2008 Mitsubishi Evo X MR: Takin' Her Around the Block

If we're drawings lines now, I'll go on the EVO team. I love hatches, but the Evo just blows the STI away in every dimension other then utility.

I'm glad to see Edmunds got this car. I was worried with the Lancer GTS, there would be no room for the EVO...but if memory serves me correct, the GTS's time is almost up anyways.

BTW are there no more introduction blogs? Just the article on the main IL page?

EVO>STI

by the way jriz, your carspace blog about Diamonds Are Forever missed out on the other great car in that movie.....at one point Bond is driving a Triumph Stag (yellow I think). My dad had one of these things - it was a great old English sports car, and very rare to see today.

sorry posting the above here because I don't use carspace really.

Can't wait to read more. I'm really happy to see you chose the MR version since most people buy the GSR there is a lot more commentary out there on it. Please try to do a GSR vs MR comparison at some point. Also interested in this vs the 135i. (subawhat!?)

phhf, the price tag makes me hurt.

yes its alot of technology. But its an evo, a 15k econo box, turned into a 41k monster. It has its place, but i'd take a 135 at this price.

Let's see 41k for a Mitsu or get a 335i sedan ED for about 39.2k with the fun bits (metallic paint, sport package, comfort access, xenons, power toys, 1k dealer profit, shipping - add leather for $1320). 300 hp/300 ft-lbs, seats 4, is about the same weight but has 4 years included maintenance.

The price point, mitsu service, image, interior quality and gas mileage nuke the attraction of the Evo v. similarly weighted G35/335 cars.

Great blog entry, James!

The LT Evo is more expensive than the LT STI!!! F41L!

And instead of Evo vs. STI, I think we should all be talking about Evo vs. STI vs. 135i!

Now that the three are officially in the fleet, everyone help me encourage the IL staff to take these out to an autox and a HPDE! I wouldn't mind driving 'em, too! :o)

Actually, I didn't think of that at first. A 135i v Evo v STI shootout would be awesome. C'mon IL staff, make it happen!

I appreciate the intent of that photo, showing the Mitsu prowling the ugly, tough, gritty city streets, but man is that street gross! Just out of curiousity, what street is that?

Love the wheels. Would have to get a more exciting color myself, though. Mitsu has some fantastic color choices. Been looking at a black Lancer on this blog for quite a while now. But seriously, I daresay it's the best looking four-door sedan available this side of $70K (the only ones I can think of that I like better are the M3 sedan and Maserati Quattroporte). And it's great that you got one, definitely looking forward to both the formal and impromptu comparos.

Desmo: That would be Meth Ave in Rapeville

arm51: We'll see what we can do.

ahightower: The Evo is actually not black. It's a very dark metallic brown and in the right light it looks awesome.

Doug: Any Bond talk anywhere is fine by me.

Good intro and a nice looking car. All it needs is a non-winged trunk lid and it's good to go.

James:
Could you please check few things on the MR?

1. Is the foam insulation still visible where the dashboard meets the windshield? I noticed that in the regular Lancer and Evo GSR and I think it's a lame finish.
2. If you lift up the cargo floor carpet, what kind of material did they use underneath (to cover the spare wheel well)? In the regular Lancer I was negatively surprised to see a flimsy piece of plywood (?!) instead of the usual carpeted plastic.
3. Did they put any liner on the inner side of the hood? Again, the Lancer does not have any (cheap IMO).

It'll definitely be interesting if people pick the Evo, 135 or STI for a night out, weekend drive in the hills, autoX, daily driver, roadtrip for 2, roadtrip for 4.

Well said BGDC - I see no reason to pick the evo and STI at these price points. I mean honestly, look how much you are paying. This is entry-level yearly salary land here people...you better be buying something damn nice.

Joe

41k is entry-level salary?

I'm becoming a teacher and first-year salary is 38k. Ok, a teacher's salary isn't the best job in the world, but entry-salary to what?

Oh, I figured it out Joe.

(Edit, where art thou edit?)

I'm sure it is a great ride but I'd rather spend 41K elsewhere!

joe, I think the median housedold income in the USA is around $48,000 in 2006.

