Consumer Reports Review of the Evo
Sep 1, 2004, 10:22 AM
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Consumer Reports Review of the Evo
I searched Recaro on the Consumer Reports website http://www.consumerreports.org/main/home.jsp because I wanted to see how they rate the Recaro Start child seat http://www.recaro-nao.com/index_frames.html . It directed me to a review of the Evo, but I don't have a subscription in order to read it. Do any of you have the review of the Evo by Consumer Reports?
Sep 1, 2004, 08:25 PM
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Highs: Acceleration, handling, braking, all-wheel drive.
Lows: Ride, noise, turning circle.
Like its chief competitor, the Subaru Impreza WRX STi, the Lancer Evolution, or Evo, is a small four-door, five-passenger sedan that delivers race-car-like performance. It's virtually as quick and capable as the STi, with a powerful turbocharged four-cylinder engine and secure, agile handling. The Evo's rally-car character is evident in its stiff, uncomfortable ride. Noise, the lack of a sixth gear in lower trim lines and no cruise control make long drives tiresome.
THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE
Basically a race car for the street, the Evo has a ride that is hard and jarring. Each impact makes a pronounced shot. Ride motions are abrupt and improve only slightly on the highway. Road and drivetrain noise are prevalent. The Evo's steering is very quick but lighter than, say, the Subaru Impreza WRX STi's, making the car quite responsive to small movements of the wheel. Driving it smoothly is a bit challenging. The Evo posted a commendable speed in our avoidance maneuver, requiring some driver input to maintain control. On the track, it felt more nimble and entertaining for the experienced driver, but it requires more attention than the STi. The turning circle is a wide 42 feet. The 271-hp (upgraded to 276 for 2005), 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine provides blistering performance but lacks the low-end response of some competitors. The five-speed manual transmission performs well but lacks a sixth gear for highway cruising. The top-level MR trim line gets a six-speed manual for 2005. The Evo got 20 mpg overall, but it has a short cruising range. Braking performance is excellent.
INSIDE THE CABIN
The interior is similar to that of the regular Mitsubishi Lancer, which costs half the price. But the materials are better, and it's outfitted with racing-style Recaro sport seats and a Momo steering wheel. Visibility is excellent, but the seating position is low and seat height is not adjustable. Shorter drivers may have trouble reaching the pedals. The front seats are very supportive and hold occupants firmly in place during cornering. However, they may be too narrow for some drivers. The rear is roomy, with good head room and leg room, but thigh support is lacking. Getting in and out over the wide doorsills is easy. The gauges are mostly standard Lancer fare, with logical switches. The red-on-black instrument-panel labels lack contrast, and the speedometer is partly obscured when driving. There is a minimum of in-cabin storage space, including a small, nonlockable glove box and a deep center cubby. There are two sturdy, recessed cup holders in front and in back.The rear seats don't fold.
SAFETY NOTES
Three-point seatbelts protect all occupants in the Evo. Front belts have adjustable upper anchors for improved fit as well as pretensioners and force limiters for reducing belt slack and forces from the belts in case of a crash. Integral head restraints in the race-style seats in front are tall enough to limit rearward head travel in case of a crash. Small integral restraints in the rear outboard seats and the seatback in the rear center are too low. Driving with kids: Some rear-facing seats may not be secure in the rear center seats. There are three tether strap attachment anchors on the rear parcel shelf and LATCH anchors in the rear outboard positions. LATCH anchors are recessed between the cushion and seatback making attaching and detaching the LATCH straps awkward.
RELIABILITY
We do not have enough data to predict reliability.
Lows: Ride, noise, turning circle.
Like its chief competitor, the Subaru Impreza WRX STi, the Lancer Evolution, or Evo, is a small four-door, five-passenger sedan that delivers race-car-like performance. It's virtually as quick and capable as the STi, with a powerful turbocharged four-cylinder engine and secure, agile handling. The Evo's rally-car character is evident in its stiff, uncomfortable ride. Noise, the lack of a sixth gear in lower trim lines and no cruise control make long drives tiresome.
THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE
Basically a race car for the street, the Evo has a ride that is hard and jarring. Each impact makes a pronounced shot. Ride motions are abrupt and improve only slightly on the highway. Road and drivetrain noise are prevalent. The Evo's steering is very quick but lighter than, say, the Subaru Impreza WRX STi's, making the car quite responsive to small movements of the wheel. Driving it smoothly is a bit challenging. The Evo posted a commendable speed in our avoidance maneuver, requiring some driver input to maintain control. On the track, it felt more nimble and entertaining for the experienced driver, but it requires more attention than the STi. The turning circle is a wide 42 feet. The 271-hp (upgraded to 276 for 2005), 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine provides blistering performance but lacks the low-end response of some competitors. The five-speed manual transmission performs well but lacks a sixth gear for highway cruising. The top-level MR trim line gets a six-speed manual for 2005. The Evo got 20 mpg overall, but it has a short cruising range. Braking performance is excellent.
INSIDE THE CABIN
The interior is similar to that of the regular Mitsubishi Lancer, which costs half the price. But the materials are better, and it's outfitted with racing-style Recaro sport seats and a Momo steering wheel. Visibility is excellent, but the seating position is low and seat height is not adjustable. Shorter drivers may have trouble reaching the pedals. The front seats are very supportive and hold occupants firmly in place during cornering. However, they may be too narrow for some drivers. The rear is roomy, with good head room and leg room, but thigh support is lacking. Getting in and out over the wide doorsills is easy. The gauges are mostly standard Lancer fare, with logical switches. The red-on-black instrument-panel labels lack contrast, and the speedometer is partly obscured when driving. There is a minimum of in-cabin storage space, including a small, nonlockable glove box and a deep center cubby. There are two sturdy, recessed cup holders in front and in back.The rear seats don't fold.
SAFETY NOTES
Three-point seatbelts protect all occupants in the Evo. Front belts have adjustable upper anchors for improved fit as well as pretensioners and force limiters for reducing belt slack and forces from the belts in case of a crash. Integral head restraints in the race-style seats in front are tall enough to limit rearward head travel in case of a crash. Small integral restraints in the rear outboard seats and the seatback in the rear center are too low. Driving with kids: Some rear-facing seats may not be secure in the rear center seats. There are three tether strap attachment anchors on the rear parcel shelf and LATCH anchors in the rear outboard positions. LATCH anchors are recessed between the cushion and seatback making attaching and detaching the LATCH straps awkward.
RELIABILITY
We do not have enough data to predict reliability.
Sep 1, 2004, 08:37 PM
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Turning circle for the Evo is 38.2 feet. 42 feet I'd expect from... I dunno... an F-150.
Consumer Reports shouldn't review any form of sports car in my opinion. They disdain anything that isn't the bland Japanese 4-door 4-cylinder automatic mid-size sedan for ~ $20,000.
Consumer Reports shouldn't review any form of sports car in my opinion. They disdain anything that isn't the bland Japanese 4-door 4-cylinder automatic mid-size sedan for ~ $20,000.
Sep 1, 2004, 10:40 PM
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You have to understand though that its primary market are everyday people who want to make a good choice buying a car, and probably do not want soemthing as hard edged as the EVO. Plus other that the disputed 42 feet, I have not heard anything in that report that I did not also hear in some form in a drivers magazine like Car and Driver, AutoWeek or Road and Track.
I did not think that it was a bad report by any means. It tells the truth. You cannot tell me that compared to say a regular car that the ride is not hard and bumpy. I have never heard of a car developing rattles so fast in my life as the evo can. One thing that does stand out however is the lack of mention that it is a great value performace per dollar. Its not that it said bad stuff, it just did not have anything good to say.
I did not think that it was a bad report by any means. It tells the truth. You cannot tell me that compared to say a regular car that the ride is not hard and bumpy. I have never heard of a car developing rattles so fast in my life as the evo can. One thing that does stand out however is the lack of mention that it is a great value performace per dollar. Its not that it said bad stuff, it just did not have anything good to say.
Sep 1, 2004, 10:58 PM
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Originally Posted by MYEVOVIII
I dont think I have ever gotton 20mpg except maybe on the free way. Maybe
20mpg is VERY easy to get if you don't drive it punched everywhere you go. On a recent 200 mi. road trip, I got almost 29mpg on the highway cruising at 75mph.
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Sep 2, 2004, 11:46 AM
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"On the track, it felt more nimble and entertaining for the experienced driver, but it requires more attention than the STi."
Don't most people say the opposite?
"but the seating position is low"
Hm, I find it rather high..
Other than that it seems like a decent report
Don't most people say the opposite?
"but the seating position is low"
Hm, I find it rather high..
Other than that it seems like a decent report