Lotus, BMW or mazda?
Discussion
Hey new here and would really appreciate some advice.
I'm looking at getting anew car.
Looking for some open top fun in a car that will put some fun back into my driving.
Budget is up to £25k
Current interest list is as follows,
- mx5 sport tech (I can get a good deal on a new car)
- BMW z4 2.0i (can get a year old low mileage car)
- lotus Elise S super touring 1.8 (5 year old very low mileage )
I'm open to suggestions on other cars.
Right this is where it gets interesting I guess :-/
I drove the mx5 a couple of months ago - and loved it.
Then this weekend I went to drive the z4, it felt like driving a 3 or 5 series . Great quality, comfy etc.
Straight afterwards I decided to go drive another mx5 to make a better comparison.
At the dealer they only had a 2 year old car (36k miles), so when they finally got it started (flat battery) we set off in the rain.
Off a bypass onto a sweeping slip road the car swapped ends and ended up in the ditch!
Clearly my fault, maybe a lack of rear wheel sports car experience.
However I'm sure the mismatched rear tyres (one with low tread, 3 different tyre brands on the car) didn't help.
The car gave no warning of letting go and it didn't feel like I was going too fast (obviously for this car I was).
My requirements from the car are as fun daily driver. and every couple of weeks i'll be heading south on the motorway 320miles each way.
I live near Glasgow and head north through the twisty b-roads often (to climb the munros ).
I love the mx5 but the way it spun out has shook my confidence in the car/own ability a fair bit.
The BMW felt sold but a bit boring.
Not driven the Lotus people say it works as an everyday car but I guess I'm concerned about kitcar quality and parking it outside overnight.
I'm hoping to buy next week but I'm changing my mind almost hourly.
Any advice, opinions or suggestions please?
I'm looking at getting anew car.
Looking for some open top fun in a car that will put some fun back into my driving.
Budget is up to £25k
Current interest list is as follows,
- mx5 sport tech (I can get a good deal on a new car)
- BMW z4 2.0i (can get a year old low mileage car)
- lotus Elise S super touring 1.8 (5 year old very low mileage )
I'm open to suggestions on other cars.
Right this is where it gets interesting I guess :-/
I drove the mx5 a couple of months ago - and loved it.
Then this weekend I went to drive the z4, it felt like driving a 3 or 5 series . Great quality, comfy etc.
Straight afterwards I decided to go drive another mx5 to make a better comparison.
At the dealer they only had a 2 year old car (36k miles), so when they finally got it started (flat battery) we set off in the rain.
Off a bypass onto a sweeping slip road the car swapped ends and ended up in the ditch!
Clearly my fault, maybe a lack of rear wheel sports car experience.
However I'm sure the mismatched rear tyres (one with low tread, 3 different tyre brands on the car) didn't help.
The car gave no warning of letting go and it didn't feel like I was going too fast (obviously for this car I was).
My requirements from the car are as fun daily driver. and every couple of weeks i'll be heading south on the motorway 320miles each way.
I live near Glasgow and head north through the twisty b-roads often (to climb the munros ).
I love the mx5 but the way it spun out has shook my confidence in the car/own ability a fair bit.
The BMW felt sold but a bit boring.
Not driven the Lotus people say it works as an everyday car but I guess I'm concerned about kitcar quality and parking it outside overnight.
I'm hoping to buy next week but I'm changing my mind almost hourly.
Any advice, opinions or suggestions please?
james_gt3rs said:
BirdyNumNums said:
Off a bypass onto a sweeping slip road the car swapped ends and ended up in the ditch!
Clearly my fault, maybe a lack of rear wheel sports car experience.
Hmm to be perfectly honest, if you spun an MX5, maybe the mid engined Elise might not be entirely sensible...Clearly my fault, maybe a lack of rear wheel sports car experience.
make sure what ever you get has ESP and do not switch it off
have you considered a GT86 ?
BirdyNumNums said:
Not driven the Lotus people say it works as an everyday car but I guess I'm concerned about kitcar quality and parking it outside overnight.
They do work as an every day car in that you just get into it and drive where you want to go like any other car. However, they do have their foibles. I personally wouldn't own one to be kept outside without air conditioning because they're an arse to keep dehumidified without it (the later ones don't tend to leak as such, but with such a small cabin a small amount of moisture inside means the mist/ice up badly inside). They're also loud, poorly designed, poorly assembled, poorly painted,... not quite "kit car like" but certainly not built to the superficial or actual quality levels you'd expect of a mainstream car. They also make the other two cars feel like the QE2 to drive. For what it's worth, an MX5 is about the most benign RWD car you could imagine. The Elise isn't a hard car to drive by any stretch of the imagination but it's infinitely twitchier than an MX5 and far harder to catch once it lets go.
