2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Review
August 21, 2008 by Matt Brogan
2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Review & Road Test
Pure weapons grade adrenalin
Model Tested:
- 2008 Mitsubishi CJ Lancer Evolution X sedan 2.0 litre four cylinder turbo five speed manual – $59,490 (RRP)
Options:
- Metallic Paint $350 (Fitted); Performance Pack $5,500
Muscular Power Delivery, Strong Brakes, Gargantuan Grip
Tyre & Wind Noise, Poor Wipers, Steering Communication
CarAdvice Rating: 
- by Matt Brogan
Every so often I’m lucky enough to encounter a car that manages to turn me in to a stammering, over excited mess before I’ve even had the chance of a drive. More often than not though, the results aren’t worth the hype and I’m left feeling empty and wanting, waiting for the next one to come along – not this time
Mitsubishi’s tenth generation Evo is pure weapons grade adrenalin muscularly forged over obdurate eighteen inch alloys. Inarguably the best value for money performance car on the Aussie market and having driven Subaru’s reticent WRX STi and Volkswagen’s righteous R32 Golf it’s clear that I’ve left the best ‘til last.
From the rapaciously predatory front end with ducted bonnet vents and front mount intercooler proudly hinting at the performance potential underneath, to the insatiably aggressive lines stemming from the vents of Lancer’s electrifying side profile or that corpulently upright backside with dual exhausts and diffusers underneath, every angle’s an absolute charm and only further enhances the overall experience to give the Evo a palpable performance edge, even before the ignition’s turned on.
But while looking fast at standstill is probably enough for those with a weak ticker, standing around gawking at it is a job best left to those still in school uniform or “yes dear” husbands with their wedding tackle under lock and key. For me? I’m heading for the hills, G-Tech in hand to see if the new Evo is indeed all it’s cracked up to be.
The first thing you notice when driving the Evo, aside from the roman numerals now missing from the badge, is just how placid and docile it can be when poking around town. Its purpose is certainly evident, and little prods of the throttle will make that immediately and abundantly clear, but should you need to keep it on the chain it’s very easily done.
But to not unleash the Evo would be like pulling back a slingshot and not breaking a window, it has to be done, and what better place to do it than snaking through Victoria’s magnificent high country where high hills and hairy hairpins, crisp crests and free flowing corners beckon a more liberated driving style worthy of such an exhilarating machine.
A light and ultra responsive all-new, all-aluminium 4B11 2.0 litre turbo charged MIVEC four cylinder engine with an intense 217kW @ 6,500rpm and indomitable 366Nm @ 3,500rpm pulls hard from mid tach with a feverish metallic howl which when kept north of four and a half grand is positively prodigious. There’s also a sweet, willing induction note and undeniable turbo whistle to keep your ears involved, even if the exhaust note is a might subtle.
The variable valve timing, now on the inlet and exhaust valves, can be felt again and again as you surge seamlessly through each of the direct shifting close ratio gears before reaching crescendo just south of the 7,600rpm rev limiter for that final dive back down the cogs under brakes.
http://www.caradvice.com.au/wp.....vo_013.jpg
What a Amazing Photograph top marks to the snapper!!!
Oh the Evolution’s great too….
Nice tight pocket rocket. Gone the whole hog with Al panels etc.
Good base to start with. Noticed the road noise on a recent drive in a VRX. Curvy dash means u hit your left or right knee on it at times.
Why a 5 speed? Especially one with the gear-set the way you described (4 short and long,long 5th).
Same issues with the IX and the VIII.
Dont Mitsubishi have a six speed that can handle that kind of herbs. Pity, cause the styling is awesome (exterior) and the AYC and techno-trickery (having sampled it myself on the track) is damn near perfect.
It’s a GTR for the budget-conscious.
When’s the STi-EVO comparo coming CA?
