Evo X has more luxuries. It is also heavier and has an aluminum engine block.

The IX has an iron block so you won’t need to sleeve them if you aim for more power down the line. They are also significantly lighter than the X. If I remember correctly the UK spec IX also has AYC which is either a plus or a minus depending on what you want. Worst part of the IX is NO OEM CRUISE CONTROL.

Though if you want a car that can make power more reliably(600hp+) with stock block, I’d look into other platforms(JZ, RB26/30, V8s etc)

But like you said if this is your dream car then the IX or X won’t disappoint performance wise. Reliability could be better. It’s also in essence a crappy economy car with a different drivetrain, suspension and body. So the cheap plastic, rattles and bad sound dampening will still be there.

 

Ok that's what I'm worried about , a nice Evo X 300 sst seems to be around £15000 for a 70k miles ish. But for some reason the FQ-330 sst version is around £12000 . Also is it true the maintenance and repairs are expensive? . I've been looking into 350z or 370z but an Evo would be more practical in the long run

 

The SST maintenance is much more expensive than the 5-speed.

The Evo is pretty reliable if you keep up with the maintenance.. The X is probably a better daily driver, especially for someone who doesn't know a ton about vehicles. Because the VIII's and IX's will probably need more work since they are just older vehicles now.

I was the same way. Always wanted an Evo IX. I would build them on Mitsu's website everyday. Bought my first Evo when I was still living at home. Now I'm on my 3rd and don't want to sell this one ever..

 

Okay here’s the truth for someone who doesn’t know much about cars.

These cars are not Honda civics or Toyota Camrys that you can beat on for 150k and it’ll be fine.

You’ll either need to have money to hire someone to take care of them or learn to do it yourself for the most part.

With that being said, be patient and do not just buy any evo you see on sale even if it’s a good deal. Try to find as low miles as you can. I honestly wouldn’t even consider anything above 75k, just too risky and the price is not that much off. Maybe 2-5k difference for one in the 50-75k.

You have to make sure it has a good history of maintenance and as stock as possible unless you know exactly what was done to it.

For Evo 9s, that’s basically gonna be impossible at a affordable price point. But who knows you might find a deal.

For Xs, it’s still possible. If you want to get a SST, please please be prepared to have at least 5-7k on hand or access to in case the transmission goes. This is not a recommendation, it’s a REQUIREMENT or else you will be one of the people who posts on here bashing the SST lol

Yes SSTs cost more to maintain but not that much more compared any of the Evo 9s.

Think timing belt every 30k for Evo 9s.

 

Yes, looking for one with good maintenance history is worth the effort. You can import j-spec IXs for cheap, although it’s a hit or miss with maintenance history. And like peng said you need spare cash and fixing things yourself will be a big money saver.

I’d get a cheap second car as a daily or backup in case the evo breaks. Honestly I daily my evo and only ran into minor problems(AYC, rust, broken sway bar bushing mounts due to RUST). Yes RUST is really bad, when you buy one make sure you look under it for rust. I haven’t had the car actually prevent me from getting where I want yet. They are reliable if taken care of and not driven like a maniac every day.

I’d also avoid the SST 330 or any SST in general. A bit more fragile than manual. Great transmissions other than that.

 

I plan on buying an evo in the next couple months, and I'm not sure what one I should buy. I love the evo X and I'm really leaning towards that more than the evo vIII but what would you guys recommend?



192.168.100.1 192.168.1.1 jpg to pdf

Evo X and Evo 8 are very different cars. Evo X is a much better street car and Evo 8/9 is a much better pure race / drag car. So it really depends on what you want to do with the car and your own mechanical skills.

Unless you can find and afford a very well maintained Evo 8, I wouldn't touch one. Evo 8s are now much older and finding a stock or well maintained one is very hard. Parts also are very hard to get now. Most are beat to hell by now and very high mileage or if not then be prepared to pay a heavy price.

If you're just looking for a street car, go for the Evo X. If you're looking for a full project car and don't mind taking a risk on another person's project then go for the Evo 8/9.