Need opinion - 05 Lotus Elise

That price = way too high...tell him to do his home work...unless it is the exact car he wants (color and specs).

Cam issue = only if 100% of those 9,600 mi were on the track, or the guy lives out in like random-Nevada where the only limit on speed is what your car can produce.


Go to Lotustalk - best resource on the planet for Elise...active market place, very detailed threads on mechanical issues (use search)...and if there is an issue, very engaging community in which most problems are diagnosed and fixes proposed within an hour or two of posting. There is also a section for prospective buyers to introduce themselves and ask questions - I shopped for mine for 4 years...used the site extensively.


I have a 2007 - LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, did I say LOVE, it. Hope to never part with it. Toyota bullet proof, super grippy, tons of fun in the high revs, exotic enough in the sense that folks freak out when they see one...and they are relatively "rare". Track and back to daily driver without changing the wheels if one was so inclined.

That being said, biggest issues are electrical (it's British), the body is worth more than the rest of the car, and some of the '05s have some pretty serious issues with oil lines that if not fixed will kill the motor.

Can't recommend them higher as an entry level exotic...or dedicated track car. I would caution that if he is only using it recreationally, the sport package is not necessary - way too stiff of a ride for a car where you can already feel evey bump in the road.

 

Only comment I can make is that he should be sure to drive one befoe buying. The Lotus was always my dream car until I tried to get in and out of one 10 years ago. Found that I could not maneuver myself over the high sill and into the low seats effectively at all. I decided to pass. Lots of videos on YouTube about this!

 

As I say about my Elise.

Its motivational yoga getting in and out, but once you are in the lotus position.......

It is a very fun, quick, not fast, car.

Going down a mountain canyon, you will have to work, much harder than you will like to admit, to keep up with him.
But on the long straightaways, it still only has a 1.8ltr motor.

the $35K is at the top of the bell curve for pricing, so if the car is at the top of the bell curve for condition/maintenance.

+1 for researching lotustalk.com and or britishspeed.com

 

A bit off topic i suppose, but i will put a plug in for an 80s Ferrari. I have a 328, and though it is not fast by any modern standards, it is quick enough in the corners, responsive, and great fun to drive (and of course to look at). For a few thousand more (purchase price), you can get a decent one and its a proper sports car with a body and engine made by the same company. Just food for thought as its a great introductory Ferrari.

 

Well I have 15k track miles on 2005 Elise. Yes only track miles.Its never seen a street. Car runs as strong as new. Tranny clutch everything original. That's like 100k street miles. Brake pads oil changes rotors after three years. Fantastic car. Best value sports car bar none. I should know I have had ever major marque. Bar none. More fun per mile at the lowest cost you can buy. They are climbing in price so while 35k sounds high to those who looked one year ago it's getting close to a normal asking price for a 2005 never tracked clean 9600 mile car. Jon in Delaware

 

I don't think the price is bad (asking) given the mileage, assuming the actual selling price is a bit lower. I had a 2006 Elise that I liked a lot, but in the end it was a bit too much of a one trick pony for me. Fantastic for back roads blasting, but there are a lot of compromises. I moved on to a Porsche Cayman which is more suitable all around car. It just depends what you're looking for. The Lotus is unlikely to depreciate any more, so it has that going for it. The driving experience is very focused and pure. They are neat cars and well worth owning/experiencing.

 

Awesome car, it's really a single seater. The passenger seats is more of a decor, expect to hit the passenger every time you shift, no matter how much you try not to. Getting in and out is best done when no one is watching... Other then those, it's the perfect track car, and is relatively cheap to run.

 

I have an 05 Elise, love it! The prices are going up so with those low miles it isn't an outrageous price, maybe a grand or two high. The oil line issue has a recall so check if it has been completed. Of all my Lotus owning friends I don't know any that have had a cam issue.
If this is to be their daily driver, I would say no. But if this is to be a weekend fun drive car, you can't have much more fun for the money.
+1 on Lotustalk, great people, very helpful.
For another 5-7k you could add on a VisionFunction supercharger package and unleash the beast.

