I have seen this car for sale for some time at MoG, and was curious what folks thought would be a realistic value. Cliff notes: - 2012 Evora - 8K miles - Red/cream The catch: Car was a manufacturer buy-back (lemon law) for a problem with the AC system which, I assume, has been repaired. MoG acquired it from Lotus USA after the buy back. It is titled as a buy back car. Still has one year left on the warranty. So how much does something like this affect the price of the car? I would assume it would be similar to a salvage titled vehicle? I imagine it would be nearly impossible to later sell such a car if it was not at a substantial discount. On a related note, what are normal similar condition Evoras changing hands for these days? Looks like most asking prices are in the mid 50's to low 60's. Lotus Evora 2 2 | eBay
They are fun but troublesome cars. I had The Evora S and the third week of ownership it would not start. My dealer was pissy about it and not helpful even with a new car warranty. Part of the problem might be the company was being bought by a company on India. My advice is avoid it and buy something else. Yhere are so many good sports car these days for sale why take a chance. Good luck whatever you buy. Best Lee
Sage advice Lee. I am thinking the same thing. I just always get tempted anytime a potential "deal" comes up. Buying a $50K car for say $30K and having a cool semi-daily driver I don't have to worry about seems like a lot of fun to me. I really like the Evora, it ticks a lot of the right boxes for me (fun, agile, unique, looks good, occasional back seat for the kids, etc). However after I made the original post, I did some reading on Lotustalk. That pretty much struck enough fear in my heart to make me run from any Evora, much less a lemon law buy-back. It's too bad they had such quality issues with the car, I think it has phenomenal looks and the interior packaging is incredible to fit 4 seats in such a small space, even if the rear two are tiny. I don't mind tinkering with cars, especially with mechanical stuff, but it seems a lot of the Evora problems are computer and electronic related, and my nearest dealer is 6 hours away.
no idea on value, but does a lemon law car have a clear title or is it salvage/rebuilt/etc? does it show up on carfax?
Yes, unless you do something really shady, it has to be titled as a lemon buy-back car. Similar to salvage cars. I am not certain, but fell pretty sure it would show on a carfax.
Always check with your insurance carrier also... ...and lender. I could not get a loan for a salvage vehicle... my insurance company also said 'no'.
No offer. Less than an hour of reading on Lotustalk scared me well away from Evoras, and I am a person who LOVES old British cars with combustible wiring harnesses. From what I gleaned the later models have been better quality wise, but I think it is one of those cars where if you get a good one that was built when the workers were having a good day, it's a great car. If you get a bad one, you are screwed. And the problem is you don't know until you've already bought it. Seems a lot of them ended up getting bought back under lemon laws, way more than comparable vehicles. It really disappointed me. I love the styling, the interior design, the handling, the rarity, the back seats for kids. I can deal with sorting little fiddly problems with power windows or whatever, but really don't want a car whose AC refuses to work or that suddenly leaves me stranded.
I never had a lemon law return. The states I lived in with lemon laws was a new car for a short period when bought new, if it did not run or drive right the dealer or manufacturer was required to take back the car and give you your money back. I have not heard the term for 3 decades at least. It may even not be legal or used anymore. I do not know. I do not remember the details but something like 90 days maximum ownership time. I think the dealer could give you another car, a new car, yhen the 90 day clock started again. There were also provisions to protect the dealer from owner scams. At the time it all seemed fair to me for both sides. I buy alot of cars it is my hobby and I have found most dealers to be straight and honest. There may be some forum, members on the web that have recent experience with this. Best Lee
Lemon laws vary by state. I'd first check the state .gov web site and see what they have on the issue. In TX for example the car has to be out of service for a certain period of time or in the shop multiple times without being properly repaired for a material defect.
Not sure I agree with all this. I have had an Evora for 18 months with zero issues and now have just over 17k miles. I really enjoy the car and its ride/handling need to be experienced by everyone. I would buy another and have no regrets. Well maybe one that I didn't buy an IPS model so the wife can drive it a little more I don't think a few people complaning on Lotustalk is indicative of all Evoras. All 2010'S should/will have had their recalls done and represent great value IMHO at 50k. Having said that if buying new it makes more sense to be close to a dealer and the Lotus dealer locations are sporadic. I am lucky as one is 3 miles from my house.
