ok, looking at the pricing of cars...a 2005 lotus elise is about 30k and a brand new rx8 is about 30k...which would you rather have? and why?

ok, looking at the pricing of cars...a 2005 lotus elise is about 30k and a brand new rx8 is about 30k...which would you rather have? and why?

If I were 25, single, and childless, I'd go for the Lotus, assuming good condition (both me and the car :lol2: ).

Being as I'm twice that age, married, and in need of a back seat for the kid, I'll stick with my 8.

rx8..... would love the elise. fast, exotic lookin and hear it handles good..
but seems more like a weekend car in my opinion...
rx8 can be a daily driver like the 4 seats...so it wins

lotus,
It gets ~ 35 MPG on the highway~!

i agree with the back seat, i am 25 married and have a child, so my wife said no...but if it wasnt for my lil one, i would be all over the lotus!! thanks for the input! cant wait to hear more!

elise is strictly a toy car, no way can I use it as a dd. + its not that safe

The Lotus Elise was one of the cars I was seriously contemplating before I bought my 8 just recently. Before finally deciding not to get a roadster, I had already eliminated the Elise from the running.

Too many reviewers from too many magazines had bad things to say. Consumer reports rated it dead last in the roadster category when compared against the likes of the Honda S2000, BMW Z4, Nissan 350Z, and Audi TT.

From the Consumer Reports road test:

HIGHS | Acceleration, go-kart agility, braking, high handling limits, fuel economy.
LOWS | Ride, driving position, visibility, noise, unforgiving at handling limits, access, seat comfort, no air-bag cutoff.

This exhilarating, bare-bones, midengine car is designed for the track, and isn't an alternative to the others here. At its very high limits, handling is agile, yet unpredictable. While very quick because of its light weight and high-revving Toyota engine, the driving experience is taxing. Getting in and out of the cockpit is a job for a contortionist. Most drivers feel vulnerable in traffic because of its tiny size.

The extremely low seat and the high, wide door sill make getting in and out of the Elise very difficult.

Removing the fabric top is a cumbersome manual process, and the removed top fills the tiny trunk.

THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE

The ride is stiff and nervous, and even the smallest bumps transmit into the cabin. The engine buzz is unpleasant. Road, wind, and engine noise mix together to make it the noisiest car we've tested in recent memory. At open throttle it recorded a nearly unbearable 88 decibels.

Quick steering and a tiny steering wheel give the Elise a go-kart feel, but the manual steering lacks feel around the center. On our track, it showed very high levels of tire grip that most drivers are unlikely to approach. However, if you lift off the throttle in mid-corner at the limit, the Elise will enter an abrupt tail slide that can result in a spinout.

The 190-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine produced the best acceleration times we've ever recorded. The six-speed manual has long throws and feels clunky. The 29 mpg overall is very good.

Overall braking is excellent, but there's about an inch of play in the pedal before braking kicks in. Headlight performance is poor.


INSIDE THE CABIN

The Elise's interior trim befits a racecar, not a $45,000 upscale roadster. Aluminum framework is exposed and the plastic trim is hard and flimsy. The optional full carpet set is just two small mats that attach with Velcro.

The Elise has the most restrictive driving position here. Foot room is nearly nonexistent and the narrow wells skew legs to the center of the car. The pedals are frustratingly close together and it's easy to hit the brake pedal and the accelerator simultaneously. The low seating position, small windows, and wide rear roof pillar compromise visibility.

The Elise's seats are narrow, basic-leather clad with a little padding stretched over a metal frame. The driver's seat slides fore/aft, but the passenger seat is fixed. Graceful cabin entry is impossible.

The controls seem like an afterthought. Even starting the car is a confusing process. The radio is a collection of tiny buttons and the climate-control system is ineffective. Don't expect a remote hood release or rear defroster. Weather conditions dictate the temperature of the cabin's metal pieces.

Interior storage is nonexistent. Two small duffels can fit in the trunk. There is no spare.


SAFETY NOTES

The head restraints can provide protection against whiplash injury.

Driving with kids. Lotus recommends against child passengers, and the Elise lacks a front-passenger air-bag cutoff.

