I'm in the market for a new car. An early model NSX is more in my budget, but just wondering what people thought of the Elise. Pros/cons ? It looks like a pretty cool car to have.
Anyone own a Lotus Elise?
- Thread starter DeNguyen
- Start date
Great for 20 minute track sessions, or a 15 mile commute. Anything longer will kill your body! 
Can be a little twitchy at the limit (had one lose it at track out and into the wall [carousel] in front of me this spring at Road America)
I would reccomend this as a "second" or "third" car, but NOT as a primary.
Can be a little twitchy at the limit (had one lose it at track out and into the wall [carousel] in front of me this spring at Road America)
I would reccomend this as a "second" or "third" car, but NOT as a primary.
It's the best canyon and occasional track day car on the market IMHO. I have to respectfully disagree with RP-Motorsports in that the car is super, super docile, correctable, and "tossable" at the limit. It can feel a bit "nervous" in the front end on bumpy roads. Like the early NSX's, the Elise has no power steering. It's basically a big go-kart. Imagine a mid-engine road-going sportscar that weighs abour 1,200 lbs less than an NSX!
I would totally agree that the car is certainly best as a "toy" or a "second" or even third car. It's really bare bones basic (carpet is an option), but therein lies its uniquness and what makes it really special.
Here is the "Prime" for Elise owners:
http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/
Cheers!
Marc
I would totally agree that the car is certainly best as a "toy" or a "second" or even third car. It's really bare bones basic (carpet is an option), but therein lies its uniquness and what makes it really special.
Here is the "Prime" for Elise owners:
http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/
Cheers!
Marc
It tops out at 130 mph on a downhill.
Whatever car I get will definately not be a primary car. I got the wrangler for that.
I've talked to a couple of Elise owners and I've been surprised by their comments. Most of the folks I've talked to have talked about how expensive they are to fix, particularly body work. One guy said he absolutely never drove it other than to the track because he's afraid to park it... I'd get the nsx as its fixable and reliable.
Yeah...Elise body work repair is $$$$$!!! Hey, the NSX aint cheap either. IIRC, an unpainted NSX front fender was about $1,200. I would not want to take either car wheel-to-wheel racing if I were footing the bill, but on the other hand, I feel sorry for the guy who has one but is too afraid to drive it. That's really sad!!!
As for relaibility, the NSX is Honda, and the Elise is Toyota (yes, the US Elise has a 2005 Toyota engine and drivetrain).
[flame suit on]
http://www.jdpower.com/news/releases/pressrelease.asp?ID=2005089
[flame suit off]
As for relaibility, the NSX is Honda, and the Elise is Toyota (yes, the US Elise has a 2005 Toyota engine and drivetrain).
[flame suit on]
http://www.jdpower.com/news/releases/pressrelease.asp?ID=2005089
[flame suit off]
i have a student i teach at the track often... has one.. amazingly fun car when driven smooth....
doesn't do so hot on the gators though b/c it's so light.. it gets easily upset...
interior room is tight.. it's a toy/track car.. street it's kinda useless.
my .02
x
doesn't do so hot on the gators though b/c it's so light.. it gets easily upset...
interior room is tight.. it's a toy/track car.. street it's kinda useless.
my .02
x
I own one.
Have put about 2K miles on it.
Pros:
Faster than my stock 92 NSX (130 mph downhill comment not true).
Handles better than my NSX (strongly disagree with twitchy comments).
Attention from people.
35 MPG.
Toyota Reliability with Lotus handling.
Amazing brakes.
Convertible.
Comfortable - once you're in.
Minimalist approach.
Closest thing to a shifter kart for the street.
Good deals now - 2-3K off list, no problem.
Thrilling, fun ride.
Cons
Not easy getting in or out. Particularly with roof on.
Attention from people.
Would like more gauges-indicators (i.e. oil pressure).
Speedo not accurate (reads 7 mph higher).
Very low, other drivers may not see you.
Shifter mechanism not up to Honda "click-click" standards.
Goofy alarm and immobilizer.
So-so speakers.
Paint protection film almost a requirement.
Driving shoes a must.
For a weekend car, at least where I live, the Elise is more fun to drive than the NSX. It's more immediate, more direct, more visceral. It's much more like a shifter kart or a 4 wheel motorcycle.
Although the two cars are similar, the differences are many. The NSX is a luxury sports car with few compromises, but in many ways compared to the Elise it insulates you from the road.
If you live in the wide-open spaces, with big curving roads that go on for miles, the NSX is wonderful. I find the Elise to have more usable and accessible performance for around town - suburban driving. Put it this way, the NSX requires a larger venue in order to really appreciate it.
Oh...
One more difference. With the NSX the VTEC transition is imperceptible. Not so with the VVTL Toyota. When you hit 6K in the Elise, hold on! :biggrin:
Have put about 2K miles on it.
