£9k S2 Elise on Autotrader - is it a blag?
Discussion
So... currently looking at MR2 Roadsters, but can't help but occasionally sneak a peek at what's available in the form of the S2 Elise.
I found this one on Autotrader, which seems remarkably cheap.
Have had a look at the dealer's website and they seem legit, obviously the car's covered a fair few miles (86k) and looks decidedly unloved judging by the missing badge and filthy interior..
So, aside from the fact that it could have been a write-off (obviously I'd check beforehand) what else could be lurking under it's lovely green paintwork to justify the low price?
I know that bodywork is expensive to repair and it could just be a tatty example when viewed up close (I suspect the replacement of lots of small bits could soon add up.. but would this be enough to explain it's price? Are there any potentially costly pitfalls to affect the S2 at higher mileage? Other S2s I've seen around this price have usually had moon miles, been written off or have led obviously hard lives..
Ta for any thoughts
I found this one on Autotrader, which seems remarkably cheap.
Have had a look at the dealer's website and they seem legit, obviously the car's covered a fair few miles (86k) and looks decidedly unloved judging by the missing badge and filthy interior..
So, aside from the fact that it could have been a write-off (obviously I'd check beforehand) what else could be lurking under it's lovely green paintwork to justify the low price?
I know that bodywork is expensive to repair and it could just be a tatty example when viewed up close (I suspect the replacement of lots of small bits could soon add up.. but would this be enough to explain it's price? Are there any potentially costly pitfalls to affect the S2 at higher mileage? Other S2s I've seen around this price have usually had moon miles, been written off or have led obviously hard lives..
Ta for any thoughts
If it's a write off as well as tatty, I'd say it's actually overpriced. Considering the higher miles as well.
I know a couple of people who have bought non cat S2s in relatively good condition with higher miles for £8-9k.
Edit: It doesn't look that tatty in retrospect. I wouldn't go so far as to call it unloved, although there's obviously not really enough info to tell.
I know a couple of people who have bought non cat S2s in relatively good condition with higher miles for £8-9k.
Edit: It doesn't look that tatty in retrospect. I wouldn't go so far as to call it unloved, although there's obviously not really enough info to tell.
Thanks - if this is a typically priced example I was evidently mistaken by the value of cars at the lower end of the market.
In an effort to verify the price I had a quick look on Parker's who suggest that the S2 should start at £5k. If only - sounds like they've applied a standard Mondeo depreciation curve
In an effort to verify the price I had a quick look on Parker's who suggest that the S2 should start at £5k. If only - sounds like they've applied a standard Mondeo depreciation curve
I'd have to concur with what's said here... looks like a good early s2 example...ok it's missing it's nose badge but that's not much to worry about.
Remember it is 11 years old now, so it's bound to be a bit scruffy if it's not been garaged for it's entire life....
If I only had 10k to spend I'd buy it... (that should have read if only I had 10k to spend ! :-))
Remember it is 11 years old now, so it's bound to be a bit scruffy if it's not been garaged for it's entire life....
If I only had 10k to spend I'd buy it... (that should have read if only I had 10k to spend ! :-))
Republik1980 said:
Tis indeed tempting. That said it's twice what I was looking to spend and I suspect won't be as accommodating as an MR2 when I'm not "in the mood" and just want to get to where I'm going..
My Elise leaks less than my MR2, and is a helluva lot more reliable. Doesn't rust, either...
Trickier to get in and out of, mind.
pthelazyjourno said:
My Elise leaks less than my MR2, and is a helluva lot more reliable.
Doesn't rust, either...
Trickier to get in and out of, mind.
Do you use either as a daily? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the practicalities of each (comfort, noise, load space, economy, costs).. as much as I love driving I'm not sure I'd be too enthusiastic about contorting myself into an Elise on an icy winter's evening when I know there will be no fun to be had on the upcoming journey..Doesn't rust, either...
Trickier to get in and out of, mind.
I've had very little first hand experience of either car but did have a ride some years ago in a mate's VX220 Turbo.. despite the mind blowing performance my main memory is of difficult ingress and egress; particularly of a lack of suitable load-bearing structures willing to support my ungainly bulk during entry and exit.
My S1 was my only car for over 10 years (I've got an E39 530D Touring as well now but that's only so I can fit the family in!).
