RX-8 vs. EVO
 

I saw another person in a different thread cross shopped the EVO and RX8.

Both have back seats, a trunk, four doors, and each is "sporty"...but they are VERY different.

I have never driven an EVO, but a friend has one, and I got a ride shotgun in one. I was amazed at how fast and how well it handled. it was scary fast. it was also loud, uncomfortable, and looked like..well...a rice burner.

the RX8 seems like a more conservative upscale car. yeah, an RX8 is not an M3 or a high end luxury car...they are both japanese sports car...but is it just me..or do you think the EVO and RX8 crowds are TOTALLY different?

While I would love an EVO on a track day...I kindo f think to go to/from work...to comute in, be seen in..the EVO would not "fit" me. I"m 35, a professional, wife/2 kids... and while it has back seats, 4 doors, and probalbya bigger trunk...rolling to the office in an EVO would probably have theo ther guys wondering if I'd lost my mind...whreeas an Rx8 migh evoke "hey neat car" kind of comments.

what do you all think? they are in a similar price point...

yup - its been discussed lots.

I'm only 25, single, no kids etc etc and I wouldnt even feel comfortable in an Evo. It's got some amazing technology and is stupid fast with easy and cheap mods. But at the end of the day it looks like a riced out honda in some ways.

STI limited

I like the EVO a lot. It's a super awsome car, the only reason I went with the rx8 is because my fascination with Rotary engines.

your friend with the evo, were you describing him in this post?

https://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php...&postcount=164

People leave out the Lancer when they mention evo but when you look at it you can't miss it.

The EVO is an econobox on steroids. Sure it's fast, throw enough boost at anything and you get power in return. But it comes at a price. It seems like most of the other high pressure Diamond Stars tend to suffer things like bured valves at 60,000 miles.

I'll take the RX8 seven days a week over the EVO.

As long as you don't put neon lights, excessive amount of decals, or an obnoxiously loud exhaust, I don't understand why you'd be too worried about beeing seen driving an EVO. IMO some of the things you should be more worried about are the ride comfort and the insurance rate. It's an awesome car and there's really no need to bash it.

Who cares what other people think?

Thank God we don't all drive the same cars or else it would be a boooooooring world.

Enjoy life, if you have more pleasure driving an EVO than an RX-8 get an EVO.

Life is too short to stress about things like these.

Give me the 8 anyday

Sure, the Evo is quick. But it isn't a drivers car. It's a point and shoot low-rent high-price go-kart. No soul, no driver feedback, AWD < RWD for the fun factor.

Beagle answer - Funny, I love my 8. And i do not see to many of them around here. The LANCER evo on the other hand . ..They are everywhere. I see them wrapped around trees at least once a month. And the local body shop has 3 of them right now.

Real answer - I like the ride of the 8 MUCH better. It feels way better on the road. The LANCER is way too stiff for an econobox. My buddy drives one. I have taken many long trips in it, both as a passenger and as the driver. Personally . . I would NEVER own one. I prefer the RX in ride, comfort, feel, and the 8 is WAY more predictable on the road.

I think it really all depends on a number of factors, what car your coming out from to the RX-8, what you do for a living, the area that you will working in, whether you'll be taking out clients. I'm 23. I came out of a GTI, I personally think GTIs are great college cars, it isn't a young professional car. an EVO to me IMO seems like you haven't grown up just yet and still holding on to your youth, fast, speed, obnoxious spoiler IMO...seems like you still wanna have fun and don't give a rats about who will see you in it.

An RX-8 IMO.........the reason why i bought it instead of the other cars.....was because i'm at the point in life where i'm done with the boy racer cars, but i'm not quite there yet to want the nice entry level luxury car, just feel like that a mature person kind of car and i still have youth left so i want something that feels sporty but doesn't feel immature to drive, if that makes any sense.

You'd be suprised at what your car reveals about you. If i rolled up in an EVO to take people out to lunches. i think i might be taken less serious and viewed as a punk kid, immature or what have u. These clients have their luxury cars and i think they have a certain expectation of the people they meet for business. They might be even more reluctant to ride in my car if i drove an EVO. At the other end though, an RX-8 has enough lines and looks and i'd like to say it does possess some exoticness because many times strangers and business people will be like what kind of car is that? wow i didnt know the back doors open like that. They tend to think that you have some taste, also they think its just as expensive as an entry level luxo car. what that cost like 35-40K?? haha.

