Exige Or Tuscan?
Discussion
Hi all,
Im going to post this in both forums (TVR and EXIGE), is there a way to link both?
My predicament, which I'm very pleased to be having, is wether to buy an exige or a tuscan.
I have access to a works car which i'll be using for any kind of distance driving, and back and forth to the office on the majority of days. BUT there will be occasions where I will have to use mine, worst outcome 300/400 miles a week.
I can't afford the supercharge exige so it will be the N/A version.
Basically its an circa 02 Tuscan Vs an 06 N/A exige.
Driving; From what I've read, and from chatting to people they are both pretty amazing. I will mostly be 'enjoying' the speed of the car on the black mountains, or these types of roads. Straight line speed is amazing, but I'm more of a twisty road driver. I think they will both be pretty good in these situations, maybe the exige a little better?
Looks; well I think the majority of people who have these cars, likes people looking at them (the cars). I know this shouldn't be a consideration, but it is! I think the exige might get more looks then the tuscan? But they are both pretty cool.
Reliability; Im very worried about the tuscan reliability. Ive heard if its had a rebuild, its fine? Is this true? The exige on the other hand is supposed to be pretty solid.
Costs; Servicing, MPG, general costs. You can read stats on parkers etc, but what are the true figures?
Do all the tuscans have the targa top?
I've always wanted a TVR, but I also love the exige. I don't know what to do, ha.
Im going to post this in both forums (TVR and EXIGE), is there a way to link both?
My predicament, which I'm very pleased to be having, is wether to buy an exige or a tuscan.
I have access to a works car which i'll be using for any kind of distance driving, and back and forth to the office on the majority of days. BUT there will be occasions where I will have to use mine, worst outcome 300/400 miles a week.
I can't afford the supercharge exige so it will be the N/A version.
Basically its an circa 02 Tuscan Vs an 06 N/A exige.
Driving; From what I've read, and from chatting to people they are both pretty amazing. I will mostly be 'enjoying' the speed of the car on the black mountains, or these types of roads. Straight line speed is amazing, but I'm more of a twisty road driver. I think they will both be pretty good in these situations, maybe the exige a little better?
Looks; well I think the majority of people who have these cars, likes people looking at them (the cars). I know this shouldn't be a consideration, but it is! I think the exige might get more looks then the tuscan? But they are both pretty cool.
Reliability; Im very worried about the tuscan reliability. Ive heard if its had a rebuild, its fine? Is this true? The exige on the other hand is supposed to be pretty solid.
Costs; Servicing, MPG, general costs. You can read stats on parkers etc, but what are the true figures?
Do all the tuscans have the targa top?
I've always wanted a TVR, but I also love the exige. I don't know what to do, ha.
lukedon said:
Straight line speed is amazing, but I'm more of a twisty road driver.
For this reason get the Exige.Until recently I owned both an Elise and a Tuscan.
TVRs are a lot better than many think and are very light, agile and responsive too, plus offer a lot more straight line performance. However beyond 7/10ths cornering effort the Exige becomes preferable, but both need to be respected. TVR ownership is fine but I wouldn't recommend it on a very tight budget just in case you need engine work. The good news is that there are several really good options for engine rebuilding which means once it's done you should not see any more trouble.
I've been fortunate enough to have a T350 and an Exige S. The TVR has an awesome soundtrack and feels quick in a straight line. It also has the advantage of a larger cabin space and can take an overnight bag with ease. However, the exige is the best car I've ever owned. So much so I just bought another having been in the same situation as you.
Nothing that Ive driven handles like an exige and while it demands respect it gives unrivalled levels of confidence. I found with the TVR that I always had the niggling doubt that it might break down, although in 12 months this only happened once. But the doubt was always there which made planning long trips slightly concerning.
You will find the exige will cost far less in servicing costs so as already said, if you have a tight budget that might make the decision for you. They both get a lot of attention, the TVR for sheer noise and the exige for its super car/race car looks.
