evo mr and other awd sedan thoughts

[faiz999]

im looking for an awd turbo sedan and there are a few to choose from but there are pros/cons to each.

the evo MR is at the top of my price range but im considering it because it seems to retain value decently well, there arent a ton of used MRs available and the financing rate is competitive.

the drawbacks are, its expensive as fuck for a car with virtually no luxurious amenities that are seen in cars in this price range.

now, i know the evo is hardly a luxury sedan but at the price its offered at, i have no choice but to see other cars in that segment.

STIs/WRXs are in short supply and in high demand. plus it seems subaru in calgary doesnt have the greatest reputation and both cars offer less in terms of interior, tho the prices are reflective of that. ideally, id take a base WRX but the only thing they have coming in is an overpriced (IMO) ltd edition version.

i have been looking at some used bmw xdrive 335is. theres some to out there but im hesitant on buying a used german vehicle in case repairs are needed down the road.

anyways, because there are alot of guys who have these cars, id like to hear opinions on this segment of cars and if anything stands out, good or bad.

EDIT: I guess my real question to the board is, is the MR worth the money, is the subaru worth waiting for, is the 3 series reliable and am i missing out on other cars not mentioned that fit the awd turbo sedan mold.

[Narutart]

Have you looked at the g37x sedans?

[KRyn]

What's your budget?

[faiz999]

Originally posted by Narutart
Have you looked at the g37x sedans?

i haven't looked specifically at the pricing but ive driven one and wasnt a big fan of the driving experience. it seemed heavy and big (which it is) and i was looking at a smaller sized engine preferably with a turbo.

to me, it was similar to the acura TL, in terms of how it has all the nice, luxurious features but drives/looks too much like a family sedan. tho, the g37 looks much better than the TL imo, so perhaps i need to revisit the dealership and see what they can offer

[faiz999]

Originally posted by KRyn
What's your budget?

for brand new, ideally i wouldnt like anything more than 40k. i know the MR is 50k but im only considering it because i absolutely loved the way it drives/handles. i tried looking for used MRs but theres slim pickings.

for used, im looking at the 20-30ish range. if its a bit more, thats fine depending on mileage, features, etc.

[ercchry]

i'd wait for the S3 :burnout:

[tocqueville]

Evo is a great car, but maintenance is kinda high, especially on a used one. Beside the normal maintenance, there are two components are very easy to fail, SST Transmission and the ACD Pump.

SST usually is very reliable, if something fail, Stealership can only perform a swap instead of opening it up and fix it, cause they are not trained on that. (I heard they can now, but I am not too sure) Anyway, there is rebuild service in the state just in case something happens.

If the car is driven all year around car, make sure you ask them if they have the ACD Pump replaced or not. If no, be honest with you, it's going to die anytime soon, and it's not cover by warranty. Stealershhip cannot do any rebuild, they can only do a replacement. However, you can always buy a rebuild kit and do it yourself or send it to Ontario or the state to have it rebuild. I rebuilt my pump once and twice for the motor.

Brand new SST Transmission around $15000
Brand new ACD Pump $1700

I have driven both EVO and STI, they are both great cars. But depends what you want, I am more a performance > luxury guy. Never a German car fans, but I heard if you buy it from the dealership, they will still covered by factory warranty. Correct me if I am wrong.

[rage2]

It's unfortunate that the Evo MR is so expensive, because for a driver, it's one hell of a car. Of all the AWD cars I've driven over the years, it's by far the most fun. League of it's own. It makes VW/Audi AWD cars feel like kids toys. It figures things out as well as a GTR, but its raw enough to make it feel like you're driving the car and not the computers.

But, like you said, it's a POS when it comes to luxuries and options. So you have to figure out what you want out of a car, fun to drive, or luxurious.

As for the other brands, here's what I've driven, and rating them purely for driving enjoyment, ranked from most fun to biggest bore:

1. BMW - only driven the 550 xdrive, and it's not bad. Really wish I've tried a 335 xdrive to see how the AWD system feels.

