Elise as a Daily Driver
Discussion
I have hankered after an Elise ever since I attended the launch of the Original at Hethel at the Tender age of 11!
I am getting close to being in a posistion later this year to buy an S1 Elise in the 6 to 8K region. I am well aware of its luggage carrying capabilitys but what is it like to live with every day? I do not have the space to have two cars.
Any comments welcome.
Thank you.
David
I am getting close to being in a posistion later this year to buy an S1 Elise in the 6 to 8K region. I am well aware of its luggage carrying capabilitys but what is it like to live with every day? I do not have the space to have two cars.
Any comments welcome.
Thank you.
David
Got mine this year and until recently used it as a daily driver. As long as you treat it right, then it's not a problem.
The S1 is pretty jarring ride, but if you can put up with that, and the reduced luggage capacity (just leave the gf/wife at home) then all is good.
The roof needs waterproofing and a snug fit to reduce the chance of leaks. But the heater is more than adequate to keep you toasty. A micorfibre cloth is useful for the first 5-10 min until the blower can start to demist things.
You can carpet the interior for a reduction in road noise and a little more cabin warmth. Long journeys can be uncomfortable due to the cabin noise and the seats which aren't all that soft.
In winter you need to watch out for the window freezing to the seals and then cracking the glass off the channel. A shower cap is useful for preventing freezing over, and you attempting to clear it with the awful wiper (the Elise parts one is much, much better, but still not all that efficiant).
In heavy rain it's not the most plesant drive, what with the wiper being poor and the car being low down.
Make sure you warm it up properly before you give it some and keep an eye on the coolant and you'll prolong the time to HGF. A PRT kit is helpful for this as well.
The summer tyres such as Advan Neova LTS are best suited for summer. Duh! So in the colder temperatures care is needed.
Most of it will come down to "how much can you put up with"? Or in most cases "how much can your other half put up with?"
Hope this helps.
The S1 is pretty jarring ride, but if you can put up with that, and the reduced luggage capacity (just leave the gf/wife at home) then all is good.
The roof needs waterproofing and a snug fit to reduce the chance of leaks. But the heater is more than adequate to keep you toasty. A micorfibre cloth is useful for the first 5-10 min until the blower can start to demist things.
You can carpet the interior for a reduction in road noise and a little more cabin warmth. Long journeys can be uncomfortable due to the cabin noise and the seats which aren't all that soft.
In winter you need to watch out for the window freezing to the seals and then cracking the glass off the channel. A shower cap is useful for preventing freezing over, and you attempting to clear it with the awful wiper (the Elise parts one is much, much better, but still not all that efficiant).
In heavy rain it's not the most plesant drive, what with the wiper being poor and the car being low down.
Make sure you warm it up properly before you give it some and keep an eye on the coolant and you'll prolong the time to HGF. A PRT kit is helpful for this as well.
The summer tyres such as Advan Neova LTS are best suited for summer. Duh! So in the colder temperatures care is needed.
Most of it will come down to "how much can you put up with"? Or in most cases "how much can your other half put up with?"
Hope this helps.
Hi David, I think the subjects been done, so try a search, but my answers would be.
Pros: Fun, makes boring journeys exciting, turns heads, is economical, reasonable tax, reasonable routine maintenance/servicing, comes to life in the summer with the roof off.
Cons: Insurance costs, needs to be driven carefully in the wet/winter, rock hard suspension (could be a pro depending on point of view), can be expensive if it breaks (take out a warranty), make sure your other half accepts it otherwise you'll get a lifetime of winging.
I'm biased, but... go for it, you only live once and you'll never look back.
Pros: Fun, makes boring journeys exciting, turns heads, is economical, reasonable tax, reasonable routine maintenance/servicing, comes to life in the summer with the roof off.
Cons: Insurance costs, needs to be driven carefully in the wet/winter, rock hard suspension (could be a pro depending on point of view), can be expensive if it breaks (take out a warranty), make sure your other half accepts it otherwise you'll get a lifetime of winging.
I'm biased, but... go for it, you only live once and you'll never look back.
