When it comes to the rally world, Subaru and Mitsubishi are two names that won't let themselves get ignored. And they weren't not ignored, what they did is they grabbed the attention of many car enthusiasts. Their respective designs is not the one that dazzles them, it is the speed. STI by Subaru and EVO by Mitsubishi are the cars that named the tight competition between the two. With everything that is applied on this two, one would find it hard to determine which one is better. It will be very hard, even for experts, to know which one has the edge and which one will be left behind if ever they will meet on the road.
As many reviews said, you can't declare STI as the winner if you haven't drive the EVO and vice versa. The only thing that will distinguish one from the other is when one is drove by a professional and the other one is drove by a baby.
Some say that Mitsubishi's EVO is the greatest. EVO has a steering ratio of 13.0:1 while the Subaru only has 15.2:1. As the numbers show, the previous one appears to be quicker. But the battle does not end there, there are more features that differentiate the two. If chassis is EVO's best attribute, STI takes the credit when it comes to the drivetrain. The cars has more power and torque on tap and more aggressive gearbox. It is hard to find a drivetrain whose priority is to go quickly than any other road car, but STI has it. The car offers a power delivery with rally car handling. When you grind the pedal to the corner exits, the STI turns into a Subaru-powered Camaro. The transitions from understeer to oversteer rapidly with the active center diff doing much of the work in deciding where the power goes. But still, STI is less adjustable than the Mitsubishi's EVO.
When it comes to driving, the responses in EVO is more natural, easier to control and more rewarding. On the other hand, STI is less receptive to mid-corner adjustments from the brakes or the throttle. Braking is awarded to EVO. Since STI is producing an inconsistent pedal feel, it is disheartening to step on it. EVO's braking system provides a relentless stopping power, slowing it time and time again to match the cornering speed.
On the engine, it looks like STI has it. With a 295bhp 2.5 litre turbocharged flat four cylinder engine, it will surely left behind EVO's 2.0 litre turbo with a power of 276bhp. Subaru appears to be the stronger performer because of its more low-down punch and a wave of power all the way up to 8,000rpm red line.
Even though their advantages were mentioned, it is still not clear which one is superior. Power, precision, sharpness and acceleration makes the judgment seismic. We can choose the STI for now, but it can be the EVO in few weeks or months, and the cycle will go on. Because until now, both manufacturers keep on developing their own cars to get the supremacy in rally cars. And this benefits us largely. Their competition is our gain.