2. Mercedes - non AMG's (C300 4matic) are on par with the BMW 550 xdrive I drove. The new AMGs AWD's are as close to the raw feel of the Evo as you can get, but the CLA45 is impossible to get and right at the top end of your budget. Still prefer the EVO AWD system.

3. VW - Have yet to drive a fun AWD car.

4. Audi - See VW. The sport diffs in the RWD based (S4, S5) makes it tolerable, but still way beyond what other manufactures offer in terms of driving fun.

5. Subaru - See VW. Maybe even worse.

[clem24]

Man not too long ago, you'd be looking solely at the WRX. Nowdays, we've got (in that price range):

- Audi A3, A4
- BMW 328i XDrive
- Mercedes CLA45 (well ok a little OUT of the price range but on par with the EVO X I think) or the new C300 4Matic
- Mitsu Lancer Ralliart/Evo
- Ford Taurus SHO
- VW Golf R
- Legacy GT (though I think it's discontinued now?)
- Caddy ATS

I am sure I am missing a few.

[tocqueville]

+1 on the Mercedes AWD, I have driven my friends C, CLK, ML, they are awesome.

Volvo S60 R design, I don't think a lot of people will like this, but I am pretty sure it's pretty fun and super safe

[gpomp]

I have a 2012 MR that I sold my IS F for. Most people think I'm crazy so but the performance of the Evo outweighed the luxury of the Lexus. I only drive the Evo in the summer time so I can't comment on the reliability of the ACD pump in cold weather.

IMO, there really isn't anything that comes close in terms of being a "driver's cars" unless you're looking upmarket at the E90 M3 or 987.2 Cayman S.

Depending on your budget, you should look for a 2010+ MR as they come with which comes with leather seats, sunroof, no rear wing, etc: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/112_0911_2010_mitsubishi_lancer_evo_mr_touring_review/

Rage: My parents have a 335xi and feels like it has an extra 200 lbs on the front axle. The AWD also numbs the steering down to near Subaru levels.

[faiz999]

i agree completely rage. the evo just made me feel a different way than the other cars i drove. i had so mcuh fun on the test drive and every car ive driven since hasnt given me the same enjoyment. if it was seriously near the base sti price, i might have already bought it.

i was trying to avoid the 5 series purely because of the size but there are some decent deals for the 08-10 era of model. also, im not a fan of the styling.

i honestly am considering a fusion titanium fully loaded but when i ran that by someone they exclaimed "40k for a FORD?" i dunno if thats a valid criticism anymore but i see where they were coming from.

[clem24]

Originally posted by faiz999
i honestly am considering a fusion titanium fully loaded but when i ran that by someone they exclaimed "40k for a FORD?" i dunno if thats a valid criticism anymore but i see where they were coming from.

Does it HAVE to be AWD? If it were my money, I'd save it and buy the Fiesta ST LOL. Or if has to have 4 doors, than the Focus ST.

[eglove]

Originally posted by clem24


Does it HAVE to be AWD? If it were my money, I'd save it and buy the Fiesta ST LOL. Or if has to have 4 doors, than the Focus ST.


Fiesta and Focus ST are both 4 doors.

[bignerd]

You wont' find anything with the performance or technology for the price of the Evo. I didn't really think there were "tons" of used ones on the market.

You don't buy either the Evo or the STI for luxury. For me the STi was more fun to drive(owned two of these before the MR), more hands on and "simple" to drive where as the Evo was more technical and computerized, although much faster than the STi.

The EVo will be much more to maintain (i.e over a thousand bucks ++ for fluid flushes for the diff etc I think the fluid was like $800 alone), and if you ever need replacement parts or get into an accident well... its expensive, to the point where a relatively minor looking accident writes your car off. It is not a cheap car to own.

I bought mine in the US new and saved about 9K after taxes and import, duty etc.

[cherpintow]

Originally posted by rage2
It's unfortunate that the Evo MR is so expensive, because for a driver, it's one hell of a car. Of all the AWD cars I've driven over the years, it's by far the most fun. League of it's own. It makes VW/Audi AWD cars feel like kids toys. It figures things out as well as a GTR, but its raw enough to make it feel like you're driving the car and not the computers.

