RE: Mitsubishi Evo: Marketwatch
Monday 28th April 2014
With the recent release of a 40th Anniversary Lancer Evo X FQ-440 it seemed the ideal time to check out the second-hand Evo marketplace
Mitsubishi Evo: Market Watch
Inspired by our Evo PH Hero? Here's the full low down on the market for mental Mitsubishis
Mitsubishi's Lancer Evolution may have had humble origins, but it has become one of the most envied performance cars of recent times. Mitsubishi's engineers took an uninspiring saloon, added lashings of rally-proven four-wheel drive, turbocharged know-how and created a legendary four-door saloon capable of embarrassing exotica.
Hand-in-hand with its nemesis - Subaru's Impreza STI - the Evo carved out a new motoring genre: the road-going rally replica. But unlike the Scoob, Mitsubishi's no-nonsense Evo has managed to retain a hardcore image.
Lighting fast acceleration and awesome grip are of course its USP, but the practical persona and impressive value for money (when compared to cars offering similar performance) mean you can buy an Evo with your head as well as your heart.
Boasting an impressive rally heritage (cemented by Tommi Makinen's 90s WRC domination) and immense tuning potential, an Evo provides a near-perfect recipe for those seeking affordable performance motoring.
Many feel the ultimate evolution will always be the Evo VI Tommi Makinen produced when Mitsubishi's stranglehold on the WRC was almost total, but earlier incarnations offer a pretty similar drive and much the same tuning potential - for a lot less cash. Whilst some later Evos can be cheaper to buy too, and offer even greater performance.
But what PHers really want to know is which Evos are gaining value? Which version delivers the best all-round ownership package? Which Evo presents the finest base for further tuning? And of course, which incarnation is most likely to become a future classic?
Introduction
Mitsubishi Evo I,II,III (1992-1995)
Mitsubishi Evo IV,V,VI (1996-2000)
Mitsubishi Evo VII,VIII,VIII MR, IX (2001-2007)
Mitsubishi Evo X (2008-2014)
Many thanks to Darin Frow at the Mitsubishi Lancer Register and Simon Norris at Norris Designs for their help with this feature.
Discussion
As someone who is currently tootling (oh god all you can do is tootle) around in a 2006 2.4 Lancer saloon with 150 bonzai horses under a hideous body filled with a cheap interior, which we have christened the Zero Evo - how the hell they made the real Evo out of this bucket of horror is a real and total mystery. You really have to marvel at the transformation they achieved, it is aclose to different car as it is possible to get!!!
But thank god they did - and any would do right now!!!
But thank god they did - and any would do right now!!!
I've seen some horrific rust issues appearing on untreated 5's and 6's. 6's are possibly the "purists" choice, as they had ironed out most of the problems of the 4's and 5's. 4's suffered from Crank issues and it wasn't a cheap fix by any means.
Not to mention AYC problems, plus the servicing costs. They are still an epic machine though, but perhaps better off used as a weekender than a daily.
From the 7's onwards they became slightly more refined, which, in the eyes of some meant it lost some of the raw feel of a road going Rally bred monster, Personally I've not driven an 8 or 9 so couldn't comment.
There will probably always be the Evo vs Scooby arguments when it comes to pricing, I cant help but think that they're (EVO's) currently overpriced for what they are, but then again, what else is there?.
Not to mention AYC problems, plus the servicing costs. They are still an epic machine though, but perhaps better off used as a weekender than a daily.
From the 7's onwards they became slightly more refined, which, in the eyes of some meant it lost some of the raw feel of a road going Rally bred monster, Personally I've not driven an 8 or 9 so couldn't comment.
There will probably always be the Evo vs Scooby arguments when it comes to pricing, I cant help but think that they're (EVO's) currently overpriced for what they are, but then again, what else is there?.
The Evo is an itch I really need to scratch at some point - not sure where abouts in the range I should put my money though. I do like the Evo X (manual, please), I think it looks pretty smart and obviously they go like the clappers, but it's hard to look beyond an Evo 6 TME, if I could find an unmolested one that wasn't a total fortune as it's spent it's life in a bubble - it'll be a hard choice when I finally get around to it, but a good one! Even SWMBO likes them so I'm on to a winner in that respect!
