Been dreaming of an evo since I was a little kid and it's finally starting to look attainable. I've got about 20k to play with. I'm torn between a X or an VIII. I have my eye on a mostly stock 8 mr with <90k miles on it. All seems good but Ive read the 6 spd transmissions have their issues. Higher mileage 8s with the 5 spd aren't super hard to find. Found a 8 ssl with 120k on it. Also looking at a number of X gsr's. Really want to get into an evo but I feel like the X might leave me wanting more. Any feedback or ideas is welcome. If you have any other car recommendations lmk! Looking for an awd sport sedan I can daily drive.

 

I love my car, it's...a CT9A, long story.
Go for the 8, 6 speed kills for highway driving. Unless you plan on going for big power.

 

Is $20k your purchasing budget or your entire budget? You may struggle to find clean, well maintained, sorted Evos at that price. From what I can find online nice Evos are in the $30k-$40k range. If you're going to be commuting in the car you purchase I would also recommend looking elsewhere. Modern cars offer a lot more comfort. Have you considered a VW Golf GTI or a BMW F-series 335i with xDrive? One of my friends recently purchased a BMW 435i xDrive for under $20k and it is a lot of car for the money. The 335i is the sedan equivalent of the 435i.

 

The 8 would be a more raw, feeling versus the X. You'd probably get a better daily going with the X but, I have no issues with dailying my 8, even during the winter. Although I do wish I had the X's heated seats lol

 

I’m looking to spend approx. 20k on the purchase. I know it’ll probably come with problems as most used cars do. I’m not afraid to shell out money on minute things, I just don’t want to buy a car then replace a motor, transmission or any other large part.

 

This is just my two cents based on personal experience. I never bought an Evo to daily drive. I wanted one for YEARS, but I waited until I had a reliable daily and could afford a second car strictly as a toy. Honestly, that choice saved me financially.

During that time, I spun a bearing and the car ended up sitting in my driveway for two years until I could afford a new motor. Because it was never something I relied on to get to work, it wasn’t a crisis, it was a hobby car, something for fun.

My brother had a similar story. He bought an Evo about two years ago for the same reason you’re considering one. It was a $30k 2006 SE with 129k miles. Two months later, it spun a bearing too. He had to pay for the repair and a rental car just to keep getting to work.

The reality is: an Evo is not a reliable daily driver. They can be reliable, but eventually something will happen it’s just a matter of when.

So here are the questions I think matter most:

• Do you have the tools, space, and ability to work on it yourself?
  
• Do you have a family depending on you and a job you need to get to every day?
  
• Would the car breaking down hurt your finances or your ability to take care of them?
  

I tend to overthink things, but these are the considerations that would weigh heavily on me when making this kind of decision.
another quote ive heard time and time again, You cant afford a evo unless you can buy two of them, has really made sense over the years. These cars are getting older parts and getting harder to find, and will continue to be harder and harder to find. I love these and will never sell it likely. I cannot say this is the best idea for a daily to commute to work though, i would not do it in my car and ive gone through it completely.

 

how did you guys drive them that caused you to spin a bearing ? Does it just happen literally driving it normally ?

 

yea I’ve never spun a bearing on any of my evo engines (have had three over all) and wouldn’t say I’m kind to them. I changed oil with amsoil 100% synthetic every 1-2k miles. I rev high, frequently pull hard and making up to 32psi boost. Currently have full Tomei forged engine. Previous two were stock bottom ends but built up top. I find building these engine with reputable Japanese parts is the way to go but that could just be me.

 

was burning oil, didnt notice until it was too late.