The RX-8 makes it announcement in subtly, it actually has some suprises up its sleeve. 1) it looks like a sporty car 2) many people dont know about the extra 2 doors and it seems to be a conversational piece. So in a way people are intrigued and seem to respect the design and be fasincated with an RX-8. 3) It doesn't look like an immature boy racer car, it looks at home at business functions and dinner parties. but its not snobby either. People aren't going to be like he drives an RX-8, he must think he better than us haha. It is a Mazda after all. 4) Many times, both business women and men want a ride in it, just because of the way it looks. Or the statement "you'll have to take me out for a ride in this sometime" its a nice car. I'd like it. They tend to look at it in admiration. Whereas if you rolled up in an EVO, unless the executive is a car enthuisaist, he/she might think hmm, you bought an economy car and then put some obnoxious wing on it and it sounds loud. An EVO makes it statement out loud where people are turning their heads not because its a subtle cool car, but it sticks out like a sore thumb........the wing just draws the negative attention, like hmm he not grown up yet, still wants the attention from everyone, the EVO is more of the "look at me everyone" i need your attention.

The EVO tends to draw attention from HS kids and HS kids and the like will give you respect and so forth, But the EVO in a professional setting, will just look out of place. It's not quite there yet in terms of mature looks and maturity level, whereas the RX-8 is a car you get when you dont want to be seen like "please everyone look at me". THe RX-8 IMO is a car that people will look at and be like "what was that"?, "what is that"? It doesn't beg for people attention, it goes about its way classy and reveals itself in a subtle manner. It doesnt' demand your attention an EVO would. An EVO, no matter how much you want to ignore it, you can't. Anyways thats my take, it really depends on your situation and profession, but sadly, we are goign to be judged by what we roll up in.

the EVO is awesome on every level except comfort & looks.
Those two were important to me & the 8 is probably just as much fun to drive so the EVO was not even a consideration for me.

I'd say STI Limited. I almost pulled the trigger on one, but it was out of my budget, and I had to be smart and save $ so I got a Speed 6. The STI Limited looks superb, and much nicer then the EVO, and the ride isn't too bad at all, especially compared to my previous 04, which was just flat out raw. I doubt you can get one anymore though. I'm sure they are all GONE.

The EVO is everything you can ask for except comfort and looks, which for me, are hugely important in a daily driver. It definitely stereotypes you, there's no doubt about that. It's a car for a distinct personality, so you know right away if it's the car for you or not, and for most of us, a high performance expensive trim Lancer EVO is not the right vehicle. The RX8 is an original purpose built machine for a distinct personality when you think long term, but not in looks and driving feel. Initially it's an all around winner, but it's a car that requires a lot of TLC. The RX8 is definitely the better overall choice for someone who views cars in all aspects, not just performance, but at the same time you have to be equally patient with it, and not expect it to be as reliable long term as an economy car. :)

or u could just go wingless w/ an EVO. ugly. but wont give u that boy-ricer racer look

That was my thought when I was choosing between my LY or a blue wrx.

and also having 50/50 weight distribution, and the perfect layout (fr) :wiggle:

-Cody

It all comes down to your preferences. Keep in mind that most people in this thread don't know a damn thing about the Evo.

1.) Looks are a personal thing and many people out there think the Evo looks better than the RX-8.

2.) Yes it resembles the Lancer but the similarities and things the two cars share are few and far between

3.) The Evo is not a DSM and does not share any of the engine problems that DSMs had.

4.) I bought the car I wanted and didn't care what other people thought, you should do the same. I have yet to get any negative attention as a result of driving an Evo. The people I usually drive around for business are usually European and love my car and it almost always sparks up a conversation about the WRC. I get compliments from people of all walks of life and age groups.

5.) Saying the Evo isn't a drivers car is about the stupidest thing I've ever heard on this forum. It's an amazing drivers car and has some of the most communicative steering and best handling of any car under 100k.

6.) Saying the Evo is everywhere compared to the RX-8 is another really dumb statement. Even with the poor sales of the RX-8 this year there were still 2-3 times as many RX-8s sold than there were Evos.