Whichever way you go they are both amazing cars and you won't be disappointed but the exige would get my vote!
Nothing that Ive driven handles like an exige and while it demands respect it gives unrivalled levels of confidence. I found with the TVR that I always had the niggling doubt that it might break down, although in 12 months this only happened once. But the doubt was always there which made planning long trips slightly concerning.
You will find the exige will cost far less in servicing costs so as already said, if you have a tight budget that might make the decision for you. They both get a lot of attention, the TVR for sheer noise and the exige for its super car/race car looks.
Whichever way you go they are both amazing cars and you won't be disappointed but the exige would get my vote!
Exige gets my vote I had a SC 240 and really loved it, I might be a little concerned at the lack of grunt from a N/A car but most of my cars lately have been 400+ bhp and power can get addictive!
I would get another Exige in a heart beat but It would probably have to be a Honda or Audi conversion so I could have the best of both worlds.
Tivvers are great but in my view you don't want to be the one swapping out the broken engine for an LS3 or the like.
I would get another Exige in a heart beat but It would probably have to be a Honda or Audi conversion so I could have the best of both worlds.
Tivvers are great but in my view you don't want to be the one swapping out the broken engine for an LS3 or the like.
If you go for the Exige, I would advice a supercharger on it and say from 260+ hp,also a nice sounding exhaust, the you could have a nice car which also has some punch.
or...buy one of the 2 Elises S2 with Honda and SC both around 300hp
then you have some of both, get a hardtop also with it, job done.
with the Elise you would still have a rear view.
If I would go for a TVR I would choose a TVR with V8, that gives the car a extra good feeling and you don't have to drive fast you enjoy such V8 car.
bot different cars with their own positive things, both a pleasure to own.
or...buy one of the 2 Elises S2 with Honda and SC both around 300hp
then you have some of both, get a hardtop also with it, job done.
with the Elise you would still have a rear view.
If I would go for a TVR I would choose a TVR with V8, that gives the car a extra good feeling and you don't have to drive fast you enjoy such V8 car.
bot different cars with their own positive things, both a pleasure to own.
Edited by GTRene on Sunday 22 July 22:07
GTRene said:
If you go for the Exige, I would advice a supercharger on it and say from 260+ hp,also a nice sounding exhaust, the you could have a nice car which also has some punch.
or...buy one of the 2 Elises S2 with Honda and SC both around 300hp
then you have some of both, get a hardtop also with it, job done.
with the Elise you would still have a rear view.
If I would go for a TVR I would choose a TVR with V8, that gives the car a extra good feeling and you don't have to drive fast you enjoy such V8 car.
bot different cars with their own positive things, both a pleasure to own.
What a load of bks. OP stated he likes the tuscan and that a N/A Exige is his price range but you suggest a V8 and supercharged exige.or...buy one of the 2 Elises S2 with Honda and SC both around 300hp
then you have some of both, get a hardtop also with it, job done.
with the Elise you would still have a rear view.
If I would go for a TVR I would choose a TVR with V8, that gives the car a extra good feeling and you don't have to drive fast you enjoy such V8 car.
bot different cars with their own positive things, both a pleasure to own.
Edited by GTRene on Sunday 22 July 22:07
Whilst I agree that V8 TVR's are a nice experience, a Tuscan does also not need to be driven fast to be enjoyable but when you want to will out perform most other cars on the road.
As for the Exige, even a N/A version is a weapon on a set of twisties. OP could bolt a katana on at a later date but I would not recommend tuning a Toyota engine too high. The cup 260 and the 240 do not provide any real difference over the standard exige S day to day.
As for Honda conversions, it's a specialist market _ they generally cost a significant amount more than a N/A 1.8 Yota plant and are harder to sell on in the future. However, they are a ridiculously quick car.
