Originally Posted by SEVEN

hope the X is better, cause i am looking forward to trade my VIII for the X

Originally Posted by bounce

The reputation of the EVO is well known and respected in the automotive community and it’s a car I have been contemplating purchasing. A few days ago the salesman from a local dealership called me up and asked me to come out and check out the new IX. I hopped in my car and headed to the dealership. As we pulled in I sported the brand new EVO IX RS sitting there. I looked it over with my girl. We both concluded something that I had not previously believed… It looks better than the STi. Strange because previously I had much preferred the STi, but somehow this EVO had a more purposeful tone to it.
As I got in I took note of the lack of power anything. Yes the RS is pretty bare, I was surprised to find the trunk was not even lined. Of course I realized there could be only one reason for these omissions… Weight.

Getting Ready for Take-Off:
After strapping in, I fired her up. The clutch felt good, really good, I had deliberately worn my Dr Martin work shows instead of my driving shoes because these are what I wear to work and I wanted to see how easy it would be to drive this car in them.
I didn’t have any problems. After hearing the salesman go on and on about how he had driven the wheels of the thing previously I realized, much to my horror that he didn’t care if we respected the car’s break-in. At that point I made a mental note reminding myself why it’s my policy NEVER to buy a dealer demo car.
I proceeded to put the IX though it’s paces and then handed it over to my girl so she could figure out if she could live with it also.

Comparing Notes:
After our test drives we compared notes. We unanimously concluded the EVO was a much more entertaining drive than the STi. The EVO felt light and very fast. We both had grins on our face after driving the IX. I can safely say I’ve never driven another sedan that has felt this well sorted. It was immense fun. While the STi was fast it felt closer to the new Audi S4… Fast, but in a big heavy muscle car sort of way. For some reason the weight of those cars is much more perceivable than the weight of the EVO.
Is the STi fast? Yes, very, but it’s acceleration feels more haphazard, less controllable. . In the end we both concluded that the EVO is like a scalpel, while the STi is like sledgehammer.
The S4 is heavier than the STi, so for driver fun, scored lower than the other two in our eyes. On the plus side the S4 is very well appointed inside.

A Quick Comment on Ride Quality:
We both found the ride of the EVO IX to be quite good. It was perhaps a little rougher than the STi and S4, but more than good enough. Please keep in mind however, that we are use to driving a Jeep Wrangler, Mini Cooper S and Lotus Elise; so perhaps we are just used to stiff suspensions. Out of those cars the Jeep has by far the worst ride. Actually it’s the worst riding street car I’ve ever driven. So anyone driving any of the cars I listed will find the EVO to be very comfortable.

Final Thoughts:
The EVO is the first car I’ve driven since the Elise that didn’t feel like a fat pig of a car to me. The only thing that stopped me from ordering one then and there is the fact that the EVO X is now on the horizon and promises to be the best stock revision yet.
Anyway we figure it doesn’t hurt to wait, then if the new X turns out to be all hype we can always pick up a left over IX for cheap. It’s nice to see someone is making a practical ever-day usable car, that is truly an pleasure to drive. I had almost lost all hope of this. Thanks Mitsu

Originally Posted by Kane317

Can I ask how does the EVO fare against the Elise in terms of handling because I understand the Elise is world class in that department.

Curiously, you're not British are you?

