Here's an exotic comparison...

[coupenthusiast25]

Hey guys!

It's been a while since I've posted here - for good reason College Apps are quite a hassle...

So, I'm gonna get a car within the next 6-7 months (once I hear back from Colleges, basically), and I'm trying to decide between 3 cars:

**********interjectory note: I'm not at all rich, so something within 30K is the max of my financial reach**************

I'm considering - a New 3.5 Altima coupe (closer to 32K), or a used ( ~ 50K miles) Audi TT for ~ $17K, or a 25-30K Lotus Elise (I know, i know, but it's a beautiful car...)

This will be the maximum I could possibly spend:http://www.cars.com/go/search/...=true

Note that I will get a manual (of course), and that this will be my first "new" car...any thoughts?

I would have considered the RX-8, but it's too inefficient...

I need some help here, please?

[cliffy21]

My advice? Lotus is an awesome car, but for a daily driver, way too impractical. A used TT is nice, but i've never been a big fan of them, and getting one with 50k on it means it has been beat on quite a bit. The 3.5 Coupe would be a sweet balance of comfort and power. I have the 6mt sedan, and in normal driving conditions, you'd never know how much HP is under the hood. When you want to play, it is a rocket. If you can only buy 1 car, that would be my choice. Now, it the wife let me have a few extra bucks for a toy Lotus......

[SHIFT_2.5S]

For that price, get the Elise. 100%, hands down, a no-brainer. It's the best handling car in the world.

[coupenthusiast25]

really? There were a few concerns I had with it...first, do you think the Cars ad I linked to is good? It seems great, and I will be on the lookout for equivalent or lesser priced cars within the next few months.

Now, the concerns:

Insurance: will it cost a ton?

Parts & Service: how expensive will Parts be (I've never had a need for new parts and such, but I was hoping that as a performance car it would be less susceptible to needing Parts replaced frequently.

I know the fuel economy is awesome as long as I don't go all out (like I can get a damn reasonable 30 mpg if I drive responsibly )

I am basically in love with the Lotus right now, are there any problems I need to be forewarned about?

[audtatious]

Lack of room to pick up more than one chic at a time?

Lotus can be a fun car without a doubt. TT is getting aged and the body style is starting to not look so nice, IMO. Coupe is new but will be a premium.

[MagicM]

I hope you're a small guy, because that is one INSANLY tight fitting car. Insurance premium will also be higher because of it being a lotus, and they have a horrible reputation for reliability, so prepare to bring out the checkbook when something goes wrong. Lets not forget the thing is practially made of paper, so if a suv hits you, you can say bye bye!. The altima as a daily driver, with performance, and more luxury/ everyday features to use. But don't listen to me, that car wil make you a hit with the girls, so buy the LOTUS!. Oh and if you do plan on buying that lotus, that's too expensive, you could so much better off of ebay, that lotus is from a dealership so you know they are going to rape you in price.
Modified by MagicM at 8:58 PM 11/23/2007

[coupenthusiast25]

Haha, yeah well the girl aspect can be VERY important at times! I'm not all that big, so I don't think getting in or out will pose too many problems.

Also, I looked through ebay, and they don't really have any good deals - plus, I think I'll be trading in a car, so I need a dealer to be able to do that...

Is the reliability really bad? I thought Lotus was a great company - plus, there's not that many parts, which should mean that less things should go wrong.

Any other thoughts?

[MagicM]

Lotus is a british originating car, that should speak for itself on reliability.

[generic808]

Lotus is a british originating car, that should speak for itself on reliability.

Uhhmm..."I would have considered the RX-8, but it's too inefficient..."???

What do you mean by "inefficient"? I would think the Lotus out of all the cars listed, would be the most "inefficient" one. A two-seater which sits about 5 inches off the ground and has NO PADDING whatsoever on the seats!! Have you actually drove one or rode in one yet? It definitely is NOT a daily driver, or something you can drive for 4+ hours. Heck, you can't even fit groceries in the car with someone sitting in the passenger seat!