Comfort: fine once fitted with 340R seats (without them my arse tended to go numb after driving for a couple of hours)
Noise: it's noisy but that's only really a problem if trying to hold a conversation with a passenger (forget using a phone!) - I just turn the stereo up if I'm not pushing on
Load space: not a huge amount but I've managed a fortnight away for two with creating packing (SWMBO's hairdryer and straighteners included!) and if you're one up there's plenty of space to chuck things on the passenger side
Economy: depends on the engine
Standard 1.8 K series: Average=38mpg, Best=43mpg, Worst=18mpg
Honda K20A: Average=35mpg, Best=41mpg, Worst=12mpg
Costs: depends on what costs! Trackdays aside, replacing engines (I went through 3 K series before the Honda went in) cost a fair bit but, other than that, not too bad - cheaper to run than my barge anyway!
Water ingress (as mentioned by someone else): not a problem if the windows are adjusted correctly (they need tweaking when moving between hard and soft top) and the roof is fitted correctly.
Comfort: fine once fitted with 340R seats (without them my arse tended to go numb after driving for a couple of hours)
Noise: it's noisy but that's only really a problem if trying to hold a conversation with a passenger (forget using a phone!) - I just turn the stereo up if I'm not pushing on
Load space: not a huge amount but I've managed a fortnight away for two with creating packing (SWMBO's hairdryer and straighteners included!) and if you're one up there's plenty of space to chuck things on the passenger side
Economy: depends on the engine
Standard 1.8 K series: Average=38mpg, Best=43mpg, Worst=18mpg
Honda K20A: Average=35mpg, Best=41mpg, Worst=12mpg
Costs: depends on what costs! Trackdays aside, replacing engines (I went through 3 K series before the Honda went in) cost a fair bit but, other than that, not too bad - cheaper to run than my barge anyway!
Water ingress (as mentioned by someone else): not a problem if the windows are adjusted correctly (they need tweaking when moving between hard and soft top) and the roof is fitted correctly.
Republik1980 said:
Do you use either as a daily? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the practicalities of each (comfort, noise, load space, economy, costs).. as much as I love driving I'm not sure I'd be too enthusiastic about contorting myself into an Elise on an icy winter's evening when I know there will be no fun to be had on the upcoming journey..
I've had very little first hand experience of either car but did have a ride some years ago in a mate's VX220 Turbo.. despite the mind blowing performance my main memory is of difficult ingress and egress; particularly of a lack of suitable load-bearing structures willing to support my ungainly bulk during entry and exit.
I've got an S1 Elise and a mk1 MX5 as my daily drives - I do equal mileage in both. The Elise is a nicer place to sit in commuter traffic, getting in and out isn't that tricky with practice (I'm rubbish at getting in the passenger side, just because I haven't had practice). The MX5 is quieter (both cars have hard tops) and it also less of a worry in bad conditions, but mostly just because it's pretty much disposable. I've had very little first hand experience of either car but did have a ride some years ago in a mate's VX220 Turbo.. despite the mind blowing performance my main memory is of difficult ingress and egress; particularly of a lack of suitable load-bearing structures willing to support my ungainly bulk during entry and exit.
They are pretty much matched for practicality. My archery equipment only just fits in both cars. If I had to have just one car it'd be the Elise, because it's so much nicer to drive.
I've also had some excellent drives in my Elise on icy winter evenings - in bad conditions you appreciate steering feel even more.
Captain Muppet said:
Republik1980 said:
Do you use either as a daily? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the practicalities of each (comfort, noise, load space, economy, costs).. as much as I love driving I'm not sure I'd be too enthusiastic about contorting myself into an Elise on an icy winter's evening when I know there will be no fun to be had on the upcoming journey..
I've had very little first hand experience of either car but did have a ride some years ago in a mate's VX220 Turbo.. despite the mind blowing performance my main memory is of difficult ingress and egress; particularly of a lack of suitable load-bearing structures willing to support my ungainly bulk during entry and exit.
I've got an S1 Elise and a mk1 MX5 as my daily drives - I do equal mileage in both. The Elise is a nicer place to sit in commuter traffic, getting in and out isn't that tricky with practice (I'm rubbish at getting in the passenger side, just because I haven't had practice). The MX5 is quieter (both cars have hard tops) and it also less of a worry in bad conditions, but mostly just because it's pretty much disposable. I've had very little first hand experience of either car but did have a ride some years ago in a mate's VX220 Turbo.. despite the mind blowing performance my main memory is of difficult ingress and egress; particularly of a lack of suitable load-bearing structures willing to support my ungainly bulk during entry and exit.
They are pretty much matched for practicality. My archery equipment only just fits in both cars. If I had to have just one car it'd be the Elise, because it's so much nicer to drive.
I've also had some excellent drives in my Elise on icy winter evenings - in bad conditions you appreciate steering feel even more.
