I have a few questions I know I can reply on you guys for a honest, accurate, response for. Are STI/EVO's hard to work on compared to the R? Are they built as well as the R? What kinda gas mileage do you get? Are you happy you went this route? Ect...

I currently have a Lightning and I love it, but I hate it at the same time. The gas mileage is killing me, and I found out that I am not a truck guy. So I am thinking about trading my Lighting for either a STI or EVO.

Thanks guys.

 

There are actually a ton of itr owners that have gone to the EVO/STI

 

i had my friend's STI for a week. I was getting about 18-20mpg with normal driving. Don't ask about when i was pushing it

 

what do you expect with those 17inch wide *** rims
tires+weight eat gas
BTW, the STI and EVO are a bitch when it comes to clutches.
I've had hands on experience on a clutch install on an evo, what a bitch, talk about needing a lift and needing to drop the whole subframe basically

 

i dont think anything is as easy to work on as a honda. the EVO engine bay is a pretty tight fit compared to my R.

i plan to go with an EVO one day. my girl just picked up an MR and the car is insane. i dont like the clutch though and i think gas mileage is going to vary greatly depending on your driving style.

 

i'll eventually get an EVO, but I won't sell my R for it though.

 

<---- wants an Evo, but will not give up my R for it...

 

Get an EVO and an R then you dont any worries..
Heres a link to my EVO http://forums.evolutionm.net/s...20989 mine is the blue one... I could never sell the R so i just bought an evo to keep the R company.....If i had the to decide the evo would go...
Thats just my opinion...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MugenHonda &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
BTW, the STI and EVO are a bitch when it comes to clutches.
I've had hands on experience on a clutch install on an evo, what a bitch, talk about needing a lift and needing to drop the whole subframe basically</TD></TR></TABLE>

Agreed.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RTW Ryan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
i dont think anything is as easy to work on as a honda.</TD></TR></TABLE>

That too.

 

Just to give you more of my opinion, here goes. Keep in mind while reading these come from someone who does an occasional HPDE, autox's in the summer when I can, and does hit the drag strip every once in a while...

I prefer the EVO over the ITR to be honest. As you can see from my sig, I've owned three of them to compare with. I had my first ITR prior to the EVO. Sold that, got a second one and had them at the same time for about a year. I'll try to put a little comparison between them below to help.

Power/Acceleration: EVO, of course.
Steering: EVO
Suspension/Stiffness: ITR, with the EVO a very, very close second.
Interior/Comfort: EVO
Exterior/Styling: Split

A few comments about each rating above.

Power/Acceleration: I gave the nod to the EVO in regards to long term ownership. Once you learn the turbo response and where your marks are, the EVO is easier to manage while exiting a corner, under hard braking to acceleration, etc. If you put someone in the seat with little time in either, I can see where that person would give the ITR the nod.

Steering: Full lock on the EVO seems to be shorter IMO, could be due to the smaller steering wheel or just my imagination. It is just a much more responsive car, and not as sloppy as the ITR. (Again, IMO.)

Suspension/Stiffness: The ITR gets the nod here. It comes a little more prepared stock vs stock, and you can feel the car a little better while maneuvering it throught an autox course. The EVO is a bit wider, or from a drivers perspective it feels that way. Also, the seat in the EVO does sit you up a bit higher off the floorboard than the ITR, which might give me that feeling too.

Interior/Comfort: Between the Recaro's that come stock with the EVO, and the reduction in noise difference between them, the EVO wins hands down. Other than that, they are both pretty plain inside.

Exterior/Styling: Both have their own "look" to them. I can't really pinpoint anything with either car that says one is better than the other. The EVO has more "eye-candy" with the Brembo's, the FMIC and hood-vent. *shrugs*

Hope that helps, feel free to PM me with any other questions you might have. Unlike nsxjr though, I would (and am) replace the ITR before the EVO. Some pics below for everyone's viewing pleasure..

Second ITR + EVO


Third ITR + EVO


&lt;EDIT&gt; BTW, I used to have an 02 Lightning as well.. I was not fond of the car, although the torque was awesome.


Modified by sneakychaos at 1:13 AM 2/4/2005

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RTW Ryan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i dont think anything is as easy to work on as a honda. </TD></TR></TABLE>

!?!??!?!?!! Beg to differ, my '85 Olds Delta 88 (V8/RWD) was a breeze. There was a foot of space between the radiator and the block. Hondas engine bay is awfully crowded compared to big RWD cars with big engine bays.