You're still in high school and you're thinking about a Lotus? If the insurance is in your name, be prepared to give up an extremity or two to pay for it. Good luck!

[mcheddadi]

Lotus is a british originating car, that should speak for itself on reliability.

lotus is a really bad choice, except as a track car. Go buy an xbox360 with forza 2 and with the 360wheel and try it out there because, in real life, your gonna hate that car if its a daily driver lol.

[coupenthusiast25]

Well, judging from various reviews I've read, the RX-8's Wankle-Rotary has high emissions and low mileage - I think it's something like 16 city, 22 highway (although I've heard it goes significantly lower than those values).

Conversely, the Lotus is 20 City, 25 Highway --> but various reviews have clocked it at 30 mpg+

Actually, I have ridden in a Lotus Elise before --> I happen to love how low it is, and the seat quality is pretty good, IMO. Keep in mind I did sit in it for over an hour on the CA 405 (which is a terrible, terrible road)

Could the insurance be under my dad's name, so that I wouldn't need to pay some of my extremities to get it?

[rjdmmfl1]

Funny this comes up now, while at Thanksgiving dinner with family, a friend of the family said she was dating a guy and his Lotus STAYED IN THE REPAIR SHOP! Actually, I don't think I've ever really heard a lot of positives about a lotus! I think if you have the money to get one as a weekedn driver, that's one thing, but a Lotus is NOT a daily driver! And if you choose to use it as so, well, as Magic M stated, get ready to pay *** out for constant repairs and upkeep!

Besides, my A/C just smoked a Lotus the other day and all I added to it was an interior dash kit, a navgation unit, and premium 91 octane gas! For real!!!!

[SHIFT_2.5S]

I was just recommending the Lotus to him for kicks. If he's silly enough to even ask such a question...

Just take second to think about it logically. You are probably looking for the best overall daily driver car, not the most exotic car. If you spend 12 hours a day on a track, then get the Lotus by all means. If not, then the Altima is the way to go. The TT will probably wear down in a couple more years (being a European car) and the insurance will still be high. Just my 2 cents.

[coupenthusiast25]

Ouch..."silly enough"? That burns deep, hombre... I'm just asking for a friendly comparison between 3 cars that I happen to enjoy/love tremendously...no need to get riled up

I see what you mean, but I doubt my commute will be spectacular; I mean, basically to college and back for most days. I do not believe the Lotus is unreliable, it is such a spartan car (and most of the engine components are Toyota) that it almost follows the formula for unreliability.

I DO NOT spend 12 hours a day at the track, but I'd like the opportunity to go to a track/ autocross event once in a while. I mean, I'm still young, and you only live once, right? Might as well learn how to be the best driver I can before having to get a bigger car for a family...

Also, I'm not entirely sure about the Altima - it seems awfully big. Although the TT seems like a giant when compared to the Lotus, it is still a spectacularly small car, which I rather like. How good are the resale values of these cars (especially the A/C and the Lotus)?

[SHIFT_2.5S]

Seems to me that you just answered your own question...

You're comparing 3 cars that cannot be compared because they are different and serve different purposes. You cannot have one excellent car that is perfect as a daily driver, works as a track car, functions as a "you-only-live-once" car and fits into your budget.

[rjdmmfl1]

Seems to me that you just answered your own question...

You're comparing 3 cars that cannot be compared because they are different and serve different purposes. You cannot have one excellent car that is perfect as a daily driver, works as a track car, functions as a "you-only-live-once" car and fits into your budget.

[palika]

An added extra thought to your dilemma...

Lotus and TT nice toys but impractical in the long run... especially with insurance and repairs...

(Coming from a rotary lover....)

The A/C and RX-8 both seat more people more trunk space and more can be done to personalize them to what you want to see visually. It doesn't seem as if mpg is an issue for you but these two will probably last longer with "college life"

[kamikazestorm420]

Lotus is a british originating car, that should speak for itself on reliability.

i would think the motor would be reliable because it uses a toyota motor

[notaverage]

Where are you going to be living in college? More importantly where will you park your car? I went to a college town, and my car got in bad shape over there. Lots of break ins, and too many people causes dings, scratches, and dirt. No point in getting a car you really want that might end up getting f***** up in a couple of years.

