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June 27, 2006

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution vs. Subaru Impreza WRX STi

Ali and Frazier. Magic and Bird. The Dodgers and Giants. Rivalries often bring out the best (or worst) in an individual or team, capturing the attention and imagination of the public while raising the level of competition to extraordinary heights. Rivalries aren’t made overnight; they develop over time like good wine. In the car realm, the more notable rivalries are behind us now: Cobra and Ferrari, Camaro versus Mustang. However, a new one is unfolding in the compact-sedan market. Beginning this month, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and Subaru Impreza WRX STi face off in what could be the next great performance-car battle.

Although both cars are new to the U.S. market — the Evo went on sale in late February while the WRX STi hit dealer showrooms in May — they have been actively engaged in conflict for several years in the World Rally Championship (WRC) and the Japanese marketplace. Mitsubishi never intended to extend the Evo/WRX battle to the U.S. because it didn’t believe there was a market here for a rally-inspired high-performance compact sedan. But Subaru thought differently. The executives at Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru’s parent company) decided that at the right price, they could sell 10,000 WRXs a year. Despite having to detune it from the original Japanese version’s 280 bhp to 227, the $23,995 car became a tremendous hit in 2001. More than 23,000 Impreza WRXs found their way into customer hands in the first year.

This success of the WRX paved the way for the true high-performance torchbearer, the WRX STi, from Subaru’s motorsport arm, Subaru Tecnica international. But before plans were finalized for the STi in America, Mitsubishi did an about-face and announced that the Evo was headed to the U.S. — and it would come mostly “as is,” meaning little or no reduction in performance.

We drove and tested the 271-bhp Evo in March 2003 and came away thoroughly impressed. The car registered performance numbers comparable to those of high-end European sports cars, on a significantly higher scale than those of the Impreza WRX. In our minds, the Evo had dethroned the Subaru as the ultimate pocket rocket. But a month before the Evo went on sale, Subaru announced that the U.S.-spec WRX STi would have increased displacement (from 2.0 to 2.5 liters) resulting in more power than the Japanese version.

Subaru effectively countered Mitsubishi’s counter. Or did it?

That’s what we aimed to find out. So we got our hands on both the U.S.-spec WRX STi and Evo (as well as the Japanese versions) and threw them together in an all-out comparison test on both tarmac and dirt. Senior Editor and rally aficionado Andrew Bornhop and I wrung out every drop of performance from the pair in three days of evaluation. This is what we learned.

Power

On paper, the WRX STi is the hands-down winner. At 14.5 psi of boost, its 2.5-liter turbocharged flat-4 produces a remarkable 300 bhp at 6000 rpm and 300 lb.-ft of torque at 4000. And there’s more to this engine than a displacement increase; some bits and pieces from the WRC car made their way into the street model. Among them are variable valve timing, a larger intercooler (30 percent larger than in the Impreza WRX), a manually operated intercooler water spray, hollow sodium-filled exhaust valves and a new, freer-flowing exhaust system. Also of note is a close-ratio 6-speed gearbox that ends up playing a vital role in the WRX STi’s performance data. More on this later.

At 19.0 psi of boost, Mitsubishi’s 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 has somewhat less output with 271 bhp coming at 6500 rpm and 273 lb.-ft. of torque at 3500. Like the WRX STi, the Evo has many technological features found on its former WRC car — Mitsubishi pulled out of WRC this season, promising to come back next year. These include hollow camshafts, a custom-designed turbine nozzle and an intercooler water spray. The Evo’s twincam powerplant comes mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox.

On paper the Subaru holds the edge; however, at the track, the Evo outran the WRX STi from zero to 60 mph. Both cars recorded smoldering 0-60-mph times — on a par with some European exotics — with the Evo clocking 4.8 seconds (better than in the last test by 0.3sec. due to a change of surface) and the WRX STi at 4.9. Why was the more powerful Subaru slower? Because the Subaru’s 6-speed gearbox has significantly closer ratios, a 2-3 shift is necessary before reaching 60 mph, while in the Mitsu, you can hold 2nd gear past the 60-mph mark. And a 2-3 upshift, no matter how quickly performed, will result in three-tenths to a half-second of extra time. To the quarter mile, the WRX STi catches the Evo and ultimately passes it by a small margin, 13.3 sec. to 13.4.

