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What makes an Exige NOT a good daily driver?

29K views 70 replies 45 participants last post by  Crazy05 
#1 ·
From many people i have heard that this car is not a good choice for a daily driver, but i never really was told why. Many people have opinions, so lets here them. What in your opinion prevents an Exige from being a suitable daily driver?
 
#9 ·
You asked if it is a "suitable daily driver". IMO, it can be - but it depends on a lot of factors (where you live, where you drive, climate, passenger needs, storage needs, etc.).

However, I agree with others that state it is "not a good choice for a daily driver". I own an Exige. I really like my Exige. But anyone who claims it is a "good choice" for a daily driver has a very liberal definition of "good choice". There are far better choices for a daily driver than an Exige. I would say the Exige is probably one of the worst choices for a daily driver. It's loud, the ride is harsh, there is minimal storage room, the front end is very low and scrapes easily on driveways, parallel parking is very dangerous, there is zero rear visability, it stalls, it gets a lot of attention, etc.

I bought mine for the track and rarely drive it on the street. There is no question it can be daily driven - but there are much better choices. Are the other choice more fun to drive - absolutely not. That is ultimately the trade-off you need to determine if you want to make.
 
#33 ·
I would say the Exige is probably one of the worst choices for a daily driver. It's loud, the ride is harsh, there is minimal storage room, the front end is very low and scrapes easily on driveways, parallel parking is very dangerous, there is zero rear visability, it stalls, it gets a lot of attention, etc.
I, for one, appreciate this voice of reason, as I am considering an Exige as a daily driver myself.

There is NO WAY an Exige can hit anything and not be damaged - and it will likely be expensive damage. You know what they say, your car is only original once. Ok - so you have insurance, they raise your rates, your car gets fixed, panels or paint will never be an exact match. Noises and oddities creep up as you drive your car --- that is once you get it back after being at a shop for months. Then when you want to trade the car is or sell it - well it has this thing showing up on CarFax which makes it worth less than everyone elses and either you get raped selling it or are stuck with it. Potholes are dangerous and can send the car a direction you may not be trying to drive. The frame isn't repairable. Parts aren't always available. etc.....

I find the Exige S particularly to be impractical for daily use. The rearward visibility, the tires, delicate construction, uniqueness --- all make it special but also restrict its application on a daily basis. You do what you want. Drive it in the snow, let the salt rot the chassis, scrape on every single incline or steep grade you encounter, let the wheel fall off the shoulder and puncture one of those oil cooler lines then have to have the car nearly rebuilt because they built it around them, crack your clams, have someone lean up against it or sit on it and crack it, wait a few months for a windshield after it gets cracked, stall on every incline and decellerating... really, if you are paying for it, it is your baby.

I just can't rationalize a good argument why to make it a daily driver. It deserves more respect - its a Lotus not a Geo Metro.
I appreciate your input as well. I'm somewhat lucky in that I drive 2.5 miles to work, rarely see inclimate weather, never have to parallel park, etc., but you still make a great case; do I really want to destroy this thing that I love by subjecting it to the rigors of everyday driving? No, not on your life. Then again, do I want to drive a beater every day while my passion sits unused? No to that one as well. The solution? Keep my STi.

That hurts.
 
#13 ·
I hate to admit it, but I actually tried to go through a fast food drive thru once rotfl
 
#15 ·
Been there, done that. Get plenty of looks. I think the worst is trying to hit a drive-thru ATM.

I imagine it's a pretty bad car for snow and stuff, if for no other reason than the ground clearance and lack of a bumper. I wouldn't want to drive it anywhere that the weather is too extreme. That being said, I live in Los Angeles so :p
It's not impossible, you can certainly make it somewhere if you had to. But if it's snowing, I'm probably not going to leave the house anyway.



And that was on AO48s, with snow tires it wouldn't be nearly as bad.
 
#18 ·
The AO48's dont last for anything....I barely got 6K miles out of mine with 90% highway driving....so for daily driving you might consider like Falken Azenis RT615 cause they last longer and cost less to replace. I just wouldn't want to spend $3-4K a year on tires that I'm "just" driving on....in my opinion of course.

Basically, the way I explain it, we all love this car because it is a total pain in the ass.....its what makes it (and other sports cars) fun to live with. You have to ask yourself if you want to drive a pain in the ass every day, or have something thats nicer to sit in traffic in after a long day at work.

And some say, "you can drive it everyday, but its not a daily driver".
 
#19 ·
Other drivers.

The small trunk opening and limited rear visibility don't do it too many favors, but other drivers and the lack of bumpers is the biggest issue - unless you're fortunate enough to have a zero traffic commute.
:)
 
#21 ·
Rain or shine

I've been using my 2008 S2 as a daily driver since August of this year rain or shine.

There is very little room for anything other than you, a passenger and a few items that will fit in the boot.

I fly a lot for business, the only place for a carry on suiter is the passenger seat - belted in for stability at higher G loads.

Ingess is easier than egress for someone over fifty, but once belted in - the car is near perfect except when having to back up in dark crowded garages.

That said, the car's limits are hard to reach on street roads. Hands down this is the best driving machine I've ever owned and I've had all those others from Germany and Italy boasting 400 to 500 HP.

