Evo 9 MR
Evo 8
e46 M3

i'm in the market for a car. pretty much narrowed it down to these.

which would you go for. why?

there is a price jump in going for the Evo 9 while the Evo 8 and M3 are comparable in price. please take this into consideration.

6/16/2009 12:02:50 PM

wouldn't even think twice M3.

6/16/2009 12:28:19 PM

M3 son, the other two choices are made by Mistubishi.....



Honestly though, I like the MR quite a bit. It just depends on what you want. I think the M3 will be the best daily driver in terms of comfort and shyte. It's going to have a better interior and the ladies will probably like it a bit more than the rice rocket.

The Evo is a reasonably roomy 4-door though and as a result is a very useful daily driver as well if you plan on having more than 1 passenger or plan on transporting lots of items. I liked my SRT-4 quite a bit for this reason son.

6/16/2009 12:33:14 PM

^^

knowing you hang out with ahmet, dan, etc i'm not suprised you said m3 >.>

i know what ahmet's answer will be if he ventures into this thread. but you betrayed your own JDM just now!

[Edited on June 16, 2009 at 12:34 PM. Reason : ]

6/16/2009 12:33:26 PM

I love my Evo 9 MR. It really is a great car. Granted its made by mitsubishi but I have yet to see any problems with it. Still on original clutch (rolling over 67,000 miles now) and I've had this car since day 1. Handling this car feels like its on rails especially with the wider tires. I havent done anything to it though other than better brake pads, DOT 4 brake fluid, new rotors and wider tires. Everything else is stock.

If luxury isn't your thing I would definitely say the Evo. But if you can't live without the luxury then I'd say go with the M3. But don't waste your time either way with the Evo 8.

It's also a blast in the winter in snow of course

6/16/2009 12:39:21 PM

All out guts with little compromises=EVO
Jack of all trades=M3

I secretly always wanted an EVO (still do), but when it comes to pulling the trigger, I'd probably go for M3. Easier to live with as DD. One thing that is so appealing with EVO is ability to make insane power with bolt-ons only. Same money on M3 would get you a pretty, non-performing intake.

Aesthetically, both cars are gorgeous. I actually think that interior on EVO is not bad at all, as people portray it.

Insurance and maintenance will run you similar on both cars.

6/16/2009 1:52:19 PM

if you want to ride along in a 2006 evo 9 mr with 67,000+ miles, PM me. so you can get a feel for how well the car holds up with that many miles if you're worried about mitsu quality.

btw this is my DD. taken many road trips in it to DC, Miami, PA, Charleston, next weekend will be NYC. the front seats are really comfortable for long drives and the car is always a blast to drive. Gas mileage does suck though...i usually fill up every 325 miles or so on roadtrips and about 250 miles from normal everyday driving. But this is due to my driving style unless my dog is a passenger then I drive like gramps.

[Edited on June 16, 2009 at 2:16 PM. Reason : .]

6/16/2009 2:06:20 PM

Quote :

"I know this is the internet and you may just be joking but I really want to know what you are driving because unless its german, you have no room to talk. I'm not into the germans because of the overall look but germany makes the best cars. Mitsubishi'a japanese engineering is unmatched by anyone else besides germany. Its just in my opinion the car looks better than the ones made in Germany but they all come from a long lineage of engineering that pretty much took over the whole world. "

[Edited on June 16, 2009 at 2:41 PM. Reason : s]

6/16/2009 2:40:16 PM

I'm not a big fan of M3's but if you want to daily drive this car you need to get the BMW

6/16/2009 2:42:26 PM

rattle box
rattle box
Silent....

6/16/2009 2:48:05 PM

^^I've been DDing my Evo since August 2006 and its been great.

[Edited on June 16, 2009 at 2:57 PM. Reason : ^]

6/16/2009 2:48:54 PM

i dont think any of those cars would be bad daily drivers. i'd prolly go evo

6/16/2009 3:22:24 PM

Quote :

"if you want to ride along in a 2006 evo 9 mr with 67,000+ miles, PM me. so you can get a feel for how well the car holds up with that many miles if you're worried about mitsu quality. "

thanks for the offer but not necessary. i test drove a ix yesterday with ~40k i think it had on it.

a ix is going to cost me around 5-7k more than an e46, so it's probably going to come down to how much i want to spend. i'm never going to be able to decide /palm face

anyone have a 6 speed e46 i can drive?!

