People that defected to the Evo..
 

I know a couple of you guys switched over the Evo X and I had some questions..

I'm looking at getting on in the next couple months-end of the year, going towards the MR for now unless I hate the DSG or whatever they call their version.
Here are some of my concerns:

Turbo lag - how bad is it? I had a 2002 WRX before this and I hated it, driving in traffic was a chore to say the least.

AC - does turning it on kill all power pretty much?

Transmission feel - both GSR and MR.. How does it handle going slow? Bucking? Massive engine bog?

Handling - how 'connected' do you feel vs. the RX8? I know they have ridiculous amounts of grip, but grip and handling aren't the same thing. I do a fair amount of canyon driving and would like still have some fun doing that..

Seats - Any funkiness like circulation getting cut off/etc? I seem to have that issue in the RX on long drive. (I'm 5-10 if that makes a difference)

I guess my main concern is how does it handle when you're in stop/go traffic and not going all out and how does the manual compare to the manual in the 8.

Any other things that annoy you or make you regret getting rid of the RX8?

I dont know of any 8 owners who switched to the Evo X, but most all of those ?'s can be answered in a test drive man. Go take it for a spin. Cool car, when i have a kid i will look into one of these bad boys.

Yeah planning on doing that, but generally I find that these types of things don't really show up until couple weeks into ownership. Which is hard to gauge in a 15 minutes test drive. Unless I can find a dealer that would let me take it out for a weekend or something.

all manual cars suck in stop/go.

your best bet is to ask moostafa29 (ex 8 owner now EVO x owner) .

I drove an Evo 9 and X before.

Turbo Lag --- Not quite. After all the "experience" that they had in previous version. its not that noticeable. for me at least.

Seats -- really low. for me. Im a big dude, 5"11. Seats not very comfy, just like any racing seats.

AC --- Not hot enough so it wasn't on, dunno

Handling --- It was pretty "connected" as far as I concern. Its not as Agile as RX-8, but its not bad.

Transmission --- Only tried MT, dunno about X's new Dual clutch SST.

9 has better acceleration than X. X feels MUCH softer. wait for 11, I think it will be a lot better.

Finally had a chance to test these out.

I liked the 9 more than the X GSR that I tested. The 9 was a stock MR. I actually prefer the interior on the old car seems more purposeful. Steering wheel also felt nicer, the spoke on the X are too big for my tastes. Everything felt more direct on the 9 like the pedals and what not. Tried to test an STI to compare against but the Subie dealer pulled some 'we need to run your credit report first' thing, 'yah sure you do'.. lulz.

So, I'm liking the 9, MR pending tests of the STI and R3. The thing was I didn't have the huge 'omg this is so cool' feeling that I got when I tested my 8 or the Elise. Maybe I need to test a modded one for that or just say screw practicality and get the Lotus.. :)

you should check out the Genesis 2.0t coupe. It's EVO lite in RWD format. Looks better too.

People that defected to the Evo...are retards

oh WAIT...this isn't one of those "complete the sentence" games??? Oops... :D:

^ Looks like you had a moment of relaspe into the Dark side

Heck, you can get a fully loaded Genesis 3.8L Grand Touring Coupe for $27.5k [MSRP], which coincidentally is what I paid [considerably below MSRP] for my '8 in March '06. Hyundai is really offering allot of bang for the buck to get over the badging stigma!

You get a 10 year warrenty on Hunydai right?

Hyundai eh? Never even crossed my mind. Might as well put it on the shortlist and see how it feels. Though I'm thinking I'll prob end up in a R3. We'll see what kinda incentives Mazda throws down by year end..

I sat in the Hyundai GC at the Chicago auto show, it was nice. A huge universe of difference between that and my wife's '04 Santa Fe as far as interior goes.

people that defected to the Evo ...
 

should have taken a spin in a turbo8 first

Both the GSR and MR are great cars. I doubt you'd hate the transmission in that car, but if you plan on making major modifications, your best bet is to stay with the 5 speed.

Turbo lag is definitely present in a stock car. To be honest I only dealt with it through break in, as I put on a exhaust that eliminated that problem after about two weeks. I'd recommend at least getting a tune after break in. You can gain upwards of 80whp and keep everything else stock.

