With this economy, I can see that dealerships are "marking - up" their services on certain vehicles and specifically, certain vehicle types a la EVO. Next thing, you'll see labor costs increase per hour leading for increase service costs. + 1 on the DIY. $600 for pads? I wonder where the shelf stocking fee for the pads is hidden? Funny enough, one of the many reasons that I have an EVO is that, in comparison to other vehicles, things are easier to access (pull panels off). I would have also jumped off the yokohama bandwagon to go to a tire shop for new tires other than yokohama with the stick on weights.

 

That's exactly it. This is a mainstream car magazine and I 100% agree that the Evo is a terrible choice for an "average" car owner that isn't going to mod it.

If you phrase the question different...like which is cheaper to turn into a 550whp track monster--a BMW 135i or the X? The equation changes just a bit.

I had a similar experience. The 8/9 guys absolutely hate the X but I would never choose a 9 over the X for a daily driver. A track car, sure. It's sick how they can bolt on a $2k FP Black and pull 9.3 in the quarter. They're really cheap to turn into a monster but the creature comforts are really sad, even in the MR versions with leather.

 

When I read that article it got me wondering what kind of people do they think buy Evo's? Especially the part when one of the reviewers made a quote "I can find another car with the same performance and alot better interior....."! I felt like asking him, "can that said car be upgraded to over 400 whp with stock internals"

Car and Driver should know that Evo's are not meant to stay stock, if that was the case, sure there are other cars that may be better. Once the modding begins, everything changes. Article was worthless!!

 

Yeah one thing they rarely do is give perspective. like they should say if you track your car, auto-x it, love canyon runs, etc. then this car is worth it. if you just want a comfy highway car that has good passing acceleration then this car isnt for you.

instead they just hold it to impossible standards. TOO LITTLE attention was paid to what the car has and WHO its made for, and TOO MUCH thought on what THEY wanted, NOT the prospective buyer...

i think we'd all admit if a killer car that was luxurious and as fun/mod friendly as the evo came out we'd get that car, but ya know what? there aint thus far...

 

^ Well said! When one buys an EVO, U are paying for the engineering and associated handling; the beauty of the interior is rarely an issue for those thinking of getting an EVO. That said, the X is not a coupe which I personally prefer from a "looks" point of view. However, the AWD handling for the $$ and aftermarket potential far outweighs the body style.

Later, Ken

 

Love it! This should be someone's sig quote...

 

The best part to me is that the car was problem free just as mine has been. Lets face the fact that most of the people at C&D that drove the car would never had purchased the car in the first place so I'm not surprised about the grumblings of the harsh ride, tight seats, spartan interior, etc. These cars aren't for everyone but if you know what you are getting into you will be rewarded with one of the best driver's cars in the world. I love getting into my X everyday, hell even the interior (my MR has heated seats and the upgraded 2010 console) is growing on me.

 

That should be mandatory reading for people who want to get bent over for EVO X maintenance. $463 to replace rear brake pads? C'mon! Replacing the rear brake pads cost me less than $50.00 and about 1/2 hour of my time.

After reading that Article, I fully understand why I don't read Car and Driver Anymore. If a person thinks that an EVO X MR is too hard suspension wise, that doesn't sound like the type of person that I would take car advice from. Car and Driver seems to be nothing more than Consumer Reports these days. Non enthusiasts, evaluating enthusiast's vehicles.

 

Yes, the BMW 135i/335i, which is exactly what he was referring to, can. Next question.

 

"Some staffers think this version feels like a fast Lancer whereas the old Evo seemed to transcend its econobox roots and felt more deeply connected to Mitsu’s rallying legacy."

fightin' words

 

Actually, many buyers stretch their budgets thin to buy the Evo and can barely afford the payments never mind decent tires and pads. This is a common complaint (justified or nor) since the orginal 8 first came out in the US. Most of us know that inferior tires or brake pads instantly downgrades the car. But many people that came form cars that are not as overtly hard core are surprised when their tires are gone at 10k miles. Next time you see an older model Evo, look at the tires, I bet they are some budget priced or all season type.

 

Isn’t the 335 a much more expensive vehicle than the EVO X MR? And the 135 is a much smaller 2 door coupe and is a completely different type of vehicle. And if you add any options to the 135 it ends up costing more than an EVO X. What that staffer said is simply BS and isn't true. You can get more luxury and simular performance but at a higher price, not the same price as the staffer stated. He's full of it.

 

Only in a straight line. There is a Motor Trend comparison between the EVO X MR and 135i and the EVO destroyed it around a track. Almost 4 seconds slower on a 2.75 mile track.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...son/index.html

So in effect the quote "I can find another car with the same performance and alot better interior....."! is false as there isn't another car in the price range that performs as the same leve as the Evolution X if we are talking about total performance. There are some in the ballpark but not the same.

 

Tires I can agree with. But honestly, Who's gonna expect to pay $351 per tire on a mid $30k vehicle? There are cars that cost $75,000 that have tires that don't cost that much. Advans are great tires but you can get tires 99% as good for about $150.00 less per tire.

Now to the brake pads.

The only difference I can tell between my $50.00 ceramic pads and the $400.00stock pads are that the $50.00 pads don't squeek, doesn't coat my wheels with brake dust, and the extra $350.00 that I didn't have to spend. I could have spent the $400.00 but for what? The pads that I have stop just as well (if not better) than the $400.00 stockers. I'm completely satisfied with the cheaper pads and cannot see myself spending $350.00 more for pads when I cannot tell the difference in performance. The $400.00 brake pads are ripoffs.

 

335i Sedan starts at $40,600. 335i Coupe starts at $42,650.

Evo X MR Touring starts at $40,990.

So yeah, the X MR Touring is less expensive than the 335i Coupe, but I wouldn't call it much less. Of course options will drive the BMW's price up, but they do the same for the Evo.

So, similar price, similar performance, higher luxury for the BMW. I don't think that makes him full of it.