Move from Boxster S to Lotus Elise / Exige?

[Andy 98RT10]

I'm planning on selling my 2000 Boxster S, and then purchase an 2005 / 2006 Elise or Exige. I figure it will cost me about $10K to make this move. For those of you with experience with both cars, would you say that it's worth the move up?

I've been going back and forth with whether I should do this. My Boxster S is a great handling car and runs perfectly, but just doesn't excite me the way the Lotuses do. The Porsche is my daily driver now, and I am planning on doing the same with the Lotus (without a family and living in a warm weather climate, a 2 seater is no problem for me). Will the Lotus be much less reliable or much more expensive to maintain than the Porsche?

Input would be greatly appreciated.

[lotusforsale]

Originally Posted by Andy 98RT10

I'm planning on selling my 2000 Boxster S, and then purchase an 2005 / 2006 Elise or Exige. I figure it will cost me about $10K to make this move. For those of you with experience with both cars, would you say that it's worth the move up?

I've been going back and forth with whether I should do this. My Boxster S is a great handling car and runs perfectly, but just doesn't excite me the way the Lotuses do. The Porsche is my daily driver now, and I am planning on doing the same with the Lotus (without a family and living in a warm weather climate, a 2 seater is no problem for me). Will the Lotus be much less reliable or much more expensive to maintain than the Porsche?

Input would be greatly appreciated.

You have to ask yourself what you like about your car now. For the next few days, while you're 'daily driving' it, pay close attention to those things you now take for granted with it that you appreciate...where you throw your briefcase or golf clubs or other things. Getting in and out of your car with ease. The feel of the controls. Smoothness of ride, noise levels, fit/finish of the interior bits, sound system, comfort of passenger,etc.

If you find that all those things and similar things are actually somewhat important to you when you really think about it, you will probably not be so happy with the Lotus. It will not compare favorably at all in factors like these where your car is concerned.

I love the feel of the car, but I'll be the first to tell you the driving experience has always reminded me exactly of driving a big, body enclosed go-cart. They can be that 'crude,' regardless of what you do to upgrade the interior.

Go-carts are fun, but ask yourself if you want to drive one everywhere you go. If 'yes', you're good to go. If 'no', well...

Also, if you are at all careful about how and where you park your car now, you will have to be doubly so with this. There are many stories on here of people parking their cars where they would normally park their car, and people backing over it without seeing it. The slightest bump in these cars can result in thousands, maybe over 10 thousand dollars in body damage with ease.

Also, be prepared for unwanted attention, some of it 'hate' oriented. Leave your car in any public parking area, and don't be surprised to find finger prints on it, 'nose' prints on the windows, and yes, sometimes something worse when you come back to it.

Lots of people use them as daily drivers...sorta. Most of THEM will tell you they have another car for bad weather, when they're driving into the city, when they're hauling stuff or kids, etc.....which kinda isn't really a true daily driver. The number of folks for whom this truly is their daily driver with no/limited alternatives, and where it needs to be their true daily utility vehicle, is far fewer.

I guarantee you will love driving the Lotus. Don't know if you'll love it as your primary/daily driver. You really need to think about what you like about your current car that you'd be giving up, and if you're ok with doing that.

As far as reliability and cost of maintenance, some things on these cars can get a bit pricey, and if you pay the dealer for all service that can add up a bit, but to me this car is no more expensive to maintain than most other cars I've owned, including my DD's. Per reliability, you'll hear stories on here of the odd catastrophic issue, or somebody needing to be flat-bedded to a dealer, but most folks have had few if any issues that 'leave' you somewhere.

[larez2]

In my opinion, definitely worth the move - for lots of reasons. Go for it!!! I liked driving my Boxster but I feel so much more connected in my Elise and must admit that I like the Elise a LOT more, though i only had a non-S boxster.

I think the Elise is less practical as a daily driver, but still very doable though - it's harder to get in and out of. There is a lot less trunk space - no front trunk.

My Boxster was reliable - my Elise is as well, I'd say they are comparable with an slight edge to the Elise. Maintenance costs have been similar too - dealership maintained is quite expensive, diy is affordable.

Its like this - the boxster is a nice mass produced convertible with a wide audience range. The Elise - IMHO is basically an exotic.

Good Luck,
larez2

[Exigent]

I'm not so sure how exotic the Elise/Exige is. It's rare to see them, but pricing is getting to the point where they'll soon be picked up by the Tuner crowd.

I could never imagine driving my Lotus everyday. If you go directly to the office and park in a secure parking garage in the same place near the same cars everyday and you don't go out during the day .. then maybe.

I had an S2000 prior to getting my Lotus. I daily drove the S2000 to work 9 months out of the year. The cockpit was small, but I could get in and out pretty easily. It was a good looking car, but didn't make people come over and look at it. I've NEVER driven the Lotus to work even once. Fear of damage, difficulty hopping in and out (plus dress shoes and Lotus driving do not mix) and also way too much unwanted attention contributed to me choosing to keep it at home in the garage.

[Singlemalt]

I have a 2008 exige S.

It's my DD. I drive to work and back and I don't have any other car. I was travelling to the gold coast and back which is about 150k per day for several months. No problems. I can do shopping and manage luggage with some creative packaging. Everytime I find I can't do something in the exige I smile - because the "ONE" thing it does is better than anything else that I've ever driven.

