2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution User Reviews

Pros

Quick acceleration, awesome handling, head turner

Cons

Bargain basement interior, goofy rear wing, lack of seat adjustment

Purchased As New

My wife and I bought this car in Apex silver with all the bells and whistles, which stickered at 41k. This car will get from 0-60 in around 5 seconds and absolutly devour corners. The steering is razor sharp and with AWD even wet weather will not phase the handling or braking abilities. I like the Recaro seats, but wish they had more adjustments to help find the best driving position, and the interior is pretty much rental car grade Lancer aside from the satnav system and seats. The 6-speed paddle shifted auto/man transmission takes a little getting used to, but is nearly flawless when it comes to sporty driving. The best part is that in everday driving you can leave it in auto mode and it shifts pretty much the same as the automatic in any other car. The Brembo brakes are spot on and will just about cause a nose bleed if you hit them really hard, the drawback to all of that stopping ability is they throw off a great deal of brake dust on to the cool looking BBS wheels. The Rockford Fosgate stereo sounds pretty good but lacks the clarity and stage I would have hoped for in a system at this price. The satnav also is OK but not really on par for a car in this league. The only other issue I have with the car is the giant rear wing. I know the rally cars have wings like this and it adds to the persona of the car, but I feel like a 18 year old ricer every time I look at it! The worst part is the way it cuts right through the middle of your rearview mirror. If I could replace it with a wing that was 3-4" shorter I would be thrilled. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE this car and everytime I drive it I remember why I love cars, this IS a drivers car in every sense of the word!...read morehide

Pros

Break neck acceleration, and even better handling

Cons

Not too sure how durable the new aluminum block will be with mods

Purchased As New

Let me get this out of the way so that there are no confusion or misunderstandings: I did not buy this car for the low interior noise, soft ride and exotic interior, if you wanted these and the same level of performance, please look elsewhere with a much larger budget. Evo has an incredible amount of torque, and if you are worried about chipped paint from your wheels kicking up pebbles, invest in some mud flaps, ie. Rally Armor

I test drove both the GSR which is 5 speed, and the MR which is 6 speed twin clutch and I purchased the MR. The TC-SST needs to be experienced to fully appreciated. If you are thinking of the old tiptronics, the faux semi-manual systems, the TC-SST has that beat by leaps and bounds. There is really no comparison. I am not ashamed to say that the TC-SST shifts much faster than I could, and depending on the driving mode of your car, TC-SST adjusts accordingly, ie, downshift for more torque on turns etc. You can also shift manually with the paddle shifters or the shifter.

The new 4B11 has no turbo lag what so ever. It almost feels like a supercharged car. I am not too sure how much boost the new aluminum block will handle after adding performance mods. This is the only real concern I have with the car.

The two piece rotors and the Brembo brake system is also very responsive.

Now for the cons. Maintenance cost. Evo uses synthetic oil, the Yokohama Advan tires are not cheap, premium gas only, and depending on your driving style, your brake pads will wear out faster. High Performance = High Maintenance.

If you want a super comfy daily driver, lookelsewhere, but if you enjoy a spirited drive, then this car is definitely for you.

My Evo is my daily driver and it is just a pleasure to drive....read morehide

Pros

looks nice

Cons

the design is flawed the rocks chips eat the paint on the bottom of rear doors

Purchased As New

i have 3500 miles and the paint is getting eaten, away by rocks and i only drive it on pavement. you should check out the forums on this car before you buy, mitsubishi wont stand behind the cars they build, the paint is being eaten away by the rear door and rear fender area. mitsubishi wont lift a finger to fix the problem, so my car will start to rust now, i consider this a lemon, for 38k i shoulda bought a bmw, or even the ugly acura tl. whould at lease give me a piece of mind.when i first bought the car i spent 1200 dollars clear brawing most of the car. but one area you think whould never have a problem, is chipping, check out edmunds forums...read morehide

Pros

strong motor, great respond, all wheel drive, Turbo-Charger/Intercooled

Cons

new motor (4B11) isn't as strong/tough as the EVO8-EVO9

Purchased As New

291 rated horsepower and 300 ft-lbs actually feels like 340 horsepower and 330 ft-lbs catapulting you from 0-60 in no time.

I also own a 03 EVO8 with garrett GT35R ball bearing with fully built motor putting out 700whp/580 ft-lbs maybe thats the reason why a stock EVO-X output isn't adaqute for me, there both a great street and track car, but only down side is that the older 4G63 motor can handle 400+ whp on stock internals/block/head.

The new 4B11 is all aluminum so base upon experience they have called quit after 400-450 wheel horse or 575 crank horse.

But if you have no plans on turning this car into a monster then the stock platform is more than enough to put a smile on to anyone's face from each and every chicanes to chicanes....read morehide

Pros

Beats BMW & Mercedes, super fast, super fun to drive!

Cons

Could get better fuel economy but not bad for car this fast.