6/16/2009 4:03:14 PM

Quote :

"i test drove a ix yesterday with ~40k i think it had on it. "

the one at leith?

6/16/2009 4:31:46 PM

^ indeed

got any info on it? looking at it yourself?

6/16/2009 4:53:30 PM

Quote :

"knowing you hang out with ahmet, dan, etc i'm not suprised you said m3 >.> "

I dont hang out with the men you have mentioned.

Quote :

"but you betrayed your own JDM just now!"

The m3 was built by engineers with vision of the entire product. The evo was built by engineers with vision of lap times. Have you ever been inside an evo ? It doesnt even come close to reflecting its price tag. Granted you are buying used so you will get a value with either option. It honestly has nothing to do with country of origin. In my opinion , which you asked for, the m3 is a better (understatement) vehicle for less or equal money.

6/16/2009 6:41:23 PM

I owned an Evo IX and an E46 330ci. My previous roommate owned an E46 M3.

For all out performance, the Evo IX wins. It's marginally more capable than the M3 in stock form, but from a horsepower standpoint, it will make absolutely unholy power and completely STOMP the M3 for about $1500 worth of easy bolt-ons (less than that if you buy the exhaust used). It's also super practical. Mine rattled like a spray-can from very early in its life, and the clutch was toast by just over 20k miles, which is not unusual at all (i think they engineered the clutch to be a sort of "fuse"). I only launched it full-tilt a couple of times, too. The Evo is an absolutely hardcore, uncompromised performance machine. It has a cheap interior, and it's pretty loud. It has a very frantic, overcaffeinated feel--it responds INSTANTLY to any control input. The steering feels awesome, and ridiculously quick. However, it is hands-down the easiest car I've ever seen to drive fast. It will make you look good even if you're not. Also, they only made it for 1 year, and the Evo X was a big letdown to lots of people, so it might be in significant demand in the years to come.


The M3 is, on the other hand, probably the best all-around car I've ever driven for an attainable price. I always described my 330ci as "not the best at anything, but very good at everything." The M3 is the same, except a significant improvement in everything but comfort, practicality, and economy. Comfortable, quiet, very capable, smooth, all the controls feel pretty good (some balk at the shifter. My roommate's was an SMG, but the shifter in my 330ci was OK. Not S2000 quality, but the Evo doesn't have a super awesome shifter, either). If I didn't intend to modify and/or track the Evo IX, I'd probably go with the BMW.


The VIII is a toss-up. I've never driven one, but I suppose it offers 95+% of the IX's driving experience in stock form, at maybe 80% of the price (though several years older, which somewhat negates that advantage). On the other hand, if you think you're going to modify it, don't even think about the VIII. The IX will kick the VIII's ass so hard it isn't funny once you start doing even basic power mods. If you want the Evo driving experience (the M3 drives like a "normal" car, except really, really good...the Evo has a different "feel"), but aren't going to mod, and want to save the money, I'd consider the VIII. Otherwise, I'd get one of the other two.



I'd also consider a C5 'Vette, or maybe a Porsche 996. Hell, if you aren't EXTREMELY performance minded, the 330ci is a helluva lot of car for the money.

Believe me, I've mulled this same potential purchase over many, many times. I wouldn't be surprised if I eventually spend time owning an M3, 911, 'Vette, and maybe another Evo.

6/16/2009 7:02:31 PM

Quote :

"The m3 was built by engineers with vision of the entire product. The evo was built by engineers with vision of lap times. Have you ever been inside an evo ? It doesnt even come close to reflecting its price tag."

Totally concur on the first statement--that absolutely sums it up...but totally disagree with the 2nd one. The Evo is a ton of car for the price tag. There is nothing else like it, period (don't even say "STi". It's not.) It has a total piece of shit interior, it needs tires about as often as it needs oil changes, it rattles like a beer can full of pennies, and might very well need an expensive clutch replacement on a damned near yearly basis (until you suck it up and put a beefier, aftermarket clutch in it). However, the only other car I can think of built with such a mindset is the Lotus Elise/Exige.

but at least the Evo has a nice trunk and backseat, and 4-doors.



As far as not reflecting its $35,000 price tag...just think of it as a $15k car with $20k $50k worth of drivetrain, suspension, brakes, and chassis development.


Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the E46 M3. I've been VERY close to buying one several times. I'm just saying that it's crazy not to give the Evo its due.

