Is the EVO the best all around car?

[broddie50]

M3, E46... great cars. The Evo and Sti are incredible performers for the price. I guess I'm biased, but the C6 gets my nod. Just my 2 pennies.

[Jimster]

In a word NO, the Evo is not a perfect car. It's a good car, but not perfect.

Firstly it lacks the character found in other performace cars such as the Dodge Viper, Alfa Romeo 147 GTA, Renault Clio V6 and MINI Cooper S. It looks like exactly what it is- a fast family sedan with spoilers stuck on. Makes me yearn for the days of the Lancia Delta Integrale, Mitsubishi Evolution I and R32 Skyline GTR, when bodykits were subtle yet effective.

Nor is Mitsubishi well known for it's reliability, especially the transmissions (Though in fairness it's mainly the Auto's that are bad), the 4G63 is a well built motor, however.

Interior? Not the Evo's domain, not even close to that of the Volkswagen Golf R32, GTi, Audi S3 or even the Civic Type R. Come to think of it, I've seen better interiors in Holdens and Fords. Cheap plastics and an extremely dull design.


Even the Evo has it's short comings, more than a BMW M3 for example, which although expensive, justifies its' price-tag IMHO.

[Neutrino]

OK WTF is this. Seriously people this is enough, no more bitching.

All of a sudden mustangs appear compared to 350Z and even vettes? WTF can't you read the title. Its not the best perfomance car, its the best all around car. So lets remember that means a fast sensible choice.

So you think the mustang is a good all arounder. Sure lets start on the premise that its performance its excellent now give it to a mom in Michigan with 2 kids and a toddler. I'm sure she will have tons of fun showing the todler in the back seat of a coupe, the even more fun when she will attemp to drive a high power RWD car with fat tires in the snow. Does that sound like a sensible choice?

Now lets attempt this with the vette....


Further on lets get to M bimmers CTS-V cadillacs and such. They offer luxury We come to the trick question: Can you afford it? They might be better cars but the price takes them out of reach for many families. So for many middle class familis they will not be a sensible choice due to finances therefore they might not be the perfect all around car either.

The evo while having many plusses: good price, performance, AWD, 4 doors its not without its drawbacks: boy racer looks and stiff suspension.

Bottom line there is no perfect all arounder but some cars come close. The evo and sti and een the srt4 make a good case for themselves in their price bracket (~20-~30K) if can forget some luxuries otherwise look for an RSX or Acura TL and trade some perf to luxury.

Audi S4 would be my pick for the next price level.


But IMO overall best pick would be the upcoming Mazdaspeed 6: 4 doors sensible looks, good luxury and amenities, priced around 28K. It will have an AWD setup powered by a direct injection turbo 4 banger with plenty of power and lots of down low TQ.

So now lets keep this civilised and if you want to make a case for your car don't just bring to attention the performance side, focus on how realistical the choice is for an average family.

[Ssom]

There are even better choices as allround cars that the Mazda6 MPS and Evo/STi etc. Two that stand out are the Honda Accord Euro (aka TSX) and Subaru Legacy 3.0R B Spec.

The Accord comes equipped with a 2.4 four-cylinder producing 140 Kw, is comfortable and can fit four adults, transmission options are a 6 speed manual or 5 speed Automatic, equipment includes climate controlled air conditioning, four airbags, CD Player etc and the handling is typical Honda aka. Fantastic. Oh lets not forget the gorgeous styling

The best bit it only costs NZ$35,000, which undercuts a 1.6 Litre FSI VW Golf! So yes I believe that the Honda Accord Euro is a far more practical choice than the Evo (Let's not forget that you can get two Euro's for the price of one Evo VIII- which is NZ$74,500 btw.) and can offer driving thrills (If not quite in the league of the Evo) and subtle good looks mixed with practicality. The dowside of course is that everybody has a Honda Accord Euro these days (Though there are more Mondeo's and Mazda6's)

If you want something priced closer to the Evo, then choose a Subaru Legacy 3.0R B-Spec. Here is a car which offers AWD, just like the Evo, it offers a 3.0 Flat Six with almost as much power as the Evo and that well finished and nicely laid out interior says it all........ In fact this car offers more kit than any 330i I've ever seen. You can get the car in either a manual or Automatic as well, meaning once again it makes far more sense than an Evo. It's styled like a European car as well (I've mistaken one from the rear for a Peugeot 407 a few times)


So to answer this thread, yes. There are better all-round cars than the Evo.

Don't even get me started on FPV's new F6 Typhoon, this is a car that will cream a standard Evo (Powered by a 260 Kw Inline 6 Turbo), offer more interior room, probably handle just as well in the dry (Fords control blade IRS is amazing), while costing about the same (For those who don't know this car uses the Ford Falcon XR6 as it's base).


Then again you guys in the US get your Evo's for cheap compared to us (Even though ours are better , JDM y0!)

[sunsetway]

Why do you people want to compare apples to oranges? I've seen Viper, Ferrari, Corvette, BMW......Lets AT LEAST keep this thread in the same price range! Not to mention Vipers and Corvettes don't have a freakin' back seat!