Ultimately they're all nice cars in their own ways. The BMW more cruiser than sports car, especially with that engine - it's just too soft and too slow to feel at home being driven hard. The MX5 is much better to drive, but still rather heavy and numb feeling and not very quick. The supercharged Elise (I assume you mean that Elise S, not the older N/A one with the same name?) is in a different league in terms of performance, controls and handing and will probably also be cheapest to run, but it's not at home doing long trips or on the motorway and you'll have to put up with niggling faults.
Spend some time in them all and see which one you like best.
Arguably, the MR2 is a better sports car than the BMW or the Mazda and is a significantly cheaper than any of them. You'd get a lovely Boxster for that money, too.
Edited by kambites on Tuesday 7th January 15:30
Thanks for the advice so far.
The mx5 didn't really feel like it let go,, it felt more like it never had a hold, one rear tyre was on the legal limit (just) the other looked brand new. I'm sure this isn't entirely to blame, but it wouldn't of helped I'm sure.
Had I have been giving it some throttle on a wet roundabout I'd expect the back end to step out.
This was a sweeping slip road in the wet, I simply wouldn't have expected the car to have done a 180, again that could be my lack of rear wheel drive experience I guess.
For information the lotus I'm looking at has a hard top and aircon, as well as sound insulation 7 year old with 3k on the clock.
The mx5 didn't really feel like it let go,, it felt more like it never had a hold, one rear tyre was on the legal limit (just) the other looked brand new. I'm sure this isn't entirely to blame, but it wouldn't of helped I'm sure.
Had I have been giving it some throttle on a wet roundabout I'd expect the back end to step out.
This was a sweeping slip road in the wet, I simply wouldn't have expected the car to have done a 180, again that could be my lack of rear wheel drive experience I guess.
For information the lotus I'm looking at has a hard top and aircon, as well as sound insulation 7 year old with 3k on the clock.
I've owned the Elise and the MX5, my neighbor has a Z4.
Loved the lotus but there isn't any way you can really live with that car as a daily driver. The boot sucks and is paper thin. The MX5 is a much easier car to live with on an every day basis.
The Z4 is expensive to maintain and it wasn't nearly as much fun to drive as the Lotus or MX5.
Loved the lotus but there isn't any way you can really live with that car as a daily driver. The boot sucks and is paper thin. The MX5 is a much easier car to live with on an every day basis.
The Z4 is expensive to maintain and it wasn't nearly as much fun to drive as the Lotus or MX5.
Erase BMW from you list as a fun car.
MX5 is a splendid car with tyres and suspension correctly sorted.
Put the MR2 and Boxster on your shortlist and drive them all.
I reckon the MX5 (maybe MR2) is the best all round car you can get. Fun, dry, warm/cool, enough luggage space and a drivers car.
Elise is more fun. Z is comfy.
i won't even mention a Morgan!
MX5 is a splendid car with tyres and suspension correctly sorted.
Put the MR2 and Boxster on your shortlist and drive them all.
I reckon the MX5 (maybe MR2) is the best all round car you can get. Fun, dry, warm/cool, enough luggage space and a drivers car.
Elise is more fun. Z is comfy.
i won't even mention a Morgan!
I'd echo Kambites' comments about the Elise - great cars to use in short bursts but their shortcomings can begin to grate if you use one every day.
Have you considered a 911? There were Targa versions or full cabriolets depending on how important the open air aspect is, and they make very good all-rounders - quick & agile enough to be entertaining on a cross country drive but practical enough for a supermarket trip and comfortable enough for long-range cruising. Admittedly you'd be looking at one that was older than the cars on your current shortlist but it might be another option to consider. Plus they have the bonus of 2 (admittedly small) rear seats for emergencies. On the downside, the maintenance costs aren't going to be as minimal as those of an Elise.
Have you considered a 911? There were Targa versions or full cabriolets depending on how important the open air aspect is, and they make very good all-rounders - quick & agile enough to be entertaining on a cross country drive but practical enough for a supermarket trip and comfortable enough for long-range cruising. Admittedly you'd be looking at one that was older than the cars on your current shortlist but it might be another option to consider. Plus they have the bonus of 2 (admittedly small) rear seats for emergencies. On the downside, the maintenance costs aren't going to be as minimal as those of an Elise.
Edited by Risotto on Tuesday 7th January 16:17
kambites said:
I assure you there is. I have done for the last seven years.
to be fair, what's your usage profile? 20 mile sprint across country to work each day, then i'm with you!Urban traffic &/or m'way, then i'm waning.
