Thread: NEED opinion / advice from LOTUS Elise owners.

Hi all ! My name is Duy & have been lurking L4P from awhile now. I finally decided to register & join this seemingly cool community. I also joined to expand my knowledge of luxury / exotics cars too. What better place to do that than L4P ?

So my question to all you LOTUS owners is: Is it possible to daily drive a car as RAW as the Lotus Elise ? I currently DD a 01 S2000. Some days it can be tiresome getting off work but I don't mind it. The roads where I live can get pretty rough but I spend majority of the time on smooth paved roads so I don't think ride quality should be that much of an issue.



I love the S but with the prices dropping, I see more & more on the road. Im looking for something more exclusive, has WOW factor, & a open air driving experience. The Lotus seems to fit what Im looking for.

If I were to purchase a Elise, I would probably be purchasing the 2005 models.

CHIME in guys & lmk what Im getting myself into

Don't even think about it as a DD you will be sorry after a few days...model years in the US start with 05.
The car is too fragile to take even a slight tap if you parallel park....

As a second car it rocks..

Well...I had my 2005 Lotus Elise as a daily driver for 5 years.

If you love the Lotus and gotta have one, then get one.

As Ronin says, you gotta be very careful!

I don't think I ever parallel parked my Lotus...

PM me anytime to talk about what it's like to be a Lotus owner...

question for you guys, being 6'6", how comfortable im i going to be ? or is the car to small for a guy like me?

it CAN be a daily...but much better as a 2nd or 3rd or 4th car

Originally Posted by Zimnicki

question for you guys, being 6'6", how comfortable im i going to be ? or is the car to small for a guy like me?

Not gonna happen. Hope TheYeti see's this thread, he is 6'4" and I had to stuff him in the passenger seat of an Elise we took on a rally. Had to leave the top off even when it started to rain lol. No way you'd be comfortable driving it.

Originally Posted by whitlock

Not gonna happen. Hope TheYeti see's this thread, he is 6'4" and I had to stuff him in the passenger seat of an Elise we took on a rally. Had to leave the top off even when it started to rain lol. No way you'd be comfortable driving it.

LOL I remember that photo.

Originally Posted by whitlock

Not gonna happen. Hope TheYeti see's this thread, he is 6'4" and I had to stuff him in the passenger seat of an Elise we took on a rally. Had to leave the top off even when it started to rain lol. No way you'd be comfortable driving it.

thanks man appreciate it

Originally Posted by LARRY

Well...I had my 2005 Lotus Elise as a daily driver for 5 years.

If you love the Lotus and gotta have one, then get one.

As Ronin says, you gotta be very careful!

I don't think I ever parallel parked my Lotus...

PM me anytime to talk about what it's like to be a Lotus owner...

HAHA thanks for the advice guys. Im 5'7 & 135 lbs. I look 5'2 when I sit in the S as you can see in the pic LOL

I also wondered if the Lotus is as easy to work on as my S ? Can I do the regular maintenance myself (oil change, trans fluid etc) myself or is it one of those cars that you need to bring into a specialty shop to get serviced ? Is the cost of owning a Elise about the same as owning a S or will it be a little more expensive ?

At 5'7". you are the perfect size.

You can do alot of the work yourself...it's a Toyota engine.

It's not expensive to own unless you need a new clutch or steering rack. Those can be a bit pricey. But that's true with any sports car.

For Lotus owners who live in Los Angeles, you can bring your Lotus to us at Specialty Car Craft and we'll do the work for you for very little money. SCC loves Lotus!

Drive an Lotus Elise or Exige. If you have to have it...you'll buy it. That's just the way it is and why Lotus owners are so passionate about their cars...