Pros:
Faster than my stock 92 NSX (130 mph downhill comment not true).
Handles better than my NSX (strongly disagree with twitchy comments).
Attention from people.
35 MPG.
Toyota Reliability with Lotus handling.
Amazing brakes.
Convertible.
Comfortable - once you're in.
Minimalist approach.
Closest thing to a shifter kart for the street.
Good deals now - 2-3K off list, no problem.
Thrilling, fun ride.
Cons
Not easy getting in or out. Particularly with roof on.
Attention from people.
Would like more gauges-indicators (i.e. oil pressure).
Speedo not accurate (reads 7 mph higher).
Very low, other drivers may not see you.
Shifter mechanism not up to Honda "click-click" standards.
Goofy alarm and immobilizer.
So-so speakers.
Paint protection film almost a requirement.
Driving shoes a must.
For a weekend car, at least where I live, the Elise is more fun to drive than the NSX. It's more immediate, more direct, more visceral. It's much more like a shifter kart or a 4 wheel motorcycle.
Although the two cars are similar, the differences are many. The NSX is a luxury sports car with few compromises, but in many ways compared to the Elise it insulates you from the road.
If you live in the wide-open spaces, with big curving roads that go on for miles, the NSX is wonderful. I find the Elise to have more usable and accessible performance for around town - suburban driving. Put it this way, the NSX requires a larger venue in order to really appreciate it.
Oh...
One more difference. With the NSX the VTEC transition is imperceptible. Not so with the VVTL Toyota. When you hit 6K in the Elise, hold on! :biggrin:
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I don't own one but I strongly agree with Jimbo.
Great cars that are a blast to drive. Plenty of power for American roads and they drive like an extension of yourself.
Some (like my wife for instance) think they're butt ugly. I really like them.
But I didn't buy one for a few reasons.
1. Ingress/egress. I'm not a big guy but even I had a hell of a time getting in and out with the top on. Top off, no problem.
2. Build quality. I noticed some differences in build quality between the three I saw at the dealership here in costa mesa. That spooked me a bit.
3. Insurance. My quotes were out of this world while the NSX isn't bad at all.
4. The wife. Flame me if you will, but she hates them and she's paying for half of it.
Great cars that are a blast to drive. Plenty of power for American roads and they drive like an extension of yourself.
Some (like my wife for instance) think they're butt ugly. I really like them.
But I didn't buy one for a few reasons.
1. Ingress/egress. I'm not a big guy but even I had a hell of a time getting in and out with the top on. Top off, no problem.
2. Build quality. I noticed some differences in build quality between the three I saw at the dealership here in costa mesa. That spooked me a bit.
3. Insurance. My quotes were out of this world while the NSX isn't bad at all.
4. The wife. Flame me if you will, but she hates them and she's paying for half of it.
The ingress-egress problem does get better with time. You do learn in about a month where best to position your arms, hands and legs. I'm not little (5-11" and 240) and it's not too bad now.
Build quality on mine was fine. Minor things, like headlight adjustment, dead pedal bent - but I removed it.
Insurance wasn't a problem. In line with my other cars.
The longest I've driven was about 5 hours straight. No problems with comfort.
Build quality on mine was fine. Minor things, like headlight adjustment, dead pedal bent - but I removed it.
Insurance wasn't a problem. In line with my other cars.
The longest I've driven was about 5 hours straight. No problems with comfort.
Jimbo said:
I only know what the man said as he said he topped it out this weekend on a run. Now im curious what the actual top speed of the car is ?
There is an elise in there somewhere !
Well, you may be able to get one at a great discount.... through an insurance company that is.
For the last few weeks, a yellow Elise has been zooming by our office building at high speed. I could hear him before he drives by. For the Foutain Valley residence, you'll know that Newhope st. has a sweeping right and then a sweeping left.
Well, this morning, at around 9, it apparently lost control, jumped the curb and hit and totally snapped off a concrete light pole. Not sure if it landed on the car. It sustained extensive front and rear end damage. Didn't see the airbag deploy, but the cabin seems to be intact. Didn't see the driver. He was either standing around or been sent to the hospital. I hope he is alright.
For the last few weeks, a yellow Elise has been zooming by our office building at high speed. I could hear him before he drives by. For the Foutain Valley residence, you'll know that Newhope st. has a sweeping right and then a sweeping left.
Well, this morning, at around 9, it apparently lost control, jumped the curb and hit and totally snapped off a concrete light pole. Not sure if it landed on the car. It sustained extensive front and rear end damage. Didn't see the airbag deploy, but the cabin seems to be intact. Didn't see the driver. He was either standing around or been sent to the hospital. I hope he is alright.
