The Wife Wants An S2 Elise
Discussion
Hi All,
The wife wants an Elise S2 as her next car and i've got a few questions.
Any help would be appreciated.
1) The wife has never owned / driven a rear wheel drive car, will she be ok / safe in all weathers if she's sensible (ish) in it?
2) On a standard S2 Elise, apart from 'normal' servicing, what's the sort of additional costs in terms of running costs, doing say, 5K a year mileage wise. (we both drive Alfas so we're used to additionl 'running costs' ;-)
3) Does the Elise need to be garaged the majority of the time, or are they ok on the drive (do they leak much?)
Thanks in advance.
The wife wants an Elise S2 as her next car and i've got a few questions.
Any help would be appreciated.
1) The wife has never owned / driven a rear wheel drive car, will she be ok / safe in all weathers if she's sensible (ish) in it?
2) On a standard S2 Elise, apart from 'normal' servicing, what's the sort of additional costs in terms of running costs, doing say, 5K a year mileage wise. (we both drive Alfas so we're used to additionl 'running costs' ;-)
3) Does the Elise need to be garaged the majority of the time, or are they ok on the drive (do they leak much?)
Thanks in advance.
Victormizer said:
Hi All,
The wife wants an Elise S2 as her next car and i've got a few questions.
Any help would be appreciated.
1) The wife has never owned / driven a rear wheel drive car, will she be ok / safe in all weathers if she's sensible (ish) in it?
2) On a standard S2 Elise, apart from 'normal' servicing, what's the sort of additional costs in terms of running costs, doing say, 5K a year mileage wise. (we both drive Alfas so we're used to additionl 'running costs' ;-)
3) Does the Elise need to be garaged the majority of the time, or are they ok on the drive (do they leak much?)
Thanks in advance.
Lucky you to have such a discerning wife....
If she is sensible she should be OK, but it can throw you into a spin if you're a bit incautious in wet conditions, more so that a normal car I think.
Being a light car with an unstressed engine the additional costs should be minimal. I don't know how much of a driver your wife is, but if she drives normal to a bit fast wear and tear should be low, servicing is at 9K or yearly intervals and a good independent will ask you about £130ish for a standard A service. You may find yourself investing in optional extras however!
I park mine on the road in all weathers and although the roof does leak a little, it's nothing that can't be wiped up with a demister pad. You certainly shouldn't get pools in it.
You may wish to tell your wife that if she gets one, she will never be able to wear skirts again - there is no graceful and dignified way of getting in and out of an Elise!
BTW I don't know what Alfas are in insurance terms but the standard S2 is insurance group 17/18 with all the other derivatives being higher groups. I'm sure being a girly she will get insured for thruppence however
Hope this helps!
Victormizer said:
Hi All,
The wife wants an Elise S2 as her next car and i've got a few questions.
Any help would be appreciated.
1) The wife has never owned / driven a rear wheel drive car, will she be ok / safe in all weathers if she's sensible (ish) in it?
generally ok although Id recommend a day with www.carlimits.com just to familiarise with the non servo brakes etc ...unless you get the more recent 111r with ABS etc
2) On a standard S2 Elise, apart from 'normal' servicing, what's the sort of additional costs in terms of running costs, doing say, 5K a year mileage wise. (we both drive Alfas so we're used to additionl 'running costs' ;-)
one service per year/9K miles - 3 types, A,B,C in order AABAACAABAAC - usually £180/£250/500 at a specialist - for 5K a year of road use you are only looking at tyres/brakes every 2-3 years so no other costs really...generally they are quite simple and unless you do big miles or track them very cheap to run for a 'sportscar' - expect 30-35mpg easy for light use
3) Does the Elise need to be garaged the majority of the time, or are they ok on the drive (do they leak much?)
Mines lived outside for 4 years no probs...get an S2 short roof version - its much easier to put on/off and rarely leaks...if it does its easily fixed/adjusted, but the previous owners have usually sorted all the niggles on a used car
Thanks in advance.
Make sure she has a test drive in a few before buying.
I've had lots of people in mine who have said they love the car, but wouldn't own one. Mainly this is to do with getting in and out...honestly, its awkward if your too tall, too short or too 'big'. They also comment on the lack of creature comforts, the noise and the leaks and the lack of space.
On the flip side, if she likes driving, she will love it.
Summer with the roof off and decent tunes, empty B roads and plenty of fuel is an amazing experience that I cannot imagine could be parralleled by anything else up to twice the cost.
I am also an alfa owner (147 2.0 TS) and have never paid more for servicing and maintenance for any other car I have owned. Still love it though. Although I only had my car a couple of months, servicing an S2 should not be overly expensive as long as it has been well looked after.
I've had lots of people in mine who have said they love the car, but wouldn't own one. Mainly this is to do with getting in and out...honestly, its awkward if your too tall, too short or too 'big'. They also comment on the lack of creature comforts, the noise and the leaks and the lack of space.
On the flip side, if she likes driving, she will love it.
Summer with the roof off and decent tunes, empty B roads and plenty of fuel is an amazing experience that I cannot imagine could be parralleled by anything else up to twice the cost.
