Could an S2 Elise work as a daily?

[white_goodman]

Looking at a few options at the moment regarding my next car. Not sure whether to keep my current MINI Cooper as a daily and get an E46 M3 as a family-friendly weekend car or get a two-seater sports car as a daily and maybe a double cab pickup as a weekend family fun car. I was mainly thinking Cayman (I would love a 981 but the budget would only stretch to a 987) or perhaps a Nissan 350Z, although I really want something with sublime handling and the 350Z seems like it might be more of a point and squirt kind of car?

However, I've never owned something mid-engined before, so that really appeals and I've always quite liked Elises. I know that some people on here use/have used them everyday and although it seemed like pretty much my ideal car when I was 18-25, I tend to gravitate to more comfortable and refined cars these days and it seems like a Cayman might be a more accomplished all-rounder?

I don't commute on the motorway though and I get to drive some cracking A and B-roads regularly, so maybe the Elise is worth another look. I love the exotic, mini-supercar looks, I've enjoyed owning convertibles in the past and it seems that with the modest engines, fuel economy, running costs and rate of wear of consumables and depreciation should be fairly low.

So, practicality aside, is an S2 Elise an enjoyable and viable everyday car and will I enjoy it in the middle of winter when it's cold and raining as much as I will in the summer? Am I best off getting an earlier K-series engined car (more character?) or one of the later Toyota-engined cars? Should be more reliable but I think that I may have had this unit in a Toyota Auris and it was pretty uninspiring! Compared to my other options, it doesn't have much power, so will it "feel" as quick? I guess it is very light but in terms of bang per buck, Elises are pretty expensive ie - the minimum price of entry for an S2 at the moment seems to be around 15k?

Also, would it be worth seeking one out with a hardtop ie - does it make it more pleasant and quieter to use in the winter or do they just leak?

Any information on these cars would be much appreciated.

[phib]

I am probably a bit biased as I own one of the first Toyota engined elises (2006) I don't use mine every day but I have used it more than any of my fun sports cars.

I would say its usable every day, lots of people say don't worry about the k series ones but I just wanted piece of mind and really don't have the time for things going into the garage when they break.

Re the Toyota engine, I quite like it certainly less rev hungry than the K series but feels like it has more torque (this may just be me)

Personally I wouldn't bother with a hard top, really frustrating on nice days in the winter and my soft top hasn't leaked much.

The only thing I would insist on if it was being used every day would be air con, it would be a deal breaker for me. Elise's steam up in the winter fact and there is nothing more frustrating than not being able to see also if you use use in the summer and have a suit on then you wont sweat like a ....... I wouldnt have used it very much without AC.

Lastly re performance, I find that the base model 138bhp I think is more than enough on the road, on a A road it will show my 355 and 550 a clean pair of heals. Best handling car I have had up there with the 355. If you drive the elise and then get in the boxter ( which I like a lot) the boxter will feel like some lardy lump. I also like the fact the elise is small which makes the twisties a lot more fun !!

Not sure if that helps or not

Phib

[Vocht]

Have you thought about looking at a mk3 (W30) Toyota MR2 almost as a 'tester' to see if you like the whole small, mid engined, convertible/targa experience.

As you mentioned, S2 Elise's aren't the cheapest and if your conscious of running costs/consumables as it's a daily, the MR2 should come out quite a bit cheaper (presumably?).

I've watched MR2 prices for a little while now and they seem to be holding firm, with £4k getting you a very clean, low mileage example so depreciation should be minimal too.

It could be a nice, cheap way of getting the 'Elise' experience (Both using Toyota 1ZZ Engines I think?) at fraction of the cost.

[wemorgan]

About 8yrs ago I had a S2 111S with hard top as my daily. It's easily do-able, though my commute then was only 10-15 miles of A and B roads.
The only unenjoyable moment was driving in snow, but that's similar for many RWD cars.
In the winter the inside of the screen mists up even with a/c. A flannel easily fixes that though.
The front end easily stone chips and the general suspension prone to rust if used in all seasons. Again, there are countermeasures to help with this like ACF50. You get the general idea, the cars can be used all the time, but don't expect Ford Focus levels of ease to live with.
Keep the mileage and general condition sensible and residuals are very good. But what you save on residuals expect to pay on general repairs / upgrades.

ps. the MR2 is a very diluted sanitised car compared to the Elise.

[james_gt3rs]

I'd say to drive it every single day requires a certain level of compromise unless you get a modern one with A/C etc.

They shouldn't leak but will be noisy, st lights in winter, blinded by other traffic etc. Great fun though.

[Mr E]

If I drove mine every day I'd end up hating the thing.
It's too loud (I have a silly exhaust mind you).

I intend commuting a couple of days this summer, see how I do.

[mario328]

Vocht said:

Have you thought about looking at a mk3 (W30) Toyota MR2 almost as a 'tester' to see if you like the whole small, mid engined, convertible/targa experience.

