Advice needed - Elise or Griffith ?
Discussion
This might be a daft question to ask here, but I am undecided about my next buy.
As I have owned TVRs since the mid 80s, I was planning on getting a Griff until someone suggested a Lotus Elise. Would I notice a massive difference in performance between the two?
The idea of better fuel consumption appeals, but as the car would be pleasure only I suppose it's not top priority. Is that small engine going to hold up to the sort of hammering I am likely to give it? Is the car big enough (I am 6ft and 15 stones)?
I've got a budget of up to about 18k.
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Keith
As I have owned TVRs since the mid 80s, I was planning on getting a Griff until someone suggested a Lotus Elise. Would I notice a massive difference in performance between the two?
The idea of better fuel consumption appeals, but as the car would be pleasure only I suppose it's not top priority. Is that small engine going to hold up to the sort of hammering I am likely to give it? Is the car big enough (I am 6ft and 15 stones)?
I've got a budget of up to about 18k.
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Keith
Hi Keith,
Not a daft question but I think you need to consider what you really like and expect in a car and your driving experience.
I think that for 18k you'll get a lot more Elise than Griffith. It'll buy you a fairly high-milage, probably tired TVR, but a good condition and well specified Elise S1. I'd recommend a 111S or Sport 160 to have some hope of meeting the expectations of your right foot, but you'll still notice a huge difference in performance over 60mph, as they're simply different cars with different goals. My 111S pulls very well up to 100mph and beyond, but my boss still cruises comfotably past easily in his Griff 500.
Here's a comparison chart I made up. All In My Opinion, natch - so others may disagree.
=====================================
Elise wins on
- Cornering
- Wet handling
- Rollover and side impact safety
- Fuel economy
- Cheap maintenance
Griffith wins on
- More torque than Clive Anderson
- V8 burble and roar
- Comfort, particularly on long journeys
They draw on
- Reliability. You can be lucky or unlucky with Loti and Tivs. I don't know anyone who's had any worse than an enthusiast expects to put up with but I've heard horror stories from the TVR and Lotus camps, but I think that TVR has the power to be much harder on the wallet!
=====================================
I'm six foot and find the Elise the most comfortable car I've driven. As long as you look after the engine WRT to servicing etc I don't see any reason it can't take hard driving. I drive mine hard, but no way as hard as the cars that get tracked frequently. No worries there.
To make the right decision you need to drive both, in wet and dry weather. Take the roof off the elise (if you can!) and find some nice twisty roads. You'll have a ball.
Let me know how you get on!
Bonce
Not a daft question but I think you need to consider what you really like and expect in a car and your driving experience.
I think that for 18k you'll get a lot more Elise than Griffith. It'll buy you a fairly high-milage, probably tired TVR, but a good condition and well specified Elise S1. I'd recommend a 111S or Sport 160 to have some hope of meeting the expectations of your right foot, but you'll still notice a huge difference in performance over 60mph, as they're simply different cars with different goals. My 111S pulls very well up to 100mph and beyond, but my boss still cruises comfotably past easily in his Griff 500.
Here's a comparison chart I made up. All In My Opinion, natch - so others may disagree.
=====================================
Elise wins on
- Cornering
- Wet handling
- Rollover and side impact safety
- Fuel economy
- Cheap maintenance
Griffith wins on
- More torque than Clive Anderson
- V8 burble and roar
- Comfort, particularly on long journeys
They draw on
- Reliability. You can be lucky or unlucky with Loti and Tivs. I don't know anyone who's had any worse than an enthusiast expects to put up with but I've heard horror stories from the TVR and Lotus camps, but I think that TVR has the power to be much harder on the wallet!
=====================================
I'm six foot and find the Elise the most comfortable car I've driven. As long as you look after the engine WRT to servicing etc I don't see any reason it can't take hard driving. I drive mine hard, but no way as hard as the cars that get tracked frequently. No worries there.
To make the right decision you need to drive both, in wet and dry weather. Take the roof off the elise (if you can!) and find some nice twisty roads. You'll have a ball.
