Autodealer Dream Buy: Mitsubishi Evo X
It’s time for another Autodealer dream buy, where we browse through the classifieds and pick a car that we’d like to own.
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It’s time for another Autodealer dream buy, where we browse through the classifieds and pick a car that we’d like to own. We’ve come across all JDM, when we stumbled upon a Mitsubishi Evo X.
South Africans have never had the same opportunity as other countries to go out and buy a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution model as easily as they have been able to buy Subaru’s equivalent Impreza WRX and STI models. However, that isn’t to say that we’ve been totally deprived; we did receive a limited number of the VIII, IX and X models, locally.
The latter Evo X models brought in to South Africa were heavily specified and were only available with the brand’s dual-clutch gearbox, a massive disappointment for purists. The leads to the next issue with the most recent model which was that they were extremely high-priced, somewhere in the region of R700 000 new, a few years back. Now, though, you can have these turbocharged, double-clutch gearbox-equipped monsters for less than half that price. Also bear in mind that the Evo is no longer in production, making these cars destined for classic status in a few decades time.
The checks
-Ensure that the car is rattle-free as these models are known to produce irksome clatters in the cabin;
-The fuel pump relays are known to give trouble, so simply have this item replaced with an aftermarket item, upon purchase;
-Luckily, we only got the double-clutch automatic models and therefore don’t need to worry about the clutch master cylinder issues on the manual model;
-There have been reports of failed MAF sensors, which can cause fuelling problems;
-It has been reported that the quality of the paint job is not up to scratch – literally;
-There are also reports of the cars wearing-out tyres at around 15 000km, so ensure the car you buy has fresh rubber.