Originally Posted by bounce

EVO vs Elise, that's a tough one:
The Elise is wonderful to drive, fast beautifully balanced and it looks incredible. I think it’s as close as you can get to a race-car on the street. The EVO is awesome, but stock to stock the Elise will hand the EVO it’s a$$ in the handling department. Before you freak, you need to realize that a stock Elise can pull more than 1G no problem and will easily out handle virtually everything on the road.
Braking wise, I’m pretty certain the Elise beats everything.
Frankly after owning the Elise I have been disappointed with most cars I have driven since. It’s a true testament that anyone could drive an EVO after owning a Elise and still walk away thinking the EVO is a fantastic car and that it handles great.
Now in straight line speed things would be closer. The Elise can do 0-60 in 4.3 seconds, but only if you’re willing to dump the clutch at 8000 RPMs. I never did that to my car and know of very few owners that would. The stock clutch in the Elise is not really designed for that kind of abuse; although I have not heard of one failing to date. Most Elise owners prefer to use their car to cut through corners at ungodly speeds. For this reason in the real world you might beat the Elise in a straight line if you’re hell bent on doing it. But you’ll be admiring it’s tail lights once the roads get twisty.

A Quick Word on Steering:
The Elise in know for it excellent feedback and is said to have perhaps the best steering feel of any car. We had worried that they would put in a assisted steering system and ruin the feel. Fortunately Lotus kept the steering all manual. OK for a car this light but I doubt it would work on something signicatly heavier. For this reason for the most part I have been largely disappointed with almost everything else I’ve driven… So how do I rate the EVO steering… EXCELLENT!. Second only to the Elise. Great feedback, feel and response. It’s still hard for me to believe is felt that good.

Life is not a dream:
There's more to consider than just performance (I can’t believe I just said that… Typed that). Most people that own an Elise also own other more practical cars. For most owners,the Elise is used as you would use a motorbike. It’s a car you drive when your only mission is to drive it. It’s not a car you drive because you need to get somewhere. That’s not to say no one uses it as a daily driver, but I’d say for most it’s more of a toy.
Unfortunately the Elise is a double edged sword. Yes it looks great, but it attracts so much attention that it really does discourage you from wanting to drive it out. I have been followed (I mean people will make an abrupt u-turns to follow the car) many times. You can’t get three feet without attracting a crowd. I witnessed people circling my car in parking lots. It’s crazy.
Another difference is that the Elise is an Exotic, and while it’s perhaps one of the more down to earth exotics, it still has that temperament that all exotic have. Nowhere near to the extent of a Ferrari, but still expect to have little problems occur from time to time… It’s the nature of the beast. Strangely the little idiosyncrasies mean nothing once you hit the twisties. All is forgiven and that gigantic grin returns to the vacancy that was your mouth.

Automotive Candy:
If you’ve never experienced the Elise you are missing out on one of life’s true automotive pleasures. Just getting into the Elise is an experience, as the sills are very high. You feel like you're climbing into a racecar. The Elise is surprisingly accommodating and can fit drivers up to 6’ 3” or so. Still it always feels like you’re wearing the car. You notice how close the pedals are… Unless you have tiny feet you will most likely want to get a pair of driving shoes. Some complain about this, but I can tell you it makes heel and toe a piece of cake. There’s a push button starter that gets things fired up. The excitement builds every time you hit that button, as though connected directly to your heart somehow.

Not So Different After All:
The Elise and EVO are on paper very different cars, but they are I think not so different. Both offer great performance value. I can’t believe the EVO is a sedan… How did they get this car to drive the way it does and still seat four in relative comfort?
Both are focused, both are fast... Very fast!

When the level of performance is this high the real deciding factor is the driver. Which would be faster around a track? That comes down to the component fitted on top of driver’s seat.

PS: I’m English, but have lived in the US for half my life.

Originally Posted by bounce

Sure

Originally Posted by EVIL_EV0

Hey thats a great review of both cars.....but for those of us who race nearly year round the EVO takes the cake. You cannot do this in an Elise:

http://media.putfile.com/4ManCruiserEVO9

For the record this run was 4th fastest of the day.

