What are they going for right now (used)? I've been trying to hold off from buying one until the price is better. Seems like they are still a little over priced to me (on Ebay). What have yall seen?
I've seen a few at dealers listed for 38-40. Check here for a $37,500 car! http://www.lotusofgreenwich.com/cars.php?cat=lotus&carid=1347&subcat=elise
Huge inventories around... you pretty much have your pick of the litter. Just have to wait for dealers to start sweating when they've had a car on their lot for a year, then toss your hat in the ring. -R
Are there any Elise owners in here? I sort of think some of these people who are selling them with a few thousand miles realized the car is a bit too hard and focused for what they were expecting. I'm assuming they might feel like this even if it is a third car that they take to the track once in a while Thanks for the elisetalk suggestion.
I'm not sure what's prompting private sellers to sell the for so low. But I think it has to do with the fact that the car really caters to such a small niche group of buyers that you pretty much have to give the car away to get rid of it. Not everyone can fit in the car. Not everyone can fit their feet between the pedals. Not everyone likes the cramped interior, how noisy it is, etc, etc. You have to like the car, like what the car was designed for, and be able to live with the quirks the car brings to the table. The car is exciting to drive at first, but think hard about just how much you want it. 'Cause you're guaranteed to lose out (just like with any other depreciating asset, really). If resale really isn't an issue with you, by all means, you should try and get the best deal you can. Just beware of buying a used Elise, though. The car was meant to be driven very hard on the track or at an auto-cross. So just make sure you're not buying an abused car. But for the most part, the cars are babied. An ECU dump will give you a good idea of how the car has been driven. Used cars are going for mid to high 30's because dealers are offering discounts off MSRP for 05 models (Why buy used when you can fork over a couple grand more and get a new car - right?). 06 models are still going for MSRP. The differences in an 05 and 06 are minor. The most notable changes are that the 06 has drive by wire throttle and (for some) better spacing of the pedals. The car is a lot of fun and is very exciting to drive. It'll bring a lot of smiles to your face. Just be prepared to make certain sacrifices I have an Elise and I love it. The fact that it's very basic and very straight forward is one of the reasons why i love the car so much. Less is more for me! The next car that's more hardcore than the Elise is probably the Ariel Atom. You should look into that if you're like me