But, like you said, it's a POS when it comes to luxuries and options. So you have to figure out what you want out of a car, fun to drive, or luxurious.

As for the other brands, here's what I've driven, and rating them purely for driving enjoyment, ranked from most fun to biggest bore:

1. BMW - only driven the 550 xdrive, and it's not bad. Really wish I've tried a 335 xdrive to see how the AWD system feels.

2. Mercedes - non AMG's (C300 4matic) are on par with the BMW 550 xdrive I drove. The new AMGs AWD's are as close to the raw feel of the Evo as you can get, but the CLA45 is impossible to get and right at the top end of your budget. Still prefer the EVO AWD system.

3. VW - Have yet to drive a fun AWD car.

4. Audi - See VW. The sport diffs in the RWD based (S4, S5) makes it tolerable, but still way beyond what other manufactures offer in terms of driving fun.

5. Subaru - See VW. Maybe even worse.

Of all of the negative points I've seen associated with a Subaru, this is the first time I've ever seen the term boring thrown at it. Sure it's not in the same league as many of it's competitors in terms of refinement, but boring? Maybe I just have low expectations..

[clem24]

Originally posted by eglove
Fiesta and Focus ST are both 4 doors.

My bad! I keep forgetting we get the 4 door while the rest of the world gets the 2.


Originally posted by cherpintow
Of all of the negative points I've seen associated with a Subaru, this is the first time I've ever seen the term boring thrown at it. Sure it's not in the same league as many of it's competitors in terms of refinement, but boring? Maybe I just have low expectations..

Subaru's love to understeer. Their engines and exhaust also sound like shit. More fun to drive than a Camry? Yes. But against other cars, they're not inspiring. Not to mention their general ugliness and you get the picture.

Maybe what you haven't done is driven the competition.

I really enjoyed the Subies I've owned but once you venture outside of the Subaru world, you start to realize what you were missing. I also dislike the fact that the centre diff was so unpredictable; there were times I expected it to slide when all it would do was unda unda.

[KRyn]

Originally posted by clem24
I also dislike the fact that the centre diff was so unpredictable; there were times I expected it to slide when all it would do was unda unda.

I am hoping some big fat front and rear sway bars will make my STI more tail happy as it does under steer way to much.

Everyone who drives an Evo says it is light years ahead of the STI in feel and performance. I haven't been so lucky yet, a member who will remain nameless was supposed to take me for a ride in his 06 MR! :cry:

[rage2]

Originally posted by cherpintow
Of all of the negative points I've seen associated with a Subaru, this is the first time I've ever seen the term boring thrown at it. Sure it's not in the same league as many of it's competitors in terms of refinement, but boring? Maybe I just have low expectations..

Originally posted by clem24
Subaru's love to understeer.
It's interesting because the STi handles a lot like my 911 Turbo, but with less grip. A bore when it's dry because of the understeer, but in the winter, it's a lot more fun. Not only does it understeer in dry conditions, it has really numb steering feel, which is what makes it boring.

That's why the EVO is so highly rated. It's fun to drive in any condition, dry, wet, snow.

[freshprince1]

Are you looking for a new car? My '05 Legacy GT sedan has been awesome. The WRX engine (with mods :poosie: ) and a bit more room for comfort.

Handles great and is fun to drive for a daily driver. I likely don't drive as hard (or as well) as Rage2 and others, so I really enjoy the performance I get out of it. It's realiable, affordadble, fun, and unstoppable in the winter.







(shameless plug: ...and it will be for sale in the new year)

[heavyD]

I've owned an EVO MR and STI and although they get compared all the time when it comes to ultimate handling and performance it's not really that close as the EVO is markedly better. That said the STI makes for a kinder daily driver but it also suffers from the same dime store interior that plagues the EVO with the addition of Subaru's patented snap, crackle, pop interior noises. I dynamatted 1/3 of the interior this summer and as soon as winter arrives I find out my work is not even close to being done.:banghead:

[austic]

My Best Friend has the Evo MR and i have a 335xi. The EVO is a beast in performance but the interior feels like it came from a car a quarter its price.