siberian

Should I buy an Evo?

I don't care about "spanking" people at stoplights. I don't care about modding it to be faster than the next guy. I don't care about drag racing (love autox though).

It seems if you hand the Evo keys to most people, first thing they'll do is head down to main street and look for a fight.

Me, I'd head AWAY from traffic, find myself a twisty, empty, country road, and just enjoy DRIVING. Not necessarily extremely fast, but just enough to enjoy the dynamics of the car: the engine sounds climbing through revs, the way it loads and unloads weight transfers, trying to get every heel-and-toe downshift just right, find every apex, etc., etc. God help me, but I've always been in love with the overall feeling, the sensations when you get everything just right... and it all starts to flow into a smooth, continuous action.

Now, having said that, do any of you feel this way too - and would you recommend the Evo for it? Or is it TOO much car, too frantic, too insane to carve up roads with?

I almost fear that the acceleration is SO quick, you almost don't get time to enjoy it, lol.

I've gone a couple test drives now. Yes, it's VERY impressive... I can't stop smiling and breaking into spontaneous laughter for days afterwards. But after the giggle factor wears off, and the novelty of AWD acceleration fades... do you find yourself thinking it's just TOO much car on a daily basis? Do you ever find yourself looking at that hideous instrument cluster and wishing for something more "classy"?

Or do you just downshift and get it above 3,000 rpm every time you start to doubt your choice?

And does anyone know for sure if the new 10/100,000 warranty covers the Evo? The dealership told me no, but others have said yes, but only 2004 models. What gives?

P.S. This would be my daily driver.

bullfrg

iTrader: (42)

I think this car is a great drivers car, it wants you to take it to the curvy road and just drive it. The best time on the road are when there are no other cars and the road is not straight ahead. I do not take it out looking for a fight, personally with an Evo I do not feel I have anything to prove. Most car people know what is and respect it. There are always going to be cars that are faster in a straight line or around a track but this car can do both fairly well right out of the box.

The acceleration is only as fast as you want it to be, if you want to go fast drop your right foot and you will be at redline in the blink of an eye but you can drive around shifting around 3000-3500 and stay out of boost and just take it easy. I drive mine everyday and luckily live in a place that has little traffic so I do not have to worry about getting stuck in traffic. I love this car it does everything I want it to and more, I was concerned at first about the power coming from a Nissan Sentra SE-R with bolt-ons, but you get used to it.

My understanding is that the warranty will cover the Evo, which is good if you do not plan on modding. Good luck with your choice.

HuskerEVO

The EVO is a great car performance "driver's" car. If you want to carve up twisties and backroads at a high rate of speed then this is the best choice for the money. The EVO is truly amazing and I can't drive it enough.

However, from the daily drive aspect... The suspension is too firm to enjoy in town driving. You can't even sing properly to the tunes on the radio because of the "road feel." Longer, interstate drives are much better (definitely needs cruise control). Don't get me wrong, I love this car! As long as you purchase the car with a mindset that you are getting a performance car and not a luxury ride you will be fine.

The new 10/10,000 warranty does not cover the 2003 models. It is only for the 2004/2005 (I doubt there will actually be a 2004).

bullfrg

iTrader: (42)

HuskerEVO: Where are you at in NE? We lived in Papillion for 2.5 years while my wife was going to school. There were times when I hated having a stick shift car when trying to get to work in Omaha

Secret Chimp

iTrader: (2)

I think you will find that most of us share your enthusiasm for the twisties. It's mostly the kids who take their Evo's looking for drag racing fights to prove their manhood.

You will find that the Evo is a great drivers car. I know I do.

But if it is classyness you are looking for, please move on to the next car on your list. The Evo isn't about classy. It's about garish wings and vents. It's about having only the tools you need to carve the road and nothing more. It's about the feeling you get when you get back on the throttle early at the apex, tires squealing as you launch towards the next corner. The people who own this car are well aware of what I am saying. For us, classyness (luxury) is a fleeting secondary thought we have while sitting at a long redlight or pressing on during a highway run without cruise control.

If a sense of class is what we were seeking, we would have picked up a different car. One that would impress the neighbors more....eventhough it would likely be much less capable than the Evo.

I guess in the end you will need to decide which is more important to you: 1. Luxury and class. or 2. The thrill of gobsmacking grip, incredible acceleration and lightning quick responses.

SC~

Hungbee112

iTrader: (1)

Personally I hate driving this car in traffic. It's rough, lacks low-end power, and attracts a lot of attention, but it's all worth it when you get to take the car out for a joyride! It can keep a smile on your face for days. Is it a drivers car? Yes, a driver who loves to drive can't help but love this car. Is it a car for everybody? No, thats why only a limited number is made for people like us!

tweakdsm

iTrader: (38)

We are not looking for a fight and race with other guys (most of the time
other people do that to see how fast your car is. There is alwasy not enough power
(thats what i said OH when i will drive an evo everything will be stock! my parents just smiled and said YAH right! because they know every car i owned i did something to it.

Iam thinking to keep this car forever. why? because i dont have to worry about
rain, winter, or get up to open the door so someone can sit in the back...

HuskerEVO

Bullfrg, I have lived in Papillion as well. I actually drive all over Omaha for my job, thus my comments about singing to the radio...

I agree with Hung... "it's all worth it when you get to take the car out for a joyride!" The smile is still on my face and I didn't even drive it today.

yellow boy

Buy an EVO, stick a downpipe on it and enjoy one great driver's car.