Id say , make sure you can afford to enjoy it rather than just afford to buy it. You will need an emergency fund of £600-£1000 just in case (imho). If youre constantly worrying about the next service, the cost of tyres etc etc you wount enjoy it as much and would be better off saving for a bit longer to be able to realy have fun (Track Days, Driver Training)... if you're new to RWD id budget £200 for a Walshy Day www.carlimits.com . and make sure the car you buy has had all the usual upgrades and refreshes. check when the suspension was last done steering etc etc..
as a daily though . only you can tell that . do you wear a suit to work . is there anywhere you can park it without some polonker Braile parking in the space next to you. Many people use them as only cars some with fairly long commutes so its possible .. i am happy with my Elise as a daily car . then again mines an S2
as a daily though . only you can tell that . do you wear a suit to work . is there anywhere you can park it without some polonker Braile parking in the space next to you. Many people use them as only cars some with fairly long commutes so its possible .. i am happy with my Elise as a daily car . then again mines an S2
I've had my S1 since July and it's my daily driver. Absolutely no regrets although I only have about an hours round trip every day so it depends how far you need to drive. It is kept on the drive and despite sub-zero temperatures has not (crossed fingers) let me down and starts first time. I did up-grade the suspension to the S2 kit and this made a big difference (no more lost fillings!).
I wear a suit and don't arrive at work looking any more like a sack of potatoes than I did when I left home.
HTH
I wear a suit and don't arrive at work looking any more like a sack of potatoes than I did when I left home.
HTH
Thanks for all the feedback, it is much appreciated.
I only have to travel 60 miles or so a day and most of it on the A47 dual carriageway that runs round Norwich which is a fairly smooth road. Also I don't have to worry about passengers or the missus at the moment which is why I need to do this sooner rather than later.
Thanks again
I only have to travel 60 miles or so a day and most of it on the A47 dual carriageway that runs round Norwich which is a fairly smooth road. Also I don't have to worry about passengers or the missus at the moment which is why I need to do this sooner rather than later.
Thanks again
DavidTillyer said:
Thanks for all the feedback, it is much appreciated.
I only have to travel 60 miles or so a day and most of it on the A47 dual carriageway that runs round Norwich which is a fairly smooth road. Also I don't have to worry about passengers or the missus at the moment which is why I need to do this sooner rather than later.
Thanks again
I think you will find that you start taking detours to and from work .. the elise is not designed for Dual carriageway boredom but B road fun I only have to travel 60 miles or so a day and most of it on the A47 dual carriageway that runs round Norwich which is a fairly smooth road. Also I don't have to worry about passengers or the missus at the moment which is why I need to do this sooner rather than later.
Thanks again
miro said:
DavidTillyer said:
Thanks for all the feedback, it is much appreciated.
I only have to travel 60 miles or so a day and most of it on the A47 dual carriageway that runs round Norwich which is a fairly smooth road. Also I don't have to worry about passengers or the missus at the moment which is why I need to do this sooner rather than later.
Thanks again
I think you will find that you start taking detours to and from work .. the elise is not designed for Dual carriageway boredom but B road fun I only have to travel 60 miles or so a day and most of it on the A47 dual carriageway that runs round Norwich which is a fairly smooth road. Also I don't have to worry about passengers or the missus at the moment which is why I need to do this sooner rather than later.
Thanks again
[quote=miro
I think you will find that you start taking detours to and from work .. the elise is not designed for Dual carriageway boredom but B road fun
[/quote]
Yep. My journey to work was 2.5 miles. The Journey back was 9!
I wear a suit to work and had no problems.
Yes as said above consumables can be on the pricey side.
Suspension is a consuamble £5-600.
Tyres can vary. Advan Neovs can be around £450 a set.
HGF - £5-600 AA Warranty is good for this.
I think you will find that you start taking detours to and from work .. the elise is not designed for Dual carriageway boredom but B road fun
[/quote]
Yep. My journey to work was 2.5 miles. The Journey back was 9!
I wear a suit to work and had no problems.
Yes as said above consumables can be on the pricey side.
Suspension is a consuamble £5-600.
Tyres can vary. Advan Neovs can be around £450 a set.
HGF - £5-600 AA Warranty is good for this.
Suspension for £5-600???
A bit more than that. If its not been done then an older car will be looking towards a total refresh. I'm in the middle of one now and thats bushes (£200), ball joints (one half done 70k - completely shot, the others just over 30k - rubbers starting to perish) (£160ish), toe- links (I'm fitting Eliseparts or Eliseshop uniball so £300 ish), Track rod ends (£60ish) and drop links (£70ish). Throw in a set of dampers (£5/600 ish upwards) and say £50 for odds and sods and you're looking at £1340. You may also need to budget for an new ARB (mine is well corroded at the ends and a refresh of the steering rack - hoping to gedt mine done for about £75). Thats for parts alone. Its a long job so if you have to pay for labour you can double that.
As said above keep £500-£1000 handy as well in case of the unforeseen.
