Looking to buy
Discussion
Hi guys n gals,
I've started looking at swapping the FTO for another car.
I went for a day with Don Palmer and he never stopped exholing the virtues of the Elise, so I started thinking about them in my list.
However, I now know nobody that owns one, or ever has to ask all those questions the dealers lie through their teeth about.
Could you guys please fill me in?
1 - Do they behave ok if I have to drive them in traffic?
2 - Does the engine heat your back up uncomfortably if you go on a long drive (1+ hour)?
3 - Do they really keep on the road in the wet, snow or ice?
4 - Could I reasonably expect to let it live outside all the time - come rain, shine, hail or snow?
5 - It will be left all day in a train station car park. Crime in the area is low (touch wood), but the birds crap all over everything... Is it easy enough to get cleaned in all the akward places?
6 - How much does a basic dealer service cost?
7 - How much does a full dealer service cost?
8 - If anybody has been to a chassis tuners with theirs, does it make enough difference to be worth while on what will basically be a road car?
9 - Is the Exige worth it over an Elise R?
10 - I expect this will cause flaming, but which is the best model to go for?
Thanks guys,
Hoping to be one of you soon - Dave
I've started looking at swapping the FTO for another car.
I went for a day with Don Palmer and he never stopped exholing the virtues of the Elise, so I started thinking about them in my list.
However, I now know nobody that owns one, or ever has to ask all those questions the dealers lie through their teeth about.
Could you guys please fill me in?
1 - Do they behave ok if I have to drive them in traffic?
2 - Does the engine heat your back up uncomfortably if you go on a long drive (1+ hour)?
3 - Do they really keep on the road in the wet, snow or ice?
4 - Could I reasonably expect to let it live outside all the time - come rain, shine, hail or snow?
5 - It will be left all day in a train station car park. Crime in the area is low (touch wood), but the birds crap all over everything... Is it easy enough to get cleaned in all the akward places?
6 - How much does a basic dealer service cost?
7 - How much does a full dealer service cost?
8 - If anybody has been to a chassis tuners with theirs, does it make enough difference to be worth while on what will basically be a road car?
9 - Is the Exige worth it over an Elise R?
10 - I expect this will cause flaming, but which is the best model to go for?
Thanks guys,
Hoping to be one of you soon - Dave
Are you sure there are enough questions there?? 
1. I think it's only the motorsport 160's and 190's that might be abit tricky in traffic, otherwise all will be fine.
2. Never noticed any extra heat coming from the engine in the standard cars. I believe it's only in the exige's that it can get a bit hot but A/C should sort it.
3. Wet roads are fine if you respect the car but I've never used mine in the snow or Ice but have heard it can be abit scary.
4. Lots of people leave them out in all weathers. You will have to get used to water ingress on earlier cars(and probably newre ones) but it's all part of the fun. New ones should be more than happy to be left out all year.
5. Can't say, but the cars tend to attract more good attention than bad, you shouldn't have a problem but that's not to say it can't happen.
6/7. Services are AABAAC for mine S1 but not to sure if this has changed for the new Toyota ones. A £100-300 B £150-400 C £300-600 (ball park figures)
8. Don't think you will ever need to touch the chassis. You might want to tweak the suspension at some point but as standard are VERY good.
9. If I had the money I would go the Exige and remove the roof if and when(it's just like the 111R hardtop)
10. Money allowing I'd go Exige with air con/track pack but you'd be looking at around £32k
HTH
1. I think it's only the motorsport 160's and 190's that might be abit tricky in traffic, otherwise all will be fine.
2. Never noticed any extra heat coming from the engine in the standard cars. I believe it's only in the exige's that it can get a bit hot but A/C should sort it.
3. Wet roads are fine if you respect the car but I've never used mine in the snow or Ice but have heard it can be abit scary.
4. Lots of people leave them out in all weathers. You will have to get used to water ingress on earlier cars(and probably newre ones) but it's all part of the fun. New ones should be more than happy to be left out all year.
5. Can't say, but the cars tend to attract more good attention than bad, you shouldn't have a problem but that's not to say it can't happen.
6/7. Services are AABAAC for mine S1 but not to sure if this has changed for the new Toyota ones. A £100-300 B £150-400 C £300-600 (ball park figures)
8. Don't think you will ever need to touch the chassis. You might want to tweak the suspension at some point but as standard are VERY good.
9. If I had the money I would go the Exige and remove the roof if and when(it's just like the 111R hardtop)
10. Money allowing I'd go Exige with air con/track pack but you'd be looking at around £32k
HTH
Cheers mate - TBH I really wansn't expecting anybody to answer all those questions in one go 
I was niavely expecting the upper limit of a consumer Lotus Exige to be about the 29k mark. Looks like I'll stick with the Elise models then!
I expected them to leak a bit - but roughly how much?
Could I have wet feet in a day's worth of a big winter downpour with the soft top on and windows up?
It would be my only and everyday car but my partner has her own car, so if the weather got really bad I could always get a lift to the station (I'd just have to wake her up at 5am
).
