RE: Mitsubishi Evo X FQ 330 SST: Spotted
Discussion
LancerG said:
Love my Evo 8MR - its a true bullet - nothing can catch it over the A/B roads.
Honestly, if you havnt driven one hard, then you dont qualify to ever talk about evo's
The only thing I could replace it with, costs 50k used.
I know what you mean.Honestly, if you havnt driven one hard, then you dont qualify to ever talk about evo's
The only thing I could replace it with, costs 50k used.
I had an Evo 7 for three years and used it every day, which was a bit of an expensive affair. It was fantastic and I certainly don't regret it but it has ruined cars for me to some extent, because nothing I can come close to being able to reasonably afford can match it as far as I'm concerned.
Guvernator said:
All they needed to do was improve their mpg\co2 emissions and keep them relatively affordable compared to their German rivals to still be relevant in todays market.
Totally agreed. This is what's really killed their market. Seriously, who in their right mind would buy a new WRX STi? And that's why they've stopped bringing them to Britain.S13_Alan said:
LancerG said:
Love my Evo 8MR - its a true bullet - nothing can catch it over the A/B roads.
Honestly, if you havnt driven one hard, then you dont qualify to ever talk about evo's
The only thing I could replace it with, costs 50k used.
I know what you mean.Honestly, if you havnt driven one hard, then you dont qualify to ever talk about evo's
The only thing I could replace it with, costs 50k used.
I had an Evo 7 for three years and used it every day, which was a bit of an expensive affair. It was fantastic and I certainly don't regret it but it has ruined cars for me to some extent, because nothing I can come close to being able to reasonably afford can match it as far as I'm concerned.
I ran mine as a daily for seven years so I know the pleasure and pain well, I don't regret it but not sure if I could do it again.
As for trying to replace it I didn't even try because I knew not much else could touch it for the money so I just bought a cheap diesel saloon car, but who knows I might get the itch again one day...
I've only driven a 5 speed X and thought it was a bit rubbish. I used to have a Mk6 Golf R at the time which I didn't like, well the X was barely better. The steering wasn't anything special, engine was basicaly the same as the Golf, it didn't feel that fast (same as the Golf really), the 5 speed gearbox was awful (I mean how can you not give it a 6th? At motorway speed you were 4000rpm in 5th). The interior was a disaster. The steering wheel had shiny leather out of an 80's car. It just felt soft to drive. As it's not an ambulance, how quick it covers ground is quiet irrelevant to me, I want to have fun, which is why I got a Mini GP 2 instead.
rj1986 said:
epom said:
Axionknight said:
scaffolder said:
I'm one of the loons that runs an Evo X as my daily driver, doing 30k per year 
Seek help dude, lots of help.
If I wasn't running the Evo, I'd probably have a 4x4 pickup or the like, being more practical for work, but still doing less than 30mpg and doing less than half the speed 
Had one of these in black three years ago. Worst car I've ever owned. The post that the auto box masks the turbo lag is hilarious. Makes it twice as bad. Bogged down in corners like nothing else. Actually dangerous - you'd put your toe down to get out of a "situation", nothing would happen. Then 2 seconds later when the box had sorted itself out and you'd reached 5,000 rpm, all hell would break loose. Problem is, the Skoda vRS is now in front of you and in danger of you becoming its boot. Awful.
Car before that was a standard WRX which I kept for 3 years. Sold the X after 6 months - all but undriveable. Cars since, Mini JCW, Audi RS3. Neither perfect, but each better in almost every way.
Oh, and don't even mention build quality...
Car before that was a standard WRX which I kept for 3 years. Sold the X after 6 months - all but undriveable. Cars since, Mini JCW, Audi RS3. Neither perfect, but each better in almost every way.
Oh, and don't even mention build quality...
scaffolder said:
rj1986 said:
epom said:
Axionknight said:
scaffolder said:
I'm one of the loons that runs an Evo X as my daily driver, doing 30k per year
Seek help dude, lots of help. If I wasn't running the Evo, I'd probably have a 4x4 pickup or the like, being more practical for work, but still doing less than 30mpg and doing less than half the speed 
I looked at this one and the Pearl White model which sold last week, but then considered the insurance/MPG/servicing/attention from thieving scrotes.....and decided naaaaah.
I think the novelty of spanking 95% of other cars on the road would quickly wear out if you're not required to put any effort into it.
I think the novelty of spanking 95% of other cars on the road would quickly wear out if you're not required to put any effort into it.
