Category: Roadsters 
Price Range: £25,712 to £32,067
Huge grip combined with infinitely adjustable handling and fantastic feedback from steering, brakes and throttle. Punchy performance, muscular looks.
'Parts bin' feel, leaky roof, difficult to get in and out with any grace. Tiresome noise on longer journeys.
Quite simply one of the most accomplished driver's cars available. It's got its faults but none that detract away from the whole point of the Elise - driving it.
You need to enter Elise ownership with your eyes open. Lotus is a small concern, and despite huge advances in build quality on the production line (a result of GM's quality control on the VX220, which shares its production line with the Elise) the Elise is never going to be as reliable as a Toyota MR2 or Mazda MX-5. Fit and finish is much improved though - the interior a minimalist delight - with some nice detailing. Unsurprisingly there's still evidence of parts sharing apparent around the cabin, and the roof is still prone to leaking in heavy downpours - but it's now much easier to put on in a hurry. Specialist cars like the Elise need to be looked after; take care of it and it'll reward you with one of the finest driving experiences money can buy.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Lotus Elise
wrote on 22 12 2007
wrote on 18 09 2007
wrote on 30 03 2007