If you have also driven the demo at Criswell, please post you own review in here.
I am going to be a bit more critical than most of the reviews I have seen so far. While I am bowled over by the car and definitely want it, it is not by any means perfect (such as my review will be I am sure
).
So, here we go.
Silver Elise- Touring, Hard Top and Clear Shield
First thing : Appearance. We all know my affinity for Alcantera. I remain steadfast on this, even now. While the interior really is nice, the alcantera would be a great option for those of us who really want it.
External: From the outside it is amazing as ever. Exhaust, while I like the euro styling more, the center placement does not bother me as it doesn't scream "Look at me!" Side markers were not noticable at all, they are there but not obtrusive like they appear in the pictures, and never even saw the clear shielding. Color is... uninspiring. I am not a big fan of silver, and it does nothing special on this car. It looks good mind you, but it does not snap like it should considering how amazing it looks in other colors. I wish I could have seen Tim's chrome Orange, but evidently he pulled out 15 minutes before I showed up. Another couple was there putting down a deposit (over 200 deposits now at criswell), and said "We saw something orange zoom on out."
Panels fit perfectly and the paint looked great. Nothing can be said that everyone else hasnt said already.
Internal: Aside from the alcantera, it is just about perfect. Now mind you, I am not talking porsche boxster style perfection with multiple vents directing perfectly cooled air at you, or s4 style gauge work that tells you tons of stuff, or mercedes style with heated/cooled seats. I am talking about form following function perfection. Everything is in its place because it needs to be in that place. The seats are very comfortable, and they hold you tightly in place. I would say 4-5 hours of constant driving and you will definitely need to get out and stretch, but you would not be in pain. The guages are in the perfect location and all info is readily available like it should be.
Radio? Never even thought about it. Its easily within reach though, as is the AC unit. Now I have to say with the ac, I really would like an auto temp setting similar to the porsche. I know this is a minimalistic car, but I have to say I am totally spoiled by the climate control in the boxster. I have tried many other CC systems in other cars, but the porsche system is done RIGHT. I never have to mess with it at all. I would take the 1lb extra weight if there was an option for it. (My guess would actually be about .25lbs for the extra sensors/wire required)
Gear shifter. I would say 100x improvement over the euro shifter, though it is nowhere near as tight as the shifter in either my boxster or my old third gen rx7. Both of which were/are equipped with the stock lever. A shorter shift lever will be a required aftermarket upgrade IMO. Throw force should not be a problem, as it is quite easy in stock form. The other issue I saw here was the plastic shifter area cover moves around a bit. Not a big deal, but it might catch people off guard.
Passenger seat. Not designed for anyone over 4'3" in height. Ok, maybe 5'3". At 5'11" tall I was not terribly comfortable sitting over there, due to the angle and how I had to keep my legs away from the shifter (6th gear intrudes on passenger space.) It will be an absolte requirement
that you tell all passengers to keep their legs to the right, unless you are trying to get "friendly" with them. Fortunately for me, my girlfriend is within that arbitrary height limit I mentioned, but if your signifigant other is fairly big/tall keep that in mind for long trips. Short trips should be great even if you are quite tall fortunately enough. If you must take a tall/big passenger on a longer trip, I suggest skipping the straight boring US highway system and somehow hit some mountainous twisties. The speed/altitude/g-force loading will keep your compainon from concerning themselves with something as mundane as momentary comfort. Come to think of it, I would ALWAYS suggest skipping the superboring slabs of convenient travel, and heading out to find something more interesting!
Ambience: This is a racecar through and through, with a very nice interior. It never lets you forget its roots, or what its purpose in life is. When you start it up, it seems humble enough with a hint of "something" back there that just isn't normal. Though really, when the top is on you already know you are in for something as you attempt to figure out a way to get in that little opening the door creates for you. With any low rpm operation, the car booms quite audibly, though again not at idle. As you start moving it drops down to a slight background noise, and is pefectly comfortable at 70 on the highway in 6th. Hard on the throttle and it all comes back with a vengance. The sport exhaust might be a bit much for most americans, as the stock exhaust is already louder than the euro exhaust was.
I will admit, we had the hard top on, so I cant say how this all changes when topless. My guess is the booming would be reduced, and the exhaust would sound a bit sharper though quieter at the same time. Stage 1 might be perfect like that. As for the feeling when the top is on, its fine. Does not feel claustrophobic at all to me, though I am used to small car cabins such as my boxster.
So, at the beginning I was commenting on my "critical" review. So far it sounds pretty normal of course, and its pretty much what has been said
before though hopefully I have added a bit more data. The problem comes down to possibly "americanizing" the car a bit too much.
