PinnacleChronos

iTrader: (2)

Hi I'm really close to getting an evo but I'm still young and inexperienced when it comes to cars. I've only driven stick for about an hour but I got the basics down. I've heard that the evo cons are bad highway driving, and inexperienced drivers can run in to trouble. I assume this is becuase new stick drivers wanna rip sh*t up with their cars but burn out their clutches. and i have no idea what the highway thing is about, must be uncomfortable?

Well I DONT plan on racing or pushing the car until i Really learn the car or modding the car and I'm in it for the long run. But seriously how long do these clutches and transfer cases usually last? I was assuming that they would last like 80k miles!! but ppl are getting them replaced before 10k! I put on 20k miles (all highway) a year I can't be going through two clutches a year !!

What can I do when I get the car to take care of it? How should I learn/drive properly to keep this as a good daily driver/long term/ and have some fun with it once I learn it ?

Coming from an automatic accord v6 with a failed transmission, this car stock hp/torque, all wheel drive and turbo is going to make me happy and I dont need to mod or be racing the car all the time or anything. Hey I'm young and ignorant so dont bash me ;P

nastea

iTrader: (9)

hrmm, this car has a high cost to maintain, 4 new rotors run almost 800.00 pads run ~170 for front and ~130 for rear. you have to buy winter tires, and then in the summer you need to run ultra high performance tires. my winter tires ran me ~500 for some good 'ol pirelli's, because in our area, it doesn't always snow, so i wanted something to give me a "little" performance in the cold months.

if your a new clutch driver, the odds are AGAINST you, if you decide to get the car good luck

SuperHatch

iTrader: (23)

I agree, the Evo is not a "learner" car by any means. I've been driving stick for 8 years, stick is the only thing I've ever driven, I've never owned an automatic car. I still find myself striving to be better with this car.

- Steve

eclipsegs2k1

well my Evo was my first car with a manual tranny. Anyways, I have been very careful since I got it, and have had 0 problems with anything on the car, even the clutch. I have 6,000 miles and the clutch still feels brand new. I haven't launched the car once and I have not taken it to the track/drag strip and my only mod is a HKS catback exhaust. Anyways, if you are careful like me and you have respect for the car I don't think you will have a problem getting 20k highway miles out of the car a year without problems. Good luck.

eclipsegs2k1

However, I forgot to say this, but I do agree with the two other guys who posted because I think that most people aren't careful enough to be able to learn how to drive a manual on the Evo. It's up to you, but just know that if you have a tendency to do crazy stuff then you might want to save the money.

Dr. Fob

iTrader: (5)

I would not recommend practicing stick in an Evo. It's more difficult to control compared to a Honda, and damages may be costly. Work out the coordination on another car, then drive your Evo.

There aren't any specific techniques in terms of operating the Evo, just remember that above 3000rpm, the turbo wakes up and the car takes off. Modulate the engine speed below that, and the car drives pretty much just like any other family sedan. In addition, keep your foot off the clutch pedal when driving, and never ride it. It's known to wear quickly.

The Evo is never intended to be a highway cruiser, so expect noise, bumpiness, and lack of cruise contorl. I frequently travel between Cleveland OH and Toronto Canada. No problem at all, except the danger of speeding tickets...

PinnacleChronos

iTrader: (2)

Thanx for all the info guys. Yea I'm actually really careful with my cars and respect them. Since I'm in it for the long run I plan on being very careful with my evo. And at first I didn't understand what some people meant by evo not being a learner car but thanx Dr. Fob and eclipseqs2k1 for clearing that up. I only want to learn to become a confident driver not a racer or autoX'er or something hehe. If I am careful, how long are these clutches expected to last about?

superz

iTrader: (7)

The stock clutch can last a long time (15k+) if driven easily. I would strongly suggest against owning an Evo as your first stick car. The Evo has shown to be very easy to loose control of. The Evo does this by providing the driver with a great deal of confidence through amazing handling, braking and accelaration. This confidence is what gets many drivers in trouble by letting you beleive that this upcoming corner is "no sweat for the Evo". The recovery of a car in the middle of a spin out or possible spin out is all a matter of experience. When a car understeers or oversteers it requires very calculated corrections in order to bring her back to neutral. I was once 18 years old and I got myself into plenty trouble with basic daily drivers, let a lone an EVo.
Before any of the younger guys start flaming me, just remember that this does not include EVERY young driver. There are a crapload of Evos that have been trashed, hopefully this totalling of Evos slows down a bit.

Gil-superz

ex-honda

I would rent a Lancer OZ if you can find a car rental place in your area. At least you will have a "feeling" on driving an Evo without the power. And of course.....it's a rental.....drive it hard.

PinnacleChronos

iTrader: (2)

Thanx I appreciate all the info and I hear what you're saying superz. But I really won't be ripping around corners like that. Like i said I'm respectful of all my cars. So the stock clutch lasts around 15K-20k miles? What replacement would be best to get for it after the stock one goes, how much , and how long should that last?

Oh yea and I dont think i've ever seen lancers at car rental places around here ;p

PinnacleChronos

iTrader: (2)

oh and how much psi does a stock evo turbo put out?

MaxR

iTrader: (3)

its like 19.5 psi, i don't think its more difficult to learn on compared to a 2WD honda or toyota unless you can't resist testing out the AWD. in normal driving its a lot like any other japanese car.

Ludikraut

iTrader: (17)

I'm gonna disagree with conventional wisdom on this one. I think the Evo is one of the EASIEST manual cars to drive, given ONE condition, which is that you don't try a high rpm launch. I had both my mom and my brother drive my Evo and both of them had 0 problems driving it, even though neither of them had driven a stick shift car in years (10+ for my mom and probably 5+ for my bro). The stock clutch setup is very forgiving for putzing around, however the tradeoff is that launching the car off the line quickly generally means smoking your clutch ... kinda sucks for a quick car like the Evo. IMO, as long as you let the clutch fully engage before WOT, you should be fine (read: get the car going slowly, then ... BAM!)

Here's some things notes I posted in a similar thread:

Some notes and things to keep in mind, though:
- If you've never driven an AWD car, give yourself some time to get used to the handling characteristics. Very different from FWD (bye bye wheelspin and torque steer )
- If you haven't driven a stick ..., again give yourself time to get used to launching the Evo. Don't try to do high rpm launches until you're comfortable with the car and until it's well past its break-in period

As far as driving characteristics - yes this car can be irritating to drive on concrete pavement, because you will feel every nuance and crack on the road, however on a nice stretch of asphalt it's smooth as silk. About getting yourself into trouble ... just remember this: The Evo demands the driver's attention, so no chatting on the cell phone, drinking slurpees or probing of nasal passages if you're cruising down highways at high speeds. The car has very direct steering and tends to want to follow every groove and crevice in the road. I rarely drive with only one hand on the wheel...

l8r)

PinnacleChronos

iTrader: (2)

i love you ludikraut

SilverEvo8owner

iTrader: (3)

The evo is also my first manual car
I was 17 when i got it, 28600 miles on stock clutch, never launched, and no wrecks or close calls

Been modded since to 2k without a problem
I guess im a lucky guy or just nice to my car