tonner_notts

had an elise and loved it,
thinkin of going for the vx but cant decide, any ideas

stilover

Stick with the Elise. You'll look like a Tw@t in a VX220

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

VX220...doesn't have the k-series heat issues and also cheaper to buy thanks to the badge

lordlucan

No brainer really..... VX is an Elise, made by Lotus just has a far superior engine over the K series. But then I do have a 250bhp stage 2 VXT that eats Elises and has an airbag and ABS !! It is de-badged though.... as I dont like Vauxhall.....

J

Olly

Lets get this straight. A VX is NOT an Elise. The two cars share around 100 odd components out of a total of around 2500. Similar in design, layout, construction, and built in the same factory, granted. But NOT the same car.

Driven both. Got the VX (used). Let someone else take the depreciation hit and let the badge snobs take the Lotus.

Reasons? In my part of the world, it is WAY rarer. (Elises are everywhere). Torque is fantastic. Its easier to live with day to day (mine is used in sun or snow, and used hard). In my eyes it looks meatier than the dainty Lotus. Its amazingly comfortable. It rides better than an Elise. And I am happier telling customers (who I would rather not know how I spend my money) that I drive a Vauxhall.

Don't want to get into a usual stupid Scoobynet argument about which is best. Both are fantastic, and you would be happy with either. Its just that the VX suits me better.

And as for VX220 turbo or N/A, thats up to you. You could either have a 220 Turbo, or an identical 220 2.2, a mint 205GTi 1.9 for the garage and a mint Merc E class for the motorway. After experiencing both, I chose the latter

Stilover: why would you look a tw@t in a VX? What do you drive?

MZP

It comes down to this really:

The elise is slower, more expensive to service, more expesive to insure, more expensive for parts, more expensive to buy - in fact more expensive in eery way to the VX220.

They do drive slightly differently (VX has a slightly longer wheelbase/wider track than the Elise) but I honestly cant tell the difference.

BUT you will (generally) get better customer service from lotus, and the interior (on the S2's) is marginly nicer. And so what really if the engines not quite as good and its a bit slower than the VX, its still awesome.

The choice comes down to cash. Elise is a better badge, but they are *fundamentally* the same type of car. You just have to ask yourself if the badge is worth a few grand a year.

Trying to be really objective - this is the same decision process I went though - and I bought an NA VX220....

My advice about VX's is try the NA if you want the closest match to the elise in terms of driving experience. Turbo is a bit softer and heavier (but thats a very relative judgment compared to any other car!)

Hope that helps.

tonner_notts

ive owned an elise and loved it, think it looks better than the vx by a long way, but thats my opinion, would much rather tell ppl i have an elise,
but with cheaper servicing etc im really tempted by a vx and also for the same price you get a newer car in the vauxhall, do you think the vx will keep depreciating like it has done where as the elise is startin to bottom out,
are they more reliable than the elise

stilover

Elise to me shouts "Drivers Car", and I'm sure the VX is that too, but every time I see a VX I think Hairdresser and Girls Car. It has that image. Also every bloke I've see driving them are always in suits, with a beer gut.

Plus, I just can't get the image of Griff Reece Jones (however you spell his name) in his underpant trying to convince the world to buy a VX. What made Vauxpoo aprove those ad's I'll never know.

VX, to me say's poor Mans Elise.

What do you drive mister? A Lotus. And what do you drive mister? A Vauxpoo.

Gazz300

If you are using this every day then make sure you never have to take anyone else in the car with you or a bag bigger than an average holdall. I also hope you don't play golf or park in supermarkets etc etc. If it is for this then go for a VX Turbo. Doing a limbo when trying to get out with the roof on and parked next to another car is hilarious. Esp when you don't want to get your trousers covered in road grime. I had a VX Turbo and lasted a year. Got so fed up with choosing a route and not being able to see past the car in front and not being able to carry a weekend bag and a passenger it just had to go. But when the sun is shining and the bag in the passenger seat is actually quite tasty there is nothing better in this world... Put some old tights over the air intake for the blowers. ladies don't like flies in their laps. There is no filter. I loved it but at the end of the day it is a weekend car.

tonner_notts

like i say gazz ive already owned an elise so know about those issues but thanks anyhow

Kael

I think if you can't see past the badge on a car you really need to re-evaluate your principles of buying a car.

Listy

VX all the way.......

I have driven VX's ***** out at Palmer Sport on 4 occassions and had both Elise's and VX Turbo's on Track days at Silverstone and Brands and as great a car as the Elise is the VX is Better. Don't be a badge snob and deprive yourself of the better car!

All IMHO oc-course

gazbrook

I have sold my Vx to get a Subaru. I have driven both and think the elise is for badge snobs and looks more girly due to the more rounded lines. The VX has sharper lines and is a lot less common. The Vxr version is faster than any Elise/Exige 0 - 60 in 4.3 secs or the vx220 turbo is 4.7 and top whack of about 150. Amazing car to drive but not an every day car in my opinion. Hence the reason I got a Subaru.

MZP

OK lets talk for a second about badges.

I remeber when Subaru = farmers car.

Then a young scottish guy came onto the rallying scene, and rolled legacy's off at each stage. Then he got an imprezza, and did pretty well really. The imprezza became THE stealth drivers car. Before that, if you didnt own a BMW, you werent into driving.

I guess what I am saying is you own a scooby, so you arent a badge snob, so buy the VX220. Or the elise. Or whatever. Just talk to me about dynamics and driving, not about anything else. F*ck the badge, it doesnt matter.

