Yeah, my RSX Type S has this weird **** on 3rd gear where the clutch sometimes pops out. I've taken it to the dealer and they dont' knowa nd tried to blame it on my AEM cold air intake saying the linkage hits the intake and I notice a lot of dudes have the same prob. So all of us Honda/Acura owners have our probs too.....

 

what he said

 

Are the Japanese spec cars built any better than the ones in the US? I know some German manufacturers would de-tune some of their cars before shipping them over to the US. Reliabilty was the same but not performance. Did the Japanese keep the car the same or did they use better quality parts on the cars over there that will last longer?

 

If your worried about reliabilty and like modding, Id say stop modding. The more you mod a car the more unreliable it is.

 

I'd have to agree with the other posters; buy it and leave it pretty much stock. It's ok to drive it hard, but don't abuse it.

Also don't skimp on any of the maintenance. Ever. Preventative maintenance is usually the single biggest factor in a cars longevity. Performance cars are extra picky about being maintained.

Remember to keep saving for new tires - 6K miles already with a few track days and I figure mine will make it another 2 or 3 months.

 

The shift linkeage does hit the CAI's on the rsx-s.... its sucks... you must change the EVO clutch before 10k miles... I dont drive my car THAT hard, but I dont drive like a girl either...4000... need new clutch... be prepared for it, but its worth it

-Shahul

 

I don't think you can go wrong with the EVO! If you can afford it, then go for it!

 

If you need a new clutch at 4000 miles, then you obviously are abusing your car too much, or you don't know how to properly drive an AWD car.. That's pretty sad dude..

 

Jonasan50 can you explain what is the proper way to drive an AWD car. I am in the same predicament as tararan with making a decision but the clutch is what concerns me the most. I have never owned a manual tranny car but have a good amount of experience with manual cars but not with AWD cars.

 

Strong Island....thats so gay....lol

I live on Long Island too :P

How much abuse does the block hold up to? What about the internals? That HKS turbo upgrade supposedly allows you to get 500+ AWHP but will the internals hold up to this kind of power or will you be towing your car home? Also, how much could you safely run with 92 octane? Thats the highest grade around my area.

The reliablity issue is really what concerns me before I get this car as well, but I also want to be able to mod it to my preference...what a pickle...

 

If you're on a tight budget, you should look at your all-in cost, including insurance, maintenance, gas, and repairs. The Evo has a relatively high maintenance cost since you have to replace the tires every 10k miles (roughly $700) and you have to bring it in for service every 5k miles if you want Mitsubishi to honor the warranty. Historically, Mitsubishi cars have low reliability and lots of repairs.

 

I have about 1200 miles on mine. No problems so far.

I plan to stay completely stock to keep my warranty in tact, change the oil at the factory intervals and have fun but be nice to the car and take care of it.

I do plan to get a second set of wheels and a 2nd set of cheaper all-season tires for winter. That way I can put the factory ADVANS on the new wheels and run the all-season tires on the Enkei's. For winter I'll use the Enkei/all-season tires. For inspections I'll use the Enkei/all seasons...that way I can run the ADVANs to the cords all summer long.

So far I love the car and I like it being a unique vehicle so don't get one.

 

Well it's not something that can really be explained by letters.. You have to remember that when you drive an AWD car, you are pushing, and pulling at the same time... You have to just barely slip the clutch at low speeds in order to get a clean start (without bogging), and yet you can't slip it too much either.. Because you will burn up the clutch.. Also, take note that AWD cars really are NOT meant for dropping the clutch.. Say goodbye to the Clutch in that aspect.. So if you want to play, you gotta pay.. That's what I mean in my other posts about taking care of your car.. It's not meant to be dropped like that... No AWD car is... So, sorry to disappoint some of you on the boards, but that is the absolute truth... Treat the car nice and it'll be just fine for however long you own it.. This of course does not mean that you can't drive hard in no way... Just be smart about how you do it...

 

After 2 years of shopping for a car, I finally bought a Rally Red EVO with no sunroof.

