naming the parts, and how the parts all work together are two different things. on road courses the mustang GT is much faster than the EVO X. That's most likely due to the extra power, but in handling tests it's numbers are very close. It also stops better than the EVO X. All the extra parts help, but just because the mustang doesn't have them doesn't mean it can't handle well (can't believe I'm saying this about a mustang...but it's true)

think of it this way...the EVO X NEEDS all those things to make it handle the way it does. it's not a light car, and it's not balanced all that well, it's just got a bunch of diffs and computers that make it handle well, and it handles REALLY well. other cars can handle as well, they just go about it in different ways. either making the car lighter, better balance, better suspension geometry, etc... they just don't need those extra things to make them handle.

I did autocross the EVO X SE before I got rid it. It felt pretty good out there, but you could feel the weight. the car just feels heavy. that, and the SST in S-Sport auto mode would do some weird **** if it needed to shift to 1st. it wasn't just mine though because there was another SE out there doing the same weird ****. the handling felt good, but the car rolls a lot. I haven't driven the mustang yet, but as I said before, the EVO isn't the only car that handles well from the factory.

 

Put exactly right. There are plenty of well handling factory cars out there.

C/D Lightning Lap:
2011 Evo X SE: 3.10.6
2010 Evo X MR: 3.13.3
2006 Evo IX MR: 3.13.5

2011 Mustang GT500 3.05.9
2011 Mustang 5.0 3.08.6
2011 Mustang v6 3.12.5 (stupid OEM 113 mph limited for test)

 

The X has 100 HP less then the Mustang. The AWD allows it to do a lot of things and I bet if it had similar HP it would do very well. AWD gets that power down, hell a Ferrari has an active rear diff to make it turn in.

 

I wish they had better drivers for the test they did in 2006. I don't think that IX MR was actually that slow. by the way they described how they drove the car, and the fact that the cobalt SS on more than one corner had both higher ENTRY, and EXIT speeds than the EVO and the 350Z, it seems like the driver didn't know what he was doing.

and to your point about different cars handling...I just saw that the 335i coupe actually was faster than the EVO X SE... 3:10.5. that makes me feel even better about my decision. haha open diff and all.

http://www.caranddriver.com/features...to_2011_page_8

 

I'm sorry but all this noise about magazine test numbers, magazine lap times, etc. does not tell the whole story about the handling differences between the Mustang vs. the Evo.

The Mustang has way more power, end of story. That's most of the reason why it wins the numbers game. If you look into the details of the lightning lap test, the Mustang powered through the straights but the Evo was faster in the corners.

Finally things like skidpads and slaloms might be indicators of things, but with all the Evo's electronics it really doesn't tell you anything. The Evo has a much sharper steering feel to the Mustang and is generally more tossable. It's a heavy car which feels light. The Mustang is a heavy car which feels heavy, but this iteration it goes faster.

Not trying to say the Mustang isn't a great car. In my opinion, it has always been a great car. It is getting incrementally better each iteration, but if you weren't having fun in Mustangs before, there isn't anything revolutionary about the new one which will change your mind IMO.

 

you're right about all of that. I don't disagree with any of that. Just saying that there are other cars that handle well, and/or do some things better, and/or are faster overall than the EVO.

at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter how you get it done. it's all about the lap time. someone said, add power to the EVO...yes, that would work. but if you want to start going mod for mod with the 5.0, you're going to lose. the car is already cheaper than the EVO, and just a better bang for the buck.

the EVO USED to be the best performance value on the market. Mitsu decided not to take steps to keep it that way, and while they were doing stupid ****, everybody else stepped their game up.

 

to be honest, i love Evo's, but the fact is besides AWD and two extra doors the 5.0 is a better car in most other categories.

Evo x.......................................Mustang 5.0
5-speed.................................6 speed
22mpg...................................27mpg
291 hp,300 tq........................412 hp, 390 tq
brembos................................brembos
recaros.................................heated leather
HID.......................................HID
etc... my point is, it doesnt ALL have to do with the fact it has 100 hp more for people in the market fro a new car, myself included.
i understand theres a lot of argument for the evo im just trying to make a point.