[Edited on June 16, 2009 at 7:08 PM. Reason : ]

[Edited on June 16, 2009 at 7:10 PM. Reason : ]

[Edited on June 16, 2009 at 7:29 PM. Reason : ]

6/16/2009 7:08:12 PM

^quinn doesn't really know what he's talking about. Both are great cars and both are worth what you pay.

6/16/2009 7:33:28 PM

330ci doesn't have the performance i want. from reading/research sti's can fuck off, evo just takes the cake.

the clutch on the ix i drove wasn't great but i liked it quite a bit better than say a g35/350z's. that being said. i've been friends with dubcaps since high school. the clutch on his s2k is just sick. after driving that everything else is not graded to me. it's either s2k or it's just not...

i'm thinking about a 996. i wanted a four seater honestly. but that can change at the flip of a switch. those of you who have been through this debate know that.

what's the maintenance like on the 996? it was previously mentioned in this thread that the cost of maintaining an evo vs an e46 m3 was pretty much the same. is this accurate? the 996 more/less than these two?

6/16/2009 7:38:18 PM

^^

Duke. What i wrote meant "the interior does not reflect its price tag". Which you seem to agree with. It was not a slam on the performance of the car for the dollar.

6/16/2009 7:38:25 PM

oh yeah, the interior is terrible.

i would suppose that the Evo and M3 would cost about the same to operate. Gut feeling is that the Evo might break a little more, and the M3 would be a little more expensive to fix.

996 is a 4-seater, technically.

and you can get a nice C5 'Vette that has KILLER performance for, ohh, low teens.

6/16/2009 7:43:01 PM

^but when you buy an evo you aren't really buying it for its interior which is why its worth every penny from a performance point of view. Which is part of the reason why the car isn't really for everybody. I mean an M3 can be a 'wife' car while an Evo cannot.

6/16/2009 7:44:03 PM

yep yep yep

girls can drive transformer looking rice boxs too

[Edited on June 16, 2009 at 7:45 PM. Reason : .]

6/16/2009 7:44:44 PM

^yep yep yep you totally missed the point as expected. If someone wanted to buy their wife a nice car they could possibly chose the M3 but I'd be hard pressed to believe anyone in their right mind would buy their wife an Evo unless she was into cars.

I've seen plenty of older women in E46 M3's but have yet to really see one in an Evo.

6/16/2009 7:59:30 PM

it would be stupid to buy your wife an M3 (unless she was a car nut, of which there are very, very, VERY few who are that serious). what's more likely is that you'd want an M3 for yourself, and she's fairly indifferent, but you already were driving, say, a 'Vette or 911.

6/16/2009 8:04:18 PM

sorry sorry

6/16/2009 8:12:41 PM

^^true to a point. I mean in that situation you could easily sell her on the M3 but wouldn't have a chance in hell on the Evo.

6/16/2009 8:16:37 PM

What are you looking for? Luxury or performance? Do you want to mod the car? Are maintenance costs an issue (I mean tires alone could be over 1k every 10-15k)?

6/16/2009 8:53:14 PM

^ do you actually think i'm unaware that a 4 cylinder turbo is highly/cheaply modable? or that a bmw m3 is a more luxurious car? i'm just looking for extra insight is all.

and yes thank you i'm well aware that tires alone can cost >$1k.

i've researched m3 maintenance costs quite a bit, as it's a key part to the cars livelihood. the one i've got my eye on currently has had inspection 1 and 2 done, as well as it's second inspection 1. the next inspection 2 wouldn't be due for ~30k miles, which is a decent little bonus imo.

6/16/2009 9:00:40 PM

>$1k? wow those are expensive tires! I spend about $500 on tires including shipping.

6/16/2009 9:37:24 PM

Personally I think the e46 interior is kind of crappy, but it still gets my vote.

6/16/2009 9:45:35 PM

^

We have to keep those thoughts on the inside or we are ricers.

6/16/2009 9:56:28 PM

^^its better than an Evo but its not the best. It still feels too much like a E36. The E90 however is a hell of a lot better.

6/16/2009 10:03:17 PM

other than being dated, whats wrong with the e36 interior?

6/16/2009 10:13:33 PM

Quote :

"^ do you actually think i'm unaware that a 4 cylinder turbo is highly/cheaply modable? or that a bmw m3 is a more luxurious car? i'm just looking for extra insight is all. and yes thank you i'm well aware that tires alone can cost >$1k. i've researched m3 maintenance costs quite a bit, as it's a key part to the cars livelihood. the one i've got my eye on currently has had inspection 1 and 2 done, as well as it's second inspection 1. the next inspection 2 wouldn't be due for ~30k miles, which is a decent little bonus imo."

