3000 miles in one month in my EVO X MR Touring
Dec 31, 2009, 03:16 PM
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3000 miles in one month in my EVO X MR Touring
Now that I've been able to legally register my car, I thought I'd give a post about my first month with deciding on and purchasing and driving my 2010 EVO X MR-T.
So, I was looking for a new car as I've only been driving an '07 Honda Element EX-AWD, manual, for the past two years. Since I'm planning on keeping the Element, the new car choices got limited to an '09 STI, '09 135i, and and '08 or '10 EVO X.
Here's how it broke down:
STI = The Good: Subbie reliability, HATCHBACK, good daily driver. The Bad: No heated seats, no sunroof, FUGGLY
135i = The Good: engine is awesome, like the size, doesn't come off as expensive. The Bad: not awd (will eventually move back up north), 2 door not good for my black lab, optioned out very expensive, dealerships are snobby
MR-T = The Good: a more refined EVO, no big-*** wing, kinda a sleeper/understated looks, a bit more mature, but not giving up the fun factor. The Bad: SST, can I live with an automated manual, 7 cu. ft trunk, heavy.
Mitsubishi won out, because they had a $4500 dealer rebate, the California dealerships were passing it on to the customer, 0% financing and I got a $200 ticket to Cali.
So I flew out the day after Thanksgiving and picked up this:
So the drive started out on Friday night at 6:30PM Pacific, pretty much a straight drive on 40 East and I arrived home at 11:50PM Eastern on Sunday night.
A lot of you know that I got an '03 EVO VIII after the SVT Focus, since then I've had '04 Element EXS-AWD, '05 Legacy 2.5GT Wagon, and currently have the previously mentioned '07 Element EX-AWD. So that's the automotive perspective I'm coming from.
The '10 EVO X MR Touring is a more refined, mature car than the EVO VIII, obviously the styling is more subdued: the MR-T monochromatic paint scheme (all external vents are painted body color), the simple styling (minus the front and hood) and the lip spoiler had folks asking me what kind of car it was (most asked if it was a bmw). The interior while not up to what you expect in a car retailing for almost 42K, is much better than the VIII, the Recaro seats and leather used are very nice quality, the dash materials are a mixture and feel and look cheap, with the exception of the HVAC surround (I don't know why they didn't use more of that). The carpeting looks good but is extremely thin if the floor mats are any indication (let's face it, Mitsubishi wasn't trying very hard to save weight on the X, so why cheap out on the carpeting? It may not be beautiful on the inside, but it is extremely functional and well layed out. The instrument panel is leaps and bounds better than the VIII, just in the fact that it's actually legible and attractive. The new multi-color display does look good, but they didn't match the stereo or hvac lighting to the new display so it doesn't appear very cohesive. The sunvisors, ceiling fabric and sunroof controls/shade have no place in a car in this price range.
What I hate most about the interior is the MR-T specific dash surround is a high gloss smokey black stripe going across the dash and up onto the doors, it reflects every light on the road and becomes distracting. Probably the one thing I will replace/change inside the car.
The SVT Focus had a great ride/handling compromise, the Legacy 2.5GT also had this; the EVO VIII was a rough ride, but the handling was intensely sharp and exact, if you sneezed, you moved over three lanes, the reward was in the mountains, you felt a part of the car, it went where you looked, no questions. The X MR-T has a slightly better ride than the VIII, what is different is the car itself is more solid (and heavier), there are no creaks and rattles (mind you the car is still new), the car does lean a bit more in corners, but it is better composed and doesn't feel like a go-kart with a roof and doors which is what the VIII felt like at times. The heated seats came in use when I felt some lower back pain coming on (I always get back pain in a new car until my back get's use to the new seats). But after nearly 2300 miles my skinny butt didn't hurt, which is rare in deed. The seats are amazing and hug you even more than the VIII seats did. The one piece design visually takes up a lot of room and makes it difficult to turn your head and see behind you, like when you are reversing (guess that's why a back up camera is an option). I didn't get the optional navigation system, but having that gives you much easier control over all the individual electronic settings in the car.
