Why the Evo is Better Than the STi | Mitsubishi Dealer
Car guys love the head-to-head competition. Whether its foosball or car comparisons—the fun is just as much in the competition as it is in the victory. So, this Mitsubishi dealer doesn’t see anything wrong with dissecting a great feud in the car world.
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (or simply “Evo) and the Subaru WRX STi has been rival platforms long enough to have inspired some pretty spirited debates. Hopefully we can settle a couple of those right here, right now.
Where They Match Up Well
Because these two models have a long history and many possible variations, we’re going to look at the stock 2011 models for our comparison. Both the STi and the Evo are rally cars at heart and can maneuver with real balance around an outdoor course. The STi’s all wheel drive gives it some strong performance numbers in cornering.
It also provides suspension feedback while reducing the amount of understeer the driver needs to compensate for. However the STi’s reputation has been plagued by reports of an under performing rear suspension. This may be a minor inconvenience for some. But it should be a major concern to anyone looking for a car to take to the off-road rally course. The STi may not hold up well in the long term and deliver significantly weaker lap times in the short term.
Where They Don’t Match Up
Evo drivers will consistently say that the model is easy to drive fast. This is due to a series of amenities that both allow the car to react faster to the driver and the driver to react faster to the car.
For example the Evo is a monster when it comes to quick steering adjustments, especially in the muddy terrain that is typical of a rally course. To boot, the Evo sports a paddle clutch operation for the driver and a duel clutch transmission for the drivetrain. The paddle-shifting ensures the driver can maintain exact control over the steering wheel and the gear-shifting without compromising either. The duel clutch transmission ensures flawless mechanical changes in gears.
The resulting driver experience is of the driver and the car fitting together seamlessly.
Conclusion : The Evo is the Champ
When it comes to to the 2011 stock models, the Evo is the clear winner. It keeps up and even eclipses the extremely well engineered STi’s vehicle control capabilities. And when the paddle-shifting and extra-beefy suspension of the Evo is considered, the margin of victory starts to look pretty vast for the Evo.
However, it’s hard to argue that the Evo would be as good as it is if not for competitors like the STi and the Subaru Engineers behind it to push Mitsubishi that much harder.