Now that being said, let's see some good comparisons to the EVO or STi for best-all-around-bang-for-your-buck-fun-to-drive.....Something you could autocross one day then take the kids to soccer practice, and swing to the grocery store on the way home the next day. All the while blowing away the COMMON vehicles (no Ferraris or Vipers) on the street.....In STOCK form.....All for around 30 grand.

I can't think of a good comparison.....Maybe the Mustang IF it had IRS and AWD.....Nah, screw the Mustang.

[WickedNYCowboy]

My answer is no. The AWD is a power eater. It is also a glorified family sedan. The insurance will be sky rocketed(depending on age) or high because of the turbo engine. The interior is made up of materials found in a sub compact rental car. The fuel consumption isn't exactly something to be proud of. The GM pickups get about the same milage with a V-8(LS-1 based 5.3L vortech) and weigh about double the Evo. I can keep going but you get the point. It is no it is NOT the best all around car.

[3000ways]

I understand what you guys are saying, that EVO does have it's faults, and you must remember all cars do. My point is that the EVO just has so much more to offer to it's owner than the average car. I'm not saying that the EVO is the most comfortable car to sit in (because I know it's not), but the point is, that if you needed to sit 5 people in the car in relative comfort, you could. but I would argue that 5 people in an EVO would be a hell of a lot more comfortable than 5 people in a Mustang (I've sat in both). Plus cars like the Corvette can not offer room for 5 people, advantage EVO.

Now something else the Mustang can not match with the EVO, is it's all weather capabilities, it starts to rain or snow, where is the Mustang??? Either in the garage or going 45MPH on the Freeway or Highway (posted speed limit is 65MPH), while the EVO has just began to get started. Another thing the Mustang lacks is the EVOs all around performance, the only performance category the Mustang GT has over the EVO stock for stock, is top end grunt, the Mustang GT should pull on an EVO from a roll. A race from a dig, the EVO wins. A race on an autocross, the EVO wins. A race on a race course, the EVO wins. Handling, the EVO wins. Braking, the EVO wins.

I would never call the EVO the flavour of the month (the EVO is no SRT-4), because it has a very rich history, and it has earned it's spot on the podium of Japanese cars. The only 4-Cylinder AWD car to reach speeds of 200MPH+, was the EVO. The quickest record 4-Cylinder AWD car is, the EVO. The list of accolades for the EVO is long and that is my number #12 reason for the EVO being the best all around car.

Like I said the EVO has it's fault, as does any car. Still the EVO offers a lot in return, more so than any other car I can think of. I'm not saying the EVO is the best at anything I'm just saying it is good at everything. It's not the fastest, but the EVO is fast. It's not the most comfortable ride, but it is comfortable enough to live with day to day. It doesn't have the most room, but if you need to fit 5 people it can. It's not the best handling car, but it can handle very well. It's not the best looking by any means, but it grows on you and definitly get's you noticed. It's not the best in foul weather, but it will get you home safely. It's not the cheapest, but it isn't expensive (especially since the average new car in America costs $30,000, which happends to be the price tag of the EVO GSR). It's not the easiest to modify, but it is easy. Do you get my point?

[3000ways]

Originally Posted by WickedNYCowboy

My answer is no. The AWD is a power eater. It is also a glorified family sedan. The insurance will be sky rocketed(depending on age) or high because of the turbo engine. The interior is made up of materials found in a sub compact rental car. The fuel consumption isn't exactly something to be proud of. The GM pickups get about the same milage with a V-8(LS-1 based 5.3L vortech) and weigh about double the Evo. I can keep going but you get the point. It is no it is NOT the best all around car.

One could argue that the LS1 is a glorified outdated pushrod engine. The interior of GM cars are nothing to be proud of either. Try jumping from a Japanese or European car into a GM car and it would feel like traveling back in time like a decade or two. The AWD does eat up some power, but it benefits greatly outweigh it's faults. Could you imagine the EVO with out AWD, it would be just another car, it be a GM. The fuel consumption isn't the greatest, but it isn't that bad. The 5.3L V-8 you speak so highly of gets 15/19MPG (and that is with out the supercharger, because the vortech would surely eat up more gas). The EVO has rental car material in it you say, that's funny, because last time I checked most of the rental cars were GMs. So pretty much everything about a GM is a rental car. I can keep going but you get my point. I'm not knocking GM, I'm just saying everything has faults, now what are the benefits and do they greatly outnumber these faults, for the EVO, yes, for many other cars, no.

[WickedNYCowboy]

Eh Mustang has low end grunt. And Vortech is not the superchareger it is the name of the engine Voretech5300. The LS-1 is a great engine set a side the CSK. Where do you get your #s for milage on the Silverado 1500? It is exempt from the EPA rating. They usually get in the neighboorhood of 20mpg as the Dodge Ram or Ford F-150 will get the mid-high teens. The interior of the Silverado is actually put together a lot better.

