Brest Phan

....that have switched over to the Evo X.

Can you share your insight, comments, suggestions etc?

I own a 2003 WRX that I love and has performed flawlessly for 5 years and 127,000 miles. And not one hiccup. Ive driven it from California, to Texas, Kansas, Kentucky and back, flogged it through canyons with never a complaint from this car. I can count all the times its been to the stealership on one hand (scheduled services to include 110,000 service). I have always thought this model car was underrated and could outperform 95% of the uneducated drivers out there.

Anyway, its time to think about getting a new car. Ive pretty much ruled out the new STI (and WRX) as I feel Subaru has gotten away from the quality it was known for in the original WRX and STI.

The EVO on the other hand seems to have evolved in a logical way and, like its predecessors will be able to make gobs of horsepower.

Other cars I have looked at are:
Used corvette
Used M3
Used STI

Even G8 and CTS-V. For some reason I just cant bring myself to buy the crap that comes out of detroit no matter how much I love a V8.

None of these cars seem to fit the bill replacing what has been a great car for me. Looking at the Evo Im thinking it just may be the one.

I need a good solid care for daily driver, canyon runs, and trips out of state. It must be fast, have potential, and be very dependable as in completely trustworthy.

Thoughts and experiences?

Thanks!

CatalystGod

The new STI is agreed by almost all to be a better DD compared to the manic evo due to a softer ride and greater utility because of the hatch-back. But since this is an Evo forum, it might hard for you to get an unbiased answer. I would suggest the Evo!!

buster720

I came from a 06 WRX TR to the X. The X, by far, is the greater of the two in regards to handling, speed, and creature comforts.

mike100

iTrader: (4)

I had the 2002 bugeye wrx, but it has been so long i'm not sure I recall enough for a comparison.

-the old car had greater ground clearance and less ground effect kit interference with objects
-the suspension on the wrx was good for dirt roads and speed bumps with small sway bars, taller tires etc.
- the seats folded down if I remember correctly.

Other than that, the power and handling are awesome on the evoX. I never drove any STI, ever so i can't comment.

Noize

iTrader: (24)

You need a long drive in an Evo X. Internet opinion can never compare to what you take away from a test drive. You might love it, you might hate it, but you do need to drive it.

skyblas

the handling is better
power delivery is abit different
but not as comfortable
but the steering feel is much better compare to the wrx one
which is abit dull
the evo have a very share handling
and the SAWD and all the electronics
and its more mod friendly

Brest Phan

I completely agree. Im scheduled to drive one today. Not sure if it will be a "long drive" because this particular dealer does not have a test drive model but at the very least Ill get to drive it a bit.

Having said that, I joined nabisco and read about the WRX for a year before I bought one, and I test drove one three times. By the time I finally purchased I was very confident it was the best car out there at the time. The Evo wasnt in the states at the time if I recall correctly or I might have bought that.

Anyway, I was looking more for opinions on quality, ergonomics, nuances etc. I think we can all agree the X is going to be much faster than the old bugeye WRX so theres no comparisome there. Its faster than the new STI in many ways from what I understand, and its common knowledge that the Evo has more potential for tuning and HP than the STI hands down.

Thanks for the comments everyone I appreciate it.

Keep'em coming...

smp3000

iTrader: (13)

cant go wrong either way man. where in the midwest?

Boxerguy56

iTrader: (4)

i just made the switch today to the evo x, and i drove my old 05 WRX for comparison (im still keeping it cuz it was such a loyal car). the X is definitely a nice upgrade. i love the feel of the steering, the seats are nicely bolstered, it has a great shift feel, and i loved the power delivery (even though its stock). That said, i obviously can't say anything about long term issues, but so far im loving it. everything about it has a really nice, solid feel

Brest Phan

I drove an X yesterday and I have to say I was impressed. Even my wife was impressed and that says something.

We almost pulled the trigger on a CTS-V a few months back and she liked this car much better so go figure.

Impressions were....the X rides like its on railroad tracks. Wherever you point it it goes, like a knife.

The acceleration if very weird compared to the WRX. I wasnt really in the position to really floor it but the power band was very different. With the Rex I feel like Im in a slingshot and when the turbo hits, out I go like a shot.

With the X its like being shot out of a rail gun, a kind of flat linear powerband that just keeps going up a steep rate in a rapid manner!

The engine makes the most incredible sound, like a blowdrier the size of a large barn fan, on steroids.

The brakes were outstanding.

The transmission notchy but Im used to that with Subarus so no big deal.

The interior was cheap, and squeeked when pressed on, like cheap American interiors. I can tell this interior will rattle sooner than later. Unlike my WRX interior that has no rattles what so ever even after five years. The X plastic looks hard and brittle unlike the euro type interiors that have that soft look. The hyundai parked next to it had a far superior interior.

I didnt like the frame for the stereo and its clear Ill have to find an aftermarket one to put in a nice double DIN MP3/Navi. I wish this car had a more euro look inside like other Japanese cars.

The exterior look very nice, with a kind of BMW influence. I thought the doors didnt sound very good when closing, and the fuel door had the same problem and wasnt very solid. The rod that holds the hood up is a complete joke its so cheap which suprised me.

My wife said she felt safer in the X than the WRX, and I can see why Mitsubishi added to the chassis of this car. Even though its heavier than the previous Evos I think its a good thing as far as strength and stiffness.

