I'm thinking of buying an Elise and need advice.

[Slashmb]

I'm thinking of buying an Elise in the near future and I intend to use it as everyday transport. I was wondering what they are like to live with day to day and if it's a pain getting in and out of it all the time. Can anyone give me an idea of servicing costs at main dealers too. Does the Elise have any known problems with regard to reliability and general running? I've heard that the fuel economy is about 38 mpg?! Is this true and achievable? Also tell me anything else you think I need to know about owning an Elise. Thanks alot.

[Arno]

I intend to use it as everyday transport.

That's what I do with my S2.

I was wondering what they are like to live with day to day and if it's a pain getting in and out of it all the time.

It's an Elise, so you always get the noise on the motorway, dampness inside (especially on an S1, less so on an S2) and the fabulous handling.

Getting in and out is just something you get used to a develop a method for to get in and out easily.

Girlfriends (or in general females) tend to be 'not amused', especially when wearing (short) skirts ( although I see it differently )

Can anyone give me an idea of servicing costs at main dealers too.

If you buy a used one that's no longer in warranty then I'd suggest you check out some of the independents. Loads cheaper and probably take better care of the car!

The Elise is a very simple car, built from many 'off the shelf' items (esp. the engine) and as such doesn't need any special skills to work on. With some DIY it's easy to maintain by yourself too.

It does benefit from keeping an eye on the running gear (tyres, wheel bearings, wishbone bushings, etc.) and replace it when things wear or the handling suffers.

But there's loads of aftermarket parts there too (eg. www.eliseparts.com)

Does the Elise have any known problems with regard to reliability and general running?

Check out this link for a good buyers guide and what to look out for:

www.lotus-elise.nl/Buyers_Guide/buyers_guide.html

I've heard that the fuel economy is about 38 mpg?! Is this true and achievable?

Yup.. And even better too if you keep your right foot in check.. But somehow this only gets worse as you have the car longer and start adding bits like a sports exhaust, intake and start to catch the 'trackday' bug..

Bye, Arno.

[fergusd]

As Arno says, they are simple cars, the proble with reliability IMHO comes from the dealers . . .

On economy . . . S1, Standard Engine, 130 miles/tank on track, 250 miles/tank on road, not commuting, all these figures are to REFILL being displayed . . .

Fd

[JonGwynne]

I'm thinking of buying an Elise in the near future and I intend to use it as everyday transport. I was wondering what they are like to live with day to day and if it's a pain getting in and out of it all the time. Can anyone give me an idea of servicing costs at main dealers too. Does the Elise have any known problems with regard to reliability and general running? I've heard that the fuel economy is about 38 mpg?! Is this true and achievable? Also tell me anything else you think I need to know about owning an Elise. Thanks alot.

Here's my £.02

Best advice is to scrape together some cash and hire one for a week or so. If you just go down for a brief test drive, you'll fall head-over-heels in lust with the car. Keep one for a week and you'll get a chance to know what they're like to live with.

Is it a pain getting in and out of? It can be and don't let anyone tell you different. The degree of pain depends on your size and whether or not you're particularly limber. About the only person who could easily get in and out of one is one of the girls from the Romanian gymnastic team. However, after you do it a few times, you should be able to either figure out a system that suits you - or else you'll decide it is too much trouble.

As far as reliability goes, they seem to be pretty solid. I don't own one myself but I did hire one (original S2) for a while and I loved it. It was very well put together - equivalent to things like MR2, S2000, MX-5 etc.

The thing they stopped me buying one is the fact that it is definitely NOT for motorway driving (lots of engine noise and high-revving required due to gearing). However, I'm told the 111 addresses these issues and adds a bit more power besides. But I haven't tried one yet.

The high mileage is not only possible but quite realistic. The biggest killer of fuel economy (and acceleration, and handling) is weight. The Elise may or may not be the lightest production car ever made, but it is definitely high on the list.

Vauxhall took their VX220 (cousin to the Elise), lightened the chassis slightly, clapped on carbon fiber body panels instead of the heavier but more conversional glass fiber and popped a diesel engine in the back. The result was a car that goes from 0-60 in just over 5 seconds and gets over 100mpg.

To sum up, the big stoppers for most would-be Elise (daily driver) owners are:

1. Interior noise/refinement on the motorway.

2. Ease of cabin entry (getting out isn't difficult if you haven't got bad knees).

3. Lack of cargo space. The Elise isn't horrible in this regard (e.g. Toyota MR2 Spider) but it isn't great.

4. Feeling of vulnerability in traffic. Until you drive one, there's really no way to describe (or exaggerate) how small the car feels compared to other cars on the road when you're inside. When a Ford Focus pulls up beside you, you might think it is a lorry.

5. Spartan interior. Some people find it charming. Other people think it looks insultingly cheap or even unfinished - especially for a £25k+ car. Personally, I think it looks (and smells) great.

I wouldn't sorry about running costs especially. The Rover K may not be the most refined or powerful 4-pot ever made but it seems to be plenty reliable and cheap to work on. Put another way, I don't know anyone who has given it as their reason to not buy an Elise. But, keep those items I listed firmly in your mind when you evaluate an Elise for yourself. If you can get past them and any others that occur to you, it might be the daily driver for you.

[marc]

I bought one last week, and have been pleasantly suprised at the amount of independents offering servicing at very reasonable rates. Brooke Kensington in Bicester, Oxon are offering "A" service (presumably an oil change) for 175 GBP! That makes it cheap motoring, and leaves more money to spend on sports exhausts and all the other fun items!!!!

Other than that, usual good ownership techniques apply, like not thrashing the engine from cold, checking tyre pressures and levels.

Above all DO IT!!! Since doing it I have been on cloud nine!!

Mark

[Gargamel]

marc £175 for an A sevice - that sounds over the top

www.lakesideengineering.com

Good guys and I should think a little cheaper.

[marc]

Thanks for that, will note it for the future. People chucking their thoughts and advice around like this, is what the internet is best at!!


Mark