Originally Posted by bounce

EVO vs Elise, that's a tough one:
The Elise is wonderful to drive, fast beautifully balanced and it looks incredible. I think it’s as close as you can get to a race-car on the street. The EVO is awesome, but stock to stock the Elise will hand the EVO it’s a$$ in the handling department. Before you freak, you need to realize that a stock Elise can pull more than 1G no problem and will easily out handle virtually everything on the road.
Braking wise, I’m pretty certain the Elise beats everything.
Frankly after owning the Elise I have been disappointed with most cars I have driven since. It’s a true testament that anyone could drive an EVO after owning a Elise and still walk away thinking the EVO is a fantastic car and that it handles great.
Now in straight line speed things would be closer. The Elise can do 0-60 in 4.3 seconds, but only if you’re willing to dump the clutch at 8000 RPMs. I never did that to my car and know of very few owners that would. The stock clutch in the Elise is not really designed for that kind of abuse; although I have not heard of one failing to date. Most Elise owners prefer to use their car to cut through corners at ungodly speeds. For this reason in the real world you might beat the Elise in a straight line if you’re hell bent on doing it. But you’ll be admiring it’s tail lights once the roads get twisty.

A Quick Word on Steering:
The Elise in know for it excellent feedback and is said to have perhaps the best steering feel of any car. We had worried that they would put in a assisted steering system and ruin the feel. Fortunately Lotus kept the steering all manual. OK for a car this light but I doubt it would work on something signicatly heavier. For this reason for the most part I have been largely disappointed with almost everything else I’ve driven… So how do I rate the EVO steering… EXCELLENT!. Second only to the Elise. Great feedback, feel and response. It’s still hard for me to believe is felt that good.

Life is not a dream:
There's more to consider than just performance (I can’t believe I just said that… Typed that). Most people that own an Elise also own other more practical cars. For most owners,the Elise is used as you would use a motorbike. It’s a car you drive when your only mission is to drive it. It’s not a car you drive because you need to get somewhere. That’s not to say no one uses it as a daily driver, but I’d say for most it’s more of a toy.
Unfortunately the Elise is a double edged sword. Yes it looks great, but it attracts so much attention that it really does discourage you from wanting to drive it out. I have been followed (I mean people will make an abrupt u-turns to follow the car) many times. You can’t get three feet without attracting a crowd. I witnessed people circling my car in parking lots. It’s crazy.
Another difference is that the Elise is an Exotic, and while it’s perhaps one of the more down to earth exotics, it still has that temperament that all exotic have. Nowhere near to the extent of a Ferrari, but still expect to have little problems occur from time to time… It’s the nature of the beast. Strangely the little idiosyncrasies mean nothing once you hit the twisties. All is forgiven and that gigantic grin returns to the vacancy that was your mouth.

Automotive Candy:
If you’ve never experienced the Elise you are missing out on one of life’s true automotive pleasures. Just getting into the Elise is an experience, as the sills are very high. You feel like you're climbing into a racecar. The Elise is surprisingly accommodating and can fit drivers up to 6’ 3” or so. Still it always feels like you’re wearing the car. You notice how close the pedals are… Unless you have tiny feet you will most likely want to get a pair of driving shoes. Some complain about this, but I can tell you it makes heel and toe a piece of cake. There’s a push button starter that gets things fired up. The excitement builds every time you hit that button, as though connected directly to your heart somehow.

Not So Different After All:
The Elise and EVO are on paper very different cars, but they are I think not so different. Both offer great performance value. I can’t believe the EVO is a sedan… How did they get this car to drive the way it does and still seat four in relative comfort?
Both are focused, both are fast... Very fast!

When the level of performance is this high the real deciding factor is the driver. Which would be faster around a track? That comes down to the component fitted on top of driver’s seat.

PS: I’m English, but have lived in the US for half my life.

Originally Posted by el producto

Buy the Audi if you arn't going to mod the evo..

Buy the evo, dump a couple mods into it and beat an S4 owner and tell him its a 4 banger.

If you like the looks of the evo now this will be the last year it'll look this way cuz if the X looks like the WRC the evo is doomed just like the Sti.

Originally Posted by SEVEN

Can i use this as my sig?


Good review btw...hope the X is better, cause i am looking forward to trade my VIII for the X