Thinking of an Elise
Discussion
Might be putting my Boxster up for sale and im looking for something around the £20,000 mark or less "hopefully". Which Elise would be best to start up with must be toyota engined?? how reliable are they as i know of dogs in an S1 usually engine related problems. Whats the fuel economy like?? cheers guys
P.S Im only 21 so insurance as cheap as possible hehe
P.S Im only 21 so insurance as cheap as possible hehe
Edited by TOENHEEL on Friday 10th August 15:02
Edited by TOENHEEL on Friday 10th August 15:16
What is the insurance like on a Boxster at 21!? Good on you though! 
To be honest it would be worthwhile test driving both the S1 and S2 to see which you prefer. Both cars are completely different! For £20K you could look at S1 Sport 160's, S2 111S/R's and S1 Exiges ... and still have some cash for insurance!
My S1 does about 37-45mpg with a heavy right foot, but the K-Series are more economic!
To be honest it would be worthwhile test driving both the S1 and S2 to see which you prefer. Both cars are completely different! For £20K you could look at S1 Sport 160's, S2 111S/R's and S1 Exiges ... and still have some cash for insurance!
My S1 does about 37-45mpg with a heavy right foot, but the K-Series are more economic!
You don't seem that well informed about the K series Elises.
They can suffer HGF but its not as common as you might think and only peanuts to fix in Porsche terms. My little S1 has covered nearly 60k miles (over 20k in my ownership) with nothing other than routine servicing on the engine. It gets stick too.
If you are serious about an Elise then try a few of the different varients and buy what suits you. They are all very good but very different to the Boxster.
They can suffer HGF but its not as common as you might think and only peanuts to fix in Porsche terms. My little S1 has covered nearly 60k miles (over 20k in my ownership) with nothing other than routine servicing on the engine. It gets stick too.
If you are serious about an Elise then try a few of the different varients and buy what suits you. They are all very good but very different to the Boxster.
I looked at Range Rover Sports first because we were selling a couple of cars within the family and needed something more practical and could afford one. The situation has changed now and im only selling my car so being practical has gone out the window thank god. I like the idea of an Elise so i can start using it for trackdays etc. Noticed a few clips on you tube of a Honda powered elise they look unbelievable, whats sort of performance figures are the Honda powered cars putting out??
Pied Piper said:
So far this year I have spent in excess of £2k on the car, C Service, Geo, Coil Packs, Brakes, Battery, Tyres, Fault finding etc etc...
This morning it would not start, so charged the battery for a couple of hours, car started ok then I left it to run for a while and it started again ok.
Finished off putting up some gates to keep the little beastie safe, walked the dog. Then went out for chinese, thought only a short journey so take other car and its battery is also flat
, oh well take the Lotus, came back and tried to put car away and it keeps cutting out as soon as you dip the clutch. If you restart the engine it runs ok until you put in to gear move a couple of yards and dip the clutch it then cuts out again.
Is this due to the battery not been back upto full condition or am I going to have to get my wallet out again?
ETA The wife is now saying it's got to go
she can go as well if that happens.
Not very reliable then???This morning it would not start, so charged the battery for a couple of hours, car started ok then I left it to run for a while and it started again ok.
Finished off putting up some gates to keep the little beastie safe, walked the dog. Then went out for chinese, thought only a short journey so take other car and its battery is also flat
, oh well take the Lotus, came back and tried to put car away and it keeps cutting out as soon as you dip the clutch. If you restart the engine it runs ok until you put in to gear move a couple of yards and dip the clutch it then cuts out again.Is this due to the battery not been back upto full condition or am I going to have to get my wallet out again?
ETA The wife is now saying it's got to go
she can go as well if that happens.Edited by Pied Piper on Wednesday 8th August 21:03
TOENHEEL said:
Pied Piper said:
So far this year I have spent in excess of £2k on the car, C Service, Geo, Coil Packs, Brakes, Battery, Tyres, Fault finding etc etc...
This morning it would not start, so charged the battery for a couple of hours, car started ok then I left it to run for a while and it started again ok.
Finished off putting up some gates to keep the little beastie safe, walked the dog. Then went out for chinese, thought only a short journey so take other car and its battery is also flat, oh well take the Lotus, came back and tried to put car away and it keeps cutting out as soon as you dip the clutch. If you restart the engine it runs ok until you put in to gear move a couple of yards and dip the clutch it then cuts out again.
Is this due to the battery not been back upto full condition or am I going to have to get my wallet out again?
ETA The wife is now saying it's got to go she can go as well if that happens.
Not very reliable then???This morning it would not start, so charged the battery for a couple of hours, car started ok then I left it to run for a while and it started again ok.
Finished off putting up some gates to keep the little beastie safe, walked the dog. Then went out for chinese, thought only a short journey so take other car and its battery is also flat
, oh well take the Lotus, came back and tried to put car away and it keeps cutting out as soon as you dip the clutch. If you restart the engine it runs ok until you put in to gear move a couple of yards and dip the clutch it then cuts out again.Is this due to the battery not been back upto full condition or am I going to have to get my wallet out again?
ETA The wife is now saying it's got to go
she can go as well if that happens.Edited by Pied Piper on Wednesday 8th August 21:03
TOENHEEL said:
Pied Piper said:
So far this year I have spent in excess of £2k on the car, C Service, Geo, Coil Packs, Brakes, Battery, Tyres, Fault finding etc etc...
This morning it would not start, so charged the battery for a couple of hours, car started ok then I left it to run for a while and it started again ok.
