Elise or Esprit or Exige

[Macker-jo]

Elise or Exige. I am fortuante to have owned two Elises from new, and near to purchasing my second i decided to look at other cars for the same price with similar performance...which included the Honda S2000, Mitsi Evo 8, Subaru Impreza, Nissan 350Z etc. I can honestly say that i have never driven anything quite like an Elise.
Everytime you get out you are still amazed at the speed in which it carries through the corners and the way that it is planted on the road. Besides looking stunning, it is so cheap to run (which isn't an issue in the US due to petrol, over in the UK you need a second mortgage!) This is one of the other reasons why i have opted for this car a second time.

They are extremely reliable (unlike the Esprit). I have yet to drive an Exige, but i like the fact that i can take the hood off in the summer. The Exige can only be more rewarding than the Elise as a drivers car. The Elise is so much fun to drive, and on purchasing my first i covered over 1200 miles in the first week! After owning two, the experience is still as novel as the day i stepped into one and i can honestly say you will have made the right decision if you choose to opt for one. Its raw, pure adrenalin and you'll have a perminant smile everytime you climb in to it!

[Dynwolf]

Originally Posted by Macker-jo

They are extremely reliable (unlike the Esprit).

The Esprit gets a bad reputation for being an unreliable car. As most Esprit owners will testify (post 1994), they're really not that bad. Much better, in fact, than many of the F-Cars.

I know of several people locally with 30k miles+ on their cars and no trips to the shop for anything other than scheduled maintenance.

I've put 7,200 on mine since November of last year, and while the car's still young, I haven't had an ounce of trouble. (Well, aside from all the stone chips in the front end.)

To get back on topic, the Elise is one hell of a car. As people have said, potentially VERY reliable with the Toyota engine, and the potential for aftermarket mods is there as well. It isn't even in the same class, however, as the Esprit in terms of power, exclusiveness and cool factor. (Note I didn't say status - by "exclusive" I mean rarity.) Out here in Southern California, you'll see Elises far more often than Esprits. People really gawk as the Esprit drives by.

JM