It is around a racetrack and on public roads where the extra displacement of the Subaru feels most evident. The WRX STi exhibits little turbo lag, and has a generous helping of oomph coming from about 2500 rpm. Because it has more low-end torque, it accelerates more smoothly than the Mitsu, and the close-ratio gearbox enables you to keep engine revs right where the power is best.The Evo, on the other hand, doesn’t have much punch below 3000 rpm, but once the tach needle sweeps past the 3500-rpm mark, it takes off like a rocket. Through semi-tight corners or when passing from low speeds, the engine’s lag becomes apparent, forcing a downshift. Because of this, I gave the nod to the STi here. Bornhop agreed, saying, “Despite the test numbers, the extra power is evident in the Subaru, and I really like having that extra gear although the STi’s gearbox is a bit vague.”

Handling

In a word, the handling character of both cars is phenomenal. Both exhibit some understeer at turn-in, as is the case with most all-wheel-drive cars; however, adjust your driving style slightly and you won’t find stickier sedans anywhere. On our makeshift race course on a deserted airfield, it was the Evo that impressed us more. Despite not having the active yaw control (AYC) from the Japanese version, the Evo displayed excellent balance through a variety of corners, and the steering felt quick and precise. The well-tuned suspension — MacPherson struts up front and multilink at rear — provided near neutral mid-corner balance and minimal body roll. Said Bornhop, “The Evo definitely feels more agile than the WRX STi. It carves and slices where the Subaru just turns.”

he braking prowess of the Evo is beyond exceptional. It set a new record from 60 mph, stopping in 108 ft. The Subaru, which uses a similar brake system — Brembo calipers on vented discs at both front and rear — also performed admirably, needing only 111 ft. to stop from 60 mph. (Our former champ was the Ferrari 360 Modena at 110 ft.)

The Subaru, with its inverted-strut suspension, didn’t feel as crisp as the Mitsubishi. It exhibited more understeer at turn-in, and required more brake pressure before entering tight corners. Despite coming equipped with an active center differential, the Subaru’s cornering character was not quite as sharp as the Mitsu’s, perhaps owing to its limited-slip front differential, an item the Evo does not have. Subaru’s Driver Controlled Center Differential (DCCD) is much like Mitsubishi’s AYC. Via a number of sensors, a computer decides how to distribute torque between the front and rear wheels for maximum cornering performance. There’s a manual mode, too, where a roller knob on the center console can vary the front/rear torque split from 50/50 to a rear-biased 35/65.

The lap times tell the story. The Evo lapped our course in 53.7 sec., besting the Subaru’s 54.7. And because we know that the straight-line abilities of both cars are just about even, the difference in times can be attributed strictly to handling. Give this round to the Evo.

Comfort

They have four doors and boxy body styles. But needless to say, these aren’t your everyday compact sedans. Because their driving character is biased extremely toward performance, both possess ride qualities like pure-bred sports cars…meaning they’re stiff. In fact, their rides are noticeably stiffer than the Porsche Boxster’s.

But it is the Subaru that’s more civil on public roads. Its ride is a bit more even and it’s easier to drive around town, thanks to the more linear delivery of power and smoother steering response. While the Evo’s sharp turn-in character is welcome on winding roads, the quick-ratio rack is a bit of a nuisance on long drives because the car reacts to every little steering input. Perhaps a speed-sensitive power steering unit would help.

There’s plenty of cabin noise in both cars, most of it coming from the tires. While the engine sounds are welcome, especially when you can hear the high-pitched whine of the turbochargers, road noise gets intrusive at speeds above 50 mph. You could swap the tires — they come with Bridgestone Potenza RE-070s on the WRX STi and Yokohama A-046 Advans on the Evo — but considering the exceptionally high level of grip both provide, well, what’s a little road noise?

The rear seats of both cars can accommodate anyone but professional football and basketball players, meaning two average-size adults or three children will fit with room to spare. The front seats are comfortable and extremely supportive.

“Although I like the broader seats of the WRX STi, I prefer the driving position in the Evo. Overall, both cars have about the same level of comfort, but the WRX STi has a slightly better ride,” Bornhop said.

As was the case on the racetrack, the differences between the two are minimal on the open road. If you could live with one, you could live with the other. But Subaru gets the nod here because of its smoother ride quality and more civil nature around town.

Styling

Take your pick. Like the other categories in this story, this one is also a tossup. Both have aggressive faces, bold hoods, boxy profiles and giant rear wings. I feel that the Evo’s styling is a bit more aggressive, especially at the front end, which will probably score high points with younger buyers. The WRX STi’s overall styling (and nature) is a bit more mature (even with its big hood scoop and gold wheels). And I do like the new front end of the Subaru, a definite improvement over the current “turtle-eye” WRX (all Imprezas will have this face for 2004); it should prove popular with current WRX enthusiasts.

