2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII

Driving Impressions

• Rolling resistance - this vehicle exhibits a LOT of rolling resistance compared to my old '99 Accord.  The Accord would require just a bit of slipped clutch to begin it on a leisurely stroll backing out of the garage in the morning.  The Evo, on the other hand, requires a constant application of the clutch in order to keep the car moving.  Once you let off the gas and put the clutch all the way in, the car comes to almost a complete halt (on a fairly even surface), and has had me glancing at the emergency brake on more than one occasion to make sure it isn't still on.  Even once I get turned around and headed down our fairly steep driveway (progressively increasing slope up to 15 degrees) the Evo feels like it just might LOSE momentum, whereas the Accord had to have the brakes applied to ensure it didn't hit the street running.  I have no explanation for this.  Some online have argued that this is the nature of an AWD vehicle and the resistance is provided by the differentials and other driveline components.  Sounds reasonable. Update 4/20/04 - The rolling resistance seems to have been worked out, but it still exhibits some freezing up of components after a rain and then sitting in the garage for a night.  Update 5/18/04 - Now that it's warm out, this doesn't seem to be a problem, but on occasion the car will "freeze up", from moisture, I believe.  When backing out of the garage, there'll be a definite 'chunk' noise as something breaks free, usually after having been washed or driven in the rain - the emergency brake perhaps?

• Xenon headlamps - The xenon headlamps provide strong illumination, but with some compromises when compared to conventional halogen lamps.  The xenon beam pattern has strict definition to it, with clear cut boundaries to the pattern.  While most headlights I've used seem to gently fade off into the distance as they project out from the car, the Evo's beams come to an abrupt stop at a fairly short distance from the vehicle.  This can be slightly disconcerting when driving at a speed that outruns the safe distance projection of the beams.  There is a manual beam height adjuster switch, but even in it's highest position, the beams still seem to fall short.   Also, when you turn the beams on, there is a quick flash of light as they come on, like a camera picture being taken, or if you give a quick signal with your high beams.  Someone online has hypothesized that this is the xenon gas "igniting" when the lights are turned on.  I'm not sure if that's a valid explanation or not, but I'll go with it until I hear otherwise.

• Gas mileage - my gas mileage has been abysmal so far - 16.3mpg after 200+ miles.  Granted, the weather has been nasty, with temperatures hovering on some days just BELOW zero, but even considering this factor, with my gentle break-in driving style, I'm surprised that it isn't closer to the advertised 18mpg for city use.  My trips have been short ones, so this might perhaps be the norm.  It certainly won't be confused with a Prius.  I've read of one gentleman who said that after having used up a tank of gas on a track (which isn't all that much considering the short range that the 14 gallon fuel tank offers), he calculated his MPG and came up with.... 7.5mpg.  Other Evo owners have reported of having to leave in the middle of their track runs because of flashing low gas warning lights. Owners have reported that it isn't safe to ignore the warning light, and that the car can actually starve for fuel in hard turns once the light comes on.  Average fuel range is being reported in the 200-220 mile area.  The down side - you don't want to try driving through Death Valley.  The up side - as one owner said, you feel very comfortable on long distance driving since you'll be stretching your legs at the gas stations every 2 hours or so. Update 4/20/04 - Gas mileage has barely climbed out of the mid-teens. I'm seeing 19 or so now in steady city driving.  Note - the gas warning light seems to come on with at least 2 gallons left in the tank.  Update 5/18/04 - Gas mileage has shown a steady 26 mpg during highway driving.  City driving still gives mileage ratings in the 16 - 19 mpg range. Update 3/10/06 - Gas mileage holds steady during the winter between 16 - 19 mpg, while highway is up to 24 mpg.

• Build quality - seems to be pretty good at the moment, but it's been a short moment to date (3 weeks).  I notice a fair amount of rattles coming from the roof liner on the passenger side, and the driver seat squeaks when turning hard to the right.  Minor annoyances at this point, to be sure, but could prove troublesome if they continue to mount or get worse.  Update 5/18/04 - with the advent of warm weather, the interior noises have gone away.   Numerous owners have reported problems with the clutch needing replacement anywhere from 2k - 8k miles, power steering pumps burning out, and weak paint (easily chips and scratches).  I've purchased an application of Xpel paint protection to address this in a preventative fashion.  The Xpel product comes pre-cut to fit the hood, front bumper, side mirrors, etc. and is applied similar to window tint.  The film is clear and put over the factory paint, and provides a buffer between your paint and flying grit, rocks, bugs, etc.  There are several other manufacturers of similar products, so shop it.  Xpel's web site claims the kit for the Evo runs around $350 not including application.  Update 12/3/04 - The Expel hood kit was a disaster during installation - it was far more difficult than described.  The hood piece ended up sticking in spots before the waves in the material were smoothed out, so I had to rip the film off before it dried completely.  Expel promised to contact me but never did.  Some owners are also reporting rust appearing on the rear bumper (underneath the bumper cover) right off the dealer's lot.  Mitsubishi doesn't apply undercoating to the JDM Evos, since they don't use road salt in Japan, so their attempts to apply undercoating may be a bit haphazard, to say the least.  While putting on my snow tires/rims, I took a quick look under the car and can honestly say that the undercoating certainly isn't saturating the underside.  It might be worthwhile for owners to take a look underneath and supplement the factory coating with a few shots here and there with a can of undercoat picked up at the local Pep Boys.  My one real complaint to date: a driver's side side-view mirror that has optical distortion on all the edges.  The passenger side mirror has no distortion, so I'm going to contact the dealership and see if this can be addressed under warranty (Update - It has been replaced under warranty).  Look in this space in a year for an honest appraisal of this vehicle from a quality perspective.  Update 1/9/05 - I've been very happy with the reliability of the Evo to-date. I've had no problems to speak of, mechanicals are fine, no continuing squeaks or rattles, etc.  So far it seems to be a stereotypical Japanese vehicle.

Wheel Specs

• Bolt pattern:     5 x 114.3

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• Stock wheels:  Enkei, 17x8, +38mm offset

• Stock tires:       Yokohama ADVAN 235/45ZR17

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• Snow wheels:  ASA KA3, 17x7.5, ?? offset

• Snow tires:        Bridgestone Blizzak LM-22 235/45HR17

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• AutoX wheels:  SSR Competition, 17x8.5, +42mm offset

• AutoX tires:       Kumho V700 VictoRacer, 255/40R17

Wiper Specs

• Driver's:                    24"

• Passenger's side:  18"

• Rear:                          17"

Headlight Bulbs

• High beams:    9005

• Low beams:     9006

Spark Plugs

• Type:    NGK IGR7A-G (stock), NGK BPR7ES, NGK BPR6EIX (stock heat range), NGK BPR7EIX

• Mitsubishi Part No. : MD374841

• Gap:      .028" - .031", .7mm - .8mm   

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