[3000ways]

Yes it does have low end grunt also, but it also has top end, the EVO boost starts to sputter on the top end and the Mustang should start to pull. My bad about thinking the Vortech was supercharged, but I have my sources for the MPG, like 3 different websites, where do you get 20MPG? On the highway you mean, the EVO does 27MPG. This is not a GM vs. EVO debate, just pointing out everything has faults, just remember that.

[curtis73]

Originally Posted by sunsetway

Why do you people want to compare apples to oranges? I've seen Viper, Ferrari, Corvette, BMW......Lets AT LEAST keep this thread in the same price range! Not to mention Vipers and Corvettes don't have a freakin' back seat.

Well, I think apples to oranges is the only way to go in this comparison. The author didn't ask for the best economy car for a certain price, or the best performance car with leather, he asked for the best all around car. I think for that reason alone a C6 or a Viper is as valid an answer as the next. All cars have trade offs, its just that those two cars' trade offs are that there is no back seat

I have to admit I'm not a new car type of guy. I buy what I want and make it into what I need/want. For me personally, the greatest all around car is my 1973 Impala Station wagon. 425 hp of 454 engine, room for 6 and 15 sheets of drywall plus all my tools and a spare tire, roof rack for road trips so I can sleep in the back, nice stereo with MP3 player, and flashy yellow paint. The only option it has is A/C, so the whole package is very reliable. Its trade-off is that it lacks luxury and handling.

Seriously, though. With what's available today, the best all-around car would have to be one of the BMWs. E46 M3 is probably the ultimate all around car with the least trade offs. The Evo (go ahead and flame me) was designed as a small economy car, then tuned. It doesn't matter how many factory designed bolt-ons you put on the car, the fact remains that its suspension hard parts were originally designed for reliability, and price. Ride quality, camber curve, caster adjustability, ride compliance, and other fine points took a back seat. BMWs on the other hand were designed from the ground up as a performance suspension, then reliability, compliance, and NVH qualities were engineered into it. Its easy to engineer down, but hard to soup up what you have.

I'm not even going to start in on things like chassis stiffness, interior noise shaping, assembly quality, and aerodynamic noise testing. It just goes in one ear and out the other. People look at numbers; X cubic feet of passenger space is great, but if your size 13s don't fit under the seat infront of you, what kind of engineering flunkie designed that? If the hump in the tunnel is too wide, how does the fifth person sit comfortably? Sure you can compare a Cavalier to a BMW 318; similar power, room, and the Cav is half the price, but you're not getting the same car for half the price, you're getting 1/3 the car for half the price. Then a tuner would start throwing money at that J-body Cav to make it perform as well as the 318 and end up sorely disappointed.

Flame me all you want, but the Mitsu Evo started life as an Economy car; designed for cheap A to B transportation. Then in response to the "tuner" craze, they made a souped up version. Granted, its a respectable and well-planned tuner car; the best one yet, but to place it as the best all-around car is (to me) a hilarious joke.

They all have trade offs and if you drove a BMW on a regular basis you'd see the driving experience can't be quantified.

[WickedNYCowboy]

Originally Posted by 3000ways

Yes it does have low end grunt also, but it also has top end, the EVO boost starts to sputter on the top end and the Mustang should start to pull. My bad about thinking the Vortech was supercharged, but I have my sources for the MPG, like 3 different websites, where do you get 20MPG? On the highway you mean, the EVO does 27MPG. This is not a GM vs. EVO debate, just pointing out everything has faults, just remember that.

Where do I get 20mpg? I have driven several 1500s equipped with the 5.3L. One towing about 4000k lbs and still got about 15 mpg. Yes I know every vehicle has it's faults. BTW the 2WD 1500s get even better milage.

[sunsetway]

Now you people are putting pickup trucks into the equation!!?? Give me an freakin' break!! I like how you all disagree, yet no one has come up with a worthy opponent short of a viper or Corvette, which are not even in the same area code as the EVO....I would take a Corvette over an EVO any day, but thats not the issue here.... How can anyone say that a Corvette or Viper is the best ALL AROUND car? (trucks and SUV's not included....Duh) You can't take your pals out for a night on the town in a Corvette or any two seater.

[uranium235powered]

Depends on what you plan to do with the car. For the best gas mileage, you will be better off with a "stock" Honda CIvic...for rallying you will be better off with the EVO.

[drunken monkey]

hmm, something that isn't stupid and um.. not a subaru.....

i think it's all been said before;
it'll probably cost you.
i.e S4, M3, GTA, VW R32 maybe....

don't know what the prices of things are like in the US but here in the UK,
the EVO 8 FQ-300 (mid range price) is listed as a tad under £29,000.
the S4 is listed as £36,000.
that's £7000 more but for a much better built car that will hold it's value much better so it's almost the same in the long term.

on the other hand the 3.2 V6 A3 is only £24,000.
it's not as fast but most of the time, as an all rounder AND in terms of comfort/quality, it's better than the evo.....
it also has cheaper insurance..... but way more expensive parts......

damn, this is tough.

hmm, sod it.
tvr cerbera.
big engine.
four seats AND a big boot.
um, it's a bit slippy though.....