Do not buy a used performance car period. M3, evo, sti, any cars that you know owners might possibly abuse and modify, do not get them used; unless you really know the car inside and outside and able to find out the issues and fix them.

If you don't have the dough to afford a new one and you are like me that know nothing about the DIY jobs, forget about it and find an alternative.

I have to say Evo x requires a lot more attention than I thought it would do before I made my purchase. I have to be aware on the clutch/transfercase/ etc.

 

I have been dancing around the bush for past 11 years. I wanted to buy an evo in 98 but at the time there was no way in hell I could afford one. So I purchased a toyota celica 93 all track and that was a good alternative. Engine blew up so I purchased a 94 celica. Since toyota never introduced a gt-4 model to usa I was forced to swap an engine and now I am driving a front wheel drive celica with rally engine swapped in.

Having graduated college and working in career field for the last 3 years I think I finally deserve a car that I wanted to buy for the past 11 years dont you think?

I see 2008 evo's sold all over the states and yes while some have been driven to death I would like to believe that there are a few out there with low mileage and driven by a conscious adult and therefore driven with care most of the time.

 

I somewhat agree with the others...you're rolling the dice when buying a used Evo. Can you save $10k over the price of a new one? Sure. Might you end up spending that same $10k fixing hidden surprises a year from now? Sure.

It's a perfectly reasonable decision if you know that going in.

 

This is exactly my reasoning in my first post. Buying a used performance vehicle isn't a good idea. I don't buy used. I have seen what many people have done to their vehicles first hand especially prior to a trade in. Many times you can find parts on the car that don't belong or parts that are missing altogether or even parts that are installed incorrectly or haphazardly. I often instruct people on times where its not a good idea to spare expense and buying a new vehicle is one of them. Either you can afford it or you can't.

 

Have you folks never heard of a PPI? Take the car to a reputable shop prior to purchase that has Evo experience.
When mods are removed they always leave signs. Scraches, odd holes for cables, ebay crap to replace expensive exhausts.
Look for suspension mods, stupid BOVs and MBC's. Check the air filter and box. Look for signs of work.
Listen carefully to the transfer case for noise. As soon as you buy it take it to a tuner for a flash.

 

1. Rust on rotors is normal. If you know anything about cars, then you would know that's what happens. Even mine develops rust the next day after washing it. It's normal. And not just on the Evo. Rotors aren't made from stainless steel...
2. OMG, dead battery in a car that doesn't get driven because they don't want people driving it! Who cares when the car was delivered. It's all about when it was manufactured. Replace the battery and the problem is solved.
3. Greasy tar. That means it's been driven for more than 30 seconds. Yes the evo runs rich, and yes it throws black smoke. Normal.
4. SES light, not acceptable, but could be related to the battery. Have them check it before assuming the car is a lemon
5. You may just not have understood the car and how to use it. Every manual is different, and though the Evo tranny is notchy, it's something to get used to. It was likely that you didn't have the clutch in quickly enough before releasing the throttle, causing the jerk you're talking about. Common in that car with AWD.

 

Thank you yet again for continuous input. Here is where I am heading with this: I am going to test drive another evo gsr and find out if that 3rd to 4th gear thing is a product of my imagination or my inability to shift properly or if indeed that car had a serious mechanical issue. On the bright side of things I am thankfully not pressed on time so I will continue doing research and looking for opportunity to buy the best car for my buck.

 

Too much work. Just buy new if possible. Done....and done.

 

While I may have a credit line and credit history that allows me to purchase a new car, i also have 2 other addictions that I need to feed (aside from having bought furniture and house this year). I travel quite a bit all over the world and I also scuba dive so part of my income always goes to those hobbies. You are right about buying a new car and I am looking for as new as I can find. If I can find an 08 evo with really low mileage I would not mind spending a little more. I just dont think that spending 32-40 grand is good in today's economy

 

Well I paid 41K for my CPO M3 with 8K miles while all the knuckleheads were paying 55K for that new car smell. Why waste money.

 

I personally think m3 is a different story, the owners are more aware of the condition of the car because of its price to own and price to mod. I always see used m3s in good conditions, but not the evos or sti. the only problems with m3 are probably the electricals, but to evo and stis there are much more than that.

 

OK sorry to bring up the M3. But consider the OP is looking at 08's, not multi owner hacked up 03's. There are plenty of good 08's out there traded due to over extended, over enthusiastic yuts.

 

Yesterday I had a pleasure of taking a rally red evo with low miles for a spin. Shifted flawlessly. Dealer gave me some sort of story about a guy coming from 3 hours away and trading in a truck and yada yada. Considering that I had a plane to catch I did not stick around for long but at least I got to drive a working evo and know what it felt like. Today I am in cold cold New Jersey (far away from my warm Florida) and with all the snow they got here I wish I had an AWD car. We are going to Montreal in a couple of days so I shall be back next year.

Hope you all have a merry christmas and a happy new year.

 

i see you are in florida. ( st.pete ). i test drove a blue evo at mauher chevy and beware.. the car fax says body/frame damage..
the sales man played it off like it doesnt effect the resale value of the car..
that was over a month ago.. i think the car is still there..

 

Wow.... I was going to have a look at that car right after I came back. Maher Chevy dealership is about 30 miles away from where I live (Brandon area). Thank you much for telling me about this.

I assume that you are in market for evo yourself. To save you time do not go to Gator Ford.. that evo is obviously broken. There are a few in Deland north east of Orlando but they cost more.