use that as a daily driver. Maintence is virtually nothing, no premium required, better milage, and the insurance is a joke compared to an evo. Just the fact that you have to change tires, do oil changes with synthetic, get 20mpg on a good day, change clutches etc would have me buying an old civic or something. I dont own an evo, I do plan on buying one later this summer, but I bought a TSX as my daily driver instead of my eclipse's. Just a thought.