I would like to ask what people feel about long term living with an EVO X. Both the the GSR and MR. Day to day regular grocery, errands, types of things, to road trips. What grates on you, what do you wish was different, that you could change, what is it that you really like?

I drive a 2007 Porsche Cayman S now. I have test driven an EVO X. I posted a comparison of the two when I test drove an EVO a few years ago. But that does not tell me about long term livability of the EVO. I hear from some sources it can wear on you.

I am still looking at an EVO to replace the Cayman because I need a larger trunk (back seat in EVO will do), I like the greater visibility, sitting up higher, the convenience of four doors and having to worry much less about dragging a long low nose. I can only get the Cayman into my driveway going the wrong way down the street closely following the curb. If a car parks in front of my house, I can't get in. Living with the Cayman is not all that pleasant at times.

So, for those who have had their EVO for a bit, how is your relationship with it faring?

Phil

 

The evo is a great dd , i have a gsr no prob with the gears , the interior is cheap , really cheap for a $35k . But if u can get over that its a great car i drive it everyday without a complain , dont forget that it is a great performance car in a cheap sedan body, i guess it depends on ur inclinations. I would sacrifice confort for perfomance any day. Btw it look cheap but all the driver interaction parts like steering wheel , seats , pedals and shifter are nice quality not plastic

 

Our trunks are really small, but our backseats are good as you pointed out.

Bad gas mileage is mildly annoying.

Crappy sound system could use an overhaul, but that's certainly fixable.

Other than that I love it.

 

Well I would generally say its a great car for what it is. Lets review,
-SWAC allows for superior handling during adverse weather conditions
-Factory equipped Brembos provide adequate braking performance
-Suspension geometry provides crisp handling with improved response on MR models equipped with Eibach springs and Billistine struts

Those were my big sellers when I purchased my '11 GSR in December of 2012. Now I know your looking for long term reviews but let me provide some insight on my situation.

I've owned everything from heavily modified Mustangs ('04 GT set-up for drag and a '12 GT set-up for auto-x) to modified DSMs (set-up for auto-x) and with a growing family the 2 door coupes did not exactly fit my needs. Unable to sacrifice my desire for performance for a family vehicle I began to look at other competitors such as the Charger SRT8, BMW M3, EVO X and the Genesis 5.0 R-Spec. Out of all of my test drives I felt that the X was my best option for performance vs. price. I am able to comfortably fit both of my kids ( 3 y/o son and my 1 y/o daughter) in the back without my wife or I pushed up towards the dash. Unlike previous EVO models the X's trunk is compromised by Mitsubishi's goal of better weight distribution. I can take my family out to the store and manage to fit all the groceries in the trunk, even when I take the stroller (2 seats) I can manage to fit it in the trunk along with my tool kit I take with me everywhere and still have enough space to fit a few things I purchase at the mall or other outlets, I do wish the trunk space was larger but sometimes sacrifices are made.

Mitsubishi's fairly new 2.0 MIVEC engine, while it hasn't yet been able to prove its longevity, has proven that it is a solid design. The motor has been reinforced to provide the aluminum block with increased integrity, the cylinder head was improved from the 4G63T to provide increased flow coupled with cam actuated variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust camshafts, oil flow has been improved to provide superior cooling and lubrication. Overall it is a very well designed motor, given there are always flaws (timing chain issues on '08 and '09 years) for the few individuals on EvoM that have crested over the 100k mark seem confident in its design.

The GSR's 5-speed, like previous EVO models, is a solid drivetrain. Diff pin failures have been reported on the '08 and '09 years (upgraded in '10) this problem is easily solved with a pin upgrade and solid diff bushings. The main weakness in the X's design comes from the very system that makes this car truely superior, the SWAC. In 2008 Mitsubishi introduced the new SWAC system that changed the reactive system of the past and incorporated a proactive system that allowed for improved handling. With all great things there must always be a flaw, and sadly enough its the AYC pump. This pump is housed in an aluminum casing and placed in the wheel well of the passenger rear. Road grime and salt from the roads builds up and corrodes the casing, even without corrosion this grime and its placement allows for excessive heat build-up which takes its toll on it's internal components. Several owners have had to get them replaced as soon as 20k miles and other as late as 60k, even with such a turn off there are methods to fix this issue such as: coating the pump with a rubber coating, moving the pump to the trunk or upgrading the pumps internal components and lubricating the casing with anti-corrosion coating.

Increased power outputs are easily obtained on this vehicle as it responds extremely well to modifications. Simple bolt-ons such as a turbo-back, intake and a good tune yields mid 300awhp and with the X progressing throughout the years the aftermarket is dropping in price.

While the X isn't known for its gas milage several EvoM members have reported mid 20s with, my recent experience, getting 27mpg on the highway (Only mods are: Cobb turbo inlet, cone filter, 3" downpipe, testpipe, Agency Power 3" catback and a tune)...never going over 65mph my average headed back from VA yesterday was 27.5

The X is comfortable on short trips if your used to a stiff suspension but anything over an hour starts to take a toll on your lower back but, like all things, you get used to it. The MR does have more sound deadening material but road noise is still an issue.

