Used car buying guide: Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII (2003-2005)

Mitsubishi's rally-bred saloon offers an incredible amount of bang for your buck, provided the mechanical components have been well looked after

Suspension bushes are prone to wear, and alloy arms can bend

Supposedly a final fling for the Lancer-bodied Evolution models when it arrived in 2003, the Evo VIII pointed to a more civilised, usable future for Mitsubishi’s all-wheel-drive rally special.

In the end it was the Evo IX that took the honour of being the last of the Lancer-based line, but thanks to the sheer volume of different flavours in which it was offered, the VIII was one of the most successful. The earliest cars are now available used for less than £10,000, with higher-mileage examples starting at around £8000, representing a phenomenal amount of performance for not much outlay.

Simon Grove of Mitsubishi specialist Xtreme UK describes the Evo VIII as “a very capable road car”, and he knows his Evos. Autocar actually ran a modified Evo VIII Xtreme as a long-termer in 2003; it was a popular car, that one.

Like so many of the Evo VIIIs you’ll find in the classifieds, the Xtreme will probably have been modified. The Evo is one of those cars that both attracts those keen to fiddle and copes well with added power. You’ll see some staggering outputs quoted from the turbocharged 2.0-litre engine, but buying an Evo is pretty specialised stuff, so do your homework on the mods and the people who did them.

As a rule, if you’re looking for more power, Grove suggests a minimum of a new fuel pump, stronger conrods and forged pistons, although he admits that a simple ECU reflash can add as much as 100bhp with few problems.

Grove describes the Evo VIII as a model of two parts, the official UK MR (Mitsubishi Racing) cars that arrived in 2004 being the best, these coming officially in 300 (305bhp), 320 (326bhp) and 340 (342bhp) guises. They were also badged FQ ― folklore suggesting the Q was for ‘quick’ and the F… well, work that one out for yourselves. A non-MR 260 with 261bhp and a five-speed gearbox was offered as an entry-level car, too.

The MRs may have worn the same Evo VIII nomenclature, but they are so different from the pre-MR models that Grove considers them Evo VIII and a half, as they brought some serious technical revisions over the original VIII.

An aluminium roof and side impact bars reduced the body weight by 7.5kg as part of an overall 10kg decrease in mass; Mitsubishi claimed the 4kg weight saving on the roof alone had the same effect on the centre of gravity as lowering the roof by 50mm. The fastidious attention to detail included fitting lighter alloy wheels (which reduced the unsprung mass by 3.2kg) and Bilstein dampers, revising the damping rates and retuning the complex all-wheel drive system to be more ‘pro-active’ (read ‘entertaining’). Aluminium rather than steel on the Super AYC (Active Yaw Control) unit saves 800 grams, too.

These MRs are the desirable cars, says Grove. “People really started taking notice when they arrived,” he adds. That’s hardly surprising, given its performance. He describes them as “very robust”, although he admits that “with a lot to go wrong, regular maintenance is very important”.

Evo VIIIs don’t have any real problem areas or potentially huge bills, but it all depends on how well they have been maintained and driven. Grove says he has seen Evo VIIIs through Xtreme’s servicing bays with 70,000 miles on the clock yet still on their original clutch. The AYC and centre differential are supplied by the same pump, and this is the biggest potential failure item. Regular fluid changes and inspection should prevent a big bill, though.

Servicing costs needn’t be crippling, either, although with 4500-mile service intervals the Evo VIII needs more attention than most. A basic service will cost around £150 at Xtreme. AYC fluid every second service adds £50 to that, and a cambelt change at 45,000 miles comes in about £650. Supercar performance, then, without the running costs.

What to look out for:

When starting the engine, check that the warning lights come on briefly, before extinguishing. Active Yaw Control problems are signified by three warning lights coming on.

Grumbling from the gearbox points to a worn bearing. A new throw-out bearing will cost about £85.

Check the service schedule for a cambelt change; it should have been done at 45,000 miles. Also check for AYC fluid changes; these should have been done at every second service.

Uneven tyre wear points to the geometry being out of line. If it is, the car won’t feel as stable. A realignment will cost between £110 and £150.

Check out all modifications that any past owner has had done. It’s pretty unlikely that an Evo VIII won’t have been added to in some way. Air filters, suspension kits, dump valves and ECU reflashes are all common mods. Find out who did any upgrades and check that they’re reputable.