Lotus Excel

[mgp1969]

Anyone run one of these as a daily driver. Interested in practicality (it's got 4 seats and a hatchback, so can't be that bad), fuel economy, and any other pointers on buying/using one.

Thanks,

Martin

[size13]

I have one, but not a daily driver.

It's not a hatch back - the boot is the width of the car, but about 2 feet in length and about a foot deep.

The back seats are very narrow, so the average adult won't get into them.

On the upside - fuel economy isn't too bad and if you get a good example, you won't have "many" problems.

Size13

[mgp1969]

That's interesting, I'd always assumed from the shape it was a hatchback. Not too fussed about that, or the small rear seats (as would rarely carry 4 adults), but sturck me as a possibly less lairy, but still interesting, daily driver to complement the V8S.

As justification to other half that this is a goer was the, er, hatchback and rear seats, may have to rethink. B*gger!

[Simonelite501]

Surely the justification should be that you work bloody hard enough, and should be able to have what you bloody well like!
The Excel is a great car, handles very well, goes very well (the SE models are better, having 180bhp instead of the earlier 160bhp ones), uses mosly Toyota donor parts so it's faily reliable (unlike the earlier, prettier, Elites & Eclats which were a reliability nightmare) even good examples are as cheap as chips at present, and you can get 4 adults in (helps if the 2 in the back are malnourished amputees though!)
For more thoughts on why you should, visit the lotus 4 seaters group, or the excel forum on Yahoo groups.

[crankedup]

Fabo car the Excel, go for the SE version as has been said, altho the standard car is still very nice. I remember test driving one, best chassis of ANY car I have owned.