EVO X Reviews and False Gods
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EVO X Reviews and False Gods
Okay...
I see a lot of car tests and I've driven a lot of cars. Quite recently I drove a 2005 AWD 911 Turbo, Lotus Elise and GSR & MR versions of the new Evo X.
So let's get right down to it. NO TEST from ANY magazine will provide the whole story on how a car performs overall. We've seen tests where the Evo is on the heels of GT-Rs and Vipers and others where a Cobalt is right there. One review says the car handles like nothing else and then a pro driver says the car is "tippy" after driving some lower slung models.
What does it all mean?
Well, a lot of it depends on how and where you drive. Here in upstate NY my area is 95% twisty smooth roads and we get more snow and ice than my old Queens and Bronx haunts just an hour away. Where I live handling is king and so is AWD. I can't even take RWD cars seriously here as they simply won't hang with a Evo or STI on a cool damp morning. Life and driving has more than dry straight tarmac. Now if I lived in an area with less twists and a lot of straight road I might opt for more stock power and a different chassis better suited to all out high speed runs. If I still lived in Queens, heck, a FWD Cobalt would be a blast and WAY cheaper to play with than a loaded Evo X.
Be Honest!
Where and how do you drive? One look at any of the roads near my house and they'd know an Evo is the right choice. Or maybe an STI or if I want to be more about comfort, an AWD BMW or Audi...also great cars.
Get Real!
The Evo has 4 doors and back seats. It has AWD and doesn't look like a prop from the Transformers. It can be civilized if need be. And yet....It's so good on it's own that testers are considering it in tests with established super-cars and it does well in stock trim! What else do you need to know?
Tune & Tweak
If the Evo X trails a few models by a few seconds think of what some subtle mods will accomplish. A simple tune adds lots of power. And even fresh from the dealer an Evo X can deal with winding backroads like a Lotus Elise, which is practically a go-cart of a car. Imagine...it has handling like that but you can bring the kids to the movies. The Evo X is finally what many of us hoped it would be; a pure sports car that is dressed like Clark Kent. Okay, maybe that's too much as the car looks VERY fast, but it's not shaped like a dart and doesn't require double joints to get into.
Design
And while so much has been well covered let me add that I'm 6'3 and this car is GREAT for tall drivers. My 2007 Legacy Turbo is not as comfortable though somehow Subaru claims more leg-room for that car over the Evo X. I can really extend my long legs nicely in the Evo, far better than I can in a STI, Elise or 911 Turbo.
The M3
I've driven the M3 and it's great, but a STOCK Evo is a bit better in the deep twisty stuff and that's a fact. God help the M3 on a early misty morning with a bit of moisture on the road...a time I like to drive hard. Add a bit of power to the Evo for a mere 2 grand and it'll cleanly top the M3 in most ways except for raw power at the high end of the speedo. Remember that the Evo is a tuner's car.
Is the Evo X the best car ever?
LOL, of course not. I like the Elise better for some things and a Mazda Miata for others. It's not about owning the undisputed champ of cars because ANY car compromises in SOME areas. Pick the car that suits YOU and your most typical driving environment and you'll have the best car.
Add up the Reviews
It's clear that the industry regards the Evo X highly. Why else do they put a 4 door 5 passenger sedan in the ring with such beasts? Because they know a smart reader won't interpret 3rd or 6th place as a "loss." A smart reader should know that the Evo wins in certain conditions, regardless of how things turn out at a test track. The Evo X essentially has no equal because of it's sedan status and AWD coupled with handling. Even a Xi BMW won't handle as well, though it's a terrific car and owes no apologies.
Can you Drive?
I drive hard, but I'm no racer. I don't track my cars nor do I void my warranty with massive mods. A few little tunes are enough for me as they probably are for a LOT of drivers. But by and large a better driver will kill me and the Evo X if he's in a regular WRX and knows exactly what to do. I really believe that most people think they can hang with a pro, but they can't. You can't topple someone who drives fast for a living, or at least few can. And the Evo X is soooo good on a windy road that ONLY a pro could get the best out of it. Think about that the next time you wonder and worry over a few seconds splitting a Evo and a GT-R. One mistake and the GT-R loses the race. Think of how little that really means in practical terms to most enthusiast drivers. That's how great ALL of these cars are.
The Pro
Okay, maybe the pro drive IS great, but don't automatically assume he fully understood and felt what the car can do. That takes more than a day of messing about on a track. These cars are complex. A bit more/less tire pressure and the whole thing can be different at the limits.
So that's it. For me, based on where I drive, very few cars can compete with the Evo X at ANY price.
Sorry for rambling on and CHEERS!
The Good Captain
I see a lot of car tests and I've driven a lot of cars. Quite recently I drove a 2005 AWD 911 Turbo, Lotus Elise and GSR & MR versions of the new Evo X.
So let's get right down to it. NO TEST from ANY magazine will provide the whole story on how a car performs overall. We've seen tests where the Evo is on the heels of GT-Rs and Vipers and others where a Cobalt is right there. One review says the car handles like nothing else and then a pro driver says the car is "tippy" after driving some lower slung models.
What does it all mean?
Well, a lot of it depends on how and where you drive. Here in upstate NY my area is 95% twisty smooth roads and we get more snow and ice than my old Queens and Bronx haunts just an hour away. Where I live handling is king and so is AWD. I can't even take RWD cars seriously here as they simply won't hang with a Evo or STI on a cool damp morning. Life and driving has more than dry straight tarmac. Now if I lived in an area with less twists and a lot of straight road I might opt for more stock power and a different chassis better suited to all out high speed runs. If I still lived in Queens, heck, a FWD Cobalt would be a blast and WAY cheaper to play with than a loaded Evo X.
Be Honest!
Where and how do you drive? One look at any of the roads near my house and they'd know an Evo is the right choice. Or maybe an STI or if I want to be more about comfort, an AWD BMW or Audi...also great cars.
Get Real!
The Evo has 4 doors and back seats. It has AWD and doesn't look like a prop from the Transformers. It can be civilized if need be. And yet....It's so good on it's own that testers are considering it in tests with established super-cars and it does well in stock trim! What else do you need to know?
Tune & Tweak
If the Evo X trails a few models by a few seconds think of what some subtle mods will accomplish. A simple tune adds lots of power. And even fresh from the dealer an Evo X can deal with winding backroads like a Lotus Elise, which is practically a go-cart of a car. Imagine...it has handling like that but you can bring the kids to the movies. The Evo X is finally what many of us hoped it would be; a pure sports car that is dressed like Clark Kent. Okay, maybe that's too much as the car looks VERY fast, but it's not shaped like a dart and doesn't require double joints to get into.
Design
And while so much has been well covered let me add that I'm 6'3 and this car is GREAT for tall drivers. My 2007 Legacy Turbo is not as comfortable though somehow Subaru claims more leg-room for that car over the Evo X. I can really extend my long legs nicely in the Evo, far better than I can in a STI, Elise or 911 Turbo.
The M3
I've driven the M3 and it's great, but a STOCK Evo is a bit better in the deep twisty stuff and that's a fact. God help the M3 on a early misty morning with a bit of moisture on the road...a time I like to drive hard. Add a bit of power to the Evo for a mere 2 grand and it'll cleanly top the M3 in most ways except for raw power at the high end of the speedo. Remember that the Evo is a tuner's car.
Is the Evo X the best car ever?
LOL, of course not. I like the Elise better for some things and a Mazda Miata for others. It's not about owning the undisputed champ of cars because ANY car compromises in SOME areas. Pick the car that suits YOU and your most typical driving environment and you'll have the best car.
Add up the Reviews
It's clear that the industry regards the Evo X highly. Why else do they put a 4 door 5 passenger sedan in the ring with such beasts? Because they know a smart reader won't interpret 3rd or 6th place as a "loss." A smart reader should know that the Evo wins in certain conditions, regardless of how things turn out at a test track. The Evo X essentially has no equal because of it's sedan status and AWD coupled with handling. Even a Xi BMW won't handle as well, though it's a terrific car and owes no apologies.
Can you Drive?
I drive hard, but I'm no racer. I don't track my cars nor do I void my warranty with massive mods. A few little tunes are enough for me as they probably are for a LOT of drivers. But by and large a better driver will kill me and the Evo X if he's in a regular WRX and knows exactly what to do. I really believe that most people think they can hang with a pro, but they can't. You can't topple someone who drives fast for a living, or at least few can. And the Evo X is soooo good on a windy road that ONLY a pro could get the best out of it. Think about that the next time you wonder and worry over a few seconds splitting a Evo and a GT-R. One mistake and the GT-R loses the race. Think of how little that really means in practical terms to most enthusiast drivers. That's how great ALL of these cars are.
The Pro
Okay, maybe the pro drive IS great, but don't automatically assume he fully understood and felt what the car can do. That takes more than a day of messing about on a track. These cars are complex. A bit more/less tire pressure and the whole thing can be different at the limits.
So that's it. For me, based on where I drive, very few cars can compete with the Evo X at ANY price.
Sorry for rambling on and CHEERS!
The Good Captain
Good write up . Over all I'm very impressed with my X and I sure wouldn't changed my choice of taking the EvoX over the new STI , I should add that I've been a Subaru guy for years .