While the overall buying experience wasn't the best, my sales guy did help me tape up the car for the trip home:
After getting it home, I took it out on some of the insane mountain roads we have in and around Chattanooga. OH MY GOD is all I can say, even with cheap all-season no-name tires this thing is amazing. The transmission in normal mode, you might as well be driving a Buick, mind you a Buick has never handled like this. Flick the switch to move the transmission into "sport" mode and the thing drives like a supercar, the transmission in this setting has to be reading my mind, rev-matched downshifts happen right when you need them and they are super smooth, it keeps you in the fat of the torque curve at every opportunity it feasibly can and when the gas pedal is floored it doesn't upshift until 500 rpm past the indicated redline so that you land in the sweet spot of the power band. If you stop the car and hold the transmission shift, it will go into "s-sport" mode, as the owner's manual states this should only be used on the track, as the transmission doesn't change gears until redline. In any of the three modes of "auto" transmission, the transmission always downshifts when braking, including down shifting into first before you come to a stop. I've never done this when driving a true manual transmission.
The magnesium shift paddles feel great at hand, but push back the turn signal and other stalks, which has taken getting some used to, but that is happening slowly. If the transmission is in drive, you can override it at any time using the paddle shifters, but after you come to a stop, the tranmission goes back into auto mode, until you use the paddle shifters again. Kind of annoying, and the paddle shifters take some getting used to in order to feel natural, like a stick shift does (that obviously took time to learn too). Sliding the transmission shifter over to the left, allows you to use the shifter to sequentially go through the gears or use the paddle shifters, when in this mode, the transmission doesn't revert back to "auto" mode, but will change the gear to first when you come to a complete stop. The transmission doesn't automatically change to higher gear when you hit redline in this mode, you have complete control of the transmission unless you try to downshift where it's not possible, holding on the left paddle will bring you into the lowest gear possible, holding the right paddle will put you back into "auto" mode, unless the shifter is moved over into manual mode.
All in all this is a really impressive transmission and I'm a believer it is the wave of the future. A tranmission that can give ultra smooth shifts, do them lightning quick and can enhance your times on the track will make the clutch pedal a thing of the past. Sadly so because for all it's beauty, you do feel a bit detached from the car and it is taking a long time to learn and trust it. The EVO at least from the VIII on, has always been an easy car to drive fast, but there was skill to get the most out of it. Now, my 60 year old mother could get in and drive it like I do. I'm sure six months from now I'll be singing it's praises even louder, for now, I wish the SST was an option on the MR/MRT and it's not one that I would of paid for at this time.
The way this car handles, is awesome, it's a lot different than the EVO VIII, it transitions smoother, it holds tighter and it feels like a much more expensive car than what it is. A smooth hand on the wheel responds with a smooth, secure, exact turn. If you're abrupt with the wheel, the car responds with a subdude abruptness. In otherwords, the more gracefull you drive, the more gracefull the car feels. IMO, that's exactly as it should be.
Gold Point Circle is one of the roads I drive daily:
Everyday driving and usuability has not been an issue, non-car friends think the car is nice and firm, but not too much so that they mind riding in it. I even got permission from the female roommate to take it to visit her folks in Greensboro, GA and Hayesville, NC over the xmas holidays with her and our two dogs. I think that says the ride's not too firm. Surprisingly, the trunk really hasn't been an issue, my big luggage pieces fit in it nicely, 250 bucks of crap from the grocery store all fits.
The biggest thing I've noticed since owning the car, is I once again, take random drives to find good roads, which is something I haven't done in a long time. I'll be taking the car to Miami in a few weeks to visit my folks.
When a car can put a smile on your face every time you drive it, you know you've picked the right car for you.
I also posted this on focaljet as I used to own an SVT Focus.
So, I was looking for a new car as I've only been driving an '07 Honda Element EX-AWD, manual, for the past two years. Since I'm planning on keeping the Element, the new car choices got limited to an '09 STI, '09 135i, and and '08 or '10 EVO X.
Here's how it broke down:
STI = The Good: Subbie reliability, HATCHBACK, good daily driver. The Bad: No heated seats, no sunroof, FUGGLY
135i = The Good: engine is awesome, like the size, doesn't come off as expensive. The Bad: not awd (will eventually move back up north), 2 door not good for my black lab, optioned out very expensive, dealerships are snobby
MR-T = The Good: a more refined EVO, no big-*** wing, kinda a sleeper/understated looks, a bit more mature, but not giving up the fun factor. The Bad: SST, can I live with an automated manual, 7 cu. ft trunk, heavy.
Mitsubishi won out, because they had a $4500 dealer rebate, the California dealerships were passing it on to the customer, 0% financing and I got a $200 ticket to Cali.
So I flew out the day after Thanksgiving and picked up this:
So the drive started out on Friday night at 6:30PM Pacific, pretty much a straight drive on 40 East and I arrived home at 11:50PM Eastern on Sunday night.
