That's right, kids, it's time again for another rabble rousing installment of Parting Shots, that oh-so-zany last ditch effort to get one more word in edgewise as a car gets unceremoneously booted from our long-term fleet. This time 'round we've got the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X MR -- it was the brownish one with the dual clutch DSST gearbox. Read the Long-Term Wrap-Up here and then come back with your own parting shots.
"Too bad the Audi R8's transmission isn't as good as the MR's. What an amazing car! So fast, so civilized - "you got chocolate in my peanut butter, you got peanut butter in my chocolate." It's the two great tastes that taste great together!!
To me, the Evo has always seemed like a curiosity, a car I never really connected with - fast for sure but I thought of it the way I think of the Dodge Viper - it's great...for someone else. Not anymore - this Evo is precise, urgent, quick and brilliant. Yet if I get tired of all the drama, it can be driven like normal sedan (granted a sedan with very firm suspension). It's got tons of performance with very little compromise in day to day driving. Just a great car all around - one my favorites." Brian Moody, Road Test Editor
"Still think this is a half-price BMW M3 sedan, not just a ride for WRX-haters." Michael Jordan, Executive Editor
"It's Playstation. The perfect vehicle for kids who prefer Gran Turismo to actual driving." Al Austria, Vehicle Evaluation Engineer
"With its mandatory automated manual, the Evo MR is the perfect car for those who can't match their own revs but want to go fast anyway - and don't care that the engine sounds like a dust buster. It's a highly capable performance machine, no doubt. It's also not nearly as rewarding to drive as our Project Evo GSR." Josh Sadlier, Associate Editor
"I'll miss the whoosh of the Evo X MR. It made me feel like a cool racer boy when I drove it." Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor
"Perhaps the most underrated car in the fleet, the Evo MR is a compact car loaded with near-supercar capabilities and technology. Typical instrumented testing doesn't tell the whole story. Just look at Jacquot's comments and hill-climb time to see what this car is all about. Sports cars costing double and triple(?) the Evo MR barely ruffle its feathers." Chris Walton, Chief Road Test Editor
"One of the few times I drove Mr Evo, I got stuck in a carpocolypse morning commute that took almost two hours to travel 9 miles. The MS-SST-RESPECT transmission certainly proved its worth over a traditional manual when it comes to every-day drivability. However, it comes with magnesium paddle shifters - I greatly prefer those made of tungsten or molybdenum." James Riswick, Automotive Editor
"This car feels as tight now as it did when we first picked it up, and the sophisticated powertrain hardware that had the potential of being troublesome proved to be reliable as an anvil. I would have preferred that the visibility was as panoramic as it was in the Evo VIII and IX and the MR's indifferent intake whoosh be spruced up, though. The price tag is too high for an Evo, though. That said, it's been an outstanding car." Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor
"Did a lowly Evo end up with the best of the dual-clutch 'boxes? It sure did. Whenever I'd drive our MR, I'd forget that conventional manual transmissions even exist anymore." Erin Riches, Senior Editor
"Sawzall Use #973: Cutting a large enough hole in the grille of your 2008 Mitsubishi Evo X to pass your hand through. Followed shortly thereafter by stuffing said hand inside and releasing the hood latch." Mike Schmidt, Vehicle Testing Manager
"What's not to love about a car with four doors, three limited-slip differentials, and one turbocharger? Especially one that can do all the gear changing quicker and more efficiently than any driver (on a track, at least).
OR
It's not too stiff, you're just too soft. Get over it." Josh Jacquot, Senior Road Test Editor
" Answer: Hand-crank-starters, the letter press, an abacus and the clutch-pedal equipped manual transmission.
Question: What are four things which require skill but just aren't worth the trouble anymore.
Fact: The SST auto-clutch manual (that's the definition) shifts faster than you do
Fact: The SST only shifts, when in manual mode, when you tell it to.
Fact: These transmissions were banned in some race series because they're too good, too fast, not because the drivers suck. Are others implying that Schumacher isn't a skilled driver?
Fact: When you're on the street, you can put it in auto and relax. (Most of editors did this. The MR never sat out a night in part due to its daily-driving abilities.) Relaxing is impossible in project GSR." Mike Magrath, Compiler of Parting Shots.
msdaisy says:
10:52 PM, 07/23/09
No "Car of the Week" before letting this go?
kyolml says:
12:09 AM, 07/24/09
How come the car is that great but the sales number is so low.... the dealer is doing 8K off and 0% for so many months now.
lysine says:
12:52 AM, 07/24/09
So sad to see this go since I actually own one. I won't have anything to comment about anymore. :(
Glad some of you liked it. It's been flawless for me.
dougtheeng says:
06:00 AM, 07/24/09
I love this vehicle and even though people give it the 'boy racer' rap (and deservedly so...) its infinitely more interesting to me then other sports sedans. Its gorgeous, has huge presence when parked and on the road, and has the guts to back up that mean scowl. Shame about the trunk size.
breif says:
06:40 AM, 07/24/09
Well, the good news about this car leaving is that I won't feel a little more regret every time I see it and wish I would have held off on buying the MS3.
The bad news is we won't get to hear anything else about how awesome it is, small trunk be 'darned.'
fuhteng says:
07:44 AM, 07/24/09
Blasphemy Erin!
mack31 - bye bye!
Good car. I'm happy I can finally see off this ricer beating my American muscle sedans though.
joeo26 says:
08:00 AM, 07/24/09
Its a pretty car for sure, this would be a great car to own - affordable, all wheel drive for the winters, reliable, and quick to top it off!