I am also an alfa owner (147 2.0 TS) and have never paid more for servicing and maintenance for any other car I have owned. Still love it though. Although I only had my car a couple of months, servicing an S2 should not be overly expensive as long as it has been well looked after.
I have an S2 Elsie and use it as my everyday car.
I love :
- driving to work in it.
- driving home from work in it.
- going out for a drive in it at lunchtime.
- driving it with my top on /top off
- getting in and out of it.
- the little drips of water in the sill on rainy days.
- feeling and hearing every bump in the road.
- looking out of the window and seeing it on the drive.
I hate:
- it being at the dealers.
- being in the passenger seat.
Can you tell I'm missing it
Oh and by the way:
I am also too short to be able to push the clutch pedal down but have a clutch pedal extension.
I DO wear skirts occasionally (the longer variety)
Lorraine
I love :
- driving to work in it.
- driving home from work in it.
- going out for a drive in it at lunchtime.
- driving it with my top on /top off
- getting in and out of it.
- the little drips of water in the sill on rainy days.
- feeling and hearing every bump in the road.
- looking out of the window and seeing it on the drive.
I hate:
- it being at the dealers.
- being in the passenger seat.
Can you tell I'm missing it
Oh and by the way:
I am also too short to be able to push the clutch pedal down but have a clutch pedal extension.
I DO wear skirts occasionally (the longer variety)
Lorraine
philygumbo said:
Mrs Triple s
I hope you get your car back soon, so you can enjoy the weather you have let us have.
I guess the Sagaris is fun though.
Phil.
I hope you get your car back soon, so you can enjoy the weather you have let us have.
I guess the Sagaris is fun though.
Phil.
Thank You
I am getting it back tomorrow ( fingers crossed)Thats why I arranged for the weather to warm up last weekend so that it is perfect for this weekend
It turned out that the cooling fans packed up working and therefore overheated the engine whch then blew the head gasket.(oops) The time has been taken up by waiting for the warranty company to give the go ahead and then for the parts to arrive. I have been told that it SHOULD be ready by the end of the day tomorrow so I will be picking it up as soon as I can. Looking forward to the weekend
The Sagaris is certainly fun and at least I have been able to drive that
Not as aften as I'd like to though as Bal hasn't quite grasped the concept of leaving the keys at home while he is at work
Victormizer said:
Hi All,
The wife wants an Elise S2 as her next car and i've got a few questions.
Any help would be appreciated.
1) The wife has never owned / driven a rear wheel drive car, will she be ok / safe in all weathers if she's sensible (ish) in it?
2) On a standard S2 Elise, apart from 'normal' servicing, what's the sort of additional costs in terms of running costs, doing say, 5K a year mileage wise. (we both drive Alfas so we're used to additionl 'running costs' ;-)
3) Does the Elise need to be garaged the majority of the time, or are they ok on the drive (do they leak much?)
Thanks in advance.
The wife wants an Elise S2 as her next car and i've got a few questions.
Any help would be appreciated.
1) The wife has never owned / driven a rear wheel drive car, will she be ok / safe in all weathers if she's sensible (ish) in it?
2) On a standard S2 Elise, apart from 'normal' servicing, what's the sort of additional costs in terms of running costs, doing say, 5K a year mileage wise. (we both drive Alfas so we're used to additionl 'running costs' ;-)
3) Does the Elise need to be garaged the majority of the time, or are they ok on the drive (do they leak much?)
Thanks in advance.
1) Yes
2) If you're in Monday night have a chat with the guy thats coming round to sort out the Elan. He's our local Lotus expert.
3) You've got enough room in the garage now you've tidied it, kick the GTV onto the drive.
And if you don't buy her one I'll take her out in the GT3 & you'll be in real trouble then
Well she's had a drive in one now!
A guy at work has an S2 Elise which he let me borrow for 24 hours (nice trusting chap that he is...!)
Anyway, the wife loved the car, and had the roof sussed out no probs.
Although she couldn't reach the clutch pedal, or sit back in the seat.
I've read on here that the seat rails can be reversed, not sure if anybody can confirm this is possible? which should solve that problem.
Also is it true that you can fit an extension to the clutch pedal? (although this might not be necessary if the seat position is sorted)
The wife complained that the gear change was very stiff, although i'd describe it as 'positive', this particular car has covered about 10,000 miles, is it a case of 'they all do that sir'?
A guy at work has an S2 Elise which he let me borrow for 24 hours (nice trusting chap that he is...!)
Anyway, the wife loved the car, and had the roof sussed out no probs.
Although she couldn't reach the clutch pedal, or sit back in the seat.
I've read on here that the seat rails can be reversed, not sure if anybody can confirm this is possible? which should solve that problem.
Also is it true that you can fit an extension to the clutch pedal? (although this might not be necessary if the seat position is sorted)
The wife complained that the gear change was very stiff, although i'd describe it as 'positive', this particular car has covered about 10,000 miles, is it a case of 'they all do that sir'?
Victormizer said:
Also is it true that you can fit an extension to the clutch pedal? (although this might not be necessary if the seat position is sorted)
I bought mine without test driving one and had a clutch pedal extension fitted at the dealers or I wouldn't have been able to drive it home. It works a treat. I can sit back in the seat and use the clutch without a problem.
Lorraine
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