If you value performance over things like a pretty interior and exterior then the Evo is a great choice. Modability is another factor and if you like to tinker and mod while getting great gains the Evo trumps the RX-8 by a wide margin. It's a great trackday car and can also be a great daily driver as long as you don't mind the stiffer ride and lack of creature comforts (the MR has a better ride). For the average person the RX-8 is no doubt a better choice, but for the performance freak that wants some practicality mixed in it doesn't get much better than the Evo.

Keep in mind that the Evo is going to be more expensive to insure and wearable parts and things like brake pads and oil changes are more expensive. The Evo also doesn't have very good side impact ratings which is something to consider if you have kids.

The resale value of the two cars is very different as well. The Evo has about the best resale of any car on the market while the RX-8 will depreciate much faster. But you're going to pay a lot less for the RX-8 to start with unless you lack negotiating skills. Lastly, there is a new Evo about a year away that may be more up your alley. It's worth doing a little reading on the Evo X before you make a decision on an RX-8 or Evo IX.

Here comes Ike to the rescue of his vehicle. ;) You really shouldn't care what people say., because all of this is subjective, and there is no right or wrong. I don't understand why people come to the defense of their own car so often, and can't just ignore it. I never cared what anyone thought about my STI, and I don't care now what people say about my current cars. It's all good man. People just have their own opinions. The Lancer Evolution is made for a specific personality in mind, so naturally people are not gonna like what it brings to the table, outside of performance.

Just relax and enjoy man, and ignore what people say. You have no reason to worry or care what other people think about the EVO. If you really don't care what people think, you'd never respond the way you always do. I knew there was a 100% chance you'd jump in and type exectly what you typed. It's becoming too predictable now. :)

I'm not sure what you're talking about, I'm perfectly relaxed. All I was doing was clearing up some misconceptions and helping out the OP. I'm fine with people having opinions, it's the people that talk out of their ass that I have a problem with. Talking about engine problems of a DSM in relation to a DSM is wrong, it's not opinion. If someone on here said the Renesis has problems because the FD had problems I'd call them out as well. My defending of cars on here has nothing to do with personal allegiance since I've defended everything from a SRT-4 to a MR2 on these forums at one time or another.

Can you really even compare the two?
What I have read so far in this thread is just opinion based and how one or a group of people feel about that said car. I love the Evo but I also love the 8. Both for different reasons, yes people may like how the 8s looks over the Evo but it can also be the other way. To say one is better over the other makes you the immature one, I am not pointing a finger at anyone on this dont take offense. The only true thing that you can compare about the two is visuals the rest not so much.
The reason why Ike defends his Evo is due to owners pride, just in how the 8 owners defend their car against say Z owners?

Well with that said both cars are amazing in what they do and their own right, and I would love to be the proud owner of either or both.

You are right. I know how to read through and ignore the partial garbage people type, and swallow my owners pride, unlike most people. It's gonna happen all the time, and you either keep defending it, or do what I do and just give up already. It's a never ending thing, and it's boring me to tears, so I just laugh it off.

It doesn't bother me to read something about my cars I own that I disagree with, even if they bash the car, because I can laugh it off, and say "whatever" to myself, and not have to jump on and defend. It's called confidence. Most people can't do that I understand, and I couldn't for a while, but I'm immune to it now.

Owners pride to a point where you constantly defend your car on a car forum, to me shows signs of insecurity, but then again, we all have our own insecurities, so it's understandable. If you truly don't care like me, you don't have to constantly jump in everytime someone has something bad to say about it. That's just my opinion, and the way I feel. No need to argue it. ):

So am I insecure when I defend others cars that I don't own on this forum that people say incorrect things about? It's not owners pride, it's me talking about cars which is what I like to do. I brush off tons of stuff about the Evo on these forums. But when someone comes here wanting some advice about a car I will help them out and help him sort through the BS that people are posting.

Owners pride infers that I'm blinded by loyalty which is anything but the case. I'm fully aware of the negatives and positives of many cars, including those that I've owned and will point them out to someone asking for advice. There are no rose colored glasses in my view of the Evo. I've made similar posts in defense of the RX-8 and many others cars on various forums. I enjoy doing it because I love cars and enjoy debating the good and bad about them.

