I owned an Elise and actually had the 3rd one in the country (serial number 0003). There is a reason the resale value if the Elise is so bad, it IS NOT an DD car. Infact, if you get a ding on the front clam shell it is weeks in the repair shop and 20 thousand dollars to the insurance. Thank god that every clam I got was paid for by someone elise's insurance.

I don't mean to dog on the Elise, but here are the facts:

The 0-60 tims is a joke, it is not a 4.4 or 4.5 or really even a 4.9 second car. Sure if you drop the clutch at 8000 and have a light fuel load you can get it, but that is not realistic.

As for handeling the tires on the elise begin to go after 10K. Not in the way you would expect - wear - but in the way of a true race car - heat cycled. In order to maintain proper handeling you need a new set up tires every 15K at the bargain price of 600 to 1100 dollars.

I am 6'3 and fit in the elise like a glove. I loved the lack of a roof and it was easy to put on or take off. But the car was dangerous in the rain, especially with the aforementioned worn tires.

The Evo is a much better DD. I have drive many and although I have not owned one, if you can take the styling, it is the more complete choice. Bear in mind that the an Elise turbo kit costs upwards of 15K, and there is very little to be gained out of the 2ZZ with NA tuning. The Evo is a much better bang for the buck, and for the price between an Evo and Elise, you can spend all your marbles on making the EVO a much faster car.

Sure the Elise will nip the Evo by a few tenths on a very tight course, but in reality how many times a year does that matter? Go with the modability, affordability, and practicality of the EVO, some of the headackes of the Elise simply aren't worth it....

 

this thread is pretty useful to me; as i was originally looking to trade in my 08 GTS for the evo X next august (when it arrives in Canada), but the MR is approx 50,000 (could be even higher, 55k, prices in CAD). for that price, i can get a fairly new (2006) exige used from the US. maybe even the supercharged exige S.

i havent driven either cars i'll be honest (well im from up north we dont get evos) but i can tell they must have different handling styles.

i am leaning more on getting an exige at the moment; i want a fun car and the exige certainly seems like fun with the bonus of that "wow" factor.

as many have mentioned; im pretty sure the evo x is much better as a daily driver; given its 4 door practicality and able to adjust to diff weather etc.

the only grudge i have against the lotus cars is that the interior looks WAYY too basic; given its lovely exterior. yes its pretty much a street version race car. but cumon could they not have done better? especially the dash!!

 

There is no point to get a normally aspirated exige - period. It was a poor attempt to raise revinue for Lotus by offering the same car with a spoiler and terrible rear visibility for 8K more here in the states. The exige only makes sense if you get the "S" version, and even then you are better off getting an aftermarket supercharger for around 5K and having it installed by someone near you. The non intercooled aftermarket setup makes more power than the "S" anyhow and the saving are substantial.

In the end you will make whatever decision works for you, but please do not underestuimate the danger in having a fiberglass car with no crash protection or bumpers. If you scrape the bottom of the car car even once, you most likely will put a hole in the front clam. You absolutlly must by the lexon skid guards for 112 dollars and have them installed if you get an exige or elise.

Additionally you will need to have the clam replaced within 1 year. This will be from repetitive scraping, minor road damage or someone backing over your car (it happened 3 times to me). You must verify that you have access to parts and supplies. Trust me it was no fun waiting 2 months to have a clam replaced on my car.

If you do go the direction of the Lotus, you will have fun, but fun for how long is the question. As I mentioned, the reason resale values are so low is because there are so many drawbacks that are not initially clear to a potential owner.

In my opinon you should be considering an EVO 9 or 10 vs a Exige "S" or elise/exige with an aftermarket supercharger.

The supercharger with larger 205 series tires in front creat a much more balanced car.

Best of luck.

 

I test drove the Elise and the Evo IX last year and picked the Evo IX. I needed a DD to so that had some influence on my decision. One thing that I will say is that the Evo has better off center steering feel than the Elise. This really surprised me. On roads that you don't know driving 8/10th or better the Evo is the car I would rather be driving. It is just more forgiving than a mid-engine car. I have driven MR2's for years and at the limits a mid- engine car is not safe on public roads if you are a hooligan that like to push the limits. However one thing that I will say that may influence your decision is to test drive an elise with an aftermarket exhaust...pure audio sex. If you go to elisetalk many of the guys that race fear a modded Evo.....

 

Not with the Exige - you really couldn't be more incorrect. The clam is shaped differently and the splitter takes the abuse - a $200 part, painted. In addition, the clams, being hand laid, are considerably stronger. I punted an exit cone doing about 80mph yesterday and have no damage to show for it. That's not something I'd want to try in an Elise or the Evo.

Not to mention, the skid guards aren't even made for the Exige.

 

Mean TT, you are a joke. I know you had a prang in your Lotus with an SUV (i'm in elisetalk too) but i'll tell you what- coming from an JDM Evo IX GSR to an Elise, there's no other track focused car that i'd rather be in than a Lotus. Why? some clown coming from the opposite direction turned and cut right in front of me few weeks ago, and another car and myself couldn't brake in time. It was a "head to side" type collision, and in a nutshell, the elise was totalled. Both my friend and I walked out unhurt. Before you think that the elise was totalled because it was small- The other car that hit that idiot as well was an E class- and it was totalled too. I'm moving onto an Exige S.. Lotus FTW.

 

I would expect a less immature comment from someone like yourself, but I guess you do have the right to make personal attacks.

I have nothing to prove to you, and my Elise was backed over at 4 MPH by a pizza hut delivery driver (new clam) a person who lived in my apartment complex in a Jeep that drove over the front of my car, and a Porsche Cayenne that threw his car into reverse and backed over my car.