I have to say, the EVO looks pretty bitchin' in that photo. For $41k though, it had better. I happen to think that $41k is too much for a 135...let alone a hotted up econo-box (EVO and STI both fit that description.) That said, an EVO, STI, 135i fight would be excellent!

Actual selling price will be much lower for the Evo than a 135i. They aren't going to be moving at or close to MSRP like the BMWs will. This one has an expensive nav/stereo option too, but the long term 135 is relatively stripped out. Add some options to the 135i and your price climbs really fast. Not sure which I'd take, but I think they are more comparable than some people want to give the Evo credit for.

Also, the GSR kills a 128i performance wise. Those already go for just under $30k if you know which dealers to hit up.

blueguydotcom,
According to the US Census bureau, you are correct; $48,200 in 2006.

My friend has an EVO X MR. He got it for $36k i think. No NAV. Another person before him got one loaded up for $41k, so they are going for basically MSRP. The GSR has been around much longer, so it's bound to be cheaper.

What you prefer is ultimately up to you. I bought a new car recently and just didn't care for this or a BMW. The EVO X is like Katie Holmes... looks great from certain angles, but ugly from other angles. The BMW 135i just rubs me the wrong way and I cannot tell you why. Instead, I got a GTI for much less money and couldn't be happier! Truth be told, I passed on Infiniti for the simple reason that they weren't nearby, but the G35 is a great car I would've chosen over the two.

compliance, getting a 135 over 42k takes effort. The car comes with power everything, xenons, turbo, etc. 1k for sport package. After that you may want leather for $1500. And what else?

huyracing, different worlds with a GTI. Great car for 23-24k and 0% for 60 months though!

This should be an interesting long termer. I am surprised however that edmunds went with the MR since you guys seem to always opt for a stick if at all possible. Faster around willow, but it was slow in every other test and somehow won the comparison? Black again? Come on guys, be a little more creative, a graphite gray GSR would have been sweet

Just sharing what I did. I was in the market for a car. My budget was about $40k. I looked at every car possible (including the EVO MR and BMW 135i) and I got a GTI. It was not a financial decision, I just liked it more. My hardest decision was GTI, Mazdaspeed 3, or Cobalt SS. You really don't need to spend much to have fun these days. As for which car is faster around willow springs, who cares? I've seen an 80's Civic run down two Vipers. The Vipers pulled away on the straights but the Civic took em on the turns. A great car with a poor driver can be beaten by a good driver in an adequate car.

bgdc - It does come decently equipped, but paint is $500, an auto is $1300, sports pack $1100, leather is $1500, comfort access $500, ipod adapter $400, prem audio $900, sirius radio $600. That hits $41.5k without idrive. I don't need all that stuff but the MR has it.

I would never call the 135 a bargain but at least its not based on a $15k car so it's price is a little easier to digest. Plus its a BMW for those of you concerned about impressing people. The EVO is still a Mitsu and outside of enthusiast circles the idea of a $41k Mitsu with a huge wing is a joke. I think most folks would question your sanity if you told them in casual conversation that you're driving a $40k compact Mitsubishi.

its nice to see some parts of SoCal look like Philly. I surely dont see many streets like that when watching TV shows or movies filmed out there.

Two Lancers in the fleet at the same time? I've seen it all now. Why not get the RalliArt AND the Evo GSR to complete the line-up. Perhaps you guys should add a 128i and a WRX.

I'd take the bus over making payments on a $40k Lancer.

The STI is the only direct competitor for the Evo and Evo is priced competitive against the STI. They are both purpose built, niche cars. It is true that their prices overlap with some luxury sport sedans and coupes, but this doesn't really change the fact that these are truly niche performance cars. Besides, I don't think the Evo will sell anywhere close to the sticker one year down the road, which would take care of the apparently high MSRP price.
On the same line, why would anyone buy a Viper or Corvette when they can buy a 135i for almost half the money?
I think Mitsu can justify most of the price with the new and advanced technology they've put in this car, confirmed by any media outlet so far, which can compete with and beat cars much more expensive on the track or carved roads.

Chavis, the Lancer has departed.

"Chavis, the Lancer has departed."

