Elise or VX220?
Discussion
Horses for courses! There's a ridiculous amount of snobbery and opinions in the VX vs Elise debate. The only way you will decide is to test drive both. Whichever you prefer, buy and enjoy. Both amazing cars, so you won't be disappointed either way. I spent 6 months looking for a Lightning special edition, only to end up buying a Elise Sport 160. The car suited me at the time, but I've no doubt that I'd have loved the VX just as much.
I bought the VX 2.2 over an Elise S1 because for the money I got a more powerful, cheaper to insure, newer, more reliable and better built car.
But, if I'd had a bit more to spend, I would have had an S2 Elise with the Toyota engine over the VX na.
I'd probably have taken the 111R over an equivalent VX Turbo too because of the weight issue with the VXT. But maybe then i'd have been tempted by an S1 Exige.
Have a look which models fit in your budget and go and drive some!
But, if I'd had a bit more to spend, I would have had an S2 Elise with the Toyota engine over the VX na.
I'd probably have taken the 111R over an equivalent VX Turbo too because of the weight issue with the VXT. But maybe then i'd have been tempted by an S1 Exige.
Have a look which models fit in your budget and go and drive some!
VX has the following that the S1 doesnt;
- Airbag
- ABS (albeit only 2 channel)
- Lower insurance and servicing costs (16 and about £150 every 10k)
- IMHO a nicer engine that doesnt suffer HGF
It doesn't have
- The badge
- The last % of track ability
- A roof you can see through.
Drive them both and make your decison, but value for money wise the VX is hard to beat.
- Airbag
- ABS (albeit only 2 channel)
- Lower insurance and servicing costs (16 and about £150 every 10k)
- IMHO a nicer engine that doesnt suffer HGF
It doesn't have
- The badge
- The last % of track ability
- A roof you can see through.
Drive them both and make your decison, but value for money wise the VX is hard to beat.
The biggest difference is that the VX has torque (esp. the turbo) whereas the Elise doesn't (unless you spend Noble money).
Do you like screaming engines or do you like midrange torque? The highly-tuned Elises are an acquired taste IMO.
The VX is also not as rough edged, it's more comfortable and less harsh, but it's still got Elise handling.
Other than that, they're the same car. Drive both, and choose based on how you like to drive. I used to own a Noble and the VXT is very much like a mini-Noble - big midrange turbo thrust without needing to bang the engine off the rev limiter to make progress. It's great
Ignore the immature bullshit about 'Lotus says innovation, Vauxhall says repmobile' - nobody who sets eyes on a VX220 thinks it's a rep's car, and if you buy your cars based on what other people think about you, then perhaps you'd be better off with a second hand Boxster.
The VXT in particular is incredibly good value for money - the only Elises that can touch it on road or track are the supercharged Exiges and they cost a *lot* more, you can get a VXT for £15k.
Do you like screaming engines or do you like midrange torque? The highly-tuned Elises are an acquired taste IMO.
The VX is also not as rough edged, it's more comfortable and less harsh, but it's still got Elise handling.
Other than that, they're the same car. Drive both, and choose based on how you like to drive. I used to own a Noble and the VXT is very much like a mini-Noble - big midrange turbo thrust without needing to bang the engine off the rev limiter to make progress. It's great
Ignore the immature bullshit about 'Lotus says innovation, Vauxhall says repmobile' - nobody who sets eyes on a VX220 thinks it's a rep's car, and if you buy your cars based on what other people think about you, then perhaps you'd be better off with a second hand Boxster.
The VXT in particular is incredibly good value for money - the only Elises that can touch it on road or track are the supercharged Exiges and they cost a *lot* more, you can get a VXT for £15k.
cyberface said:
VX is also not as rough edged, it's more comfortable and less harsh, but it's still got Elise handling.
This may be the case with the tubby but an S2 and VX 2.2 are pretty similar in terms or "harshness" IMHO. Some road tests (EVO springs to mind) of the time actually said the K series S2 was actually slightly more confortable than the Vx.
Most turbos come with the touring pack which certainly reduces the percieved harshness, and the suspension is slightly softer.
For me the vx220 na is the best choice (don't like forced induction, especially turbo) and has the torque that others like the yota engine for the elise has lack of.
Was tempted by a honda conversion but with the throttlebodies about to be sold for the NA it would have 215+ hp + the torque if you would follow that route.
In my opinion it should beat the honda conversion (unless you supercharge it).
Was tempted by a honda conversion but with the throttlebodies about to be sold for the NA it would have 215+ hp + the torque if you would follow that route.
In my opinion it should beat the honda conversion (unless you supercharge it).
Platinum said:
Blimey! I just got a quote for a VX220 2.2 - 25% less than an elise thats 4 year older.