A lot of you know that I got an '03 EVO VIII after the SVT Focus, since then I've had '04 Element EXS-AWD, '05 Legacy 2.5GT Wagon, and currently have the previously mentioned '07 Element EX-AWD. So that's the automotive perspective I'm coming from.
The '10 EVO X MR Touring is a more refined, mature car than the EVO VIII, obviously the styling is more subdued: the MR-T monochromatic paint scheme (all external vents are painted body color), the simple styling (minus the front and hood) and the lip spoiler had folks asking me what kind of car it was (most asked if it was a bmw). The interior while not up to what you expect in a car retailing for almost 42K, is much better than the VIII, the Recaro seats and leather used are very nice quality, the dash materials are a mixture and feel and look cheap, with the exception of the HVAC surround (I don't know why they didn't use more of that). The carpeting looks good but is extremely thin if the floor mats are any indication (let's face it, Mitsubishi wasn't trying very hard to save weight on the X, so why cheap out on the carpeting? It may not be beautiful on the inside, but it is extremely functional and well layed out. The instrument panel is leaps and bounds better than the VIII, just in the fact that it's actually legible and attractive. The new multi-color display does look good, but they didn't match the stereo or hvac lighting to the new display so it doesn't appear very cohesive. The sunvisors, ceiling fabric and sunroof controls/shade have no place in a car in this price range.
What I hate most about the interior is the MR-T specific dash surround is a high gloss smokey black stripe going across the dash and up onto the doors, it reflects every light on the road and becomes distracting. Probably the one thing I will replace/change inside the car.
The SVT Focus had a great ride/handling compromise, the Legacy 2.5GT also had this; the EVO VIII was a rough ride, but the handling was intensely sharp and exact, if you sneezed, you moved over three lanes, the reward was in the mountains, you felt a part of the car, it went where you looked, no questions. The X MR-T has a slightly better ride than the VIII, what is different is the car itself is more solid (and heavier), there are no creaks and rattles (mind you the car is still new), the car does lean a bit more in corners, but it is better composed and doesn't feel like a go-kart with a roof and doors which is what the VIII felt like at times. The heated seats came in use when I felt some lower back pain coming on (I always get back pain in a new car until my back get's use to the new seats). But after nearly 2300 miles my skinny butt didn't hurt, which is rare in deed. The seats are amazing and hug you even more than the VIII seats did. The one piece design visually takes up a lot of room and makes it difficult to turn your head and see behind you, like when you are reversing (guess that's why a back up camera is an option). I didn't get the optional navigation system, but having that gives you much easier control over all the individual electronic settings in the car.
While the overall buying experience wasn't the best, my sales guy did help me tape up the car for the trip home:
After getting it home, I took it out on some of the insane mountain roads we have in and around Chattanooga. OH MY GOD is all I can say, even with cheap all-season no-name tires this thing is amazing. The transmission in normal mode, you might as well be driving a Buick, mind you a Buick has never handled like this. Flick the switch to move the transmission into "sport" mode and the thing drives like a supercar, the transmission in this setting has to be reading my mind, rev-matched downshifts happen right when you need them and they are super smooth, it keeps you in the fat of the torque curve at every opportunity it feasibly can and when the gas pedal is floored it doesn't upshift until 500 rpm past the indicated redline so that you land in the sweet spot of the power band. If you stop the car and hold the transmission shift, it will go into "s-sport" mode, as the owner's manual states this should only be used on the track, as the transmission doesn't change gears until redline. In any of the three modes of "auto" transmission, the transmission always downshifts when braking, including down shifting into first before you come to a stop. I've never done this when driving a true manual transmission.
The magnesium shift paddles feel great at hand, but push back the turn signal and other stalks, which has taken getting some used to, but that is happening slowly. If the transmission is in drive, you can override it at any time using the paddle shifters, but after you come to a stop, the tranmission goes back into auto mode, until you use the paddle shifters again. Kind of annoying, and the paddle shifters take some getting used to in order to feel natural, like a stick shift does (that obviously took time to learn too). Sliding the transmission shifter over to the left, allows you to use the shifter to sequentially go through the gears or use the paddle shifters, when in this mode, the transmission doesn't revert back to "auto" mode, but will change the gear to first when you come to a complete stop. The transmission doesn't automatically change to higher gear when you hit redline in this mode, you have complete control of the transmission unless you try to downshift where it's not possible, holding on the left paddle will bring you into the lowest gear possible, holding the right paddle will put you back into "auto" mode, unless the shifter is moved over into manual mode.