If you are thinking of buying an evo you really need to look for the lowest mileage, newest, least owner car you can find. The problem with these cars is they get used and abused! It is now nearly impossible to finf a factory fresh example, I know I looked for ages! I now own an Evo 9 FQ360mr HKS, the very last of the last, a two owner car. I paid top money for it, and love every drive! There really is nothing else like it.
Just my 2p
Ever since i was in primary school and first saw a evo i wanted one , had a few mates with them too (8 260 , 6 ,4 ) .After them taking me out and giving the cars death i was even more sold ,so after graduation i thought i deserve a present to myself so lets save up for a 7 .
Anyway i ended up buying a house instead with the cash instead (how non PH),fast forward 2 and half years i thought i need to go drive one , so i drove the closest 7 to me .
Stepping out of a mps to evo was like coming from a cruise liner to a rubby dingy in terms of interior.This didnt bother me though , it was just an observation .In the next 10mins of the test drive all my evo dreams were shattered .To have one as DD you have to be commited , the turbo didnt spool until 4k and when it did it didnt feel "fast" NVH was a joke even though i expected it .The clutch was too snappy.
I didnt get chance to extend the car around the bends or anything to crazy and left disappointed . The modern hot hatch makes so much more sense in todays world .
Do i still want one as a weekend only car one day ? Yes in 9 GT form
Ever since i was in primary school and first saw a evo i wanted one , had a few mates with them too (8 260 , 6 ,4 ) .After them taking me out and giving the cars death i was even more sold ,so after graduation i thought i deserve a present to myself so lets save up for a 7 .
Anyway i ended up buying a house instead with the cash instead (how non PH),fast forward 2 and half years i thought i need to go drive one , so i drove the closest 7 to me .
Stepping out of a mps to evo was like coming from a cruise liner to a rubby dingy in terms of interior.This didnt bother me though , it was just an observation .In the next 10mins of the test drive all my evo dreams were shattered .To have one as DD you have to be commited , the turbo didnt spool until 4k and when it did it didnt feel "fast" NVH was a joke even though i expected it .The clutch was too snappy.
I didnt get chance to extend the car around the bends or anything to crazy and left disappointed . The modern hot hatch makes so much more sense in todays world .
Do i still want one as a weekend only car one day ? Yes in 9 GT form
pimpchez said:
Just my 2p
Ever since i was in primary school and first saw a evo i wanted one , had a few mates with them too (8 260 , 6 ,4 ) .After them taking me out and giving the cars death i was even more sold ,so after graduation i thought i deserve a present to myself so lets save up for a 7 .
Anyway i ended up buying a house instead with the cash instead (how non PH),fast forward 2 and half years i thought i need to go drive one , so i drove the closest 7 to me .
Stepping out of a mps to evo was like coming from a cruise liner to a rubby dingy in terms of interior.This didnt bother me though , it was just an observation .In the next 10mins of the test drive all my evo dreams were shattered .To have one as DD you have to be commited , the turbo didnt spool until 4k and when it did it didnt feel "fast" NVH was a joke even though i expected it .The clutch was too snappy.
I didnt get chance to extend the car around the bends or anything to crazy and left disappointed . The modern hot hatch makes so much more sense in todays world .
Do i still want one as a weekend only car one day ? Yes in 9 GT form
The 7 is the harshest of the bunch and is the hardest to live with on a day to day basis between the 6,7, 8 and 9.Ever since i was in primary school and first saw a evo i wanted one , had a few mates with them too (8 260 , 6 ,4 ) .After them taking me out and giving the cars death i was even more sold ,so after graduation i thought i deserve a present to myself so lets save up for a 7 .
Anyway i ended up buying a house instead with the cash instead (how non PH),fast forward 2 and half years i thought i need to go drive one , so i drove the closest 7 to me .
Stepping out of a mps to evo was like coming from a cruise liner to a rubby dingy in terms of interior.This didnt bother me though , it was just an observation .In the next 10mins of the test drive all my evo dreams were shattered .To have one as DD you have to be commited , the turbo didnt spool until 4k and when it did it didnt feel "fast" NVH was a joke even though i expected it .The clutch was too snappy.
I didnt get chance to extend the car around the bends or anything to crazy and left disappointed . The modern hot hatch makes so much more sense in todays world .
Do i still want one as a weekend only car one day ? Yes in 9 GT form
Try an 8 you may be pleasantly surprised. It's still no Rolls Royce but much better than the 7.