 

Cam issue isn't as bad as one would think, but a easy and cheap fix. Also make sure the oil cooler recall was completed, mine exploded on the highway and made for a scary couple of seconds with oil soaked tires.


They have little quirks and the build quality isn't that of a ferrari but their excellent cars for the money, prices dipped and now are starting to climb a little.

 

{Said in my best Judge Smails}

Well? We're waiting!




How about a Fresca?

 

Thanks for the update, and good move! Don't mess with damaged clams unless it will be a dedicated track car.

Tell him to keep an eye on LT - typically the best source because it's owner listed and they most likely have a profile history you can review.

I've also found cargraphs.com is a pretty interesting source in terms of where the cars are geographically, going rate and historical offerings.

Lotus Elise in USA - all cities - Graph of Prices

Most folks that are shopping / purchasing an Elise these days are typically buying out of state and driving them home...400+ miles for me...car was in the Detroit metro, he sent a bunch of detailed pictures, I called Auto Europe to confirm the service history, he put the car on a trailer and we met in Erie (he had an in-law there, I was doing biz in Pittsburgh)...drove it home...best drive of my life!


Good luck!

 

Just a lead.... my friend is selling his Elise locally for $26k.
LINK: 2005 Lotus Elise with Hard Top / Soft Top / Base Mods / Exhaust Mods

I owned an 06 Elise for a couple years and it was soooo much fun! I supercharged it and it was a beast! Miss that thing!

 

Britzky is a bit too anal, IMO - you are talking about a 9 year old car. And any guy that spent 4 years looking wasted a lot of time that could have been spent driving. I did not even spend 4 years in college. If that is your thing, go for it. Me, I am willing to pay a bit more to have a car that I can actually drive. I think 35K is not unreasonable for a really good car.

I have had my 2005 Elise since new and the oil line issue is a recall - just get it done if it has not been done and the VIN can be run to check it. Cam issue is almost certainly a defect in the surface hardening of the cams and will happen early in life or not at all. It is pretty easy to pull the cam cover and visually inspect the cams. Body damage requires further inspection - you want an expert to look at the suspension and suspension pickup points, but the bodywork itself is easy to fix. These cars came into the country with a special DOT waiver of the 2.5 mph bumper requirement and an "official" statement that the front and rear clamshell cannot be repaired. I've seen many clams repaired undetectably, so for the car you looked at, I'd ask for before and after pics and the repair workorders to start with and see: was it really a minor ding or was suspension hurt. Frankly, I'd be more fearful of a car that hit a curb and "only" broke a wheel. The chassis is for all practical purposes irreparable so any kind of chassis damage is a writeoff.

The cars are very robust and reliable, especially if regularly serviced and are unique in that they really weigh under 2000 lbs, and have no power assist on the steering. That said, you want to be reasonably fit, limber and not too tall or ingress/egress may suck the joy out of the car for you.

 

True...obsessive compulsive is more like it...I did have a spread sheet to track every available Elise on the open market for a period of time in 2009 during the financial crisis (no joke)...but that's why I have the "best" deal in that "what did you pay for your Elise" thread!

And, I was driving a stroller and back and forth to Home Depot every weekend while "shopping" (more like researching) over that 4 year period...I was patient out of obligation...but it was worth it...cause as you and I both know, the Elise is a uniquely awesome machine.

KV - one thing of note, and why I took an empathetic position to the OP's friend - he "talked his friend into buying"...doesn't sound like the friend is in a guns blazing situation, but I could be wrong.

 

Anyone know of an Elise under 35k miles for under 30k that isn't red or yellow ?
Looking for one myself.

Cheers.

 

2005 Lotus Elise - Magnetic Blue - Only 20k miles - LotusTalk - The Lotus Cars Community

Get it before it's gone!

 

Too late...sorry.