Not only does it handle like a dream, it is fun to drive. You'll have a grin on your face every time you hit the throttle.

MalibuJack

iTrader: (5)

The best way for me to describe this car when driving it is a "Mechanical Orgasm"

What do I mean? Well sometimes you want to go quick and dirty, and get a quick few jollies, other times its all about the drive, the turns, the braking, the twisty roads. And other times you just want to sit back, and stare at it for awhile, only to get excited about the next time you can take it out and enjoy it.

Alacris

I concur with a lot of the posters here. This is truly a driver's car.

I disagree with hating to drive this in traffic. I look forward to my commute every day. No twisties or good stoplight launches there, but just that little quick blip on the throttle to get in front of a bus, or to get over from someone turning left. That puts a smile on my face every time (and I"ve only had mine five days now).

I've actually found that I drive less aggressively with the EVO than I did with my Tiburon. With the Tib it was a closet inferiority complex and I seemed to want to out pace everything. With the EVO, I already know I can best just about anything sub 50k, so why get a ticket or accident proving it. I just get a smug look on face, find the next haripin, and then grin for a few hours.

I can't wait to finish the break-in. This thing is awesome below 5k, I'm actually scared of what it'll do from 5k to redline!

Good luck!
a

WestSideBilly

iTrader: (1)

Evo = Great driver's car. Not the best for stop-and-go heavy traffic, but when you get a bit of an opening, it's a blast. And the overall performance has been well documented...


I suppose if the Evo was the only car you'd ever driven, this might be a valid analysis, or perhaps if you've been driving domestic V8s for the last 10 years. I've driven cars with maybe 1/4 the power of an Evo and never found low-end power to be a problem. No, you can't start from 3rd gear and be lazy. And in traffic, you don't really need to accelerate fast, since there's a car right in front of you. How much more 'low end power' do you need to go 30 mph in traffic?

siberian

That's exactly what I wanted to hear

After my second drive, I finally managed to categorize the beast. It's not a sports sedan. It's not even a sports car. It literally is a raw, brutally honest, uncompromised, street-legal, race car. The constant whine from the tranny, exhaust snarl, rock-solid suspension, stark, all-business interior... somehow appeal to me in a sick, sadistic way, lol.

Believe it or not, the next car on my list is a Civic Ex. Yup, no kidding, a Civic. Why? Because it's incredibly LIGHT, which make it tossable, nimble, and... it's dirt cheap. I just bought my wife one, and god help me, but I enjoy driving her civic more than my eclipse GS-T. Sure the eclipse is fast, but it feels like a crude, overweight, understeering oil tanker compared to the civic. The only thing the civic lacks is power... but it has a delicious snarl to it, lol. It's fun, just not fast. But somehow that makes it a fun challenge to explore it's limits, to play with it.

The civic has all the important things my eclipse lacks: nimble handling, easy to rotate by lifting the throttle or braking late, GREAT seating position and grippy seats, great visibility, perfect pedals for heel-and-toe... it just lacks power.

Hence where the Evo comes in. The Evo, being a Lancer underneath it all, is really like a civic on steroids. Lots and lots of steroids, lol.

The in-between cars, like the WRX, just don't interest me for some reason. Nor do BMWs, Lexus, etc. I hate wood trim, and I only listen to the radio when stuck in traffic (I'd rather hear the engine).

My only fear is that the Evo is overkill for public roads... too fast, too much grip to ever explore it's abilities. I fear it might make actually make daily driving BORING, simply because 55mph would be sooooo far beneath it's limits.

I mean, do you ever find you feel like you're constantly working to keep a rein on it, to keep it under control, without ever really getting to enjoy it's potential?

And yet, I can't stop smiling and gushing about that dang evil car to anyone who'll listen

bullfrg

iTrader: (42)

I once told my father that he needed to buy the car that talks to him. My dad dismissed the comment and continued to test drive cars on his list (Accord, Camery, Taurus, etc.). Then he test drove a Nissan Maxima and when he came back from the drive he told me that he had his doubts about my theory but that the Maxima was talking to him. He bought that Max and loves driving it. When I test drive a car I am looking for something that fits my needs but also talks to me about my wants. The Evo talked to me and that is why I got it and I love it everytime I get in it. It sounds to me, like the Evo is talking to you

siberian

LOL... when my wife was shopping for HER new car, she drove everything (Mazdas, Lancer, etc.). And during every drive, we talked constantly, analyzing every little thing as we went. Every drive ended with her saying, "It's nice, but..."

Then she drove the honda. We both just spontaneously started laughing as soon as she left the lot, cuz we just KNEW. She was perfectly at home with it, it just FIT. When we got out, she said, "I feel like I've already owned this for years, it's just so easy and perfect!"

The first time I ever test drove an Evo, we all (salesman, wife and I) just hopped in and took off. We casually chatted about the weather and stuff while I tried some acceleration runs, corners, etc. It was all great relaxing fun.

Only when we got back did he say, "You know, we have to stop lots of people when they drive it. Some can't even get it out of the lot."

That kinda surprised me, because the one thing that struck me was how uneventful, how EASY the Evo makes driving. Everything is perfect: grippy seats, wheel and shifter just fall into your hands, pedals just perfectly placed, etc. It felt like I was giving HIM a ride in MY car - it just FIT.

Now if I can just convince, HER. She doesn't hate the car, but she did comment that we can't have a kid if I get one... because we'll "be accused of shaken baby syndrome," lol...