Overview
Before launching into a review of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, I'd like to share an anecdote about the costs of trading performance for comfort.
When I was a teenager, my parents encouraged thrift and hard work. They did this by not buying me a car. In turn, I worked hard and proceeded to dump every penny into a jalopy, adding beefy anti-roll bars, low-profile tires, new bushings, a louder exhaust, etc. My parents, having encouraged my bootstrapping behavior, clearly didn't like my car, but they couldn't really complain lest they undermine their capitalist lessons.
Then one day my father's car was in for service, and I drove him to work in my little two-door. After five minutes in the passenger seat he said something like, "Okay, it handles. But is this supposed to be 'fun'?" Addictive horsepower, super glue road-holding, amazing value. Harsh ride, loud cockpit; rear wing dares cops to pull you over. ]]>
HIGHS:
LOWS:
READ MORE TEST DRIVES
At the time I figured he was just too old to be "cool." Now I know better. What he was saying essentially is that any car can be made to corner more capably. But having a car that both corners well and doesn't send every seam in the asphalt shuddering through the cabin takes actual engineering, not just replacement parts.
This little tale comes to mind as I am charged with reviewing Mitsubishi's $28,987 Lancer Evolution.
Yes, that price is right. While the basic Lancer costs a mere $14,017, the Evolution (called the "Evo" by those in the know) goes for double the money. Why? Horsepower. The low-end stock version's two-liter, four-cylinder engine makes a scant 120 hp and 130 foot-pounds of torque, while the turbocharged Evo pounds out 271 hp and 273 ft.-lbs. of torque. The Evo also gets all-wheel-drive, trick steering and brakes, an entirely reworked suspension, and massive chassis stiffening. In sum, it shares a hood badge with the stock Lancer, and not much else.
All those extra parts make the car corner nearly as quickly as a $46,545 BMW M3, and scoot to 60 mph in only five seconds flat. That's faster than anything else in its price range; it's faster, in fact, than many sports cars selling for twice as much, making the Evo a screaming good deal if racing around corners is your reason for living.
And what if, like my father, you want more than that? Keep reading.
From The Driver's Seat | Should You Buy This Car? | Specs
From The Driver's Seat
Before I go any further, it should be mentioned that the Evolution is new only to American shores.
Based on Mitsubishi's current rally cars, this is really the tenth year of Evo production models, and in Europe and Japan a similar version of this car is called the Evo VIII, since they get the eighth Evo model. (The U.S. one is an Evo VII, since it's based on the previous Euro/Japan iterations of the car and has a less trick engine/drivetrain than the ones now sold abroad.)
American teens know all this already; Evos are a regular feature of the immensely popular
What you get with the U.S.-only Evo is slightly less horsepower and a less-sophisticated all-wheel-drive system. Europeans and Japanese are apparently willing to spend more for their Evos and therefore get a slicker drivetrain, plus a six-speed rather than five-speed transmission. Brits can spend even more and get a hotter, 300-hp version of the Evo.
But rather than focus on what we don't get, lets look at what Mitsubishi has offered Americans.
First, in the main cabin we have snug-fitting Recaro racing seats that hold your back, butt and shoulders in place whether you're rocketing around country highways or merely running to the convenience store for a pint of Ben & Jerry's. Also altered from the stock Lancer, a center-mounted, oversized tachometer, so you can see the red band that indicates redline at 7,000 rpm (fuel cut-off engages at 7,500 rpm). The speedometer to the left is smaller and however you position the nifty, Momo sports steering wheel it will block your view of the gauge. Remember to pack a radar detector.
Speaking of cop bait, another extra on my tester was a huge, optional ($480) carbon-fiber spoiler weighing down the trunk lid. This not only defeats lift should you be foolish enough to launch down the local freeway at the 155-mph top speed, but makes every officer in your state notice your Evo. During my weeklong test I managed to avoid speeding tickets. But I did have a lot of long stares from constables, and one followed me through five miles of suburban sprawl. (I couldn't have exceeded the speed limit in stop-and-go traffic even if I wanted to!)
Mechanically, the Evo is mainly highs with some lows. While the clutch effort is light and easy to modulate, the five-speed transmission isn't only missing a sixth slot (which makes constant, 75-mph travel quite loud), but I dearly wish it were better sprung. The engagement of each gear is quite positive, but for downshifts the lever doesn't snap back to center between third and fourth gears. Instead, the action is sloppy, requiring more attention.
