Dark Blue Mark

Ok,

I know im asking lots about various cars, but ive narrowed it down to a few now!

As summer is coming, I notice the Elise (early one 11.5k max) is within my budget. Would anyone worry about buying one? Whats the main thing to go wrong?

I would feel safer buying something more normal, but these seem to be a good one by Lotus.

(still got to sell my scoob first!)

Thoughts??

MB

S111ONF

have a look at www.elise-faq.info/content/buying/index.php

Happy hunting

Simon

RON

Mark,
I've got a mate who's just bought one, his is a 99 on a 'v'. I drove it and it felt slow!! also crashes and bangs like mad, and his has only done 20k! drive one before you decide, you may well change your mind, also, getting in and out is a right ****!!
edited to add the links to the other bbs's!

http://www.british-cars.co.uk/cgi-bi...nprog=lotusbbs
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/default.asp?h=0

[Edited by RON - 3/20/2003 11:01:00 PM]

Brendan Hughes

Find the Elise version of scoobynet and watch everyone complain about theirs.

If you read scoobynet with fresh eyes you'd think every second car suffers from det, piston slap, no.3 going, clutch judder, squeaks rattles etc.

I got on the RAV4 board and read rants about how they'd never buy a Toyota again. I got on blatchat and it's doing its best to put me off buying a 7.

If you find a board where everyone talks about how their car never goes wrong, let me know

ando

Yeah, an **** to get in and out of, glad I didn't get one, I plumbed for the FTO instead, I needed an all rounder, practical, and still somthing nice to look at

smokinscoobie

Test drove both MK1 & 2. Getting in and out was a problem....... and i'm double jointed. No power steering or servo brakes was a surprise. They are also very noisy and can leak quite badly when it rains , hard tops can reduce the leaks but increase the cabin noise.
They didn't seem particularly quick either, but cornered like a go-cart.
Test drives carried out after owning a MK2 RS2000 and before an MY00 scooby.
Paul

Old_Fart

I rented one for a weekend as I wanted one too. Firstly the boot wouldn't open unless you got someone to press a sweet spot on it whilst you pulled the release. Then I frove it through London home and realised how little torque it had...great on open roads but a wee bit painfull in traffic. Then the slightly sticky throttle jammed open whilst floored..that was the most exciting bit. Anyway perhaps that was a particularly bad one but to be honest If Im going to get kitcar quality I'd just as soon get a kitcar..so been trying Caterhams since...shame as it was a kinda dream car
Chuck

gregh

>> If you find a board where everyone talks about how their car never goes wrong, let me know

West is best!

http://wscc.ggr.net/cgi-bin/BB/ikonboard.cgi

Dark Blue Mark

Hmm, sounds like ****e then!

Going from a car which is 100% reliable and pretty much bullet proof, I think i'd get pissed off.

Back to the Integra option then!

MB

S111ONF

Sorry ... but I have to disagree with a lot of the above.

I am 6' and of large build (unfortunatley). Getting in and out is not a problem. After a little while you get your own knack and it is easy. Simply getting in one at the showroom / a friends is not a fair reflection.

Re things like the boot cable, provided you grease it there should be no problems.

The suspension can start to knock after a while - but a lot of people fit uprated suspension anyway - also its part of the cars character in a way.

As for ABS / Servo assisted brakes ... lol. The brakes are excellent - they have huge amounts of power - you just need to learn to brake properly and respect them a bit more in the wet. Colin Chapman's philosophy was light weight cars with the driver being in control ..

I suggest if you are interested - turning up to a SELOC or some other trackday and get someone to take you out in their Elise - driving one straight off after an assisted car will feel 'different'.

Simon

Merc_Cosworth

LOTUS =

L ots
O f
T rouble
U sually
S erious

Sorry - couldn't resist!

S111ONF

Also - re the sticky throttle - some do stick due to the plastic TB - this can be replaced for a metal TB for little money - this also improves throttle response too as its a bigger diameter

Re the leaky roof - it also depends how you put it on - if you put it on properly - there should not be huge problems

Also bear in mind running costs - cheap as chips really - the mpg (around 30 combined) is much better than most things around - at the end of the day its only a basic k-series engine so if it blows up (which they don't really do) a new engine is £700.

Simon

Type R

No one has managed to put me off yet

After running a super reliable JDM Civic Type R, the S2 111S I drove was really good fun, first time I had driven one, yer i thought the brakes were awful, but later realised once giving it a bit of stick you use the brake pedal completly different to an Assisted brake set up, steering is spot on, getting in and out of a 2 seater, never an issue for me, quite good fun, guess could be annoying when pi55ing down.

Depends what you use the car for whether it would suit you.

