I'm in the market for my first Evo. I've been dying to own one ever since I use to own an Eclipse GSX.

Anyways, I was curious if there was much difference between the X and the 8/9's for a daily driver? Regardless of which route I decide to go I will be going with a very lightly modded, or stock, car as possible. I live in the NE, so snow is somewhat of a factor too. Will it just come down to personal preference, and what good deals I can find for a used Evo? Or is one better than the other for daily driving? I can't imagine there would be a huge difference, but figure I would ask the community.

 

Do you want more creature comforts like heated seats and sound deadening is the bigger concern

 

Well I will be driving my kids around fairly often in it, so comfort would be a good thing. Plus my commute to work is an hour each way, so yeah comfort is a big plus lol. I'm going to assume that the X would give me those benefits over the 8/9.

 

Haha yeah I daily an 8 and its a lot more "raw" and.more of a drivers car. Also the Manual vs a dual clutch automatic will change how you feel for a daily

 

X with touring package.

 

Evo X for days as a DD. Ignore the fanboys.

 

I bought an VIII in MA for winter commuting, back in '03, but moved south after its first winter.
I'm still breaking in my X MR.

Whichever way you go, the factor that will determine your handling on snow are your tires.
The OEM tires on either one are utterly useless in winter.

I had Nokian WRs on my 8 in MA, and they dealt with snow very well. Ice and hard-pack less so.

But an 8 is a very DIY car, behind the wheel. It's a street legal go kart with 4 seats.
The X, in MR trim, is a rolling computer center. It has AWC and enough displays to create information overload, until you get used to it.

The X, especially in MR trim, will have all the bells and whistles: bluetooth, heated seats, traction control, etc. (And a couple more horses in stock trim -- but heavier, too.)
The 8 is less aerodynamic (hence the big wing), but more involving.

When I drove the 8 down to DC, I had to stop several times to get circulation back in my bum from those hard seats. I didn't have any trouble driving the MR an hour and a half back from the dealer (other than not being able to find the seat back adjustment).

A wife that can't drive a clutch can put an MR in "auto" mode and drive it, in a pinch.
Which could be good ... or bad.

If you want comforts, the X is the way to go. If you're looking for a raw driving experience, go with an 8 or 9.

The X will cost more. It'll be harder to find an 8 or 9 that's still stock. It'll be easier to get a bank loan on a newer car.

One factor: the newer cars come with mandatory tire pressure sensors in the rims, so it's a bit harder to set up winter/summer rims with snow tires.
(It can be done, but you have to get the programmable sensors for the second set. Or have the dealer reprogram it twice a year.)

But either way, the car only has about eight inches of ground clearance. When the snow gets deeper than that, your intercooler becomes a snow plow.
(Bad, when the snow blocks the radiators.)
That wasn't a problem in Metro West, and the VIII handled seven inches of snow easily.
It became a problem in DC, where they have no idea how to clear the roads.
I don't have much experience with the X yet, but it handled last week's ice (on all season Bridgestones) without too much drama.
(The X's ride on 3rd gen runflats isn't much better than the 8.)

The X has cruise control (as did the Celica GT-Four I had before the 8.) The 8 doesn't. (But I never found it very useful in MA, anyway.)

FWIW: one thing that made me opt for the X's GPS (NAVCOM) is that it can play MP3s from SD flash -- no more dragging around a wallet of CDs.

 

I have owned a VIII and now a X GSR. For a daily driver, I have to say the X. Like you, I commute just over a hour each way. IMHO, the X is better suited for long distances and as a DD than the VIII. Granted, I loved my VIII, but it is just raw, while the X is much more refined. I have a kid and another one due every day and feel much comfortable putting them in the X than a VIII.

You can still mod if you like on the X but have that refined feeling. I have blizzaks for a winter and the storm we had a few weeks back was a cake walk.

 

You guys are awesome. Pretty much gave me all the info I need to make the best decision. Hopefully later on today I can get out of work a little early, and take an hour and a half trip to check out an 08' GSR down in Baltimore.

 

After DD'ing both a IX and a X, the X is the clear choice. It is a much better car when it comes to noise, comfort, features, etc. Hell, plus the X handles better thanks to S-AWC and mods just as well, so really, there are no downsides except for a little extra weight from the safety and crash protection stuff (which I'm more than happy to have, especially since my X insurance was cheaper than the IX)

 

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/ev...-ix-merge.html

 

++^

This morning it was freezing again, I'm sure glad my EVO has heated seats.
Plus the suspension is great for DD TOO

 

I don't think people can answer for you. It's like asking "what's the best sounding exhaust?" People's idea of comfort is different. I have a X with bride fixed bucket and stiff springed coil overs. I think it's fine. Most would get out of the car and go straight to the chiropractor.

I don't think the differences in comfort between the two are great enough for you to make that the deciding factor.

 

Well i am sitting with the salesman now for an 08 gtr, so i made up my mind lol. Few signatures away from being a first time Evo owner.

 

Haha I read gtr and was like woah nice change