2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX Special Edition
The Good
:)
Power. Engine Sound. Track car with warranty.
The Bad
:(
Old interior styling. Low quality in body panels inside. Rear seat is very
very soft and short.
Engine
2.0L 4CYL Twin Turbocharged
Output
286 hp / 289 lb-ft
Top Speed
150 mph
0-60 mph
5 sec
Weight
3300 lbs
Price As Tested
$33,874
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Car Reviews And News.com
Every car has its place in the marketplace. Some cars
are for commuting, some are for transporting kids to school. Most cars try
to be too many things and please too many people, all at the same time.
Manufacturers try their hardest to turn SUV's into Sporty SUV's or luxury
sedans into Sporty Sedans. Can you truly turn a large truck or a long
wheelbase luxury sedan into a sporty car? The answer is NO. Ask any
weekend racer what it means to have a sporty car and they will give you a
completely different answer compared to what most manufacturer's tell us is
a sporty vehicle. There are only a few cars on the market today and even
fewer, maybe only two or three, which cost under $35K, that offer true
performance characteristics similar to cars used on race tracks.
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX is one such car. It
brings pure raw performance, without the fancy bells and whistles, to the
common man. Mitsubishi has taken the best aftermarket performance parts and
integrated them into a package that is sold directly through a new car
dealer. Rarely have people been able to go and buy a car from the dealer
that features the same aftermarket products they would buy from tuner shops
like Autosupermart. The Evo features 17 inch BBS alloy wheels, Brembo 'big
red' brakes, Recaro sport seats, Momo steering wheel, a turbocharged engine,
lightweight aluminum body panels, sport exhaust, quick shifter, front strut
tower brace, Yokohomo high performance tires and a large carbon fiber rear
wing. With all these goodies, the Evo is a blast to drive and a dream come
true for any racing enthusiast.
The exterior of the Evo has a classic rally car
design. If you have ever watched television coverage of rally car racing in
remote mountains then you know how much fun it can be. Cars fly off dirt
roads barely missing local farm animals and occasionally tumble down
hillsides. A driver and navigator race on dirt roads like a skier sliding
from turn to turn kicking up lots of dust. Mitsubishi uses a slightly
modified version of the Evo IX for its championship world rally car, and
slightly modified is the key phrase here. What you are getting in the
Evolution model is a race car. The Evo's front end is very aggressively
styled and makes even the non-car enthusiast take a second glance. The
lower air dam has a large opening for the massive intercooler that shows
through the black mesh grill.
On each side of this are oval holes that
look like fog lamps but are actually air vents that suck in the much needed
cool air to keep the engine at optimal temperature. The front headlights
are a one piece unit that has three circular lamps with the main HID unit
tinted in a blue color. The headlights are attractively designed and wrap
around to the side fender. The engine hood is made of aluminum and has a
large mesh opening cut into its center to provide even more cooling to the
twin turbochargers hiding beneath the hood.
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From the side profile view, the Evo continues its
aggressive sporty design theme. The race car character comes from the
darkened 17 inch BBS multi-spoke wheels. They are wrapped in low profile
Yokohama 17 inch P235/45 high performance tires. The lightweight BBS wheels
give the Evolution IX a race car look and are of the same design used on
many racing circuits around the world. The multi-spoke design makes viewing
the large red Brembo brake calipers easy. There is very little wheel gap and
this makes the car appear to ride low, just like a true rally car. For any
racing enthusiast, they will instantly appreciate the high quality
performance parts used on the EVO, from the BBS wheels, Brembo brakes, to
the large Carbon fiber wing on the back lid. Yes the Evo features a
hard-to-miss rear wing that sits 8-inches high from the deck lid and is
almost 8-inches wide. The flat top portion of the wing is made of carbon
fiber to be even lighter in weight.
Subtle design elements add to the look of the Evolution
IX which are best suited for in-person praise. A beltline starts from the
front wheel fender and then disappears midway and yet reappears over the
rear fender. Darkened carbon look tail lights have two red circular lights
and one white backup light. Also integrated in this one piece unit is a
rectangular clear turn lens with yellow bulb, giving the Evo a very
aftermarket trendy look. The rear is large with a high and flat trunk lid.
The lower rear fender is styled beautifully in a fluid manner with circular
design elements viewed when looking at the Evo directly from the tail end.
One large exhaust pipe outlet provides the growl we hear each time we turn
the ignition key.
