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2007-06-19 8:09 PM
in reply to: #851095

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Elite
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Subject: RE: cars: American Muscle vs. Highly Tuned up Imports
LowCountryTri - I traded my Evo in because of the treatment I got from Mitsu regarding some rust developing on the trunk lid. Where Mitsu attached the wing, they didn't put enough double-sided tape so when you closed the trunk lid, or moved at a high rate of speed (the wing creates over 60lbs of downforce), the wing base would rub against the top of the trunk lid. Obviously, the paint wore out and rust formed. 6mos after owning the car. The District Service Manager has to okay ALL warranty claims on an Evo, and he denied the claim, saying it is normal wear and tear and is a care and maintenance issue more than anything. I work at a professional car wash, and this car was washed and waxed and treated like a garage queen (even though it was my daily driver). So to suggest that I don't know how to care for and maintain my car is ludicrous at best. I challenged him to find another spot on the car that indicated poor c&m and handed over the keys. He got on his hands and knees, opened the hood, the trunk, all the doors, and went over the whole car closely and could find nothing. He INSISTED, and I argued. Finally, after 45 minutes of discussion, he relented and said he would pay for the fix but would not warranty it and didn't want to hear about this issue from me again. I DON'T think this guy is a rogue jerk. I moderate on evolutionforums.com and I have seen stories like these over and over. It's Mitsu - top down.

So, I took a stand against this type of treatment and sold the car.

If you want an Evo, you'll get a GREAT car that the manufacturer will not stand behind. Just accept that fact going into it.


2007-06-19 11:20 PM
in reply to: #851492

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Master
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Subject: RE: cars: American Muscle vs. Highly Tuned up Imports
D.Z.

Those kind of stories from Evo and Rex owners are exactly what scared me away from owning one as a second car for me. It is amazing to me that Mitsu was actually spying on the forums and killing warranties for guys that were doing autoX or track days with their cars.

Why the f*ck bring the car over here if you're gonna kill the enthusiasts who are your customer base?????

I've had better much better service from Audi, MB, and Honda, even on my modified cars.

Zev
2007-06-20 5:01 AM
in reply to: #851492

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Champion
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Milton, GA
Subject: RE: cars: American Muscle vs. Highly Tuned up Imports

D.Z. - 2007-06-19 9:09 PM LowCountryTri - I traded my Evo in because of the treatment I got from Mitsu regarding some rust developing on the trunk lid. Where Mitsu attached the wing, they didn't put enough double-sided tape so when you closed the trunk lid, or moved at a high rate of speed (the wing creates over 60lbs of downforce), the wing base would rub against the top of the trunk lid. Obviously, the paint wore out and rust formed. 6mos after owning the car. The District Service Manager has to okay ALL warranty claims on an Evo, and he denied the claim, saying it is normal wear and tear and is a care and maintenance issue more than anything. I work at a professional car wash, and this car was washed and waxed and treated like a garage queen (even though it was my daily driver). So to suggest that I don't know how to care for and maintain my car is ludicrous at best. I challenged him to find another spot on the car that indicated poor c&m and handed over the keys. He got on his hands and knees, opened the hood, the trunk, all the doors, and went over the whole car closely and could find nothing. He INSISTED, and I argued. Finally, after 45 minutes of discussion, he relented and said he would pay for the fix but would not warranty it and didn't want to hear about this issue from me again. I DON'T think this guy is a rogue jerk. I moderate on evolutionforums.com and I have seen stories like these over and over. It's Mitsu - top down. So, I took a stand against this type of treatment and sold the car. If you want an Evo, you'll get a GREAT car that the manufacturer will not stand behind. Just accept that fact going into it.

Wow!  I had not heard of that.  Sorry that you had to go through PITA situation over something that should have obviously been taken care of.  So what would you drive instead of the EVO (or are driving instead, I should say)?

2007-06-20 7:18 AM
in reply to: #851692

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Elite
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Subject: RE: cars: American Muscle vs. Highly Tuned up Imports
I should be fair, though, in my criticism of Mitsu. To a certain degree, their hands are tied because the people who usually buy these cars are 16-20 year olds with mom and dads money. They have NEVER driven a stick before, much less an AWD car, with high output, little low-end torque, and sticky tires. These kids tried to spin the tires, and ended up destroying their clutches and their transmissions. I know this for certain. IMO, Mitsu shouldn't have to pay for this mistake. Unfortunately, they had to make a decision on what to fix. Ultimately, they choose to treat their customers like crooks and/or kids, and that's where they went wrong. I would have been perfectly happy if the guy sized me up, looked at the issue and said "this is a manufacturing defect, let me fix it", and sent me on my way. I'd still have it. Unfortunately, they did me wrong.

I am sure that Subaru has similar problems.

As far as Mitsu spying on owners, I don't buy it. I've heard the arguments, and personally, I think they have far more pressing matters at hand. I could be wrong, there is a first for everything...;-)

I also think that if you track your car, you lose certain warranties. Breaks, suspension, transmission, etc. Radio, A/C, seating, should be warrantied. Look, tracking your car is ABUSIVE to it. Sure these cars are MEANT to be raced, but they also get taken apart and rebuilt after each race. It is the owners responsibility to do this, not Mitsu's.