Overall I like this car. Id buy it in a heartbeat if it werent for the stealerships in my area. In less than 24 hours rather than going down in price both have gone up from 2500-4000 dollars despite the fact that other dealers around the country are selling base GSRs for as little as 26000 in some instances. Here, they say they are still moving cars so wont come down.

So the serach goes on for a good deal.

Or, Ill find look for a higher performance car certified used in another brand instead.

Thanks for all the replies everyone-

ccd2us

I just traded in my 08 WRX (the new style) for an X. I was not very impressed with the handling of the WRX. I did however like the interior features better (except the stereo). My WRX had telescoping wheel and wheel mounted audio controls, which I dearly miss. It also was quieter with a seat that adjusted for height (I like to sit on the ground).

I decided to upgrade for the handling of the X. I love the .99 g's and the larger rims with brembos and summer tires. The WRX felt like a family car with turbo engine and the X feels like a sports car with 4 doors.

Brest Phan

Yeah its kind of a shame they didnt put a little better interior in as far as dash materials, door cards etc. It wouldnt have been any more expesive really.

But mechanically I think its a superior car.

Another thing I thought was funny was in one of the regular lancer models they have an extra power outlet but its not in the Evo X. That would be very nice to have in there for charging electronics etc.

Im going to a stealership tomorrow to see if I can seal the deal on a Phantom Black GSR with SSS.

Wish me luck-

Kajii

iTrader: (1)

I came from a 2005 Stage 2 STI. The STI just had so much you had to do to reach the performance of an Evo in terms of handling and speed. I wanted all that stock, so I went with the Evo X. Everything about it is better than my STI, except for speed, again though my STI was Stage 2 and my Evo X has the factory reflash... which isn't that great. The Evo X is an amazing car, the handling is unreal, it's one of the best looking cars imo, and from what I've seen it's very responsive to bolt ons.

To me it seemed like with each new model Subaru never fixed the understeer problem, while Evos were evolving(no pun intended) with each new model.

If you're not in So Cal then I say buy it, you won't regret it!
If you are in So Cal then I say don't buy it... only because I like the fact that I very rarely see other Xs and have yet to see another while driving mine.

Brest Phan

Initial impressions:

The Evo X handles amazingly well. Bumps and curves taken at speed that would toss the little wrx around are sliced right through by the X like they dont exist.

The acceleration is devine.

The engine is strong with gobs of HP. Its not quite as "windy" as the rex but then again I havent taken the X above 5000 RPM yet.

The tranny is a bit notchy but works better than the 03 wrx tranny including going into 1st gear much easier. The X is a little harder to get into reverse. I should add that I never had any problems with my wrx trans and I was able to downshift into 1st gear up to about 20 mph.

I like the interior of the X better now that Ive had it 4 days. It is a bit cheap but its funcional and the SSS Rockford Fosgate stereo is far better than what came with the wrx. My biggest complaint with the X is how hard the seats are (could get old over a long trip) and the fact that the headrests are fixed which kind of forces your shoulders to hunch a little. A nice lumbar pillow or something similar should fix that I hope. Also, it would have been nice to have an aditional power outlet in the center console for charging accessories while running a radar detector etc.

The build quality of the X is pretty good and the doors "Chunk" close tightly. The guy who bought my wrx even commented that the build quality seems much better than mitsus he has seen in the past, for what thats worth.

Overall, a very hot car that can put a guy up into Porsche territory with a few add-ons-

Brest Phan

Ok Ive had the X for two weeks and 800 miles.

Just changed the oil to Amsoil 5-30w full synth with a mobile1 filter because I dont trust the stock fill (mobile1).

Anyay, I still have to say I love this car and I wouldnt change my purchase. For me, its the right car.

I can say that I have found an achilles heel and another downfall.

Firstly is the transmission. No, it works fine.

The problem, which I think is inexcusable, is no sixth gear. Now I know you dedicated Evo track studs are going to defend your car to your death and fight me tooth and nail saying you didnt buy your car for the commute and therefore dont need a sixth gear.

But I'll disagree with you all day long. This car, with all its handling prowess, ability, sheer guts and potential, could have been in much higher performance levels at highway speeds if it did have that six gear. As it is just to cruise at 80mph the car has to be at 4000rpm which is fine for awhile. But what about cruising along at 120mph? Or 140mph?

A car of this stature and ability should be able to cruise all day long at 120 without breathing hard at all.

From an economic stand point alone it would be nice to be able to cruise all day at 80mph at around 3100rpm and get the better mileage too.

You can argue all you want, but I think Im right which if Im correct is supported by the fact that the 2010 model will come with a 6 speed manual or 8 speed dual clutch.

The second thing is, I think this car should have come with a 20G turbo, ported and polished, but that could be argued.

Most would agree this car should have come with a better tune for many reasons.

Other little things that would have been nice:

Flat bottom steering wheel or one more higher position of us taller guys.
Different spoke position for the steering wheel. I miss not being able to put my hand at the bottom while cruising on the freeway.
Another power outlet preferabely in the middle console.
Adjustable headrests (angle).
More commom sense approach to removable panels below engine for doing oil change.

Positives other than the obvious:
Crawl under this car and look around. Its a very nicely built car.
Engine. I love knowing I have a solidly built engine that is an evolution from proven racing performance, not a step away from quality like Subaru.
Solidly constructed chassis.
Huge brakes.
Great frikin performance.

I love my car.

Ill just have to start saving up my pesos for that 6 speed manual some poor SOB is going to part out some year....