which weekend fun car...Elise S1 or MX5
Discussion
Right, I fancy a weekend car, without a roof.
I could get into an Elise for 8k, which is the minimum amount I seem to need to spend.
Alternatively, could save my pennies and probably get a fair bit of fun from an MX5 for 3k?
It is a weekend only toy, but I don't want to get into a moneypit. I would hope to be able run either for a year or 2 for less than £1k ish depreciation.
What you reckon?
I could get into an Elise for 8k, which is the minimum amount I seem to need to spend.
Alternatively, could save my pennies and probably get a fair bit of fun from an MX5 for 3k?
It is a weekend only toy, but I don't want to get into a moneypit. I would hope to be able run either for a year or 2 for less than £1k ish depreciation.
What you reckon?
6potdave said:
Different leagues really - why not drive both and see which you prefer. I'm personally not into MX-5's I think they appear too girly, even more so to non petrolheads! The Elise will turn more heads, be faster but also more expensive to run.
This is pretty much my thought too:MX5, i've never been sold on the looks, however, they have goods reliability, parts are plentiful and servicing could be done by a good independent locally, for reasonable money. It's a rear driver with a 1.8 engine, so would be good fun, could do a few track days and consumables would be cheap. Maybe lose £1k over a 2 year period if bought for 2.5-3k. Maybe cost £500 a year to maintain.
Elise, sure, they look better than the MX5, albeit quite dated I reckon. Would be a great handling car for sure, however the reliabilty (head gasket) seems a little dubious. I have also read that suspension parts are quite susepitible (sp) to age related wear, and the roof is a nightmare to get fitted (read 5 mins or so). Low mileage cars, whilst attractive, seem to be as much of an issue to all of the above as the average mileage examples. Parts would probably be more expensive, as would servicing, even at a specialist.
The Elise is the pinnacle of lightweight small engined design at this budget, but the build quality seems a bit "felixible", whilst the MX5 is a fair bit heavier, albeit with creature comforts and possibly better screwed together (and my wife would probably enjoy driving it more too)
If I had an issue with an MX5, I asuume pretty much £500 would sort it anything out, I reckon if it was the Lotus, I could be in the realms of £1,500 - £2,000.
My Audi S4 is my main car, and I spend good money on keeping it in tip top shape/running order etc, I don't want to get into the situation where I have to spend the same money on a car which would be only ever used with the roof down when the weather is good. (maybe travelling 3k per year)
I think i'm talking myself in the MX5! I guess should try one locally, and if I buy it and hate it, for £3k I'd just sell it again, lose a bit of cash and then re-consider the Elise (probably more financially sensible to do it that way too)
Cheers
Matt
If you need to ask this question you don't get what the Elise is all about - buy the MX5 and have hours of diluted fun 
Drive both and see which floats your boat
Then no doubt someone will come along and advise how well a S/C MX5 performs - well a little less s
t than a std one
Oliver Sebastien Carruthers Rothschild - good to see you are on the up
Drive both and see which floats your boat
Then no doubt someone will come along and advise how well a S/C MX5 performs - well a little less s
t than a std one Oliver Sebastien Carruthers Rothschild - good to see you are on the up
Edited by RonnieP on Sunday 15th May 21:31
They are both good cars but they do different things well. The Elise is not the kind of car that you throw around and will tend to bite if you do. It's a car that thrives on a its delicacy - the enjoyment is in the way the car conveys information to you and the way it responds to control input. The MX5 is obviously much slower (although that can easily be rectified) and the controls and suspension are nowhere near as well judged, but the weight distribution means that it's much more exploitable if you're the kind of person who likes drifting their cars around roundabouts.
The Elise will cost quite a lot more to run.
If it's a weekend car, a Caterham will give you pretty much the best of both worlds.
The Elise will cost quite a lot more to run.
If it's a weekend car, a Caterham will give you pretty much the best of both worlds.
DannyVTS said:
Really? Are they not K series rover engines?
Yes, but other bits can and will break and/or need replacing and the poor access pushes labour costs rather up on some jobs. If you're willing to do the work yourself, they're OK as long as you can avoid upgraditis. Plus you really have to make sure you can afford to get the head gasket done if it does go.
This is quite amusing, how on earth can people be suggesting a 206 CC in the same conversation as an Elise / MX5 
unless you want awful handling, scuttle shake a plenty.
The Elise is one of the most chuckale cars about and it won't bite unless you drive it like a ham fisted numpty. I appreciate Kambites drives an S1 Elise so no offence meant btw, I've driven quite a few on trackdays and always found them to be so, as you say delicately balanced if not a little underpowered in the base S1 Elise.
As said for 2-3k you wont get much better than an MX5 if you want to spend 8k go for the Elise, should be plenty around too.
Depends whether you want a razor sharp handling car or something for a point and quirt bit of fun, TVR Chimaera's would be good value for your 8k, sound awesome and give plenty of poke, I've had two and had no issues with them at all. Honda S2000 is another cracking car that would fall easily into budget as would be an original Porsche Boxster 2.7 / 3.2S
I'd still look for a nice Elise, you may even be able to look for a nice S1 111S for 8k, just checked so maybe not
unless you want awful handling, scuttle shake a plenty.The Elise is one of the most chuckale cars about and it won't bite unless you drive it like a ham fisted numpty. I appreciate Kambites drives an S1 Elise so no offence meant btw, I've driven quite a few on trackdays and always found them to be so, as you say delicately balanced if not a little underpowered in the base S1 Elise.
As said for 2-3k you wont get much better than an MX5 if you want to spend 8k go for the Elise, should be plenty around too.
Depends whether you want a razor sharp handling car or something for a point and quirt bit of fun, TVR Chimaera's would be good value for your 8k, sound awesome and give plenty of poke, I've had two and had no issues with them at all. Honda S2000 is another cracking car that would fall easily into budget as would be an original Porsche Boxster 2.7 / 3.2S
I'd still look for a nice Elise, you may even be able to look for a nice S1 111S for 8k, just checked so maybe not
Edited by Evo on Monday 16th May 10:14
Edited by Evo on Monday 16th May 10:16
Depends what you want the car to do I think. If you purely want it for tearing around and being a hooligan in I'd go for the elise (I've had one and loved it). If you want something that you can do the same in but with a bit less commitment and a bit more comfort, I'd go for the MX-5. I think it's a much easier ownership proposition (hope so, I've just bought one). Of course you can drive the elise with less commitment and they are pretty easy to live with; high mpg and not much on them to go wrong, but I think if you do this then the shortcomings in terms of practicality and comfort become more apparent.
Buy an MX-5 and if you don't like it trade up/sideways/whatever.
Buy an MX-5 and if you don't like it trade up/sideways/whatever.
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