As for what I drive now? Well, I have a little SUV for work stuff, and I am not-so-secretly drooling over an early 90's miata to rebuild and tune, or an early 80's BMW 3 series to rebuild. Honda's and Toyota's are SOOOO well supported in the tuner community that I will keep my eyes open for one of them and do it RIGHT. Audi's are good too. ;-) I really want an older model of something.
2007-06-20 7:21 AM
in reply to: #846822

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Elite
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Subject: RE: cars: American Muscle vs. Highly Tuned up Imports
I do recommend visiting sites like www.evolutionforums.com and www.evolutionm.net (subie has similar such sites) and look around so you know what you are getting into. EvoM is more hardcore info, while evolutionforums are Evo enthusiasts chatting about their cars and other fun stuff - it's more social.
2007-06-20 7:45 AM
in reply to: #851812

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Champion
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Milton, GA
Subject: RE: cars: American Muscle vs. Highly Tuned up Imports

Thanks for the info. 

I have checked out the evo forums and found some good info.  As a married man in his mid thirties with a kid, my use of the car would be low key compared to others out there running them.  I really just want something fun to drive every day and go run auto-x every once in a while.   We have a pretty good SCCA presence here and they do a good job of setting up local events.  Now, if I were looking for something just to autox I would definitely go the route of an older miata and such.



2007-06-20 10:57 AM
in reply to: #846822

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Expert
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Subject: RE: cars: American Muscle vs. Highly Tuned up Imports

Personally, I am for american muscle all the way.  I have a 68 bird that I am rebuilding from the frame up.  I love the way a big block lopes and shakes the car. 

However, I will say that some imports are impressive, and totally respect some of those guys that will drop $10,000 in an engine and spend hours and hours playing with the fuel injection tuning (it aint easy).  If you did it yourself and have imagination, more power to you.....

See you at the drag strip, you better run what you brung!!!



Edited by Shortyy 2007-06-20 10:58 AM
2007-06-20 11:30 AM
in reply to: #851692

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Subject: RE: cars: American Muscle vs. Highly Tuned up Imports
Z-dog - 2007-06-19 11:20 PM

D.Z.

Those kind of stories from Evo and Rex owners are exactly what scared me away from owning one as a second car for me. It is amazing to me that Mitsu was actually spying on the forums and killing warranties for guys that were doing autoX or track days with their cars.

Why the f*ck bring the car over here if you're gonna kill the enthusiasts who are your customer base?????

I've had better much better service from Audi, MB, and Honda, even on my modified cars.

Zev


I've never heard of such problems from Subaru owners. The only complaints they ever seem to have is the glass tranny the WRXs and STIs come with.
2007-06-20 12:21 PM
in reply to: #852332

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Elite
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Subject: RE: cars: American Muscle vs. Highly Tuned up Imports
mr2tony - 2007-06-20 11:30 AM

Z-dog - 2007-06-19 11:20 PM

D.Z.

Those kind of stories from Evo and Rex owners are exactly what scared me away from owning one as a second car for me. It is amazing to me that Mitsu was actually spying on the forums and killing warranties for guys that were doing autoX or track days with their cars.

Why the f*ck bring the car over here if you're gonna kill the enthusiasts who are your customer base?????

I've had better much better service from Audi, MB, and Honda, even on my modified cars.

Zev


I've never heard of such problems from Subaru owners. The only complaints they ever seem to have is the glass tranny the WRXs and STIs come with.


Well, early on, Subie had a problem with their brakes. Apparently, under heavy breaking on poor road surfaces, the ABS would kick in. You how ABS works, right? When the car senses the wheels aren't spinning anymore, it unlocks the breaks to allow a LITTLE wheel spin. Well, imagine you are pulling up to a stop sign on some bumpy roads and you start apply the breaks. As you approach the intersection, something about the bumps in the road and brakes cause the ABS to kick on are release the rotors. You foot (which is on the break pedal) slams all the way to the floor, and you aren't slowing down anymore. The car settles a little bit, and now the brakes kick in properly. Well, that sounds a little, disturbing, no? I'm not sure if Subie every fixed this problem, but it was well documented. I think the new ones are okay, but from 2002-2004, it was a REAL problem. Some people might never have experienced the right conditions, but in the NE, after a bad winter, you can have those bad roads, and we're ALWAYS stopping up here.

This is OT, but I remember driving my Audi around this particular intersection for years. It was a stop sign, a 90 degree left turn, and then a 90 degree right turn. The road was TERRIBLE - potholes, bumps, terrible. I would stop at the sign, merge and quickly get up to speed. The road was so bad that as I accelerated into traffic to the left, and then right, my traction control would kick in (traction control is the biggest buzz-kill in a fast car IMO), and I would slowly navigate the turn. If I didn't leave enough space between me and oncoming traffic, people would plow into me simply because my traction control had turned on and slowed my acceleration.

Fast forward to Evo ownership. Heh-heh. I'd stop at the sign, rev the engine and drop the clutch (safely so as not to destroy said weak transmission), and haul arse through the turn. That final right, I would often be sliding sideways through it simply because the suspension was so unsettled, there was little pavement in contact with my tires. Loads of fun.
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