So how hard is it to maintain an Exige?

[singlefin]

Alright bro, pretty sure everyone here has a clue...Say you posted this on VWVortex/EvoM/NASIOC your thread would have been a nice long flaming consideing most of your posts.

Go to the Hi, I'm new here sub-forum. Read the sticky treads. Figure out your montly mileage...then factor in tires of your choice (think 700 to 900 is reasonable assumption), about 50 bucks or so an oil change if you do the work, a set of pads front and rear 250ish, etc...then do the math yourself and you will come up with your estimated costs for a year or whatever. Obviously you can factor in other things that you will read about in the sticky treads that might want to be changed out...battery, a/c stuff, speakers, etc...it goes on it you research.

People have crashed their cars, seems like a lot were total losses or totaled due to repair costs. How much is not relavant due to the variables in car wrecks, insurance and deductables. You can figure 4-5k to replace a clam and have it painted. Go to lotusgarage.com and you can find all the parts on the Elise/Exige and see the costs for yourself.

My advice to you is do the leg work yourself when it concerns money, cars, and your time. Any car can be very costly at your age, or cheap depending how your approach the whole situation.

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?

[cheesepuff]

k. thanks.

[cheesepuff]

Originally Posted by Cthulhu

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.

wow. great info! thanks big time. best info yet. so, as i figured, the car is rather fragile, correct? i dont live in a city or anywhere where there is a lot of people, and i would never park it near another car, but as for driving it safely, i have a question, and feel free to object to this, but would getting privit lessons on how to drive this specific car be a good idea? i mean, it couldnt hurt, but would it help? and is there any after market stuff that can help protect the car from something like, say if someone was backing out of a parking lot and bumped into me? and one last question for now- would a carbon fiber shell instead of a fiber glass one help with anything when it comes to minor things that can damage the car? i mean, carbon fiber is supposed to be really strong right? or am i wrong completly? once again i just wana thank you guys for the info. really helps!

[Mike_S]

Why don't you just go test drive the vehicle? I'm sure a lot of your questions would be answered clearer than anybody's reply.

I think your signature is quite ironic. The Lotus is not the safest car to be in when in an accident (might not even be your fault), but you do not want to be another statistic? It's as easy to drive as any Miata. Get it as a weekend car and get something else for a daily.

[Cali]

Why oh why do I click on these threads and keep reading through them... So frustrating... And now I'm posting too...

[cheesepuff]

Originally Posted by Mike_S

Why don't you just go test drive the vehicle? I'm sure a lot of your questions would be answered clearer than anybody's reply.

I think your signature is quite ironic. The Lotus is not the safest car to be in when in an accident (might not even be your fault), but you do not want to be another statistic? It's as easy to drive as any Miata. Get it as a weekend car and get something else for a daily.

i will test drive when i have some free time. i been so busy lately. and the point of my signature is to say that im a safer driver because of what happened to my friends. i dont take risks or anythin like that. ironic as it may be, i have a passion for the lotus, so i dont wana give up my dream of having one. in the end, it may just end up being a weekend toy.

[mikeyd]

...spanners are strong and houses look roomy but heavy and cement is absolutely better than grasshoppers so i think i'm gonna get me a tomato. My Lamborghini and blah glah lubbery flub etc.

[Cthulhu]

No one wants to hear "this reasoning is based on statistics", but it is. You are you, you will get in at LEAST a minor car crash, especially if you drive a small, sporty car. Maybe you'll spin it around in a parking lot and touch a curb, or maybe you'll get clipped by someone and it won't be your fault... Either way, don't put yourself in an expensive, barely affordable, eggshell car as your first vehicle.

When I say eggshell, I mean that while the car is designed to be very safe, it is expensive to repair when involved in the most minor accidents compared to other vehicles.

My personal recommendation is for you to buy a Miata or S2000 and soup it up. You'll have plenty of things to do, every weekend, you'll love the car, and you can lurk around on the Lotustalk forums. You'll get a lot more respect if you get a cheaper car as your first vehicle. Remember: you shouldn't be buying it for the looks at 16, some hater is going to mess your car up.

Better yet: if you don't wanna get made fun of, buy a prelude or an MR-2 for cheap instead of a miata. Spend the extra money on a triumph Tr-2 or something

[dantediss]

The only people who make fun of a miata are those that never run autox against one..Plus lets not get started on aftermarket support and engine swaps,The miata is the perfect car to get to learn how to drive ,And learn how to drive well

[glb]

agree w/2 prev posts. Miata great car with which to begin, most reliable Mazda ever built.

plus, oversteer ng for neophytes, tyros.

[Cthulhu]

hey, far be it from me to make fun of a miata, I think 50% of people who autocross own one. When I was in high school people ripped on miatas, that's all I was implying. I'd buy one in a second for a weekend autocross car though.