I love the Evo X, I really do. I love its fast steering, its communication skills, its power and its utility. But I don't love its blind spot. It's is a problem which affects us short-torsoed types. And it's infuriating.
Above is as close an approximation of what I see from the driver's seat as I can create with my camera at eye level. Notice the waistline (bottom of the side window) is at about shoulder level. It's below my eyes, but not as much as it should be for adequate front-quarter visibility.
Example after the jump...
This is what I see with the camera raised up two to three inches (same focal length, same lateral position). As you can see, important items -- children, parking blocks, curbs -- can easily hide in the blind spot behind the mirror. I'm five feet nine inches tall, just so you know -- exactly average.
Here's the thing: Height-adjustable seats would largely cure the problem. I love the Evo's supportive seats, but I don't like sitting on the floor. And I can't possibly be the only one. This is a crucial oversight. It's so bad that when I drive these cars on a track I use a pad to elevate myself enough to see the corners of the car.
So, Mitsubishi, how about some height-adjustable seats on the Evo XI? Oh yeah, we want it to weigh less and have more power, too.
Josh Jacquot, Senior road test editor
oldchap says:
05:14 AM, 04/ 7/09
Remember too when you could rest your elbow on the open window sill? I try that with my roadster now (a car designed to experience the world around you) and my shoulder goes out of socket. I'm not the only one that looks like a head floating on the dashboard. I'm ready to leave the bunker-slit styling to the intense few hot roders willing to de-useful a useful car in the name of style. Evo's are not the worst, but I'd trade 100 admiring stares for a couple more square inches of glass all around.
dougtheeng says:
05:44 AM, 04/ 7/09
This was a problem I noticed in my Lancer GTS as well. I guess you get used to it, but then again you shouldn't have to get used to something thats not good.
johnnyr3 says:
05:48 AM, 04/ 7/09
I like how the baby is like, "Please don't hit me..."
ibognar says:
05:56 AM, 04/ 7/09
Just put a phone book on the seat.
wobbly_ears says:
07:06 AM, 04/ 7/09
Unfortunately, I think we all need to get used to the pillars being thick. With the side curtain airbags & tougher roof & structural strength requirements, the pillars are going to get even more thick.
Or, someone comes up with a transparent material to make the pillars out of which is as strong as steel. It might sound as a cooky idea, but never discount the advances that material engineering can make.
altimadude00 says:
07:16 AM, 04/ 7/09
Wobbly ears--Volvo experimented with a lattice/see through a-pillar with one of its concept cars a while back, but apparently it didn't take off.
The main problem is that car design still has to put a lot of metal around the passenger cabin to give people inside a fighting chance to survive a collision with a huge truck or SUV that every soccer mom tends to drive these days.
Personally, I have never had this problem because my head is usually brushing the headliner in cars. This presents more problems--mainly the uselessness of the sun visors because even if you push it as high as possible, they still block my vision straight down the road (and I have my seat as low as it can go). Also, the rear view mirror blocks half of my field of vision on the passenger side (I can't see cars at a four way stop on the right side of the car).
So being tall presents problems as well.
banhugh says:
09:50 AM, 04/ 7/09
"I like how the baby is like, "Please don't hit me...""
I think it's more like about to give the finger to the driver that nearly missed it!
jkavanagh says:
11:11 AM, 04/ 7/09
You're all leg, though, Josh.
In all seriousness, it's true that the visibility / greehouse area in the Evo X is a fraction of that in the Evo VIII / IX.
But if I had to choose, I'd rather be t-boned in an Evo X than the earlier cars....
jkp1187 says:
01:19 PM, 04/ 7/09
Seriously? The Evo X doesn't have height adjustable seats? Not even manual controls?
Fail.
70ss454_man says:
01:42 PM, 04/ 7/09
Boohoo.
Bunch of whiners.
hhsohn says:
03:43 PM, 04/ 7/09
Is that a Mazda3 hatchback I see in the drive way?
dalaw says:
03:54 PM, 04/ 7/09
Speaking of making improvements to the next Evo, here is what I wish Mitsubishi would improve on the 2010 Evo:
-Height adjustable seats
-Bigger fuel tank
-Move the battery and washer tank back to the front to free up some much needed trunk space
-6-speed manual for the GSR
-More attractive gauges
Thats pretty much it. It would make the Evo a much more attractive and livable car.
bakakarasu says:
11:36 AM, 04/28/09
I love this car but hate that F22 size wing. How tough is it to take that thing off? Can you unbolt it from inside the trunk lid? (I'd rather have 4 rubber plugs on the trunk lid than that wing.) Also, when (if?) is there going to be a hatchback Evo MR? That would resolve the storage capacity issue vs the STI AND would hopefully eliminate that stoopid wing.