Interested in Elise
Discussion
Ok, I know I'm a tad ahead of myself here as I have to finish uni and actually get a job first, but just exploring my options.
Have always loved Lotus's, especially the elise and the exige.
Been having a browse around PH classifides and auto trader just to get a feel of conditions/milage/costs etc. I notice many say they have just been used in summer, but i'd be looking for an every day car. Just wondering how many of you have an elise as your every day car and how it holds up.#
Also, been told they are actually quite economical with petrol so wondering if thats true!
Have always loved Lotus's, especially the elise and the exige.
Been having a browse around PH classifides and auto trader just to get a feel of conditions/milage/costs etc. I notice many say they have just been used in summer, but i'd be looking for an every day car. Just wondering how many of you have an elise as your every day car and how it holds up.#
Also, been told they are actually quite economical with petrol so wondering if thats true!
Lois Nice choice. I have an S2 Exige as my only car but dont need to use it everyday, not that it would be a problem if I did.
Economy is good (but a lot worse in the Exige than my old S1 was).
If you can stretch to it you will find an S2 easier to live with than an S1 but they are more expensive.
Biggest cost for you would probably be insurance so check out quotes before you test drive one and fall in love.
Hi Lois,
Like you, I've always listed after an Elise and I've only had my S1 for a month... to be honest, it's only a dry-weather car for me because I've got a wagon to use as my daily driver, but it very much could be donw. The top (on most of them) is REASONABLY weathertight and mine doesn't seem to leak at all... if you get one with a hardtop it becomes that bit more practical in winter though..... they're a helluva laugh though and so far, Elise ownership in terms of maintenance and problems etc is turning out to be easier and chaeper than just about any other car!..... it's also the most fun you can have in a car.... INCLUDING back-seat carnal shenanigans
Like you, I've always listed after an Elise and I've only had my S1 for a month... to be honest, it's only a dry-weather car for me because I've got a wagon to use as my daily driver, but it very much could be donw. The top (on most of them) is REASONABLY weathertight and mine doesn't seem to leak at all... if you get one with a hardtop it becomes that bit more practical in winter though..... they're a helluva laugh though and so far, Elise ownership in terms of maintenance and problems etc is turning out to be easier and chaeper than just about any other car!..... it's also the most fun you can have in a car.... INCLUDING back-seat carnal shenanigans
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Only joking. They are very good as well and £ for £ cheaper than an Elise (plus you shouldnt have to worry about having Head Gasket Failure as you do on the Rover engined Elise) The VX Turbo is very nice but I just dont think they look as good as the Elise (and lets face it although they are made by Lotus its not anywhere near as cool owning a Vauxhaul as a Lotus is it?)
>> Edited by Davey S1 on Monday 4th July 22:17
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Apart from weight and suspension settings! Next time you're visting your rellies in Peterboghorror give me a shout and you can have a shot in mine if I'm around.
The base VX220 and Elise cost around the same to insure (AFAIK based on what my mate used to pay for his VX)as they're not too dissimilar under the skin. As you go up in poke with the Elise then so cost goes up, but not ny that much. I think it was 7% more to insure a 111S than a normal S1 and 5% more to cover a 160S than a 111S. S2 is a little more to insure for me, basically due to the extra value I guess. Easiest way to check is to punch your details into Elephant and just keep swapping cars around.
I was in the same boat as you Lois, I graduate on wednesday and got my S1 earlier in the year. It certainly got the head down, if I didnt graduate the car would have to have gone!
A lot my mates are off travelling and generally dossing about for a year before starting work - it was that or spend all my bucks on a car. Car won.
Insurance isnt too bad, especially if you have NCB.
on the Insurance front, I got a quote from Diamond for my girlfriend as the sole driver, she has no NCB, never had insurance and is 21, of 1223quid! It pays to be a girl....!
A lot my mates are off travelling and generally dossing about for a year before starting work - it was that or spend all my bucks on a car. Car won.