Purchased As New

If you are looking for an awesome car at a great price than get an Evo! The Evo is faster and way cooler than the regular BMW 3 series or regular Mercedes C-Class and less expensive as well. Plus unlike those cars that you see all the time and don't even take a second glance at, the EVO is really unique and looks like a real race car. People will ask is that the car they used in the Fast and the Furious and do you race? Personalize and make it even more cool. Great for anyone who really likes to drive....read morehide

Pros

long list of name brand quality parts, and looks like a exotic car

Cons

needs another 15 horsepower to make up the wait gain

Purchased As New

this car is one the most exciting cars ive ever owned, and no one else has one. I kind like it that way. I see BMW,s and Acura,s all day. but i never see a Evo X MR. I think older people like me, im 44 should give this car a closer look. I tinted the windows. and have a big spoiler on back. so every Cop. is watching me. Kid always have to stop and stare. its annoying,worry when i park it, you know how the haters are out there. anyways research it it legendary.....read morehide

Pros

blistering accelleration you must experience it to belive it

Cons

mitsubishi service when it comes to fixing a problem, does not exhist or you must fight for it

Purchased As New

i've had my Evo x for 10 months now, i waited 3 years since i've seen the prototype pics on-line and nothing has changed, i feel the same as the first day i purchased this vehicle and still stare at it as if didn't own one. very few vehicles can give a driver the confidence to take turns at over 100 mph and needless to say it has keept me out of trouble eveyr time. Now on the bad side, i dont think i should be putting this in a review for the vehicle, but the service you get from MMC for it is a different story. I rather get my teeth pulled!!...read morehide

Pros

great overall feedback, confidence inspiring, precise steering, track ready

Cons

mediocre interior, poor quality paint, noisy cruising speeds, eats tires & pads fast

I use this car as the occasional daily (when my beater is in the shop). I also do some autocross and track days. i came from a 06 Subaru Sti, which was a somewhat similar car. I got it with the SSS package with keyless entry fob, HID's, upgraded 600w stereo, gargantum rear wing spoiler (a must for the evo, imho). So far I've put 10k miles on my 08 GSR.

Where this car shines is feedback. It comes very well from the steering, suspension, braking, grip, rotation (although might take time getting used to, because it works unexpectedly well). The feedback makes the car very entertaining, and it inspires confidence unlike any other car I've driven. The car communicates it's limits to you very well, and does so forgivingly when it does. The X really shines at the track, and I highly recommend any new evo owner to at least autocross the car, in order to get to know it better.

The slightly heavier, but sharp & precise steering is where this car shines the most. Makes track duty a lot easier, and your daily commute much more fun.

Suspension is a good compromise between being stiff enough to minimizing body roll in most situations, yet being soft enough to absorb most bumps in the street without upsetting anything. Watch out for road debris and speed bumps, as the ride hieght is a bit low.

Brakes communicate, & perform well. They are also consistent. On hpde events, doing 20-30 min runs, the braking feedback and performance did not seem to deteriorate at all.

Grip is excellent. Don't forget to turn off the ASC/traction control track events, as it is extremely instrusive, & somewhat unpredicatable. Car is also very forgivable. I have yet to spin it despite multiple errors that would have cost me on my prior 92 miata. Once even had a fender bender nudge at approx 80mpg, and the car composed balance very well.

Rotation is superb. It's extremely easy to do this, with minimal counter streer. You just have to trust the car, and it will take care of you.

I am not too fond of the shifter. It feels a bit too notchy, and at times I had trouble shifting 2nd to 3rd. Might be just me, but I've never had this issue with any other car.

Clutch is forgiving, but not the most responsive.

For street driving, you have to figure this car was probably not built for total comfort and practicality. The overall feedback makes this fun car to drive, even on an otherwise ho-hum commute, but it doesn't make it uncomfortable either....read morehide

Pros

great car crazy time driving it

Cons

most people dont even know what it is

im 43 and some of my peers dont even know what it is until they research it, theres not many around so i feel like im driving a exotic. i,ve never been one to run with the masses anyways. my wife loves the thumbs up she gets from the kids.

Pros

car design, steering/break/acceleration response, sits 3 at back (5 person cap)

Cons

blind spot A pillar(driver side)

The car design looks stunning, esp the front (Shark like)The side and back looks like lexus. The price of the car comparing to other cars with this speed is lower and sits 5 persons incl. driver. The trunk is small, inside materials looks low grade, improved electronic and components from previous models. Drive comfort is good, drives to work 3x weekly w/50mile drive, front seat are bucket (recaro) good side support for corners, sits low for gravity. For Steering wheel, good response but only height adjustment. The car feels solid as if it's hugging the road esp when on corners. Minimal body roll, strong body. Seven air bags, with side curtain. The blind spot on the driver side" A pillar" driver-side mirror,you have sometimes to lean forward to see the center island if your turning from a stop or to see if there are pedestrians crossing the road. The engine response is great when you step on the gas, you can feel the power above 3000 rpm.There is not much engine noise when cruising 60mile/hr, the rpm sits around 2800. Had average 19-21 miles/gal, with speed not very aggresive, just following the traffic flow.With cars that prices are more than evo's and speeding the roads, are more surprise that are being overtaken by a small car, they roll down their windows and give me thumbs up,or just smile knowing they have been beaten by a small fast car. Now, I am enjoying every minute I drive and my wife enjoys sitting on the front seat, with windows haftway down....read morehide