It sounds like the complete and utter performance package – almost. There appears to be a lot of grey plastic inside and for this kind of money, I’d be wanting a little more luxury in the materials department.
fenno the six speed breaks when you start having some fun with the engine, better to have a strong box than a weak box I think. This is one area where Subaru’s indestructible six-speed STi box wins
but subaru dont have a paddle gear box yet.
a flappy paddle gearbox…? Bollox! LOL!
They are some sort of DSG but arent they?
Jeiz, That photo isn’t un-edited. It looks like a HDR image.
Spot on Jack – for the kind of money being asked you’d want something better than crappy grey plastic interior. Spend a bit extra for a locally built F6 – better interior, more grunt and 6 speed gearbox.
My thoughts exectly fenno! why do you want an auto gbox in a sports car, nothing beats a good 6 speed proper manual box.. Changing gears with paddles is for lazy people to used to playing computer games and not driving real sports cars!! good on subaru for sticking with an indestructible proper 6 speed manual..
Another great article Matt. I always wanted a GTR Skyline.. But I would consider one of these rockets after reading the article!
Is the “Snow” setting ever going to be used on Aussie Roads?
Great article CA. And the car – one word – Awesome!
mmm… i want one! when’s the Ralliart Lancer coming out? can’t wait till you guys compare Evo v Sti v WRX v Ralliart!
Hm, at least they are offering a manual and an ‘auto-manual’. It’s a good move by Mitsu and will definately grab some increased sales from those looking at an autobox or a faster than lighting gearbox (if you get what I mean).
I do love the look of the evo, though I wished they could have done something to make it look more different – perhaps a better interior or different colours.
Those 2 photos are spectacular. Does car advice have higher resolution pictures of them? Am interested in making some wallpapers!
It’s a surprise that Mitsubishi can’t come up with a 6 speed box with any strength. Most of the FWD players (except VW/Audi) have that problem with Auto boxes but everyone except Mitsubishi has a 6 speed box for a transverse engine layout that can easily handle 217/366.
No amount of excuse will overcome that poor effort, which in turn has resulted in the engine tune being calibrated for operation in the high rev range at the expense of low range torque. When you only have 4 performance gears that’s what is needed. This would not be liked by a rally driver, who wants (and gets) bags of low end grunt (and 6 or 7 speeds) and doesn’t need 7000rpm+
As for the tools who insist that a real car is manual, and DSG or other automated manual devices are for girls, well they are just plain wrong.
Almost all high performance cars now have sequential clutchless shifting of some kind, V8 supercars, WRC cars, etc.
Other reviewers have commented how noisy this car is on the road, and how cheap the interior feels, and that quite a bit more is required from a car of this price.
I’ve got paddles in mine, which I love (though I play racing games too). Had the short throw six speed, which was excellent, but tired of the clutch in traffic. Problem with the paddles is that you dont know which one is up and which is down if you are going around a tight corner, so maybe not a proposition for serious hard driving, unless mounted on the column and not the wheel.
Nice review!
@Riceboy, I was told November by the Ralliart people, for the Ralliart Lancer (though someone else was told October)…
I could be wrong but I swear I seen one of these at Gosford NSW yesterday. It was white in color, had the 3 intake vents on the bonnet like in the picture as well as twin exhausts. The car had that brand new look as well & even though I could be mistaken, it definitely looks exactly like the one in the pictures above.
Cheers !
You almost don’t even have to look at these articles, you can predict what they are going to say.
The Evo has very fast 0-100 times, but how are its tested times like 80-120? I would be interested to see that.
Where was the test done
laurie
So is it still better/more fun to buy an old 2001 R34 GTR or get one of these new Evos/STis? Apart from the fact its now a seven year old car.. does it still outgun these in every way? (They’re all about the same price these days too).
It may look fast but it still gets flogged by the STI. And just check those el cheapo looking instruments on the dashboard. Talk about poverty pack Lancer ROFLMAO
Lighbulb – should come down to Vic, there in many dealerships here, sat in a black one the other day before my gf bought her ‘Olympic’ edition vrx.
