Hello all! I have been lurking on these forums for about 2 days reading all that I can. Let me tell you a little about myself and what I think and what I am looking for.
I am a 33 yr old husband with 2 pre-teen kids living in the Greater New Orleans area. I am not rich by any means, but I handle money REALLY well and live way beneath my means (what is wrong with most people is that they don't). I paid off my house in 5 years (I have no mortgage), have no car note, pay my cc off every month, have absolutely no debt.
I am a car enthusiast. Always have been. I have owned a 2000 Montero Sport for the last 10 years and have been looking for a new vehicle going on 12 months now. I previously owned two '74 Chevy Novas for a combined 5 years and had to part with the last one shortly after Katrina.
The Nova(s) were fun cars. I enjoyed owning and driving them, but having to constantly repair them got old (too much for the wife to handle) so that I won't be looking for another vintage vehicle.
As I said, I am not rich, so I am looking for something that I can use as a daily driver. I dont want (afford) to have a 3rd vehicle. I dont want to have to find excuses to drive my car (cruising, car shows, etc). I mainly use my vehicle to drive to work weekly (about 30 miles round trip) and we use my wife's car (scion XB) on the weekend.
Thanks if you stayed along this far.
Ok, so I started following the Dodge Challenger late last year and like the car, but the styling and the price really didnt completely win me over. I really love the new Camaro, but trying to purchase one right now is impossible. Four local dealerships have told me I can't get one until December if I am lucky. And no, I am not interested in paying over MSRP and getting it from Florida or Ohio...
So, I could be patient, but I saw a used '05 Lotus Elise a few weeks ago for $26k with 10k miles. I really liked the car. It caught (and kept) my attention and the price is more than right. Before I could inquire about it, it was sold. I filed it in the back of my mind.
This Monday, a cabby slammed into the back of my vehicle (see pics). So, I am kinda in the market right now sooner than anticipated. I was getting tired of driving this old vehicle and now I really want a new one. I rather not wait until December+
Looking at the Lotus Elise... is it something I can plausibly use as a daily driver? Looks like several people on this board are doing so. I flew to GA to get my first Nova and had my second one shipped to me from CA. I suspect I would have to do the same with an Elise? What should I realistically be looking for? (year, mileage) What do I need to stay away from? I am not going to track it or mod it. And dont want one that has been.
I have seen people complain that the ride isn't smooth in the Elise (feel every bump) and has been called "an oversized go-cart" on other forums, what do you say about that? It seems like the Elise may be the red headed step child of Lotus, it doesn't even have its own forum here (there's one for exige, evora, esprit, and elan, but no elise!).
One of my main questions is it doesn't seem that there is a Lotus dealer anywhere in the area. So besides trying to purchase one, what about maintenance/repairs? I am NOT mechanically inclined, but learned to do a lot with my old Nova. Thirty year old cars, though, are simple compared to today's vehicles. Warranty work or not, if I brought a Lotus home, where would be the place I would take it for service? (How do you others that dont have a lotus dealership/shop in your area deal with this issue)
Trying to make up my mind in my latest vehicle purchase and appreciate any feedback/opinions.
I am a 33 yr old husband with 2 pre-teen kids living in the Greater New Orleans area. I am not rich by any means, but I handle money REALLY well and live way beneath my means (what is wrong with most people is that they don't). I paid off my house in 5 years (I have no mortgage), have no car note, pay my cc off every month, have absolutely no debt.
I am a car enthusiast. Always have been. I have owned a 2000 Montero Sport for the last 10 years and have been looking for a new vehicle going on 12 months now. I previously owned two '74 Chevy Novas for a combined 5 years and had to part with the last one shortly after Katrina.
The Nova(s) were fun cars. I enjoyed owning and driving them, but having to constantly repair them got old (too much for the wife to handle) so that I won't be looking for another vintage vehicle.
As I said, I am not rich, so I am looking for something that I can use as a daily driver. I dont want (afford) to have a 3rd vehicle. I dont want to have to find excuses to drive my car (cruising, car shows, etc). I mainly use my vehicle to drive to work weekly (about 30 miles round trip) and we use my wife's car (scion XB) on the weekend.
Thanks if you stayed along this far.
Ok, so I started following the Dodge Challenger late last year and like the car, but the styling and the price really didnt completely win me over. I really love the new Camaro, but trying to purchase one right now is impossible. Four local dealerships have told me I can't get one until December if I am lucky. And no, I am not interested in paying over MSRP and getting it from Florida or Ohio...
So, I could be patient, but I saw a used '05 Lotus Elise a few weeks ago for $26k with 10k miles. I really liked the car. It caught (and kept) my attention and the price is more than right. Before I could inquire about it, it was sold. I filed it in the back of my mind.
This Monday, a cabby slammed into the back of my vehicle (see pics). So, I am kinda in the market right now sooner than anticipated. I was getting tired of driving this old vehicle and now I really want a new one. I rather not wait until December+
Looking at the Lotus Elise... is it something I can plausibly use as a daily driver? Looks like several people on this board are doing so. I flew to GA to get my first Nova and had my second one shipped to me from CA. I suspect I would have to do the same with an Elise? What should I realistically be looking for? (year, mileage) What do I need to stay away from? I am not going to track it or mod it. And dont want one that has been.
I have seen people complain that the ride isn't smooth in the Elise (feel every bump) and has been called "an oversized go-cart" on other forums, what do you say about that? It seems like the Elise may be the red headed step child of Lotus, it doesn't even have its own forum here (there's one for exige, evora, esprit, and elan, but no elise!).
One of my main questions is it doesn't seem that there is a Lotus dealer anywhere in the area. So besides trying to purchase one, what about maintenance/repairs? I am NOT mechanically inclined, but learned to do a lot with my old Nova. Thirty year old cars, though, are simple compared to today's vehicles. Warranty work or not, if I brought a Lotus home, where would be the place I would take it for service? (How do you others that dont have a lotus dealership/shop in your area deal with this issue)
Trying to make up my mind in my latest vehicle purchase and appreciate any feedback/opinions.
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