i drive my x mr daily its nice to have an automatic while in traffic i just carry my laptop and suitcase to work so space doesnt matter the thing is that fuel economy aint that great and you have to be changing your oil every 3000miles also the rattles inside the cabin arent that great for a daily driver but i understand its a sports car with a tight suspension also weekends which are for my family wife and 2 kids they dont like my car cause of space so i just use the other car.

 

If its any consolation im looking into buying myself a 08 GSR and for about 3 months (until i move closer to my job) ill be making a 50 mile commute (100 miles round trip) each day. Currently i have a rx8 and i get like 14mpg in the city and if im lucky 20 on the highway and it also requires 93 and i fill up every 2 days so i really wont mind. Its worth the drive to work when your in something you love driving.

 

When my wife purchased my EVO, she took her extra 03 Trailblazer and traded it in the deal. As that Trailblazer gets older, be ready to open that wallet; you'll be fine, if you have an extended warranty, but watch out if you do not (one of the many reasons that she let go of the Trailblazer). With the EVO, you'll enjoy your commute, and you'll have the AWD - the AWD in the EVO is light years ahead of the Trailblazer, even with the EVO having the Yokohama tires. You will enjoy a increase in mpg in comparison to the Trailblazer and a decrease in cost per gas spent (of course, dependent on how you drive and where you purchase your gas due to different prices of gas with Regular vs. Premium). I have worked on the Trailblazer, and have done some research as to how much I will pay in parts for the EVO. If you have done the basic maintenance on the Trailblazer, then you may not have to be concerned with maintenance costs of the EVO. In reality, your cost of maintaining your current Trailblazer will be greater than the EVO primarily due to age, wear, and tear of the Trailblazer. If the maintenance and/ or gas mileage will be a deal breaker, you can consider a Ralliart - dealerships tried to sell my wife the Ralliart due to a greater capacity for a family car and increased gas mileage. My wife thought that the Ralliart was a nice car, but when she saw the EVO, she felt that the EVO was a hotter car with sexier lines. She also saw that the EVO was built better with greater refinement (she did her research before purchase).

 

i have an evo x gsr and its eats alot of gas on the highway with the short gears.... crusing at 70mph the rpm is above 3K... but i still drive my evo x daily b/c i love it.... dont mind spending the money on gas..... its really up to you and how much you love it..

 

Just get the Evo. Puts a smile on my face every time is start her up.

 

I disagree with buying ANY VW. Especiially if you are gonna put alot of miles on it. My friend almost had his VR6 Jetta lemon lawed...then he got a brand new passat, and they had to give him a new engine after 40,000 miles.

As far as the EVO, your commute is gonna kill your pockets because of the gas. I know you are used to paying alot bcuz u drive that trailblazer, but this is your chance to save some money. Buy a beater civic used...and save up for your EVO with all the extra money you save on gas with the civic. Just be a little patient and you will save in the long run.

 

I would get a MazdaSpeed3 for that kind of commute. The maintenance on an Evo X is fairly high compared to many cars. The stock Advans will be gone by 12,000 miles, you need to change fluids every 20k, but the oil change intervals are pretty long in the new Evo. I would also suggest an Evo 8, as they have a longer gear set, they are a hoot to drive. With a tune, I was getting 26-28mpg on mine. I even had cruise control installed in my Evo 8 for long trips (Rostra makes them).

I personally bought a 2010 Camry as my DD cause I really didn't want to put that kind of mileage driving to work (though it was highly enjoyable).

 

Just don't get the pedal stuck

 

+1 on the Mazdaspeed 3.
Also, check out a used Cobalt SS Turbo or a Civic Si.

 

I commute daily and if you have no traffic and when crusing at speed you will see 24mpg without a special tune.

It sounds to me like you want a commuter car with performance, and the question you have to ask yourself is how much performance do you want to exhange for fuel economy.

for Example 2011 Mustang GT 415hp (or insert camero SS in here) and 26mpg for 36k with 200lb of sand bags in the trunk and dedicated winter tires works just fine in the winter, lived in Michigan and a mustang was my only car.

Now when gas is going to be 4-5 bucks a gallon (at one point I was pay low 4 bucks and you have to remember the EVO takes premium) you may not want such a performance car. Since it looks like you going to be using this for a daily driver for a long time 100k miles, can you afford the performance if gas goes way up again.

Ok, back to the evo. Great all weather car (will need winter/all season tires stock are summer performance only), EXCELENT handling, but stock is a bit low on power. You won't be impressing anyone on the highway with accleration at speed. This said, it is a curve machine and will eat almost anything on the road alive in the turns.

As a daily driver it is a blast and I love it but I only commute maybe 20miles round trip if I had your commute I would be looking into possibly a TDI VW which have good handling (not great) and power but get awesome fuel economy.

 

We have the EVO and a GTI. 80 mile round trip but most days I take the EVO. I wanted one for so long I just have trouble leaving it behind. The GTI is a fun car, but it doesn't compare to the EVO.

 

Ok so my last question. Assuming I have an evo X. Whether or not I drive it as a commuter, whats normal maintance routine and costs when done as much as possible myself?

 

Get a beater to go with the Evo. Otherwise, get a Prius. I have one to go with my Evo and having to go 57+ miles one way, you'd feel great pumping gas every 4.5 days instead of 2.5 days.

 

LONG ANSWER : the reason i bought my evo is when my 2001 s4 reached 100,000mile the repairs totaled more than the cost of my friends evo 8 mr.at the same milage,my friend had done a brake job plus $4000 buscher mods &60,000mile service.his car felt as nice as my s4 at 100000miles.when he sold it at 140,000miles,he had replaced the brakes again(his first replacement were too cheaply bought)the diff switch did not work,and he sorely needed new springs&shocks.we are both mature profesionals who do not abuse our cars.he now drives a evo10 mr,runs michelin x-ice2 snows for winter use on stock rims.he puts 40,000+ miles a year on his car. SHORT ANSWER: great choice.

 

That's what I said to myself too before I bought mine. Just intake first then it lead to this and that. It's an addiction bug my friend. I suppose if you want to get to work fast, the X should be fine but like many have said, it uses premium only so "hope you got deep pockets"