USED Lotus Elise Open (99 - )

My car

Had a Lotus Elise base 120bhp on a 52 plate from new. Drives great, minimal weight allowing you to drive quickly with little effort. Sticks to the corners very well, it takes a lot to provoke it but once the limit is reached its a pig to control. The car is very impracticable, with very little boot space, difficult to get in and out unless you are a midget or double jointed. Materials inside feel cheap (makes dihatsu and proton look great), but maybe thats to save weight. It is cheap to run on a daily basis, with good mpg and insurance not to high, but you'll need to buy quite a few parts over time and a Lotus Warranty is terrible. And repairs to fibre glass body cost a packet. Any excuse to get out of fixing things. Thats the one thing that annoyed me most about this car. Overall is fun but very flawed, magazines think they are amazing, ownership isnt.

My car

Having owned an S2 for over 2 years,I have enjoyed its ownership for many reasons. The running costs are quite reasonable as long as you know where to take it. Not all main dealers are 'stealers' but there are plenty of enthusiastic independants dotted around the country, who give a great service and sensible costs. Road tax varies between models, but mine is £155 a year and mpg mid 40's as there is not a lot of weight to move. A must is to join an owners club, which will pay for itself in insurance reduction and breakdown cover and also opens up a new world for using the cars. People use them as everyday transport, as long as you gain elegance in getting in and out with the roof on, is not an issue. You don't buy an Elise for creature comforts, so there is less to go wrong. Have a vehicle inspected if buying 2nd hand, as people who know then, know what to look for. Chassis damage is a write off usually, so beware. Mechanically pretty robust and no different to any mainstream cars. Radiators and fan speed packs are common failures, but upgraded better items are available from various independant Lotus shops. Altogether a different car to drive and driver training can help you get the most from the car and prepare for rear wheel drive in the damp conditons, as can be a bit tail happy. Readily available spares and some at sensible price, some pretty high. Cheap insurance with limited mileage policies, means a cost friendly sportscar made in England is open to lots of people.

My car

I owned the Lotus Elise Series 2 111s and 14,000 miles in it. it was so good and enjoyable that I upgraded it for the Seres 2 Lotus Exige.

Not a bad word to say about it

My car

My last Elise, a 99 S1 was pretty raw. This one has really grown up. The build quality is vastly better and the cabin is tight as a drum. It's a perfectly decent every day driver. The VTEC change in engine note at around 6000 rpm is adictive as the car hurls you forwards, sounding like a bike, all the way to 8000 rpm. The grin factor in the Elise is fantastic and even sitting in a jam is an event. I feel sorry for keen drivers who've not driven one of these. (Too)much is often made about the difficulty of getting in and out, but in truth I hop in and out without a second thought. The car does need caution in the wet though. There is a 2 year warranty (not one year as stated on the Whatcar? website) and the factory alarm is Thatcham level one Cobra, making the car very hard to steal indeed. As a traffic cop in Hampshire I've been to a few crashes and the Elise is much tougher than you'd think. You sit inside the chasis and are well protected. MPG only dips below 30 on track. Overall the grip is good enough for your face to slid off mid corner.The superb steering makes my company 5 Series feel like it's on bricks. Braking is powerful enough to rearrange your internal organs. Anyone who considers themselves a driver needs to try one!