The Elise is a lovely car and really gets under your skin but the cars at the lower end of the market are getting on a bit now so will need a fair bit of tlc. Its cheap to run for what it is but pricey when compared to mass produced cars.
A bit more than that. If its not been done then an older car will be looking towards a total refresh. I'm in the middle of one now and thats bushes (£200), ball joints (one half done 70k - completely shot, the others just over 30k - rubbers starting to perish) (£160ish), toe- links (I'm fitting Eliseparts or Eliseshop uniball so £300 ish), Track rod ends (£60ish) and drop links (£70ish). Throw in a set of dampers (£5/600 ish upwards) and say £50 for odds and sods and you're looking at £1340. You may also need to budget for an new ARB (mine is well corroded at the ends and a refresh of the steering rack - hoping to gedt mine done for about £75). Thats for parts alone. Its a long job so if you have to pay for labour you can double that.
As said above keep £500-£1000 handy as well in case of the unforeseen.
The Elise is a lovely car and really gets under your skin but the cars at the lower end of the market are getting on a bit now so will need a fair bit of tlc. Its cheap to run for what it is but pricey when compared to mass produced cars.
Re your original question: I bought my car to be used as a 'toy' but ended up selling the other car as I never used it!
I can't say I thought the ride was ever rock hard - firm but beatifully controlled so actually quiet comfortable. I'm running a much firmer set up than oe now (the car has become more track focused) but the ride is still very controlled so comfortable. You tend to hear a lot more than you actually feel in the way of bumps. If this old fogey has managed to run the car as a daily driver on and off for the past three years (I have another car now for work calls) then you should have no problems. I'm quiet happy sitting in the car for 300+ mile slogs when I have to as well.
Buy the best car you can afford, try and buy off an enthusiast, don't worry about if the car has been tracked (it will probably be mechanically tip-top) and have a good look at the buyers guide on here and have a dig around on Seloc too. And drive as many as you can before you buy so you can get to feel a good'un.
Happy hunting.
I can't say I thought the ride was ever rock hard - firm but beatifully controlled so actually quiet comfortable. I'm running a much firmer set up than oe now (the car has become more track focused) but the ride is still very controlled so comfortable. You tend to hear a lot more than you actually feel in the way of bumps. If this old fogey has managed to run the car as a daily driver on and off for the past three years (I have another car now for work calls) then you should have no problems. I'm quiet happy sitting in the car for 300+ mile slogs when I have to as well.
Buy the best car you can afford, try and buy off an enthusiast, don't worry about if the car has been tracked (it will probably be mechanically tip-top) and have a good look at the buyers guide on here and have a dig around on Seloc too. And drive as many as you can before you buy so you can get to feel a good'un.
Happy hunting.
I would also say there are few issues with driving the Elise everyday.
It really comes down to your frame of mind. As another poster has said, do you have somewhere you can park securely or failing that, do you have the ability to relax when you know people are constantly parking inches from ( and sadly, often inches ON ) your car while you are at the office?
I could not relax, not after the first hit-and-run - so all the other questions about compatability became irrelevant for me.
My 400 quid second car lowered my blood pressure, was less than the cost of a respray.....and it makes the Elise feel like a new, brilliant car everytime I jump in it!
It really comes down to your frame of mind. As another poster has said, do you have somewhere you can park securely or failing that, do you have the ability to relax when you know people are constantly parking inches from ( and sadly, often inches ON ) your car while you are at the office?
I could not relax, not after the first hit-and-run - so all the other questions about compatability became irrelevant for me.
My 400 quid second car lowered my blood pressure, was less than the cost of a respray.....and it makes the Elise feel like a new, brilliant car everytime I jump in it!
Drive my S2 every day 25 miles round trip to and from work. Fortunately I have a hard top which keeps the inside a lot dryer in the winter and gives a bit more noise insulation. Can be a bit slippery in these frosty conditions, but a light throttle keeps you on the straight and narrow. As for running costs these are cheap for such a performance car:
Tyres £495 fitted Yokohoma AD07 - 20K Miles fronts and 12K miles rear
Discs £250 - 30K miles
Pads £97.50 - 20K miles
Insurance £400 with a £350 excess Fully Comp (Obviously this varies depending on a number of factors)
Tax £175
33MPG average
Trackdays hardly touch the tyres due to the light weight
The only things I hadn't counted on failing when I purchased the car was both rear shocks after only 30K and 2 x HGF so far!!!!
