if you're going to DD a car where it snows... have fun with your big V8 power rear wheel drive car. sure a Corvette may walk you in the summer... I'd like too see one get out of the driveway in the winter... the AWD in my X is amazing... i was doing 80 on a "wet" freeway until I hit a lane that wasnt really plowed, simply packed down snow. rather than fish tailing all over the place and resulting in a meeting with the friendly near by WALL, as soon as i hit it, it slid a little, then pushed me right out into the next lane (that was plowed). But on the other hand I can turn off all the traction control, and waste a 1/4 tank of gas in an empty unplowed parking lot . EvO''s are pretty easy to work on/mod if you're into it. just my 2 cents, like others said, test drive everything u are looking at...and decide from there... my 2 other options i was looking at was the BMW335i w/ Xdrive (AWD) and the new taurus sho... Twin turbo 6 w/ AWD... hope to here from you AFTER u buy your EVO

 

thanks for all the feedback guys!

Now that I've been searching around this forum it really seems that most of you really love this car.

When I first started researching all these cars I immediately went for which has the most HP and fastest 0-60 1/4 mile etc. And I think thats a product of driving a car (lude) that is underpowered for so many years which has caused a lot of frustration. Now I'm starting to realize that most of the muscle cars are only good for one thing..straights. The reality of driving is that, yea I'll blow people away at a light but down the road when it gets curvy I'm getting nervous..and add a little rain or snow and I'm dead.

Now that I have a 9 month old child I've started to think about practicality and safety for the next 10 years. Instead of being selfish I have to think about daily life with a child. Yes I have an SUV for snow but my wife will need that (she has a 99 Mustang GT) so if I have the baby and have an emergency and must get out..I can.

At first I thought, "the EVO X doesn't have those big HP numbers" but then I realized the 0-60 times are damn close and to be honest who cares. The EVO has so many other things positve and practical at the same cost. So in reality I'm not sacrificing performance just getting it in a different way.

And even better I look like I'm (and is) being a good father to the wife by going 4 doors and AWD without losing my soul in a Camry. All of you married guys with kids know what I mean when I speak of the wifes input into your choice of car.

 

Evo X great car just under power from the factory needs some minor upgrades and it's a fun car.

 

i have owned an evo 9 and now a X, i dont think i can get bored of these cars, i've also had two hondas, and like you clearly stated in the beginning, it is night and day. stock X is fun, but few mods like intake, ICP and TBE...its beauty at its best.

 

plus u can get a matching recaro baby seat

 

The only thing a muscle car, say a 2011 GT, has on an EVO X is the sound and straight line acceleration.

The X is so much more of a drivers car, and so much more practical with its 4 doors and snow going abilities.

Not to mention when you get an X, you won't see yourself at every corner.

 

Minimal mods, you get that "V8 punch you in the stomach torque". but to answer your question I would get the evo (of course i might be a little biased). I do know that I was a huge fan of muscle for a long time.... and then I rode in my friends evo... got one a few months later. The AWD will be awesome for the snow and for the curvy rodes. Gets much better gas mileage. Makes great power. go with the evo

 

So your saying about 3K worth of bolt ons gives you decent gains? SO in reality for some cash you can get the evo caught up with the muscle cars and still have the AWD 4doors..something the muscle is lacking. You really cant beat that!

I live in the Philly suburbs and the roads around here are some of the best for touring. And yes we get a good amount of snow so the EVO seems like a no brainer. I also like that I've maybe seen 1 or 2 in the past year and that might of been the same guy. I love that and is one reason I like my Prelude..rare.

The EVO X looks are really growing on me..its a sharp looking car, especially compared to say the mustang. I havent liked the stang style since 04'. The 11' is better but still looks off to me. For being a 4 door car the EVO looks excellent and sporty.

Thanks for the feedback guys!

 

the only four door muscle car that could compete with the practicality of an evo is the cts-v and yes it has loads of hp, gobs of torque, and some pretty nice handling but so does an evo minus the torque and i own a muscle car and every time i go to the pump i contemplate suicide thats another plus to the evo but if you truly do love muscle then theres nothing like that sound and kick in the groin when you stomp on the gas so try everything out but in the end "to each his own".

 

Here's a thought.

Test drive the cars you're looking at. A RWD muscle car can't really be a realistic DD if you live in the northeast IMO.

 

A lot of you had talked about how the EVO can get decent gains just from simple bolt ons. I checked out some of the threads discussing different components and options but I didnt see a thread that gave you suggestions in steps...like get the intake first then exhaust then tune ECU etc etc.

Just focusing on the easy stuff what would be the cheapest and easiest steps to take for some decent mods without going crazy. My assumption would be this:
Engine Mods
1st-Intake
2nd-Exhaust
3rd-ECU/Tune

I'm sure most have different opinions on this..but I'm talking most bang for buck to get started out. I've checked out a lot of modding topics but never actually modded my cars so my ability is very novice.

What kind of gains could be expected from say these 3 simple mods? Or from any of your suggestions?

 

Ive owned a C5 corvette, a supercharged S2000, a lotus Elise, and a Prelude.

All of these have their strengths and weaknesses, but the few times I have driven a XI and X, they have overall been the better car.

And I see your worried about getting complacent with the power. Just take your time and enjoy it in stock form and then move on. With a little $ into the Evo you'll surprise a lot of people.

 

What gen Prelude LS-1? I have a 2001 currently..base 5 spd vtech. I'm sure its like apples to oranges between the Lude and a EVO. I guess I worry about power because I've been so underwhelmed with the heavy Lude's power as the years went by.

 

Throw a boost controller in addition on the car and you should be able to hit 300whp pretty easy which is quite the jump from the stock dyno horsepower on a X i remember being fairly low like 230-240whp.