Hey everyone, i'm in the market for a used Evo8/9 MR/no MR?

I've been searching everywhere, and nothing has gave me some solid answers on which really to go by.(I'm also new to Evo's, and new to forced induction/engine modifications)

Things i'm looking for in the long run is price/reliability/power/handling, cosmetics can always be done later on.

Bottom line: I want to know which gen/year Evo will suit me best. (Power wise, i'm looking to get ~260-300whp legal, reliable and the cheapest way to do so.)

Detalied information or a link to some comparisons if you guys have it is gladly appreciated.


In addition: I see a 03 Evo 8 goin for 15k with 48k miles. Sounds like a real good deal but need to know if a 9 is what i'm looking for rather than the 8.

Thanks all.

 

cheap, reliable, fast.....Choose 2

my advice to you is to look up the evo wiki page, it gives a good description of the evo 8-10 including stock specs, changes from year to year and model differences.

 

Mainly it's reliability. For power; i'm mainly going for the 'best bang for the buck'.
I'm looking to lightly mod this car, will not be seeing the track.

I'll go over the wiki page and see what I can educate myself on, thanks.

Any additional information anyone can provide will help.

 

Well I just sold my 2006 Evo IX SE (gone in 2 weeks {thumbdown} , but in the 20k miles I've owned it I haven't had a single issue with it. I love the strength of the 5 speed transmission, although cruising down the freeway I wish I had that 6th gear :/ Im lightly modded at around 350whp btw. My best advice is to narrow down your favorite trim for the 8/9/10 and go take them for a test drive and choose from there. You won't go wrong with ANY evo if you find one thats unmolested IMO. Welcome to the community!

 

I think I already have my answer, and its really due to the interior pieces that a 9 provides over the 8.

The 8 is just terribly tacky and downright ugly. I'd pay more for the 9, especially with all the other goodies it provides.

 

Cheap? Maybe eBay crap but don't expect the car to be reliable. Like buying an OBX Green turbo or even the OBX front LSD. Only thing that eBay that will work fine is the turbo back exhaust system and the O2 housing. Everything else is crap unless you're willing to spend a few hundred more to some quality things.

$15k seems pretty good and at the same time, fishy. Get a Carfax on it, make sure the VIN is correct to each body panel to make sure it wasn't in a accident or the car is stolen, etc. 9s rarely go under $20k so if you think the 9 seats and black steering wheel is worth the extra $5k, go for it. Otherwise, $15k for an 03 isn't bad. No ACD but it doesn't sound like you'll be road racing at all so it doesn't matter if you have it or not.

 

I picked a 9 over an 8 to simply have a rarer car and one that looked a bit better , plus it was local

If you want cheap HP , you should get a big V8 . Cutting corners and modding " the cheapest way possible" on turbo cars is always a terrible idea.

 

It really depends more on budget. People are charging a premium for Evo 9s simply because there aren't that many around (supply and demand), even with high miles. I found a lower mileage Evo 8 and couldn't be happier. If you're hung up on interior pieces I'm surprised your buying an Evo. You don't exactly buy these cars to lust over the interior. At the same time, Evo 8/9 interiors are very similar anyways. If you want a nice interior go buy an Audi.

 

Most will agree that the IX will be a better option than the VIII. The engine is the most potent from the factory, and it'll respond a lot better to most basic mods short of a turbo upgrade compared to the other ones. You'll likely spend a bit more for it (considering that they are newer while being rarer as well, as someone else pointed out), but it's also likely that it will have lower mileage as well in most cases, as the VIIIs would be anywhere between one and three years older and likely with higher mileage.

The interior isn't really THAT different once you get past the odd use of colors. Even though the IX is a huge step forward in terms of aesthetics, it's still far from elegant. The steering wheel is all black (instead of the spokes being silver), the main dashboard piece is fake carbon fiber (which looks a lot better than the one on the VIII, which I think is just a flat color), and the seats are actually slightly better material while looking nicer. The seats in the VIII are still excellent in terms of feel, but the black-and-blue color combination is just odd, especially if you had a red Evo.

Good luck with your purchase.