The guys at motoring.iafrica.com have compared 4 high performance cars together: the BMW M5, the Chrysler 300C, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo and the Subaru WRX STI. Here’s what they have to say on the Subaru WRX STI versus the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo:
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evo and the newly faced Subaru STi proved too difficult to split without the assistance of our score sheets. It was Subaru that initially introduced the ‘giant-killing-performance’ genre cars with prices to make you smile. In fact the automotive world was turned on its head when the even hotter STi and Lancer Evos arrived.
You’ll notice that the STi just gets the better of the Evo – our schedule well indicating the few points difference. However the all-new 2.5 engine does not offer that blinding Subaru performance we’re used to. This time around it produces more torque and more power in a more docile manner and in the process has turned from the blindingly quick 2-litre cult-car to a softer feel yuppies would seek. The tornado-like response of the 2-litre engine is no longer there. In performance terms it’s just fractionally short of its banshee-like smaller-engined progenitor too.
The Evo matches the STi in almost every sphere except acceleration, tractability (due to its 2.5 litre engine) and engine refinement. The latter two areas of comparison are better due to the symmetrical layout the flat-four boxer engine offers via its centrally mounted gearbox resulting in equal length front and rear side-shafts respectively for better power distribution. Instead the Evo’s engine is a conventional 4-cyl twin-cam engine with an offset gearbox resulting in unequal length side shafts. But in all other aspects the two are equal and to choose the better would come down to personal preference.
In terms of hooligan-performance the Japanese twins have no peers in their segment – and almost totally so above them. To drive either for the first time is an indelible experience. The adjustable 4×4 set-ups in both are technologies not found in any other car, allowing adjustments to the front and rear diffs to suit personal competition requirements.