Most other car magazines I read had similar feelings about the Elise: Two thumbs down. Absolutely everyone loves the RX-8, but they admit that the fuel economy sucks, and though it handles much better it's just not as powerful as the Nissan 350Z.

Just some things for you to think about.

The 8 hands down. I looked at smaller 2 seaters, and I'm just not ready for it. All I see when I think about driving one, is an SUV coming over on me in traffic, forget a semi!

tie breaker! Isn't the Lotus like 10K more than the 8 and 2 seats less? :icon_no2:

tie breaker! Isn't the Lotus like 10K more than the 8 and 2 seats less? :icon_no2:

brand new, yes....but the 05-06 is the same as a brand new 8

i bought my 8 to fit my drumset. i would sell my drumset to come home with an elise!

i had an mr2 before, so the handling would not be a surprise to me. this car was simply out of my price range when i bought the 8.

Keep in mind a $30k RX-8 gives you lot of options. A $30k Elise is a lot more rare than you think. Just because you saw one here or there does not make them all $30k. That is the bottom of the range so your options will be limited.

Having had both a RX-8 and an Elise at the same time, I would say the Elise is more fun but the the 8 is more practical. I sold the 8 and bougyht a VW GTi which is even more practical than that so have both extremes.

The Elise is fun, but not perfect. Calling it a toy is accurate even if you do choose to drive it every day. I think the choice is, do you need a real car or can you live with a toy? Most Elise owners have two cars.

Elise - but not as a daily driver.

Yep, tough to find a good Elise for $30K.

btw: what I would really like is a Tesla electric (based on Elise), but it's not even close to $30K.

since I already have a rx-8, I had to vote for the elise. It would be silly for me to get a second rx-8.

Elise seems like too much of a track car to be comfortable on the street.. And $30K is a lot of money for a used track car. I paid $3K less OTD on a brand new 8.

The elise is something I'd get as a second car next to my rX8... Only because the 8 is more practical being a 4 seater & can drive in winter if needed.

I took a ride with an instructor that drives an Elise and it is a tight fit. I'm 6' tall and weight right at 200 lbs. I did not really fit in the seats at all and the car felt flimsy(I held on for dear life and the door was buckling under my grip).

Performance wise its insane at least in autocross. Its the perfect 2nd car though, if you fit well enough.

depends on what you want out of the car. The lotus is a fun little go kart but leaves MUCH to be desired as far as comforts and luxuries. ie; nav, comfortable seats, center console, glove box, etc.

i choose rx8, lotus is just way way too small for me

I think it was Car and Driver who said that the RX8 is for those who think the Elise should come as a station wagon.

I think it was Car and Driver who said that the RX8 is for those who think the Elise should come as a station wagon.

that is an awesome quote!!!

Hands down, if it was to be a "fun" car that I didn't need to drive every day or to haul anything, the Elise. But unless you've got something else that you can drive when the weather sucks, or you need to carry more than two people, or you need to haul crap around in... go for the 8.

Elise is almost a strictly track car. Harsh ride.

I think it was Car and Driver who said that the RX8 is for those who think the Elise should come as a station wagon.

Yes it was. See Sig.

I am planning on getting a 2005 Elise when the RX-8 is paid off in June. My wife is actually encouraging it too. She loves the car.

The Elise is by no means a year round daily driver, I guess if you live in So California or Arizona it would work. But definately not in Chicago, and not with an 18 month old baby. But I think both would work great.

Yep, tough to find a good Elise for $30K.


Check the Lotus message board. Here is a 2005 in great condition asking 30k.

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f94/fs-2005-elise-co-30-000-socal-61598/

Yes it was. See Sig.

I am planning on getting a 2005 Elise when the RX-8 is paid off in June. My wife is actually encouraging it too. She loves the car.

The Elise is by no means a year round daily driver, I guess if you live in So California or Arizona it would work. But definately not in Chicago, and not with an 18 month old baby. But I think both would work great.

i have a 18 month old, the wife said no 2 seater...i was entertaining the thought of a nsx also...ohh well

lotus wins by two votes...I must say, that is a very close battle...thanks everyone!