Main dealer discounts and warranty
Discussion
Apologies if I start rambling a bit but would like some advice from the experienced here. I haven`t posted in this section before but have been reading here On and Off for a few weeks now.
Test drove a 111r today at Stratstone`s and while I thought all main dealer cars came with a 12mth warranty, it seems Stratstone only offer a 3mth warranty and no room to negotiate any discount on price whatsoever (the only time I`ve ever come up against this before was when ordering a new Alpina) this seems a bit starange on a used car, are all dealers like this ? On pushing more I was able to get 12mths warranty (but not a Lotus warranty) and finance at a flat rate of 4.5%.
The car seems fairly priced against others for sale but felt a little tired (It`s a 55 plate car with 29K miles and 3 owners) and the sports exhaust sounded OKish but looked awful IMO (think he said it was a Quicksilver) ?
They also have an 05 plate there with half the mileage in a colour I prefer thats had new brakes, tyres, heater ? and a new windscreen as they apparently cracked it while changing the heater but is approx. £700 more. The same warranty/finance/discount would apply to this car.
This was the first time I`d driven an Elise and was pleasantly suprised at how easy it was to drive and how flexible the engine was given it`s pretty low torque output. I`ve had an M3 convertible as a weekend car for 2.5yrs now but want something a little more special and involving as I feel the M3 is too refined for the little mileage I do in it (if that makes sense ? The wife thinks I`m mad !).
Traction felt fine today even at near 0C but having no stability control worries me a little for track use, I`ve been to the `ring a few times in the M3 as well as Croft and Knockhill and Know for a fact that the DSC has stopped the back end stepping out a few times, is it easy to find the limits of the Elise and stay within them ?
Also neither car had Air Con, does anyone find they get too hot on track or driving in Summer (I know the roof will be Off in Summer but there`s times now, especially driving in Europpe, where it`s too hot to have the roof down and putting the roof up with the air con On is a welcome break for a while.
Thanks in advance.
Test drove a 111r today at Stratstone`s and while I thought all main dealer cars came with a 12mth warranty, it seems Stratstone only offer a 3mth warranty and no room to negotiate any discount on price whatsoever (the only time I`ve ever come up against this before was when ordering a new Alpina) this seems a bit starange on a used car, are all dealers like this ? On pushing more I was able to get 12mths warranty (but not a Lotus warranty) and finance at a flat rate of 4.5%.
The car seems fairly priced against others for sale but felt a little tired (It`s a 55 plate car with 29K miles and 3 owners) and the sports exhaust sounded OKish but looked awful IMO (think he said it was a Quicksilver) ?
They also have an 05 plate there with half the mileage in a colour I prefer thats had new brakes, tyres, heater ? and a new windscreen as they apparently cracked it while changing the heater but is approx. £700 more. The same warranty/finance/discount would apply to this car.
This was the first time I`d driven an Elise and was pleasantly suprised at how easy it was to drive and how flexible the engine was given it`s pretty low torque output. I`ve had an M3 convertible as a weekend car for 2.5yrs now but want something a little more special and involving as I feel the M3 is too refined for the little mileage I do in it (if that makes sense ? The wife thinks I`m mad !).
Traction felt fine today even at near 0C but having no stability control worries me a little for track use, I`ve been to the `ring a few times in the M3 as well as Croft and Knockhill and Know for a fact that the DSC has stopped the back end stepping out a few times, is it easy to find the limits of the Elise and stay within them ?
Also neither car had Air Con, does anyone find they get too hot on track or driving in Summer (I know the roof will be Off in Summer but there`s times now, especially driving in Europpe, where it`s too hot to have the roof down and putting the roof up with the air con On is a welcome break for a while.
Thanks in advance.
Plenty of dealers/cars out there - I'd shop around a fair bit if I were you.
I wouldn't worry about the Elise handling as it's excellent but if you owned an M3 and relied on its driver aids on a track, I'd book some driver training before you drive your Elise enthusiastically as being mid-engined, it will be a little trickier in extremis compared to an M3 without its aids switched on - plenty of driver training threads on this forum and the factory run good courses using their cars.
I'd opt for air, if I were buying another Elise - does get hot in the Summer with the roof on/off but plenty of enthusiasts will say that's a sacrilige.
I wouldn't worry about the Elise handling as it's excellent but if you owned an M3 and relied on its driver aids on a track, I'd book some driver training before you drive your Elise enthusiastically as being mid-engined, it will be a little trickier in extremis compared to an M3 without its aids switched on - plenty of driver training threads on this forum and the factory run good courses using their cars.
I'd opt for air, if I were buying another Elise - does get hot in the Summer with the roof on/off but plenty of enthusiasts will say that's a sacrilige.
Edited by dom180 on Tuesday 23 February 21:36
I suspect the short warranty comes down to the age of the car? Over a certain age and they will be more reluctant to give a year.
I'd recommend also B&C, Castle and Lipscombs depending on where you are. Don't be put off buying privately from an enthusiast either. Guy at the East Anglian dealership - which I think is Strattons - is also very straight and a nice guy.
Also I'd say get some driver training before you drive it in anger on track or road - especially in the wet!
I'd recommend also B&C, Castle and Lipscombs depending on where you are. Don't be put off buying privately from an enthusiast either. Guy at the East Anglian dealership - which I think is Strattons - is also very straight and a nice guy.
Also I'd say get some driver training before you drive it in anger on track or road - especially in the wet!
there are warranties and warranties. Most of those you will get on a second hand car are insurances and with lots more caveats than a proper warranty of the sort that a big maker like BMW will offer on approved second hand vehicles. And as for time scale, 3 months from the dealer is pretty common.
The torque from the 190bhp engine is just the same at the same revs as the torque from the S engine - not likely to compare with a much bigger M3 motor but more than adequate in general use.
You will get a number of replies about aircon but I wouldnt buy a 111R without it for just the reasons you state. You cant always get away with the roof off in really hot weather and the Elise has a problem with engine heat getting into the cabin. With no aircon on and with the heater fully on cold, the air coming out of the vents will be 10C warmer than the ambient outside air - no much fun if its 30C outside the car.
I find I use the aircon on a warm day with the roof off!
The torque from the 190bhp engine is just the same at the same revs as the torque from the S engine - not likely to compare with a much bigger M3 motor but more than adequate in general use.
You will get a number of replies about aircon but I wouldnt buy a 111R without it for just the reasons you state. You cant always get away with the roof off in really hot weather and the Elise has a problem with engine heat getting into the cabin. With no aircon on and with the heater fully on cold, the air coming out of the vents will be 10C warmer than the ambient outside air - no much fun if its 30C outside the car.
I find I use the aircon on a warm day with the roof off!
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