Evolution IX, Charger R/T driving impressions

[Vinsanity]

So yesterday I sold the trusty old Q45, and hot on the heels of that transaction, I headed straight for the dealerships with a couple grand buning a hole in my pocket. Because yes, I am a glutton for punishment.

First up was the Mistubishi Evo.

My first impression of this car was "wow, a 4-door S2000. but with a hardtop. and all-wheel-drive." This is definately the car of choice with which to seek out hooliganistic activities. Like doing a 180' on the interstate and driving in reverse. Or planting your foot on the accelerator while staring at your chick in the passenger seat. You get the idea. The turbo 4G63 engine is just awesome. Once the turbo spools up at 3000 rpm with the throttle floored, the car just makes a mad dash forward, and you get an odd urge to yell out inane sentence fragments like "OMG! GOING TO TEH MOON!!!1"

The handling was equally ridiculous. Going around the cloverleaf onramp, I was afraid the salesman would fly off his seat and onto my lap. That would've been awkward. Only when I had to slow down to match the flow of traffic did I realize just how fast I had gone around the onramp. Nuts. Attempting the same approach in the S2000 would lead me to thoughts such as "surely I die". Or at least do an ugly spin-out. Much has to be said about the confidence this car gives you compared to the S2000. Spirited driving in the S, the car tells you "let's not get carried away, here; we don't want to end up flying off the cliff and into the ocean." Whereas the Evo will tell you "you know what would be really fun right now? a hairpin turn on a dirt road "

The ride quality was similar if not a touch smoother than the S2000. Having all of the handling capability of a sports car with fewer of the chassis quivers inevitable in a roadster is a welcome change in my book. But in the end, nothing beats open-top motoring on the Coast Highway

My final impression is that the Evo definitely has the same spirit that makes the S2000 so enjoyable, and then some. It also has that welcome touch of practiality that I will be missing with the departure of my Q45. Pret-ty cool.

Next up was the Dodge Charger.

The first thing that got me was that this car seemed considerably bigger than the Q45, both inside and out. I wasn't expecting that. The quality of the interior was perfectly fine, I thought. Definitely not as bad as I have heard some complain. The pseudo-metallic plastic trim had acceptable panel gaps and the dash material was nice and soft.

Pulling out of the dealer lot, I goosed the throttle and the car responed with a full second of wheelspin before I decided to ease back. Wow. I'm not used to that happening with an automatic. Wandering around town, you don't so much "drive" the car on the street as much as you "hurl" it down the street. This car feels substantial, to say the least; it made my Q45 feel more like the size of a Sentra. I was pleased to find out that the body is well-controlled around the turns, though. That put to rest any thoughts in my mind that this is really a truck masquerading as a fastback sedan. It still sounded like a truck, though. I was eager to hear a nice Mustang-like aggressive exhaust note, but judging by the exhaust note itself, I'd feel like I was wearing brown shorts and delivering packages. Oh well. Nothing that Flowmaster can't fix

Merging onto the freeway is like letting loose a big-ass dog in a room full of dog toys. Or like a college linebacker in a frat house full of beer kegs. Anything that's big, moves fast, and makes loud noises, really. Once you're up to speed, the car just wants to keep accelerating, and as you approach slower traffic, the car is just too happy to weave swiftly around them. Hehe. Cool. At this point, the salesman found it an appropriate time to mention that if I cruise in a more calm manner, half of the cylinders will shut down, thus improving my fuel efficiency. Yeah, whatever.

Getting off the freeway and back to around-town driving, the car was equally happy to serve as relaxing transportation. That'll help keep me out of trouble. Hey, look! An ipod adapter! Sweet! It's such a shame that the troubled Diamler-Chrysler marriage didn't work out. The 300 and the Charger are such beautiful children that stemmed from that marriage.