Driving the car: So you sit down in the near perfect interior with the slightly sloppy (though much improved) shifter, grab the perfect steering
wheel, hit the starter button and prepare to move. It all feels so nice. Push the gear lever forward into first and give it a bit of gas. This is when you discover the flywheel is fairly light, anchoring the idea this is a race car and letting the engine comes up to speed VERY fast. It also brings up the booming bass note of the elise engine. When the clutch comes out fully the car starts moving and the bass note drops down to acceptable levels by 10mph. Driving in traffic may be an issue due to the interior noise, but then again it may reduce a bit over time. By 20mph the exhaust is "noticable" but not overwhelming. Otherwise tooling around in traffic, the elise is a car. That sounds like an ungrateful comment, but I really mean it as a good thing. It is more than capable of taking you from point a to b when required, or maybe even coming and going every day (as mine will be doing.)
Seriously, the engine is great. What can I say? It doesn't have much down low, but the high end is really nice and it definitely lets you know "Here we go!" when you get to the cam switchover. Easily powerful enough to get a powerslide going and your heart racing.
Here comes what I would describe as "the issue."
The steering. Yes, I know it does not have power steering, and I also know what the reviews say about the handling on this car. I am also quite aware of how a car should feel without power steering, and this is not it. Point it a direction, and it goes, but there isn't as much feedback as I am used to. The euro car did not have this issue when I drove it around. Picture this, you are driving at 25mph and there is a strip in the road, on this strip is printed something in braile, on the UK car you could read it through the steering wheel. The US car would give you maybe a sensation of something, but nothing concrete. Steering was "straight ahead" to a fault and not quite as "telepathic" as I assumed it would be. When I setup my car I normally go for neutral toe on the front, with some negative camber, or maybe a small amount of toe out on the front, although that reduces tire life by a bit. This gives you a bit of tramlining and a decent turn in alogn with a nice "crisp" feeling of the road. This elise feels like it may have a slight amount of toe in and positive camber?! I don't know enough to say that for sure, maybe its just the tires being used stock here in the US. Whatever it is I am not terribly enthusiastic about that feeling. What I will say is that going around a parking lot it felt good when pushing it, but still not quite how I like my steering to feel. Hopefully the LSS tires/setup will be going a bit more towards going fast vs keeping everything conservative for the superslab only drivers out there.
Can it be corrected? Yep I am positive on that. Will it hamper your diving on the track? Probably not, mostly its a matter of preference. Track requires special setup for maximum speed, and that setup can differ track by track, day by day. Figure out whats right for that day, and I bet it will be magic.
When we got back to the dealership, I had a smile on my face and no qualms about the deposit. The car is definitely worth the cost, and I can't wait to get mine! Now to decide on a color.,,
I am going to be a bit more critical than most of the reviews I have seen so far. While I am bowled over by the car and definitely want it, it is not by any means perfect (such as my review will be I am sure
So, here we go.
Silver Elise- Touring, Hard Top and Clear Shield
First thing : Appearance. We all know my affinity for Alcantera. I remain steadfast on this, even now. While the interior really is nice, the alcantera would be a great option for those of us who really want it.
External: From the outside it is amazing as ever. Exhaust, while I like the euro styling more, the center placement does not bother me as it doesn't scream "Look at me!" Side markers were not noticable at all, they are there but not obtrusive like they appear in the pictures, and never even saw the clear shielding. Color is... uninspiring. I am not a big fan of silver, and it does nothing special on this car. It looks good mind you, but it does not snap like it should considering how amazing it looks in other colors. I wish I could have seen Tim's chrome Orange, but evidently he pulled out 15 minutes before I showed up. Another couple was there putting down a deposit (over 200 deposits now at criswell), and said "We saw something orange zoom on out."
Panels fit perfectly and the paint looked great. Nothing can be said that everyone else hasnt said already.
Internal: Aside from the alcantera, it is just about perfect. Now mind you, I am not talking porsche boxster style perfection with multiple vents directing perfectly cooled air at you, or s4 style gauge work that tells you tons of stuff, or mercedes style with heated/cooled seats. I am talking about form following function perfection. Everything is in its place because it needs to be in that place. The seats are very comfortable, and they hold you tightly in place. I would say 4-5 hours of constant driving and you will definitely need to get out and stretch, but you would not be in pain. The guages are in the perfect location and all info is readily available like it should be.
Radio? Never even thought about it. Its easily within reach though, as is the AC unit. Now I have to say with the ac, I really would like an auto temp setting similar to the porsche. I know this is a minimalistic car, but I have to say I am totally spoiled by the climate control in the boxster. I have tried many other CC systems in other cars, but the porsche system is done RIGHT. I never have to mess with it at all. I would take the 1lb extra weight if there was an option for it. (My guess would actually be about .25lbs for the extra sensors/wire required)
Gear shifter. I would say 100x improvement over the euro shifter, though it is nowhere near as tight as the shifter in either my boxster or my old third gen rx7. Both of which were/are equipped with the stock lever. A shorter shift lever will be a required aftermarket upgrade IMO. Throw force should not be a problem, as it is quite easy in stock form. The other issue I saw here was the plastic shifter area cover moves around a bit. Not a big deal, but it might catch people off guard.