Inside, the Evo will make any young teenagers mouth
water. The beautiful suede/leather Recaro front sport seats are both
elegant and functional. They have large side bolters that extend almost
5-inches from the seat back, enough to keep any driver in place as they
navigate back country roads. The bottom cushion has 2-inch high side
supports which hold your bottom in place without feeling like you are
sitting on concrete. The seats feature fine red stitching, leather outer
trim, perforated cloth trim as you near the center and then suede trim in
the inner most portion of the cushion. The steering wheel is a sporty Momo
design, which is nicely integrated with a horn button. Try to install an
aftermarket Momo steering wheel yourself; it will never look this
professional. Also featured are aluminum pedals which add to the sporty
theme.
The leather wrapped gear shift knob is a small unit
that has a quick shift gate pattern. The shift motion is smooth and very
precise. This coupled with a smooth and lightweight clutch pedal makes for
easy driving. Everything comes together for the driver in the cockpit in
true race car form.
If there is one thing to change, it has to be the
dashboard design. The Evo has a dated and rather flat dashboard. The main
radio head unit looks old and outdated. It's a single CD unit that looks
like one of those unites sold in Walmart. Below this are three dials for
the manual climate control system. Temperature, direction, and fan speed
dials look quite normal in this otherwise flamboyant vehicle.
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The instrument cluster features silver dials with red
text on a black background. It too is dated considering many new cars
feature finely trimmed dials with chrome accents and electro-luminescent
dials. The all important RPM dial is prominently located in the center for
your pleasure. When shifting into the 8,000 rev limiter range, you feel as
if you are on a fighter jet going supersonic speed.
Below the central dash is a large opening where you can
place small items which sadly will fall out when you accelerate. Mitsubishi
could have designed better center storage, knowing this would happen. In the
center between the front seats are two cup holders and the E-brake. There
also is a simple storage unit that is topped with suede which can hold a
small camera, cell phone, and wallet.
The rear seats have the same design theme as the front
seats but are not sporty and lack any support at all. They are probably the
worst rear seats we have ever tested. They are too short and flat, and are
very soft which makes you slide forward uncomfortably. We can tell that
Mitsubishi never had anyone sitting in the back seats when testing this car.
Overall
the Evo does feel light. The doors, hood and trunk are made of
lightweight aluminum which adds to the impressive driving characteristics of
the car. Even the roof panels and front fenders are made of aluminum
to save on weight. There is only one car in the market today that can
truly compare to the Evo, the Subaru Impreza WRX. While there are many
other high performance cars on the road today such as BMW's M line, or
Mercedes AMG Line, which all provide large horsepower and fast acceleration,
they tend to be more comfortable and refined for daily driving and not as
raw in their driving characteristic as the EVO.
The 2.0 Liter DOH 16 valve 4-cylinder engine produces
quite a punch considering its small size. With 286 horsepower, and 289
lb.-ft. of torque the Evo takes off with lightning speed. There are
two-scroll turbochargers that not only propel this car to 0-60 in less than
six seconds, but also sound like a jet taking off in the process. In fact,
the sound of the engine over 5000 RPM is intoxicating as you reach redline.
The fabulous all-wheel drive with active center differential keeps all four
wheels firmly planted, even in the tightest corners. The revolutionary
Active Center Differential continuously optimizes torque delivery to the
wheels that have the most traction during cornering. You can adjust the
manner in which the system reacts by way of a dash mounted switch which
offers three different settings from tarmac, to gravel, to snow. The Evo
also features both front and rear limited-slip differentials.
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The Macpherson strut suspension has inverted shock absorbers and are super firm
to keep the car flat with minimum lean in turns. In fact, the car stays
flat in almost every scenario we threw at it. It is brilliant for the
track, with go cart like stability. The Front suspension is forged aluminum
which saves on weight and there is also a front tubular strut tower brace.
The steering is a power assisted quick ratio rack-and-pinion unit but we
felt there was a noticeable torque steer. This made quick take-offs and
precise turns a little hard when you are above 5000 RPM.
The Evo has dual front airbags and front and rear
crumple zones. Also it features child safety locks and a latch system for
child seats, though it is hard to imagine driving the Evo around town with
small children in back. There is also an anti-theft engine immobilizer,
something that you may actually need if you own this vehicle. Mitsubishi
offers a 10 year /100,000 mile power train limited warranty and a
5-year/60,000 mile new vehicle limited warranty. Also included is a
5-year/unlimited mile roadside assistance plan. The vehicle is made in
Kurashiki, Japan with 100% of the parts content from Japan. Fuel economy is
rated at 19 city and 25 highway.
The 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX starts at
$31,399. With the Special Edition Package that cost $1,850, you get the
front airdam extension, BBS wheels, red seat stitching, aluminum roof panels
and HID lamps with fog lamps. The total price with destination of $625
comes to $33,874. For those seeking race car performance for track
weekends or just daily driving, the Evolution is a continuation in a series
that has a loyal following. Continued modification with an upcoming
new model called the Evolution X should give us something more to look
forward to.
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