I was in a similar position a couple of years ago, I had an Elise (S2 Rover K) and the two cars on my list were Exige 190 or a TVR (Either Tuscan or T350). The TVRs are very special, the speed 6 engines are wonderful (if fragile) things and one day I will have one. However I'd come from a lotus and an Impreza, both of which were incredible handling cars with tons of grip, the TVRs that I drove before making my decision felt a little bit beyond my talents to drive in a way to get the best out of them. In the twisties the TVRs felt like a handful and I didn't enjoy pressing on, the Exige on the other hand dares you not to brake and gives you all the feedback you could want to instill confidence, they are go-karts on good driving roads.
The other thing that swayed me was the cost, I commute over the Cat and Fiddle road everyday to work (only half the average speed cameras are live - and I know which ones) and the 50 mile round trip in a car doing 18mpg wasn't affordable (I'd had several years of that with the scooby). The Exige is cheap to run and the toyota engine is a lovely revvy reliable unit that is very understressed in such a small car. The TVR would be very special but you'll have more fun in the Exige, all IMHO
The other thing that swayed me was the cost, I commute over the Cat and Fiddle road everyday to work (only half the average speed cameras are live - and I know which ones) and the 50 mile round trip in a car doing 18mpg wasn't affordable (I'd had several years of that with the scooby). The Exige is cheap to run and the toyota engine is a lovely revvy reliable unit that is very understressed in such a small car. The TVR would be very special but you'll have more fun in the Exige, all IMHO
Not quite the same but I've had a Cerbera and now an Exige S.
The Cerbera was great but everything cost £1k. Thankfully I was busy at work and no children so the costs of running such a car were manageable. Now with the Exige I've got some of the 'event' that I used to have with the TVR but without (touch wood) the costs involved.
Both cars are great in their own way but they are different tools for different jobs.
If you don't care about the running costs then disregard my ramblings but they can be significant in a TVR (see my profile for an idea of what a 8 year old TVR cost to run).
The Cerbera was great but everything cost £1k. Thankfully I was busy at work and no children so the costs of running such a car were manageable. Now with the Exige I've got some of the 'event' that I used to have with the TVR but without (touch wood) the costs involved.
Both cars are great in their own way but they are different tools for different jobs.
If you don't care about the running costs then disregard my ramblings but they can be significant in a TVR (see my profile for an idea of what a 8 year old TVR cost to run).
jock mcsporran said:
Not quite the same but I've had a Cerbera and now an Exige S.
The Cerbera was great but everything cost £1k. Thankfully I was busy at work and no children so the costs of running such a car were manageable. Now with the Exige I've got some of the 'event' that I used to have with the TVR but without (touch wood) the costs involved.
Both cars are great in their own way but they are different tools for different jobs.
If you don't care about the running costs then disregard my ramblings but they can be significant in a TVR (see my profile for an idea of what a 8 year old TVR cost to run).
I've got your tyre pressure gauge in the passenger side pocket of my car - girlfriend discovered it while hunting for earplugs on the way to Silverstone last weekend. I must arrange its return!The Cerbera was great but everything cost £1k. Thankfully I was busy at work and no children so the costs of running such a car were manageable. Now with the Exige I've got some of the 'event' that I used to have with the TVR but without (touch wood) the costs involved.
Both cars are great in their own way but they are different tools for different jobs.
If you don't care about the running costs then disregard my ramblings but they can be significant in a TVR (see my profile for an idea of what a 8 year old TVR cost to run).
chevronb37 said:
I've got your tyre pressure gauge in the passenger side pocket of my car - girlfriend discovered it while hunting for earplugs on the way to Silverstone last weekend. I must arrange its return!
I totally forgot about it till the missus asked me to check her tyres. I might be at Buckles in August if you're going to the meet, otherwise don't worry about it. Hi Luke. I've had 7 TVRs over the last 8 years including a Griffith 500, a Chimaera 430 etc but tonight I've had the privelage of having a passenger ride in a 'properly' driven Supercharged Exige S over the Black Mountains, & all I can say is, my whole car Universe has been turned upside down!!!!
