hey guys whats going on here............thought I would stop by now that I am thinking about getting an evo
I currently have a 2005 GTO,2005 SRT4 and 2006 Impreza 2.5i
The GTO is an awesome car that I will be upgrading some
the Impreza is a great winter/DD car
and the SRT4 is just a good performance car for the price
but its time to get rid of it for something else that is better and more fun and now its between the STI and Evo,the bitter rivals
since my impreza has the new nose it has grown on me and I like it but I looked at an 07 STI Limited in urban gray metallic and the nose looks bad with that color
So come this January I will be looking around for an evo 9 most likely
Just trying to decide between the RS and IX base model I really like the blue but the red is also nice on the RS and it doesnt come with the damn high rise spoiler that I am not very fond about
couple questions I got for you guys

how rough riding is the evo without the bilstein shocks? my srt4 is not exactly a nice ride it is pretty damn rough and I am used to it so it doesnt bug me
couldnt a nice set of coilovers make the ride better?

I actually sat in an evo at a an internationl auto show and the recaros were pretty tight on me but I suspect they will grow on me over time

and another big question I bet you get all the time how reliable are the evos minus the clutch and drivetrain under excessive abuse?

hope to get some answers..........and will probally be rocking the
along with the other 2 badges

 

aside from a questionable drivetrain the evo is fairly bullet proof...under stock power the clutch is fine if you drive it correctly

ride varies with age...the older you are the more it is likely to bother you

of course coilovers can soften that up or firm it up even more

 

I have been looking around and it doesnt look like there are many upgrades for the "internal" parts of the evos drivetrain around.................in my opinion most of the problems with the evo and sti's are from people launching them from redline every chance they get most likely

 

The RS's ride is stiff but fine for daily use. The noise level due to lack of sound deadening is pretty high. I plan on adding some dynamat in the trunk come spring. I also only drive it during the summer months.

I am still on the stock cluch with 366awhp. If you treat it with respect the car will hold up well. Break it in according to the owners manuel and keep up on the scheduled maintenance and your Evo will treat you fine.

 

I mostly see image-driven younger folks complaining about the ride, as if it's actually a valid consideration for a street legal rally car.

speeddemon100, the Bilstein suspension is slightly softer ride-wise, but it doesn't offer a night and day difference compared to a RS/GSR setup. That said, if you're concerned about ride quality, you may be disappointed with the car as a whole. There are plenty of other cars to choose from.

 

not worried about ride quality remember I am replacing the srt4 with it and that thing rides like a rock just trying to assure myself its going to be on par with the srt and maybe a little less

 

Obviously we're all in favor of the Evo over the STI. Regardless, it has the potential of replacing each and every car you have. Compared to the GTO, the Evo can already outperform it not just based on published performance figures but in my own personal experiences. Compared to the Impreza, the Evo can replace it as a winter car, with its effective AWD system and ACD snow mode. Compared to the SRT-4, the Evo is even more mod-friendly.

That aside, the ride isn't as harsh as people make it out to be. Like someone said before, the Bilsteins ride a little better but aren't drastically more comfortable. It takes bumps and potholes pretty well, but you'll notice more harshness when going over extended lengths of uneven pavement, like on freeway sections that desperately need to be repaved. However, it's nothing unbearable, and those portions of road usually get covered in a couple seconds. However, from what I remember, I'd say the Evo is a bit stiffer than the SRT-4.

As far as the seats being a big tight, you'll actually be thankful for it once you start throwing the Evo into some curves. They're meant to be snug so they can hold you and your passenger in place in the twisties.

The Evos, especially the IXs, have proven to be very reliable so far. I bought mine at the very end of February and just passed 10k miles last weekend, and it is perfectly fine. I followed the break-in procedures and suggested maintenance schedules listed in the owner's manual, and everything is good. And regarding the clutch and transmission, it's usually the guys who get too curious with the car who end up needing replacement parts. It's just a matter of knowing how to drive your car and not abusing it all the time. However, there are some guys who have talked about doing continuous AWD launches on the drag strips numerous times and having zero problems afterward.

Good luck with your future purchase with whatever car you end up choosing.

 

well my GTO with heads+cam plus other bolt ons will be pretty formible but of course it will not handle like the evo........I would probally do some mods to the evo also bigger turbo and such I live about half an hour away from Pruven performance and Speedtechnik so getting the ecu flashed and getting dynos would be pretty easy no doubt

 

welcome, you'll love the evo once you get it.

 

just curious of what you guys have been paying for evos,local dealer said $31500 for electric blue IX and my buddy who is a mitsu salesman but 950miles away said he would sell me the one on his showroom for $30,300

 

Go to this thread to get some of the best deals available. Many people on this forum, myself included, went through this individual to purchase their Evo.

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/fo...play.php?f=156

 

ahhh good deals man but I live in connecticut

 

Lots of people from out of state still order from this guy. They get their Evos shipped and still end up paying far less than they would at a local dealer. Some people even fly to Cali and drive their cars home, and guess what... the car is instantly broken in by the time you get home.

 

its looking like I will get one from milwaukee from a mitsu salesman who happans to drive a GTO and is also a member on the GTO forums

 

my buddy who is the mitsu salesman says he can do a IX in electric blue for $30,300+fees it just sucks he is 950 miles away
the local dealer wants $31500 but says they have to order the car(blah blah blah)

I am going to one last dealer near me before deciding on what I want to do