I missed my VI more than anything, the handling and composure over uk roads as standard was sublime. I never quite understood why so many took to fitting after market suspension when they std stuff was on the ball. It took a rather nasty engine failure directly after its belt service to put 2 years of fun down teh drain and i reluctantly sold it with a newish viii engine in it. I'll never proove my suspicions about how it went bang, hmm. Always promised myself another one but theyre kinda of an age arnt they - for people in their 20's.. People older in them look a bit thug life ish!?
scaffolder said:
I'm one of the loons that runs an Evo X as my daily driver, doing 30k per year Both my X's have been the 5 speed manual, and have returned 22-23mpg average - the SST should return better with a longer 6th speed. Definitely not up to german build quality standards, but a lot better than earlier model Evo's or Impreza's. Some owners have had numerous problems, but both mine have been pretty reliable, with only minor niggles resolved under warranty.
The only problem I've had, as with most owners, is the urge to tinker and upgrade - coilover suspension, bigger brakes, wider tyres, etc. and then add some trackday expenditure as well
I have the same model in the article, a red GSR FQ330 SST, and use it as a daily driver, though only about 8-9k a year. I haven't reset the manual mpg reading since I got it and it still reads just short of 26mpg. On my daily commute, which is 12 miles of A road and suburbia with a couple of traffic queues, I often exceed 30mpg. The STI 330S I had before it rarely exceeded 23mpg average and 27mpg at best! Both my X's have been the 5 speed manual, and have returned 22-23mpg average - the SST should return better with a longer 6th speed. Definitely not up to german build quality standards, but a lot better than earlier model Evo's or Impreza's. Some owners have had numerous problems, but both mine have been pretty reliable, with only minor niggles resolved under warranty.The only problem I've had, as with most owners, is the urge to tinker and upgrade - coilover suspension, bigger brakes, wider tyres, etc. and then add some trackday expenditure as well
A few other comments on the thread to answer.
Turbo lag: it's no worse than anything else at the moment. The A45 has just as much for starters. If you want stupidly comedic lag, try the afore mentioned STI. That was terrible!
Reliability: There are definite issues. SST boxes are fragile, AYC pumps last 2-3 years (and are not cheap), I've had to have the discs replaced twice under warranty for warping (true warping due to corrosion, not pad pick up), all 4 wheels have corroded and been replaced, and one front strut failed after 20k. But it's never left me stranded, unlike the STI, which blew up after 20k miles. I'd rather have niggles than a dead engine!
Dealers: Very good point. My initial dealership in Edinburgh were terrible. Nice enough people, but they fannied about with diagnosis, making me drive back and forth for months for no result, and, it turns out, kept not even bothering to put in warranty claims until 3-4 months after I was told it had been reported. From my viewpoint, it made Mitsubishi look incompetent, but it was entirely down to the absolute s
teness of the dealership. I got so fed up I switched to a Mitsubishi service centre that no longer sold cars (was now a Lexus dealer) but who were still authorised to deal with service and warranty work. Within 3 weeks they'd sorted out ALL my problems that the other lot had failed to deal with after over 7 months! SST box: sorry, and I don't want to start an internet war, but the chap slagging off the gearbox and saying it was undriveable is just wrong, or had a faulty car! Like any dual clutch in normal mode, it's designed to favour economy and will switch to a higher gear as soon as possible. If you choose to drive in that mode in a spirited fashion, and decide to judge the entire car on that basis, then it's no wonder it didn't satisfy! Firstly, it has not one but two sport modes, both of which work perfectly well for spirited driving and overtaking (S-Sport is, if anything, too spirited as it generally only changes up at the redline and the gear changes thump in almost too quickly) and you also have the option to use the paddles and change gear yourself! I know people's opinions differ, but that simply shows a fundamental lack of understanding of the gearbox or a broken car. It certainly doesn't reflect my own experiences in the slightest.
Ride: no, it's not back breaking. It's easily the most real world road friendly of all Evos. It's better riding than my old EP3 Civic Type R or the STI. Hardly a limousine, but far better judged than most. If I had a complaint, I'd actually say the front end is a touch too soft.
Insurance: for younger drivers, I can imagine it being a nightmare. For a 42 year old with full NCB? A laughable £230 a year!!!
Exhaust sound: Yup, it's nothing special. Hardly s
te though. It's just generic sounding. Just "yet another 4 cylinder 16v turbo". The Subarus do sound better, but the likes of the Megane RS, Golf R, A45 all sound pretty similar.Now that it's in full health again, it's starting to remind me why I bought it. Very few cars offer such a broad range of abilities for so little cost. Yes, the interior plastics are cheaper than the Merc, but I really couldn't give a flying toss! I'm fed up with the constant obsession with fecking plastic. In my world, it's there to cover up the pointy bits of metal and wires. It does a fine job of that and it hasn't cut my fingers or grazed my knuckles, so it serves its purpose. I'd rather more money was spent under the skin than rubberising an interior that I'm hardly going to go around rubbing my scrotum against to see how rough it is!