Trust me though once you take this baby out for a spin, you’ll forget about the cruddy interior, all you need is a good feeling steering wheel, gearknob and seats :P
It may go well, but still one of the ugliest cars on the road today.
Still the BEST!.
Tough Guy @ 8:36PM.
Thanks for your opinion but keep in mind the FACTS at hand that have been produced in multiple media outlets.
The new and dull looking STi has a larger capacity engine therefore a more powerful engine then the superior Evo but thats where the “more” factor ends for the STi.
Lancer is a better overall package and a real drivers car and the STi may be faster in certain conditions ( upto half a second ), like in a straight line but in most other road conditions the Evo embarrasses the STi.
Obviously you havent seen the equally hard internal plastics in the STi have you?.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion but stick to the facts, the Evo is the “originator not the Imitator”.
Hi all,
I just got back from a trip where I drove one of these for a week. I’m sorry to say that it was a complete shambles of a car and I still think Mitsubishi has no future.
The steering was clearly connected via a rubber band. The brakes felt so wooden I threw my trust out the window and assumed I’d eventually stop.
The interior material is cheap and nasty. My 405 Mi16, which is falling apart from the inside out has better plastics.
And why oh why does the bloody car beep beep beep beep beep beep beep at me when I get in and out, every time I turn the key, every time I blink, every time I drive up a mountain and the temperature dropped to 3C degrees or less. This happened every 2 minutes, as I went up and down valleys and peaks. Annoying, that it can’t be turned off, even when you turn off the “Beep” setting, which beeps at you to confirm you did it.
The plus sides were the engine. That’s pretty much it. Sadly the sound of the engine was uninspiring as was the droning exhaust note. Sad, really.
I still wouldn’t put my hard earnt on a Mitsubishi. I don’t think they’re any better than their past attempts. For the price, I’d seriously look at better alternatives.
SteveC
StevenA, not sure which media outlets you are referring to, however Wheels magazine quoted these two are being neck and neck is so many respects. But at the end Sti came out on top. Not sure why Wheels mag are so far ahead of CA in comparing these two cars!! Come on CA :-)
At any rate, with either car (or an F6 to throw another into the mix) I am certain the driver will have a smile on their dial and that is for certain.
Best to drive all three, on a nice wet day, and make an informed decision based on one’s own personal preference. It will be the right descision any which way.
The reason wheels voted the sti over the evo is simple, even although these are sports cars, some people actually need to drive them day to day aswell. thats where the sti is much better, in ride comfort low down torque, and less road noise. And it has a better 6 speed gbox and the sound of a boxer engine.Yet is also quicker in a straight line and evenly matched round corners.. NO CAMPARISON REALLY..
Very fast and great handling/grip however,the dated looks and cheap looking interior-just don’t do it for me.
I’m sure it will be a hit with the enthusiasts.
Fenno the EVO IX did come with the 6 speed (be nice if people could get their details right). The EVO VIII came with the 5 speed which is now used again in the base EVO model (known as the GSR in Japan). The housing is exactly the same with both gearboxes just that the 6 speed reduces physical gear sizes (to fit the 6th gear) and this leads to reduction in strength. So yes the 5 speed is a much tougher box (close to indestructible) compared to the 6 speed. A lot of the track EVO IX are retrofitted with the 5 speed anyway and it doesn’t seem to hurt their times or speed. So 6 speed is not always necessary as market hype may have you believe. Especially for city driving speeds you’ll hardly get out of 3rd or 4th in a car like this.
Alborz despite urban myth very few 6 speeds have actually let go. MRT who do a lot of work with EVO’s have yet to have a customer actually blow one up. Most guys I know who have changed their boxes to the 5 speed units in their EVO IX have done so out of precaution after serious modifying not because their 6 speed has let go. I’ve seen some serious HP with others who are still using the 6 speed also. It is not as strong as the 5 speed but not quite as weak as anything Subaru’s offers including the STi box. With all due respect you might have a decent site and own an STi but to claim the boxes are strong? You don’t know what you are talking about. The weakest link is the box in any Subby weather it’s an STi or not. I suggest you get out to the track more and talk to both STi and EVO owners (I’m talking drag strip where these boxes are really tested). Making these claims makes you sound like you really don’t know much about cars or what you are talking about.