My opinon anyway.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by WayneGro &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have a few questions I know I can reply on you guys for a honest, accurate, response for. Are STI/EVO's hard to work on compared to the R? Are they built as well as the R? What kinda gas mileage do you get? Are you happy you went this route? Ect...

I currently have a Lightning and I love it, but I hate it at the same time. The gas mileage is killing me, and I found out that I am not a truck guy. So I am thinking about trading my Lighting for either a STI or EVO.

Thanks guys.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

I asked this same question of myself, basically. My answer? Turbo.

 

I'll buy an Evo when I win the lotto so I can afford the maintainence costs.
Road and Track did a long term road test with the a 2003 Evo and it cost $4300
for the 2 years of maintainence plus extra service. way too much!

Honda rocks for the reliability and cheap maintainence

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Surfer_Sandman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'll buy an Evo when I win the lotto so I can afford the maintainence costs.
Road and Track did a long term road test with the a 2003 Evo and it cost $4300
for the 2 years of maintainence plus extra service. way too much!

Honda rocks for the reliability and cheap maintainence</TD></TR></TABLE>

$4300???

I'll be at my second year, going on third year of ownership & maintainence come April, and I have spent less than $500.00 is maint. costs since I purchased the car.

That included oil changes every ~3000 miles using Mobil 1 as recommended by the manufacturor. OEM Mitsu Oil filters at ~5.75 a piece. Flushed the tranny and transfer case fluid twice, changed the windshield wipers. I'm still on my OEM clutch with almost 25k miles on the car, no signs of slippage at all. I'm also still on my stock brakes, after 2 HPDE events and a few autox's this year. Even when I go to replace them, the clutch will be $500 for the kit (ACT) and brakes ~$200.00 for front and rear. Still no where close to that number.

Not sure why they quoted $4300.00... thats ridiculous.

 

97 ITR... *drewl*... oh is that an evo?

Good writeup.

 

Awesome....!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Drunken Chicken &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i'll eventually get an EVO, but I won't sell my R for it though.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Same here.

 

Thanks everyone I can always count on you guys. I agree with everyone else that the ITR is not replaceable. I don't know if there will be another car built like the ITR ever again. But my ITR was stolen from me and I do not want to go through that again.

It sounds like everyone has some mixed reviews on the EVO and STI for that matter. Over the last week I have been doing a ton of research and its hard to tell which is urban legend and reality regarding the apparent lack of build quality.

All I know is my Stock ITR clutch was going strong at 50K before I replaced it with my Toda. My brake pads had only been changed once and it still would put your head through the windshield. I wonder if I can expect the same with a ECO/STI? I do not abuse my cars, and I don't know if I would ever do a 6K rmp dump. I never did in my ITR and I doubt I would with any other car I have.

My bro has a 95 GSX and we have done a good amount of work to it, it seems reasonably easy to work on. Do they not share the same motor? I do not know if the STI/Boxster engine would be as easy to do maintenance work on. Anyone care to shed some light?

Thanks everyone. I have not had my ITR for almost 7 months, but I still stop by here and read everyday!

 

I would say that maintenance on the Honda would have to top the Mitsu.

When I went in to test drive the MR the salesman even told me that sooo many have come in with maintenance issues. And he also told me that he has had a lot of daily driver buyer who bring it back and sell back to the dealership because of this issue.

Can't be a good sign when a salesman is telling you this...

In this respect I think that Honda definately tops Mitsubishi, not to metion the FI cant really help on maintenance...

Plus, IMO mitsubishi as an automotive comapny will be gone in &lt;10 yrs...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sneakychaos &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Just to give you more of my opinion, here goes. Keep in mind while reading these come from someone who does an occasional HPDE, autox's in the summer when I can, and does hit the drag strip every once in a while...

I prefer the EVO over the ITR to be honest. As you can see from my sig, I've owned three of them to compare with. I had my first ITR prior to the EVO. Sold that, got a second one and had them at the same time for about a year. I'll try to put a little comparison between them below to help.

Power/Acceleration: EVO, of course.
Steering: EVO
Suspension/Stiffness: ITR, with the EVO a very, very close second.
Interior/Comfort: EVO
Exterior/Styling: Split

A few comments about each rating above.

Power/Acceleration: I gave the nod to the EVO in regards to long term ownership. Once you learn the turbo response and where your marks are, the EVO is easier to manage while exiting a corner, under hard braking to acceleration, etc. If you put someone in the seat with little time in either, I can see where that person would give the ITR the nod.

Steering: Full lock on the EVO seems to be shorter IMO, could be due to the smaller steering wheel or just my imagination. It is just a much more responsive car, and not as sloppy as the ITR. (Again, IMO.)