Passenger seat. Not designed for anyone over 4'3" in height. Ok, maybe 5'3". At 5'11" tall I was not terribly comfortable sitting over there, due to the angle and how I had to keep my legs away from the shifter (6th gear intrudes on passenger space.) It will be an absolte requirement
that you tell all passengers to keep their legs to the right, unless you are trying to get "friendly" with them. Fortunately for me, my girlfriend is within that arbitrary height limit I mentioned, but if your signifigant other is fairly big/tall keep that in mind for long trips. Short trips should be great even if you are quite tall fortunately enough. If you must take a tall/big passenger on a longer trip, I suggest skipping the straight boring US highway system and somehow hit some mountainous twisties. The speed/altitude/g-force loading will keep your compainon from concerning themselves with something as mundane as momentary comfort. Come to think of it, I would ALWAYS suggest skipping the superboring slabs of convenient travel, and heading out to find something more interesting!
Ambience: This is a racecar through and through, with a very nice interior. It never lets you forget its roots, or what its purpose in life is. When you start it up, it seems humble enough with a hint of "something" back there that just isn't normal. Though really, when the top is on you already know you are in for something as you attempt to figure out a way to get in that little opening the door creates for you. With any low rpm operation, the car booms quite audibly, though again not at idle. As you start moving it drops down to a slight background noise, and is pefectly comfortable at 70 on the highway in 6th. Hard on the throttle and it all comes back with a vengance. The sport exhaust might be a bit much for most americans, as the stock exhaust is already louder than the euro exhaust was.
I will admit, we had the hard top on, so I cant say how this all changes when topless. My guess is the booming would be reduced, and the exhaust would sound a bit sharper though quieter at the same time. Stage 1 might be perfect like that. As for the feeling when the top is on, its fine. Does not feel claustrophobic at all to me, though I am used to small car cabins such as my boxster.
So, at the beginning I was commenting on my "critical" review. So far it sounds pretty normal of course, and its pretty much what has been said
before though hopefully I have added a bit more data. The problem comes down to possibly "americanizing" the car a bit too much.
Driving the car: So you sit down in the near perfect interior with the slightly sloppy (though much improved) shifter, grab the perfect steering
wheel, hit the starter button and prepare to move. It all feels so nice. Push the gear lever forward into first and give it a bit of gas. This is when you discover the flywheel is fairly light, anchoring the idea this is a race car and letting the engine comes up to speed VERY fast. It also brings up the booming bass note of the elise engine. When the clutch comes out fully the car starts moving and the bass note drops down to acceptable levels by 10mph. Driving in traffic may be an issue due to the interior noise, but then again it may reduce a bit over time. By 20mph the exhaust is "noticable" but not overwhelming. Otherwise tooling around in traffic, the elise is a car. That sounds like an ungrateful comment, but I really mean it as a good thing. It is more than capable of taking you from point a to b when required, or maybe even coming and going every day (as mine will be doing.)
Seriously, the engine is great. What can I say? It doesn't have much down low, but the high end is really nice and it definitely lets you know "Here we go!" when you get to the cam switchover. Easily powerful enough to get a powerslide going and your heart racing.
Here comes what I would describe as "the issue."
The steering. Yes, I know it does not have power steering, and I also know what the reviews say about the handling on this car. I am also quite aware of how a car should feel without power steering, and this is not it. Point it a direction, and it goes, but there isn't as much feedback as I am used to. The euro car did not have this issue when I drove it around. Picture this, you are driving at 25mph and there is a strip in the road, on this strip is printed something in braile, on the UK car you could read it through the steering wheel. The US car would give you maybe a sensation of something, but nothing concrete. Steering was "straight ahead" to a fault and not quite as "telepathic" as I assumed it would be. When I setup my car I normally go for neutral toe on the front, with some negative camber, or maybe a small amount of toe out on the front, although that reduces tire life by a bit. This gives you a bit of tramlining and a decent turn in alogn with a nice "crisp" feeling of the road. This elise feels like it may have a slight amount of toe in and positive camber?! I don't know enough to say that for sure, maybe its just the tires being used stock here in the US. Whatever it is I am not terribly enthusiastic about that feeling. What I will say is that going around a parking lot it felt good when pushing it, but still not quite how I like my steering to feel. Hopefully the LSS tires/setup will be going a bit more towards going fast vs keeping everything conservative for the superslab only drivers out there.
Can it be corrected? Yep I am positive on that. Will it hamper your diving on the track? Probably not, mostly its a matter of preference. Track requires special setup for maximum speed, and that setup can differ track by track, day by day. Figure out whats right for that day, and I bet it will be magic.
When we got back to the dealership, I had a smile on my face and no qualms about the deposit. The car is definitely worth the cost, and I can't wait to get mine! Now to decide on a color.,,