I didn't come home with a car that day, because I have yet to decide whether I want two car payments, or if I want to give up the S2000. I'll put a hold on the car search for now until my life proves to me that I need a car with a back seat. But test driving cars is great fun

[Champ]

Nice, short write up on the Charger leads me to believe you didn't like it as much?

[Raza]

arg need to fix post

Keen observation.

[Vinsanity]

post fixed. somehow when I pressed enter, my comp. thought that I hit the post button

[Raza]

The Evo is so damn good it astounds me. 

Fucking cruise control. 

Although more capable than a GTO, I wonder if I'd take an Evo over the Aussie in American clothes.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

I'm sure if the EVO had cruise you would just find some other reason not to buy it.

Stop spending so much time trying to convince yourself and everyone else here that the crappy VW you end up buying is the "best all around choice".

[FlatBlackCaddy]

My first thought when i found out my car didn't have cruise was a good one.

They really went hardcore with that thing.

If it isn't for going fast it wasn't put on the car.

[Vinsanity]

The Evo is so damn good it astounds me.?

Fucking cruise control.?

Although more capable than a GTO, I wonder if I'd take an Evo over the Aussie in American clothes.

I dunno, man. Find a regular Lancer in a junkyard, pull the cruise control wiring and transplant it into the Evo. I'm sure there's a way.

But to be honest, unless this car's going to see any sort of spirited driving (i.e. not cruising with the flow of traffic on the freeway), it might as well be a regular Lancer with a Fast & Furious wing. I'd say that the Charger (and probably the GTO) are more suitable for highway cruising, but not if you're using 500 miles of gas every week (or whatever it was you said)

[Raza]

I dunno, man. Find a regular Lancer in a junkyard, pull the cruise control wiring and transplant it into the Evo. I'm sure there's a way.

But to be honest, unless this car's going to see any sort of spirited driving (i.e. not cruising with the flow of traffic on the freeway), it might as well be a regular Lancer with a Fast & Furious wing. I'd say that the Charger (and probably the GTO) are more suitable for highway cruising, but not if you're using 500 miles of gas every week (or whatever it was you said)

Yeah, but it's not like the GTO isn't capable at all.  It handles well and is quite fun. 

As far as highway miles goes, I think the Evo and the LS2 GTO get about the same 25-26mpg.  The LS1 gets 29 (although I'm almost certain you can easily break 30).

[NomisR]

If i'm putting on 500 miles a week, i'd get something that's lower maintainence than a Evo that's for sure.

How well does a Charge stop though?  It goes like hell but what about slowing down?

[Raza]

If i'm putting on 500 miles a week, i'd get something that's lower maintainence than a Evo that's for sure.

How well does a Charge stop though?? It goes like hell but what about slowing down?

That's a lot of weight it has to haul in.

How's the brake feel on top of that?  The A4's brakes were way touchy, not progressive at all.

[Vinsanity]

That's a lot of weight it has to haul in.

How's the brake feel on top of that?? The A4's brakes were way touchy, not progressive at all.

The brake feel is decent; didn't seem touchy at all to me. It stops better than the Q45, which is good enough for me

It's also worth mentioning that the Charger's throttle response is nice and linear. I was afraid that 350 lb-ft of torque would've given me a sore neck at the stoplights on the way to work, but it's nice and easy when you want it to be

as for the fuel economy, I should probably double-check, but the salesman recited the Charger's EPA ratings as 19 city, 25 highway. If that's what the LS2 GTO gets, then might as well consider a Charger, too.

[Raza]

The brake feel is decent; didn't seem touchy at all to me. It stops better than the Q45, which is good enough for me

It's also worth mentioning that the Charger's throttle response is nice and linear. I was afraid that 350 lb-ft of torque would've given me a sore neck at the stoplights on the way to work, but it's nice and easy when you want it to be

as for the fuel economy, I should probably double-check, but the salesman recited the Charger's EPA ratings as 19 city, 25 highway. If that's what the LS2 GTO gets, then might as well consider a Charger, too.

Charger has DoD, so you would hope it has decent gas mileage. 

