M3 CSL or Exige S?

Poll: M3 CSL or Exige S?

Total Members Polled: 317

M3 CSL: 59%
Exige S: 41%
Author
Discussion

williamp

19,215 posts

272 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
CSL you say??



Some people want the flash car, the place in the country. I've already got them...

JungleJim

2,336 posts

211 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
which is better - apples or oranges?

TonyHetherington

32,091 posts

249 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
slipstream 1985 said:
Rawwr said:
CraigyMc said:
Prices for used S1 Exiges are still about the £20K mark, years after production stopped. Is the Exige S going to be so different?
I reckon so. There weren't many S1 Exiges produced: I can't recall the numbers off the top of my head but it was definitely sub-1000. The S2 is relatively mass-produced and also readily available to the US market. Frankly, it's just not special enough to be anywhere near depreciation-proof.
i was looking at exiges (s2) a year and a half ago, summertime low of the bottom end was 15.5k, now 1 1/2 years on in winter the bottom end is 16.5-17k.
They do seem to have recovered - I sold my Exige begining of last year, and since then the prices seemed to have gone up ever so slightly. No matter what, I can't see you losing a LOT of money on one over the course of a year or so.

Great Pretender

Original Poster:

26,140 posts

213 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
JungleJim said:
which is better - apples or oranges?
No. of seats notwithstanding, they offer similar credentials.

Hence the question/comparison.

slipstream 1985

12,127 posts

178 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
JungleJim said:
which is better - apples or oranges?
apples you dont have to peel them.

RudeDog

1,652 posts

173 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
This is easy... the Exige obviously.

  • It's a sports car, not a butchered saloon
  • It's a Lotus, not a BMW
  • It looks decent, not the same as your neighbours shopping car
  • It drives better than the beemer
  • It's available in RHD

Matt_N

8,900 posts

201 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
CSL for the noise alone.

Rawwr

22,722 posts

233 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
slipstream 1985 said:
i was looking at exiges (s2) a year and a half ago, summertime low of the bottom end was 15.5k, now 1 1/2 years on in winter the bottom end is 16.5-17k.
I looked at CSLs last year for £30k. I looked at CSLs this year for £30k. As I said, it's relative. You could, if you're careful, effectively own a CSL for nothing.

GravelBen

15,656 posts

229 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
I voted CSL for the engine (both noise and power), the sideways antics and being more practical to use for 'normal' car duties as well as fun. Tough call though, especially because you can't have the CSL with a regular manual box.

Edited by GravelBen on Tuesday 14th December 11:39

Rawwr

22,722 posts

233 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
RudeDog said:
This is easy... the Exige obviously.

  • It's a sports car, not a butchered saloon
  • It's a Lotus, not a BMW
  • It looks decent, not the same as your neighbours shopping car
  • It drives better than the beemer
  • It's available in RHD
  • The CSL is far from a butchered saloon
  • It's a BMW, not a Lotus
  • It hasn't got unnecessary pieces of plastic nailed to it
  • It drives better than the Lotus
  • It's available in RHD

TonyHetherington

32,091 posts

249 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
Yup it is a tough call.

Depends if you will EVER need that extra abilities the CSL has or not, perhaps? They will both offer driving pleasure, so it depends if you will ever need the boot or space the CSL has, or the slightly better touring capabilities?

Difficult, but fun, choice to make smile

slipstream 1985

12,127 posts

178 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
Rawwr said:
slipstream 1985 said:
i was looking at exiges (s2) a year and a half ago, summertime low of the bottom end was 15.5k, now 1 1/2 years on in winter the bottom end is 16.5-17k.
I looked at CSLs last year for £30k. I looked at CSLs this year for £30k. As I said, it's relative. You could, if you're careful, effectively own a CSL for nothing.
i wasnt posting to say the exige was a better financial bet than the bmw just that was my experience of the lower end of the market showed that price had firmed up.

John D.

17,706 posts

208 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
Tough decision. As much as I'd love a krypton green Exige S I voted CSL.

It is arguably more special due to its rarity and the driving experience top notch even if it is just a saloon. Then there's that noise and they just look so right. Think others are bang on when they say it will hold value better too.

On the other hand how many powerful saloons has the OP owned? Maybe time for something new.

Great Pretender

Original Poster:

26,140 posts

213 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
TonyHetherington said:
Yup it is a tough call.

Depends if you will EVER need that extra abilities the CSL has or not, perhaps? They will both offer driving pleasure, so it depends if you will ever need the boot or space the CSL has, or the slightly better touring capabilities?

Difficult, but fun, choice to make smile
You mean in terms of practicality or performance?

IME they're both similarly quick, but the Exige has the edge over the CSL in pure handling terms.

I don't use the CSL for it's practicalities though; just for driving. Hence the thought process over a switch to the Exige.

rsv gone!

11,288 posts

240 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
slipstream 1985 said:
JungleJim said:
which is better - apples or oranges?
apples you dont have to peel them.
But oranges have a handy wrapper.

Mermaid

21,492 posts

170 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
Lotus will make more special cars in the future.

The CSL will not be surpassed as a great BMW for a long while, if ever.

If it was only one car you could keep, it would certainly be the CSL. Your position is different, and you have already enjoyed the CSL experience, or have you? Reagrdless, you could always opt for the Exige and return to the CSL as so many owners do.

Great Pretender

Original Poster:

26,140 posts

213 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
Mermaid said:
Lotus will make more special cars in the future.

The CSL will not be surpassed as a great BMW for a long while, if ever.

If it was only one car you could keep, it would certainly be the CSL. Your position is different, and you have already enjoyed the CSL experience, or have you? Reagrdless, you could always opt for the Exige and return to the CSL as so many owners do.
I've had it on track a couple of times and it usually gets a workout on some of the local roads, but in terms of taking it back to its spiritual home, I've yet to experience that. Perhaps I should first?

Mermaid

21,492 posts

170 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
Great Pretender said:
Mermaid said:
Lotus will make more special cars in the future.

The CSL will not be surpassed as a great BMW for a long while, if ever.

If it was only one car you could keep, it would certainly be the CSL. Your position is different, and you have already enjoyed the CSL experience, or have you? Reagrdless, you could always opt for the Exige and return to the CSL as so many owners do.
I've had it on track a couple of times and it usually gets a workout on some of the local roads, but in terms of taking it back to its spiritual home, I've yet to experience that. Perhaps I should first?
Apparently the E92 M2 GTS was only a few seconds faster at the 'Ring than the CSL.

Great Pretender

Original Poster:

26,140 posts

213 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
Mermaid said:
Great Pretender said:
Mermaid said:
Lotus will make more special cars in the future.

The CSL will not be surpassed as a great BMW for a long while, if ever.

If it was only one car you could keep, it would certainly be the CSL. Your position is different, and you have already enjoyed the CSL experience, or have you? Reagrdless, you could always opt for the Exige and return to the CSL as so many owners do.
I've had it on track a couple of times and it usually gets a workout on some of the local roads, but in terms of taking it back to its spiritual home, I've yet to experience that. Perhaps I should first?
Apparently the E92 M2 GTS was only a few seconds faster at the 'Ring than the CSL.
So I hear. A gap which would be closed with the fitment of decent brakes to the earlier car.

Easty-5

1,423 posts

189 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
Have you taken an Exige out for a drive? I would keep the CSL for the noise alone. It sounds incredible and I reckon you'd miss it. Also, I bet the CSL is more of an eventful, dramatic drive whilst the Exige would be a bit more relaxed and planted.

Is the Exige the only car you're considering swapping for?