I've come from a long list of high end sports cars, starting with the S2000, then onto several M3s, then a bunch of porsches, and even sneaking one Fcar in there. Eventually, I built a dedicated track car (E36 M3 LTW, S54 conversion) and have since moved onto other ways to spend money that are a bit more family friendly (I have two young kids).

I post this b/c after having 'upgraded' through a lot of fancy sheet metal, I do think somewhere along the way 'upgrade' did not always = 'fun'. Shoot, probably one of the funnest cars I owned was the original GTi. Light, nimble and a blast to throw around. I guess that's why I always liked the Type R and various Civic Si incarnations, though I've never owned either of these. The current bmw offerings illustrate the point; they are more lexus than anything else. I've driven a bunch of the newer ones and they feel insulated, unexciting.

A friend, who I think is on this board, has WW Evo X (GSR). The car is a riot, very tossable, and far more livable than his prior gen Evo. I was sorta left scratching my head thinking that it shouldn't be that good. . . I think it is the modern car that comes closest to the soul of the original M cars. The grip and balance are both amazing for a street car.

I'm thinking of picking one up, but after so many years in euro hardware, it's an odd change for me. So, a coupla questions:

- do you find your evo as fun today as when you bought it? Does it still do 'it' for you?
- for those that came from, say, older bmw's, are you happy with the move to the evo?
- any other thoughts?

I almost feel like mitsu targeted me with the X, as I found the prior gen too boy racer, and too stiff for daily driving. As if they invited the estranged bmw enthusiasts to give the X a whirl.

BTW, I'd definitely get the GSR. Not a fan of paddles in any incarnation I've driven.

 

Welcome the forums.

I've had my X GSR for about a year now and I can honestly say that it has in no way gotten boring for me. I think I love the car more now than when I bought it and I look forward to driving it every chance I get. Not only is it fast, nimble and stiff but it's also unique. You see BMW's, Benz's, Porche's and the like around every turn but the X's are few and far between so you definitely stand out on your daily commute. It's kind of a dog on the stock tune but with a few bolt ons and a decent tune the car becomes a beast. IMO you won't regret the move to the Evo.

 

I was just thinking today how/what I thought of my X when I first got it and now a year and a half (20,000 miles later), I'm just as excited (if not more because my TBE gets put on this weekend) as I was when I first drove it home. The car is simply awesome!

 

I loved my Evo X GSR from the day I drove it off the dealership lot. It's a very livable daily driver (even in the snow after having A/S tires mounted), as well as a blast to drive when you get on the gas.

6 months later after adding the mod's in my signature, I love it even more.

 

welcome.
Every time i get in my car, i feel like i just bought it. Still get stared at, still get reved up at by the unsuspecting mustang or camaro, and of course i still get a big smile every time i put it into the next gear.

From driving one to the other, i definitely suggest the IX over the X if you are looking for that out of the box raw monster, the car you dont really have to touch, and its faster, handles better and stops better than 80% of the cars on the road and 100% of those cars are more expensive.

To me the X is a little to grown up, bulkier, and safe.

Buy whatever you like, but i think you cant go wrong with any choice as long as its an evo.

 

For me, it will always be the car I will compare all future car's handling abilities to...It's a benchmark for sure. The cost of operating a thirsty car with soft tires and big brakes is the biggest issue for most..that and it doesn't have the raw punch of a car with more displacement. Get it on a twisty road or track, and you will smile.

I'm not sure I'd recommend it to most people as a primary vehicle though.

 

-Yes, my evo is more fun today than ever before. She puts down 300 on a dynapack on 91 and is a blast to drive.
-Nothing like a BMW. Definately not a luxury car, it is a transverse mount awd rally racer. Nothing like the M series BMW which is a road racer FR platform. Apples and oranges.
-Worst thing is the size of the gas tank. If i drive the evo to work, it takes more than a 1/2 tank. I would say my range is maybe 220 miles the way i drive it. Boost = fun.

 

Interesting thought for me, heck, I daily drove a 500 whp evo virtually race prepped minus the cage and harness seatbelts for 2.5 years and i loved every second of it.

The Evo X is impressing every day, very simply, Ryan Gates and what he is doing with his Time Attack Evo X, this dude is DESTROYING the competition with the car that everyone thought was a dog and couldn't handle.....

I would own a X in a heartbeat although the only thing I would agree with is it needs about $1000 in mods to put it into its different level of fun.

I think it's a great daily driver, for sure.....

 

Thanks guys.

I was pleasantly surprised with how livable the stock X is for the daily grind. Shoot my X5 drives rougher and crashes over bumps more than the X. My 911 is softer though.

Heading to the dealership after lunch today. They have some killer deals on some previously hail damaged rigs. PDR is pretty good these days so I have no issues with a repaired car.

I'm also looking at a WW for sale locally. Been having trouble getting in touch with the seller though.

 

I owned an Evo prior to my X and it was such a fun car, although it only had 2300 miles on it since I had another car that I drove. It was a very fun car, the X is fun and yet has grown up all at the same time... you can pitch the car however you want without worry of losing grip and the feeling of the computer bringing it back is a strange feeling, but a real safe and just outright cool feeling all at the same time. If you have owned a lot of higher end cars you will likely feel the interior of the X is cheap... which for the most part it is, but apparently from those other cars you have owned you have the money to do some things to upgrade the inside so if you do, post some pics lol. All in all the X has everything.. it has 4 doors, an excellent safety rating, can be used in any kind of weather (get a set of snow or all season tires for when the sun starts going down early for best results). It can be a decent family car, and when you are alone a car that not much on the road or even track can compete with. For 30,000.00 or so you are getting a lot more bang for the buck than even what most exotics can do. When the car is actually put into a spot where it needs to be tested, it is two words and they are "simply amazing".

 

i'd keep in mind that if you can find a 2008 that you might want to just go for that since there is still 0% for 60 months. Check your interest rate on a car that may be a few thousand cheaper, but what the overall cost will be. If you decide you don't like it you'll be able to get more for a car that is a single owner than one that has already had 2 and is not quite 2 years old. If you are willing to go out of state to get a really good deal, PM me and i'll give you some good advice on who to buy from.

 

You won't regret buying the X, I've owned my GSR for over 1 1/2... Sure the shifts can be jerking at times and the paint isn't the best but it always puts a huge smile on your face when your taking turns way faster than the rest of the world!

 

I owned performance vehicles before the Evo X and none of them stood out like this one does. It's a true joy to drive, but make sure to get a dyno tune if you buy one; the stock tune is beyond terrible.

Also, if you have a huge commute it might not be a good idea. At 80 MPH this thing is basically at 4k RPMs and is loud as hell on the highway. Small gas tank too. My wife's Jetta is at 2800 RPMs at 85 MPH The GSR needs a 6th gear so bad. It's not annoying on light drives though. I commute 20 minutes one way and it doesn't bother me at all.

 

Nothing about the EVO has made me forget that I traded in a Porsche for it. However - it is a fun car so far (just hit 3K miles). It is my DD. No mods yet and haven't gotten it to the track yet (just had my first kid and free time is minimal). There are some small things I don't like about the car, but for the money I think it is VERY hard to beat the EVO.

I know most here get all geeked up about modding it. I will track it a bunch and learn to drive it the way it is before deciding on mods. I already can guess brakes will be first. The EVO brakes are not in the same league as what I was used to.

 

I dont see there being any regret with the purchase of an evo. I have never loved a car this much and hope to get an X soon.