1997 Lotus Elise Standard review from UK and Ireland
"A good second car, a useless first car"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
It leaks big time, if you don't have a garage then don't even consider one of these, I have to mop the damn thing out when it has been raining overnight!
Alarm went wrong - had to be replaced.
Catalytic converter went 6 months after buying it and had to be replaced.
General comments?
Be warned the older Elise's are quite different to their newer brothers (older being pre-1998, middle I think).
Different fixings for holding on the roofs, which I attribute to the leaking.
Different suspension giving a much firmer ride than the later models.
Different brake discs (although I'm told these are better than the steel ones, don't try driving in the morning after rain and expect to stop!)
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2000 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8 petrol Manual |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 5/10 |
| Comfort marks | 0/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 1/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 25000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 32000 miles |
| Previous car | Peugeot 406 |
| Date of Entry | 21st December, 2000 |