Go and drive one, I am booked in for 3 or 4 test drives over the next week, 135, 160 S1 and 1.8

Will hopefully be in an S1 or S2 by the end of April.

cookiemonster

DBM

I went from an Elise to an Integra they are (obviously) very different cars, but in terms of performance, comfort and practicality are actually quite similar. Both, for me, were 100% reliable (i think there were a couple of minor niggles on both, like the boot cable going on the elise and problem with cd player on the Honda - but nothing of substance) but i bought both at low milage (500 miles on the elise, and 70 on the Honda) and did 10 - 15K miles before moving on. So perhaps high mileage cars may be more of an issue, i cant say. Elises do seem to have a "worse" reputation, but the way the integras tend to get hammered I think i'd rather go for a higher mileage elise; difficult to say though.

Running costs were equal - the integra went through tyres faster, but I was track daying it far more than the elise. At £60 a corner it wasnt really a big deal anyway.

In my opinion performance ability of both cars is beyond most drivers; neither has heaps and heaps of power, but on track days I would usually be faster than a standard scooby turbo in either, but slower than the p1, rb5 type things. Its down to taste really - i personally dont want a car with a billion bhp, as you cant exploit it on the road or the track, the 'teg and the elise were just right. One thing is that fully exploit either you need a driver who understands how to drive each car - I've seen quite a few "top" instructors drive the integra quite painfully as they were used to rwd cars. The techniques to getting 100% from the ITR are very differant to that of the Elise.

In the end I prefered (just my opinion, so please no one get upset ) the handling of the integra as I found it more "exploitable". I could get the integra moving around, get it sideways and generally enjoy myself more than I could with the elise. The integra also tended towards oversteer while the elise tended towards understeer, which was always a bit strange given the fwd vs rwd drive of the two cars. And when the integra oversteered, it was controlable, whereas with the elise I was just hanging on...

However, I reckon that a lot of this is down to my limited driving ability - folk who can drive better than me will get more from the elise.

I found the elise in the wet was a bit of liability, I had a few locking up moments and a few slides when i was just tootling around; the honda was excellent in all weather.

Comfort & practicality: Right, the integra obviously scores with its roof and hatch - lob stuff in the back and off you go (this was one of the reasons I went for a teg over a scooby in fact sorry ). It really made the difference for a day to day car. The elise could be a pain in the backside when it comes to luggage carrying - yes, you can do it, but it can be an **** if its your only car. I remember buying a carpet and bungee'ing it along the length of the car to get it home

However, on the move, I found the elise comfier than the integra. The integra was bloody loud at motorway speeds, and the recaros could get a bit painful (again this isnt a show stopper, but in comparison with say, the Audi A4 i have now, it was a nightmare). At least in the elise you expected the lack of comfort. If i were to drive up to scotland again from London, i take the elise - top down, heater up full, fleecy hat on my head and some ear plus

The elise was my first car as it happens - id only had 'bikes till then, so i was well used to the impractical side of things. Im not sure how id cope now with an elise as my only car.

Hope this helps - drive them both, both are stunning machines so you cant really go wrong.

S111ONF

As you are used to the type R - have a look at www.blinkmotorsport.com .... Civic type R engine and gearbox in the Elise

Average times of 6 runs .... gulp

0-60 4.05
0-100 9.45 secs .....

The only slight problem is finding the £10k for the conversion :-)

Most Elise problems are niggles rather than serious

Have fun at the weekend

Simon

Stevie

Matt (Type R)

Mate, I am sure you were at the ring last year when Meester Askew was demonstrating the Elise's wonderful handling characteristics in the wet Rich, did you get a lap in without spinning?

I know I was there on the thrash back when Rich was getting pi**ed all over in a straight line by 2 litre Vectra's!!

I dont care how delcate and pleasant an Elise is on track, Lotus can keep there kit car quality and 130mph top end to themselves.

A Type R something is a great compromise and a Westfield/Caterham a great track car. IMHO, an Elise is neither.

Type R

Simon, i have heard about it already, really quick car, I am going to try and get a passenger ride in one at a Bookatrack day.

Stevie, you know me, never been one for outright top end, remember I only had a 1.6

I know it's not great top end, and will proberly breakdown, but this is purely for fun, and the odd weekend trip to the Ring and Europe, I was in the car when askew spun, but following him through the mountains (we sprinted ahead ) was a laugh a minute watching him, get the backend out at every hairpin .

My old car was ultimatly quicker than most the Elise's on a lot of circuits, but I want to really work hard for the drive, hence why Scoob ownership has been something I havent considered.

If life does get dull you know I will get the VTEC conversion, and then bye bye, everything