I typically get tired of vehicles in about 6 months, and end-up trading for something new. Cars like S4's(x2), Wrx's, Gti 337, X5 4.4i, e36M3/4, and MCoupe is a recent short list.

Other than the MCoupe and the Evo, none have kept me happy.
The MCoupe went because it was a two seater and I needed more space. The Evo is staying because it is hands-down the best performance car I have owned to date....period.

Certainly not the prettiest, or most luxurious car for sure, but when I get behind the wheel I feel like I am in a real rally car! Yes, I may be delusional , but I hope this helps.

Btw- 9300 miles and no problems!

N10S

 

you want no **** honesty? well....here I go. The EVO is probably the most well balanced car in its class. aside from all the complaints about clutches and warranty, the EVO will be brand spankin new when you get it so dont make the same mistakes that everyone else has on launching and burning the clutch. those of you who are reading this I know you do a lot more launches than you say and are not treating this beast with respect. Hell I spank my car around a couple times a week but not to the point where my clutch has a problem and my car is falling apart because I tweaked with it. And the warranty thing. Just fight it and it all depends on the dealership and where you live. I have had no problems and have a couple mods. The technicians who look at it every time I take it in(with mods) have no complaints and they praise me for doing such mods because it expands the cars life depending on how well you treat it.
basically..........it all boils down to you. Your driving style and your preferrences. Although some people actually got the short end of the stick because of factory problems but they "WILL" have that taken care of and "HAVE" gotten it taken care of.
JUST TAKE A TEST DRIVE BRO!

 

well,

i CAN afford it if i save enough for a substantial downpayment...calculation wise, i can make the monthly payments no problem... but putting that much down is going to be tough on the wallet. so price wise, i was trying to stress that this is a serious decision for me, not that i will not be able to afford it...

and i mean, c'mon, it's a great value.

as for drag racing the car, i honestly don't think i'd be down with that. i'm not a quarter mile type of guy. i look for handling in a car... i'd probably do modifications to the suspension but as for enginework, i'd probably just get an aftermarket intercooler and free up some air flow. however, i haven't committed myself to doing all that, so i may want to keep the warranty around.

i think my MAIN issue is this when it comes to warranty: if i DO void it, how much trouble would i be in when it comes to normal ****? mitsu's never impressed me, and i've always thought their quality was so-so. has anyone had problems with their car mechanically other than the clutch?

another reason i wanted to get an evo is the fact that it ISNT a great-looking car. i wouldn't be worried about trying to drift it or auto-xin' it.

thanks for your replies

 

If you really have to stretch to afford it, it's not worth it. Owning an Evo isn't worth having to work 40hrs a week while in college....it's not worth having to eat mac n cheese and have no money for beer. ask me how I know...

But if you can still afford to live a normal life at college, AND pay for the Evo...You Will Not Regret Getting an Evo!

SC~

 

I hate my evo. I got to get rid of this car. First of all - the civic gets better gas mileage. The Escalade is better in crash tests by Consumer Reports. The insurance costs me more than a Ford Escort. I could get more chicks in a 350 z or an M3. I forgot why i bought an evo in the 1st place? ? ? ? ?

OH yeah - now I remember - its fun to drive fast !

 

I'm going to respond w/o reading everything else.

Clutch? An AWD car is *NOT* for drag racing. Something has to give and with the tires on the Evo it's the clutch. On the other hand with street driving the clutch should be like any other car. I should cite the fact that Porsche 986 or 996 drivers who try the same drops that are killing Evo clutches, kill Porsche clutches. The message is that huge levels of grip and a light weight clutch does not make for a drag setup.

Warranty? It is easy to blow up the car with simple mods. Why should the manufacture cover this?

RWD 350Z? With stability control winter or wet driving isn't that big of a deal. I have a 300 HP RWD car that isn't a problem with stability control. And yes the 350z ripped off its look and didn't do a good job at it.

 

The car is ****. Don't buy all the over hype on the clutch and the warranty.

Regardless of what you say in your second post, it sounds like the $$$ would be a strech for you(you keep mentioning it).

Wait one more year and pick up a used one. There will be plenty of them. There are already used ones showing from guys who overstreched themselves or they have a need for something new quite often.

