Do you Think Lotus Exige/Elise A good car and worth the price?

That all depends on what you are looking for in a car. An Exige or Elise makes a great track car/daily driver. So if you are the kind of person that will take your car out and really use it to its potential, then a Lotus is great for you, and you can stop reading here. If that is not the case, read on my friend.



Before I go further, let us determine pricing so we can loot at some alternatives. A new Exige will set you back about $60k when all is said and done, with the Elise doing about $50k in damages. Not exactly the cheapest cars on the road, but certainly not as expensive as most others in their class.



If this will be your primary vehicle, or you will not be tracking it on a semi-regular basis, then you may want to consider something a little more subdued. In the same range you can try out the new BMW 335i, which boasts some incredible stats for a non-M BMW. Decent track abilities, and incomparable comfort and performance for normal to 8/10ths driving. But again, if you are buying a vehicle for the track, then look elsewhere.



If you wanted to spend a little more money, a 2008 M3 would work nicely. Do a quick google search, and you'll be impressed.



Those 2 above ideas were just a small sampling of the cars in that price range that offer good performance.



Now lets change gears: if this WILL be a track car, with little use as a daily driver, you may want to consider the Ariel Atom. *pause while I look at their website*. Well, they changed a little bit in the last year or so, prices went up a bit. Anyway, for about the same price as an exige, you can get a 250whp open cockpit road legal race car. Look on youtube for videos and prepare to be amazed.



Anyway, hope this helps somewhat.

Do you Think Lotus Exige/Elise A good car and worth the price?
If it had something better in the power plant, I would consider trading up to it. I own a Miata and while I have not met one on the road to see what I can do against it youtube videos of it against a Miata does not impress me.

For me (if I felt a need to go faster, faster) I would just put a turbo on mine or put a bigger engine.

So I guess, if you want bang for the buck NO IT ISN'T!
Reply:The Exige/Elise is a good car for performance but not for price. The Elise was never intended to sell for 40k+ in the US, it was originally planned to be in the low 30's. Corporate back and forth in the UK as well as the pound to dollar conversion has pushed the price way farther than it should be for the car and unfortunately has moved it away from the market in which it was originally intended.



Yes the car is a great performer, yes the car is amazing to drive in both Exige and Elise forms and yes it is a head turner. With the Toyota engine it is even reliable with normally aspirated and supercharged versions available. However, this car is not easy to get in and out of and it minus most of the creature comforts that many expect in a car. This was intentional as the Elise/Exige is a drivers car. It is very impractical but it's supposed to be. You will not be able to fit much of anything in the trunk as it's the size of a small duffel bag, you will have trouble getting in and out of it with the top on and forget about taking it out on a date with girls over about 25. You will do it once, they will try to pour out of the passenger side in heals and if in a skirt will show anyone standing there what they have on underneath. You will be taking her Camry the next time.



From a guys perspective, which we rarely care about comfort over performance, it's a great car to drive. Your best bet, if you're serious about buying one, is to buy a used one. You can save yourself a few bucks for a car that is practical when you aren't in the mood to feel like a race driver.



Hope this helps!