I didn't think the laws of Physics could be bent that far.......
I've been driven in anger in a Cerbera 4.5 Lightweight RR, I've driven a Tuscan plus all the cars I've owned but this thing simply blows them all in to oblivion! Simple as that...
We got out at the top & I felt like I was back in 1973! I thought I'd travelled through time...
Astonishing Alien of a car.
I didn't think the laws of Physics could be bent that far.......
I've been driven in anger in a Cerbera 4.5 Lightweight RR, I've driven a Tuscan plus all the cars I've owned but this thing simply blows them all in to oblivion! Simple as that...
We got out at the top & I felt like I was back in 1973! I thought I'd travelled through time...
Astonishing Alien of a car.
Edited by pwd95 on Thursday 26th July 22:50
Hi all,
Thanks for the reply.
My Z4 has now sold, and I am now looking for a ....... wait for it........ exige!
Theres a few knocking about on pistonheads, but the colours im after arent in my price range.
Suppose i'll just have to bide my time.
Ideally I'd like an orange/yellow/(kawasaki?) green.
Any other good sites to look on?
Thanks for the reply.
My Z4 has now sold, and I am now looking for a ....... wait for it........ exige!
Theres a few knocking about on pistonheads, but the colours im after arent in my price range.
Suppose i'll just have to bide my time.
Ideally I'd like an orange/yellow/(kawasaki?) green.
Any other good sites to look on?
There's normally a few kicking about on here:
http://classifieds.seloc.org/ad-category/cars/
I know it's not what you're after but the Honda Elise on the first page looks pretty special!
http://classifieds.seloc.org/ad-category/cars/
I know it's not what you're after but the Honda Elise on the first page looks pretty special!
Autopilot said:
There's normally a few kicking about on here:
http://classifieds.seloc.org/ad-category/cars/
I know it's not what you're after but the Honda Elise on the first page looks pretty special!
That Honda Elise is insane! Over 300 brake. Nuts.http://classifieds.seloc.org/ad-category/cars/
I know it's not what you're after but the Honda Elise on the first page looks pretty special!
You sometimes find them popping up on Exiges.com.
I got mine through PH but to get a particular spec, especially the white/orange/greens, you have to be ready to buy and prepared to travel as they seem to go quite quickly. I missed out on a few slight compromise cars before I got mine which was actually the perfect spec to what I originally wanted.
I got mine through PH but to get a particular spec, especially the white/orange/greens, you have to be ready to buy and prepared to travel as they seem to go quite quickly. I missed out on a few slight compromise cars before I got mine which was actually the perfect spec to what I originally wanted.
I've got an old school V8 TVR and an Exige. I love the TVR in a million ways but the Lotus is by far the better of the 2 cars. It's performance is stunning considering the very modest engine size but the best bit is the handling which is just incredible. The extra speed you can carry through every corner and the confidence and feedback it gives you is simply stunning. That doesn't change whether it is an NA or a n SC car.
If you do go for the NA then go for the re-map of the cam change point, if it hasn't been done already. Brings the switch over point to 2nd cam to lower revs so you would be in the 'zone' more often without having to scream it. Cost is well below £500.
I get mine serviced by a very highly respected independant and he charges less than I pay for my daily diesel burner!! Tyres will be the most expensive consumable if you stick with A048's. £500 ish a pair
Gratuitous piccy of my Exige
If you do go for the NA then go for the re-map of the cam change point, if it hasn't been done already. Brings the switch over point to 2nd cam to lower revs so you would be in the 'zone' more often without having to scream it. Cost is well below £500.
I get mine serviced by a very highly respected independant and he charges less than I pay for my daily diesel burner!! Tyres will be the most expensive consumable if you stick with A048's. £500 ish a pair
Gratuitous piccy of my Exige
Gassing Station | Elise/Exige/Europa/340R | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff