M3 to Mitsubishi Evo....
Discussion
Hi all, not new to PH but never started a topic....
I currently own a E46 M3, it's got SMG, plenty of power exellent handing and its never let me down, I love it.
But I get itchy feet and am always looking for the next purchase.
What with the awful conditions of the roads today and winter approaching fast, my next car has to be something quick but also able to handle the worst our roads have to offer.
Don't get me wrong the M3 is excellent, maintenance/fuel do not scare me but the car has to be reliable.
I don't have kids or the need for a large car at all.
At the moment all I seem to be looking at are Mitsubishi Evos, so my question is :
Talk me into keeping the M3?! Or...
Tell me your experiences of going to an Evo?
Is there anything else better?
Ideally I have around 13k to spend but budget is flexible, Could stretch further for the right car assuming not huge depreciation.
Thanks!
I currently own a E46 M3, it's got SMG, plenty of power exellent handing and its never let me down, I love it.
But I get itchy feet and am always looking for the next purchase.
What with the awful conditions of the roads today and winter approaching fast, my next car has to be something quick but also able to handle the worst our roads have to offer.
Don't get me wrong the M3 is excellent, maintenance/fuel do not scare me but the car has to be reliable.
I don't have kids or the need for a large car at all.
At the moment all I seem to be looking at are Mitsubishi Evos, so my question is :
Talk me into keeping the M3?! Or...
Tell me your experiences of going to an Evo?
Is there anything else better?
Ideally I have around 13k to spend but budget is flexible, Could stretch further for the right car assuming not huge depreciation.
Thanks!
Edited by thatsprettyshady on Friday 4th November 01:22
CanadianScot said:
If you just have to scratch that itch, go for an Evo.
Rsohyes said:
Id recommend it just for the Experience of having an Evo, and when you eventually get a new car after it, you will miss it 
I think this may be what it is, always wanted one and now seems like a good time. About the hard suspension they have, I used to have a Civic type R EP3, is the Evo firmer than the EP3?
thatsprettyshady said:
I think this may be what it is, always wanted one and now seems like a good time.
About the hard suspension they have, I used to have a Civic type R EP3, is the Evo firmer than the EP3?
No, the EP3 is a fair bit harder.About the hard suspension they have, I used to have a Civic type R EP3, is the Evo firmer than the EP3?
Which model Evo are you looking at? FQ models have firmer suspension than the MR's which have Bilstein's which are a bit more compliant.
mrmr96 said:
No, the EP3 is a fair bit harder.
Which model Evo are you looking at? FQ models have firmer suspension than the MR's which have Bilstein's which are a bit more compliant.
Would be hopefully going for a 8 or 9, the 360 model. I've not decided if its MR or FQ I want. Ride comfort doesn't bother me too much as long as its not bad enough to affect It's ability to go down a B-roadWhich model Evo are you looking at? FQ models have firmer suspension than the MR's which have Bilstein's which are a bit more compliant.
thatsprettyshady said:
mrmr96 said:
No, the EP3 is a fair bit harder.
Which model Evo are you looking at? FQ models have firmer suspension than the MR's which have Bilstein's which are a bit more compliant.
Would be hopefully going for a 8 or 9, the 360 model. I've not decided if its MR or FQ I want. Ride comfort doesn't bother me too much as long as its not bad enough to affect It's ability to go down a B-roadWhich model Evo are you looking at? FQ models have firmer suspension than the MR's which have Bilstein's which are a bit more compliant.
MR gets:
- Aluminium roof
- Bilstein suspension
- 10.5T turbo (8 FQ's have a 9.8T) but this was revised on the Evo 9.
- Different cams
- Different wheels
- probs other stuff I've forgotten
Also the 9 gets MIVEC variable valve control, but I think that's harder to tune than the non-mivec heads, however I also believe it's possible to fit a non-mivec head to a 9, as they all use the same block.
The 8 came with 260, 300, 320, 340 or 400. The 9 with 300, 320, (340?) and 360. Don't be fooled by the top gear review, they ALL have 4.5k service intervals, except the 8 260 which has 9k intervals.
They are all very tunable, but the 8 260 needs a little more work than the others as it has 2 cats, and the others only 1 (so to decat a 260 you have to change the downpipe as well as fit the decat pipe). Also if you're planning to change the turbo and cams then it doesn't really matter which one you start with. I have an FQ300 which I've done a few bits and pieces to myself, but not turbo/cams. I wish I'd had the money for an MR when I bought mine.
Are you planning to tune it much?
And what kind of mpg are you hoping for!?
mrmr96 said:
There's a few differences between FQ and MR spec.
MR gets:
- Aluminium roof
- Bilstein suspension
- 10.5T turbo (8 FQ's have a 9.8T) but this was revised on the Evo 9.
- Different cams
- Different wheels
- probs other stuff I've forgotten
Also the 9 gets MIVEC variable valve control, but I think that's harder to tune than the non-mivec heads, however I also believe it's possible to fit a non-mivec head to a 9, as they all use the same block.
The 8 came with 260, 300, 320, 340 or 400. The 9 with 300, 320, (340?) and 360. Don't be fooled by the top gear review, they ALL have 4.5k service intervals, except the 8 260 which has 9k intervals.
They are all very tunable, but the 8 260 needs a little more work than the others as it has 2 cats, and the others only 1 (so to decat a 260 you have to change the downpipe as well as fit the decat pipe). Also if you're planning to change the turbo and cams then it doesn't really matter which one you start with. I have an FQ300 which I've done a few bits and pieces to myself, but not turbo/cams. I wish I'd had the money for an MR when I bought mine.
Are you planning to tune it much?
And what kind of mpg are you hoping for!?
Wow thanks, great post lots of informative stuffMR gets:
- Aluminium roof
- Bilstein suspension
- 10.5T turbo (8 FQ's have a 9.8T) but this was revised on the Evo 9.
- Different cams
- Different wheels
- probs other stuff I've forgotten
Also the 9 gets MIVEC variable valve control, but I think that's harder to tune than the non-mivec heads, however I also believe it's possible to fit a non-mivec head to a 9, as they all use the same block.
The 8 came with 260, 300, 320, 340 or 400. The 9 with 300, 320, (340?) and 360. Don't be fooled by the top gear review, they ALL have 4.5k service intervals, except the 8 260 which has 9k intervals.
They are all very tunable, but the 8 260 needs a little more work than the others as it has 2 cats, and the others only 1 (so to decat a 260 you have to change the downpipe as well as fit the decat pipe). Also if you're planning to change the turbo and cams then it doesn't really matter which one you start with. I have an FQ300 which I've done a few bits and pieces to myself, but not turbo/cams. I wish I'd had the money for an MR when I bought mine.
Are you planning to tune it much?
And what kind of mpg are you hoping for!?
I'm guessting the MR spec is the top one? I would be getting a UK car so no imports/Jap specials allowed unfortunately. I've seen a few with lots of HKS goodies on, are some of these factory fit?
I wouldn't be modifying at all, I caught that bug a few years ago with my 106 Rallye and lost a large chunk of cash come resale, and insurance will hit me hard with mods (I'm 24).
Is there a massive MPG difference between say a Evo 9 300 and a 360? I dont't mind MPG while driving hard but at a cruise I'd like something that will do 20mpg on A roads.
thatsprettyshady said:
Wow thanks, great post lots of informative stuff
I'm guessting the MR spec is the top one? I would be getting a UK car so no imports/Jap specials allowed unfortunately. I've seen a few with lots of HKS goodies on, are some of these factory fit?
I wouldn't be modifying at all, I caught that bug a few years ago with my 106 Rallye and lost a large chunk of cash come resale, and insurance will hit me hard with mods (I'm 24).
Is there a massive MPG difference between say a Evo 9 300 and a 360? I dont't mind MPG while driving hard but at a cruise I'd like something that will do 20mpg on A roads.
All the UK cars (bar the 260) were made in Japan. The Evo 6 and earlier are all grey imports. Starting wiht a couple of special edition 6's Colt Car Company started importing them officially, and therfore they are sold and insured as 'UK cars', albeit none bar the 8 260 has EU 'whole type approval' so even the UK cars have SVA stickers on them.I'm guessting the MR spec is the top one? I would be getting a UK car so no imports/Jap specials allowed unfortunately. I've seen a few with lots of HKS goodies on, are some of these factory fit?
I wouldn't be modifying at all, I caught that bug a few years ago with my 106 Rallye and lost a large chunk of cash come resale, and insurance will hit me hard with mods (I'm 24).
Is there a massive MPG difference between say a Evo 9 300 and a 360? I dont't mind MPG while driving hard but at a cruise I'd like something that will do 20mpg on A roads.
The FQ's and MR-FQ's (to give them their proper name) are all UK cars. Jap imports would be badged as "GSR".
Yes, the MR spec is 'better' than the FQ spec, but costs more of course.
Yes, the FQ's come with HKS bits on them, notably the HKS Superdrager exhaust system (which is fitted in the UK as part of the conversion from GSR, as they all arrive on these shores [pretty much] to FQ or MR FQ). Some of them also have a HKS Hard Pipe Kit which is basically the boost pipes that run from turbo to intercooler to inlet manifold. (Some don't have this, and have rubber instead of steel, the steel is better as it maintains the boost better.)
The 8 MR FQ 400 and the 9 MR FQ 360 have even more HKS bits as part of the power upgrade, but I don't know exactly what.
I wouldn't be too scared of mods to be honest, as you'll actually have a hard time finding any Evo's before the 10 which have not been modified in some way or another. As far as insurance goes, try a specalist broker rather than a price comparison website!!
The MPG difference between the models will depend much more on how it's driven rather than the spec.
Motorway would be circa 22mpg.
General driving would be like 18ish.
Going for a blast maybe 14-16ish.
