2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Reviews, Pricing & Specs
Overview
The Mitsubishi "Evo," as it's known among its world-wide fans, was born from the international road rally circuit (World Rally...
The Mitsubishi "Evo," as it's known among its world-wide fans, was born from the international road rally circuit (World Rally Championship). Fielding the Evo, Mitsubishi won four straight drivers' titles, 1996-99, and the manufacturers'crown in 1998.
The basic 2005 iteration arrived in the U.S. in 2003 as the Evo VIII. In mid-2005, an MR trim line with significant upgrading appeared on our shores. The MR addressed the shortcomings of the initial VIII offering. A horsepower boost from 271 to 276-hp. The five-speed transmission upgraded to a close ratio six-speed, keeping the turbo on boil for instantaneous power. Reviewers compared the shifting on the new transmission to the precision of the Honda S2000 sports car. 0-60 times dropped from an already blistering five seconds into the 4.8-second range, and even 4.5 seconds for the more stripped down RS trim line. Electronics limit the Evo to 156 mph.
The MR trim line adds the new Active Center Differential (ACD) and a new helical limited-slip front differential. The latter adds more direction and pull out of the corners. The ACD features an electrohydraulic multiplate clutch that deploys a number of sensors (brakes, wheel speed, steering-wheel angle, etc.) to send as much as 50% of the torque in this front biased system to the rear wheels. The system also has three driver presets for different road conditions.
The MS trim line also adds specially tuned Bilstein front struts and rear shocks taking the edge off the ride, moving it from teeth jarring to "firm," which further improves the already impressive handling.
You would have to spend at least another $10,000 to get near this level of performance. Of course, with that extra ten-grand you would get a real interior and a much more compliant ride.
A rally car in very scant street clothing - no radio, no air-conditioning, no cruse control, and no sound deadener - the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution offers an unparalleled level of performance at this price.
What owners say
"Overall, owners rave about the 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution for its exhilarating performance and handling, often stating it's one of the best 'driver's cars' available. Drivers love the turbocharged power, precise steering, and solid build quality. On the downside, many mention the car's thirst for gas and a narrow turning radius as drawbacks, along with some concerns about maintenance costs and the spartan interior design."
Performance: Accel - launching this car is like being pinned to back of the seat and not being able to move till you let off the gas pedal. braking - Brembo, speaks for its self handling - its a production race car ... so much time, money and research has gone into this car .. and with 20 years in RD, they have got it down. handles better than any car i have driven Build Quality: - one of the most solid cars ive ever seen .. its built to be driven ... and as long as you maintain it .. itll keep up Appearance: Interior - not why i bought the car... it was to perform .. the factory racing seats, racing steering wheel, awesome sound system all do exactly what they need to do Exterior - the fender flairs .. wide stance, Enkie/BBS rims, wing HID headlights, Hood vent, front mount intercooler in your face... all scream aggressive, style and most of all function Cost - gas - its a turbo car.. has perks ... its a 2.0l engine drive it normal gets great mileage, and with a tune can get better then most.. however.. you tune it to race and make big power .. till get the mileage to go along with it Maintenance - its a performance car... meant to be build and thrashed .. keep it stock and itll run forever esp if you keep up with everything .. does require premium gas, synthetic oils, and needs to be done and kept up with but a great car Fun Factor - this is what sold me on the car ..and the insane potential it has .. the bang for buck is unbeatable
December 1, 2011There is not a bad thing you can truly say about an Evo. Not only is this 4G63 motor a rock solid platform, it is also reliable as hell, even with modifications. I say this from being an owner of one, and because I work at AMS Performance out in West Chicago...Home of the WORLD'S quickest EVO: 8.42 @ 168mph. Not only that, we build some of the sickest Evo's I've ever seen...
January 15, 2009Love this car, can't get rid of it. Nothing else is as fun to drive! I own many cars but this is by far my favorite car. It should be fully track ready within the next 12 months! Keep posted!