In fact the 7 would come last in the list that I would buy (the 6 1st). And yes I do speak from quite extensive experience of all of them.
Fabulous cars, but very expensive to run unless using it as a 2nd car.
Fuel is the worst averaging 20mpg and has to be SUL.
Very reliable as a standard or stage 1, however after that expect problems and big bills.
Biggest issue is rust on cars which have been in the UK for >4 years (especially the 2 harsh winters we had a few years ago) - many can look immaculate on the outside but be rotten underneath. Many have had underseal hiding rust, and the main place they rust is inside the chassis legs which isn't easy to detect.
Best option is to buy a newly imported car for peace of mind.
Fuel is the worst averaging 20mpg and has to be SUL.
Very reliable as a standard or stage 1, however after that expect problems and big bills.
Biggest issue is rust on cars which have been in the UK for >4 years (especially the 2 harsh winters we had a few years ago) - many can look immaculate on the outside but be rotten underneath. Many have had underseal hiding rust, and the main place they rust is inside the chassis legs which isn't easy to detect.
Best option is to buy a newly imported car for peace of mind.
LordVader said:
pimpchez said:
Just my 2p
Ever since i was in primary school and first saw a evo i wanted one , had a few mates with them too (8 260 , 6 ,4 ) .After them taking me out and giving the cars death i was even more sold ,so after graduation i thought i deserve a present to myself so lets save up for a 7 .
Anyway i ended up buying a house instead with the cash instead (how non PH),fast forward 2 and half years i thought i need to go drive one , so i drove the closest 7 to me .
Stepping out of a mps to evo was like coming from a cruise liner to a rubby dingy in terms of interior.This didnt bother me though , it was just an observation .In the next 10mins of the test drive all my evo dreams were shattered .To have one as DD you have to be commited , the turbo didnt spool until 4k and when it did it didnt feel "fast" NVH was a joke even though i expected it .The clutch was too snappy.
I didnt get chance to extend the car around the bends or anything to crazy and left disappointed . The modern hot hatch makes so much more sense in todays world .
Do i still want one as a weekend only car one day ? Yes in 9 GT form
The 7 is the harshest of the bunch and is the hardest to live with on a day to day basis between the 6,7, 8 and 9.Ever since i was in primary school and first saw a evo i wanted one , had a few mates with them too (8 260 , 6 ,4 ) .After them taking me out and giving the cars death i was even more sold ,so after graduation i thought i deserve a present to myself so lets save up for a 7 .
Anyway i ended up buying a house instead with the cash instead (how non PH),fast forward 2 and half years i thought i need to go drive one , so i drove the closest 7 to me .
Stepping out of a mps to evo was like coming from a cruise liner to a rubby dingy in terms of interior.This didnt bother me though , it was just an observation .In the next 10mins of the test drive all my evo dreams were shattered .To have one as DD you have to be commited , the turbo didnt spool until 4k and when it did it didnt feel "fast" NVH was a joke even though i expected it .The clutch was too snappy.
I didnt get chance to extend the car around the bends or anything to crazy and left disappointed . The modern hot hatch makes so much more sense in todays world .
Do i still want one as a weekend only car one day ? Yes in 9 GT form
Try an 8 you may be pleasantly surprised. It's still no Rolls Royce but much better than the 7.
In fact the 7 would come last in the list that I would buy (the 6 1st). And yes I do speak from quite extensive experience of all of them.
I think the issue wasn't the evo in hindsight , it was me having a nearly stage 2 mps i was spoilt on the power/luxury/comfort/toys front .
i have driven a stage 1 blobeye wrx in anger and loved it , i was kind of expecting that but more from the evo .Like i said the guy didnt let me drive it anger so it would be an unfair comparison.
I find the 8s ugly so i didnt want one of them even if they are better.Once the 9 Gts are sub 10k il have to re-evaluate my life priorities for sure .
pimpchez said:
It was lowered and had a few choice mods which id have done anyway in ownership . It just didnt "feel" special now i know that is of course subjective .
I think the issue wasn't the evo in hindsight , it was me having a nearly stage 2 mps i was spoilt on the power/luxury/comfort/toys front .
i have driven a stage 1 blobeye wrx in anger and loved it , i was kind of expecting that but more from the evo .Like i said the guy didnt let me drive it anger so it would be an unfair comparison.
I find the 8s ugly so i didnt want one of them even if they are better.Once the 9 Gts are sub 10k il have to re-evaluate my life priorities for sure .
