Elise or T350C?

[Tydeides]

OK Seloc seems to be on a knife edge, any views here as to which is the better car, S1 111S or T350C?

http://forums.seloc.org/viewthread.php?tid=236092&...

[Hunter T]

I know that they are slightly different models but i had a hard core Elise 2 135r and i now own a Tamora ( basically a soft top T350 ) and both are great cars. More will go wrong with the lotus, but itll be little things like wipers falling off ect, and for hooning around town ect they are great fun, but on long A roads and motorways you really notice the lack of power and your average sporty family saloon will be a match for you. The TVR on the other hand is great fun on any road and never feels like it lacks power in any company. You get more attention in a TVR (not always a good thing) and you do have to be a much better driver as mistakes are not as easily corrected as they are in the Elise. Hope this is of some help. Its an honest opinion of someone that has owned both cars.

[Andyt25]

These 2 are like chalk and cheese to be honest...I've had 6 Elise with 2 of them being MRK1's and they are great cars but it really depends on what you want out of a car...The TVR will be more expensive the run as the little Elise is pretty good on the pocket but the TVR sounds better and goes harder. The Elise will give you a big smile though every time you put in into a corner.

The TVR is a better everyday car than the Lotus and is also alot more comfortable....I love Lotus and hved a real passion for them for as long as I can remember but I don't think I would have one over the T350T as I use it every day and it's much better at that then any of the Elise and Exige I've owned...But if I wanted a 2nd car that was for mainly track days I think the Lotus would be the one.....No matter what you choice both will make every journey an event andmake you grin from ear to ear...

Just to add I never had any issues with any of the Lotus and found them very reliable to be honest.

Oh and the biggest factor was also that for me the T350 just looks stunning....

Edited by Andyt25 on Sunday 11th October 13:50

[dbvw]

I owned an Elise before my Sagaris and as much as i loved the Lotus i get a lot more pleasure from driving in the TVR. As mentioned above for the track i would take the lotus but for A roads and everyday use then the TVR wins for me.

[Tydeides]

Thanks guys, have got the abacus out and am working out how to keep both!

[Andyt25]

I think when you hear mine and see it in the fesh you may want one....also we have a TVR specialist in Chepstow who are brilliant and resonable on price.....forza west...they have a great reputation within the TVR owners in South Wales.

Edited by Andyt25 on Sunday 11th October 16:44

Edited by Andyt25 on Monday 12th October 06:37

[the jollyrodger]

I OWN BOTH,the t350c is by far the better car all round. the elise is great fun,especially in corners,but it cant compare to the tvr. i dont think its really fair to compare them both as they are totally different cars though.

[Tydeides]

They are totally different, and yet they're not.

Originally I was thinking of both as a weekend toy. So they are not different like say the lotus v a landrover discovery.

As it is though I am tempted to see whether I could run the TVR as a day to day vehicle, and keep the lotus for hooning about in and on track. A trip to Chepstow should clarify things!

[Six Days]

Not such a daft comparison, says I, having changed from a T350 to an Elise ealier this year...

My Elise is a 111R, and from comments on the Lotus threads it seems to be more comfortable than earlier Elises which perhaps explains why I think it is more comfy than the T350.

I find the seats more comfortable - I started to get fed up with the way the T350 seats were canted in. And they provide more support. The suspension also does a better job of smoothing out the bumps (you can tell it was properly developed...). The 111R is quieter too, although posibly only when the hard top is on rather than the soft top.

Straight line performance is definately down compared to the T350 - no surprises there! But it is quick enough to have a lot of fun. I lead one of the runs at the BNG this year in the Elise and I think it was just fast enough to stop the tivvers getting bored

Every day usability? Elise, no doubt. It requires less in terms of kid gloves - warming up is just like an ordinary car, it idles properly when cold, and uses less fuel not that most of you worry about that!

Would I have another T350? Oh yes! As long as I had the cash to sort the seats, engine management, and suspension. Oh, and the T350 is one of the best looking cars ever.

[Targarama]

Take the spacers out from under the seats to solve 80% of the leaning problem.

[Six Days]

Nearly forgot - the brakes are much better in the T350.

[Tydeides]

I have upgraded the brakes and the suspension in the Elise, so I expect the handling and the braking to be better in the Elise than the TVR.

I could spend money to get more power from the Elise (would probably draw the line at 190bhp with DVA), but I'm never going to get the same noise as the TVR.

As Andy has kindly offered to let me see his, I think I'll hold back on any decisions yet.

[Andyt25]

Mine also has a Red Rose big bore exhaust..Even more noise...LOVE IT.