Thinking of an Elise. Am i mad?
Discussion
phey708 said:
I was originally looking to get a smaller 1.4 car i.e. Leon TSI or Ibiza TDI however I am still quite young (24) and I would think that these cars would bore the hell out of me.
Then I was thinking, why not an Elise S1? You can pick one up for the same price as a Leon TDI but the Elise looks much more fun to drive and to chuck around with. I would be thinking of using it as a daily however and I would be traveling up to 220 miles during the week, so what would it be like to fuel?
Any input on my crazy idea?
Save 8k and get an MR2 MK2.Then I was thinking, why not an Elise S1? You can pick one up for the same price as a Leon TDI but the Elise looks much more fun to drive and to chuck around with. I would be thinking of using it as a daily however and I would be traveling up to 220 miles during the week, so what would it be like to fuel?
Any input on my crazy idea?
Try one properly before you buy. I had a new 111R. It was a blast for half an hour at a time. But very noisey with an uncomfortable non adjustable seat for longer drives. They are also rather happy to swap ends in the wet even at low speeds, so be careful. Often a well driven hot hatch will be faster on UK roads. But for those occasional moments mid summer they can be great. Overall they are a second car in my eyes. The S1 Elise is much more raw again. More like headache on wheels imho.
S1 seat comfort is markedly improved by fitting a set of S2 Probax seats.
Then again, I often think I can't be a good judge of these things as neither the MR2 I had or the S1 I've got now have been itching to swap ends in the wet. I do however think a lot of the (unfounded IMHO) reputation of both cars comes from people jumping from a sedate FWD car into either and then trying to drive them like a FWD car. Respect the vehicle, understand the vehicle and it'll do what you want it to do. All in my own honest opinion, of course. Additionally, often the best modification that can be made is to the person driving the car rather than the car itself. A bit of tuition can garner more benefit than a lot of material bolt ons.
Then again, I often think I can't be a good judge of these things as neither the MR2 I had or the S1 I've got now have been itching to swap ends in the wet. I do however think a lot of the (unfounded IMHO) reputation of both cars comes from people jumping from a sedate FWD car into either and then trying to drive them like a FWD car. Respect the vehicle, understand the vehicle and it'll do what you want it to do. All in my own honest opinion, of course. Additionally, often the best modification that can be made is to the person driving the car rather than the car itself. A bit of tuition can garner more benefit than a lot of material bolt ons.
I much prefer the S1 seats to the S2 seats. I think they are part of the appeal. Those thin, hard, fixed seats give it some sort of aura, an addition to the experience which is lost when you start fitting comfy seats. Hence why the S1 always appealed, I thought the S2 had lost some of the magic in softening up (and the ugly front end didn't help either).
I used my Elise 111R every day and really didn't enjoy the process. The visibility is woeful, you feel a nob all the time, it always rains when you've got the roof off, etc. However, once freed from the boring process of commuting, it was fantastic. I used it as a second car for two years and loved every second once I wasn't stuck in it every day. I covered 20,000 miles during that time and nothing went wrong at all.
I have since 'downgraded' to an S1 Exige. This is a deeply stupid car which makes the Elise seem like a paragon of daily virtues. However, I'm yet to encounter another car which is so fulfilling and compelling as a weekend toy.
Many folk use Elises, Exiges and VX220s as daily drivers and enjoy them. Personally I value refinement, comfort and good visibility in my daily as I spend all day either in town or on the motorway. If my commute entailed decent roads then I would doubtless see the benefit of the extra involvement.
The truth is that they're all fantastic cars. How they fit within an individual's lifestyle, only they can judge.
I have since 'downgraded' to an S1 Exige. This is a deeply stupid car which makes the Elise seem like a paragon of daily virtues. However, I'm yet to encounter another car which is so fulfilling and compelling as a weekend toy.
Many folk use Elises, Exiges and VX220s as daily drivers and enjoy them. Personally I value refinement, comfort and good visibility in my daily as I spend all day either in town or on the motorway. If my commute entailed decent roads then I would doubtless see the benefit of the extra involvement.
The truth is that they're all fantastic cars. How they fit within an individual's lifestyle, only they can judge.
phey708 said:
Any input on my crazy idea?