Edited by Ali_T on Sunday 29th September 00:55
[quote=Ali_T]
I have the same model in the article, a red GSR FQ330 SST, and use it as a daily driver, though only about 8-9k a year. I haven't reset the manual mpg reading since I got it and it still reads just short of 26mpg. On my daily commute, which is 12 miles of A road and suburbia with a couple of traffic queues, I often exceed 30mpg.
Turbo lag: it's no worse than anything else at the moment. The A45 has just as much for starters. If you want stupidly comedic lag, try the afore mentioned STI. That was terrible!
SST box: sorry, and I don't want to start an internet war, but the chap slagging off the gearbox and saying it was undriveable is just wrong, or had a faulty car! Like any dual clutch in normal mode, it's designed to favour economy and will switch to a higher gear as soon as possible. If you choose to drive in that mode in a spirited fashion, and decide to judge the entire car on that basis, then it's no wonder it didn't satisfy! Firstly, it has not one but two sport modes, both of which work perfectly well for spirited driving and overtaking (S-Sport is, if anything, too spirited as it generally only changes up at the redline and the gear changes thump in almost too quickly) and you also have the option to use the paddles and change gear yourself! I know people's opinions differ, but that simply shows a fundamental lack of understanding of the gearbox or a broken car. It certainly doesn't reflect my own experiences in the slightest.
A quick question with a quick answer, which I think will nicely join together the above points: In which gearbox mode was your "exceed 30 mpg" achieved?
I have the same model in the article, a red GSR FQ330 SST, and use it as a daily driver, though only about 8-9k a year. I haven't reset the manual mpg reading since I got it and it still reads just short of 26mpg. On my daily commute, which is 12 miles of A road and suburbia with a couple of traffic queues, I often exceed 30mpg.
Turbo lag: it's no worse than anything else at the moment. The A45 has just as much for starters. If you want stupidly comedic lag, try the afore mentioned STI. That was terrible!
SST box: sorry, and I don't want to start an internet war, but the chap slagging off the gearbox and saying it was undriveable is just wrong, or had a faulty car! Like any dual clutch in normal mode, it's designed to favour economy and will switch to a higher gear as soon as possible. If you choose to drive in that mode in a spirited fashion, and decide to judge the entire car on that basis, then it's no wonder it didn't satisfy! Firstly, it has not one but two sport modes, both of which work perfectly well for spirited driving and overtaking (S-Sport is, if anything, too spirited as it generally only changes up at the redline and the gear changes thump in almost too quickly) and you also have the option to use the paddles and change gear yourself! I know people's opinions differ, but that simply shows a fundamental lack of understanding of the gearbox or a broken car. It certainly doesn't reflect my own experiences in the slightest.
A quick question with a quick answer, which I think will nicely join together the above points: In which gearbox mode was your "exceed 30 mpg" achieved?
I use manual changing the vast majority of the time, with the SST in Sport mode. It's how it should be driven IMO. S-Sport is only useful for traffic light grand prix and making noises that sound worrying, and Normal is for folk that want their 330bhp rally rep feel like a turbo diesel mini cab. Normal has a horribly non linear throttle map so always feels tardy, even in manual mode. Most of the throttle response is in the second half of the travel and, yes, that feels just wrong. It might be mistaken for turbo lag, but it's really not. It's just poor throttle response designed for economy. Switching to Sport creates a far more linear throttle, a more immediate response, the turbo spools up earlier and no effect on economy unless you keep flooring it.
The SST switch is more than just a simple transmission map. It has 38 variables that all change in each mode, 9 of which are dedicated to the throttle alone! Worth noting that the 330 has different mappings than the 300, so if you had a 300, that might explain it more. I've never tried a 300 SST. The 330 had the torque limiters in lower gears removed and the gearbox and throttle response in Sport and S-Sport greatly improved. Normal is still for letting your mum/spouse drive it though! I only ever use it while the engine is warming up.
The SST switch is more than just a simple transmission map. It has 38 variables that all change in each mode, 9 of which are dedicated to the throttle alone! Worth noting that the 330 has different mappings than the 300, so if you had a 300, that might explain it more. I've never tried a 300 SST. The 330 had the torque limiters in lower gears removed and the gearbox and throttle response in Sport and S-Sport greatly improved. Normal is still for letting your mum/spouse drive it though! I only ever use it while the engine is warming up.
Edited by Ali_T on Sunday 29th September 12:34
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