Tyres £495 fitted Yokohoma AD07 - 20K Miles fronts and 12K miles rear
Discs £250 - 30K miles
Pads £97.50 - 20K miles
Insurance £400 with a £350 excess Fully Comp (Obviously this varies depending on a number of factors)
Tax £175
33MPG average
Trackdays hardly touch the tyres due to the light weight
The only things I hadn't counted on failing when I purchased the car was both rear shocks after only 30K and 2 x HGF so far!!!!
I'm going to do this properly and wait for the right car. Based on all the help you guys have provided me with, I think I could easily Run one every day. I just need to find a mechanically sound car. I may even wait a bit longer and Get an S2 (which would be preferable).
Is it advisable to replace the seats as I have heard the early cars had seats like cardboard?
Is it advisable to replace the seats as I have heard the early cars had seats like cardboard?
Mclovin said:
its not a car to be used as a daily driver...it will just annoy you in this cold...get something cheap and nasty for the daily crap and keep the elise for fun..
?? Why would it annoy me in this cold? Elise can be used as a daily driver, just down to personal preference, some prefer to, some prefer not to, it can still be fun.DavidTillyer said:
I'm going to do this properly and wait for the right car. Based on all the help you guys have provided me with, I think I could easily Run one every day. I just need to find a mechanically sound car. I may even wait a bit longer and Get an S2 (which would be preferable).
Is it advisable to replace the seats as I have heard the early cars had seats like cardboard?
Nothing particularly wrong with the early seats but they have got better (more comfortable) over the years. Is it advisable to replace the seats as I have heard the early cars had seats like cardboard?
Don't arse about on track-focused sticky summer tyres in winter. Yes you can 'drive *really* delicately' and pussyfoot about, desperately hoping that the car doesn't slide.... or you can fit appropriate winter tyres and drive it as you would in summer.
You won't enjoy the car in winter on summer tyres due to cold roads, standing water and the Elise's light weight. If anything, it's a prime candidate for proper winter tyres since it doesn't take much on low-grip surfaces to slide, and aquaplaning in an Elise is easy with the wrong tyres.
I'd choose an S2 or a VXT for a daily driver personally but if you waterproof the S1 hood, maybe fit the redesigned window seals, and (depending on preference) swap / reupholster the seats, then don't listen to the naysayers, the Elise is an aluminium and plastic car with a Metro engine and unless you tune the b
ks off it then it'll be perfectly fine as a daily driver and you'll love it. The big issues are water ingress and grip / low-weight issues. The first can be fixed with time and effort, the second can be fixed with appropriate tyres.
Go for it!
You won't enjoy the car in winter on summer tyres due to cold roads, standing water and the Elise's light weight. If anything, it's a prime candidate for proper winter tyres since it doesn't take much on low-grip surfaces to slide, and aquaplaning in an Elise is easy with the wrong tyres.
I'd choose an S2 or a VXT for a daily driver personally but if you waterproof the S1 hood, maybe fit the redesigned window seals, and (depending on preference) swap / reupholster the seats, then don't listen to the naysayers, the Elise is an aluminium and plastic car with a Metro engine and unless you tune the b
ks off it then it'll be perfectly fine as a daily driver and you'll love it. The big issues are water ingress and grip / low-weight issues. The first can be fixed with time and effort, the second can be fixed with appropriate tyres.Go for it!
cyberface said:
Don't arse about on track-focused sticky summer tyres in winter. Yes you can 'drive *really* delicately' and pussyfoot about, desperately hoping that the car doesn't slide.... or you can fit appropriate winter tyres and drive it as you would in summer.
You won't enjoy the car in winter on summer tyres due to cold roads, standing water and the Elise's light weight. If anything, it's a prime candidate for proper winter tyres since it doesn't take much on low-grip surfaces to slide, and aquaplaning in an Elise is easy with the wrong tyres.
Don't want to start an "oh yes they do / oh no they don't" thread hijack, but I really don't see the problem with the 48's in winter. I am in my second winter on them, my current tyres are all pretty much on the markers and recent conditions aside (-5 Deg black ice etc) in which even my A3 coal burner is a handful, they provide plenty enough grip, so long as you are sensible, but I certainly don't have to "pussyfoot" anywhere?You won't enjoy the car in winter on summer tyres due to cold roads, standing water and the Elise's light weight. If anything, it's a prime candidate for proper winter tyres since it doesn't take much on low-grip surfaces to slide, and aquaplaning in an Elise is easy with the wrong tyres.
I would add that my old 997S, which had, let's say, all season Michelins on, provided no more grip or confidence than I am getting now?
Edited by nsm3 on Thursday 8th January 16:43
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