It's got to go............
Discussion
I know I posted similar a few months back, but since then I still haven't been using it. I may as well free up some cash.
Things aren't all bad by any stretch, because I'll be looking at a rev 1 Honda S2000. I need something with air-con and a proper boot to do some European trips and some other long-distance stuff. I must be getting old because the Elise is just too hardcore for that. Words cannot describe what that car means to me, but in a few years I'll probably be looking at an Exige S, so I will return to Lotus ownership.
Things aren't all bad by any stretch, because I'll be looking at a rev 1 Honda S2000. I need something with air-con and a proper boot to do some European trips and some other long-distance stuff. I must be getting old because the Elise is just too hardcore for that. Words cannot describe what that car means to me, but in a few years I'll probably be looking at an Exige S, so I will return to Lotus ownership.
Already been looking around at 350's, BUT, I want a convertible, and I'm only looking at spending £8K, which rules them out.
The S2000 is a car I've always liked, and I was very close to buying one when it was to be my only car. However, once I realised I could have a daily driver as well, I went for the Elise.
The S2000 is a car I've always liked, and I was very close to buying one when it was to be my only car. However, once I realised I could have a daily driver as well, I went for the Elise.
I dont know why people dish the S2000 so much. Everything about the car is very good. The engine is about as good as they come and the gearbox is perfect. Everything works and works well, comfy, good roof, good boot, as fast on the road as any elise or exige if not quicker aided by slightly softer suspension.
The only thing I would do though if you have one is fit a set of Eibach springs (£160) and get a full geo setup done to it as it will transform the handling. Seriously !! Mr bro got his done and even in the wet it is very stable. And even on track it can show a fair few elises a very hard time.
As long as you like the way the engine drives, as in you have to give it some if you want to go fast then it takes some beating. If you want torque, then get something else.
The only thing I would do though if you have one is fit a set of Eibach springs (£160) and get a full geo setup done to it as it will transform the handling. Seriously !! Mr bro got his done and even in the wet it is very stable. And even on track it can show a fair few elises a very hard time.
As long as you like the way the engine drives, as in you have to give it some if you want to go fast then it takes some beating. If you want torque, then get something else.
piooly said:
I dont know why people dish the S2000 so much. Everything about the car is very good. The engine is about as good as they come and the gearbox is perfect. Everything works and works well, comfy, good roof, good boot, as fast on the road as any elise or exige if not quicker aided by slightly softer suspension.
The only thing I would do though if you have one is fit a set of Eibach springs (£160) and get a full geo setup done to it as it will transform the handling. Seriously !! Mr bro got his done and even in the wet it is very stable. And even on track it can show a fair few elises a very hard time.
As long as you like the way the engine drives, as in you have to give it some if you want to go fast then it takes some beating. If you want torque, then get something else.
i went from my S1 to one via my missus's MX5 and whilst the s2000 has many good points, it also have a few major letdowns owning one. These are the torque curve and the steering feel. despite having it setup correctly, i never felt anywhere as confident entering a corner as i did in either the mx5 or elise, the 2nd is the lack of torque which whilst on a testdrive pushing for the vtec zone was great fun and make me really look forward to buying one, in reality, you are doing 60ish by the time you hit the limiter in 2nd gear which really limits how often you can push it and th rest of the time it is just a 2.0 litre with no torque.The only thing I would do though if you have one is fit a set of Eibach springs (£160) and get a full geo setup done to it as it will transform the handling. Seriously !! Mr bro got his done and even in the wet it is very stable. And even on track it can show a fair few elises a very hard time.
As long as you like the way the engine drives, as in you have to give it some if you want to go fast then it takes some beating. If you want torque, then get something else.
don't get me wrong, i do actually love them and the way they look and at the moment they are an absolute bargin but don't get one thinking it's a fast sportscar because they are not in any shape or form unless you drive like a loony in which case you won't have a license or your life for very long.
all imo of course
Edited by Andy G Bmth on Saturday 11th April 18:21
without wishing to go over the same ground as those posted before me. We had S1, S2 135, S2000, and it (S2000) is a shocking car! Great in a straight line as long as you can live with 19mpg, hit a corner and you will be in tears! Frightfully bad! No steering feel at all! My advice is simple.... Don`t do it! You will be sorry!
here endith my 2p worth!
here endith my 2p worth!
