Service costs?

[Tootler]

Reading the What Car Road Test Directory today, it estimates 3 year service/36000 miles for an Elise costs a whopping £3061. Leafing quickly through all similar vehicles, that was far and away the most expensive estimate I could find.

That seems very steep to me. Is it a realistic figure or is it one of these guestimate statistics that's been 'pulled' from the air?

VX220 is quoted as less than half that at £1482, and a Boxster is only quoted at £2573.

[bogie]

mmmm...lets see...just on consumables and normal servicing in 36K miles - well Im up to 40K miles in 18 months and heres what it cost at a specialist (dealer in brackets)...from memory - hope Ive not forgotton anything

A service 9K = £180 (£280)
rear tyres 10K = £250
A service 18K = £180 (£280)
brake pads 18K £200
front tyres 18K £20
rear tyres 22K £250
B service 27K = £280 (£400)
full set tyres 32K = £550
brake discs + pads/fluid 32K = £900
A service 36K = £180 (£280)

so thats £3170 - maybe £3500+ at dealer prices

then theres insurance, tax, mods (you wont leave it alone)..and if anything goes wrong..oh forgot the geo checks as well at £150 a go


std service intervals are 9K miles/12 months
order is AABAAC (C being the biggie cambelt job)

A £180
B £250
C £550

lots more from a dealer

[bogie]

just thought Id add - dunno where What Car got thier figures from for the others...but the VX220 should be identical if driven in a similar manner and the Boxster should be more (if serviced at a main dealer) I cant see how either will consume less tyres/brakes etc than an Elise if they are all on say 90% road/10% track use

[xxplod]

£3K + is bonkers.

My S2 111S has just turned 22K in 19 months

Costs thus far @ franchised dealer:

1st Service @ 1K: £60
A Service @ 9K: £250
Rear Tyres @ 16K £210
A Service @ 17K: £300 (inc. brake fluid)

Total Thus far £820.

So by 36 K, I will have had a B service at 26K - say £350, another A service at 35K at £250, and lets allow for a whole new set of tyres at 32K at circa £350.

I make that another £950, plus the £820 spent thus far, giving a grand total of £1770.
Even allowing for a few consumables, maybe a ball joint, I think you'd struggle to get much higher than £2K.

I have not had a single other cost, and after all the car has a 2 year warranty.

[bogie]

do you use the brakes?

Pads are like £160-180 a set and disks are £100-120 each...my disks lasted 30K ish and Ive had 2 sets of pads
..oh...forgot - I had a clutch too at 34K - about £500 ish

...guess it all depends on how hard/where you drive it - Ive done about 4 trackdays, 6 airfield training days + the rest road use

to put this into perspective - Tigga over on SELOC who does A LOT of motorway driving is coming up to 50K miles in an S2 and hes still on his original front tyres !

[bogie]

BTW - the warranty has run out on your car at 20K miles...its 2 years/20K miles...not unlimited miles !...mine ran out in 10months

[xxplod]

I thought the warranty was 2 years unlimited miles. Bugger!

I've never tracked mine, and mine does spend a fair bit of time on the motorway and dual carriageway. My fronts still have 15K in them easily!

[bogie]

Mines done nearly 41K now in 20 months and I reckon its cost £4K total so far with bits n bobs....without 'upgrades'

So Tootler - in answer to your question...then you could run it for less than £3k/36k miles...or it could be more if you like track/airfield days...but its not far out on the running costs

[xxplod]

Bogie

Blimey! I didn't realise my warranty was not unlimited mileage!
Mine does a fair bit of driving on the motorways/dual carriageways to work and back, and I've never tracked it so I guess I'm fairly good on brakes.