My Birel is a bit more responsive to steering and braking inputs but it doesn't have a radio, AC, ABS, nor power windows.
 
#22 ·
I don't daily mine because of where I live. I'm not sure how many of you have been through Ypsilanti, Michigan. Lets just say I live near the "crack-belt" of the city (and I'm in the downtown area!). If I could park it outside (or even in a garage nearby) I would in a heartbeat.
 
#24 ·
Well this thread says it all. It always confused me in previous threads I made when everyone said it was not something you could drive every day. Especially ever since being in one i loved the feel and everything about it. I guess they based it off the thought that so many people sold their Lotus after only a few thousand miles because they bought one and it turned out to be not what they expected. I personally like the no nonsense design of the car. I guess i was just talking to people who wern't willing to sacrifice a little for their car. Thanks for your words of wisdom Amarao.
 
#25 ·
Either the Elise or the Exige CAN BE used easily for a daily driver as per fun factor. Nothing can be more pleasing as a driving experience to and from work.

Both choices are HORRIBLE cars for daily drivers.
Here is why.

Both will attract an unbelievable amount of attention drawing spectators from everywhere. Not all of them nice, and some of them envious.

People will vandalize the car simply because you have one and they don't.
It's called jealousy. You mix jealousy with envy and you have yourself a real problem with people who by all rights should have their faces stomped in.

You can't park the car anywhere without coming out to find Joe Blow with his ******* wife, Deloris, their 3 kids comparable to an episode directly from the Simpsons, and a 1982 six cylinder Ford Mustang with Bondo all over the fenders and busted tail lights, parked right next to you.

Forget about bar rooms, or night clubs. Drunks emotions run high. The same guy sitting at the bar crying in his beer because his ugly wife left him will be the same guy with anger issues when he sees you with a smile on your face talking about your car. Even though he's six months behind on his child support payments, He's angry at YOU because your car costs less monthly than the three kids he shouldn't have had, cost him.

If you're single and date more than one woman.......look out.
Bitter women are well known to key cars.........there's even a song written about it.
I've had this happen with a Corvette a few years back........the two girls hooked up in the womens room, started hating on me, and took it out on the car....THEY GOT CAUGHT.......one of them went to jail for 2 years ( she was on probation).......the other had to pay. Talk about justice served.

It's you car.........drive it daily and everywhere if you like. There isn't a more awesome car as a daily driver......but above are just a few reasons why you shouldn't.
 
#26 ·
If you're single and date more than one woman.......look out.
Bitter women are well known to key cars.........there's even a song written about it.
I've had this happen with a Corvette a few years back........the two girls hooked up in the womens room, started hating on me, and took it out on the car....THEY GOT CAUGHT.......one of them went to jail for 2 years ( she was on probation).......the other had to pay. Talk about justice served.
You need to choose your dates wisely :evil:
 
#28 ·
I've heard that it is awkward to speak to Peace Officers through the low, narrow window.
 
#31 ·
If you can't afford to also buy a DD for when the weather is bad, or when you need to carry extra stuff, or you are going to the mall ...., then you probably should not be buying an Exige. These days you can get a nice DD for under $10,000. Just factor it in and you will be much happier with the Exige. If you can't swing it, get an Elise and a DD. You may use the Lotus 4 out of 7 days.
 
#36 ·
the1sen

very well put

a lotus is made to be driven, i drive mine as much as I can

i have a pickup and the elise, i have been telling people using one of them to get from point a to point b is not driving but i have not figured out which one is which
 
#38 ·
My $.02. I'm 52 years old. I have no trouble getting in or out of the car once I learned the proper form. Now I will say that I'm not tall (5' 8") and relatively thin (160lbs). A bigger guy will definitely have more issues. I've gotten past the poor rear visability. If you set your mirrors just right and back up SLOWLY, you'll be fine. My car is set up pretty low so I go up and down driveways at a severe angle and very slowly. I've accepted that the splitter is going to occasionally scrape. Buy, hey, it's only carbon fiber. I hate rough roads. Pot holes feel like someone has slammed the bottom of the car with a sledge hammer. My biggest issue, BY FAR, is the noise factor. I have a Larini exhaust and although I love the sound when I'm alone or on the track, the fact is, it makes it totally impractical for anyone else to ride in the car with me. The noise level is such that you cannot hold a conversation. If I'm on the cell, which my work requires me to be much of the time, the person on the other end can barely hear me. Inevitably they say something like "where the hell are you?" Tomorrow I have to drive from LA to Palm Desert to pick up my 80 yr old mother and bring her here for the holidays. The Exige is not an option. even if I could get her in and out of it, what little hearing she has left would be gone by the time we hit LA.
All that said, I wouldn't trade it for anything else. Virtually everytime I drive the car, my mood is elevated. No matter what sh**t is going on in my life, I can jump in that noisy, harsh, raw automobile...find a twisty road (of which there are many in this part of the country), and completely transform my state of mind. Never had a car do that.
 