If you can answer all my questions then you would have a pretty good idea of which car you want. EVO and M3 aren't similar cars, so those questions should have clearly directed you to one car

Yes having Inspection I, II done is great, but there are many items that are not accounted for under that in high mileage Ms.....radiator, tranny/engine mounts, belt idlers, belt swap, clutch @ 100kish, shocks, FCABs, fuel injectors, guibo, alternator, possible subframe issues etc.

Mark, try looking at tires in 18s or 19s at 225/255 sizes (not your tiny EVO rims ). You are going to hit >1k with decent tires, mounting and alignment.

^^^^Yes I agree the e46 interior is not all thattttt


[Edited on June 16, 2009 at 10:45 PM. Reason : .]

6/16/2009 10:19:51 PM

Quote :

"^^its better than an Evo but its not the best. It still feels too much like a E36. The E90 however is a hell of a lot better."

Yeah but it weighs like 3800lbs

6/16/2009 10:24:30 PM

you sound like a ricer when you say such mean things. the back lights are orange like fighter jets.

6/16/2009 10:26:25 PM

well i think the M division has lost its focus for the M3.......3800lbs beast.

i thought heavy, powerful, sedan option, was an M5? Or heavy, powerful, coupe, was an M6?

I want light, nimble, some luxury, and high revving. HUMMMM, sounds like your civic (minus the luxury part.....steel floors don't cut it for me). Maybe I should trade my M3 in


[Edited on June 16, 2009 at 10:35 PM. Reason : BOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTTTTT]

6/16/2009 10:28:25 PM

Quote :

">$1k? wow those are expensive tires! I spend about $500 on tires including shipping. "

umm, OEM rubber for an Evo will be well over $1000, especially after mounting/balancing. Even a set of Azenis runs $800 or so, if I remember correctly (after shipping/mounting/balancing). The M3 will probably be even worse (more power, more weight, bigger rubber).

Quote :

"4 cylinder turbo is highly/cheaply modable"

I should mention that Evo IXs are running 11.9s with intake/exhaust/ECU flash/boost controller. All of that runs about $1500 (you could probably do it for $1000 if you shopped around and bought some of it used).

Quote :

"Personally I think the e46 interior is kind of crappy, but it still gets my vote. "

I really like the E46 interior.

Of course, I like the S2000 interior too, and it gets all sorts of bashing, at least in magazines.

Quote :

"EVO and M3 aren't similar cars, so those questions should have clearly directed you to one car "

I, for one, have always had a hard time deciding between those 2 cars, as well as a couple of others of similar price and capability ('Vette and 911, both of which are ALSO totally different).

6/16/2009 10:52:58 PM

^Well for me...

I would say the EVO is highly easy and CHEAPPPPPP to mod and turn into a beast. AWD provides lots of forgiveness. Turbo I-4, so different power delivery compared to NA. Rally inspired, so obviously not luxurious. If you track and want quick lap times the EVO will get it done.

M3 = really really expensive to mod, and you aren't going to get much more out of the S54 unless you go F/I. RWD so its more fun to drive, but less forgiving. High revving NA I-6, different power delivery. Luxury GT inspired. Not a great car for track, but it tries to be the best of all worlds.

So from those points they were polar opposites for me.

Quote :

"umm, OEM rubber for an Evo will be well over $1000, especially after mounting/balancing. Even a set of Azenis runs $800 or so, if I remember correctly (after shipping/mounting/balancing). The M3 will probably be even worse (more power, more weight, bigger rubber)."

Yeah a set of General UHPs will set you back about 800.

[Edited on June 16, 2009 at 11:07 PM. Reason : .]

6/16/2009 11:05:48 PM

Quote :

"RWD so its more fun to drive, but less forgiving."

I know what you're trying to say, but I have to say that the Evo is a helluva lot of fun to drive.

I can't imagine what it would be like with about 100-120 more hp and lowered about an inch or two.

and I think an E46 M3 would be a blast on the track (though I think I'd prefer the Evo if I planned on tracking it a lot).

They are definitely pretty opposite, though.

