Hi guys. Totally new here so sorry if this has already been asked. I have a 2008 Lancer DE. Im just wondering if modding it(turbo, boost, intake,etc) are worth it? I've done some research and some people say its not worth it, you're only going to get so much HP and torque, and to save up for a rally or an evo. I'm more of a person who wants to build my car up, not buy it.
So opinions? Have any of you spent big money on your DE's? What your mods? HP/torque? I realize it'll take me years to build it the way I want, and that's fine.

 

kinda worth it if its manual. not worth it or risky if its auto.

 

I'm gonna say no, because when you build up the car, you're gonna enjoy it but also want something better/faster. And a lancer with too much power will just have wheel slip and torque steer, so it won't be all that fun to drive.

You're better off either saving up and switching to RA/Evo, or just staying lightly modded without going the turbo route.

 

What kind of parts would you consider for "lightly modded without going the turbo route"?

Intake, exhaust, springs/coilovers, and visual mods? Is there really anything else worth putting money towards?

 

For a Lancer, it really comes down to whether or not you mind being upside down on the Dollar-Hp equation. You could spend upwards of 1500 in basic bolt ons (intake, header, exhaust) for a 5-10hp gain (worst case scenario). Will the car feel peppier? maybe. But there are a lot of cars that respond better when you dump 1500 bucks on them.

Do you take value in the experience of working on your car? Do you find yourself not able to leave things alone? Are you ok with low to mild improvements? If yes then its worth it.