Some people say if you've got it flaunt it. I say if you've got it, why bother.

Petem95

They used to be built in the same factory, but the VX220 is now built in Germany.

Im probably going to get an Elise at some point in the future, and have looked into the VX220 as an alternative. I agree the VX is probably a better all-rounder than the Lotus, and having airbags and ABS is nice (these features are now an option on the Elise btw) - but at the end of the day it does boil down to image - the Lotus is basically more desirable simply because its a Lotus...

fastfrank

Does anybody know what the reliability is like on the Lotus Elise?

MZP

I have to disagree with you there - the last VX220 rolled of the production line at Hethel some 15 weeks ago. There will be no more built, in norfolk let alone Germany.

MZP

Rhetorically bad due to the 'weakness' of the K series - but toyota engines strong.

Probably fine TBH.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Tell me, does anyone know which particular model of Elise that has engine cover vents placed in such a position to allow rain water to ingress into the spark plug recesses and ignition components, and thus causing missfires when or after it rains?? Or is it all of them?

I just cant believe a British car maker could produce cars that aren't waterproof LOL (then thinks of Aerial Atom...oops )

Did the VX's suffer this?

lordlucan

The VX was never built in Germany, it shares 119 components with the Elise. It does come down to badge snobery, the heart says Lotus, the head and pocket says VX.....

Proven 0-60 in 3.9 secs says VX for me, debadged of couse and and daily runabout is the ticket. But a normal driver in a Scoob would whip me on a road, but after having both I know what I would be having more fun in....


J

106rallye

or just rebadge (or buy i suppose!) as an Opel Speedster sounds much better!

Andy

Dream Weaver

Odd concept

I love cars based on their ability and the VX is rated very highly by the experts.

A badge/model/type of car and the image it portrays has never EVER bothered me, being a proper car enthusiast, hence why i've had an MR2 (hairdresser), 205 GTI (boy racer) and also a Focus(family man)..

I honestly couldnt give a toss about image in cars, its all about the driving and if people are so shallow as to not buy a car because they would be worried about what other road users think, well its a sad world we live in.

To answer the thread, love both the Elise and the VX, but the VX looks the more mascualine and purposeful IMO, Elise is too rounded - plus as has been said, the VX is much rarer, Elises are common as muck round here.

CTR

IIRC it is the VXs that suffer this, not Elises, well mine doesnt. It can happen when I wash the car if I spray enough water in the right direction, but even in the heaviest downpour it has never happened.

I would say drive both and decide for yourself. I was set on buying a VX mainly cause I could get a newer car for the money, however it felt heavier to drive than the Elise, and the 175 tyres front, and 225 tyres rear on the VX worried me in terms of having fun. Having driven an S2 with the same size tyres its probably not an issue. The ABS sucks on the VX, but then some people hate the non servoed brakes on the Elise(unless youre buying a 111r). And yes the K series is prone to blowing its head gaskets.

Olly

A bloke I know told me that I should flick the Vauxhall badges off and replace with Opel. Why on earth?????? If you had such a complex, then surely its more fun humiliating people in a Vauxhall???

I am glad that badge snobs like Stilover still exist. They turned my car into the absolute bargain that it was, and kept it exclusive.

CTR: dont worry about the tyre sizes stopping you from having fun: I can assure you that full blooded opposite lock is not a problem.

I mus add that my Vauxhall dealer is a bit crap. But then so is every other car dealership I have ever dealt with.

And mines not bigger than yours. I would buy an Elise tomorrow.

fastfrank

cheers kidda. Considering flogging the scoob to go for one but don't want something which is going to break down constantly.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Certain Elises definitely suffered from it, as I have endured the moans from several owners of it - just I never bothered taking note of what spec/year was more prone (if not all).

Ben WRX Bug-Eye

VX220 Turbo for me. Exhaust and remap and you've got 250bhp. In a car that weighs that much it's not just blisteringly fast, but genuinely scary on the road.

The only Elise I really would want is a 111R or possibly a 111S - with the Toyota VVTi engines. They are significantly more expensive than the Vauxhall and sure Lotus car keys out on the pub table would look cool, but those who are really into the cars know the Vauxhall's capabilities. Most people won't even realise it's a Vauxhall though, hence the idea of the badge swap.

mark1234

Right.. the VX and the Elise are quite different. Horses for courses.

Ignoring the badge, and having actually driven both:

The VX is as mentioned, 2.2, more torquey, has servo brakes, more conventional pedals, and (I think) power steering. plus abs. Suspension wise, I'd say it was somewhat more compliant (relatively!)

Consequently, the elise feels sharper (subjectively) and needs working harder to be in the right gear etc. To me it involves the driver more - which is what these cars should be all about.

I don't doubt that in mortal hands, the vx is quicker point to point than a std Elise. But then that's not the point. For the same reason I (personally) wouldn't bother with the VXT - if I wanted a turbo charged sledgehammer, I'd stick with a scooby/evo. Personally I want the scalpel - hence it's the Elise that's going to be landing on my drive.

stilover

I'm not a Badge snob. I drive a Subaru All I said was that that advert did the brand no favours. A middle aged man in his underpants does not make a car cool.
Maybe if they'd employed Kate Moss or someone, semi-naked laid over the bonnet, then maybe I'd have a different opinion on it's image.

PPPMAT

I've owned and tracked an s2 elise for a year and would probably go for the VXT - with £3k's worth of mods to suspension/wheels/tyres/remap and exhaust you would have a car thats as fast as the exige 240r at half the cost or less - thats a bargain