As you mentioned, S2 Elise's aren't the cheapest and if your conscious of running costs/consumables as it's a daily, the MR2 should come out quite a bit cheaper (presumably?).

I've watched MR2 prices for a little while now and they seem to be holding firm, with £4k getting you a very clean, low mileage example so depreciation should be minimal too.

It could be a nice, cheap way of getting the 'Elise' experience (Both using Toyota 1ZZ Engines I think?) at fraction of the cost.

I agree with the above, I've been alternating the monotony of daily commuting between my MR2 Roadster and my Exige V6 for the last 3+ years. I'd say if you are cautious of road conditions - both being light mid-engine cars then you'll be fine. I admit, getting blinded by headlights from "trucks" is annoying. In fact, any modern normal family car feels like a truck compared to these two.

[otolith]

As others have said - they are low, they are neither quiet nor refined, the heating and ventilation can make demisting them a bit of a pain in the arse in winter. The cabin is small, they don't retain much heat overnight. K-series cars have no ABS. The Toyota ones do, but until fairly recently no traction or stability control. They don't have heated seats, climate control, anything more than a basic head unit. There is more luggage space than you might expect, but the aperture is small. Getting in and out with dignity is an acquired knack. The ride quality is pretty good really, but even though you may not feel a pothole, it sounds as if you left a wheel in it. The best tyres for them at the moment aren't great in cold, wet conditions.

On the flipside, they are immense fun to drive, and certainly for me, once I'm in it I find the seat and driving position comfortable. The Toyota engine in mine needs the tits revving off it to make full power (it's the one from the Corolla T-Sport/Celica), but it's a 220bhp/ton car, so you can punt it about while short-shifting. I've used mine as a daily driver for most of the time I've had it, but I've always had something more sensible too.

[white_goodman]

phib said:

I am probably a bit biased as I own one of the first Toyota engined elises (2006) I don't use mine every day but I have used it more than any of my fun sports cars.

I would say its usable every day, lots of people say don't worry about the k series ones but I just wanted piece of mind and really don't have the time for things going into the garage when they break.

Re the Toyota engine, I quite like it certainly less rev hungry than the K series but feels like it has more torque (this may just be me)

Personally I wouldn't bother with a hard top, really frustrating on nice days in the winter and my soft top hasn't leaked much.

The only thing I would insist on if it was being used every day would be air con, it would be a deal breaker for me. Elise's steam up in the winter fact and there is nothing more frustrating than not being able to see also if you use use in the summer and have a suit on then you wont sweat like a ....... I wouldnt have used it very much without AC.

Lastly re performance, I find that the base model 138bhp I think is more than enough on the road, on a A road it will show my 355 and 550 a clean pair of heals. Best handling car I have had up there with the 355. If you drive the elise and then get in the boxter ( which I like a lot) the boxter will feel like some lardy lump. I also like the fact the elise is small which makes the twisties a lot more fun !!

Not sure if that helps or not

Phib

Thanks. Yes that is all really useful stuff. So, search out a Toyota-engined one for piece of mind and get one with AC if it's a daily. I hadn't really considered the AC thing. My 2003 MX5 and E30 cab didn't have it, as I'm sure not many convertibles did back then but the MX5 did use to steam up and feel quite claustrophobic with the hood up in both winter and summer, so AC would certainly be worth having (all my regular cars have had it since 2007)! I remember having my arse handed to me in my 325i by a fairly standard-looking S1 Elise. On paper, an Elise doesn't have much more power than my MINI Cooper, which isn't a heavy car but I guess the light weight and short gearing really make a difference in terms of acceleration. I would liken my MINI to a FWD version of my dad's mk3 MX5 in terms of feel but I imagine the Elise to be scalpel sharp in comparison, like my 205 GTi was to my MINI but even more so!

Have you ever done any longer European trips in your Elise? What's it really like for comfort or is it best reserved for shorter trips/track days? The other cars that I am considering are perhaps not as sharp or fun but possibly better all-rounders and better long distance credentials?

Edited by white_goodman on Wednesday 1st March 17:24

[white_goodman]

Vocht said:

Have you thought about looking at a mk3 (W30) Toyota MR2 almost as a 'tester' to see if you like the whole small, mid engined, convertible/targa experience.

As you mentioned, S2 Elise's aren't the cheapest and if your conscious of running costs/consumables as it's a daily, the MR2 should come out quite a bit cheaper (presumably?).

I've watched MR2 prices for a little while now and they seem to be holding firm, with £4k getting you a very clean, low mileage example so depreciation should be minimal too.

It could be a nice, cheap way of getting the 'Elise' experience (Both using Toyota 1ZZ Engines I think?) at fraction of the cost.

