Anyone Test Drive the Elise Yet?

Has anyone test driven the Elise yet? If so, what do you think? Great little (and I mean little) car for about $43k. I went to the dealer to check it out but no test drive. Had trouble with getting in and out of the car and also the spacing of the gas and brake pedals. Great looking car, good fit and finish, very spartan (but that's the idea) but just couldn't make it work for me as I am 6'3". Feet were too wide for the spacing of the pedals and with the top on, very difficult with Ingress and Egress due to my long legs. Was hoping this was going to be the car for me but..... Looks like it's back to saving for the 997

no i havn't but i just my visit one close by to sit in as wll , great track car i think.

Waiting for the dealer nearest me to get their allocation so I can look at and hopefully test drive one. So, it's small for 6'3" guys. I'm 6'1". I hope that makes a difference. I've been trying to get the wife to do DE's with me, but she's too afraid of doing something bad to the C4S. The Elise would be her fun street car and our mutual track car for DE and autocross. The C4S will remain as a "glamour" car and occasional track car. If no one chimes in before my test drive, I'll post impressions.

Same with me. Trying to get the wife to let me get the Elise, which would take over track duty and some weekend fun drives. Have deposit down, and car is due in soon. Will keep the C4S for street pimpin'. Or, might wait for the Exige, as I have a perfectly good car for dual purpose street/track use for the next year or so. I would really appreciate the more intense focus the Exige brings to the table. We should know soon if its coming to the US.

Palting: This car is perfect for the track use and those weekend fun drives. By the way, at 6'3" I had no problem with headroom, it was just a problem getting in and out of the car with the top on. So at 6'1" you should be quite fine with the headroom. If the pedal spacing works for you, this is a great car!! Let us know what you think after your test drive. Frayed: I agree with you that I would get the Exige and from what I read on Autoweek yesterday, Lotus is most likely bringing the Exige over in one form or another in addition to expanding the Lotus dealer network. If they make the pedal spacing better on the Exige, I will definitely want one.

Drove on in the UK earlier this year, albeit without the Toyota engine. It's fast, but not as fast in a straight line as the 996. You have to rev it much harder and change gear more often. The handling and steering are better than the 996 with much, much more feel for what's going on. There was no power steering in the UK model but it hardly needed it. Downside is no PSM equivalent, and on the one I drove no ABS, but brake feel was terrific without it and you could feel when the wheels were about to lock up. Ride is supple (though they may have made changes for US to soften it up) but you feel road imperfections. It's noisy with both road noise and strange noise that seem to come from the structure of the car (kind of twittering) when cornering hard that's quite a contrast after the quietness of the 996. Fit and finish are Corvette standard (i.e. not great) but it is some $20 - $30K cheaper than a 996. Unless you've got a day job working for Cirque du Soleil you might find getting in and out with the roof on a bit of a struggle, but it's not too bad if you're under 6' and under 200lbs. Would I get one? Not at the moment. Dealers are gouging up to $15K over list and there's a 2 year wait list according to my nearest dealer. Maybe 2 years from now when the poseurs are tired of them and moved onto the next thing, a used one would make a terrific track car.

i drove one with rover motor on CA streets. great track car. but to drive it on the streets, this better be your 5th car or 6th car. i am 5-10, 34 yrs old and quite flexible. it's very hard to get in and out of it without making a fool out of yourself in the supermarket. if the top is on and you can't open the door all the way, you WILL NOT be able to get out of the car... oh, but it's fun to drive.

I've driven them several times. They are great cars but aren't practical for everyday use. They are a great track car and an excellent head turner, but the ladies will get tired of trying to get in and out of them very quickly. Expect the wife or girlfriend to want to ride with you about two times and then you'll be taking the Lexus.

I also had a hell of a time getting in and out - Great track car, but no way it is a daily driver ! Cute, but not sexy like the 996. With the craftsmanship of Lotus, I wouldn't touch it.