Finished off putting up some gates to keep the little beastie safe, walked the dog. Then went out for chinese, thought only a short journey so take other car and its battery is also flat, oh well take the Lotus, came back and tried to put car away and it keeps cutting out as soon as you dip the clutch. If you restart the engine it runs ok until you put in to gear move a couple of yards and dip the clutch it then cuts out again.
Is this due to the battery not been back upto full condition or am I going to have to get my wallet out again?
ETA The wife is now saying it's got to go she can go as well if that happens.
Not very reliable then???This morning it would not start, so charged the battery for a couple of hours, car started ok then I left it to run for a while and it started again ok.
Finished off putting up some gates to keep the little beastie safe, walked the dog. Then went out for chinese, thought only a short journey so take other car and its battery is also flat
, oh well take the Lotus, came back and tried to put car away and it keeps cutting out as soon as you dip the clutch. If you restart the engine it runs ok until you put in to gear move a couple of yards and dip the clutch it then cuts out again.Is this due to the battery not been back upto full condition or am I going to have to get my wallet out again?
ETA The wife is now saying it's got to go
she can go as well if that happens.Edited by Pied Piper on Wednesday 8th August 21:03
The first sentence of that post has to do with regular wear and tear costs, so if you're not prepared for some big bills now and again, walk away from the idea of an Elise.
The second has to do with an issue that is probably a knackered crank sensor or the like, which a good specialist should be able to sort fairly quickly.
As for Honda'd Elises... yes they are quick,
ing quick. At your age you'll be laughed out the door of most insurers though. So unless you're prepared to spend several thousand pounds a year on insurance I'd suggest not going that route. For £20k you're better off getting a used 111R. Have you read the Buyers Guide sticky at the top of the forum, or gone onto SELOC and read the TechWiki yet?
Have you had any test drives yet?
TOENHEEL said:
Hows it a joke!!?? A 111R is hardly any quicker than a Boxster "S" unless you take me down some roads you know well and i dont!!
Taken from: http://pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...Just stirring, but as you don't think the elise is as good as the boxster why change?
Zebra
Edited by zebra on Sunday 12th August 11:18
ETA - ..and from your profile: Fantastic car and easily the best roadster i have drove and easily the best money can buy
Edited by zebra on Sunday 12th August 11:19
zebra said:
TOENHEEL said:
Hows it a joke!!?? A 111R is hardly any quicker than a Boxster "S" unless you take me down some roads you know well and i dont!!
Taken from: http://pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...Just stirring, but as you don't think the elise is as good as the boxster why change?
Zebra
Edited by zebra on Sunday 12th August 11:18
ETA - ..and from your profile: Fantastic car and easily the best roadster i have drove and easily the best money can buy
Edited by zebra on Sunday 12th August 11:19
TOENHEEL said:
zebra said:
TOENHEEL said:
Hows it a joke!!?? A 111R is hardly any quicker than a Boxster "S" unless you take me down some roads you know well and i dont!!
Taken from: http://pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...Just stirring, but as you don't think the elise is as good as the boxster why change?
Zebra
Edited by zebra on Sunday 12th August 11:18
ETA - ..and from your profile: Fantastic car and easily the best roadster i have drove and easily the best money can buy
Edited by zebra on Sunday 12th August 11:19
My view is you buy an Elise because your heart tells you to. I love mine but if i was to ask people to find faults with it the list would probably be endless. Still wouldnt get rid of it though. If you think a big list of negatives could sway you away from the Elise then it aint the car for you. IMO the boxster has nothing on it, its a poser's car. But thats just my opinion
Edited by porteouz on Sunday 12th August 13:40
porteouz said:
My view is you buy an Elise because your heart tells you to. I love mine but if i was to ask people to find faults with it the list would probably be endless. Still wouldnt get rid of it though. If you think a big list of negatives could sway you away from the Elise then it aint the car for you. IMO the boxster has nothing on it, its a poser's car. But thats just my opinion
Yeah i agree its a poser car if your a poser! i enjoy driving it..which is what it was built for. Not everyone who buys a Boxster is a poser. There is always one tit on the road in one though just as there will be in an Elise.Edited by porteouz on Sunday 12th August 13:40
I wouldn't buy a Boxter, because frankly for the money, if you want a proper drivers car, there are better cars out there. The Elise being one. Oh, and by the way, you CAN do trips to the South of France in a Lotus, and Italy and various other places besides. Many Lotus owners do annual pilgrimages to the Stelvio Pass on a yearly basis.
I don't deny the 987 Box is a good car, it's just a bit naff isn't it.
It always makes me giggle when I pull up next to one at the lights, or at a filling station, as the Prada sunglasses wearing 20-30 something or 50+ male driver eyes me up, and eyes up the car. I've only had one make a negative comment (why don't you get a proper sportscar kinda of nonsense)... he shut up pretty quickly when noted that if I wanted a Porsche then I certainly wouldn't be getting one that was slower and didn't handle as well as mine, and I'd at least make the effort to buy one with 911 on the back.
Very few people who have Boxsters would want an Elise in my experience.
I don't deny the 987 Box is a good car, it's just a bit naff isn't it.
It always makes me giggle when I pull up next to one at the lights, or at a filling station, as the Prada sunglasses wearing 20-30 something or 50+ male driver eyes me up, and eyes up the car. I've only had one make a negative comment (why don't you get a proper sportscar kinda of nonsense)... he shut up pretty quickly when noted that if I wanted a Porsche then I certainly wouldn't be getting one that was slower and didn't handle as well as mine, and I'd at least make the effort to buy one with 911 on the back.
Very few people who have Boxsters would want an Elise in my experience.
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