Discussion
In the never ending quest to drive the perfect car combo, I'm currently stuck on what to accompany my E92 M3.
Choice is between an '04 111S or a new Elise 1.6.
I get the differences, just wonder if the new car is £15k better than the old. I much prefer the shape of the new one, and as I need to drive it to South of France next weekend I'm thinking the refinement and aircon would be appreciated.
But, would I have just as good a drive if I went for the older car, without aircon and the 5 speed 'box? Just how wearing is the old car on the motorway compared to the new car?
Any thoughts much appreciated..
Choice is between an '04 111S or a new Elise 1.6.
I get the differences, just wonder if the new car is £15k better than the old. I much prefer the shape of the new one, and as I need to drive it to South of France next weekend I'm thinking the refinement and aircon would be appreciated.
But, would I have just as good a drive if I went for the older car, without aircon and the 5 speed 'box? Just how wearing is the old car on the motorway compared to the new car?
Any thoughts much appreciated..
. However, wouldn't be without it because I'm always concerned about re-sale and that one day I might need it
. Stupid I know but can't always be rational.
Have driven in France; never used air con as the roof was always off when it was hot, sorry, I meant warm, actually I meant when it was daylight.
To tell you the truth, the roof is never on even when it's drizzling so air con would be a waste. That doesn't mean however you should avoid cars with air con if you spot the right car.
To tell you the truth, the roof is never on even when it's drizzling so air con would be a waste. That doesn't mean however you should avoid cars with air con if you spot the right car.
I have a 111S with aircon. It's worth getting a 2005 model as they tended to come with all the extras such as a hardtop and aircon. You can get one for your budget... I did 
I've never driven the 1.6, I believe it's great but the 111S will be quicker.
The 111S is very easy to drive in low revs/high gear which means that you don't have to keep it in the higher rev range all the time, this may suit you if you're planning on trips to France?
I do also like the shape of the new one but I've made the right choice (for me) with the 111S.
My advice, get in touch with WillB(PH & Seloc) who advertises as Will Blackham on the classifieds and Get the car you want
I've never driven the 1.6, I believe it's great but the 111S will be quicker.
The 111S is very easy to drive in low revs/high gear which means that you don't have to keep it in the higher rev range all the time, this may suit you if you're planning on trips to France?
I do also like the shape of the new one but I've made the right choice (for me) with the 111S.
My advice, get in touch with WillB(PH & Seloc) who advertises as Will Blackham on the classifieds and Get the car you want
The 111S is quite a lot quicker than the S (it's more comparable with the R).
Build quality will be lower on the older car and it will have probably picked up a few squeaks and rattles by now. There's not a massive amount of difference in refinement between a 2005 car and a 2012 one, although it is definitely noticeable. Either will be fine on the motorway if you don't mind wearing ear-plugs, and annoying if you do.
The 111S has a marginally bigger boot, which might matter if you're going touring?
Personally, I intentionally avoided air-con, but I suppose my thought process might have been different if I was going to take it anywhere significantly warmer than the UK.
Build quality will be lower on the older car and it will have probably picked up a few squeaks and rattles by now. There's not a massive amount of difference in refinement between a 2005 car and a 2012 one, although it is definitely noticeable. Either will be fine on the motorway if you don't mind wearing ear-plugs, and annoying if you do.
The 111S has a marginally bigger boot, which might matter if you're going touring?
Personally, I intentionally avoided air-con, but I suppose my thought process might have been different if I was going to take it anywhere significantly warmer than the UK.
Edited by kambites on Tuesday 26th June 09:06
SeanyD said:
Re aircon, as others have said get the roof off for fresh air, however aircon is incredibly useful for demisting purposes during rain, which can often cause non-aircon elises to mist up in no time at all.
I've never had this problem, but I do have a dehumidified garage so I suppose it doesn't have a chance to get really damp. MagicalTrevor said:
As it happens my aircon currently doesn't work and I don't really miss it, I would only find it useful when stuck in traffic in the blazing sunshine
This was my concern really - I wouldn't end up using it much so when it decided to go wrong it wouldn't be worth fixing it and I'd just end up lugging around ~30kg of compressor/condenser/whatever for no reason whatsoever. kambites said:
MagicalTrevor said:
As it happens my aircon currently doesn't work and I don't really miss it, I would only find it useful when stuck in traffic in the blazing sunshine
This was my concern really - I wouldn't end up using it much so when it decided to go wrong it wouldn't be worth fixing it and I'd just end up lugging around ~30kg of compressor/condenser/whatever for no reason whatsoever. MagicalTrevor said:
kambites said:
MagicalTrevor said:
As it happens my aircon currently doesn't work and I don't really miss it, I would only find it useful when stuck in traffic in the blazing sunshine
This was my concern really - I wouldn't end up using it much so when it decided to go wrong it wouldn't be worth fixing it and I'd just end up lugging around ~30kg of compressor/condenser/whatever for no reason whatsoever. Madness in my opinion, given the whole ethos of the car in the first place
I live in Switzerland where it's quite common to be >30 degrees in the summer. I don't have aircon on mine. If it's sunny the roof will be off. It's a minor problem when I'm on the motorway as the 'cold' air intake seems to be quite a bit warmer than outside. Windows down works well.
The only time I wish I had it was when it is hot and rainy, for example in a summer thunder storm.
The only time I wish I had it was when it is hot and rainy, for example in a summer thunder storm.
If I ordered another Elise, I'd be sure to spec air-con - gets very hot in the South of France in an Elise and I'd use air, a lot. Also the cooling pipes run along the sills - gets very hot inside... If you're planning long trips personally, I'd say it's a no-brainer!
Wrt the op, if his requirements are touring I'd opt for a new 1.6 with air over an older (8 years worn and there are lots of things that can go wrong if you don't have time to assess/modify/rebuild...) 111S - a 111S in good condition with good suspension components will be more fun/faster but it's no fun getting HGF or other issues at any time or esp. when touring and granted although the fix is fairly cheap (if it's done right) there's all the faffing around booking it in, waiting, picking it up....
If it was for use in the UK/track days, I'd save the cash and go for the 111S.
I'd say a new 1.6 would be a lot more refined.
Wrt the op, if his requirements are touring I'd opt for a new 1.6 with air over an older (8 years worn and there are lots of things that can go wrong if you don't have time to assess/modify/rebuild...) 111S - a 111S in good condition with good suspension components will be more fun/faster but it's no fun getting HGF or other issues at any time or esp. when touring and granted although the fix is fairly cheap (if it's done right) there's all the faffing around booking it in, waiting, picking it up....
If it was for use in the UK/track days, I'd save the cash and go for the 111S.
I'd say a new 1.6 would be a lot more refined.
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