Tag Archives: EVO

Hands On with the EVO

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Rally Red Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

Although I didn’t get to really put the Mitsubishi  EVO through its paces as there was a lot of traffic, my initial impression was favorable overall.

Going in, I wasn’t really sure what to expect as I’ve heard mostly negative about the EVO.  In fact, almost everyone I know says that the Subaru STI is a better value and a better car overall.

One of the biggest things I hear complaints about are the EVO seats and how uncomfortable they are.  I sat in the base model EVO which is the GSR.  This was eye opening after sitting in the MR.  The cloth Recaro seats weren’t nearly as comfortable.  The back was wider so I felt like I wasn’t hugged as well and the seat actually was too snug.  I’m 5’5″ and about average build and weight, so definitely didn’t expect to feel like I was too big.

I found the Recaro seats in the MR to be very comfortable.  It was a snug fit which makes me wonder how it would feel with a winter coat on, but otherwise, I loved them!  I’ll be curious to at least sit in the MR Touring model as it has full leather seats versus the mixed material of leather and suede the MR does.

I like the way the car felt while behind the wheel.  The spoiler wasn’t too obtrusive, the gauges were easy to read, and the dashboard didn’t feel overly large.  I felt like the view through the windshield was comfortable.

The EVO MR we took out didn’t have the fancy GPS system which I’m not sure I would want anyway, but I really didn’t like the way the stock stereo is integrated into the dash.  Unfortunately, I didn’t take a picture of it, so I’ll have to use this stock picture and explain that what this photo doesn’t show you is there are air vents on either side of it and the radio is fully integrated into the dashboard.  I haven’t looked yet to see if there are after market options  to fix this issue.  Initial impression though is swapping out the stereo will be overly difficult.

The stereo is a Rockford Fosgate and I’ll admit that it sounded much better than most Japanese cars I’ve been in, however, in my experience, while there is certainly a difference in quality between stock stereos, they’re still not the same quality as an after market.  It’s not a deal breaker, but it’s definitely a concern at this point.

Even though I wasn’t pushing the car very hard, I could feel the difference with the Brembo brakes compared to what I’m used to.  I barely had to push on the brake pedal to slow/stop extremely quickly.

Going in, I was unsure about the dual clutch system.  The standard transmission is only available in the GSR.  The MR and MR Touring both have the dual clutch (or dual system if you prefer).  This was kind of fun once I got to play with it.  You have paddle shifters on the steering wheel with the left to down shift and the right to shift up.  You also have the option to drive with it in automatic or push the gear shifter to the side and select gears that way.

While it’s definitely not the same as driving a standard transmission, I can’t deny it.  It was fun.  I think with everything being equal if I had the option of either the dual clutch or a standard transmission, I would probably choose the old fashioned standard.  However, I think I would be happy with the dual clutch system in the long run.

The acceleration was nice although, getting used to a turbo would definitely be odd.  I think a turbo gauge will be a must have.  From what I could tell, the cornering was nice.  It definitely hugged the corners much better than my Explorer Sport (surprise, surprise).  What little I was able to drive it definitely brought a smile to face.

My final thought on the Mitsubishi EVO MR:

It was fun to drive and I could see me owning one, but I wasn’t so taken in by it that I wanted to sit down and start talking numbers.  I got enough of a taste that it’s definitely still on my list, but I think I would want to spend more than a few miles behind the wheel (maybe take it up Floyd Hill) before I’m completely sold on it.

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Getting Familiar with Mitsubishi

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Rally Red Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

The first step in my search was to start visiting car manufacturer websites.  I decided to focus my attention first on the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (EVO) as it’s one of the few cars on my list that is currently available.

My initial impression of the Mitsubishi website (once I found the correct URL) is favorable, although I will admit I had to resort to a search engine to find it. It’s mitsubishicars.com if you’re interested.

It’s simple, well laid-out and intuitive.

Mitsubishi Landing Page

It’s easy to find the information you want from many different avenues and in a variety of formats.  There’s plenty of photos and videos for those who want more visual stimuli, there’s plenty of specs for those who want the facts.  They also make it easy to compare the various models within each make.

Now the important part.  How functional is the build your own model aspect of the website.

I’ve narrowed it down to the EVO model and click that I want to build my own.  It next asks me what trim level I want.  I have four options: the GSR, SE, MR, MR Touring.  The photo, price and description changes as I click on each option.  This is very good as your customer may not quite remember which trim package they were liking the best and this provides a reminder without taking up a lot of valuable real estate.

After selecting the model, you are asked to select the color.  It’s a small thing, but the color changes on the photo as I click each option.

As a consumer, this is something I really want.  Yes, some people know exactly what color car they want because it’s their favorite color, others pick a color they think looks best on the car, and others will pick when they’re at the dealership.  Regardless of how they pick a car color, it’s important for the consumer to see their option.  If you have the default as yellow and I want a black car but am forced to see the yellow car every time I make a choice, I may abandon the process before I finish.  Yes, believe it or not, many consumers are that finicky. Not only that, but if I’m building “My Car” than it should reflect the options I’ve selected.

I am next taken to the Packages and Accessories page.  This is an area that could be slightly more user friendly.  You click next to any options you want and it selects them.  The name and price are listed as well as a spot you can click to pull up a description and/or picture.  However, most car companies offer many of these options either separately or as a package, yet no package deals are listed.  Not all of the options have photos, and some are only photos without a description.  The price keeps a running total as options are added and subtracted.

Finally, you’re given a run down of everything you’ve selected and given the option of printing it, or requesting a quote.  Upon inputting your zip code, you are able to select a dealership.  As a consumer, I very much like the option of being able to select which dealership my information is sent to rather than it automatically being sent to my “closest” one because maybe I’ve had experience with a particular dealership in the past and may or may not want to do business with them again.  Or perhaps, I would want a dealership close to work instead of home or for some other reason.  Either way, consumers  like choices.

As part of the information request process, Mitsubishi requests (although they don’t require) your current vehicle make and model.  No big deal right?  I select my year and then my make.  But when I get to the model selection, I run into a hitch.  Apparently the Mitsubishi marketing department only thinks those Ford drivers interested in the EVO drive cars.  There isn’t a single option for any of the Ford SUVs or trucks.  The only options that aren’t currently visible are the Thunderbird and Crown Victoria (which interestingly enough isn’t in alphabetical order like the rest of the options).

Some may say so what?  But this is actually rather important.  All marketing departments should be aware of and abide by the GIGO principal.  (Garbage In, Garbage Out).  If you’re taking the time to request the information, you want it to be correct and useful.  By not offering all options, you’re forcing your customer to either select a different vehicle, or not provide you the information at all.  If the information you’re requesting  is so unimportant that you don’t care if your customer doesn’t answer it, or provides you with incorrect information, than why are you asking it?  You’re wasting your consumer’s time and yours, not to mention you’re  getting inaccurate information which is basically useless.

Now comes the fun part.  It has been my experience that many dealerships try to automate as much of the next step via email and drive you nuts with phone calls.  I will be curious to see how Quality Mitsubishi (my chosen dealership) handles me.