Try to come to a logical decision, something that works in most or all aspects.

[MagicM]

i would think the motor would be reliable because it uses a toyota motor

If you see the majority of when cars breakdown, they are very rarely pure motor related. They are generally the parts,and how they are engineered in the vehicle that fail. Which the british/Europeans manufacturers arn't known to be very good at, hense why they are rated horribly reliablity wise. Having friends with european, and personally owning 2 range rovers i know first hand what kind of problems they hold. My 05 has a BMW X5 Engine which is said to be "bullet Proof" reliability wise, but yet the car is rated as the worst car in terms of reliablity, not because of engine, but because of the poor parts/ quality control that have been put into the car. Reliablity isn't just engine, but what the vehicle represents as a whole.
Modified by MagicM at 2:15 AM 11/25/2007

[Seraph321]

Speaking as someone who actually thought a bit about getting an elise as a second car, instead of trading in and getting a new one, I know where you're coming from. The Elise feels like a chance to own a supercar without having to make millions first, but there is NO way anyone who can't afford to have two cars should be thinking about the elise. At the very LEAST, you'd need to spend another $1k on a junker that you can drive around whenever you can't drive the elise, which would be quite often.

[coupenthusiast25]

Well, yeah, the $30G supercar appeal is quite hard to resist

I'm not entirely sure why the Elise couldn't be driven daily...I mean, I've read plenty of reviews that say that it can be a practical and reliable car when needed.

Also, about the reliability - there are almost NO parts on the car - it's one of the most spartan cars out there. I mean, the entire chassis is 150 lbs and is made of extruded aluminum - bonded with aerospace-grade adhesives. Apart from the other Toyota parts (the motor, especially) all the other materials are Lotus Engineering products - one of the most reliable names in the automotive world.

[Vet Boots]

I never heard of that Lotus car so I typed it into goggle and realized that is a 46,000.00 car. It looks mighty sporty and would attract a lot of chicks and it can litterally kick a 3.5 SE's Butt........

But I'd trade my Harley in on it and only drive it on days I'd normally ride the bike. That's not a daily all year round car. But wouldn't it be fun????

[SHIFT_2.5S]

But wouldn't it be fun????

It would only be fun until you start having severe back pains and will need to drive it to the chiropractor's office.

[jdshift]

Well, it cannot be said enough about the insurance rates.........but it just seems your not really listening to good advice here because you do not want to hear it. You already had your mind up on what you wanted before you started this thread,MPG, insurance,all that good stuff for a "daily driver".........Altima coupe hands down . But, whatever makes you happy lad, just really think about it one more time before you do, a big decision in your life.

[coupenthusiast25]

yeah, I see what you mean - I think my love for this car has been clouding my judgment - sorry!

I starting to doubt whether the Lotus is really the right car for me at this stage in my life - I think I can always get one later.

As of now it is between the Audi, the A/C, and the RX-8...

[jdshift]

Nice as it may be...........gotta be practical until you can afford a second ride. Best of luck to ya.

[notaverage]

My personal choice would be the A/C.

IMO the TT is too small and would make me claustrophobic, and I have never been a fan of mazdas.

[coupenthusiast25]

I don't know, I mean, I would of course get the Audi TT coupe (for the 2 + 2 torture seats hehe)....

But, here's the clincher - can someone with firsthand experience tell me about the RX-8? My current SUV gives me close to 11 mpg (which sucks), and I don't really want to trade "up" to a 16 mpg car. Are the estimates really correct in this respect? I've always been a fan of the rotary engines, but if it still not practical, I have no choice but to cross it off my list...

[SHIFT_2.5S]

RX-8

Rotary Engine: + (positive)Gas Mileage: - (negative)

I have heard very bad things about the RX-8, particularly that the build quality is not very good, as well as issues with reliability. In the end, I still view Mazda as a Ford.