So how hard is it to maintain an Exige?

[sleepe]

I have an Elise.
I've done all the maintenance, including modifications less the the vf2 SC.
It is not cheap to own though...why?

It is a fun car that likes track duty, therefore once you take it to a track your days of pure maintenance are gone. After tracking comes an incessant desire to modify. The modifications become pricey...this is where cost becomes an issue.

BUT: Most cars don't respond well to modifications, the Elise/Exige responds beautifully so your cost is rewarded many times over.

p.s. insurance is a bitch

[sleepe]

Originally Posted by cheesepuff

well, the lambo rarely ever comes out of the garage. i get paranoid to leave it alone when im in a restoront. so the idea of having a low cost exotic was the idea all along. but you see, i dont know much about the exige, thus i ask as much as i can about the car, even if it is obvious. but dont steriotype, im not made of money.

you can't look cool getting in or out of an Exige like you can a Lamborghini.

check out some youtube vids

[cheesepuff]

i know. saw a video of some skinny chick that got stuck in the lotus. it was quite funny. but for some reason, a lambo doesnt exite me nearly as much as a lotus. i have always loved lotus since a very young age. everyone has their favorites regardless of price/coolness/preformance. plus i been working on a technique that hopefully will make it less embarassing when geting out. xD i have benchmarked myself with this car. it takes me about 5 seconds to get in, and 7 seconds to get out. lol. we should have a competition n this forum to see who can do it the fastest.

[old-racer]

As a new comer to your forums, I am a bit dissappointed as to the responses of some of the members in regards to a very logical and simple question from someone who obviously is new (and wants to explore) to the Lotus community. I am a very long time Porsche owner/collector/and restorer who is also exploring the Lotus option, as I believe the specs of the Lotus are quite remarkable. I have a competition background, and firmly believe that the Lotus's potential is yet to be reached here in the U.S. Great support network and an inclusive enthusiast community are the key. I hope that the attitude (without arrogance) improves as the site matures. This is a problem which has riddled the Porsche community at times, only tempered by the success of the marque innthe competitive environment.

All the best,
Old-racer

[Mr. Know]

Unfortunately, some of the members here are a bit jaded when it comes to repetitive questions. To be sure, the Lotus community (here and in general) is very helpful and shares a lot of passion for the marque. Hang around awhile, and I'm sure the true colors of the Lotus Family will impress you.

[old-racer]

Originally Posted by Mr. Know

Unfortunately, some of the members here are a bit jaded when it comes to repetitive questions. To be sure, the Lotus community (here and in general) is very helpful and shares a lot of passion for the marque. Hang around awhile, and I'm sure the true colors of the Lotus Family will impress you.

I am sure it will, we just sometime need to be reminded that we are all here to support the brands we are enjoying. I am also looking thru the site to learn more about the "new" Lotus models as my experience is with the older vintage ones that I have enjoyed beign exposed to. Thank you for the reply.

All the best.

[cheesepuff]

at first it seamed people were a bit...hostile. but its good to see there are some people who i can respect =D

[Sh4rkattk]

Originally Posted by cheesepuff

hmm...well, i looked up insurance rates for this car for my age and its about $300 a month (give or take) so im sure an accedent would sky rocket that cost. hmm...has anyone else here on this forum had an exige in my age group? if so, maybe they could give a little insite on he cost...so its really that hard to fix huh...ill have to think about this. its true at my age accedents are much more likely. so u have a very valid point. as safe of a driver as i am, im not immune to an accedent.

There in lies the question. How old are you? I'm a young bloke with a Loti. My Exige has only been to the dealership twice. Once for an O2 sensor issue and 2nd for a broken clip on the pressure plate.

Mods and maintenance are done at home on my back.

[cheesepuff]

17. bit young eh? i remember there as someone here who said they had a lotus at the age of 16. if i do recall correctly.

[singlefin]

Originally Posted by cheesepuff

17. bit young eh? i remember there as someone here who said they had a lotus at the age of 16. if i do recall correctly.

hmm...at that age id suggest something with bumpers and the ability to haul some friends and chicks around.

[Southernguy]

Originally Posted by singlefin

hmm...at that age id suggest something with bumpers and the ability to haul some friends and chicks around.

+1

[ACE51]

just get in it drive it and when it breaks fix it.

[BatmobileS240]

How hard is it to maintain an Exige?

It's not.

[dantediss]

At first i felt bad, Yearly cost of ownership is a valid question..hence why car companies make said reports. But the second you tried to puff up and pawn DADDIES car off as yours...lost all respect..Like your father work hard to attain what you want, And when and if the time comes to 6wn it youll know 4f you can

[dantediss]

Sorry for btb posts (and numbers for letters in my last one : (. ) But if my father ever found out i tried saying one of his old jags, bimmer, mercedes or 300zx twin turbo was mine....ID BE DEAD!!!! And im almost 30 hahaha

[DrJ]

It is extremely hard when your dad isn't doing it/paying for it...

