Lotus Elise 1.8

Before I start, you should know I'm really struggling to write this review. I can't structure this like a 'normal' car review, because it's no normal car. It's also hard for me to be objective, and give all the information a buyer would find important, because, well, it's just not something to be objective about – you buy this car with your heart, not your head. A little background first of all – my fiancée and I bought our first house together this summer. We've moved away from my home area of Surrey, and have gone back down to Southampton. While this has meant we've been able to afford a great house, it's also meant I've needed to buy a car – it's no longer ...  Read the complete review

Writing these opinions, it occurs to me just how many cars we've managed to get through. We drove a lotus Elise for a short time - approximately 6 months. Note the word "short". This is because this has to be one of the worst cars I've ever been in. I've amended this opinion because it occurred to me I was being unfair to the little lotus. So I've toned it down and tried to be a bit more objective. It looks lovely. It corners very well and handles nicely with good balance. BUT prepare for major disappointment. The looks make it look a lot better than it really is. The roof leaked, and tended to stain easily. It ...  Read the complete review

I have owned an Elise for three years, and before that an Elan SE. I loved both, and could not choose between them. First lets destroy the myth about the Elise' size. I am 6' 3" and nearly 19 stone, but I can get in with the roof on with no problem, and fit comfortably in the driving seat. With two people my size, it is a bit of a squeeze, but not an uncomfortable one. Now I will confirm another rumour. The boot is tiny! Two people can go away for the weekend in the Winter, or a week in the summer, as long as they don't want ironed clothes, and can stuff everything into a squashy bag. Why do I say it is a fair weather car? ...  Read the complete review

The lotus elise, I absolutely love the look of the car, to me it is one the sexiest sportiest shapes on the road, plus its a bit of a bargain. With second hand elises coming down to around £15k for a 96P its a pretty good buy and you can be confident the residual values will be good. Now, I have test driven the elise twice, the first time I took it out I had an awful test drive in the rush-hour through a built up area. Definitely not the best way to find out about a sports car! Unfortunately this test drive really put me off the car. The main reason being that the brakes are not servo assisted and consequently you really have to shove them to get them to do ...  Read the complete review

I absolutely love the look of this car! To me it is one the sexiest sportiest shapes on the road, plus its a bit of a bargain. With second hand elises coming down to around £15k for a 96P its a pretty good buy and you can be confident the residual values will be good. On the test drive, two things immediately struck me. Firstly, this car is SERIOUS FUN to drive. The 'park bench' seating and minimalist interior mealy serve to focus every sense on the fun of driving. Secondly, there isn't much in the way of comfort! Even trying to listen to a CD or the radio is virtually impossible due to constraints of the speaker location and level of background ...  Read the complete review