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Author Topic: Car & Driver: STI vs EVO v. R32  (Read 9132 times)

Mitlov

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Car & Driver: STI vs EVO v. R32
« on: January 31, 2008, 12:29:51 am »
Great shootout in the latest C&D.  Not available online yet (go buy a copy!  It's not exactly expensive), but here are some highlights.  It was very very close--201 for first place, 199 for second, 195 for 3rd.  The results:

3rd place: Subaru WRX STI

Highs: Fantastic high-end grunt, supple ride, an interior worthy of the sticker price.
Lows: Vague, overly assisted steering, flaccid power below 4000 rpm, a chassis set to terminal understeer.
Verdict: ROCK--plenty of power in need of some finesse.

2nd place: Volkswagen R32

Highs: Spine-tingling exhaust note, smooth power delivery, an interior you could live in.
Lows: Stiff ride, only marginally better performance than the GTI's.
Verdict: PAPER--Requires a certain amount of intelligence to properly appreciate.

1st place: Mitsubishi Lancer EVO GSR

Highs: Yaw control that absorbs understeer, awesome grip, great low-end torque for a turbo.
Lows: Needs a telescoping steering wheel, one more gear, and an interior worthy of the price.
Verdict: SCISSORS--Simple and effective at its single purpose of easy speed.

------------------------------------

It's a good read, though I would have gone for #2.
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Offline ggweci

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Re: Car & Driver: STI vs EVO v. R32
« Reply #1 on: January 31, 2008, 10:58:58 am »
I agree w/ you... R32, then STi, then Evo for me.

So you got your March C&D already?  haven't rec'd mine yet... what other reviews are there? anything interesting?
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Mitlov

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Re: Car & Driver: STI vs EVO v. R32
« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2008, 11:09:15 am »
Quote from: ggweci on January 31, 2008, 10:58:58 am
I agree w/ you... R32, then STi, then Evo for me.

So you got your March C&D already?  haven't rec'd mine yet... what other reviews are there? anything interesting?

Interestingly, though they rated the Evo as best according to their scoring system, two out of three test-drivers said that the R32 is the one they'd buy.  The real shocker for me was the STI's performance numbers.  Despite it's more power and less weight, it's slower than the Evo 0-60, 5-60 rolling, 0-100, and in the quarter mile.  Apparently turbo lag was a real problem.  It was slower than even the R32 in the rolling 5-60...  :o

There's another midsize sedan shootout (seven competitors), and yet again the Accord wins.  But we all know C&D's obsession with anything Honda or BMW, so that was no surprise.  They've got reviews of the CTS-V and the Tesla Roadster.  All in all, a good issue, but I'm not sure if I'll ever read the family sedan shootout.
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Offline Serniter

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Re: Car & Driver: STI vs EVO v. R32
« Reply #3 on: January 31, 2008, 11:17:33 am »
I'm impressed. The R32 ranked above STI?! I always had the notion that R32 made do with a low-feedback chassis, focusing on refinement instead.
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Offline initial_D

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Re: Car & Driver: STI vs EVO v. R32
« Reply #4 on: January 31, 2008, 11:18:56 am »
Maybe that is why the STi is priced lower here?
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Offline DriverJeff

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Re: Car & Driver: STI vs EVO v. R32
« Reply #5 on: January 31, 2008, 01:23:25 pm »
Are we going to get the R32 in Canada this time 'round?
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Offline Zombie

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Re: Car & Driver: STI vs EVO v. R32
« Reply #6 on: January 31, 2008, 02:41:50 pm »
Even though I do love a good comparison I'm not really convinced that the boys over at C&D really know what they are doing.
I can't respect any comparison that gives marks on "Got to have it" it should purely be by the numbers.
« Last Edit: January 31, 2008, 03:10:25 pm by Zombie »
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Offline initial_D

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Re: Car & Driver: STI vs EVO v. R32
« Reply #7 on: January 31, 2008, 03:06:22 pm »
How does that song go? ...  'What's love got to do with it? ... '
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davidm