You are lucky they are so close to you. I hope you are uphill so if needed you can push it than coast to the dealership. I am glad you are enjoying the car. British cars are fun to drive just not very reliable plus my dealer has an attitude. My problems were real as were my car buddies. I must admit the mclaren dealer was awesome as good as any I have dealt with. Just too far away. Two of my four English cars died witin 3 weeks of ownership, new cars! Data points for sure. I always wonder in posts like yours if you are a dealer or? I am not saying you are, just throwing it out there. I will stay with German, American and italian exotics. So far the cars have been great and the service very respectable, maybe even impeccable. Best, Lee
Hi Lee, No I am not a dealer or work for Lotus . I read your issues with the local Lotus dealer and see why you were unhappy. I drive mine pretty often which may also explain the lack of issues, who knows. In case your interested the dealer is 3 miles uphill from my house As I said in my post a dealers location means a lot. It would be the same with a fragile car like a Ferrari or Lambo if your local dealer was 5 hours away like many of the people on Lotustalk. For me in Atlanta the Evora is an ideal car as I can use to drive to work on occasion and also use for a fun Sunday blast in the GA/NC mountains. You see quite a lot of Lotuses in the GA/NC area as the weekends. The rivals (911, Caymen) are ten a penny in my area and I enjoy the exotic nature of the Evora. It really is a mini 458 in some ways. I also have a 911 and drive the Evora more often as the ride is so much better on beat city roads. Yes the Evora is not as polished as a 911/Caymen in fit an finish and the Porsche service experience is way better (also more expensive) but all in all I prefer the Evora as a fun second car. I am actually thinking of trading mine in for an IPS model so the wife can drive now and again. The IPS supercharged model seems great but I have yet to drive it.
Everyone on Lotus talks complains in fact, Lotus owners are our own worst enemy. And BTW I have owned many trouble free Lotus cars over the years. I think it depends on how often they are used , how well maintained, and how picky of an owner you are.
There is no doubt in my mind that Lotus cars are world renowned for their handling. Alot of manufactures uses Lotus as a consultant to improve handling. My Evora S was a favorite car of mine, even my wife drove and loved the car. Still it would not start after only a few weeks of ownership of this new car. I went on the Lotus Forum, Evora section and saw many new car owners with the same or close to it problem. I dumped it. I am glad you got one of the good ones and hope your dealer is good Best of luck with your car Lee
Thanks Lee. As to the OP I think recently the re-sale values of the Elise and Exige have risen considerably and the Evora has hardened as well. No doubt due to no more Elise's in the US and very few Evora's being imported in 2013. Its a real shame that the new 2013 Exige is not being imported as I would love one. Apparently sales are up again globally for Lotus (due to Japan/China) so maybe they will re-consider bringing the car into the US. Link attached is worth viewing: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_X-cyhk63I]Lotus Exige S track test: 350hp, chassis from the Gods - /CHRIS HARRIS ON CARS - YouTube[/ame]
I had a 2007 Exige S for 3 years without any problems. Had an oil line recall that was fixed free of charge. I sold the Exige and bought a new 2011 Evora S. I love the car and it has been pretty much trouble free, knock on wood. My wife didn't like the Exige cause the cabin noise but loves the Evora. A lot of folks knock the car cause it has a Toyota drivetrain. For me the Toyota drivetrain is a huge plus. Only complaint I have is that we don't have a dealer here anymore so I have to send me car 2 hours to Detroit.
I had a 2007 Exige S for 3 years without any problems. Had an oil line recall that was fixed free of charge. I sold the Exige and bought a new 2011 Evora S. I love the car and it has been pretty much trouble free, knock on wood. My wife didn't like the Exige cause the cabin noise but loves the Evora. A lot of folks knock the car cause it has a Toyota drivetrain. For me the Toyota drivetrain is a huge plus. Only complaint I have is that we don't have a dealer here anymore so I have to send me car 2 hours to Detroit.