Insurance isnt too bad, especially if you have NCB.
on the Insurance front, I got a quote from Diamond for my girlfriend as the sole driver, she has no NCB, never had insurance and is 21, of 1223quid! It pays to be a girl....!
jke11y said:
I was in the same boat as you Lois, I graduate on wednesday and got my S1 earlier in the year. It certainly got the head down, if I didnt graduate the car would have to have gone!
A lot my mates are off travelling and generally dossing about for a year before starting work - it was that or spend all my bucks on a car. Car won.
Insurance isnt too bad, especially if you have NCB.
on the Insurance front, I got a quote from Diamond for my girlfriend as the sole driver, she has no NCB, never had insurance and is 21, of 1223quid! It pays to be a girl....!
Sounds same deal to me mate
I graduated and my Elise was my reward for paying back my student loan nice and quick... kinda my reward for all those years of sacrifice. Elise is a very good car to have in NZ, the roads suit it and there are probably less than 15-20 Elise S1s in the country!!!! VX220 is a bit heavier but with a bit more punch, probably less nimble but better spec (especially when stacked up to an S1).
If I were you Lois, I'd just spring for a bog standard S1 when you leave varsity... they're getting to the point price-wise where they're a real bargain (in the UK at least) and a standard Elise is more than quick enough for what you want... for starters anyway.... you'd be surprised at how little the B-Road performance differs between even the standard S1 and something nuts like an S2 Exige.... it's more pronounced on the track of course, but you can worry about that later when the time is right and you've got more cash to throw at the equation
Please forgive me any Elise S2 and VX owners, but I think both cars look like they weigh alot more than an S1 Elise. It's just an illusion I'm sure but they give the impression that they have been constructed from conventional metal. Again, this is just an observation. The S1 elise looks featherlight.
Only concern I have, more with an S1 than an S2 is the day to day practicality for a midwife!!
If all goes to plan I'll spend my 1st year in the hospital doing my perceptorship, but after that I could be out on community. Is it really going to be practical or am I being too ambitious!?
If all goes to plan I'll spend my 1st year in the hospital doing my perceptorship, but after that I could be out on community. Is it really going to be practical or am I being too ambitious!?
Being a mid-wife I'm guessing your millage is going to be fairly high.
So as a suggestion I would go for as new a car with lower spec, that you can afford, purely from the standpoiint, of newer "usually" means more reliable.
If you can stretch to it, go for a base S2. You will be getting in and out of it a lot and the S2 is definately easier than the S1 in this aspect.
So as a suggestion I would go for as new a car with lower spec, that you can afford, purely from the standpoiint, of newer "usually" means more reliable.
If you can stretch to it, go for a base S2. You will be getting in and out of it a lot and the S2 is definately easier than the S1 in this aspect.
Those figures sound about right - I'm paying £1200 and I'm 24 with 5yrs NCB.
Regarding everyday practicality - an S2 is easier to live with day to day (I use mine everyday) - so a base S2 Sports Tourer would make a perfect car for you (budget depending, of course!).
Regarding VX220 vs Elise; I test drove both before buying my Elise (both a VX220 Turbo and the VXR) and didn't find the VX220 as engaging or 'joyfully spirited' as the Elise. They are the same chassis though, so perhaps it was simply rose tinted specs. The VX220 Turbo is certainly faster than an Elise, but my personal opinion was that the Elise was the better choice.
However, get yourself out in both types of cars and see for yourself!
Regarding everyday practicality - an S2 is easier to live with day to day (I use mine everyday) - so a base S2 Sports Tourer would make a perfect car for you (budget depending, of course!).
Regarding VX220 vs Elise; I test drove both before buying my Elise (both a VX220 Turbo and the VXR) and didn't find the VX220 as engaging or 'joyfully spirited' as the Elise. They are the same chassis though, so perhaps it was simply rose tinted specs. The VX220 Turbo is certainly faster than an Elise, but my personal opinion was that the Elise was the better choice.
However, get yourself out in both types of cars and see for yourself!
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