“Subaru’s indestructible six-speed”
“Subaru’s indestructible six-speed”
“Subaru’s indestructible six-speed” You’re not serious when you say that are you?
Also this shows how much your readers know as no one has commented on this. But it’s claimed the car tested has the “performance Pack” fitted? Well unless you’ve been telling porkys and the car shown isn’t the one you have tested. The car pictured does not have the Performance Pack fitted. I suggest you take a look at an EVO X with the performance pack or look at the MR model which comes with performance pack as standard. Those wheels on the car pictured are not the BBS lightweight wheels which come with the performance pack. They are the standard Enkei wheels. If you want to be taken seriously it’s details like that you need to get right.
Other than that it wasn’t a bad read.
John. Apart from the fact that you sound like a bit of a dip stick, the article categorically states the Evo tested was the based model and that the ‘Performance’ pack is ‘optional’. Get your comprehension skills retested.
Re the Sti gearbox – you dont know wtf you are talking about.
DB9 – HA!
The Sti to me, looks like a car that will look newer for longer.
Not really into the 80’s look of the lancer. There, I said it.
And for those people that dont rate the ’08’s. You are either
a)kidding
b)havent seen one in real life, or
c)reckon that awesome, boxy looking rally cars suck.
The interior of the STi also is real nice in real life (the seast!) and the plastics arent that bad at all.. Better than the evo (lancer)
Nice review. The interior still lets it down. Go Subi!!!
Gr8 article ! I would like to have one ..
Cheers !!!
60 000 :-o not including dealer delievery taxes registration blah blah blah and the auto another 5 thousand so 70 000 for a 4 cyclinder and for something that looks similar to a lancer 25 000 dollar car and the exact same interior as the lancer except for a gps that doesn’t look like it belongs there in the first place and a whole bunch of leather everywhere AND a mitsubishi its only a mitsubishi lol such a rip it doesn’t matter how much turbo or gears or technology you put a v6 will always run better and will always have that feeling of power and push
i just can’t get myself to like the rear end! it’s a shame because i recon the front end is gold! it looks mean, and purposful.
loved the 9’s style, the X is almost there. the evo 11 will be gold i recon.
Iam an owner of a 07 and have had nothing but trouble with Mitsubishi I wanted to upgrade to this new Evo but it was going to set me back $60K for an ugly little car that would prob fall apart just like mine (it looks pretty much like a lancer!?)…each to their own I guess but thats what happened to me…Im not a complainer its just good to hear all the info plus when I was thinking of buying one I couldnt even pick the colour I wanted because certian dealers only get certian numbers and colours :(
Btw I meant a ES Lancer…
OOPS.. I meant to say the “Impreza WRX got obese and pregnant.”
Damn, I wish this forum had an EDIT button. LOL
Evo is definitely better looking than the STi. In truth, it looks similar to VRX model however… I want more differentiation for my hard earned. I still want one but would probably pay for a custom makeover around the console. And I’d go the performance pack SST. And I’d want the exhaust note improved too.
Otherwise, the BMW 135i has my eye on it.
Do people really think the STI interior is better than the evo’s? Even after viewing Jeremy Clarkson’s opinion about it in the comparison video. Each to their won I suppose. I still can’t believe Mitsubishi give a 5/10 year warranty for this car.
Most of the people who submitted comments here are Subaru WRX STi fanboy. Like flying high..who actually defended STi to the dead in the WRX STi review. So many WRX people here just yap about their biased opinion..gosh…stop wasting space unless you guys have something good to talk about instead of just saying viva STi…..
Those 2 photos are incredible now that we call a new technology.