Are there no more intro/exit posts anymore, or am I just missing them?

I appreciate the EVO, and I think a lot of people who have never been in it are far too quick to complain about its "15K roots". The car may not have the interior of a Lexus, but its a far cry from Econoboxes like the Focus, Accent, etc. I'd rather have the EVO over a 1-series, but thats just me.

The Outlander had departed 3 months ago and no exit post.

About the exit posts, we've never really done those. Perhaps we should and perhaps we should rush along the wrap-up articles, but there's only been three or four goodbye posts on the LT blog.

James, since you are around, could you please review my post (#13); I've got some qestions for you in regards to the actual car. Thanks.

"1. Is the foam insulation still visible where the dashboard meets the windshield? I noticed that in the regular Lancer and Evo GSR and I think it's a lame finish.
2. If you lift up the cargo floor carpet, what kind of material did they use underneath (to cover the spare wheel well)? In the regular Lancer I was negatively surprised to see a flimsy piece of plywood (?!) instead of the usual carpeted plastic.
3. Did they put any liner on the inner side of the hood? Again, the Lancer does not have any (cheap IMO)."

...this car drives well enough for me not to care about any of these things. So long as the heat from the engine doesn't bubble the hood paint, why do I want a liner? Also, quite a few cars have plywood spare tire cover. It's cheap, light, and more recyclable / biodegradable than plastic. As for the foam, I'll check, that bothers me in some cars, but in this car most of the time eyes are pointed at the road in serious concentration.
-mike

"Chavis, the Lancer has departed."

Well I know that now (as of today) that they have posted an entry on the issue. However, at the time the Evo was introduced, there was no mention of the Lancer's departure.

PS- I don't have a beef with the car, just the ridiculous price (and terrible fuel economy). Isn't the insurance on the Evo and STi ridiculous as well?

If $40,000 is "ridiculous" you need a better job.

Thanks Mike. I agree that none of these things would matter for this car anyway, but they are just little things that could be done differently with a little cost and they would up the fit and finish impression of the car. They are a bit more important when you scrutinize the base Lancer and compare the fit and finish with cars like Civic or Mazda3. Add to that the flimsy finish of the carpet and the backside of the folding rear seats in the regular Lancer. Luckily, the Evo doesn’t have folding rear seats so no problem there.
I’ve never seen another car with a plywood cargo floor, but I didn’t look hard either. I know any car I owned had a plastic cover. There is also eco-friendly plastic and I know Mitsu has it and uses it in their cars too.
As for the hood liner, wouldn’t it help as a sound barrier too? I think the basic Lancer at least could use it.
The insulation foam strip running at the base of the windshield is not a pretty sight in any car and I don’t think it has to be that way for functional reasons.
Just my nitpicks with the Lancer’s fit and finish. Nothing that Mitsu couldn’t easily fix with few bucks.

Last generation Miata had the plywood floor. I agree, any sort of wood in a car not glued to the dashboard is pretty frightening. I like to call it the Spruce Goose method of auto engineering.

"If $40,000 is "ridiculous" you need a better job."

Hmm... what's the correct response here...

Thanks, jerk?

"If $40,000 is "ridiculous" you need a better job."

What a stupid comment. I hope this doesn't successfully bait anyone.

"On the same line, why would anyone buy a Viper or Corvette when they can buy a 135i for almost half the money?"

$35k is half of $47k? Must be that new math.

"The car may not have the interior of a Lexus, but its a far cry from Econoboxes like the Focus, Accent, etc. I'd rather have the EVO over a 1-series, but thats just me."

At my age the EVO is not a car I would want to be seen in. I really have no urge to own a 1 series but I would definitely buy a 3 or 2009 A4 before I got a souped up Lancer that looks like some sort of war machine. I just cannot see anyone not being tired of such an over styled, over muscled car after 2-3 years. Its a car perfect for 25 year old singles but most of those guys cant afford a $41k car.

"If $40,000 is "ridiculous" you need a better job."