find new one's... and i don't mean the car

Well, I test drove one today. It had the touring pack. The dealer wisely did not have the hard top on. I had to insist he put the top on as a finale to the test drive. It is a major test of agility to get in and out of the car. The door sills come up so high, and the top is so low, it's like getting into a roll cage. Fuuny thing, my wife got in and out with no difficulty. Once you're in, it actually feels roomy. I had a little difficulty finding the gears at first, not as slick as I expected. Real short throw, and short clutch travel to full engagement. The foot pedals are all at equal height when at rest, so when the brake is fully depressed, the gas pedal is at the height of your instep. I thought it would make heel-toe more difficult, but I was surprised it actually worked. I think it's just a question of getting used to the car. I am spoiled by the power and low rpm torque of the 996. The Elise felt dead until about 5-6K rpm. Bu then again, this car is about agility and light weight, not power. Too bad it did not have the sport package. It is definitely spartan. This car had the touring package, I expected it to be spartan, but I was still surprised. Definitely not a car for creature comforts. Given the average American consumer, I think this will be a major turn-off. I liked the car. I'm ordering one. It is definietely a car designed as a fun car for short spirited jaunts, autocross or DE. Sort of sport bike on 4 wheels. Anyone expecting the car to be anything else I think will be disappointed.

A different take. I've driven the car extensively. 142hp (w/mods) Rover engined Elise a good frined of mine owns in Switzerland. My wife and I are not exactly young anymore (mid-50's). The car is very streetable. Yes its a haul to get in and out of but name one other truly special car that's not. We've taken it on 2,000 km trips across Switzerland and through the northern part of Italy. Its noisy and firm, but its very well controlled and comfortable. But then who cares, the smile you'll have participating in the feedback this car gives you is way more of a high than any of the rough edges. This is a memorable car and could easily redefine the way you rate any car's handling. I'm <6' but the owner is well built and >6'. I've never heard a comment from him about space. However, I have a real problem with the US pricing. The above Elise cost a shade below $20k with 3,600 miles already on it.

I don't think 38k + with options is unreasonable for that car. Factor in the Euro conversion, the brand and the performance and it all equals out. In Europe they are about to start giving them away because Lotus Ltd has no understanding of marketing, their target audience or their customer base. Add to the fact that they've had basically the same car since '96 and you can see why the desire is low in Europe for a car that has been around almost a decade.

Sat in one at a shop in Manchester, UK and I'd agree with Palting about having the top on and getting in over the door sill. I felt like what Magnum looked like on the TV series when he was in the Ferrari! My eye level was over the top of the windshield! However, close to 200 Hp on that little guy and what looked like a reasonable suspension and tire setup could mean tons of fun!! Would you even have to slow down at the corners??

"It's fast, but not as fast in a straight line as the 996." Fairly certain all tests have thus far concluded they are quite similar in straight line speed (top speed aside).

I'm a former S2000 owner, and am on the Elise waiting list. The car will not feel fast b/c it has poor (relatively speaking) low end tq. I believe that just like the S2000, you'll have to drive it above 6000 rpm to go fast. It will lack what a lot of people call 'flexibility'. . . roll on acceleration. The 5-60 times weren't that stellar, though low 13's can be had in the quarter with a heinous launch. On the street, the Pcar will prove to be a lot more flexible. The Elise is more of a focused *handling* machine. Looks like I'll get to drive the exact car I'm waiting on, a Yellow with Sport Pack, on Sunday. I'll report my thoughts.

Have you actually driven an Elise before? I'm a little surprised by your comments here. First of all 0-60 in 4.9 seconds isn't stellar? I'm not sure anyone would expect 3 second 0-60 times in a 40k car. Secondly, who cars about 1/4 mile time in that car? You yourself said, "The Elise is more of a focused *handling* machine."

I said 5-60. I checked out the Euro version of the Elise, when they were demo'd here in the states a while back. Granted the new power plant has more power, but most of it is up top, just like Honda's VTEC in the S2000. The Elise gets fantastic *0-60* times b/c of its ability to launch. In the recent Car and Driver writeup, the Sport Pack was tested, which is responsible for even more intense launches since the car comes with R Comps. It is a handling machine, plain and simple. That's the only reason I'd buy one. . . for weekend fun and track days.. I was only commenting on ben's response to what Palting said above regarding his impressions about power. Edit: I have had a substantial deposit down on the Elise for quite a while now; I expect it to be an over-the-top, no holds barred, Formula Mazda-type, track loving machine. If it isn't, I'll wait for the Exige. If it is, I have some splainin' to do to my wife why I *need* the Elise to accompany the Pcar.

I wouldn't hold your breathe on the Exige. They need to milk the life out of the Elise first here in the U.S. I'd expect to see the Exige in about 2 years.

i sat in an elise this weekend--altho the seat was comfortable, getting out was almost like childbirth!! i'm afraid the elise is too hard core for me!