Used Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 1999-2001 review

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Homologation specials really don’t get much more fun than an Evo VI

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A quarter of a century on from its launch, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI has come to be regarded as the best of the Evo breed, for this is a homologation special that can deliver a turbocharged sucker punch to any undulating B-road like no other rally refugee before it.

That alone might be enough of a draw for any buyer on the hunt for a modern classic, but the Evo VI is far more than just stonkingly quick: it comes dripping with rallying pedigree, rarity and performance.

Unlike the more radical touring cars of the day, which were largely mechanically unrelated to their road-going counterparts, the differences between road and rally machines were not that significant.

So the Evo VI is about as close to a bona fide rally car as you can get. It’s almost identical to the Group A version that Tommi Mäkinen piloted to WRC glory in 1999 and is defined by an outrageously sophisticated drivetrain built around three key defining elements: an advanced four-wheel drive system, a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and electronic active yaw control (AYC).

The AYC and four-wheel drive work in unison (with the help of sensors dotted around the car) to minimise oversteer and understeer, which means the Evo VI is not only fast but also incredibly capable down a narrow cross-country road.

When we first drove the early GSR model, we said: “In many ways it feels more like a fighter aircraft than it does a humble automobile in the way it slices into bends, and then sucks itself to the floor, seeming to defy the laws of physics.”

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Praise indeed – and you could sample these mind-blowing dynamics for just £31,000 in 1999. That sum will still get you into a tuned Evo VI today, but these are best avoided. We suggest you aim for a standard, untarnished example in a bid to avoid any costly engine qualms.

The Evo VI wasn’t deemed totally perfect by our testers, though. Its steering was judged to be a little overactive and a lack of feel through the wheel meant it was good rather than class-leading. But the car still gained a resounding five-star rating.

The punchy 276bhp mill was a proper beast, as the performance figures at test: 0-62mph in 4.4sec, 0-100mph in 11.2sec and 150mph flat out. Throw in the unyielding traction from the four-wheel drive system and this was, and still is, a car that could brush aside a Ferrari 550 – even more reason to buy a used Evo VI then, when you consider a 550 costs almost twice as much second-hand.

Don’t assume the Evo sacrificed creature comforts in its bid to become a brilliant road car, though. It had climate control, electric windows and mirrors, and superb Recaro seats.

At the turn of the millennium, Mitsubishi excelled itself with the jaw-dropping Tommi Mäkinen Edition (TME), which celebrated the Finn’s fourth WRC title. Over the standard car it gained a new titanium turbocharger, a different exhaust, reworked front bumper and headlights and (of course) more scoops. A quicker steering rack, Tarmac-biased suspension tune and 17in Enkei wheels finished it off – and while the red paint and livery weren’t mandatory, you would, wouldn’t you?

Only 250 TMEs were imported into the UK, so a stickered-up car is rare. They’re dearer now, even more so if the mileage is low. But no car celebrates rallying quite like it.

Just like the GSR, the TME was a total triumph to drive, for its compact size, unwavering agility and superb performance. In fact, we called it the best of the breed. Twenty-five years on, the Evo VI is a true modern classic and one that is only set to rise in value. 

The following driving sections have been taken from our original road test from 2001.

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DESIGN & STYLING

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At the heart of the Evo VI are three key technical features: an ultra-sophisticated four-wheel drive system, an indecently potent 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine plus five-speed gearbox, and an electronic active yaw control system designed to virtually eradicate sliding.

The four-wheel drive hardware is state-of-the-art, in that it uses a centre viscous coupling that splits torque 50/50 between the front and rear axles in normal conditions, though this can vary slightly depending on how slippery it is underfoot.

The really clever part is how this system works in conjunction with the active yaw control which uses sensors to monitor steering, braking, throttle and longitudinal go-to control the front and rear differentials and in the process counteract understeer and oversteer.

INTERIOR

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You don't buy an Evo VI for its creature comforts; it's not that sort of car. But neither is it a pared-to-the-bone road racer in the manner of the Lotus Elise - not in top-of-the-range GSR spec at any rate.

In the cabin the only obvious clues to the car's performance are the chunky Recaro seats, which look terrific, plus the white-on-blue instruments which are housed within the otherwise pretty plain-looking dashboard.

The driving environment is hard, if not impossible, to fault ergonomically. The gear lever is just where your left hand falls in the heat of the moment, the pedals are perfectly aligned for heel and toe gearchanges, the Momo steering wheel is multi-adjustable and feels great in the hands, and none of the instruments are obscured when a normal-size driver is at the wheel.

The seats themselves warrant individual praise, not simply because they look the part but because they're some of the grippiest you'll find in any car. We particularly approve of the adjustable under-thigh supports.

Quality levels are no better but no worse than you'd expect of a mass-produced Japanese saloon. So while you never get the impression that anything is going to fall off or break, there's definitely a slight lack of integrity to the way things like the door handles and switches operate. A Volkswagen Golf it is not.

It's easy to overlook how practical the Evo VI is in terms of space in light of all its other strengths, but in reality it is a genuine four-seater with a decent-size boot.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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There are many facets to the Evo VI's monumental performance that leave the uninitiated gasping with disbelief, but what truly distinguishes it is its usability. A TVR Cerbera may well be quicker against the clock on a dry, straight test track, but in most real-world situations it wouldn't see which way an Evo VI had gone.

