Standard all-wheel drive maintains some practicality
for snow-goers, who can outfit the Evolution with winter tires when
temperatures drop. I drove an Evo GSR with a five-speed manual
transmission and winter tires; the more-expensive Evo MR has a
six-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The Evo's
291-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder is a stout engine
that feels more powerful than its specification suggests. The engine is
at its strongest in the middle of the rev range, a very usable spot for
both normal and performance driving. The engine doesn't have to be
revved to its redline for drivers to experience brute acceleration.
At lower speeds, annoying turbo lag restricts
acceleration for the first few seconds, until engine speed builds. At
one point, I turned a corner and had to floor the car as a
fast-approaching SUV barreled down on me. I waited, then waited some
more, until finally the engine picked up and caught me off guard with a
rush of power that kicked the rear end out into a slide.
The lag is an issue when you want to move hastily from
a stop, unless you ride the clutch and give generous throttle for a
quick start. Done right, it's a rewarding experience, with acceleration
that pins you to the back of your seat. Do it wrong, and the car falls
flat on its face — or worse, burns miles off the clutch or breaks parts.
I had my
hopes up for testing the Evo with winter tires in the snow. Mother
Nature had other plans, though, and Chicago's January brought 50-degree
temperatures and dry roads.
Even so, our tester's winter tires didn't give up the
Evo's fun factor in the warmer temps, despite not having as much bite as
the standard summer tires. The previous GSR I tested on a racetrack
with summer tires felt sure-footed. When that grip gave up, the Evo was
prone to oversteer more than understeer. With winter tires, the car
first pushed the front tires into a corner before the rear end stepped
out.
With its Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) system, the
Evo handles much like a rear-drive vehicle. The all-wheel drive works
seamlessly to distribute power to the wheels with the most traction by
monitoring wheel speed, steering-wheel angle, throttle and the vehicle's
yaw angles.
The Evo's steering and handling match up perfectly to
quickly dart the car one way or the other at the slightest twitch of the
steering wheel. This was apparent even with the winter tires, though
the Evo's true handling potential can be experienced only in the summer
on proper tires.
The
closely geared manual transmission really, really needs an additional
gear; this transmission's five gears aren't enough for daily driving.
That's mainly because, at 70 mph, the engine buzzes loudly running at
more than 3,000 rpm. I tried to shift into a nonexistent 6th gear more
times than I'd like to admit.
The gearing keeps the engine in the right speed for
optimal performance, but it seriously needs a 6th gear for
60-mph-and-above cruising. The GSR's mileage is rated 17/23 mpg
city/highway. That's roughly the same as the Chevrolet Traverse — a
full-size, seven-seat crossover. The GSR isn't alone, however, because
its main competitor, the Subaru Impreza WRX STI, is rated the same. See
the two compared.
The similarly fun-to-drive BMW 135i with rear-wheel
drive is rated 20/28 mpg with a manual transmission. An Evolution MR
with a six-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission is rated 1 mpg
worse than the manual, at 17/22 mpg.
A few editors noted how difficult it was to push the
shifter into each gate. I agree. I found that the faster I shifted, the
smoother the action became. It's almost as if the car was begging to be
driven hard.
The Evo's
optional Recaro seats are among the most aggressively bolstered I've sat
in outside of purpose-built racing seats. I always felt the sides
encroaching on my spleen; truthfully, I don't really know where my
spleen is, but I felt it was being encroached upon.
Not everybody will find a comfortable position in the
Evo, as there's no height adjustment with the optional seats, nor is
there a telescoping steering wheel. I'm a slender 170 pounds, and even I
felt jammed into the driver's seat. The front seats are a great
attribute on the track, where they kept me from sliding around. For
everyday driving, though, the grip is a little much.
The rear seats are typical for a compact sedan, with
enough comfort for short trips and decent legroom and headroom, but you
wouldn't want to be stuck back there for too long.
The Evolution's beginnings as a modest Lancer are
hidden well, with unique trimmings and colorful gadgetry between the
main gauges. The Evo's height-adjustable headlights and multiple terrain
modes are commonly found in more expensive cars and SUVs. Still, our
$38,395 tester has its value embedded in the Evo's performance rather
than in luxury features.
It's too bad the Evo's monstrosity of a wing on the
trunk completely obstructs the view of cars and people through the
rearview mirror. I like the look of the ridiculous wing, which is
standard on GSR models, but even though it's an Evo signature and looks
good, I would go without it — or even the smaller spoiler offered on the
MR — because of visibility issues.
Under that wing is a tiny trunk with 6.9 cubic feet of
cargo space, down from the regular Lancer's 12.3 cubic feet. The space
is limited and the rear seats don't fold down because of additional
chassis bracing, as well as relocation of the washer fluid reservoir and
battery to the trunk for weight distribution.
The Lancer
Evolution misses the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety
Pick designation because of its roof strength/rollover test's
Acceptable score. Otherwise, frontal, side impact and rear crash test
ratings score the agency's highest rating of Good. All ratings require
the agency's highest mark of Good to be a Top Safety Pick, which the
Evolution misses because of the additional weight added by the
all-wheel-drive system. The agency's roof strength tests are a measure
of roof strength to curb weight.
Standard safety features include federally mandated
front airbags, tire pressure monitoring, antilock brakes and an
electronic stability system. There are side curtain airbags for front
and rear occupants and front seat-mounted side-impact airbags.
To see a list of all the standard safety features, click here. To see how well child seats fit in the Evolution, see here.
The
Evolution GSR's performance appeal is huge. It's a sports car that's
not so subtly disguised — see the big wing — as a small sedan. Its
all-wheel drive may be a reason to enlist this car for daily-driver
duties, to handle all weather conditions, but otherwise it doesn't offer
much practicality beyond its sedan configuration