September 17, 2014What owners say
Performance: Accel - launching this car is like being pinned to back of the seat and not being able to move till you let off the gas pedal. braking - Brembo, speaks for its self handling - its a production race car ... so much time, money and research has gone into this car .. and with 20 years in RD, they have got it down. handles better than any car i have driven Build Quality: - one of the most solid cars ive ever seen .. its built to be driven ... and as long as you maintain it .. itll keep up Appearance: Interior - not why i bought the car... it was to perform .. the factory racing seats, racing steering wheel, awesome sound system all do exactly what they need to do Exterior - the fender flairs .. wide stance, Enkie/BBS rims, wing HID headlights, Hood vent, front mount intercooler in your face... all scream aggressive, style and most of all function Cost - gas - its a turbo car.. has perks ... its a 2.0l engine drive it normal gets great mileage, and with a tune can get better then most.. however.. you tune it to race and make big power .. till get the mileage to go along with it Maintenance - its a performance car... meant to be build and thrashed .. keep it stock and itll run forever esp if you keep up with everything .. does require premium gas, synthetic oils, and needs to be done and kept up with but a great car Fun Factor - this is what sold me on the car ..and the insane potential it has .. the bang for buck is unbeatable
December 1, 2011There is not a bad thing you can truly say about an Evo. Not only is this 4G63 motor a rock solid platform, it is also reliable as hell, even with modifications. I say this from being an owner of one, and because I work at AMS Performance out in West Chicago...Home of the WORLD'S quickest EVO: 8.42 @ 168mph. Not only that, we build some of the sickest Evo's I've ever seen...
January 15, 2009Love this car, can't get rid of it. Nothing else is as fun to drive! I own many cars but this is by far my favorite car. It should be fully track ready within the next 12 months! Keep posted!
September 17, 2014The car is very fun to drive and it is a bit more fuel efficient than my previous ford focus. about the performance of the car, what can i say? i love it when the turbo kicks in. . very fun to drive. .
January 20, 2010The fastest car I've owned and by far the most fun. Gas mileage is horible if your really getting on it, but if you just driving "normal" its not that bad. If you want a fun car that will throw you back in your seat and take corners like a beast, buy one.
October 25, 2011It's a great all season car, with great handling and performance. It can be you DD and you can also go to the track on the weekends or do some rally. It's easy to get over 500whp for pretty reasonable price
October 16, 2009There is not really anything to say about the performance of this car. If you have been in it you know for yourself. Its a neck-breaking animal. Overall a bad ass mother. Its always fun to drive, just costs a lot to do it. So its a never ending job of making the money to put back into it.
August 10, 2008Great overall car. Fast, uber sporty and attracts attention. The main thing with this car is the clutch and paint. Factory clutches were paper thin and is recommended to upgrade to at least a stage 3 clutch. Watch for paint peeling off the carbon fiber wing. When taken in for normal service, technicians look for any signs of abuse to void your warranty. Even garage kept, Sunday cruisers like mine were blacklisted for warranty repairs.
July 29, 2008This has to be the best "driver's car" under $40K at the time. Sparingly-equipped, it only came with the go-fast essentials : a turbo DOHC inline 4, AWD, Brembo brakes, BBS forged alloy wheels, CF spoiler, Aluminum roof, Recaro seats. Everything else was just there to qualify as a modern car.
January 16, 2008Overall its a great car to drive fast and faster to A to B. Its not a chill/cruise type car because of the looks and hard setup. It draws lots of attention from playstation generation, but dont expect to pick up girls a lot if you are into something like that. An m3 can get you ladies but to a price of an m3 you can get an evo 8 (all weather, 4 people, track car) and a 3series convertible for cruising and summer. Althoug im sure you are not gonna step out from evo to bimmer much. Base models are not fast enough (280ish hp), but for $5k u can have factory (ralliart) modify it up to 360ish hp, which will give you more than you need..
January 4, 2008Trims & specs
Base MSRP $35,274 | Seating 5 |
Engine 2.0L 276 hp I4 | Cargo Capacity 10.2 cu ft |
Combined MPG 20 | Drivetrain AWD |
Base MSRP $28,504 | Seating 5 |
Engine 2.0L 276 hp I4 | Cargo Capacity 10.2 cu ft |
Combined MPG 20 | Drivetrain AWD |
Base MSRP $31,274 | Seating 5 |
Engine 2.0L 276 hp I4 | Cargo Capacity 10.2 cu ft |
Combined MPG 20 | Drivetrain AWD |