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Re: Car & Driver: STI vs EVO v. R32
« Reply #8 on: January 31, 2008, 03:34:10 pm »
Quote from: Giant Dwarf on January 31, 2008, 01:23:25 pm
Are we going to get the R32 in Canada this time 'round?
Not unless they change something.  It's already onsale in the US and no mention of it up here.  A3 3.2 is as close as you get.
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Offline JSCC

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Re: Car & Driver: STI vs EVO v. R32
« Reply #9 on: January 31, 2008, 04:44:33 pm »
Quote from: Giant Dwarf on January 31, 2008, 01:23:25 pm
Are we going to get the R32 in Canada this time 'round?

5000 for USA.

0 for Canada.
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Wolfe

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Re: Car & Driver: STI vs EVO v. R32
« Reply #10 on: January 31, 2008, 05:14:37 pm »
Quote from: Mitlov on January 31, 2008, 12:29:51 am

2nd place: Volkswagen R32

Highs: Spine-tingling exhaust note,

I'll second that. The R32 sounds great.
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Offline mrthompson

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Re: Car & Driver: STI vs EVO v. R32
« Reply #11 on: February 01, 2008, 12:18:22 pm »
Quote from: JSCC on January 31, 2008, 04:44:33 pm
Quote from: Giant Dwarf on January 31, 2008, 01:23:25 pm
Are we going to get the R32 in Canada this time 'round?

5000 for USA.

0 for Canada.

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Offline ggweci

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Re: Car & Driver: STI vs EVO v. R32
« Reply #12 on: February 01, 2008, 03:06:55 pm »
Quote from: Mitlov on January 31, 2008, 11:09:15 am
Quote from: ggweci on January 31, 2008, 10:58:58 am
I agree w/ you... R32, then STi, then Evo for me.

So you got your March C&D already?  haven't rec'd mine yet... what other reviews are there? anything interesting?

There's another midsize sedan shootout (seven competitors), and yet again the Accord wins.  But we all know C&D's obsession with anything Honda or BMW, so that was no surprise.  They've got reviews of the CTS-V and the Tesla Roadster.  All in all, a good issue, but I'm not sure if I'll ever read the family sedan shootout.

Sounds interesting...thanks. Hopefully I'll get mine soon.
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Offline initial_D

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Re: Car & Driver: STI vs EVO v. R32
« Reply #13 on: February 06, 2008, 07:58:10 pm »
Got the mag today, just finished.

The last paragraph of the EVO ... makes the choice easier?


The Evolution inspires the confidence in the way it goes over the road without event or drama or any strenuous amount of work from the driver. It's predictable, it's capable, and it's more communicative than its competition. That lets you drive it harder and faster, so if you want to get somewhere in a hurry, the Lance Evolution GSR is the best choice.

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Offline HeliDriver

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Re: Car & Driver: STI vs EVO v. R32
« Reply #14 on: February 06, 2008, 09:41:40 pm »
How the hell do you guys get your Car and Driver so early? I've never seen it on the newsstand before the eighth of the month, and back when I subscribed, I'd be lucky if I got it by the twentieth!

I had to kill an hour at the airport on Monday, and there wasn't a March issue of any car magazine in the whole place.

Damn, I'm jealous!  >:(
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Offline ggweci

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Re: Car & Driver: STI vs EVO v. R32
« Reply #15 on: February 07, 2008, 10:45:44 am »
Got my copy in the mail on Monday... still haven't had a chance to read the article yet though.
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Offline HeliDriver

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Re: Car & Driver: STI vs EVO v. R32
« Reply #16 on: February 11, 2008, 10:43:24 pm »
Interesting comparo...

I really want a hatchback or wagon for my next car, so I really want to love the new STI, but comments like this make me nervous:

"... Where it falls down is in the steering department, which is too light and far too vague. Most annoyingly, the only feel conveyed through the steering wheel is in the form of kickback from road bumps."

I can live with the new STI being a little softer or a few tenths slower, but all that understeer topped off with lousy steering feel would probably be a deal breaker for me.
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