However, unlike the GTO, it doesn't have a 6mT.  Or LsD. 

[Vinsanity]

Charger has DoD, so you would hope it has decent gas mileage.?

However, unlike the GTO, it doesn't have a 6mT.? Or LsD.?

LSD? Are you going to do donuts in the parking lot before you leave work every Friday?

[SVT666]

It's such a shame that the troubled Diamler-Chrysler marriage didn't work out. The 300 and the Charger are such beautiful children that stemmed from that marriage.

The cars were already under development when the merger took place.  All the merger provided were parts of the rear suspension.

[Raza]

LSD? Are you going to do donuts in the parking lot before you leave work every Friday?

I am often forced into 6AM drift contests. 

And on the way home, I always like to do a few doughnuts before I pull on to the main road. 

[heelntoe]

LSD? Are you going to do donuts in the parking lot before you leave work every Friday?

no, he has the boxster on fridays, d-uh.

[FordSVT]

The cars were already under development when the merger took place.? All the merger provided were parts of the rear suspension.

You're a bit off I think.

The 300 Magnum, and Charger are all on the Chrysler LX platform. It shares components from the Mercedes Benz E class of 96-02 that include the steering column, seat frames, suspension design, wiring harness, and the 5-speed automatic's design. I think the awd system that's available is a derivative of the 4-Matic system Benz has too..

And since the merger took place in 98, I'd hope to God they weren't working on the car since before then, it was a 2005 model!

[Vinsanity]

a few crappy camera phone pics

[NomisR]

Is that Mitsu at the Tustin Auto Center?

[Vinsanity]

Is that Mitsu at the Tustin Auto Center?

Correct, sir.

Wow, you're good

[Vinsanity]

I am often forced into 6AM drift contests.?

Well then there really is no other car for you than the one and only Nissan 240SX, then

[Raza]

Just checked:

Evo gets 25 hwy mpg under old EPA.  MR gets 24.

Charger gets 25 (SRT gets 20!).

LS2 GTO gets 25. 
LS1 GTO gets 29.

3.6L 996 gets 26.



So all these cars are in the same ballpark under old EPA.  I've decided that's a realistic enough system.

[rohan]

If you think the civi version handles-you should try the PPD package with the ZR tires- there is none of the flexing of the tires sidewalls.  It feels like a different suspension altogether.  I can't get my department to buy them- but we're at least testing one now- finally got the right one in and upfitted. 

[Vinsanity]

I don't belive you can order the PPD package as a consumer through a dealer :P but would that be the same suspension package that comes in the Road & Track performance package? at least that also comes with a set of dubs

[93JC]

And since the merger took place in 98, I'd hope to God they weren't working on the car since before then, it was a 2005 model!

Believe it or not Chrysler had been working on the LX chassis since around 1990...

The original LX prototypes were very similar to LH. LH and the original LX were offshoots of the same all-purpose progenitor chassis, the original idea being you could make front-, rear- and all-wheel-drive cars off one chassis, trimming development and production costs. An example of a car off the first LX chassis would be the Eagle Optima concept, which was powered by a prototype SOHC 4.0L V8.
They ditched this chassis and started over, around 1996ish. The 300 Hemi C convertible concept is the best-known example of a car on this concept version of LX.
Then, after the merger, they started over again, around 2000, incorporating Mercedes-Benz parts. The idea being it would push the design schedule forward and reduce final production costs. (It did neither of these: the old Mercedes-Benz parts had to be re-jiggered around to fit the Chrysler chassis, and the Chrysler division was forced to buy these parts from the Mercedes division, as a subsidiary would.)

[rohan]

I don't belive you can order the PPD package as a consumer through a dealer :P but would that be the same suspension package that comes in the Road & Track performance package? at least that also comes with a set of dubs

That's what they tell us the suspension is.  It's basically a street car with bigger cooling system and a different oil and trans cooler.  And there are guy sout there that have bought some- once in a while you see one on ebay.