You say I constantly defend my car but that's a bunch of nonsense. I can recall defending some cars in the last couple months and none of them are the car I own. Vette, MR2, STI/WRX, RX-8 to mention a few. I can't even remember the last time I said much about an Evo other than the Evo X thread. Get over yourself.

The mere fact that you argue my opinion and don't agree to disagree speaks volumes. It's all good man, we are who we are. I'm gonna ignore that final comment, because it's just stirring up unnecessary trouble. Good day. :)

I'm not meek enough to agree to disagree on many things. I enjoy a healthy debate as I've pointed about many times.

In the end we all see things our own way, so there is no right or wrong a lot of the time. Debating is healthy, so carry on. :)

Here's the difference, and it comes from a the perspective of a lifelong involvement with performance automobiles:

The RX-8 is a GENUINE sports car. Although that may be hard to define in absolute terms, once you drive the car you will know precisely what I am talking about.

People like Ike prefer what amounts to tricked out Japanese Buicks- and those Japanese Buicks can rack up some truly impressive performance numbers, but if that's all that matters to you in a car, you are missing out on one of the key reasons you should be into cars in the first place.

Let me put this another way: when I was into riding motorcycles, the bike magazines would always do comparison tests between Hondas, Suzukis, Kawasakis and a Ducati thrown in.

The Japanese bikes would beat the Ducati at almost anything, and they were certainly far easier to own. But when it came down to which bike they actually wanted to own if they were spending their own money, the Ducati always "won." And that is because things like pride of ownership, the kind of relationship you have with your vehicle, the physio-kinetic experience of driving the thing, just don't come into the picture with these other mass market vehicles, and it is something that does not show in a data panel. There were plenty of cars in 1963 that could beat a Jaguar XK-E in many respects; however, to this very day, there is no other car I would want as badly to own from that era, more than 40 years later.

Now do you get it?

The RX-8 was purpose built to be what it is, and shares practically nothing with the other cars built by it's maker. It is THAT kind of all-of-a-piece workmanship that set the RX-8 apart from every other vehicle in it's price point, and well beyond, for that matter. The all wheel drive rally specials are indeed good performing vehicles, and we are lucky to have them as choices in the market.

The RX-8 is for the true traditionalist, who understands that numbers alone do not express what is desirable in a car.

I hope this helps you.

The Evo is very ugly in my opinion, and even though it's very fast, to me the speed doesn't make up for it's terrible looks.

You notice that no one ever compares these car with The Interceptor from Mad Max... they know they would get pwned!

The Evo is UGLY and fast..The 8 is sleek and sassy!!! :rock: :rock:

Its all a matter of opinion. I choose the 8 because i love the style inside and out. Also its cool to have a different powerplant from everything else on the road. The EVO and STI were definately on my list of cars I wanted to own.

The 8 is a little slow for me. The EVO and STI both are very fast, but the looks just dont cut it for me. So all 3 cars had drawbacks in my mind. Now the reason I choose the 8 was because I can more easily hook up my engine then I could hook up the body of the other two cars ( thats just personal opinion because I have all the tools at my disposal to do the motor work, but body work I have none). Also the 8 was just lacking in one department, the engine. While the EVO and STI had two things I wasnt the most fond of, the exterior and interior.

So in short all three of these cars have drawbacks, its just which drawbacks are the easiest to overcome. Also which drawbacks are you willing to overlook. I love looking out my window and seeing my 8, its truly art in my eyes. Im also sure that I would love to look out my window and see an EVO, but my appreciation for that would be more about the engine which is the art piece of that vehicle.

Calling the RX-8 a genuine sportscar is just some marketing term to toss around. What makes a genuine sportscar nowadays is so blurred that you'd be hard pressed to find a mass mass produced car that even fits the traditional definition. It would be easy to argue that the Evo is more sporting than an RX-8. How is a homologation rally special with years of refining and development to be the best performance car for the money not purpose built? The Evo is about as close to purpose built as you can get in its price range. Very few frills and just about every part of the car is performance minded.

Just because a car shares some parts or not doesn't make it any better or worse. My first trackday was done in an E30 M3, a brilliant car. But I guess because it shared so much with other basic 3 series it was a less impressive car in your eyes...