Mack31 - a Sebring? Really? That post sounded like you were paid by Chrysler too, don't take it the wrong way! haha
nealibob says:
08:25 AM, 07/24/09
@breif: the MS3 is a fantastic car, so don't feel bad. I drive a 335i now, and I still miss the MS3 all the time. I think both the MS3 and the MR present a really good value proposition, but the wing ruins the MR for me :-P
ahightower says:
08:46 AM, 07/24/09
Answer: playing a musical instrument; the charcoal grill; a neatly handwritten letter on fine stationary; the clutch-pedal-equipped manual transmission.
Question: What are four things which require skill and are absolutely worth the trouble, even though modern technology has brought us some mediocre substitutions for lazy people?
compliance says:
08:51 AM, 07/24/09
The parting shots sound more enthusiastic than the long term wrap up. So would the staffers buy the MR or the GSR (stock)? Or something else at this price?
breif says:
08:54 AM, 07/24/09
Nealibob;
Don't get me wrong, I love my MS3. It was the MS3 or a used Evo 8/9. The speed3 won out because it was a screaming deal and it had a warranty.
But another 40+hp would have been nice, plus the ability to mod on top...
I'll just stick to my DSMs for now I suppose.
tcd223 says:
09:26 AM, 07/24/09
Completely agree with Riswick. especially that bit about the shift paddle materials.
thejohnp says:
10:15 AM, 07/24/09
Maybe it's me, but I just don't seem to understand how cars are chosen to go away in the long term fleet. They're letting go of this 2008 model, but they JUST got rid of a 2002 M3...2002?!?!, and there's still a couple of 2007 in the fleet and isn't about time they updated the Prius from the 2004 they have? Sorry to go off topic, but just confused is all.
boxermike says:
10:25 AM, 07/24/09
"Answer: playing a musical instrument; the charcoal grill; a neatly handwritten letter on fine stationary; the clutch-pedal-equipped manual transmission.
Question: What are four things which require skill and are absolutely worth the trouble, even though modern technology has brought us some mediocre substitutions for lazy people?" ahightower.
Funny enough, I agree with your first three. I value all of those skills though I can't play an instrument worth a damn. Though I have to disagree that the DSST is a mediocre substitution for a clutch. There is no substitution for being able to use a charcoal grill, though.
-mm
fuhteng says:
10:53 AM, 07/24/09
Sure there is mike, it is called gas. You don't need to wait 45 minutes to use it.
bimmerjay says:
11:17 AM, 07/24/09
@thejohnp, their cars stay in the fleet for one year. The '02 M3 was purchased used.
lvranger says:
11:52 AM, 07/24/09
ahightower +1
Magrath, get bent. :-)
huyracing says:
02:40 PM, 07/24/09
its just too expensive. i could not pay $40k for a Mitsubishi...
kingkhalas says:
04:21 PM, 07/24/09
That car was a good choice for the long term fleet.
stovt001 says:
04:30 PM, 07/24/09
"How come the car is that great but the sales number is so low.... the dealer is doing 8K off and 0% for so many months now."
Probably because it is great, but not $40K great. More like $32K great, and that's how much I'd be willing to pay for it too. In fact, if it wasn't for the boy racer stereotype, I'd be taking a long hard look at it if I could have one in the mid-to-low $30Ks out the door. Aww heck, the car at the top of my next car list is the Camaro, which just replaced the "mullet head" stereotype with the "Transformers Fanboy" stereotype, so I should probably just get over perceptions and check one out.
So Edmunds, since LT fleet rules apparently dictate a car can only enter the LT fleet if you currently already have the exact same car in the fleet or had one in the fleet just recently, what duplicate car are we going to see replace the Evo?
ibognar says:
05:22 AM, 07/25/09
Anyone can get one out the door now in the low to mid 30's.
Go buy one. Quit moaning about MSRP's.
GSR's with the manual transmission (better IMO) can be had in the high 20's.
roadburner says:
12:31 PM, 07/26/09
"Well, the good news about this car leaving is that I won't feel a little more regret every time I see it and wish I would have held off on buying the MS3."
Welcome to my world; I desperately wish I had held off on buying my MS3 and bought an E46 M3 instead...
huyracing says:
12:12 AM, 07/27/09
its not just price, its the boyracer image.
jo151 says:
07:20 AM, 07/27/09
I would have to disagree with the whole boy racer image thing people have been talking about. I have owned an STi and now own the Evo MR. The STi and Evo have been around long enough for most car enthusiasts to know about the potential of these cars. Over the years of owning these two cars, I have had a lot of positive feedback among all kinds of car enthusiasts. People who do not know much about cars may not understand what it is...but then again I doubt they think about it much at all.
Again, these cars are selling for under MSRP right now because of the economy...many other cars are also selling for a discount. Even in the high 30k range, there are few if any cars that are as fast on a track or back road than the new evo X. The reason you are paying 30k in change for a Mitsubishi is because all of the money went into performance parts. At the end of the day performance and capability are more important than a name plate.
weneversleep says:
09:17 AM, 07/27/09
I have an 08 Evo MR. Chose it over an E90 M3 sedan. Seriously. The Evo was just more fun to drive.
I also swore that I would never buy a flappy-paddle gearbox, until I tried the TC-SST in the MR. Mitsubishi just nailed it in the software programming. Normal mode is great for around town, and Sport mode is just a flick of the switch away. Always in the right gear, no matter what.
ice1874193 says:
12:12 PM, 08/ 4/09
Too bad the MR is going goodbye - I liked reading this and the GSR - The GSR isn't getting ditched anytime soon is it?