The Lemon Index
Head to head
Each car's headline trim of its newest generation. Green check = the better of the two on that line (more power, quicker, lighter, cheaper, fewer recalls).
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
CZ4A (Evo X) Lancer Evolution Final Edition · 2008–2015
CZ4A (Evo X) Lancer Evolution Final Edition · 2008–2015
Volkswagen Golf R
Mk8 Golf R (2025 update) · 2022–2025
Mk8 Golf R (2025 update) · 2022–2025
Horsepower
303
328
Torque
lb-ft
lb-ft
305
295
0–60 mph
seconds; magazine test, else maker
seconds; magazine test, else maker
4.4
4.1
Top speed
—
—
Weight
3,527 lb
—
Price new
base, when new
base, when new
$37,995
$47,100
Engine
Mitsubishi 4B11T
2.0-liter inline-4, turbo
2.0-liter inline-4, turbo
VW EA888 evo4 2.0 TSI (Golf R)
2.0-liter inline-4, turbo
2.0-liter inline-4, turbo
YouTube owner tone
out of 100, these years
out of 100, these years
—
—
Owner complaints
NHTSA, raw count, these years
NHTSA, raw count, these years
93
28
Recalls
these years
these years
10
7
Owner complaints are raw counts from NHTSA, not per car sold: performance cars sell too few for a fair per-car score, and the busier seller usually draws more. YouTube owner tone = how positively the most-watched videos about those model years talk about the car (100 = all praise).
Pick other generations or add a car
Every generation
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
| Generation | Trim | hp | 0–60 | Engine | YouTube tone | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CZ4A (Evo X) · 2008–2015 | Lancer Evolution Final Edition | 303 | 4.4 | Mitsubishi 4B11T | — | 93 | 10 |
| CT9A (Evo IX) · 2006 | Lancer Evolution IX | 286 | 4.7 | Mitsubishi 4G63T | — | 24 | 2 |
| CT9A (Evo VIII) · 2003–2005 | Lancer Evolution | 271 | 5.0 | Mitsubishi 4G63T | — | 112 | 3 |
Volkswagen Golf R
| Generation | Trim | hp | 0–60 | Engine | YouTube tone | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mk8 · 2022–2025 | Golf R (2025 update) | 328 | 4.1 | VW EA888 evo4 2.0 TSI (Golf R) | — | 28 | 7 |
| Mk7 / Mk7.5 · 2015–2019 | Golf R DSG | 292 | 4.5 | VW EA888 Gen 3 2.0 TSI (Golf R) | — | 43 | 9 |
| Mk6 · 2012–2013 | Golf R two-door | 256 | 5.9 | VW EA113 2.0 TSI (Golf R) | — | 5 | 0 |
Everything on the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution · Everything on the Volkswagen Golf R · Specs and their sources are on each car's page.