[Checkercoop]

Hello,

Currently I own an 07 MINI Cooper and have been in love with Lotuses for a longgg time (well I'm only 20). I am in college now, but I'm really craving a lotus. As much as my dream one is a black exige, they are just too pricey. Really even an elise is pricey at 30K. I got my cooper for 22K with tax.
My big question is how reliable these lotuses are and how expensive they are to maintain (have a friend that has an exige and he told me about their love for tires lol)? Would it be silly for me to take on a car like this at this time in my life? Are they relatively pricey to maintain not including the tires?

Just trying to see if I need to wait until I have a better income to take on a lotus.
Also it would be my daily driver. I can accept the harshness of the car itself because luxury is not really my thing, I just wonder how these hold up driven daily.

Thank you in advance for any info/tips/suggestions you all have

 

[catapult]

We get this question at least 5 times per day. You may want to try the search function. This is a good start:

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f221/uberpost-read-here-there-information-uberthread-25131/

Good luck!

 

[Spudboy]

Before you get flamed by the old timers here who have no patience for repeated questions and are too lazy to explain how to find stuff before they bite your head off, please do the following:

1) Search for the keywords like "daily driver".
2) Read through some of the sticky posts.
3) Search some more.
4) Read, Read, Read

then

5) Post a question that shows you've done your homework.

By doing the above steps, the high and mighty might be nice enough to answer you, if they're not too busy bitching about politics or the loss of their 50 cal. ammo. Good luck.

 

[mopho]

Or you could just answer his/her questions.... :shrug:

Would it be silly for me to take on a car like this at this time in my life?

Yes

Are they relatively pricey to maintain not including the tires?

Yes

Just trying to see if I need to wait until I have a better income to take on a lotus.

Yes


anic:

 

[serpent]

^ mopho answered all your questions...now i'm going to answer them in bit more detail.

- It would be silly for you to take on a car like this at this time in your life because the insurance depending on your record is going to be expensive, 2mph bump can end up costing you 10k to fix and the car will be in the shop for a month, if your going to college then you need a safe parking spot so drunk people dont bump into your lotus costing you 10k to fix it.

- They arent that pricey to maintain if you do your own maintenance, but they do love the tires...but that also depends on how you drive. To do your maintenance you need a place...do you have a place??

- If i was in your shoes then i would wait until you have better income, better parking place to get the lotus.


:wave:

 

[Checkercoop]

Thanks all

I had searched a little, but most the people I read about are way out of college and have plenty of money to keep it up. I should have known better tho its the same on the mini forums lol

I will probably just stick with my coopers until I can afford the Lotus.

^serpent,
yes I have my own garage. I commute to school so the drunks wouldn't be my big problem ( I'm already anal about where I park with my cooper for fear of a ding)

 

[Moto44]

I don't expect people to follow my suggestion, but I wouldn't recommend getting a Lotus until you can pay for it in cash, have housing you can easily afford (which doesn't include living at one's parents for free), and you have another car to use as a daily driver (which, again, has been paid in full).

I may be tough in this account, but I am very forgiving of those who ask questions that have been asked many times before.

 

[clearskies]

I don't expect people to follow my suggestion, but I wouldn't recommend getting a Lotus until you can pay for it in cash, have housing you can easily afford (which doesn't include living at one's parents for free), and you have another car to use as a daily driver (which, again, has been paid in full).

I may be tough in this account, but I am very forgiving of those who ask questions that have been asked many times before.

hmm i like that.

 

[ransackman]

I don't expect people to follow my suggestion, but I wouldn't recommend getting a Lotus until you can pay for it in cash, have housing you can easily afford (which doesn't include living at one's parents for free), and you have another car to use as a daily driver (which, again, has been paid in full).

I may be tough in this account, but I am very forgiving of those who ask questions that have been asked many times before.

I second this and to add, you can definitely DD the car but not when your work (or school in your case) relies you to have a reliable car.
I'm a contractor and I move around a lot. I've been in the bay area for an year now maybe and I've driven it quite a bit but there have been times when I dont touch my cars for 3-4 months. I wanted to move to SF, even after agreeing to pay 3000/month for a single bed loft, no parking and you DEFINITELY need parking. Most of my drives in the lotus now are to ghirardelli square and back to Berkeley. I'd go mental parking in the mission.
So, its not just the car, heck its 30k, anybody can get that, even kids in college (I'm 22, but its been 3 years since I graduated from college) so its not pricey but its just a toy.

So, stay back, get a bike

 

[Checkercoop]

Yeah I totally agree on that.

I don't try and go over my head. The cooper at 22K was easily affordable for me and left me plenty of room for any decrease in my income. Some circumstances with the car are going to allow some leeway to maybe up to 26, not sure yet have to see how things go. So since I will have the option to get another new car, I am trying to see my options. I could pull off a used elise thats 29K, but maintenance being pricey would hurt me.

Probably just stick with coopers for now.

btw, I do not live with my parents lol

 

[the1sen]

It's a nifty car - that's for certain. But the Mini is cool too...

There are a few Daily Driver threads on the forum here. Do a google search for it.

Do you use the "driving with your jimmy out the window" technique for picking up girls in your Mini?

 

[Checkercoop]

It's a nifty car - that's for certain. But the Mini is cool too...

There are a few Daily Driver threads on the forum here. Do a google search for it.

Do you use the "driving with your jimmy out the window" technique for picking up girls in your Mini?

Haha no I let the car do the talking

Lol just messing...plus I got a gf...but she wants me to get a lotus as well haha

I enjoy the MINI community tho because it is a great and definitely something great to throw yourself into. Seems you guys have a great community here too. My friend has a lotus and a mini and i can't wait for him to take me out in the exige

 

[serpent]

^ very nice looking Mini

seriously speaking, hold off on the exige for a bit longer. You will enjoy the exige more that way.

 

[the1sen]

that's a cute set of graphics there.

even though you have a GF, you should still try the "jimmy out the window technique" as most of us here are fond of driving this way, married or unmarried.

It's a status symbol, really.

Does your Mini get blown all over the road in high cross winds?

 

[xxguitarist]

I have a 2008 mazdaspeed 3, I'm just on here for amusement & research. I probably could have swung a 2005 elise instead, paid up front, but it wouldn't make sense at 22 for me. That's the case even knowing that I have a 1995 accord that I (still) use as a DD to commute to university.
I'll look at picking one up as a toy in several years when I'm graduated with a double major in engineering & have a solid job. I suggest you follow a similar route.

While you're here- My girl & I have both considered a mini, for me it'd replace the honda, for her it'd replace a hundai (good thing she's learned what kind of car to get next time around, since shes been with me ) I'm wondering what the distance from the back of the trunk to the back of the front seat is- in other words, the length I'm working with to stuff a surfboard in there. I have some nifty little 5' shapes that I got custom made when I got the mazda, but I'm guessing you're working with a bit less space still.

 

[chapster5]

Stick with the Mini for now, as soon as you get a good job with good income (30 - 40K a year im guessing) then go for it, splash your cash then, when your ready....

 

[Checkercoop]

^ very nice looking Mini

seriously speaking, hold off on the exige for a bit longer. You will enjoy the exige more that way.

Thanks

Yeah I think that will be best because the one i REALLY want is the exige. The all black, aggressive exige fits my style, and since those are even more expensive, I might as well wait till I can easily, comfortably afford that.

that's a cute set of graphics there.

Does your Mini get blown all over the road in high cross winds?

