First time buyer- help wanted

[rbagot]

I have just got to the stage where I can afford to buy a second hand elise.

I have started a new job and due to being able to use my bosses cars for day to day use I only do about 5,000 miles a year in my current car which is a Seat Leon Cupra R (210).

I have lusted after a series 2 Elise's for ages and I just wanted to pick the brains of any genuine Elise owners out there that could offer me the pros and cons of buying one.

I know that they are amazing cars to drive but I want to know all the other things about Elise ownership, even those factors that have put people off and meant that they have sold their Elise on.

Thanks for your help

[Sam_68]

You'd be better asking in the Elise specific forum, Richard... much more traffic in there - but read the 'Buyers Guide' sticky thread at the top of the forum first, as it will probably answer most of your questions.

Other than that... they are great cars, but will feel a lot different to your Laon Cupra. I used to have a Curpa as a company car at the same time as an Elise, so I had direct back-to-back experience. The Cupra is very easy to drive fast becasue of the idiot-proof FWD handling and the wide torque spread from the turbo engine. Elises need driving to get the best out of them; you need to keep the engine on the boil and the handling can feel a little nervous until you are used to it (particularly in the wet), but the car's agility and eagerness are second to none when you get in the groove.

Running costs and reliability are generally excellent... the Elise is the first Lotus where the 'Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious' acronym definitely doesn't apply.

Main failing with the Rover K-series engined cars (ie. all Elises except the 111R and the new Elise S), apart from a slight issue with head gasket reliability, is the horrible gearchange, but you can't have everything!

[crackthatoff]

Bought one 3 months ago and like you have saved for ages and every day since then I can't wait to get home to give her a spin,
bloody brilliant (know I shouldn't with semmi slicks but even in the rain and snow)
Its so far apart from driving a 'normal' car, The only ball ache so far is getting in and out, did 400 miles of non motorway driving in the first 3 days, anyway bollox to this typing... going for a spin

[cleevej]

After owning loads of hot hatches and stuff like Impreza'a I thought it was about time I experienced a proper rear wheel drive motor. So I picked my S1 135 elise up last week, and I am not disapointed. What an amazing car, like the guy said getting in and out will probably give you back ache after a while and my roof leaks around the front in very heavy rain, (living in wales doesn not help!) but it's totally amazing.

I had it ckecked over by an inspection company first, a good idea I think and get prices for head gasket and the like to factor into the equation. (No issues there with a Toyota engine of course. Buy one and enjoy, and pray fro warm dry weather!