Daily Driver - Could an S2 Elise stand 500 miles a week?
Discussion
Morning All,
Following the removal of the V6 Alfa from the garage, I'm looking at another daily driver with a bit of character for a soon to be increased daily commute of circa 100 miles...
Not interested in space, so a two seater would be fine, but would like to keep running costs down...including fuel.
I've no experience of S2 Elises, so would love to know the consensus on running one daily as a commuter-mobile...majority of time will be motorway during the week, with the bonus of using it 'properly' on weekends.
I've heard the usual horror stories abound about fragility of Lotus mechanicals (admittedly from rather uninformed colleagues) but wanted to get the real picture.
Surely the bits are all fairly basic? - K Series engines and the like don't need supercar TLC...? Or do they?
Looking at a budget of circa £15k, so if anyone can think of another suitable motor that is kind on fuel, but an exciting drive when not in motorway-mode...all suggestions welcome!
(I'm not too concerned with comfort btw!)
Following the removal of the V6 Alfa from the garage, I'm looking at another daily driver with a bit of character for a soon to be increased daily commute of circa 100 miles...
Not interested in space, so a two seater would be fine, but would like to keep running costs down...including fuel.
I've no experience of S2 Elises, so would love to know the consensus on running one daily as a commuter-mobile...majority of time will be motorway during the week, with the bonus of using it 'properly' on weekends.
I've heard the usual horror stories abound about fragility of Lotus mechanicals (admittedly from rather uninformed colleagues) but wanted to get the real picture.
Surely the bits are all fairly basic? - K Series engines and the like don't need supercar TLC...? Or do they?
Looking at a budget of circa £15k, so if anyone can think of another suitable motor that is kind on fuel, but an exciting drive when not in motorway-mode...all suggestions welcome!
(I'm not too concerned with comfort btw!)
The Elise is actually pretty robust and the Toyota engine is quite reliable. They're simple enough that there really isn't a whole lot that can go wrong.
They can munch through suspension components though so you may find at that mileage that bushes, balljoints, bearings etc are only lasting you a year or two. Bilstein dampers don't last much more than 40k miles either. None of this should break the bank though.
They can munch through suspension components though so you may find at that mileage that bushes, balljoints, bearings etc are only lasting you a year or two. Bilstein dampers don't last much more than 40k miles either. None of this should break the bank though.
Gad-Westy said:
The Elise is actually pretty robust and the Toyota engine is quite reliable. They're simple enough that there really isn't a whole lot that can go wrong.
They can munch through suspension components though so you may find at that mileage that bushes, balljoints, bearings etc are only lasting you a year or two. Bilstein dampers don't last much more than 40k miles either. None of this should break the bank though.
^ThisThey can munch through suspension components though so you may find at that mileage that bushes, balljoints, bearings etc are only lasting you a year or two. Bilstein dampers don't last much more than 40k miles either. None of this should break the bank though.
Preventative maintenance will be the key, make for damned sure you get the touring pack as well!!!
500 miles a week.
I'll be doing that shortly, depends on the roads - mine will be M way high congestion. If its the same... you will not last long doing it. You will beg for an Auto and a diesel with heated seats cliamte loads of toys and even TV while your static to catch up on some viewing.
I'll be doing that shortly, depends on the roads - mine will be M way high congestion. If its the same... you will not last long doing it. You will beg for an Auto and a diesel with heated seats cliamte loads of toys and even TV while your static to catch up on some viewing.
The car would be fine (I know someone who used to do similar mileage in an S1), the question is simply whether you would want to put up with the noise levels for that amount of time.
I run my K-series S2 as a daily driver, albeit on a much lower mileage, and it's been fine. The seats are comfortable and the ride is pretty good. There is a lot of wind noise, so I'd get ear plugs if I was spending a lot of my time on the motorway. The thing that's most draining on long trips is the way it bombards you with information - the constant steering feedback is actually quite wearing on the motorway because you find yourself correcting for course deviations that you wouldn't even notice in something like a Boxster, let alone in a saloon car.
Toyota vs K-series is a matter of taste. The K-series will typically be cheaper to run overall (it's quite a lot more efficient) but you probably will suffer the inconvenience of a head gasket replacement at some point. The K-series powered cars have no brake servo or ABS - again whether this is a good thing or bad thing is a matter of taste.
For that kind of motorway mileage, I think there are probably better options.
I run my K-series S2 as a daily driver, albeit on a much lower mileage, and it's been fine. The seats are comfortable and the ride is pretty good. There is a lot of wind noise, so I'd get ear plugs if I was spending a lot of my time on the motorway. The thing that's most draining on long trips is the way it bombards you with information - the constant steering feedback is actually quite wearing on the motorway because you find yourself correcting for course deviations that you wouldn't even notice in something like a Boxster, let alone in a saloon car.