You're doing it wrong!! I think the issue wasn't the evo in hindsight , it was me having a nearly stage 2 mps i was spoilt on the power/luxury/comfort/toys front .
i have driven a stage 1 blobeye wrx in anger and loved it , i was kind of expecting that but more from the evo .Like i said the guy didnt let me drive it anger so it would be an unfair comparison.
I find the 8s ugly so i didnt want one of them even if they are better.Once the 9 Gts are sub 10k il have to re-evaluate my life priorities for sure .
The 7 is already the harshest of the bunch. If it's "lowered", in other words ruined, you've got no hope
The Subaru's have always been softer and therefore easier to live with on a day to day basis.
estacion said:
If you are thinking of buying an evo you really need to look for the lowest mileage, newest, least owner car you can find. The problem with these cars is they get used and abused! It is now nearly impossible to finf a factory fresh example, I know I looked for ages! I now own an Evo 9 FQ360mr HKS, the very last of the last, a two owner car. I paid top money for it, and love every drive! There really is nothing else like it.
I couldn't agree more. I've owned two Evos now. My first was a IV which had been track used, previous owners etc, but was bought on trust of members of an owners club (not the MLR) vouching for it. Turned out to be a money pit. Extraordinary fun when it was sorted, but so many issues to contend with and I've heard stories of many other early Evos having similar problems. Rust in particular is a HUGE issue if they haven't been taken care of.I now own a regularly serviced and well cared for IX FQ-340 having learned from previous mistakes and it is sensational. Anyone tempted to go for the more hardcore thrills of an earlier Evo (particularly the VI which is sensational) just make sure you're getting one in good condition.
I'm happy I went for a IX though. They are called 'Evolution' for a reason, and the last of each generation (VI and IX) are certainly the finest available.
Also, I wouldn't ever buy a heavily modified car. In most cases they are virtually undriveable, plus I've seen cars with power outputs supposedly in the region 350 - 400 bhp but are actually putting out more like 310-320 plus a couple putting out less than the standard quoted figure.
Most are a bloody mess and best avoided.
Most are a bloody mess and best avoided.
"your Evo I, II or III must have the relevant SVA document to be run on UK roads."
It's not quite clear what the point of this statement is.
SVA (Single Vehicle Approval) is for cars under ten years old, so would apply to the later models 8 & 9, not the earlier cars. Anything over a decade old just needs an MOT, which typically just requires a rear foglight fitting.
Also, as long as you have the V5 document, you know the car is road-legal. You only have to worry about import legality if you're bringing a car in from Japan yourself and are the first UK owner.
It's not quite clear what the point of this statement is.
SVA (Single Vehicle Approval) is for cars under ten years old, so would apply to the later models 8 & 9, not the earlier cars. Anything over a decade old just needs an MOT, which typically just requires a rear foglight fitting.
Also, as long as you have the V5 document, you know the car is road-legal. You only have to worry about import legality if you're bringing a car in from Japan yourself and are the first UK owner.
In support of the 'be very careful buying older Evos' meme, I'd offer the following owner's tale:
Project Evo: Can Cars Be Cursed? (on Speedhunters) - quite a few points to check on any potential purchase.
Project Evo: Can Cars Be Cursed? (on Speedhunters) - quite a few points to check on any potential purchase.
RKi said:
Don't know why people say don't buy heavily modified ones. As long as reputable tuners/garages have worked on the cars its all fine IMO. I'd rather buy an example with decent choice mods as opposed to spending thousands myself. Just thoroughly inspect receipts/history before buying.
Depends on the car but in this case id go for the opposite , id rather have a guy that has built his pride and joy on the drive and knows it inside out vs a guy that bought it for 6 months just to rag about and do a service at a indy.I have worked on my own car myself ,although i dont have every reciept due to GBs/Trade prices i can easily show any potential buyer the ins and outs as i have spent enough time under the bonnet.
estacion said:
The problem is there is no infastructure for these cars. How many Evo specialists are there with good used stock? I know Wynford Motors near Birmingham often get some good ones in, but they are never there long! 'Xtreme' closed down last year as far as I know?
not as far as far as i know? They are THE garage when it comes to evo'sedited to add
you're righthttp://www.xtreme-uk.net/xtreme-uk-news/detail.asp...
Edited by Richard-G on Monday 28th April 18:27
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