It wasn't supposed to go down like this. The two cars I was cross-shopping were the RX8 and the S2000. I always placed a lot of emphasis on handling, agility, "feel" over straightline acceleration. I knew about the EVO for about three years from a British guy I used to work with who raved about it (but would never buy it since he put a lot of emphasis on the "badge"). After testing the regular WRX (which didn't impress me much as I actually preferred the RSX-S and Celica GTS), I didn't expect the EVO to offer a completely different experience. However, I was a bit intrigued after reading several reviews and when I got an email from a local dealer asking me for a test drive, I couldn't resist!

The car blew me away. We all know about the acceleration, but I loved how the boost just came in strong around 3,500 RPM, talk about visceral! The powerband and gearing were matched so well, I couldn't stop grinning. The handling and steering were awe-inspiring. I even liked the looks too! The only car that came close to this was a used ITR, I drove all out. I ended up test-driving it again the same day and back-back with an S2000 and a 350Z. I really did not car for the 350Z except for its looks. The S2000 was great, but I just couldn't see paying more for less performance and less practicality, though if I lived in a warmer climate, it would have been a flip of a coin. I ended up ruling out the RX8 as reviews came in indicating it was really more of a sports sedan/GT car.

Anyway, I got the EVO for $743 under MSRP along with a free year of service which I figure is worth over $200, which got me close to my goal of $1,000 under sticker. I probobly could have got a better deal if I was more flexible with colors and mileage (mine had 12). In fact I seriously considered going down with Eric to Tennessee and buying from Alcoa for $500 over invoice, but with a car like the EVO I figured for me itd be best to be close to the dealer if I had problems.

My experience with the dealer was mixed. I provided my credit score to them and they offered me a 3.9% interest rate. Now, I had my credit report run by another dealer (deal fell through) and they offered me actually a lower rate. Anyway, after we finished with the salesman (fairly reasonable guy), I had to deal with the finance manager. He was your stereotypcal sleazy car dealer person. We walk in and he has this concerned look on his face. He says "we ran your credit report and its 678." He said that they used Experion and most others use Transunion and he can only offer me 4.99% (the same rate I got form People First....???). Unfortunately, I neglected to bring a copy of my credit report, but I had an interpretation, which explained the negative factors. The two things were that I had an outstanding credit card bill and it was late. I explained to him that I didn't know I had it (a secondary credit card) and that it was already paid off (could prove it) and I had the last 5 months of my bank statements that showed I had a Cash - Unpaid Bill Ratio of 15:1 during the period, thus my solvency was not an issue and the credit score was an anomoly. He wouldn't even look at the statements! Interestingly, he said the lowest rate the dealer offers is 4.09%, yet the salesman offered 3.9%????

Luckily, my father was around since he drove me there, and he promptly wrote a check for the difference in the total price and my down-payment. I withdrew this amount from a fixed income mutual fund of mine when I got home and paid him back. The Finance Manager cost his dealership approximately $1,650 over the life of the loan because of his shady behavior.

As for the car, it had 4 minor paint scratches, which i got them to write a credit slip for me. The other thing I noticed at home was that the car has an about 3 inch oval hook under the rear bumper. I checked a few cars out and some had it and some didn't? Is this the infamous hook left on from the delivery truck or is this something normal?

The other problem I am having is with my insurance company. I told them I am storing it in my parent's garage until I get a garage in my apartment complex (on a wait list). They gave me to October to bring it to my apartment and I have to park it there by then, garage or not. There is no way I can do that for obvious reasons. Is there anyway I can get around this other than lying? BTW...switching insurance companies is not an option as this is the only affordable company in NJ.

Anyway, I drove it about 300 miles this weekend through the Hudson Valley and Northwest NJ. The car defintely gets a lot of attention. In Harriman State Park, a WRX with a teeneager was on the other side of the road and ripped around and followed me and gave me a big thumbs up. I got lots of looks on the road too.

I got 26 MPG in mixed driving conditions with lots of idling for warm-up and cool-downs. I know this will change when I get past break-in!

Congradulations if you made it to the end of this extremely long post!!!

 

damn, i want an evo

living in alaska sucks :/ no one wants to ship with out trying to jack the price sky high (mitsu sayz 750, lowest i've heard from a dealer is 1,200 but then he changed his mind)

anyone gotta silver evo w/roof for me