Yeah started off with the stripes and checkered quarter panel. All the black I spray painted. And the eyes I won from a design contest. Some may think it's all a bit much, and sometimes I may feel it is, but idc anymore because it does look exactly how I want and just has some few extras from events and things like that

Actually it doesn't seem to affected by cross winds. I mean I can feel them if they are strong enough because the cars light and responsive steering, but nothing that would catch you off guard or anything.
Do the lotuses? I would think it wouldn't because of the design and how low they are to the ground. I seriously love every aspect of the lotus. As I am sure you all do to lol

I'll look at picking one up as a toy in several years when I'm graduated with a double major in engineering & have a solid job. I suggest you follow a similar route.

While you're here- My girl & I have both considered a mini, for me it'd replace the honda, for her it'd replace a hundai (good thing she's learned what kind of car to get next time around, since shes been with me ) I'm wondering what the distance from the back of the trunk to the back of the front seat is- in other words, the length I'm working with to stuff a surfboard in there. I have some nifty little 5' shapes that I got custom made when I got the mazda, but I'm guessing you're working with a bit less space still.

Oh cool what engineering you going for?
I'm going into mechanical engineering and so far thinking of going into fluid and dynamics so I can design/test cars and/or airplanes in wind tunnels, or other things like that. Would be amazing to work on an F1 design team


Hmmm...not exactly sure how to compare it. With the seats folded down you really get a lot of space it's really surprising. I think you could fit 5' in there. You get a lot more space even by putting the passenger seat forward and still able to sit someone there. I've been easily able to transport guitars back there with plenty of room. I will get back to you soon with better comparison/measurements.
I would definitely say test drive/look around at the dealer. Besides a lotus, this is definitely one of the most fun cars to drive. My first was a 96 T-bird V-8, then after graduation I decided to get something newer/reliable for my commute. So I have gone from big american muscle to british ingenuity/nimbleness and it's pure driving bliss. You will honestly be surprised at how roomy the car really is. They say 80% of the car is dedicated to cabin space and they really aren't kidding.

Stick with the Mini for now, as soon as you get a good job with good income (30 - 40K a year im guessing) then go for it, splash your cash then, when your ready....

Yeah probably best to do. Not worth putting myself so I am just barely making it if I have to shell out money for repairs or anything like that.





Thank you guys all for the help. This is what I was looking for because even though I am in love with the lotus, I just had to see how reasonable it would be for me to get as of now. If you guys don't mind, I wouldn't mind lurking around here just to keep up on info and chat. You guys are all great like over on the mini forums :up:

 

[xxguitarist]

Oh cool what engineering you going for?
I'm going into mechanical engineering and so far thinking of going into fluid and dynamics so I can design/test cars and/or airplanes in wind tunnels, or other things like that. Would be amazing to work on an F1 design team


Hmmm...not exactly sure how to compare it. With the seats folded down you really get a lot of space it's really surprising. I think you could fit 5' in there. You get a lot more space even by putting the passenger seat forward and still able to sit someone there. I've been easily able to transport guitars back there with plenty of room. I will get back to you soon with better comparison/measurements.
I would definitely say test drive/look around at the dealer. Besides a lotus, this is definitely one of the most fun cars to drive. My first was a 96 T-bird V-8, then after graduation I decided to get something newer/reliable for my commute. So I have gone from big american muscle to british ingenuity/nimbleness and it's pure driving bliss. You will honestly be surprised at how roomy the car really is. They say 80% of the car is dedicated to cabin space and they really aren't kidding.

Thanks for the estimates & being willing to measure.
I'll be impressed if a mini is more fun overall to drive than my mazda, but I won't eliminate that possibility 'till I try it. It'd be a nice upgrade from my honda, nevermind her hundai though!

I'm doing a double major in electrical and mechanical engineering, almost done with the 4th year, another 3 semesters left I think.

 

[Chris Mackey]

I will probably just stick with my coopers until I can afford the Lotus.

Seriously, the Cooper is a good car.

 

[SweetDaddyD]

I like the graphics, not so much the eyes but the rest of it.

I just graphic'ed up a "mini challenge" car a while back and it was a real fun little project.
One small pic on the front page of my site.