[Cthulhu]

Originally Posted by ...m...

...that's just it - there are no 'fender benders' in this car...

...clam damage is so expensive to repair that, unless you're sitting on a pile of money, i cannot in good conscience recommend it as a daily driver to anyone under twenty-five: the odds are overwhelmingly stacked against your favor toward experiencing a collision, and at that age adequate insurance coverage is brutally expensive for these cars...

What he said.

If the responses seem scathing in this thread, it's because... they are. There really is no such thing as a fender bender, especially a front fender bender. 38% (62R, 38F balance) of 2300 lbs (laden with driver and all that) is ~900 lbs. There's no weight up front.

If someone clips you in an SUV or sedan, you may be going for a spin into something hurty. In my case, I got clipped on a curve in the rain going at a slow to moderate speed for the road; I countersteered and modulated the throttle, but ended up totaling the car. Almost any accident can result in a total loss in a lotus.

If someone clips you and you don't wreck, you're still talking a few grand (maybe 5-10).




As far as maintenance goes, attention to detail, patience, and mechanical aptitude goes a long way. I had a blast taking my Exige apart and putting it back together again, without losing any parts.

If you do your own maintenance, I don't think it will be prohibitive in cost. That said, if this car is your only car, you may be renting a ride to work if you don't get your car back together by Sunday night.

If you're serious about a Lotus, your questions should be "can someone give me the maintenance schedule and parts price list?" and "can someone document their maintenence expenditures without labor".

If you're a young driver with an Exige, you'd better obsess over every single detail and respect the performance of the car. You need to drive it defensively and assume that other cars can't see you. Also assume all other drivers are idiots. You should also park it where you can see it, always. If you're going to drive like an idiot because the car is nimble, you'll wreck.

What I'm trying to say is that you need to treat the Exige like a kit car that you personally built from scratch. It's exotic in that you can't trust anyone else to fix it, and if you rely on Lotus to perform all your maintenance, it'll cost a fortune and leave you with no car for a bit. I somehow doubt they give out loaner Lotii.

I learned from my accident that you are doing the world a great injustice by using a Lotus as a daily driver. Seeing your new Lotus wrecked is like witnessing a book burning... I think you're just waiting for **** to hit the fan by driving it all the time.

To summarize:

Expect to pay ~300+ a month to ensure your car, maybe more at your age
Expect to take a defensive driving course and a performance driving course
Expect to pay $600-1000 a month for car payments (5yr loan)
If you're going to drive fast on public roads, expect $500+ tickets, points, fees for carrying points, and huge insurance increases.
Realistically predict gasoline costs (halve the advertized fuel economy)
Expect to drastically change your lifestyle to support your vehicle expenses.
If you aren't making a bare minimum 50K, you probably can't afford the car.

If you figure out the costs and risks involved, you should spend most of your time huddled in a fetal position in the non-adjustable passenger seat of your car, weeping softly to yourself and muttering "they're all out to get me".

Get a car you can beat on instead of worry about, spend the extra money on race lessons in an F2000 car.

BTW: I'm buying myself a 135i as a DD, taking lessons at a track in a formula car, and saving up money for a nice place to live. Eventually, I'll either get a track miata, an elise, or an exige, depending on how much money I have to burn.

[cheesepuff]

lol. well, so far no one has given an answer on how much it cost. anyone got a clue? let me rephrase the question- has anyone here crashed and/or damaged their lotus? if so, what was the damage and how much did it cost to fix it?

[Cthulhu]

I spent an initial $4000 in a 1 month window on a used 2007 Exige S with 6K miles.

This included:

New tires + mounting and balancing and alignment
Head unit face plate
20 qts of oil (don't ask.)
2 oil filters
an air box
an ODBII tool
multivex mirrors
5 point harnesses for safety on the street
key fobs
battery
gas (the big one)
and probably a lot of other things I haven't accounted for. Money flies when you're having fun.

I spent every weekend working on the car, making it perfect, and fixing things up.

Oh, and read the damn post above yours. My front passenger fender got clipped. The cost of PARTS alone for repairs was in excess of $30,000. The car was a total loss. The firefighters cut my $200 battery out of the car as they threw the kitty litter all over the puddles of fluid...

Aftermath of a Mazda 3 clipping my front passenger fender in the rain at a speed below 40mph:

[skillzlikewhoa]

Originally Posted by cheesepuff

lol. well, so far no one has given an answer on how much it cost. anyone got a clue? let me rephrase the question- has anyone here crashed and/or damaged their lotus? if so, what was the damage and how much did it cost to fix it?

I parallel parked in NY city only 1 day in my life big mistake. I occcured damaged from wreckless people parking in front and back of me, cracks in the fiber glass body cost me 1500 to fix. Thats parking it on a busy street only 1 time. I dont know about by you but by me its scary leaveing it on the street even for a second.