I've been looking at the Lotus Elise or Exige and have been tempted to make the 100 mile trip to go drive one. Anyone driven one lately? Car and Driver basically called it an expensive Go-Kart but I like the looks of it and the performance can't be beat. (0-60 : 4.9 seconds) I'd use at a leisure/daily driver. When I look at the Lotus forums everyone loves it just like everyone loves their RX-8s on this board. Looking for other opinions in you've actually been in one. Not interested if your just going to critique the car without ever being in one. Thanks

 

Never been in a Lotus, but dang they're hot! Good luck

 

i never drove one but sat in one, you sit so low its rather uncomfortable. the trunck is in the back despite it being a MR car, and its about the size of a glove compartment. i think its a terrible daily driver. ohh and the owner said noise deadening is non-existent on that car.

 

Friend of mine went for a test drive in one. Told me its not the best car for a daily driver. Dont know if hes keeping his 8 or not.

 

there's a Lotus dealer a mile from my house maybe I'll try one sometime.

 

You have to qualify first

 

Yes I've test driven one a while back. The car is just a hoot to drive and I was very tempted to get one. But after the initial euphoria wore off, I realized that it's really just a big boy's toy and that I'd still need another car as my daily driver.

 

Actually the Elise and the Exige are two almost completely different cars. Same chassis yes, but everything else is different (and the price too!!).

If you want this to be something of a daily driver, get the Elise. It's not the most comfortable or roomiest cars, but you can go for a 2-day trip with your mate or girlfriend. It's got *some* insulation (heat and noise), *some* comforts, *some* practicality.

If you want something that will spank Porsches and Ferraris (and I'm not kidding here), get the Exige. Almost nothing can beat it on a track (and I mean it when I say "nothing", except F3000 or F1 cars), and it's a blast to drive on the road too. Just don't ask for anything else

 

LOL I seen this Black Evo with all kinds of stickers on this doors get killed by a 911 it was great

 

i sat in the elise on the track, its really fast. but quite unconfortable to sit in. i wouldnt recommend it as a daily driver, it'd be an excellent weekend car though.

 

Yes, I test drove an Elise last year at the local Lotus Dealership and it was an absolute blast. The thing about the Elise/Exige, is that there's nothing else that feels anything like it. While most sports cars are becoming closer to luxury sedans with regards to size and weight (911), the < 2000 lb weight of the Elise is a refreshing change. The car is very quick in a straight line and of course has amazing handling. Having the top off and the engine behind you creates a great atmosphere. Yes, it is difficult to get in and out of, but once my wife and i were in there, I didn't feel cramped and had plenty of room to operate everything.

I went w/ the RX-8 because I needed a daily driver. But if I was in the market for a 2nd car, the Elise would definetly be at the top of the list.

Hope this helps.

 

Don't get a Lotus ... Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious (LOTUS).

 

http://elisetalk.com/

There seem to be a number of people that daily drive them. Some have reported getting as much as $8k off MSRP on leftover Elises.... which is a good deal but with the options I want it would still be ~$20k more than I paid for my 8. There's a local company that rents Elises for about $500 for a weekend. I'm really tempted to try it out but that's still quite a bit of cash for just an extended test drive.

 

A friend of mine owns a bright yellow and black exige. It's an awesome car, but I wouldn't want it for daily driving.

It's very fast and handles like nobodys business. It also looks like hot ****. This is about the extent of what it does well.

The interior is pretty much just like a kit car. Loose **** all over the place, rattles up the ***, and one of the speaker meshes can be easily lifted away from the speaker.

The cabin is so loud your ears ring when you're finished with the drive. You also can't see ANYTHING out of the back in the exige. This is *not* an exaggeration. You might as well not even have a back window. As my friend likes to say "You gotta use the force when changing lanes"

To get out of the thing you have to be a contortionist. If you're a gymnast or something, you'll have no issues. If you're a average adult male, you may pull something.

The suspension is rock hard. You get beat up on even smooth roads. Dips and bumps in the road practically launch you through the roof. The tires only last about 5k miles.

All of these things though are to be expected from a race car that just so happens to be street legal. If you've got some extra cash to throw around for a race car, then I *highly* recommend it. It's a pain in the *** for everyday use, but it's the funnest car I've ever had the pleasure of cruising in.