Is it worth paying a huge chunk less on insurance, for a car 'missing the badge' (not wishing to offend VX owners)?
What fuel economy can be expected from the 2.2 on a 'gentlish' commute?
Is it worth paying a huge chunk less on insurance, for a car 'missing the badge' (not wishing to offend VX owners)?
What fuel economy can be expected from the 2.2 on a 'gentlish' commute?
I have the Turbo and on a tour round Irelend I managed a best of 40mpg. It drops to about 30 if you clog it.
The Z22SE engine in the original VX220 is a great engine, and there are plenty of upgrades out there for it. The Z20LET fitted in the VX220 Turbo is a monster, but the one you NEED is the VXR220 with the uprated Z20LET engine putting down 225bhp. VERY limited run of those cars though, mainly in Red (VXRacing colours!!)
As has been said before, you need to drive both an Elise and a VX and then make your own mind up from there. I was originally looking for a 111S Elise, and then test drove a VXna more out of curiousity really, and really enjoyed the whole driving experience which surprised me a lot! I then test drove a VXR and a Turbo, and that was it. Decision made!
I love my VXT and am in no way disappointed that it hasn't got a Lotus badge. To be honest, anyone who knows about cars will already know what they're about and the comparisons. I've had some really positive comments about the VX, and quite a few people have said that they prefer it over the Elise. I think both cars are fantastic, but mine's definatley best!!
Enjoy your test drives.....
I love my VXT and am in no way disappointed that it hasn't got a Lotus badge. To be honest, anyone who knows about cars will already know what they're about and the comparisons. I've had some really positive comments about the VX, and quite a few people have said that they prefer it over the Elise. I think both cars are fantastic, but mine's definatley best!!
Enjoy your test drives.....
I have the rover engine in mine & have covered 10k in 9 months without a hitch! Doesnt that class as being reliable?
At the end of the day the vx is a lotus with a different badge & is built in the lotus factory so in all fairness its a fake lotus but i am not taking away the fact that its still a cracking car because it is. I see this hasnt been posted in the "Elise" forum to give it a fighting chance.
At the end of the day the vx is a lotus with a different badge & is built in the lotus factory so in all fairness its a fake lotus but i am not taking away the fact that its still a cracking car because it is. I see this hasnt been posted in the "Elise" forum to give it a fighting chance.
boobles said:
I have the rover engine in mine & have covered 10k in 9 months without a hitch! Doesnt that class as being reliable?
At the end of the day the vx is a lotus with a different badge & is built in the lotus factory so in all fairness its a fake lotus but i am not taking away the fact that its still a cracking car because it is. I see this hasnt been posted in the "Elise" forum to give it a fighting chance.
At the end of the day the vx is a lotus with a different badge & is built in the lotus factory so in all fairness its a fake lotus but i am not taking away the fact that its still a cracking car because it is. I see this hasnt been posted in the "Elise" forum to give it a fighting chance.
Probably to avoid inflammatory bullshit that degenerates ALL these threads into bickering. If that original 'it's a vauxhall' comment was meant to be humour then you NEED a smiley - there are some sensitive hotheads in the Elise and VX world, just wander over to SELOC (and then back quietly away...
) to see what I mean... Personally I think the normal VXT with a couple of grands of mods is the biggest bargain in sports cars. The VXR has a lot of the kit you want as standard, but there is ONE yellow one and the bloody owner doesn't sound like he's going to let me have it
Equally, as Joe-turbo correctly says, it's cheaper and gives better power to bolt-on newer components from the Z20LEH engine in the new Astra VXR, which produces 247 (IIRC) bog standard and is a better turbo unit anyway. I don't like the K, some people have no problem with it - personally I think it lacks character and is mis-engineered for mid-engined application (too low coolant volume) meaning most of the cooling of the K in the Elise ends up governed by hysterisis of the stat and not a constant flow through the rad, ergo sinusoidal temp changes and regular heat cycling of the engine. Lotus chose it because it was impressively light and available (I bet you real money that Lotus would have snapped the Honda VTEC up if Honda sold their engines to third parties!!!!!)
I can only speak for the VXT - but everyone has to remember that the difference between any Elise and a VXT isn't just the power delivery and the badge, but the weight distribution and concomitant handling balance - the VXT is almost rear-engined and it feels AWESOME. But I'm an ex-911 fanatic.
Then again my ideal Elise/Exige/VX220 would be something that looks like a VXT, but has a coupe back, with a super-lightweight 3 litre all-ally V6 developing up to 300 bhp, with mid-rear weight balance like a VXT, with Alfa-like engine noise, all for VXT-like weight (930 kg). And, most importantly, the same size as a VXT. Not the size of a Noble, I've had one and it's too big for B-road hooning. Didn't Lotus propose such a car once???
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