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My co-worker has one so I get a ride almost weekly. I actually told him about the car and a week later, he was ordering one.
The car is exceptionally small but also very light a nimble. Definitely not made for comfort but it may be the closest thing to a street legal go kart you can find.
The may one of the best cars you can buy for twisties and because it's so light, the acceleration is good as well.
Very fun car to drive, just not comfortable if you are bit tall or wide.
The car is exceptionally small but also very light a nimble. Definitely not made for comfort but it may be the closest thing to a street legal go kart you can find.
The may one of the best cars you can buy for twisties and because it's so light, the acceleration is good as well.
Very fun car to drive, just not comfortable if you are bit tall or wide.
I wonder why there are SO many used ones for sale, all with really low mileage. Are people buying them and figuring out how uncomfy they are after purchase? Will this drive the value of these cars down? If so, maybe I should wait another year or so before buying another sports car.... 
A $50K go Kart....LOTUS= L ots O f T rouble U sually S erious
But fun for 15 minutes............
But fun for 15 minutes............
DeNguyen said:I wonder why there are SO many used ones for sale, all with really low mileage. Are people buying them and figuring out how uncomfy they are after purchase? Will this drive the value of these cars down? If so, maybe I should wait another year or so before buying another sports car....
I think you've hit the nail right on the head.
More so than, but much like the case when the S2000 came out... the reality of having a pure, hardcore sports car sets in and people that like the look and feel of the car on a sunny, Sunday afternoon begin to realize that a cramped, buzzy, akward car is a lot to ask of a person to live with day in and day out. Esp. when you commute in a sea of jacked up Ford Expeditions.
It wouldn't be a problem for me if I could get in and out of the damned thing but then I'm not most people.
The initial “gotta have the new hot sportscar” poseurs are now selling and/or crashing their Elises. For the most part, they have discovered, much to their dismay that unlike an NSX, Boxter, or even an S2000, the Elise is a raw, bare-bones track / autocross toy. It’s not an “image” car. It’s 100% (98% in the US with the addition of standard A/C for the 2005 model) a driver’s car. You cant even make a graceful entrance or exit into the drivers seat unless you have practice getting into a full-cage racecar. Just think how silly that will make you look at the country club!
DeNguyen: I would wait until the dead of winter to get one, if you are sure that the car is right for you (i.e. drive one for at least 20 min). The 2006's will be out, and prices ought to soften a bit. You will probably be able to have a nice one in the $36 ~ $39k range. Take a look at:
http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=94
DeNguyen: I would wait until the dead of winter to get one, if you are sure that the car is right for you (i.e. drive one for at least 20 min). The 2006's will be out, and prices ought to soften a bit. You will probably be able to have a nice one in the $36 ~ $39k range. Take a look at:
http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=94
vtec888 said:
can you or better yet can your friend expand on that comment. It seems to me the main reason to get an elise is to do HPDE's.
I drove a friend's elise for 15 minutes. Getting in and out is quite a challenge, but the car is quite comfortable once your in. You better know your passenger really really well or you will in a few minutes. :wink:
One thing, the AC is quite weak, both of us were sweating a bit even with the AC on. This is an issue for those of us who live in the South.
see post I posted a while back about this car. Reviewed by an S2k owner:
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39353&highlight=Elise
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39353&highlight=Elise
Side note, saw one on the freeway on Sunday. Looked pretty mean comming down the road. It was bright yellow and the stance looked great. Would definately get more looks than my black NSX. Still, I think it would be too hard edged.
The way it looked like it rode down the freeeway reminded me of civics who are too low and every bump in the freeway has a corresponding jolt to the entire body of the car.
Still, seeing one made me want one again. I told my wife (who was sitting next to me) that if I were to replace the NSX I was thinking of getting one of those. She said, "They look pretty cool". (That is something comming from her).
Wish I had the coin to just be able to buy one and drive it once or twice a month, but until that day comes, I will have to make do with what we have.
Jim, do you have any pics of your car???
The way it looked like it rode down the freeeway reminded me of civics who are too low and every bump in the freeway has a corresponding jolt to the entire body of the car.
Still, seeing one made me want one again. I told my wife (who was sitting next to me) that if I were to replace the NSX I was thinking of getting one of those. She said, "They look pretty cool". (That is something comming from her).
Wish I had the coin to just be able to buy one and drive it once or twice a month, but until that day comes, I will have to make do with what we have.
Jim, do you have any pics of your car???
I have to chuckle too at all the so-called knowledge about the Elise. Reminds me of the so-called knowledge on the NSX I read on other forum. :biggrin:
BTW: Automobile Mag just published their list of the all time 10 greatest sports cars. The Elise was included.
BTW: Automobile Mag just published their list of the all time 10 greatest sports cars. The Elise was included.
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