Very interesting reading as I am also currently mid way through selling my S1 Elise with the view to buy an s2000. I only do a few track days and fancy something more comfortable day to day. I test drove one yesterday but couldn’t drive it in a spirited way (as owner was next me and would have had the confidence in an unknown car on the road). So I am a bit concerned about the lack of feel in the steering as this does worry me. Have to say really liked the engine performance though and wouldn’t fault this. Anyone else made the move from Elise to S2k or other way round please post up, also have about a £8k budget is there anything else I should be considering.
I keep telling you to get on track you big girls blouse! You won't feel you're wasting it then. LOT have even got a Sprint series running in Eastern England (which I'm going to treck up to from Devon to join in from May).
Go and spend a day with Walshy and then book a novice day at with MSV and then book up some LoT days. Its what the Sport 160 was made for. Go on, you know you want to and you can't spend all your time working?
Go and spend a day with Walshy and then book a novice day at with MSV and then book up some LoT days. Its what the Sport 160 was made for. Go on, you know you want to and you can't spend all your time working?
I owned an early 02 S2000, I bought it on the basis of all the first places
it held in the reliability surveys etc. What a load of b
ks that was, it
turned out to be a pos. I then found S2Ki (top site) and discovered my car
was not alone in its faults. Faults far more than a later Elise could have.
But I did like the soft top and the looks so I bought a newer 04 model in red
which was a big improvement on the earlier one.
Now everyone rates the engine and gearbox, well you need to drive around at
6K rpm so's your ready to beat the chav in his 106gti (just). The gearchange
is also very notchy on a lot of S2000's until it warms right up but it's the
'handling' that made me return to an Elise, quite simply it is poor even with all
the bracing and geo done.
That said they were and are weekend cars for me and I can see the appeal as
an every day car in the Honda.
A lot of ex owners on S2Ki are now Lotus drivers.
Russ.
it held in the reliability surveys etc. What a load of b
ks that was, itturned out to be a pos. I then found S2Ki (top site) and discovered my car
was not alone in its faults. Faults far more than a later Elise could have.
But I did like the soft top and the looks so I bought a newer 04 model in red
which was a big improvement on the earlier one.
Now everyone rates the engine and gearbox, well you need to drive around at
6K rpm so's your ready to beat the chav in his 106gti (just). The gearchange
is also very notchy on a lot of S2000's until it warms right up but it's the
'handling' that made me return to an Elise, quite simply it is poor even with all
the bracing and geo done.
That said they were and are weekend cars for me and I can see the appeal as
an every day car in the Honda.
A lot of ex owners on S2Ki are now Lotus drivers.
Russ.
Only driven an S2K once at a Walshy day. Almost zero steering feel, horrendous understeer followed by unpredictable, violent snap-oversteer. Fine if you're on an airfield with a lot of room to lift, re-apply power and wind on oppo-lock like a mentalist (thank you Andy for teaching us the joys of rotational steering for these moments) but I wouldn't buy one. VTEC is OK, but having had a car with iVTEC you realise how compromised it really is unless you are throttling it half to death whenever you make progree. Big V6 torque for me, ta 
I do find the steering very numb but its something you adjust to and it does improve with a good Geo setup. Its never going to feel as good in the corners, but for road driving, its fine. The Geo setup will illiminate the snap oversteer completely. And as for no talk. My sport 160 has no torque either, you have to rag the sh*t out of it or its just not that quick. The S2000 engine is a drivers engine, if you like ragging your cars, then its perfect.
The elise has many faults just like a S2000. Really depends on what you want from the car.
The elise has many faults just like a S2000. Really depends on what you want from the car.
Guys, as always thanks for your views and opinions. But, I am going into this with eyes open. I truly do love the Elise, but it just sits in the garage. I can't take it over to France or Spain because it has no luggage space and is boiling hot inside within minutes. I just want turn-key reliabilty, space, and air-con for a couple of years. The S2000 ticks those boxes. I have to have a convertible because I love 'em, which limits my options. The only cars in this bracket are the Boxster, BMW Z4, and the Honda.
Believe me, I'll be an Elise owner again at some point......
Believe me, I'll be an Elise owner again at some point......
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