Suspension/Stiffness: The ITR gets the nod here. It comes a little more prepared stock vs stock, and you can feel the car a little better while maneuvering it throught an autox course. The EVO is a bit wider, or from a drivers perspective it feels that way. Also, the seat in the EVO does sit you up a bit higher off the floorboard than the ITR, which might give me that feeling too.

Interior/Comfort: Between the Recaro's that come stock with the EVO, and the reduction in noise difference between them, the EVO wins hands down. Other than that, they are both pretty plain inside.

Exterior/Styling: Both have their own "look" to them. I can't really pinpoint anything with either car that says one is better than the other. The EVO has more "eye-candy" with the Brembo's, the FMIC and hood-vent. *shrugs*

Hope that helps, feel free to PM me with any other questions you might have. Unlike nsxjr though, I would (and am) replace the ITR before the EVO. Some pics below for everyone's viewing pleasure..

Second ITR + EVO


Third ITR + EVO


&lt;EDIT&gt; BTW, I used to have an 02 Lightning as well.. I was not fond of the car, although the torque was awesome.


Modified by sneakychaos at 1:13 AM 2/4/2005</TD></TR></TABLE>

its quite obvious you love the type R more...youve had 3 of them

 

Speaking from my own experience (GSX, ITR, EVO)......I must agree on most of the opinion posted above. They are all honest and true about these 2 cars ( i have no idea about STI as I never own one). As someone already point out.....there's almost nothing easier to work on other than Honda.

Well, Evo is not that bad too.....like the brake, suspension and some simple bolt-on parts like boost control, exhaust, down-pipe, intake, sway bar, fuel pump......they are all as easy as a Honda. The clutch is a different story for sure

Honda may have a bit better built quality in some area if compare...... I know a lot of ppl say the Evo is not as reliable as ITR.... the only thing i can say is a turbo machine usually require a bit more maintenance than a NA and the AWD may give you better 60 foot time but they NEVER decide to handle such abuse.

If your brother has a GSX, you probaby know what you will get with the EVO... both car have a very similar layout. Both use 4G63 motor, I believe the block is the same just not the head and most of the internal parts.

I like the evo a lot, it has 4 door, bigger inside and not that higher risk of theft as ITR.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 8k-red-DC2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I would say that maintenance on the Honda would have to top the Mitsu.

When I went in to test drive the MR the salesman even told me that sooo many have come in with maintenance issues. And he also told me that he has had a lot of daily driver buyer who bring it back and sell back to the dealership because of this issue.

Can't be a good sign when a salesman is telling you this...

In this respect I think that Honda definately tops Mitsubishi, not to metion the FI cant really help on maintenance...

Plus, IMO mitsubishi as an automotive comapny will be gone in &lt;10 yrs...</TD></TR></TABLE>

Interesting on the MR, I've not heard of any of their problems. As far as the salesman, *shrugs*. Only things I ever hear about people bitching about their clutches going out.. The first year was because Mitsu installed a "weak clutch." As I stated before, I've got ~25k miles on mine.. with plenty of runs at the strip (13.0 @ 104, stock) So thats honestly not it. The majority of working cars vs those with problems is just as even as the amount of people who mis-shift their motors, or over-rev them with Honda's.

 

Thats what I forgot to ask. Is there a theft problem with the EVO/STI's? I mean, can I park my car at the mall without sweating bullets that some 16 year old asshat is going to steal my ITR and have my parts on his DX civic the following day.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by WayneGro &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Thats what I forgot to ask. Is there a theft problem with the EVO/STI's? I mean, can I park my car at the mall without sweating bullets that some 16 year old asshat is going to steal my ITR and have my parts on his DX civic the following day. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I think to date I've only heard of 1 having been stolen online. I would recommend searching forums.evolutionm.net for more info though..

In other words, not even close.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chris F &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

!?!??!?!?!! Beg to differ, my '85 Olds Delta 88 (V8/RWD) was a breeze. There was a foot of space between the radiator and the block. Hondas engine bay is awfully crowded compared to big RWD cars with big engine bays.

My opinon anyway.

I asked this same question of myself, basically. My answer? Turbo.</TD></TR></TABLE>

jerky i agree with you but i didnt realize we were talking about THOSE kinds of cars from way back in the day EVO vs ITR and ITR has way more room to work with especially with the p/s and a/c removed.

 

My best friend has a Lightning and a STI right now. The lightning is a bad *** truck. I hate to see him sell it, but he wants to get a Supra. The STI is his DD. I havent seen him worry about theft much. Other then for his blang blag DEFI gauges he is scared will get jacked. lol