Mitsubishi Evolution X: 5,249 miles

Loadsamoney! Running a Mitsubishi Evo X was never going to be a cheap experience. Its serious appetite for fuel has left some sizeable dents in my pocket. But recently I had another reason to wave goodbye to a large wadge of cash – and it came as a bit of a surprise.

With less than 5,000 miles on them, the front tyres were down to the legal limit. While the Evo has been on a road test, and covered a few miles on a track, I’m still amazed the standard fit Yokohama Advans have worn out so quickly.

Maybe their treatment before the car arrived with us has something to do with it – the Evo turned up with 1,800 miles on the clock back in April – but I’m shocked nonetheless. Whatever the reason, though, they had to be replaced.

But as the Evo X is four-wheel drive, I couldn’t simply stick on a new set of fronts – doing so would compromise the handling and throw the Mitsubishi’s on-board computer into a spin. So I’ve had to replace all four.

And this time, I’ve gone for some different rubber – a set of Michelin Pilot Sports – in the hope they’ll last longer. Regardless of where you source them, you’re looking at a big bill for four 245/45 R18-sized tyres. The cheapest I found was £701.04 (www.blackcircles.com), the most expensive £1,060 (Kwik-Fit – although this included fitting). ATS Euromaster quoted me £811.64, and did an excellent job replacing all four in 45 minutes.

Now the rubber is refreshed, the Evo is back to full fitness. And apart from the running costs, I’m still loving it to bits. It’s just so much fun, with lots of grip and instant turn-in. The more time I spend with the twin-clutch SST gearbox, the more I warm to it. I particularly like the S-Sport mode, which bangs the gearchanges through incredibly quickly, but sometimes I’m left hankering for a more involving manual.

Thanks to the Evo X’s 10,000-mile intervals (over twice as long as the old car), we’re still a way off the first service. Which is just as well – I don’t think my wallet can stand much more abuse.

Extra Info

Second opinion

For me, the core appeal of our Evo is the SST gearbox, which snaps between ratios quickly and intuitively. It rarely gets caught out, and it means the Evo X is very easy to drive across a winding back road – sometimes a little too easy.

Like Sam, I occasionally yearn for the involvement of a manual shift, although the SST’s ‘point-and-go’ appeal is addictive – if you can live with the fuel costs. Even on a relaxed motorway cruise, the Evo burns unleaded like you’ve set a match to it!

Mark Nichol Motoring writer