 

AHHH yesss.. the MCoupe.. i love that car... my brother had a 2000MCoupe...w/Hamann PG2 2piece..and a chip and suspension work(cant remember what they where though)... that was one fun car to drive... too bad he traded it for a 2003 M3 in Pheonix Yellow now with shark injector, Group M carbon/kevlar intake, autohaus titanium exhaust etc.... theres more but i think i jacked this thread enough....

ANYWAYS....dont ever doubt yourself when trying to spend a lot of money but since your on a tight budget... the evo is a great all-round car you can keep stock.....but it also depends onur daily driving... get something that you think will make this purchase a good investment

 

Considering he's stretching to get one, much like I would be, I would think it's safe to say he's going to want a valid warranty for when things break and he probably won't be doing mods right away either until he has money for that sort of thing.

And considering how **** a lot of dealers are being about honoring the warranty, I would be worried too.

I've looked at many of the same cars and come to the conclusion that none of them are perfect and all of them are less fun and less appealing than the Evo, so for me I'm probably going to take the risk and get an Evo.

 

i look at it like this: with the money i flush down the kazoo on my civic each week, saving money for an evo (i have a pretty detailed plan with a good amount of leeway) would actually leave me more money to work with. and i'd have a better car.

 

You'll love this car right outta da box! I've had my share of decent performing cars and this Evo is by far the most enjoyable to drive on the street....it's very forgiving and will give you a rollercoaster thrill any time you need it! Wonderful car, I've had no problems at 5K miles, clutch feels great (going to do the line mod), tranny feels wonderful, keep your tires in the mid to high 30 psi range for decent (but still thrilling) grip and decent wear. Stay off boost and you get mid 20's MPG, get on your boost and haul some butt and you'll get about 18-20. Great no nonsense, driver oriented, sports sedan.

 

It seems to me that very few owners have what I would term "legitimate" claims regarding "faulty" parts. As others have pointed out, the EVO was not designed as a drag car, and it makes a damn poor one in stock guise. Most rallys take place on surfaces with a lot of slip, i.e. dirt, gravel, mud, gravel on tarmac, etc. Then they import the car to the U.S. where people want to take a rally car and make it into a 600hp poorly streetable drag car. That makes no sense, other than to say look what I did, if you want a drag racer go pick up a late model Camaro SS and put a little money into it and you'll have a better 1/4 miler than the EVO will ever be (that was my last toy, so I say that from experience.) If you want a car that handles like a supercar, get the EVO, break it in right, drive it sensibly, and you'll love it. If you "only" do X number of 5000 rpm drops and your clutch fries, well duh of course it fried. The massive contact patch of 4 R compund tires and AWD and limited slip should have told you what was going to give before you even started the car! Ever tried to drive a car around town with a full race clutch that handles that, not fun in stop and go.

Sorry for the rant, just be honest with yourself about how you are prone to driving before deciding on any car, and you'll likely be much happier with whatever you choose.

 

Dude, come out to Dulles Town Center tomorrow night (by the Chick-Fil-A) off the 28 and the 7 at Nokes Road. I will be there along with a bunch of other Evos. I am sure at least one of the guys with a stock car will let you ride, if not drive. If you want to see what some mods will do, I will let you drive mine. Come on out and see what you think.

 

I agree with this. You can kill many a Porsche owner because they either will not abuse the clutch or don't know how....but if you find an enthusiast like anyone here...they are VERY, VERY fast cars. Same with the bimmer guys...WAY too many posers out there, but a well driven M3 or even old 325is will surprise the hell out of you.

I've found the Evo clutch/tranny set up to be wonderful on windy stretches (the 2 near LA, and everywhere else in so cal) going from 2nd to 3rd, to 4th, and anywhere inbetween is so perfect once you get into the Evo groove (sync'ing your shifts with clutch, engine, weight transfer, etc). I LOVE the extra rev capability of this engine, missed it on the WRX, yes it's not making any more power, but sometimes in a turn you don't need it, but you know you need stay in that gear without cutting out. Saved my butt many times. I've run up against a few bikes already in the twisties and can keep up just fine so far =)

 

since u seem to be in a similar situation where budget is low this is all the advice i can give u. as a evo owner it is great to drive and all. although it is tons of fun to drive there are certain aspects u must look at before buying the car. first are u gonna drive people, second do u consider ride quality highly and lastly can u afford gas. for me the ride quality isnt really important and i can take the bumps and i just say too bad to people that ride my car. my one problem is gas. being in california and premium at 2.59 it is a killer. filling the tank is crazy.