I have 25k miles on my X (bought it with 9400 miles) and the only issue I've had was a fluke with the battery (the factory Panasonic batteries are ****) and after the tune I had to replace the clutch, but, the guy before me couldn't drive a standard for **** so I don't blame the car. The main things you need to worry about are
-AYC pump (northern climates are more harsh on the case due to road salt)
-Timing chain depending on the year model but proper service should eliminate this
-Regardless of what MMA says, Synthetic oil should be used (they recently changed it from synthetic to conventional but word on the street is that conventional is harsh on the journal bearings and because of thermal breakdown conventional may or may not sludge easier #all on opinion)
-Strut bearings or Hats are fairly weak so aftermarket springs increase wear because of their higher spring rate
-Brake dust lol - factory pads are horrible and its not a matter of if but when your caliper paint will start to deteriorate lol
-Gas mileage on factory tune and until you learn her
-Flat tires usually result in a complete set replacement as anything greater than a 5/32 inch difference in tread places wear on the AWD system components

Over all it really is a great car, its not the most luxurious vehicle as the interior still feels like your average economy car, but it was built for the enthusiast. Even though it hasn't been around for a substantial amount of time it has proven itself reliable enough to be considered as a solid investment.

As a family man it has met all my needs, I have a bad habit of only keeping cars for a short time as my needs and wants are always changing but I do plan on keeping this oe for a while.

 

As long as you can live with the small trunk, it is a great DD! I've been DD'ing an Evo since 2007, and my X since 2010. I have 64k miles on the X and still absolutely love driving it. Driving it to work, car events, group cruises, roadtrips...whatever it may be, it's awesome to drive

 

The small trunk is probably my biggest complaint, but I've also had an absolute nightmare of a time with reliability (had an axle, transfer case, and AWD pump all replaced in under 19000 miles/3 years).

As also noted above, the stock tune is horrible. At the very least get a stage 0 tune (I was running the one from WORKS). Great power increase and better mileage.

 

A lot better than I feel about living long term with a sexual transmitted infection

 

Super nice daily driver. Dont sweat it

 

OP, you can try to find out if you can install the Porsche front axle lift system, so the problem is solved.

However, if your desire is to get an Evo, then Evo it is.

 

I love my little grocery getter.

It's funny, I went TDY for 3 weeks and had a rental (KIA Optima), I didn't realize how much I missed dding my Evo until I got home and got behind the wheel again.

I had an '09 Ralliart before I bought the X it was my dd. The Evo is a much better ride IMO. Plus I love the Recaro seats!

 

Owned a GSR for two years before my IX and it was the best car I've ever owned. Never let me down, had the power when I needed it, had the handling, had the 4 doors and had the trunk space. Granted not that big, but it was there.

Very comfortable DD overall.

 

MR and be done

 

Seats 4 comfortable, gas mileage isn't too horrible I get 20-24 city 21-22 highway on e85. Rockford system sounds good as hell IMO. Navi makes it look more luxurious and I gutted the trunk out, spare, plastic pieces and the windshield fluid, put the carpet back in and I can fit 2 people in it. Don't ask how but it's not that bad

 

My 2013 GSR serves as a DD and is, for the time being, bone stock. My commute is ~30 miles each way, with the first half (going in) being canyon roads and the last half being highway. Gas mileage for mixed driving has been ~22.5. As others have mentioned, the Evo isn't the best highway cruiser. It is, however, a fantastic canyon carver and I look forward to the the last half of the drive home every day.

My two major complaints are the cheap interior and excessive road noise. Other than that, I enjoy driving it on a daily basis and am satisfied with the purchase.

 

I have right around 95-96k miles on my '08 GG GSR with SSS. I honestly have loved every minute of it. It has been my DD/only car for the entire duration of my ownership. I purchased it in Dec of 08 and used it to commute 90-100m/day 5 days a week for just over 3.5 years at my old job. I took a consulting job in early 2012 and opted to bring it with me instead of using a rental to save some coin (my living / travel expenses are paid for). I want to say that it had around 83k on it when I made the move, and I've put the difference in mileage on since then.

At around 87k my AYC pump finally went - which is no major surprise given that I used it as a DD through a few PA winters. Had I known about this issue when I purchased the car, I probably would have taken some precautions and maybe relocated the pump. That being said, I DID purchase an extended warranty with the car (I knew that I wouldn't be modding it for a while) and the repair was covered. The warranty did pay for itself twice over given the repair cost at the stealership (I actually had a very good experience with the dealership that did the work).

I purchased an access port fairly soon after I purchased the car and got through with a decent break in period. I think I've had it on there since about 7k miles, and it really is a night and day difference from the stock tune. I ran a Perrin stage 1 map for a while and have since moved to a COB Stage 1 map for the HKS panel filter (I have a Perrin panel filter).