Actually, I do need a better job. However, the point (that seemed to fly over your head) was that I think the car itself is overpriced. I think it'd make a lot of sense at a slightly lower price but I know it's likely produced at a loss so the company is trying to recoup some of the investment. If I were in the market for this or the STi, I wouldn't feel comfortable paying $40k for either. $33-35k would be my maximum for either, fully loaded.

"$35k is half of $47k? Must be that new math."

I was thinking the high-end Corvette Z06, which starts at $72K, with the 135i adjusted for leather ($1450).

The Evo (and STI) are NICHE cars and there are enough under 30 years old in the US and even Canada that could afford it if they would be into this type of cars.

For example, in Canada, the same car costs $52K with the GSR starting at $41.5K and Mitsu sold over 200 of them in the first 5 months since they hit the showroom. Nobody says this is vehicle for everyone, but there is certainly a small market for it.

Everyone hung up on the $40k price tag is missing one thing. The GSR is cheaper (and better). No one cares who wouldn't spend $40k on a mitsubishi. You don't have to.

I do wish the MR was available with a 6sp manual. I'm not interested in the trick transmission, but would like the other upgrades.

Just traded in my 3 series in for an MR. It comes down to what you want out of your car. I want a slot car that goes where it's pointed. Performance wise you can't touch anything like this for the price. Drive one or read the reviews on it before you bash the value. It's awesome!

I finally got my EVO X MR last week. I passed the 600 mile break in point today. I have only driven manual cars most of my life because of their driver control. In recent years I have driven so-called auto/manuals such as in Mazda and Lexus without being overly impressed, but this MR SST tranny is truly a manual racing transmission and a whole lot more. I was hesitant when I ordered the car, but I took a shot and I'm glad I did.

I now have 700 miles on it over every possible terrain and in every environment including the pouring rain. Here's my take as a real world driver:

Switching between normal mode and sport is easy and does not hurt the car in any way. This thing shifts like a Formula 1 racer on steroids! It gives back what you put into it, and it's beyond intelligent. It can be driven soft or hard! It moves like a slingshot from lane to lane and ahead of the very best on the road. This car intimidates corvettes and porches, and I blew away a brand new M3 from a 50 mph launch on an "autobahn style" stretch of highway. Although the power of the BMW M3 was faster in the initial pull, once the turbo and the SST kicked in, it flew by him like a rocket and past 10 cars ahead of us for about half a mile.

The secret is in the SST. You can actually control the shift points and boost with your foot pressure on the gas. For instance, I've learned through experimentation that double-pumping the throttle is like double-clutching to the SST. I have reduced the 5.1 (0-60) to 4.8 in Sport Mode simply by pulling back on the gas in second gear (for a split second), and going full throttle. It moves like rocket ship, and because of the SST you can quiet it right down within seconds with no drama. This thing plays with most performance cars on the road.

Today I tried the Supper Sport mode. I’ll report on that later. And I have a few mods on the way - and they are okayed by Mitsubishi under warranty.

I love this car so much that I told my wife I have to take off my wedding ring when I drive it. I will also report on other things concerning this car shortly such as the unbelievable handling and the incredible technology package which is phenomenal!

I couldn't wait to tell you about the Super Sport mode in the EVO X MR SST. Mitsubishi warns that it's only for track use, and they are NOT kidding! I tried the Super Sport mode today and it is not worth trying on the road with other drivers. It's so aggressive that it only belongs on the track, and I plan to try it out at an nearby track soon, but I'm still learning to trust the car.

As far as manual shifting is concerned, the EVO X MR is amazing. The experience is exactly like using a manual without the foot pedal, but it's even more responsive. I prefer the console shifting over the paddle shifters, but I may just need some more time to play with the paddles.

This car will go down in history as a performance marvel.

I am so impressed by the EVO X MR that I have to chime in about something most EVO enthusiasts won't even care about, and that's the new technology package. Mitsubishi should be pushing the hell out of their new system made by Rockford Fosgate. All I can say is "Holy Shit"!

I bought the car for its performance, but the tech package is even better. It plays any media and the navigation is top notch. This thing will rip files from any CD like mad and stores them on the hard drive. The sound is amazing and it's simply world class! The EVO X MR is a $100K car for $45K.