I'm very (very) impressed with the cost of the servicing - a 'C' service on the FTO costs upwards of £700
The only reason I ask about tuning the chassis was Mr Palmer saying there were a couple of places that did a very good job. I assume he was mainly on about setting the geometry and suspension for the track.
Oh, that reminds me:
11 - What's the cost of adjustable suspension?
Thanks again, Dave
I was niavely expecting the upper limit of a consumer Lotus Exige to be about the 29k mark. Looks like I'll stick with the Elise models then!
I expected them to leak a bit - but roughly how much?
Could I have wet feet in a day's worth of a big winter downpour with the soft top on and windows up?
It would be my only and everyday car but my partner has her own car, so if the weather got really bad I could always get a lift to the station (I'd just have to wake her up at 5am
). I'm very (very) impressed with the cost of the servicing - a 'C' service on the FTO costs upwards of £700
The only reason I ask about tuning the chassis was Mr Palmer saying there were a couple of places that did a very good job. I assume he was mainly on about setting the geometry and suspension for the track.
Oh, that reminds me:
11 - What's the cost of adjustable suspension?
Thanks again, Dave
The roof will leak but it can be as little as a couple of drops all the way to a torrent. Alot of it comes down to fitting the roof properly and keeping it in good condition. My Elise is an early S1, it only starts to drip onto the sill section next to your leg in heavy downpours. As long as you have a rag it's not a problem. To be safe if you are leaving the car aout all weathers it might be worth buying a rain cover. About £60 and it will make sure you have a nice dry car in the morning.
If you are buying a new car then the suspesion should be pretty good from the word go. There are lots of options for suspension but I think the best regarded option are Nitrons. These will be about £800 but allow another £150 to set it all up in a geo.
If you are buying a new car then the suspesion should be pretty good from the word go. There are lots of options for suspension but I think the best regarded option are Nitrons. These will be about £800 but allow another £150 to set it all up in a geo.
I'll still stick with an Elise for that kind of cash I'd start looking for Noble M12s.
If you ask me, my budget is about 20-25k, if you asked the misses I would be allowed to spend about 12k on the car and making it what I want - yet another battle of co-habiting wills to ensue soon
I'd quite like a hard top too, can you buy them after you get the car? i.e. if I get a 2nd hand Elise can I get a hard top for it?
Come to think of it are there hard tops available at all for the S1 Elise? From you comments earlier KarlosFandango I'm assuming the S2 Elises can come with a hard top.
What do people think of the K-series engine over the newer Celica ones? Especially after what's happened to Rover. Are they worth the extra cash?
Thanks again
>> Edited by ninjadave on Friday 13th May 08:14
If you ask me, my budget is about 20-25k, if you asked the misses I would be allowed to spend about 12k on the car and making it what I want - yet another battle of co-habiting wills to ensue soon
I'd quite like a hard top too, can you buy them after you get the car? i.e. if I get a 2nd hand Elise can I get a hard top for it?
Come to think of it are there hard tops available at all for the S1 Elise? From you comments earlier KarlosFandango I'm assuming the S2 Elises can come with a hard top.
What do people think of the K-series engine over the newer Celica ones? Especially after what's happened to Rover. Are they worth the extra cash?
Thanks again
>> Edited by ninjadave on Friday 13th May 08:14
Hardtops are easy to get but don't necessarily improve water tightness. Quite a few people buy them then realise they prefer the soft top so buying second hand is quite easy. The one major benefit is that they are a bit safer if you're leaving the car parked on the road. But they are a pain to put on and take off.
Personally with a 20-25 budget I'd buy a 111R. K series engines are fine but with the current situation the Toyota engine has to be a safer bet residuals wise.
Personally with a 20-25 budget I'd buy a 111R. K series engines are fine but with the current situation the Toyota engine has to be a safer bet residuals wise.
I went for the "R" simply because it has a more every day focus whereas the Exige has a more hardcore set-up. Having said that, loads of people use the Exige as an every day car so it's worth driving both... I have 3 kids so am more likely to be blasting up to Tesco's for nappies than around a track. If you intend to track the car on regular occasions then I would sway more towards the Exige. I also considered an S but it wasn't that much cheaper so to me it was blown out very quickly plus the idea of the extra bhp got the better of me!
1 - Do they behave ok if I have to drive them in traffic?
yes - fine
2 - Does the engine heat your back up uncomfortably if you go on a long drive (1+ hour)?
no - especially not the new Toyota engined ones, make sure you get aircon - its worth it
3 - Do they really keep on the road in the wet, snow or ice?
not on the track day rubber - A048s...have to be careful
4 - Could I reasonably expect to let it live outside all the time - come rain, shine, hail or snow?
yes - did over 60k miles in 2 years in mine
5 - It will be left all day in a train station car park. Crime in the area is low (touch wood), but the birds crap all over everything... Is it easy enough to get cleaned in all the akward places?
will be fine
6 - How much does a basic dealer service cost?
£180
7 - How much does a full dealer service cost?
£550
8 - If anybody has been to a chassis tuners with theirs, does it make enough difference to be worth while on what will basically be a road car?
yes - a full geo and set-up once per year is worth it - about £200
9 - Is the Exige worth it over an Elise R?
mmm..for track use yes...for daily use Id go 111R, and then if yo get into track days get the sports suspension+ tyres/wheel package etc the same as the Exige
10 - I expect this will cause flaming, but which is the best model to go for?
for you - the 111R
yes - fine
2 - Does the engine heat your back up uncomfortably if you go on a long drive (1+ hour)?
no - especially not the new Toyota engined ones, make sure you get aircon - its worth it
3 - Do they really keep on the road in the wet, snow or ice?
not on the track day rubber - A048s...have to be careful
4 - Could I reasonably expect to let it live outside all the time - come rain, shine, hail or snow?
yes - did over 60k miles in 2 years in mine
5 - It will be left all day in a train station car park. Crime in the area is low (touch wood), but the birds crap all over everything... Is it easy enough to get cleaned in all the akward places?
will be fine
6 - How much does a basic dealer service cost?
£180
7 - How much does a full dealer service cost?
£550
8 - If anybody has been to a chassis tuners with theirs, does it make enough difference to be worth while on what will basically be a road car?
yes - a full geo and set-up once per year is worth it - about £200
9 - Is the Exige worth it over an Elise R?
mmm..for track use yes...for daily use Id go 111R, and then if yo get into track days get the sports suspension+ tyres/wheel package etc the same as the Exige
10 - I expect this will cause flaming, but which is the best model to go for?
for you - the 111R
Guys, i have to say.
This letting in water business.....
My Series 1 had a softtop only and if you made sure the roof was FITTED EXACTLY CENTRE, then it would only let in the occasional drip in heavy rain. In fact i found that the real issue was when you opened the door and the natural seal was broken. The rain in the material gutter, above the windows, would allow some water to drip quickly onto the sill. You had to be careful getting in and out or the car or otherwise your back got wet against the edge of the roof.
My series 2 has been spot on though. You get the odd drip when you open the door with the softop in place. But most modern cars, even tin tops do that that much when the seal is broken! When I have the hard top on, it's as good a a coupe, no leaks.
I understand lots of people had issue with the leaks on the Series 1, but i can't believe i'm the only person not to have had a big issue with it. IMHO I believe that the S2 'short' softtop used on the later S2's is a far better design as well, so this must help the newer cars anyway.
Right, morning rant over, thank-you.....
This letting in water business.....
My Series 1 had a softtop only and if you made sure the roof was FITTED EXACTLY CENTRE, then it would only let in the occasional drip in heavy rain. In fact i found that the real issue was when you opened the door and the natural seal was broken. The rain in the material gutter, above the windows, would allow some water to drip quickly onto the sill. You had to be careful getting in and out or the car or otherwise your back got wet against the edge of the roof.
My series 2 has been spot on though. You get the odd drip when you open the door with the softop in place. But most modern cars, even tin tops do that that much when the seal is broken! When I have the hard top on, it's as good a a coupe, no leaks.
I understand lots of people had issue with the leaks on the Series 1, but i can't believe i'm the only person not to have had a big issue with it. IMHO I believe that the S2 'short' softtop used on the later S2's is a far better design as well, so this must help the newer cars anyway.
Right, morning rant over, thank-you.....
Ninjadave - water ingress shouldn't be a problem with an s2. Mine has been out in all knids of weather since I've had it and not a drop (so far...).
Which Elise to go for ... any. All are about the driving and all are just too good to be true. Went out for an hours quick spin last night at 6pm, got in at 11.45pm...enough said!
Girl friend not too pleased though...
>> Edited by andy 111 on Friday 13th May 11:32
Which Elise to go for ... any. All are about the driving and all are just too good to be true. Went out for an hours quick spin last night at 6pm, got in at 11.45pm...enough said!
Girl friend not too pleased though...
>> Edited by andy 111 on Friday 13th May 11:32
I'm not so worried about leaks anymore now. Sounds like I just have to make sure the roofs on properly and well looked after.
I like the idea of minimal driver aids so the ABS on the 111R is putting me off a bit.
Has anybody driven a 111R on ice? Is it ok, or is it the usual ABS fare?
I would prefer a 111R so it doesn't require any work on my behalf to get it going fast(er).
Just have to convince the misses, save some pennies, sell mine now and try to make sure we don't have kids or move house for at least a couple of years!
Thanks for all the info guys!
>> Edited by ninjadave on Friday 13th May 13:47
I like the idea of minimal driver aids so the ABS on the 111R is putting me off a bit.
Has anybody driven a 111R on ice? Is it ok, or is it the usual ABS fare?
I would prefer a 111R so it doesn't require any work on my behalf to get it going fast(er).
Just have to convince the misses, save some pennies, sell mine now and try to make sure we don't have kids or move house for at least a couple of years!
Thanks for all the info guys!
>> Edited by ninjadave on Friday 13th May 13:47
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