The interior designs of both cars are simple and straightforward. The instrument clusters of both feature a large tachometer placed between the speedometer and fuel/temperature gauge. Both have red lettering on black backgrounds. But the Evo’s gauges are harder to read because they’re smaller and don’t feature electro-luminescent lighting like those in the WRX STi. The upshift-indicator light of the STi is also handy, especially when gravel is being thrown up so hard against the underbody that it’s impossible to hear the engine.

Personally, I like the STi’s styling slightly better both inside and out. But Bornhop gives the exterior edge to the Evo because of its sharper lines. Let’s just call this one a tie.

Value

The price of the Subaru Impreza WRX STi had not been set at the time of writing, but we hear it will be about $31,000. There are no options. Except you need to equip it with your own audio system. That’s right, the WRX STi does not come with a radio. The reason here is that the folks from Subaru needed to keep the car’s weight down to meet corporate average fuel-economy requirements. And they felt that instead of taking out the car’s air conditioning and power windows, eliminating the stereo system made more sense because most WRX buyers upgraded their base stereo systems anyway. Our test car came with the factory AM/FM/cassette/CD changer for about $1000 extra. Add $550 for destination and handling and we end up with an estimated $32,550.

The Evo’s price tag, with the factory AM/FM/cassette/CD player, is $28,987. Add $480 for the carbon-fiber rear wing and $595 for destination and handling, and the grand total comes to $30,062, a bit less than the STi. Because of this, we’ll give the Evo this category even though the differences between the two are minimal.

Conclusions

The final count tells the tale. The Mitsubishi and the Subaru took away two categories each, with one tie. And the two categories were decided by the slimmest of margins. The Subaru Impreza WRX STi was the better car on the open road, and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution performed better on the racetrack. Both registered virtually identical test numbers, blowing away cars costing thousands of dollars more. In our ratings system, the Evo came away the winner by a margin of 0.3 percent. But you can’t go wrong with either car. The arrival of the Evo and WRX STi in the U.S. is a wonderful thing for enthusiasts, and it has all the makings of a beautiful rivalry.

In My Opinion…

Asking me to choose between these two is like asking Ben Cartwright who his favorite son was. If I were to spend most of my free time autocrossing or driving mountain roads, I would choose the Evo. However, for weekends spent in a more conservative manner, the Subaru gets the edge. Overall, I would opt for the Subaru because my weekends aren’t as wild as they used to be. Maybe I’m getting old. Sorry, Little Joe. — Sam Mitani, International Editor

The Evo, with its quick reflexes, feels like it’s set up for Monte Carlo tarmac. The STi, with its higher seat and slower steering, feels ready to tackle Kenya dirt. Which is why I prefer the Subaru. It has fantastic power, it looks more like a rally car, and it wins me over with bits such as its adjustable center diff, which makes the STi come alive on dirt, where rally cars belong. — Andrew Bornhop, Senior Editor

The Japanese Versions

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII and Subaru Impreza WRX STi have already hit the market in Japan. So I went there to sample these versions and found that they are quite different from the cars represented here. The Evo felt just as fast from the driver’s seat, but exhibited crisper turn-in response. This is the result of Active Yaw Control (AYC) that automatically adjusts torque between the front and rear wheels when it senses tire slippage. Also, the Japanese Evo has a bit more power than our Evo, with 280 bhp and 289 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox. Mitsubishi says that although the U.S-spec Evo and Japanese Evo are very similar now, they will evolve differently from this point on. And in a few years’ time, they may become totally different cars.In Subaru’s case, the U.S.-spec WRX STi starts life quite differently from its Japanese counterpart. The Japanese version continues on with a 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-4 that produces 280 bhp and 291 lb.-ft. of torque. Why not the 2.5? Because in Japan, Subaru needs to maintain the identity the production WRX STi has with the WRC race car, whose engine displacement is regulated to 2.0 liters. Although our WRX STi is faster than the Japan car, the handling of theirs felt a bit more crisp. I suspect that the Japan car had fresher tires, and the car’s suspension, which is identical to the U.S.-spec WRX STi’s, is suited more for the 2.0-liter powerplant than our 2.5.

While I may give the nod to the WRX STi in the States, between the two Japanese versions, I would opt for the Mitsubishi Evo. — SM

Source: Road and Track Magazine

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