Last edited by xtremeboost; Sep 1, 2008 at 06:30 PM.
I ended up getting a rear wheel drive car to complement my evo X. The evo does all the things that the other car doesn't do as well. After goofing around in that to show my friend, we got right into the X and did a local test circuit at probably twice the speed limit. He was gripping the door handle at first until after he got used to the fact that the car is stupid easy to get 9/10's out of.
My driveway is full of fun..but the evo is safer and less likely to attract the attention of LE.
My driveway is full of fun..but the evo is safer and less likely to attract the attention of LE.
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Thread Starter
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From: USA
I love the M3. My friend had last year's model an it was a stunning car. In perfect conditions it was nothing short of a blast to drive. The problem was that many days were not perfect and many turns and exits could be trouble for the RWD M3.
The simple fact of the matter is that the Evo X realized more of it's potential in a wider variety of conditions and with far less effort. AYC, SAWD and even a better seating position for a tall driver like me made the Evo "Better" for the way I drive. I also need the 4 doors, or rather I prefer them because the Evo must do family duty at times.
This is why I'm buying a GSR for myself...in spite of fears that the 2009 model will add a 6 speed manual!
Now...if the next M3 adds AWD, AYC and more legroom, I'm all over it!
The Good Captain
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Where did you hear this rumor? I would like to hear more. The 5 speed (Really Mitsu...in 2008 you're still putting 5 speeds in a 300hp car? Unbelievable) and a noisy interior are the only two things keeping me hesitant to buy at this point.
>>>
I love the M3. My friend had last year's model an it was a stunning car. In perfect conditions it was nothing short of a blast to drive. The problem was that many days were not perfect and many turns and exits could be trouble for the RWD M3.
The simple fact of the matter is that the Evo X realized more of it's potential in a wider variety of conditions and with far less effort. AYC, SAWD and even a better seating position for a tall driver like me made the Evo "Better" for the way I drive. I also need the 4 doors, or rather I prefer them because the Evo must do family duty at times.
This is why I'm buying a GSR for myself...in spite of fears that the 2009 model will add a 6 speed manual!
Now...if the next M3 adds AWD, AYC and more legroom, I'm all over it!
The Good Captain
I love the M3. My friend had last year's model an it was a stunning car. In perfect conditions it was nothing short of a blast to drive. The problem was that many days were not perfect and many turns and exits could be trouble for the RWD M3.
The simple fact of the matter is that the Evo X realized more of it's potential in a wider variety of conditions and with far less effort. AYC, SAWD and even a better seating position for a tall driver like me made the Evo "Better" for the way I drive. I also need the 4 doors, or rather I prefer them because the Evo must do family duty at times.
This is why I'm buying a GSR for myself...in spite of fears that the 2009 model will add a 6 speed manual!
Now...if the next M3 adds AWD, AYC and more legroom, I'm all over it!
The Good Captain
as a tuner car guy. sorry
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From: pdx
Noize got rid of his X for a 135 and loves it. I'm sure he's in the camp that doesn't need the AWD for misty damp romps on winding roads. The 1 can get a little hairy when pushed hard, but if you don't know or trust how the X handles, it too can get hairy.
I agree that the rags fail the reader on so many levels. They will throw in the 4 door with the sports cars to see how well it hangs, and then make the obvious point that *gasp* it is a sedan with a high center of gravity...no crap! How the R8 and an Evo is somehow considered rivals, especially at their pricepoints, is ridiculous. Throw coilovers and a tune at that Evo for a few grand, and then compare it with the R8...same goes for the STI.
Don't take it personally that not everyone is as enamored with your car as you are. That's the fun with tuner cars...try tuning an R8. Not as fun, and will probably be slower than stock. Can you imagine being the guy who owns a Hyundai Tiburon? His car is NEVER in magazine comparos, yet he thinks his car is the ish...
I agree that the rags fail the reader on so many levels. They will throw in the 4 door with the sports cars to see how well it hangs, and then make the obvious point that *gasp* it is a sedan with a high center of gravity...no crap! How the R8 and an Evo is somehow considered rivals, especially at their pricepoints, is ridiculous. Throw coilovers and a tune at that Evo for a few grand, and then compare it with the R8...same goes for the STI.
Don't take it personally that not everyone is as enamored with your car as you are. That's the fun with tuner cars...try tuning an R8. Not as fun, and will probably be slower than stock. Can you imagine being the guy who owns a Hyundai Tiburon? His car is NEVER in magazine comparos, yet he thinks his car is the ish...
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From: ATLANTA
read more on why it has a 5 speed...