6/16/2009 11:13:44 PM

I find the EVO's interior offensive, -the build quality is fine, it's just too unsophisticated, it's like a well built Kia- and do think that the e46 has one of the best interiors out there (and I think other than the center console the late e36 was exceedingly good also. Perhaps I'm not as hardcore as some of you, but I literally can not stand a 4 hour drive in an EVO but have taken cross country trips in both the 996 and the M3 as well as numerous other cars. The EVO vibrates/buzzes, the engine/wind noise is excessive, and the engine doesn't sound soothing or feel relaxed unlike an inline or a flat 6, though the ride is not so bad... If you've never spent time with an inline or flat 6 I would not expect you to appreciate this, but either of those would spoil you. Naturally balanced engines run smoothly, and have legendary longevity for good reason.

I'll throw something else out there for you though, an e46 330i ZHP sedan. It's a marvelous car, much cheaper than an M3, lots of fun to drive and cheaper with more utility. It is much improved over a 330i or 330ci, but quite rare so finding one can be a trick.

As for your 996 comment, why would you even consider that?

6/17/2009 12:00:21 AM

Quote :

"Mark, try looking at tires in 18s or 19s at 225/255 sizes (not your tiny EVO rims ). You are going to hit >1k with decent tires, mounting and alignment."

oh heh...I thought you were discussing the upkeep cost on the Evo not the E46 M3 I know the M3 is murder on tires. haha

Quote :

"umm, OEM rubber for an Evo will be well over $1000, especially after mounting/balancing. Even a set of Azenis runs $800 or so, if I remember correctly (after shipping/mounting/balancing). The M3 will probably be even worse (more power, more weight, bigger rubber)."

Azenis RT-615's 255/40/17 run me <$500 with the shipping for a set. plus mounting balancing is about another $100 depending on where i go. Of course I haven't bought tires since last year so I don't know if pricing has changed but the last 3 sets I bought were that much.

[Edited on June 17, 2009 at 12:09 AM. Reason : .]

6/17/2009 12:05:20 AM

I would actually expect the EVO to be cheaper to maintain. They seem rather well built. You hear about stories but they don't seem to break unless they're abused or modified stupidly.

EVOs don't excite me, they're cool though, just not exciting... And I think they handle amazing stock, + (to Duke?) I'd be very hesitant to modify the suspension. Lots of people modify the S2k to make it "better" and end up screwing them up. I see this all the time with other high performance cars also, like the Type R or the GT3 and whatever else. On the other hand, M3 is acceptable stock, but needs some upgrades to make it a lot of fun. The other cars I've mentioned are dialed in great from the factory -something else to consider if you ever started pushing the performance envelope of the car to appreciate that.

6/17/2009 12:11:29 AM

PS ^ You're lucky Azenis come in your size. This was a major reason I stayed with stock sizes on the 996 as they have sizes for that too. I don't believe you can get Azenis for the stock sizes of the 18 inch wheels on the M3. Besides, Azenis aren't for every one, they're too hardcore for most people. The grip is amazing but steering feel sucks, they're noisy, and horrible on standing water. Anything more adverse they're worthless. That said, they're probably one of my favorite tires next to the RE01-R, the PS2s at half to third the cost.

6/17/2009 12:13:39 AM

Quote :

"They seem rather well built. You hear about stories but they don't seem to break unless they're abused or modified stupidly."

I agree. My Evo has done very well holding up with factory original bone stock parts. Seems like every other person with an Evo complains that they had to change the clutch after 10-20k miles which sounds really insane to me. I'm not sure how they are driving it but I don't baby my car either. *shrug*

*note: I'm touching all the wood I can find as I write this as not to jinx myself

6/17/2009 12:14:07 AM

^That's because most people have no fucking clue how to use a clutch. It saddens me every car meet I go to, a solid 80-85% of the drivers have no idea how retarded they are putting a car into motion.

I have almost 180k on my shitty Saturn and it's still on the original clutch, and still has plenty of life left.

6/17/2009 1:07:34 AM

Quote :

"I want light, nimble, some luxury, and high revving. HUMMMM, sounds like your civic (minus the luxury part.....steel floors don't cut it for me). Maybe I should trade my M3 in "

Yeah you can trade that m3 in for a nice civic 2 door. We can make that happen !

Quote :

"The grip is amazing but steering feel sucks"

understatement

[Edited on June 17, 2009 at 7:27 AM. Reason : .]

6/17/2009 7:26:01 AM

RSXTypeS must take exceptional care of his car because I've never noticed to rattle excessively and don't remember SandSanta's being overly bad either (well, before he had removed every panel 5 times).

6/17/2009 8:19:18 AM