Let me know how you get on!
Bonce
Thanks for the quick response, you're quite right in that they are pretty different cars. I am going to check out a few Elises on Saturday so I will get a chance to check one out at pretty close quarters. Having spent a fortune on my old TVR ( advertised in the classifieds on this site), I suppose I'm looking for something fairly new and reasonable to maintain cost-wise. Griffs look and sound fantastic but if anything went wrong I think I would weep, as well as ending up in the divorce court!
I assume the 160s are fairly quick, what are we talking about in terms of 0-60? I'm really not bothered about top-end as I like off-the-mark acceleration and through the gears pull, I rarely go over 100 to be honest. Did I say 100 officer? I meant 70
I assume the 160s are fairly quick, what are we talking about in terms of 0-60? I'm really not bothered about top-end as I like off-the-mark acceleration and through the gears pull, I rarely go over 100 to be honest. Did I say 100 officer? I meant 70
Elise 160 and 111S both have a 0-60 in the region of 5.5 seconds. And I personally believe you'll find the maintenance costs perfectly wife-friendly. Go to www.elises.co.uk for a very informative read on all the different models, what problems you can expect to encounter and what upgrades/options are available.
www.elise-faq.info is also very useful.
www.elise-faq.info is also very useful.
Keith,
You're in exactly the same position as I was three months ago. £18K to spend and fancied either a Griff or an Elise.
Bonce's summary is exactly right. I found I could have either an older, worn, tired Griff that had performance potential way faster than I drive, or a mint 111S that had similar performance up to 60 and could still reach 130+.
The only other thing is the boot space - useful in the Griff - not very useful in the Elise unless you are creative.
Both are beautiful cars, but the Elise won simply because I could get a newer car and because I didn't want to pay for performance I wasn't going to use.
Regards,
David L.
You're in exactly the same position as I was three months ago. £18K to spend and fancied either a Griff or an Elise.
Bonce's summary is exactly right. I found I could have either an older, worn, tired Griff that had performance potential way faster than I drive, or a mint 111S that had similar performance up to 60 and could still reach 130+.
The only other thing is the boot space - useful in the Griff - not very useful in the Elise unless you are creative.
Both are beautiful cars, but the Elise won simply because I could get a newer car and because I didn't want to pay for performance I wasn't going to use.
Regards,
David L.
quote:
The only other thing is the boot space - useful in the Griff - not very useful in the Elise unless you are creative.
True, but if you are creative, then you can get a lot in!
I got a tent, a double air matress, kingsize duvet, two pillows, a weekends's supply of clothes/toiletries for two, a bag of food and beer, and the roof into my Elise for a recent weekend away. Oh, and there was still room for my girlfriend. I was as suprised as everyone else at the campsite.
What a great choice... I owned a Griff 500 and also
test drove a few 'new shape' elises and must
say that I the Elise is more suited to England
than the Griff as the Griff is a bit of a licence
looser and for 18 k you could expect to have a
1k bill within 2 years of ownership plus higher
servicing costs for the Griff.
The Griff is not so easy to drive in traffic.
I would by on which car you like the look of most !
test drove a few 'new shape' elises and must
say that I the Elise is more suited to England
than the Griff as the Griff is a bit of a licence
looser and for 18 k you could expect to have a
1k bill within 2 years of ownership plus higher
servicing costs for the Griff.
The Griff is not so easy to drive in traffic.
I would by on which car you like the look of most !
Great comments chaps, also the more I look at various Elise sites and read about them, the more interested I get.
I suppose the one thing I would miss if I bought an Elise is the sound of a V8, other than that I reckon theres not much to choose between the two. I owned a V8 a few years ago and have missed it ever since I sold it!
I must admit that the typical owner of newer TVRs seems to be a different animal to the 'enthusiast' owner of a few years ago, maybe TVRs were more quirky back then. Am I wrong in thinking that the Elise would be more of a club/enthusiast car than say a Chimaera or Griff?
Well, off to see a few Elises tomorrow, can't wait!
I suppose the one thing I would miss if I bought an Elise is the sound of a V8, other than that I reckon theres not much to choose between the two. I owned a V8 a few years ago and have missed it ever since I sold it!
I must admit that the typical owner of newer TVRs seems to be a different animal to the 'enthusiast' owner of a few years ago, maybe TVRs were more quirky back then. Am I wrong in thinking that the Elise would be more of a club/enthusiast car than say a Chimaera or Griff?
Well, off to see a few Elises tomorrow, can't wait!
Ok, having seen a few cars this morning I can definitely say that me entering and exiting the car is probably not the most graceful sight on earth!
First impressions are, WOW! Looks good from any angle and there aren't many cars that can claim that. Everything is very compact , but the cabin doesnt seem cramped, unlike an MGF I tried a couple of years ago. The driving position is absolutely fantastic but I didn't take a test drive, that will have to come later. The hood looks ok but a fiddly. Is there enough room to stow a hardtop in the car?
One thing that hadnt crossed my mind..... what happens if you get a flat tyre?
First impressions are, WOW! Looks good from any angle and there aren't many cars that can claim that. Everything is very compact , but the cabin doesnt seem cramped, unlike an MGF I tried a couple of years ago. The driving position is absolutely fantastic but I didn't take a test drive, that will have to come later. The hood looks ok but a fiddly. Is there enough room to stow a hardtop in the car?
One thing that hadnt crossed my mind..... what happens if you get a flat tyre?
The MGF is not that cramped its just designed more for women than men.
The seat dosent go back enough and the sill isn't high because women like to sit right close to the steering wheel and windsheild
Watch Jeremy Clarksons top 100 when they try to get into the Elise ,S2000 and M1
The MGF is a good car at what it is meant to be!
The seat dosent go back enough and the sill isn't high because women like to sit right close to the steering wheel and windsheild
Watch Jeremy Clarksons top 100 when they try to get into the Elise ,S2000 and M1
The MGF is a good car at what it is meant to be!
No offence, but I felt that the MGF was small and cramped, which was the main reason I didn't buy one at the time. I'm sure it is a perfectly lovely car other than that.
Ignore my stupid question about room to stow a hardtop, I was thinking it may be like a TVR roof mechanism and hadnt realised how big and clumsy the Elise hardtop is.....
I think there are a few niggles that might drive me potty after a while, mainly the meccano system roof and the high sills. Still looks like a great car though, I'm going to have to think carefully about this I reckon.
>> Edited by KeithS on Saturday 3rd August 22:34
>> Edited by KeithS on Saturday 3rd August 22:39
Ignore my stupid question about room to stow a hardtop, I was thinking it may be like a TVR roof mechanism and hadnt realised how big and clumsy the Elise hardtop is.....
I think there are a few niggles that might drive me potty after a while, mainly the meccano system roof and the high sills. Still looks like a great car though, I'm going to have to think carefully about this I reckon.
>> Edited by KeithS on Saturday 3rd August 22:34
>> Edited by KeithS on Saturday 3rd August 22:39
Hi Keith,
The soft top is fiddly, but you soon get used to it and it is very quick to put on and take off, especially with two people.
Yes, you will miss the V8 noise, there is no substitute for a big engine, but a Sport 160 or VVC engined 111S with a sports exhaust, cat pipe and air filter make a lovely sporty noise to my ears (although I sometimes use earplugs for long journeys!).
Yes, I suppose Elise owners are often "enthusiast" in nature, in that the car seems to become an obsession requiring constant tinkering and tweaking. Not as rude as it sounds, but just as satisfying.
Drive as many for as long as possible before making your mind up. Enjoy!
Bonce
The soft top is fiddly, but you soon get used to it and it is very quick to put on and take off, especially with two people.
Yes, you will miss the V8 noise, there is no substitute for a big engine, but a Sport 160 or VVC engined 111S with a sports exhaust, cat pipe and air filter make a lovely sporty noise to my ears (although I sometimes use earplugs for long journeys!).