All three times it was a new clam for me and no damage to the other party.

I don't care what the individual thinks, this is a forum for sharing information and as such I am sharing information that a potential owner should know.

I am glad that your first post ever after being a member for almost 1 year is to attack me.

BTW all potential owners should also know that as great as the owners club of Lotus is, there are the fervent supporters who will defend Lotus to the dying end, regardless of and facts that might phase them. Rear toe link failures, silly debates about saving 4 pounds even though the driver is 30 pounds overweight, etc etc. Elisetalk was the social forum and monkeytuner was the technical forum before it was shup down because Randy of Elise talk demanded it.

I will say it again and the Lotus supporters will jump on me, but the cost of ownership of an Elise is very very high. You must have a dealership you trust and an body shop that is honest and fair. A fiberglass car will get cracked and you must have someone in Canada that is capable and reasonably priced to really enjoy the car.

Also it is worth noting that there are very few people who keep a Lotus over 2 years, which is to be expected in such a focused car. It is neither a positive or a negative, only a factor which indicated a trend that speaks to the larger issue of satisfaction with the Lotus once purchased. BTW, a new Evo X pulls higher number on the skidpad than the lotus, and has AWD and stability aids. The argument about agility really is not realistic even though many at elisetalk swear that it makes the elise safe.

As I said, to each his own, and a forum should be about sharing information, personal experiences, and having a little fun. We would all do better to keep that in mind.

 

I very much disagree. I find the S to be far less smooth and refined. I actually prefer the exige/elise as an NA without torque. While it may be slower around a track slightly, it has a better feel to it. An extreme example would be the forcefed turbo kit. Sure its going to be faster, but its a totally new car that is in many way less fun and flowing. Its a less extreme example then many people get to with modified cars. There is point you pass when you realize that the car was just more enjoyable before. I would mind a little more power in an NA exige, but I do not prefer the supercharger. The other benifit of the NA exige is that the used prices are pretty good because many people see the supercharger and never think to get the NA version.

Now is the exige really that much better than an elise....better argument. Looks wise, i think its substantial. To notice the other benefits, you really need to be a track junky.


Back on topic, I have spoken directly with journalists I trust regarding the evo X and that have much experience with the elise and exige. The general concensours on the evo X on track is that its faster than the IV and quite good, but slightly less connection and feel in just the same way the VII was to the VI. The same people still love the elise/exige and say nothing else drives like it which I agree with.

Ultimately, an elise to most people is the car you want to have the ***** to buy, but when it come time for reality, the Evo is a smarter buy. I stand by my originally statement that in that decision I would still happily buy either despite each ones dramatically different pros and cons.

 

go for the lotus bro

 

Point taken. I have had the pleasure of being rocketed around in an aftermarket supercharged Elise, and it adds what the elise (or NA exige) is missing, mid range power. As you probably experienced anything in the NA car below 6K is pretty flat, especially the 3000-6000 range. A well sorted aftermarket supercharger (with direct tuning of the ECU) eliminates the bump when the cams change, and transform the personality of the car.

I guess to each his own right? For me the Elise was a great toy, but an expensive one and as hard as it was for me to admit it was a TOY. I was sad to let it go, but in the end I made the correct decision. The Elise is an amazing car to look at, drive, race, cruise around in, but less rewarding to live with - everyday.

Best if luck with your decision, there are a lot of resources to research and things to consider. I am sure you will make a good decision when it comes down to it.

 

Here's the rear view mirror view from my Evo



I better hide now from the Lotus owners

 

Yeah, but that's parked - you really need an action shot:

 

i dont feel they are comparable..

we have an exige, i have done driver's schools for lotus na.. .etc...

not many cars compare to the elise/exige... they dont give any sort of similar feedback to a normal car....

apples/oranges..

if i didnt have my son in the car, id drive the exige every day....

cb

 

Not a personal attack, and I'm sorry if it came across the wrong way. If it's any consolation, i haven't even posted on elisetalk at all. The one reason that prompted me to make a comment is that having owned both cars, I do want to portray an unbiased opinion- and I do love both. Mean TT, for all you say, you must admit you do have grievances against the Elise (bad luck owning the car?) that you've constantly taken up both here and in elisetalk.

I don't totally disagree, and waiting for insurance to be sorted out on a totalled Elise is no fun for sure. However the car ISN'T WEAK despite it's small size, and will sacrifice itself for you. That's the missing link in your comments, and honestly, in a serious accident your life is more important than monetary value. I hope for everyone that owns a Lotus (and any car for that matter) that serious accidents are few and far between, and so for the 99.9999% of time we enjoy a car, the Lotus rocks. And that's excluding the chick-pulling factor that no evo can ever hope to have

Where is this statistic from? I may not be a fervent supporter like some in Elisetalk, but i'd sure keep my car longer than 2 years provided i have another daily driver. It's the perfect night/weekend toy and track tool- and Lotus hasn't denied that the car was designed as that. Is being focused a bad thing? Not if you can afford it.

Neither do i disagree with you here. But remember, let's also try to be as unbiased as possible, because some people are making huge decisions here which involves their hard-earned money. Let's not let personal bad experiences cloud the truth.

 

My evo with rt-615 was faster around corners than a non-track package elise, and slightly slower around corners than the track package elise with the A048 r compound tires. if i had those tires i'm sure i would have been faster in the corners than that one as well. what's funny is i was also faster than a stock esprit v8 tt on street tires, but a chipped one with r compounds was a bit faster all-around. this was at lotus club track day.