I don't notice any power loss when the AC is on. I leave it on pretty much all the time and it still accelerates pretty damn hard.

I don't notice any issues with the transmission at slow speeds either. Sometimes when I'm lazy I'll actually start in 2nd gear. I've done it in 3rd gear too, but don't make a habit of it. I actually had more issues at slower speeds with the 8 than I do the X.

Handling is rediculous. Its a completely different feel than the 8. The 8 is light and nimble, and handles really good because of that, and the design of the car. Sometimes I would take freeway entrances hard and fast with the 8, and I could see the traction control coming on, and when it was off, I could feel the tail wanting to give out. With the X, I've never had any of those issues. Yes its AWD, but the thing just stays planted, and I honestly scare myself sometimes with how fast I take entrances. This is with the traction control on too. With the yaw sensor on the dash, it doesn't even seem like its breaking a sweat. You will definitely feel the weight difference at first, but after awhile it won't bother you. I feel more safe when making hard turns and driving fast.

The seats are pretty comfortable. I thought since it has so much bolster, and I'm a bigger guy, it would hurt, but I've made quite a few road trips and have been pretty comfortable. I do miss my heated seats in the 8, but I can live without it. With the 8, I used to get leg cramps after awhile. I think this may have more to do with how low the 8 seats are to the ground, in comparison to the X. When I first made the switch, it feels like I was going from a car to wear you practically lay down, to a small suv, but now I'm pretty used to it, and like the position much more.

Stop and go traffic is annoying in any manual car to me. One thing that bothers me, is there seems to be some sort of overrev issue when you're in stop and go traffic. The engine revs up more than you want it to. The tuners said this had to do with some ecu programing.

Overall I have no regrets in buying the car. I miss the high revving engine, smooth power delivery, and the position the driver is in, in relation to the shifter (feeling one with the car). To me it was worth it to get a car with twice the power, better gas mileage, 4 doors, and awd.

I hope that helps, but let me know if you have any other questions. If possible, scan the forums for someone who'd let you drive their X, or at least take you on a drive. Most have at least a tune, so you can get a sense how a proper X feels like. Test driving at a dealership may not give you that sense.

Not the same. I have experience in both.

Cool.. Thanks man. Yeah, if I go this route I was planning to get a light tune to at least clean up the weak factory tune that all turbo cars seem to be plagued with these days. Any reason to go with the X vs a clean 9 MR? I know the new car is safer (more bags), etc. The 9 just felt like it had more personality if that makes any sense.

the evo x in stock form has worse gas mileage than the Rx8, also the car is damn slow due to how rich it runs stock.

get the car, get a WORKS reflash, and you will have better gas mileage and 290whp/tq. 600 bucks, and some dyno time does alot for that thing. other than that, just lower it and have a good time.

I think it depends on what you want in a car. I waited for the X vs 9 because I hated that God awful interior of the older Evos. I know its a suped up small car, but it really felt like it. With the X, the interior is much nicer and refined. Its no BMW, but its built pretty well. If you are looking for a raw feel, with a harsher ride, then go with the 9mr. Power wise, you can't argue one over the other. Stock for stock, the 9 is faster, but the X responds better to mods, so they are pretty equal in the end.

Maybe it depends on how you drive. I normally drive around 75-85mph, and I would get 18-19mpg in the 8, and I got about 22-23mpg in the X when I first bought it. After all the bolt ons and tune, I'll get 24-25mpg.

Also, I'd recommend EcuFlash over Works. I got a custom dyno tune for a lot cheaper than $600.

Honestly, if it wasn't for the 2.0T in the Genesis, the whole car would be garbage. I sat in one and drove one, it was slower than the rx-8, nowhere near is nice as the interior

Do they offer navi in those things? I saw some pics of some GCs that had a lip kit, drop and wheels, and I was pretty impressed.

If you can find an 08 somewhere you can get really good deals on them like 8k or more off MSRP. If I hadn't bought the STI last year I'd probably look at an MR now although the hatch has come in really handy so far.

Also don't forget the new EVO hatchback. Looks cool and not as garish as the EVO X. Useable trunk area too.