Toyota vs K-series is a matter of taste. The K-series will typically be cheaper to run overall (it's quite a lot more efficient) but you probably will suffer the inconvenience of a head gasket replacement at some point. The K-series powered cars have no brake servo or ABS - again whether this is a good thing or bad thing is a matter of taste.
For that kind of motorway mileage, I think there are probably better options.
Edited by kambites on Friday 29th July 15:05
Thanks for all the feedback chaps...
I used to run similar mileage in a 100hp Panda and it was rather wearing on the motorway, but easily survivable...I guess the question is will the Elise be that much worse...
Winter could be an issue I guess...also, it will not be a garage queen, so do these things suffer for being kept outside? (Any precautions worth taking like underseal etc etc?)
I ran an S2000 many moons ago and absolutely loved it. Would certainly be considering another if it wasn't for the fuel disadvantage over the featherweight Elise...
Fun and cheap to run...the age old conundrum!
I used to run similar mileage in a 100hp Panda and it was rather wearing on the motorway, but easily survivable...I guess the question is will the Elise be that much worse...
Winter could be an issue I guess...also, it will not be a garage queen, so do these things suffer for being kept outside? (Any precautions worth taking like underseal etc etc?)
I ran an S2000 many moons ago and absolutely loved it. Would certainly be considering another if it wasn't for the fuel disadvantage over the featherweight Elise...
Fun and cheap to run...the age old conundrum!
A standard Elise will ride better than the Panda, but will be noisier. Things like potholes can sound like the suspension is about to break off but it's a noise/insulation issue rather than the suspension being weak.
Some cheap foam earplugs turn an Elise into a very comfortable motorway car, believe it or not. The earplugs just filter out the worst of the noise - you can still hear stuff going on.
Some cheap foam earplugs turn an Elise into a very comfortable motorway car, believe it or not. The earplugs just filter out the worst of the noise - you can still hear stuff going on.
OP, I used to run an S1 Elise a few years back & covered about 5000 miles in the 6 months I had it. Absolutely loved it & no problem at all handling the mileage, plus it was always an experience whenever I took it out. BUT (& its a big but), cant help thinking that covering 25,000 miles a year in such a car will do nothing but destroy its resale value when you come to part with it.
Seemingly sports cars, despite there very nature, arent meant to be actually driven, hence the rogering you take (& I certainly did) come sale time.
Seemingly sports cars, despite there very nature, arent meant to be actually driven, hence the rogering you take (& I certainly did) come sale time.
I run a Ka and an Elise, and I would n't say there is much in it on motorway noise - certainly not to the extent that I would pick one over the other for a long run if that was the only factor.
The main thing that would put me off running an Elise like that would be the demisting in the colder months. The heater/fan is frankly rubbish.
The main thing that would put me off running an Elise like that would be the demisting in the colder months. The heater/fan is frankly rubbish.
Hmm, I remember having an early S2 for a week and thinking it might be the ideal commuter. Felt really comfortable in it and the lack of a properly engaging engine doesn't matter so much in the daily grind while the car did make the most mundane drives a bit erm, less mundane. Good on fuel, too. 
You can keep your automatic diesel repmobiles, I'll be damned if I'm spending 2-3 hours per day feeling completely disconnected from what I'm doing (and going way too fast without deriving any pleasure from it when not in a traffic jam, which even in the most congested part of The Netherlands at the worst possible times accounts for at least 75 of my 90 miles a day commuting).
I did have the roof off most of times though, with the roof on I guess you'll be longing for the Touring Pack as the engine drone at cruising speeds isn't all that. Having said that, I find myself driving the TVR sans roof in all conditions (even minus centigrades) bar heavy rain, hail or snow. One soon learns to dress accordingly.
You can keep your automatic diesel repmobiles, I'll be damned if I'm spending 2-3 hours per day feeling completely disconnected from what I'm doing (and going way too fast without deriving any pleasure from it when not in a traffic jam, which even in the most congested part of The Netherlands at the worst possible times accounts for at least 75 of my 90 miles a day commuting).
I did have the roof off most of times though, with the roof on I guess you'll be longing for the Touring Pack as the engine drone at cruising speeds isn't all that. Having said that, I find myself driving the TVR sans roof in all conditions (even minus centigrades) bar heavy rain, hail or snow. One soon learns to dress accordingly.
Edited by 900T-R on Friday 29th July 17:41
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