FYI - Because the EVO is a four banger, the insurance is actually cheap. LOL>

Performance Goals:
Agency Power Intake & suction pipe with NOS spray bar aimed at the intercooler......Finished with a custom WORKS P2 ECU Brain Flash. Need I say more? I'm sticking with stock exhaust for now because I like the stealth sound which is great for deterring law enforcement attention.

Thanks for the detailed updates pepperman! Keep them coming. The reading will keep me going until mine comes in. Their 0-60 time posted today of 5.7 is a little disappointing. What kind of increases are you expecting from your mods?

Someone at Mitsubishi told you NOS wouldn't void your warranty? LOL. That warranty will be worth less than the paper it's printed on.

I am sure that the 5.7 (0-60) was done in normal mode, or the numbers may be due to the driver not yet being used to the car.
Or air and surface temps could have made a difference I suppose, but probably not that much.

I can consistently pull (0-60's) between (5.0 - 5.3 seconds) in sport mode and manual shift mode. I haven't tried with the super sport mode because it just seems so hardcore that I'm afraid I might damage something, but I'll give it a try soon.

The mods I am doing should make an extra 50hp at the wheels putting this MR consistently in the high 12's to low 13's in the 1/4, and mid 4's at (0-60). That's fine for the road. If I wanted a straight line 450hp (with mods), I would have gone for the GSR, but it still couldn't keep up with the MR in the real world.

The MR walks the line between a $200K track performer and an off the line big block drag racer. In stock, it may not be the fastest (0-60) performer, but it'll out pull an M3 from a 50mph roll, and no matter what you throw at it this beast wants more. And I'm not just talking about the motor. The SST tranny wants more too! This engine / tranny combo seems to improve as you get to know it.

The MR operates like a friggin slingshot. On the highway it blasts from lane to lane at any speed above 20mph as if you're playing checkers on a computer. It moves like a bullet from side to side and front to back. While many other performance favorites (Vettes, BMWs, Audis, Vipers) have already tried to keep up with my MR, they start strong and finish weak. Not for lack of power, but for lack of trusting their car.

I swear the EVOXMR handles better the faster you go! It's downright scary like a roller coaster. I think the reason so many other performers have given up is because they feel their ride will lose control over 100mph in a fast turning situation, but the MR wants more! I can't wait to take it to a track and practice all day long. This beast wants to go all day long at 130mph. I can't even believe it's a four banger...LOL

As far as the mods and my warranty. There is one stipulation to keep my warranty. You have to have a Mitsubishi dealer install the mods and there are only a handful around the country doing it right now. The dealers will not install crazy mods - only safe ones okayed by the factory.

By having a verified Mitsubishi dealer install the mods, you also have a solid court case should you have to fight for your warranty. If you're looking to make an 11 second drag monster then my way would not be your way, but if you want a car that can run side by side with the best performance cars in the world - then my simple mods would be the way to go. I want a car I can drive - not a car that beats any road racer in a straight line.

If you don't mind sharing, what will the extra 50hp run around through the dealership?

I learned something new concerning the EVO X MR today. I installed the Agency Power intake and suction pipe kit yesterday. It was easy to install and performed well, but the sound and performance actually detracted from the overall performance of the stock MR.

Both the sound and performance disappointed me. There was extra boost over 100MPH, but not enough to justify the lack of factory competence. Within the first few miles of testing I realized the factory MR cannot be improved on with simple bolt-on mods. This car is a masterpiece, and will only benefit from a factory authorized ECU upgrade.

I may not even add an ECU adjustment because this car is about as tight as any performance racing machine can get in the factory mode. It ain't about (0-60) performance on the EVO X MR. It's about putting the pedal to the medal and going to 120mph in blistering seconds while moving in and out of traffic. In a straight line, there are lots of performance machines that can edge out the MR by split seconds, but in the real world of driving, the MR takes best in class every time. This car sprints in and out of nearly anything like a raging bull on steroids.

In reverence to this incredible machine, I took the aftermarket intake off right away and put back the OEM system the very next day because that's what this car was meant to be. The EVO X MR is as masterpiece of auto engineering hands down, and you cannot improve on the factory release in my humble opinion. It's incredible!