All in all this is a really impressive transmission and I'm a believer it is the wave of the future. A tranmission that can give ultra smooth shifts, do them lightning quick and can enhance your times on the track will make the clutch pedal a thing of the past. Sadly so because for all it's beauty, you do feel a bit detached from the car and it is taking a long time to learn and trust it. The EVO at least from the VIII on, has always been an easy car to drive fast, but there was skill to get the most out of it. Now, my 60 year old mother could get in and drive it like I do. I'm sure six months from now I'll be singing it's praises even louder, for now, I wish the SST was an option on the MR/MRT and it's not one that I would of paid for at this time.
The way this car handles, is awesome, it's a lot different than the EVO VIII, it transitions smoother, it holds tighter and it feels like a much more expensive car than what it is. A smooth hand on the wheel responds with a smooth, secure, exact turn. If you're abrupt with the wheel, the car responds with a subdude abruptness. In otherwords, the more gracefull you drive, the more gracefull the car feels. IMO, that's exactly as it should be.
Gold Point Circle is one of the roads I drive daily:
Everyday driving and usuability has not been an issue, non-car friends think the car is nice and firm, but not too much so that they mind riding in it. I even got permission from the female roommate to take it to visit her folks in Greensboro, GA and Hayesville, NC over the xmas holidays with her and our two dogs. I think that says the ride's not too firm. Surprisingly, the trunk really hasn't been an issue, my big luggage pieces fit in it nicely, 250 bucks of crap from the grocery store all fits.
The biggest thing I've noticed since owning the car, is I once again, take random drives to find good roads, which is something I haven't done in a long time. I'll be taking the car to Miami in a few weeks to visit my folks.
When a car can put a smile on your face every time you drive it, you know you've picked the right car for you.
I also posted this on focaljet as I used to own an SVT Focus.
Dec 31, 2009, 03:22 PM
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Looks awesome. Where in California did you pick it up?
to the salesman for not helping tap up the body.
Your folks live in Miami? Damn, that's my home too.
It's going to be a nice drive down in your MR
to the salesman for not helping tap up the body. Your folks live in Miami? Damn, that's my home too.
It's going to be a nice drive down in your MR
Dec 31, 2009, 03:47 PM
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Yeah, they do, that's where I grew up.
Dec 31, 2009, 04:53 PM
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Emulous and I are clones of each other.
We both had 03 Evo VIIIs, my wife had an Element, both were interested in the 135i (I had one), we both bought our Xs (my first one) in California and drove them home cross country, we apparently both have labs (mine is yellow), we live in the same state, and even share the same first name!
I am really glad you are loving the car, man!
We both had 03 Evo VIIIs, my wife had an Element, both were interested in the 135i (I had one), we both bought our Xs (my first one) in California and drove them home cross country, we apparently both have labs (mine is yellow), we live in the same state, and even share the same first name!
I am really glad you are loving the car, man!
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Dec 31, 2009, 05:15 PM
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Great read. I usually look for cliff notes on long OPs but yours was great! Thanks for sharing. I will disagree with your positive statements about the LGT suspension though, its mushy crapola and totally unsuitable for the cars power. My 3 years of experience with it is that the LGT is so sloppy soft it is outright dangerous.
Last edited by ToddMcF2002; Dec 31, 2009 at 05:17 PM.
Dec 31, 2009, 07:14 PM
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Yeah, I did write about my experience with the purchase there. Decided it wasn't appropriate to repost it all over evom. I'm happy too that I can drive it legally now.
Jan 1, 2010, 02:11 AM
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Great write-up! I too recently purchased my Evo X from far out of state and drove it home. Definitely a great way to get to know the car and overall very enjoyable. I bet you saw a heck of a lot of things between California and Tennessee. Don't mean to sound obvious, but I've made the drive from Texas to California as well as Texas to Tennessee and the topography is unbelievable different in each given direction.
Welcome to the Evo X side, I am extremely jealous of how low your revs are at 80 mph. If you understood how high they'd be at 80 in a GSR, you'd already be singing the praises of SST with all the roadtrips you seem to do!
Welcome to the Evo X side, I am extremely jealous of how low your revs are at 80 mph. If you understood how high they'd be at 80 in a GSR, you'd already be singing the praises of SST with all the roadtrips you seem to do!
Jan 1, 2010, 02:44 AM
#14
The SST takes some time to get used to, especially coming from the rock-solid VIII. Also, the X MR is already heavier and you've added the additional features of the MR-T, so that's more weight. It's not as nimble as the VIII, but the added S-AWD stuff makes up the difference. I'd suggest breaking the car in then giving it a solid drive on a fav road.