Oh, and you'll get stopped everywhere with people asking questions about your car. Seriously. Think you'll make a quick stop at McD's for a burger? Ha, think again after everyone is done chatting it up with you. Getting gas is a production. You feel like a movie star.

 

https://www.rx8club.com/general-automotive-49/i-drove-06-lotus-exige-yesterday-85421/

Would not recommend it for a daily driver, but if you did go and see the car, you would have to buy it. It is absolutely incredible. Everything about the car screams performance machine and I love it!

 

if only i have the money for said big boy toy, sigh

 

Thanks for the input. I've heard they are quite sparse on the interior and the ride can be a bit rough. Searching through the Lotus forum they do complain about alot of minor, superficial problems (i.e. lense covers popping off, AC malfunction, rattles, etc...) For 40-50k maybe I should continue looking. I like the style and performance but not sure if I just want a weekend toy. My wife drives our RX-8 and we have a suburban but I also wanted a fun car with some personality that I could also commute in. Besides our RX-8, everything else just looks so boring. I like to Solstice but it is a pontiac and I've never had luck with pontiac.

 

Pretty much in agreement on what everybody here has said about the Elise. If a baby doesn't come first, it'll probably be my next car after the RX8.
If the OP is shopping for another sports car to complement the RX8, and the Elise seems too one-dimensional, then perhaps look at some lightly used Porsche Boxster S that are available at or below the prices of new Elises. still get that wonderful mid-engine handling and top-down fun to boot.

 

If this is your main goal, then you have a lot of options. I don't know how many of these models reach the US shores, but the Fiest ST, Colt CZT, Golf GT, Polo GTi and a number of others are small, fun, fast little cars, that can do almost everything: commute, race, weekend trip etc etc....

 

I just traded my 05 RX8 GT in for a Lotus Elise. It is just as much of a daily driver as my RX8 was, in the winter I use a WRX. The Elise does not have near the amount of interior features the RX8 had, but when you are driving the car you don't really notice. It is slightly harder to get in and out of, but you get used to that quickly and now i don't even think about it. Honestly the power feels similar as the RX8 until about 6000 RPMs then it is another story. The car handles very well, better than the RX8, but I have not really tested its limits yet. I do not have any additional packages or features on my car, I was not interested. The ride is firmer, and the noise is louder. Everytime I press the start button a smile appears. I loved the RX8, but I also love the Elise.

 

uncle has one... its sick nasty quick and a blast to thrash corners in... Not comfortable inside but when ur throwing that shifter around it never occurs to you... BTW 4.9 0-60 is a conservative figure (my uncle races late models on dirt track and is a sick driver) its more like 4.5 if u rip it up like you have to in the 8 to get sub 6 sec 0-60's. Overall i love the car but i could never afford to fix it if anything went wrong with it.

 

Its an ok car but I don't see what all the buzz is about. The car from a stop is a beast and yes the damn thing handles like its riding on rails, but the car itself just wasn't that impressive. Before I actually drove one I had no idea they were so small ><, no wonder they weigh so little. I got to run it to 120 mph and I have to say just like the 8 it has no top end.....1st and 2nd were awesome but after about 80 mph or so the car just slowed somehow..

anyways looks hot...unique....handles almost as well as the 8 in the twisties....im jk nothing hangs with the 8 in the twisties....ok just so I won't get flamed its called sarcasm........

 

It is a super car for under$75000. That is all. They are the best at everything. They really do EVERYTHING they say they do. And they are as uncomfortable as everyone says they are. But are you really buying a lotus for the comfort? Anywayz, Dont forget who makes the engine.

Beagle

 

Rented an Elise in Las Vegas for a day, a red one. Not the most comfortable thing to sit in. I think I would have preferred a metal folding chair. LOL The seats were pretty uncomfortable, you sat so low in the car it felt seemed like you were about to scrape your butt on the pavement at any minute. I don't think it would make a good daily driver. I was actually a little disappointed with it for as much as it cost to rent it. It basically felt like an overgrown go-kart.

RX8_ML has one. You may want to ask her what she thinks of it.

 

^ what did you pay to rent it?

and thats what it is, a large go kart...