Trackday more like 8mpg, but depends on the track.
As stock all the cars run on the rich side, so a common mod is decat and induction kit (or modified airbox) which usually doesn't need a remap because although you're introducing more air, the car would have run rich in the first place, so not a problem. When you start playing with the boost, then you need a remap.
My friend bought an evo9 fq360 in 2007. It was amazing in every way but very juicy as to be expected.
He got rid of it after a couple of years because in the stuck up area he lived in he got disapproving looks wherever he went due to the noise.
He bought an e46 m3, which he said was "just pussy compared to my evo" (his words) and always regretted the decision, and the rasp of the m3 was nearly as loud and anti-social as the evo anyway.
Do it. But make sure you get one with good history.
He got rid of it after a couple of years because in the stuck up area he lived in he got disapproving looks wherever he went due to the noise.
He bought an e46 m3, which he said was "just pussy compared to my evo" (his words) and always regretted the decision, and the rasp of the m3 was nearly as loud and anti-social as the evo anyway.
Do it. But make sure you get one with good history.
Definitely go for an 8MR or a 9FQ, big difference between the standard 8 and the MRs but the only 9 MR is the MR FQ 360 which is probably the ultimate Evo but not much different to a standard fq360. All the 9s (except the 260) can easily be tuned to 400bhp. You'll miss the luxury of the M3, the engine noise and it's ability on motorways but the evo is much more nimble and will feel more explosive to a 100.
The' 9 FQ range have all got the improvements from the 8 MR even though only the 9 FQ got the MR badge.
The performance of a good evo is much more accessible than that of an E 46 M3 on the road so plenty of fun to be had, they do feel a bit low quality coming from an M3 but you'll only notice that when bored and stuck in traffic.
They are very reliable and servicing bills should be less than M bills which are horrible in comparison.
Some amazing bargains on MLR for sale section at the moment between £11 and £14k take a look!
The performance of a good evo is much more accessible than that of an E 46 M3 on the road so plenty of fun to be had, they do feel a bit low quality coming from an M3 but you'll only notice that when bored and stuck in traffic.
They are very reliable and servicing bills should be less than M bills which are horrible in comparison.
Some amazing bargains on MLR for sale section at the moment between £11 and £14k take a look!
I'd be inclined to agree with Richy above me, I had an Impreza STi a few years ago and I'm driving around in an M3 these days - the Subaru did indeed feel like a big go kart, with turbo nutter power available with a hilarious lag, but a very capable car once under way. The M3 is a nice comfy car with lots of toys to waft me to a racetrack and then tear my face off. M3s have ruinous fuel consumption anyway so the poor mpg out of an Evobaru shouldn't alarm you.
One thing that I've noticed is that the M3's gears, especially the SMG, are very long, and you can normally just flex your toes a bit to go a little quicker, say for an overtake. Turbo lag means that if you're in, say, 3rd doing 30 in an Evo, then you'll find yourself not really going anywhere before the turbo comes into play.
Interiors, as mentioned above, are quite low quality on the "rally cars" but in fairness I don't think you're expecting BMW-esque levels of refinement. My '05 STi even came with a tape deck!
If you like to hot-foot it away from the lights in the M3 (not difficult especially in S5 or S6) then you may find yourself a bit crossed over the 4wd cars, as they'll be a lot harder to launch (and a lot easier to ruin the clutch!) If you haven't upgraded the M3's brakes (which I believe, on the E46, are the same as on the 330i) then you'll find the massive Brembo brakes (at least on the Impreza) a nice improvement.
And, of course, be prepared for a heavy clutch!
Out of curiosity, any reason you're not going for an Impreza? I'm not a participant in the Evo vs. Impreza, I think they're both cracking cars. In fact, I'm toying with the idea of an Evo myself after a few years with the M3. Hopefully the X's will be a bit cheaper by then.
One thing that I've noticed is that the M3's gears, especially the SMG, are very long, and you can normally just flex your toes a bit to go a little quicker, say for an overtake. Turbo lag means that if you're in, say, 3rd doing 30 in an Evo, then you'll find yourself not really going anywhere before the turbo comes into play.
Interiors, as mentioned above, are quite low quality on the "rally cars" but in fairness I don't think you're expecting BMW-esque levels of refinement. My '05 STi even came with a tape deck!
If you like to hot-foot it away from the lights in the M3 (not difficult especially in S5 or S6) then you may find yourself a bit crossed over the 4wd cars, as they'll be a lot harder to launch (and a lot easier to ruin the clutch!) If you haven't upgraded the M3's brakes (which I believe, on the E46, are the same as on the 330i) then you'll find the massive Brembo brakes (at least on the Impreza) a nice improvement.
And, of course, be prepared for a heavy clutch!
Out of curiosity, any reason you're not going for an Impreza? I'm not a participant in the Evo vs. Impreza, I think they're both cracking cars. In fact, I'm toying with the idea of an Evo myself after a few years with the M3. Hopefully the X's will be a bit cheaper by then.
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