That said, when you aren't rowing through traffic, the gearbox is good enough--and the engine is extraordinary. It does suffer the same fault as most turbocharged powerplants, bogging down at low engine speeds. But Mitsubishi engineers clearly know how to mate an engine and transmission, and have given the Evo close gear ratios, so you can keep the tach above 3,000 rpm easily. That translates into instant torque and instant acceleration. Off the line, the Evo actually isn't that quick, but once you hit the torque peak, the car jumps with the immediacy of a V-8.
The delightful thing though is that the Evo also carves corners like a Corvette or 911 Porsche. Honestly. Something very close to racing-car sensation is what you get at the wheel of the Evo, largely due to that more rigid chassis, and structural changes to the suspension (such as forged-aluminum control arms, cross members and links) as well as upgraded mechanical pieces (larger struts, stabilizer bars and springs). And thanks to all-wheel-drive system that sends power equally to the front and rear wheels (shod with meaty, 17-inch, 45-series Yokohama tires), grip is tremendous.
There's a slight understeer at the start of a turn and then pretty much neutral handling on the way out (especially as you lay back into the gas). Go into a turn too hot, lift off the gas and the back end will rotate (this is when the hairs on the back of your neck rise) and then quick counter-steering or stabbing of the throttle saves you and you're back on course. All without stability control or any electronic safety net. That means Mitsubishi's done its homework; this car doesn't penalize common driving errors, it just rewards a good, sporting try.
Did I mention this car is incredibly fun as well? Did I mention two other things?
1. The brakes are superb (enlarged discs from aftermarket maker Brembo), although they have that racing-brake feel, meaning stopping happens right NOW, not subtly.
2. The steering sensation is direct and quick, and yet not annoyingly nervous when you're cruising down the toll road. However, I wish it were slightly heavier, with a little more feedback during high-speed cornering.
Overview | Should You Buy This Car? | Specs
Should You Buy This Car?
Actually, if you want an Evo, you'd best get on the horn pronto--only 6,500 will be sold per year and I'd wager that most of this year's already spoken for.
Still, as the intro to this story indicates, I have some reservations. Mitsubishi claims this car's chassis is twice as rigid as that of the stock Lancer, a claim I believe. However, the suspension is so nailed down that one's teeth and spine start tingling during longer drives. Two hours in this sports sedan feels like a day in a BMW M3; an equivalently priced Nissan 350Z is a tad slower to 60 mph, but features a better gearbox and far more compliant suspension (even the Track Edition Z is smoother).
I also think more attention should be paid to the look of the interior. And if Mitsubishi does nothing else next year, please, please add a turbocharger boost gauge! After all, this car gets a huge intercooler (which you can see grinning through the front grille) and the turbo gulps in air at an unreal 19 pounds per square inch (most turbochargers are working at no more than 10 psi), so why not get to see that indicated in all its analog glory?
On the plus side, there's actually more room in the Evo than in any BMW 3 series sedan, and as I've indicated already, there's no contest in terms of handling/acceleration versus any sports sedan for this little money with one potential exception: When the Subaru WRX STi arrives this summer it's expected to produce 300 hp/300 ft.-lbs. of torque. Will it be as tight-turning and as fast as the Mitsubishi? Will it be more refined? Time will tell.
Meanwhile, to call the Evo unrefined is a low blow.
It's as refined as it can be near the extreme end of the sports-sedan spectrum. If you want both this level of performance AND a more supple suspension, plus a back seat, you're suddenly looking at the $45,000 Audi S4 in this week's feature. Then again, if you want to spend $30,000 and, like my dad, want something more understated, there are plenty of reasonably agile, reasonably fast options. Just remember, if you buy a slower (if more placid) Acura, VW, BMW or Mercedes, 17- to 25-year-old males everywhere will be thinking just one thing: "The Evo is cooler!"
Overview | From The Driver's Seat | Specs
Specs
Manufacturer Contact: the Mitsubishi Web site [www.mitsubishicars.com]
MSRP: $28,987
Color Options: White, Silver, Red, Yellow, Blue, Black
Suspension Type: front: inverted MacPherson strut with forged-aluminum lower control arms, stabilizer bar, front tower brace ; rear: forged-aluminum multi-link wishbone with forged-aluminum trailing, lateral, cross links, stabilizer bar.
Acceleration: 0 to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds
Engine Type: 16-valve DOHC I-4; 2.0-liter
Horsepower: 271 @ 6,500 rpm
Torque: 273 foot-pounds @ 3,500 rpm
EPA Mileage: 18 city / 26 highway
Overview | From The Driver's Seat | Should You Buy This Car?