2015 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution review – Roadshow

The Good Mitsubishi gives a proper sendoff to the Lancer Evolution by making the Final Edition the most powerful and track-worthy production model ever.

The Bad Away from the circuit, the Evolution remains difficult to live with on a daily basis, terrible on-road comfort and a dated cabin devoid of modern infotainment and safety tech.

The Bottom Line Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution is a throwback performance sedan best appreciated by hardcore enthusiasts.

Mitsubishi saves the best Lancer Evolution for last

The Final Edition sends the Evo out on a high note with more power and exclusive styling touches.

by Jon Wong

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I knew this day was coming. My last hurrah in a new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution before it disappears from showrooms. The Japanese carmaker said this generation of the Evolution, its tenth, would be the last. For sport-compact car enthusiasts who thought that the announcement may have just been a cruel joke, the release of this special Final Edition model is proof positive that the end of Mitsubishi’s rally-bred high-performance sedan has become reality.

Losing the Evo bums me out even though I’ve never been a huge fan of the current model. I love the Evolution IX for its emotion-rich drive character, gonzo performance and fitting boy-racer looks, yet in all my experiences with the Evo X — mostly in MR trims with a not-so-great dual-clutch transmission — it never quite spoke to me like its predecessor.

Am I missing something about the Evo X? I’m using this last go with a five-speed-manual-equipped Final Edition to find out by taking it on a short road trip and to the race track. Maybe I’ll finally come to terms with this last Evo? Or maybe I’ll still be disappointed and continue my casual search for good-condition Evo IX for my own garage.

One last go with the Lancer Evolution.

Nick Miotke/Roadshow

On-road brutality

The drone from the drivetrain churning at 3,500 rpm in fifth gear on the expressway is headache inducing, explaining my florescent orange ear plugs as I head west across Michigan. Things like sound insulation and acoustic glass aren’t always high on the requirements list for a no-nonsense performance car. Road, wind and drivetrain racket whirls constantly in the cabin making the 180-mile run to South Haven, Michigan, far from delightful.

Turning up tunes on the six-speaker audio system to mask the unpleasant noises is one option. The 6.1-inch center infotainment touchscreen gives access to satellite radio and Bluetooth audio and phone streaming, but not much else. There’s no navigation, Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in the Final Edition, meaning techies will likely continue to be disappointed with this Evolution in that respect.

How about safety tech such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistant systems? Sorry, you won’t find anything like that in the Evo, either. It’s too old — in fact, you’ll note that this car wears a 2015 model year — that’s not a misprint, Mitsubishi held over a particularly long model year to see this one through.

Red accent stitching highlights the Lancer Evolution Final Edition’s cabin.

Nick Miotke/Roadshow

Those looking for ride comfort and interior quality also need not apply. The noisy 18-inch Yokohama Advan A13 tires have cement-like sidewalls that yield a rough-and-tumble ride quality. If you’re expecting the suspension with Bilstein shock absorbers and Eibach springs to provide some damping relief, think again. There’s little give, meaning impacts from even small ruts transmit into the cabin and up your spinal cord.

Since its 2008 launch, the Evo’s interior has undergone a string of minor improvements. The center multi-information display is now color instead of all red, chrome accents dress the environment up some, and soft-touch upper door trims help break-up the acres of hard plastic up front. It’s a cabin that doesn’t look too out of place in an $18,000 compact economy sedan, but likely will disappoint many in a $39,000 machine.

Got wing?

Even without a show-stopping interior, there’s no denying that the Evolution Final Edition looks the part on the outside. An aggressive front end, vented hood, wider front fenders and trademark shopping-cart rear wing are direct links to the car’s World Rally Championship roots when driver Tommi Mäkinen notched four consecutive titles piloting Evolutions in the late 1990s.

2015 Lancer Evolution Final Edition…
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Some small styling alterations do set the Final Edition apart from regular Evos, with the most notable alteration being the black roof panel that contrasts nicely with this car’s Diamond White paint. A black center bumper, hood vents, dark chrome grille trim and Enkei wheels complete the Final Edition touches outside.

Even the spartan interior gets some Final Edition love, with red accent stitching, black headliner, sun visors, pillar trim and a numbered center console plaque denoting each car’s place within the 1,600-unit limited-edition series.

Disappointingly, the Recaro sport seats offered on some Evo models aren’t part of this Final Edition package. While the basic chairs are comfortable and have respectable side bolstering, they don’t look like they belong in a model that is serving as the swan song to a noteworthy performance model.