My clutch is the original, but I don't launch my car and I take care to always rev match, so I don't expect to need a replacement for a while. I do love throwing the car into corners and get on it quite frequently, but I'm not a stoplight racer. I've had no other issues with the car to date. I've done most of the routine maintenance myself, and it's all pretty easy (I have a good local shop - so I think I only had 1 or 2 oil changes done at the dealer because they threw some in free originally).

The OEM brake pads were dusty as hell and squealed something fierce. While that's fine for a track car, I didn't like it in a daily driver (the squealing - I could care less about the dust). The guards at my old employers entrance used to always tell me that I needed new brakes - I frequently had to assure them that I didn't (LOL). I replaced the pads with Girodisc magic pads at around 30k miles when the stockers were close to done and I love them for DD pads. They have lasted me just over 60k now and it's finally time to replace them (that reminds me I have to order another set). The stock rotors still look just fine (again many highway miles on my car).

So what do I not appreciate:

- The factory paint sucks pretty hard. I've rectified that with some Dr color chip which worked pretty well (I plan to do another round of touch-ups tomorrow). The black paint on my hood heat vents is also pealing a bit - so I'll have to take those out and spray them / plastidip them. My advice to you is that you (at a minimum) clear bra the front of the car to maybe half way up the hood and clear bra the rear doors / side skirts / fenders in the area to the front of the rear wheels. I personally would cover the area up to the the mid line of the door. Finally, because I'm a big guy (6'4" and 220lbs), I've removed some paint from the side skirt and lower door sill getting into the Recaros (I assume this was from abrasion from my pants after repeated entries - I certainly don't drag my leg over the sill enough that I can feel it). I would have put some clear bra material there too. Also, rally armor mud flaps are a great investment in your pain (unfortunately I didn't put mine on soon enough). Do yourself a favor and budget some $$$ for clear bra and get it done immediately after you buy the car... don't put it off like I did. Note that I have freaking rock chips on my roof and I found one on the rear of my trunk today (how that happened I can't tell you). I will also point out that I'm NOT a tailgater and generally leave a very healthy space between myself and the car in front of me when I can. Dr colorship does work very well - so I can put up with it.

- The trunk could be bigger, but as others have said the car does make up for it by having back seats that you can fit real sized adults in. The back seats in my car are WAY roomier than my roommates e46 330i sedan and I feel that they are great for the size class of the car. I don't mind having the battery or wiper fluid in the trunk, but I really would have liked it if Mitsu found some way to make a folding back seat / pass through work.

- Gas mileage isn't great, but gets slightly better with an aftermarket tune. If you keep your foot out of it the car does pretty well on the highway at or under 65mph. Over 75mph it starts to drop pretty good. I've gotten 25-27 mph on straight highway trips and generally only drop into the high teens when I'm doing a lot of stop and go and perhaps driving like a douche (aka having fun). On my normal 7 mile drive to work I see about 19-22 depending on how "spirited" I am that day.

- The interior is relatively low rent, and is certainly below par for a 35k vehicle. That being said, the driving performance is well above par - so keep that in mind. The cloth Recaro's are fantastic seats, and I find them comfy even for long drives (they are also holding up very well in my car). I don't have Nav, so my car looks pretty plain inside. It does have the aluminum shift knob and brake handle, which have a great feel to them. The steering wheel is average. It's fairly comfortable and has good girth but mine looks a bit worn. I would have preferred a higher quality leather and some thumb rests from the factory. That being said, It's not exactly bad. The factory RF stereo that I got with the SSS package is actually pretty good. If I decide to keep the car for another few years, I'll probably get a focal setup swapped in, but for a stock stereo it's more than acceptable IMHO. I should also note - I don't have any creaks or rattles anywhere... just a bit of road noise (and in all honesty - that's why I have a stereo... and that stereo has a volume knob).

- Did I mention that I'm not a fan of the paint quality?

- I'm on my 5th set of tires (including the stock ones). That includes a winter set, 3 summer sets (2 of which were on 18x9.5 rims at 265/35/18), and now a pair of Conti DWS on the stock rims that are performing very well. Since I no longer have the long commute, I'll most likely get a set of RPF-1's with some stickier rubber next time. That being said, this car drives VERY well even on a high performance all season tire with a high tread wear rating. The car does chew through summer rubber though - so if you are going to commute a decent distance and auto x / track on the weekends... you'll probably want a dedicated set of hooligan rims with tires for your weekend warrior uses.

- I wouldn't mind a 6th gear, but I understand the reason for it's omission. That being said, the car does get a little buzzy on the highway at 75mph. I didn't mind it as much back in PA because I was often traveling a bit slower as my commute didn't involve any zones where the posted speed was 70mph. The nice thing is that it's always in the power band.

All and all I love the car. I've recently been toying with the idea of getting a new toy (Z06, M3, Ford Raptor, Maybe a 2015 mustang) but I'm having a hard time selling myself on getting rid of the Evo. I'm pretty sure it's going to stay... maybe I'll just pick up an Elise to keep it company... Also, I think it's time for some mods!