Yet this is not exclusively a benefit of the Mitsubishi's superior all-wheel-drive traction. It's also a direct result of having such a huge chunk of torque available across such a wide range of revs. And by wide we mean a band of at least 5000rpm.

Nail the throttle in fourth gear at 1500rpm and not a great deal happens for a couple of seconds, though having said that neither does the engine try to grind itself to pieces like a Subaru 22B's motor does when subjected to such treatment. The moment the rev needle rises past 2700rpm, however, you can actually hear the turbo start to force air back through the engine, and you better be ready for the explosion of acceleration that follows.

If you keep your foot planted the action won't let up until the limiter intrudes at a mind-bogglingly smooth 7700rpm, at which point you're doing 120mph in less time than it takes to count the fingers on two hands. Do this once and you're shocked. Do it twice and you're amused. Three times and you're already a hopeless addict, after which not even cars you once thought were shatteringly quick seem capable of providing a big enough fix.

By any standards, supercar or otherwise, the Evo VI is a devastatingly fast car, aided in its quest by one of the swiftest, sweetest five-speed gearboxes you could ever wish to palm through its gate.

The figures speak for themselves: 0-60mph in 4.4sec, 0-l00mph in 11.2sec, 150mph flat out and, perhaps the most accurate marker of its eye-watering overtaking ability, 30-70mph in 4.1sec. In bald terms you need nothing less than a Ferrari 550 Maranello to go faster. 

RIDE & HANDLING

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If the Evo VI is awesome in a straight line - and it is - then it is difficult to describe how it goes around corners. In many ways it feels more like a fighter aircraft than it does a humble automobile in the way it slices into bends, and then sucks itself to the floor, seeming to defy the laws of physics as it goes.

You want traction on the way out? The Evo VI has traction the like of which requires you to get a very real grip on your senses before applying full throttle out of slow, wet, second-gear roundabouts. Most fast cars will spin their wheels in the dry if you plant the accelerator out of a tight corner, but the Evo just dumps its power on the road through all four wheels and goes, streaming wet tarmac or not.

It's so dramatic when exiting slow bends, in fact, that you half expect to look in the mirror and find the road rippled under the strain, as if it's been torn up like a lump of loose carpet.

The steering, too, is initially almost over-reactive to your inputs and can appear nervous until you pick up its rhythms. Threading your way along sinewy B-roads is more of a mental challenge than it is a physical one, yet you soon learn to guide the nose with nothing more than small, delicate wrist movements, relying on the knowledge that traditional problems like understeer and oversteer simply aren't on the menu on the public road (if they are, you've probably already had the accident).

Driven like this the Evo is a surprisingly fluid-handling car, despite its ultra-stiff suspension settings which allow the 225/45 17in tyres to smack across urban ridges with little concession to comfort. Like all the best handlers, it only starts to flow once you're moving at a decent speed.

Yet for all its towering abilities, the chassis is not quite faultless. Though steering feel has undoubtedly improved over the V, it's still only good. In a car so focused you've every right to expect perfection in this most vital area, but it's not quite there. Likewise, it's sometimes difficult to tell precisely how much grip there is left in the bank when travelling very quickly over roads that feature a number of different surface types.

You can't help wondering occasionally whether you'd be able to sense and react to the patch of oil when it arrived, or whether you'd just leave the road instantly. The trouble is, the Evo eggs you on constantly with its immense composure and competition car responses.

Our only complaint, therefore, concerns the ride, which is stiff in town. You could argue that anyone buying an Evo VI in which to pose up and down the high street deserves to feel uncomfortable, but the fact that this also brings tyre roar on coarse surfaces is not as easy to forgive.

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MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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In normal circumstances you would expect a car this quick to quaff fuel at an alarming rate, say 16-17mpg at best. But the Evo is not a normal car. Because it is so rapid, the occasions on which you use full throttle on the road are few and far between. Hence, over 750 varied miles, including two sessions at the test track, it still averaged more than 23mpg, rising to 29.9mpg over our touring route.

That's an exceptional result given the performance. It's not as if the gearing is especially long or the aerodynamics extraordinary (21.6mph per l000rpm and a Cd of 0.36 ). The range is the only weak link: in reality you can't get more than 280 miles out of the 13-gallon (60-litre) tank.

VERDICT

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It's not hard to sum up the Mitsubishi Evo VI. It is one of the most exciting cars ever to go on sale. This is not simply because of its awesome cross-country pace, which is peerless in our experience, but also because of its extraordinary breadth of talents, both practical and dynamic.

This is a car which can swallow four adults and their luggage as effectively as any saloon, yet can keep up with Ferraris of a similar vintage in a straight line. But it is perfectly usable as an everyday road car.

Sam Phillips

Sam Phillips
Title: Staff Writer

Sam joined the Autocar team in summer 2024 and has been a contributor since 2021. He is tasked with writing used reviews and first drives as well as updating top 10s and evergreen content on the Autocar website. 

He previously led sister-title Move Electric, which covers the entire spectrum of electric vehicles, from cars to boats – and even trucks. He is an expert in new car news, used cars, electric cars, microbility, classic cars and motorsport. 

Sam graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2021 with a BA in Journalism. In his final year he produced an in-depth feature on the automotive industry’s transition to electric cars and interviewed a number of leading experts to assess our readiness for the impending ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars.