Lotus Evora Coupe full 9 point review

  • Performance

    5 out of 5 stars

    Review-OnRoad The Evora lives up to the old Lotus mantra of ‘add lightness’. That leaves the standard and supercharged 3.5-litre engines to get on with their work unfettered by excess tonnage. The result is sensational performance in both models.

  • Ride & Handling

    5 out of 5 stars

    Review-OnRoad A simple, featherweight aluminium chassis attached to finely honed suspension proves that if you have the engineering expertise – and few firms have more than Lotus – it’s possible to produce an outrageously enthralling machine, simply and cost-effectively.

  • Refinement

    4 out of 5 stars

    Review-OnRoad Despite what you may expect, the Evora is a quiet and relaxed cruiser. Suspension- and tyre noise are incredibly well suppressed and almost all the controls work with great precision. The one exception is the manual gearbox, which could be slicker.

  • Buying & Owning

    3 out of 5 stars

    Review-Ownership You wouldn't call the Evora S cheap – it’s in Porsche 911 territory – but the standard car is something of a bargain, and despite the thrilling performance, running costs should be reasonable. You'll regularly get through expensive sets of tyres and insurance premiums won't be cheap, but fuel costs shouldn’t be a huge problem.

  • Quality & Reliability

    3 out of 5 stars

    Review-Ownership The most frustrating thing about the Evora is the fact that high-quality items such as the stainless steel buttons, superb figure-hugging sports seats and delicious sports steering wheel are undermined by a rather kit-car-esque dashboard with poor ergonomics. At least the Toyota-sourced engine should prove reliable.

  • Safety & Security

    2 out of 5 stars

    Review-OnRoad Lotus claims that the unique way it builds the Evora makes it incredibly strong. All the hardware is carried on front and rear impact-absorbing sub frames, which should leave the passenger compartment relatively undamaged in an accident. Even so, front airbags and stability control are provided and the rear seats get ISOFIX child seat mountings.

  • Behind The Wheel

    3 out of 5 stars

    Review-Ownership Although the seats and steering wheel are superb, the Evora's driving position is far from perfect. Rear visibility is extremely limited, the ergonomics are dreadful and the instruments are largely unreadable.

  • Space & Practicality

    3 out of 5 stars

    Review-Cabin Although this is one of the first Lotuses you can get in and out of without needing to be as supple as a gymnast, it’s still pretty cramped inside. The cabin is narrow and the tiny rear seats in the two-plus-two version are next to useless for adults. At least they give you the option of some extra storage space because the compact 180-litre boot will accommodate only a couple of soft sports bags.

  • Equipment

    3 out of 5 stars

    Review-Cabin Air-conditioning, Recaro sports seats, a flat-bottomed magnesium steering wheel, electric windows and a CD player with MP3 connectivity are standard. An optional Technology pack includes a seven-inch touch-screen with sat-nav, Bluetooth, cruise control, rear parking sensors and a tyre pressure monitoring system. The Premium pack adds full leather trim.

Evora rivals

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