I used my last Elise daily for around 5 years, and current one for around 1 year. Getting in and out is a doddle once you've done it a dozen or so times. Storage is deceptively large as long as no single item is larger than the average laptop case, boot entrance size is limiting. If I have a spare passenger seat I can easily do a big weekly shop.
Use mine in almost all weather, only exception being deep snow, I dont bother even trying these days.
Use mine in almost all weather, only exception being deep snow, I dont bother even trying these days.
Captain Muppet said:
I've got an S1 Elise and a mk1 MX5 as my daily drives - I do equal mileage in both. The Elise is a nicer place to sit in commuter traffic, getting in and out isn't that tricky with practice (I'm rubbish at getting in the passenger side, just because I haven't had practice). The MX5 is quieter (both cars have hard tops) and it also less of a worry in bad conditions, but mostly just because it's pretty much disposable.
They are pretty much matched for practicality. My archery equipment only just fits in both cars. If I had to have just one car it'd be the Elise, because it's so much nicer to drive.
I've also had some excellent drives in my Elise on icy winter evenings - in bad conditions you appreciate steering feel even more.
Interesting, why is Elise better in traffic?They are pretty much matched for practicality. My archery equipment only just fits in both cars. If I had to have just one car it'd be the Elise, because it's so much nicer to drive.
I've also had some excellent drives in my Elise on icy winter evenings - in bad conditions you appreciate steering feel even more.
Republik1980 said:
Forgot about this thread but just wanted to say thanks to everyone who bothered to contribute. I'm still seriously considering / tempted by an S2 so will sit on my hands and put some more time into research 
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/lotus/elise-s2/lotus-elise-16v-2001/1252734pboyd said:
Thanks - I had seen that and would certainly have had a look were it closer.. however I'm not overly keen on the colour, it's a long way to travel and given the conditions pertaining to the MOT I suspect it'd require two trips.I'm going to contact the owner of this car since it's only just down the road and on the face of it looks like a good price (it already "sold" for that price with one bid but evidently the sale fell through). I suspect it's not as good a bargain as it first appears though - I think it might have had a frontal impact judging by the non-standard grill in the bumper. Never hurts to ask and kick a few tyres though, eh..
Edited by Republik1980 on Sunday 2nd June 13:05
Republik1980 said:
Do you use either as a daily? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the practicalities of each (comfort, noise, load space, economy, costs).. as much as I love driving I'm not sure I'd be too enthusiastic about contorting myself into an Elise on an icy winter's evening when I know there will be no fun to be had on the upcoming journey..
I've had very little first hand experience of either car but did have a ride some years ago in a mate's VX220 Turbo.. despite the mind blowing performance my main memory is of difficult ingress and egress; particularly of a lack of suitable load-bearing structures willing to support my ungainly bulk during entry and exit.
Only just spotted this. I've had very little first hand experience of either car but did have a ride some years ago in a mate's VX220 Turbo.. despite the mind blowing performance my main memory is of difficult ingress and egress; particularly of a lack of suitable load-bearing structures willing to support my ungainly bulk during entry and exit.
Have done 40,000 miles in my S1, and the Mk1 MR2 used to be a daily too.
Comfort-wise, the MR2 was a nice car, but it was surprisingly noisy - mostly wind noise, just left you tired.
The Elise is the same, but considering it has no sound proofing / carpets etc, it seems more acceptable to me. I just wear foam ear plugs on longer journeys, aside from that the seats are brilliant, ergonomics spot on, and I'm perfectly happy to sit in it for hours on end.
Could get a set of golf clubs in the boot of the MR2, and it also had a boot in the front which was handy - a surprisingly practical little car. The Elise has less luggage space, but you can still get loads in it if you try (including a set of golf clubs if you put them in the boot independently and have a collapsible golf bag. Obviously lots of people hate golf, but just as an example of what you can get in there.
Economy is a key feature for me, I go into London a lot and the difference between spending £25 on petrol and £60 is massive - as it gets a lot closer to the price of a train ticket with the latter. Elise is great for that - outside of a 7 or something a lot more boring like a 330D I doubt you'll find anything with the same performance/economy.
Getting in and out is a knack - and one you'll quickly learn. It's a pain sometimes, but a price I think is definitely worth paying. And although you can't nail it as much during the bad weather, you can still have a lot of fun (especially in the snow) - you just have to drive it a bit differently.
Biggest negatives for me are the fact headlights can be blinding due to the low height, you have to drive defensively in traffic again due to the fact that it's tiny, and I hate parking nose to tail as people just don't see if when they're reversing. I've always found it easy to avoid the latter though.
But yeah, 40k miles and I'm definitely not bored of it. Still love what it drives like, still looks and feels special, and I genuinely can't think of a car that I'd rather have.
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