Yes, I suppose Elise owners are often "enthusiast" in nature, in that the car seems to become an obsession requiring constant tinkering and tweaking. Not as rude as it sounds, but just as satisfying.
Drive as many for as long as possible before making your mind up. Enjoy!
Bonce
Hello Keith
I've had my Elise for just a few months, and was worried about just the same things as you were. The only difference being that I fancied a Chimaera too. The Elise won for me on looks, economy and corner-handling - even though the Chimp was fun, the Elise seemed even more so.
The roof (for the S1) is a bit of a pain for the first few times, especially when it starts raining when you're driving - if you're close to home you may as well try to get there.
As Bonce said, between 0 and 80 or more, there's not much that will keep up with you if that's your thing, but the Elise will not let you down up until 125/130mph.
Finally, the "flat tyre" worry you have is the same as mine. You don't get a spare, you get a cannister of tyre weld which welds the rubber together so you can drive safely(!) to the nearest tyre depot. I don't know anyone who's had to use it, but some of these other guys may do!
ooh, one more thing... I've really not regretted buying one. Best fun you can have with your clothes on, whilst outside. Er.. in a car. Type o' thing!
I've had my Elise for just a few months, and was worried about just the same things as you were. The only difference being that I fancied a Chimaera too. The Elise won for me on looks, economy and corner-handling - even though the Chimp was fun, the Elise seemed even more so.
The roof (for the S1) is a bit of a pain for the first few times, especially when it starts raining when you're driving - if you're close to home you may as well try to get there.
As Bonce said, between 0 and 80 or more, there's not much that will keep up with you if that's your thing, but the Elise will not let you down up until 125/130mph.
Finally, the "flat tyre" worry you have is the same as mine. You don't get a spare, you get a cannister of tyre weld which welds the rubber together so you can drive safely(!) to the nearest tyre depot. I don't know anyone who's had to use it, but some of these other guys may do!
ooh, one more thing... I've really not regretted buying one. Best fun you can have with your clothes on, whilst outside. Er.. in a car. Type o' thing!
Re. S1 Roofs.
Make sure you get a later S1 with the later roof, the earlier roofs leak a lot more. The later roof has what looks like a gutter type thing sewn into the side, and has a rubberised flap to seal against the window.
It takes me about 1 minute to fit/remove the roof on my own and less with the girlfriend helping, it does look a little intimidating/fiddly to start with but a little practice makes all the difference.
Re. Getting in and out.
For the first week you'll wonder how you'll ever get used to the high sill, again once you have some practice you'll never even think about it.
It's always amusing taking new passengers though . . . ;-)
Make sure you get a later S1 with the later roof, the earlier roofs leak a lot more. The later roof has what looks like a gutter type thing sewn into the side, and has a rubberised flap to seal against the window.
It takes me about 1 minute to fit/remove the roof on my own and less with the girlfriend helping, it does look a little intimidating/fiddly to start with but a little practice makes all the difference.
Re. Getting in and out.
For the first week you'll wonder how you'll ever get used to the high sill, again once you have some practice you'll never even think about it.
It's always amusing taking new passengers though . . . ;-)
If you are serious about an Elise, why not have a look at the Vauxhall VX220? 
If you are worried about fuel consumption, don't buy a Griff as they have proper engines as opposed to the hairdryer in the Lotus
Sounds like you would prefer a LOTUS, it is a small car and you can park it round the corner or tell your mates it belongs to Mrs KeithS!
If you are worried about fuel consumption, don't buy a Griff as they have proper engines as opposed to the hairdryer in the Lotus
Sounds like you would prefer a LOTUS, it is a small car and you can park it round the corner or tell your mates it belongs to Mrs KeithS!
quote:
If you are serious about an Elise, why not have a look at the Vauxhall VX220?
If you are worried about fuel consumption, don't buy a Griff as they have proper engines as opposed to the hairdryer in the Lotus
Sounds like you would prefer a LOTUS, it is a small car and you can park it round the corner or tell your mates it belongs to Mrs KeithS!
He said having not put his chariot in his profile
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