Numbers have little to do with why I buy a car and you calling the Evo a "tricked out Japanese Buick" just shows your ignorance. It also makes it clear that you have never actually driven one. I've driven the RX-8 and it's a great car, it just wasn't the car for me. Maybe the RX-8 is the car for the OP, maybe the Evo is, I'm just here to help him wade trough the BS that people such as yourself are posting.

i think people come into these threads just to argue, not debate. some of the veterans come into these threads to argue with Ike or put down the people that agree with him. Others make great additions to the thread but are overlooked because everyone secretly wants to see an arguement.

All in all, we'll never be able to have a true debate rx8 vs evo/Z/whatever thread.

^I agree with you completely, that must of these "debates" are most the time just bashings of a particular car or persons view on said car. :(

Evo = Invisible
RX8 = Looks

These are always loaded questions and is always a matter of personal choice. The EVO is an exceptional car regardless of its econ box beginning. The EVO is tuned to a far sharper edge then the RX-8 but it pays the price for this with a harsher ride and cheap interior and wart hog looks. Is this a bad thing, no in my book. It all depends what you want. I really like the idea of a AWD car. It would be interesting to see which car would do better at the track when completely modded out to their full potential.

I almost bought a STi but didn't want the boy racer stigma, on the other hand if I was in a position to pick up a third car this would be right at the top of my list.

my god people.

Just buy whatever the FUXK you want.

I think Evos are nice, STis are nice too.

You cant really say they're *ecobox* really .... because EVOs/STis's R&D was targeting WRC in the first place. they strip them down to *regular* version so they can get more sales. Remember, they're a business, they're here to make money, and they NEED to make money in order to survive.

I think the only car that I really *hate* would be Crossfire and Mustangs(any year model)

You're just jealous of the glory that is Crossfire!

I think Mitsubishi got out of WRC in 2004 or 2005? They are suppose to make a come back with the new EVO.

Not sure why you're laughing, that's about where my Rx-8's MSRP was. Factor in taxes, and dealer installed extras and I'm right there. Add body kit, turbo, and misc extras, and I'm well over 40k.

They stopped participation at the end of the 2005 season. There are no official plans for them to return and there were rumors that there would be an M2 team running the 05wrc cars, but that never happened and will not happen. If they do make a return in '08 it might be with the Colt rather than the Evo and the only way it's happening is if MMC rights the ship. Early signs look good, but a lot can happen between now and '08 and WRC is not a cheap series to compete in.

Maybe I do ....................


I just saw a Grey Crossfire today on Canal ST ..... and I was looking at him and gave him a smile, he probably thought that I think his car is cool or something and he smile back and left. but I was thinking *OMFG YOU'RE DRIVING ONE OF THE SHITTEST CRAP EVER KNOWN TO MANKIND!!!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVESSssss*

Crossfire .......................................... burn in hell.

and so endeth this thread ........

They left in 2004 I think because they got their ass kicked so many times that its not even funny anymore :(

Evo X looks nice, actually Im thinkin to get one, but Im gonna wait at least a year or 2 so they can work out all the bugs first.

Never get first year model car ya kno :fingersx:

As pointed out above it was the end of the 2005 season and their withdrawl had nothing to do with their success or lack there of the prior season, it was financial.

Really 2005 ? hmm

it doesnt matter, if they win every year Im sure they wont have any *money* problems. If they win more = more fame.

but guess not.

Citroen and and Peugeot pulled out for the '06 season as well while they were on top of the sport. Winning in WRC does not equate to selling more cars and making more money as a manufacturer.

I love threads like these!

Should I buy an iron or pay for my clothes to be pressed?

Who gives a rats ass.

A man does ask someone elses opinion on stupid matter like this.

I have to reluctantly agree with you that if you deal with a lot of clients (not the nightlife type), sports-oriented cars (not just the Evo) are probably not a good idea, if that's your only car. As an extreme example, I think it's akin to showing up to pick up your high school date in a motorcycle or showing up to a job interview in a track suit.

You can convince them otherwise of your character, but I can only imagine it's that much extra work. The reason is because many people probably do subconsciously pre-categorize people by what they drive and what they wear.

That would make sense their sales in the states are pretty poor, poor enough that there is talk of them pulling out of North America. Don't know how they do world wide.