I often wonder what all the fuss is about - surely my touring pack can't make it that much better. I have never missed the luxuries of my old Audi (which I still love) as it was those things that I felt were "holding" me back. I had to break the law to enjoy my audi - in the lotus I smiling from the get go. I was just bored.

Never test drove the boxster or the cayman. Once I drove the exige nothing else mattered....

my 2c.

SM.

[Gizmo3000]

It really comes down to your own personal "driving lifestyle"

Knock yourself out and do a search for Daily Driver.

[TheViper]

My son has a 2004 Boxster S and he has driven my Elise and visa versa. We both come to the same conclusion, that they are both great cars but so different. To me, as great as the Boxster is, it does not excite me the way the Lotus does. To appreciate & enjoy the Elise you have to be a "Lotus Person" and accept or even appreciate it's features, or lack of. So many people bought these cars, when they were first introduced, and found out quickly that they could not live with them. It's a very personal thing, only you know. Oh, and by the way, realistically, the Lotus should be no more expensive to maintain than the Boxster.

[BUELL XB12R]

I had a Boxster S a few years back they are great cars, but the Lotus is an Awesome car.
My Elise has been more reliable than the Boxster, and I get 8 mpg better in the Elise. The
Elise has way more squeaks and rattles, but if you don't mind those it is not that bad.
The performance on the Elise is better in every way. So go for it you won't regret it.

[Agent ONE]

My Elise is my only car and DD.. It is about 30% less in maintenance than my M3 was. It isn't all that practical, but who cares. SO worth it.

[tabajay]

Spend the $10k on a motorcycle.

[Andy 98RT10]

Thanks for your input guys. I think the decision of what to do is pretty clear now. While I like the Porsche, I absolutely love the Lotus.

A guy with an Elise took me for a ride in his car after work one day, and ever since that moment I was absolutely hooked. I knew it was the right car for me. I don't care about a lot of creature comforts or a rough ride for a daily driver. I had a Viper RT/10 as a daily driver for 3 years (Yes I took it to work everyday and to the grocery store ).

The only thing that gets me is the amount of money that I'll lose on the Porsche. Last year I bought it the 2000 S $24K with 19k (now 29k) miles, which was a very good deal for the time. Now it seems like I can only sell it for about $19-20K which is a $5K, 20%, loss on a car in less than a year.

Although it's not logical to sell a perfectly functioning car at the loss so quickly, the lotus is just calling my name.

[SoCal Craig]

I have both an 01 Boxster S and 05 Elise with sport pack, as well as an 02 S2000 and 07 GT3 , all since new. Although I don't, I see no reason why you cannot drive the Elise on a daily basis. Once you get inside it is a comfortable car. In fact, I find the seats more comfortable than the sport seats in my Boxster. That said, there's not much room for luggage. So if you and a friend go on a trip... better pack light.

For me, money aside, if I had to keep one car I'd probably keep the Boxster S because it does just about everything well. It is a convertible, has plenty of luggage space (two trunks), is a good long distance cruiser, has good mid-engine handling traits, good brakes, is reasonably quiet, fun to track, etc. But everytime I get in the Elise it does exactly what I bought it for... something to remind me of my Radical when driving on the street.

The S2000 falls somewhere in between the Boxster S and Elise for driving experience. But it is the least expensive to maintain by a large margin.

I had an 01 GTS and think the Elise is more practical as a daily driver. So if you can live with your Gen 1 Viper as a daily, the Elise should be no problem.

Good luck

[plastique999]

2 words = hell yeah!

[SoCal Craig]

Originally Posted by SoCal Craig

So if you can live with your Gen 1 Viper as a daily, the Elise should be no problem.

Oops, my bad. Forgot the 98 RT is Gen 2

[Likuid]

Originally Posted by Exigent

I'm not so sure how exotic the Elise/Exige is. It's rare to see them, but pricing is getting to the point where they'll soon be picked up by the Tuner crowd.

They are exotic, but not supercars. There's a difference. Also just because the "Tuner crowd" can afford them doesn't make more of them exist. What it means is more of them will probably be totaled.

As for the original post I think you should go for it.

[ezmoney]

I presently have a 08 Cayman S and have driven Lotus cars. Both are great to own. A lot of people wish they had the problem that you have i.e. trying to decide which one to own!
Most of the issues with choosing which one to own have been discussed in the previous posts. My 2c is that if you are not a do it yourself person there are more Porsche dealerships around than Lotus dealers to get maintenance done. Good luck with your choice both cars are winners.

[PECivil]

I have had a Boxster for 5 years now but I am selling it to cover having bought an 06 Elise.

The Box is more comfortable and definitely could be a DD, although it was a weekend toy for me. It handles well, and isn't too bad to maintain, but I do much of my own work. There is nothing that has "Porsche" in it or on it that is cheap tho.

The Elise is way more rough riding and its interior is no where near as good. It is hard to get in and out of. It does attract lots of attn which for me is getting old. Everytime I park it I worry until I get back. I did not expect that to happen. I never worried about the Box.

The elise provides a driving experience that the Boxster, as good as it is, just can't begin to match. The elise is a much more focused, knife edge drivers car, the Box is a very very good mass produced vert that does most everything very well.

For me the Elise wins out hands down. But if I had to DD it, I would go with the Porsche.

[wantanelise]

I dont think you have anything to worry about if you daily drove a RT-10! That's a pretty crude ride... you could probably DD a horse and carriage after that.