Thanks for mentioning the MR2. I have heard it described as a cut-price Elise before (in a good way). I did look at them when I got my MX5 (although I haven't driven one). I have never really got on with the looks and the lack of any boot whatsoever puts me off a bit, so I have never wanted one in the same was as I do an Elise, Cayman or to a lesser extent a 350Z but perhaps I shouldn't rule it out.

[mario328]

Actually the "boot" in the MR2 roadster is behind the seats and with a bit of planning you can get a fair amount in there, here's a couple of pictures from my car:

Storage bins by M ., on Flickr

Storage bins open by M ., on Flickr

[white_goodman]

Well, I never knew that! Everyday's a school day. Doesn't look too bad actually. Does your stuff get quite hot?

[mario328]

Nope not at all. The MR2 exhaust manifold is at the rear of the car, so it doesn't even get warm, unlike my Exige now that does get warm behind the seats but the AC deals with that.

[davepen]

white_goodman said:

So, practicality aside, is an S2 Elise an enjoyable and viable everyday car and will I enjoy it in the middle of winter when it's cold and raining as much as I will in the summer? Am I best off getting an earlier K-series engined car (more character?) or one of the later Toyota-engined cars?

A friend commutes a long-ish distance in his, and has done for about 10 years as a contractor. Although he has now replaced the K series (?) with a Civic R engine.

I used a TVR S as my only car for 6 years back in the day, I think it depends on what YOU want and will put up with. I looked at the Elise many years ago, but I got the TVR Griffith, which was more suited to my needs, a GT rather than a sports car. Looking at you profile, you might understand I've had a (Mk5) GTI as the every day car for the last 9 years.

I'd want an every day to be reliable, and perhaps newer than an old Elise. Perhaps depends on what else you have access to.

[Bodged]

Used my S1 Elise as an everyday car for 10 years, the only downsides were noisy on the motorway and it gets hot if you get stuck in traffic. Otherwise it was brilliant.

[phib]

I haven't used this one for long journeys but then I haven't used any of mine for long journeys for years. Partly beceause I seem to be totally knackered the whole time and also beceause I have a 150 mile commute most days.

Having said that the Elise is the one that gets used at the weekends.

I have done long distance stuff ( around Scotland) in a loan Elise I had, I have also done a similar trip in a boxster ( loan car after Porsche crashed my gt2) and a discovery.

The boxster was probably my favourite Porsche ( maybe its beceause it was a loan car!!) even after 9 911's in a row.

Having said that, I grew up in the mk 2 golf GTI era and somehow the Elise harks back to my youth and the simpler and less complex cars.

Hope that makes some sense

If I had to put my money somewhere it sold be an Elise, so much so I have just ordered a new one

Phib

[Vocht]

white_goodman said:

Thanks for mentioning the MR2. I have heard it described as a cut-price Elise before (in a good way). I did look at them when I got my MX5 (although I haven't driven one). I have never really got on with the looks and the lack of any boot whatsoever puts me off a bit, so I have never wanted one in the same was as I do an Elise, Cayman or to a lesser extent a 350Z but perhaps I shouldn't rule it out.

I agree, it's not the most accesible of boots but it's quite a decent size (as seen from the images) once open. Just see it as chucking stuff on the back seats of a 3 door car.

Take one for a test drive anyway if you have the opportunity to, it may surprise you!

[Ryan_T]

Just jumped from a 350Z to a 111R Elise.

I'd think a bit more about the 350, you could get a lovely HR engined model for~10k, they really are excellent all-rounders - just as happy cruising on the motorway as they are blasting along a b-road.

That said, it then became a 2nd car, and I personally didn't think it was fun enough as purely a weekend car, hence the Elise.

I consider myself to have pretty high tolerance for cars (previously dailied a track-day Mx5) but I think the lotus would grate on me after a while and I wouldn't find myself wanting to drive it for fun at the weekend.

[cheeky_chops]

i had a vx220 for a 40 mile a road commute every day car in 2004 and before kids. It was cold, lights were crap, heater didnt work, wet weather was PITA. But on any occasion id get the roof down on dry days it was fab. In the sun it was the nuts! Id do it again now too!! :-D

[RTB]

I used my 2004 Toyota-engined Exige for 5 years as a daily driver. The car stood up to it remarkably well and in all that time it only let me down once with a clutch thrust bearing failure. Cold mornings were a bit miserable, the doors would often freeze shut and the fuel filler cap would often do the same. Driving on icy snow covered roads populated with idiots was exciting but not insurmountable.

Then again my commute did include the Cat and Fiddle road, if I was doing 20 miles of stop-start dual carriageways I wouldn't have used the Exige.


I've now taken the Exige off the road, taken off the clam shells and done a full suspension and brake refresh (as well as a million other little jobs). After all the work and expense of getting the car back into good fettle I don't want to subject it to any more daily driver hammer, so I've bought a Fiesta ST to pootle over to work in.