 

If you live somewhere that gets the white fluffly stuff, the Mustang is going to suck, along with any other RWD car.

If no snow is present, I'd go for the Pony car, even though you will see yourself on every street corner.

 

i disagree, yeah there is a butt load of mustangs out there on the street, but how many of those that you see are a 5.0's? its the same as the mitsu theres a butt load of lancers out every day but how many are evo's? same thing imo,

 

It must be different in your part of the country.

There are only 8-10 EVOs I know of in the entire state of Wyoming, and there is literally double that number (at least) of SS Mulletmobiles in this particular town, and at least 5 5.0's already.

The ratio isn't even comparable.

 

this

besides, all that means is that you're not the only one who recognized a good car and made a good decision

I've never agreed with the whole, "hey let's buy something even if it's of lesser quality/performance/or whatever just because nobody else has one" crew. my brother made that mistake when he bought his POS 2005 Lancer Ralliart back in 2005. he didn't want a civic Si because everybody had them. he didn't want a mazda 3 because everybody had them. he wanted something nobody had. well, he found out why nobody else had one.

this isn't necessarily the case with the EVO, but if you never seen anyone else owning whatever it is you're planning to buy, there's probably a pretty good reason for it.

 

Of course, but again a lot of that will be subjective. To me, no other car comes close to the Evo's handling and road feel. This car is the most fun daily driver I've ever owned and I test drove a lot of cars in the 30-40k car range. Yeah, some cars are a bit faster in some obscure performance metrics which I don't care about, but even then the difference is usually negligible.

A huge part of it I admit is that the Evo fits me like a glove - I have the perfect driving position, zero blind spots, great comfort behind the wheel and the road feel is phenomenal - all things which don't show up in magazine lap times.

Maybe if you go racing every day but in reality I don't really give a damn about lap times. 99% of the time it's a drivers race, even between a V8 Mustang and Miata. Yes, things like Lightning lap try to account for that by using the same driver, but even then, chances are the driver has more experience with AWD cars, or RWD cars, and has his own driving style which generally favors one kind of car. Not to mention, put different tires on the car and all those numbers go out the window. Lap times is the absolute WORST metric to use when buying a car you are using every day, and honestly I think only internet forums really give care about it.

People will use whatever excuse to justify why they paid 30 grand for a car, and lap times is part of it, but really I believe things like comfort, road feel, and even brand play a much bigger role then silly lap times.

I dunno, put the Evo in it's natural environment, on a rally course, and it will destroy any car on the market. Same with in rain and snow. In other tests involving 'ideal conditions', it will hold it's own against German rivals which can cost nearly twice as much including options. Against modern muscle cars, it might lose, but you are sacrificing two doors and IMO road feel and handling.

Bottom line, you aren't going to drop 30 grand on a Mustang unless you really are a Mustang guy, and you aren't going to drop 30 grand on an Evo unless you really are an Evo guy.

 

I have to say its taken ford a long time to come out with a decent v6 and suspension.
Props to ford.
The 5.0 looks to be a bad *** car.
Although if i were to go american i would have to buy a c6 vette.
Heres the deal:
ford has not given me any supporting evidence that their cars are reliable for long term.
All you guys jumped on the ford bandwagon because all everybody cares about is how fast a vehicle is.
What about driver feel and response to the road?
what about reliability?
Personally i trust japanese quality standards alot more than american.
Im not saying the evo is better overall.
I just work hard for my money and im not willing to take a chance on a Fix-Or-Repair-Daily.

in a few years when i see that these "new" fords are holding up well i may change my tune.
Until than its all about the red sun

 

everything you said, but especially this part is exactly the way I felt, and still feel about my EVO IX MR. the EVO X doesn't uphold any of this though.

 

btw , i was going to but a 335i however i found that after doing research alot of ppl who have them say they regret buying them because of major transmission issues and fuel pump issues as well as other smog valves going bad left and right.
I did lots of research for many months before i bought the evo..my olnly complaint is the gas mileage, but coming from a lover of hondas its to be expected.

how is yours holding up?? i love the interior and exterior