For most i'm thinking it's a special car to be enjoyed in its element, the unencumbered countryside.
Robert Elise said:
kambites said:
I assure you there is. I have done for the last seven years.
to be fair, what's your usage profile? 20 mile sprint across country to work each day, then i'm with you! 
To be honest, if I was spending all my time in stop-start traffic, I probably wouldn't bother with a sports car as a daily driver at all. I'd buy a shed and a Caterham.
RE92 said:
Off-topic I know, but out of curiosity what did the dealership say about you binning the MX5?
Well,,, I guess a bit of back ground info would help.First I walked into the dealer and asked the guyfor a test drive in a 2ltr mx5 , I said I don't mind if it's a couple of years old as it will give me an idea of how the car is with some miles on it.
He said they don't have any in.
As I walked out there was 6 out the front 4 of which were 2ltr.
When I went back in and told him he said he'd "forgotten about those" (wtf)
Then he started asking about my monthly budget,, I said I may decide to pay cash .
He was abrasive and argumentative to say the least..
In the end I asked for the name of the dealer manager (who wasn't in)
Then the car wouldn't start as it's battery was flat (lights left on).
When we finally got on the test drive he was definitely on the back foot.
After we spun and I pointed out the state of the tyres , his reply was "these things happen"
I guess I'd like reassurance that this isn't typical mx5 behaviour,,
kambites said:
About 5 miles each way except when I go for a longer drive for the sake of it, which is most days.
To be honest, if I was spending all my time in stop-start traffic, I probably wouldn't bother with a sports car as a daily driver at all. I'd buy a shed and a Caterham.
Exactly.To be honest, if I was spending all my time in stop-start traffic, I probably wouldn't bother with a sports car as a daily driver at all. I'd buy a shed and a Caterham.
Unless you're very lucky in commuting circumstances, everyone should avoid a 'compromise' car as an everyday solution. (bad) commuting and fun are irreconcilable. You're lucky!
I agree that with £25k to spend you've got to add a boxster to your list, it's a great car to drive and it's got a surprisingly useful boot.
For entertainment and reward the Elise is a class above the others on your list, I'd be a bit wary of regular 640mile round trips in one though. If you really travel that distance every 2 weeks you could add over 15k a year to the car sitting on the motorway and it seems a bit of a waste somehow...
If you felt absolutely nothing before the MX5 let go then there's something fishy going on...it's traditional in these circumstances to blame not only mismatched tyres but also to bung in a patch of oil/diesel.
For entertainment and reward the Elise is a class above the others on your list, I'd be a bit wary of regular 640mile round trips in one though. If you really travel that distance every 2 weeks you could add over 15k a year to the car sitting on the motorway and it seems a bit of a waste somehow...
If you felt absolutely nothing before the MX5 let go then there's something fishy going on...it's traditional in these circumstances to blame not only mismatched tyres but also to bung in a patch of oil/diesel.
Hatchoo said:
I agree that with £25k to spend you've got to add a boxster to your list, it's a great car to drive and it's got a surprisingly useful boot.
For entertainment and reward the Elise is a class above the others on your list, I'd be a bit wary of regular 640mile round trips in one though. If you really travel that distance every 2 weeks you could add over 15k a year to the car sitting on the motorway and it seems a bit of a waste somehow...
If you felt absolutely nothing before the MX5 let go then there's something fishy going on...it's traditional in these circumstances to blame not only mismatched tyres but also to bung in a patch of oil/diesel.
Hey hands up - it was me driving, so my fault!For entertainment and reward the Elise is a class above the others on your list, I'd be a bit wary of regular 640mile round trips in one though. If you really travel that distance every 2 weeks you could add over 15k a year to the car sitting on the motorway and it seems a bit of a waste somehow...
If you felt absolutely nothing before the MX5 let go then there's something fishy going on...it's traditional in these circumstances to blame not only mismatched tyres but also to bung in a patch of oil/diesel.
I was disappoint with the lack of warning, grip, or my ability to spot the warning maybe
Robert Elise said:
kambites said:
About 5 miles each way except when I go for a longer drive for the sake of it, which is most days.
To be honest, if I was spending all my time in stop-start traffic, I probably wouldn't bother with a sports car as a daily driver at all. I'd buy a shed and a Caterham.
Exactly.To be honest, if I was spending all my time in stop-start traffic, I probably wouldn't bother with a sports car as a daily driver at all. I'd buy a shed and a Caterham.
Unless you're very lucky in commuting circumstances, everyone should avoid a 'compromise' car as an everyday solution. (bad) commuting and fun are irreconcilable. You're lucky!
I don't think having a cross-country commute is that unusual, anyway?
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