#39 ·
My top 10 reasons why a Lotus Exige is not a good daily driver:

10. People constantly stare at and take pictures of you and your car. People will slow down in traffic just to do this.
9. Every Cobalt, Neon, and Mustang on the road wants to race you.
8. You have to be a ninja to get in and out of the car without looking like a clown.
7. You can barely fit 2 people with racing gear in the car.
6. The doors freeze in the winter.
5. SUVs and Pickup trucks don't see you and try to run you over every chance they get.
4. Everyone ask you how much your car costs.
3. The radio is almost useless.
2. Pot holes or large bumps are really hard on you and the car.
1. To the cops, you look like a box of cash on 4 donuts rolling down the street.
 
#46 ·
i generally use my elise california as a daily driver but the the rain we are getting down here in san diego has forced me to park it until it clears up...


its the a048 tires that it came with that keeps me from driving it in the rain, they are scary in the wet since there really isnt any tread on them
 
#48 ·
ya that is what i hear...

what is funny is that that specs for the elise california say it should have the ad07s, but if you look at the all the pictures they show the a048s

my car was the demo car so there is about 3k miles on them, i plan to replace them them in the spring
 
#51 ·
(Snip)...What in your opinion prevents an Exige from being a suitable daily driver?
1) Attitude.
The car is as ready to be a daily driver as you are ready to accept it in that role.

I've got 220k-plus miles in S2 & Twin Cam Europas as daily drivers and they're smaller and less practical than the Elise/Exige. I enjoyed every minute.

2) Kids/ family. Obvious. But then, they don't all go along on every drive, do they? How many SUV's do you see on the road with one person onboard? That's actually less practical than commuting in an Elise/Exige

3) Winter.
Not Winter in Florida, but a true northern Winter. There's a fellow here in Minnesota who puts snow tires on his Elise and drives it year 'round. More power to him, but I don't think the really light, really small/ low cars are right for Winter. When I bought my first Europa, I was young & stupid, and decided to drive it through the Winter. I made it thru February before getting religion and parking it. I could deal with driving the car in slippery conditions... heck, I like sliding around. It was all the other drivers that convinced me to park it. Big-Barge drivers don't see you on a good day. In the Winter, when it's dark longer every day, and frost and road-slop cover the windows, they see you even less. It was being the smallest guy on the dodge-ball team, and having near-crunch experiences on a daily basis, that convinced me to park it. They're not Winter cars.

Now I wouldn't consider driving a Lotus in a real Winter just because of the toll Winter can take on a car. I wouldn't subject any specialty car to that... especially a Lotus.

4) Age
I'm 61, getting too fat, too broad, too stiff, bad rotator cuffs, sore back... geez, now I'm getting depressed. I can understand how some folk would think that's enough to make it not a good daily driver, but I still think it's worth it anytime I have a chance to wedge myself into a Lotus. But that gets back to item 1), above.

The only question worth asking is, "Do YOU think it's a good daily driver?" Answer that. Then any further discussion just serves to confuse yourself.

Regards,
Tim Engel
 
#52 ·
didn't read it all. trying to read other threads lol.. don't have a lotus yet but can relate to some of the aspects of using something as a daily driver.. yes my neon is cheap compared to most cars 21k.. had the car for 4 years now.. drove the bitch as much as i could.. only this summer i wasn't able to drive it due to rebuilding the motor to handle 600hp to the wheeles.. i drove the piss out of my car for 3 years going 30 miles round trip to work... drove on the FDR, those of you who know Ny know the horrors of it... i drove it like a race car.. suspensions shot cuz of it but that's what it's meant for, to drive.. drove it in the winter for 3 years with kdw tires on (not meant for snow) but i did it.. it's called knowing how to drive... i drive a ranger all day while working... it has the bed in the back with a cab, so no rear window.. park all day, drive in the hell we call ny city traffic and i manage to not hit anything just using my side mirrors.. my car shakes a lot, stiff as hell with all solid motor mounts.. no balance shafts for fear of braking once over a certian HP.. turn on the AC, **** is like a train... comfortable, hell no.. do i love driving it, hell yes... who needs comfort when having fun...
 
#54 ·
comfortable, hell no.. do i love driving it, hell yes... who needs comfort when having fun...
+10000

exactly how i feel, thats why rite now i'm turning my dd mr2 turbo into a beast :evil: the car has too much potential to be used as is.
 
#56 ·
I ride my motorcycle as a DD when the weather gets a little warmer. Its more fun as a DD for me, fits most places cars can't, gets better gas milage, plus most of the stares and comments I get with the motorcycle are usually positive. Most people don't harass you about how much it costs because anyone can afford a motorcycle, most just don't have the guts to ride one.
I'm odd in the fact, if I want to have fun or a relaxing ride I'll take the Lotus. Sometimes I'll DD my Elise but everything is cheaper using my motorbike instead (except maybe health bill for when someone hits you).
 
#57 ·
interest

Hello, to the guy from minnesota do you know the name of the guy who drive the elise? I have contemplated an exige it would mostly be a dd, I have a jeep I could drive in winter if I had to. Winter tires, any chance of studded tires?

I currently have an awd tbss so it would be a bit switch from a awd trailblazer to a little exige, but being young and so called dumb I wouldn't mind for a while.
 
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