As you may guess from my user name I currently have a 56 plate BMW 330i.
I’ve opted out of a company car scheme and get a pretty decent cash payment. My employer also ensures my car.
Up until now I always had company cars and my car was always the main family vehicle (I have 2 kids)
I have a bit more freedom now and thinking about replacing my 330i and my wifes car with a 320d (for her and family use) and a second hand exige or elise for me for work.
I would be really grateful for your thoughts on the following:
Can you realistically use an exige / elise for 150 mile journeys / 25,000 miles a year.
What is the reliability / running cost like?
Most elises / exiges seem very low mileage - has anyone actually done 70,000 mils in one without it exploding?
Assuming I decide to go for it what’s going to be the easiest to live with - exige seems more sensible cause of the roof, but it’s obviously also more hardcore.
I’m looking at spending around �20K - bit confused about which cars have the toyota engine and which don’t. Do I want new low milage or an older ‘choice’ version
The original elise has a k series engine in its different power output/configurations. The original exige used the same basic engine. These cars are refered to as S1 cars or series 1.
Upon launch of the S2 the main difference was visual, the car still used the K series. When Lotus went to the U.S. with the elise they needed a different engine, they chose the toyota engine. In europe the Elise with a toyota engine is called the 111r. The S2 Exige is basically a 111r with hardtop and stiffer suspension.
I have owned both a S1 and an S2 (Exige) and the S2 is more useable day to day, its better built (though i am having more niggling issues with my exige than i had with my S1 elise) and generally more refined. Though both of those terms are relative.
For 20 grand you could get an S2 exige but if you want a softer ride and the option of open air motoring the 111r may be a better bet. You can of course get a hard top for the 111r (you can take the roof off the exige and in fact fit an elise soft top, but you will not make friends amongst the hardcore exige owners…but who cares )
The engine is a toyota so 70,000 miles should not be a problem. Lotus ownershio seems to be a series of small niggles rather than huge catastrophic failures.
Running costs wise they are relatively cheap as they use little fuel and servicing is cheap, it depends were you are coming from, they are cheap performance cars but maybe not that cheap compared to eco boxes…
In your position i would try to get a sports tourer (more sound proofing and eleccy windows) 111r with hard top as new as you can afford.
Hope that helps, sorry to existing Lotus owners for the sweeping generalizations
I agree with bruh-la. I might get flamed here, but I can’t recommend an S1 Exige for that sort of mileage as I don’t think it’s likely to be reliable enough, and it’s the most hardcore option you’re looking at.
Don’t necessarily think of the Exige as more useable because of its roof. The roof is basically the same as the optional hard top on the Elise bar the addition of a blanked-off air intake.
If you don’t have a stong preference for the Exige look, I would suggest an S2 Elise. The Exige comes with stiffer suspension and tyres aimed more at track use, which probably doesn’t suit your needs.
Not everybody likes the power delivery of the Toyota powered 111R and Exige as they really need ragging to get the performance out of them, so I suggest comparing one with a Rover powered S2 and see what suits you.
Another nice option to consider would be the 135R which has the Rover engine but in a better, higher state of tune. However this model did come with the sport suspension and track tyres.
At the end of the day it’s horses for courses, it depends on what you want from the car.
From what I�ve read/heard the sport suspension on a 135R is very much track focused, even on a par with that of the Exige, so perhaps not ideal�
In fairness though Simon, Bruh is pretty much spot on, although if, like Brendan says you decide you don�t like the power delivery of the Toyota lump, don�t discount a 111S, people like www.ptp-ltd.co.uk offer half decent engine options with the VVC, and you should still come in comfortably under the 20k mark.
I really wouldn’t recommend either for 25K miles a year.
The mean time between failure on my Elise was running at around 5 hours for a couple of years - I can’t imagine doing 25k miles and having something go wrong every 5 hours. Ok, so low MTBFs are probably associated with infrequent use, but even so I’d estimate annual mainatenance costs at �2,000+ for that kind of mileage…plus you’re going to be knackered and occasionally stranded by the side of the road.
All IMHO, based on 7 years of Elise ownership including significant periods of commuting 750 miles a week in it
What I am really looking for is something which will be provide as good or better handling and performance than my 330i msport.
I am totally in love with the look of the Exige, but I think I am leaning toward the softer Elise. I want a hardcore car, but I also need some practicality (e.g. I would like to actually arrive at my destination).
One other option is to get my missus a �10K car and get myself something uber-sensible for �10K (e.g. a 2.0 litre 04 honda accord).
That would still leave me with �20K for the lotus.
Am I right that the k-series engine is rover sourced? Are there plenty of spare bits available for it??
I have had an elise or exige since 1997 when i got my first s1.
I have never been stranded, infact the only thing that went wrong was a steering rack which knocked on delivery,(replaced at first service) and the roof was not as water tight as it should have been. I did 45,000 in it.
The exige whilst having a squeeky roof and being a bit noisy coz its a supercharged sports pack car…(so no extra soundproofing) has also never come close to letting me down. In fact of all the people i know or have known with elise/exiges i do not know of one who broke down…
I recommend the Exige, you’ll really enjoy it ! It’s just as reliable as a high volume production car so now need to worry. It’ll certainly exceed your expections too if coming from a 330i in terms of performance and handling.
just get a s2 exige touring, 20k gets you into one of those ,there are a few touring option cars 4 sale.
People do 125,000 in the celica with no problems.
I dont think a standard car is that hardcore and there is not much to go wrong, very cheap to run imo for a sports car.
This is a bit more reassuring. What’s different about the ‘touring’ models - is it just the addition of air con?
I’ve got a 2004 Touring and I’m very happy with it in general. Tourings get electric windows, leather/alcantara on the dash and doors, extra sound proofing, driving lights and a DAB radio/CD/MP3. The air con is a separate �1200 option on all cars. To be honest the S2 doesn’t seam that bad in the heat and I rarely use mine, mainly for demisting which is suppose is a big bonus for a daily driver.
The only things changed on mine are regular car tyres to make it a bit more livable with (although it would be much better still to run AO48 in summer and full winters from oct-april.) and I’ve had the centre console trimmed to match in leather which looks nice and reduces the clonkiess of the gearchange (well muffles it!).
1 other change I keeping promising myself is a proper amplifed Bosch FM/DAB aerial. The std aerial (two wires in the front clam) is useless, I’m going to mount it S1 style on the engine lid.
just get a s2 exige touring, 20k gets you into one of those ,there are a few touring option cars 4 sale.
People do 125,000 in the celica with no problems.
I dont think a standard car is that hardcore and there is not much to go wrong, very cheap to run imo for a sports car.
good advice! Indeed I picked my S2 Exige touring up at the back end of last year (main dealer winter buy) with only 2000 miles on the clock and made massive saving on the new price. I have now had both S2 elise and exige and I must say I do prefer the exige. I actually find the exige the more refined of the two and the wider fronts/aero kit etc does make it feel much more reassuring as a daily driver (which it is BTW). Its also lots better under braking (in dry compared to an elise on std wheels and tyres) The exige is no harder to live with than the elise TBH - ride quality (in terms of comfort) is in the same ballpark for both, as are the seats, ergonomics etc - but the exige is worth the extra. Treat yourself!