Short version: do it!Long version: they just started making them when I was about your age. Didn't have even near the funds to buy one back then, but wanted one so much ever since. Blink twice and you end up 40+ with a bad back, annoying responsibilities getting in the way of cars and softened up so much you'd not use one as a daily. Yeah, OK, I'm a whimp
.Set some budget aside for repairs (@Elise Cognoscenti: is 1000 GBP / year realistic in the UK?). If you keep it in good nick, depreciation should not be much of an issue. All in all should be a good deal cheaper to run (depreciation factored in) than anything bought newish coming even close on the smiles/miles scale.
Even if you decide it is not for you after a while, residuals should make that pretty risk free. And if you do like it there is some serious fun to be had. As others have said, it's practical and reliable enough to be used as a daily if you can live with noise and giving it a bit more attention than a VAG TDI/TSI box.
Only real caveat (apologies if this sounds patronizing), but if you do take the plunge, perhaps spend some money on driver training before you spend it on "upgrades" and/or get overly confident in it.
rasg said:
Just as an addendum to my earlier post about yoga. Pre the Elise, I had an MX5 and I considered it very roomy if I had stuff to carry by comparison to the Lotus. The Elise itself, I could just fit two ten pin bowling balls in their individual bags in the boot. That was it.
It's worth mentioning that the S2 boot is huge in comparison, plus more comfy seats and a roof that takes seconds rather than minutes to put up. The S2 is also lower, stiffer, has properly balanced aero (rather than rear lift at speed) and components like dampers were created for the car rather than bought off the shelf - this is especially important with the tyres, although they (and other things) could be retro-fitted to an S1 of course. I just thought it might be worth mentioning in case the OP can afford an early S2.
I think the series 2 is out of my budget but the VX220 looks to be very similar to the S2 but with a S1 price. I won't be planning on many upgrades to the engine as I think 5.5 will be quick enough for me.
Still deciding between S1 and VX220. Both have their pros and cons I guess its just a case of finding out which would suit me.
Still deciding between S1 and VX220. Both have their pros and cons I guess its just a case of finding out which would suit me.
Do it - best thing you could do.
Yes you will probably get fed up of it after 6-18 months depending on how hardcore you are but as mentioned before you will get some fantastic memories. They are also get cheap to run and you keep so much excitement at lower speeds so your license is much safer.
I've had 3 of them now and always end up going back despite getting fed up with the foibles and would have another in a heartbeat.
Yes you will probably get fed up of it after 6-18 months depending on how hardcore you are but as mentioned before you will get some fantastic memories. They are also get cheap to run and you keep so much excitement at lower speeds so your license is much safer.
I've had 3 of them now and always end up going back despite getting fed up with the foibles and would have another in a heartbeat.
Not relivent to daily elise use but thought id say if have not tried a mr2 mk1 before as a toy on a budjet i'd get one.
Fast and fun to drive pretty quick lightweight and small and only a 1.6 twin cam. Light clutch and gears etc. I have had 4 before. I knoticed they fetch good money now. You could used to get a average one for £600 3-4 years back. I think they good value for money not much else compares for price.
Fast and fun to drive pretty quick lightweight and small and only a 1.6 twin cam. Light clutch and gears etc. I have had 4 before. I knoticed they fetch good money now. You could used to get a average one for £600 3-4 years back. I think they good value for money not much else compares for price.
You mention that you do 220 miles per week, what kind of miles are they? Motorway? Stop start traffic? Empty B roads?
I've been looking at Elises/VX220s (and MR2s) recently and my understanding is that the VX220 has the newer design roof that is much easier to use.
Slightly O/T, but while we have got the attention of Lotus owners - Is it possible to fit a helmet in the boot of an Elise when driving to trackdays? Also same question to the mk3 MR2 owners - Can you fit a helmet in the storage bins?
I've been looking at Elises/VX220s (and MR2s) recently and my understanding is that the VX220 has the newer design roof that is much easier to use.
Slightly O/T, but while we have got the attention of Lotus owners - Is it possible to fit a helmet in the boot of an Elise when driving to trackdays? Also same question to the mk3 MR2 owners - Can you fit a helmet in the storage bins?
Craikeybaby said:
Slightly O/T, but while we have got the attention of Lotus owners - Is it possible to fit a helmet in the boot of an Elise when driving to trackdays?
S2 Elise: yes, no problem at all, plus overnight bags, chill bag with lunch, water, basic tools, different shoes etc.Gassing Station | Elise/Exige/Europa/340R | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff