Overview & Reviews

After years of letting Europeans have all the fun, the lightweight Lotus Elise sports car finally makes it to the States.

• Ultralightweight chassis, free-revving four-cylinder, uninhibited steering, supercar performance without the supercar price.

• Spartan interior, engine still a bit peaky for U.S. tastes, ride quality more Formula One than grand touring, limited dealer network.

User Reviews:

Showing 21 through 30 of 73.00

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  Dream Come True - 2005 Lotus Elise
  By Tom - December 3 - 5:46 pm

  I had anticipated a great car, but was unprepared for how wonderful the Elise is to drive. Ive driven a Fiat Spider for 15 years, so Im already used to the usual array of sports car quirks. This car has none of those. Aside from the way you have to enter the car (sliding in backwards and swinging your legs over the high door sill), its a pure joy. As I say, "Its a little hard to get in. Its impossible to get out." Things like a reliable starter and 29.5 mpg combined so far make this car the perfect way to go for me. Its my every day driver -- in two months, Ive put 2000 miles on her already!

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  Unbelievable Ride - 2005 Lotus Elise
  By RedElise - November 19 - 8:46 pm

  Clearly this car is not for everyone, but if you are under 60" tall, 200 lbs, and have a size 10 or smaller foot then this is a tremendous amount of fun. It is extremely difficult to get in and out of (words cant describe it), but there is nothing out there that handles like it. The stereo is poor, but usually you have the top off and you are listening to the purr of the engine behind your head. This car really lives up to all the great magazine reviews it has accumulated over the last year.

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  2005 Lotus Elise - 2005 Lotus Elise
  By mark Greenblatt - October 31 - 11:46 am

  Anyone who is serious about sports cars should put this car on your short list of cars to test drive. I have had 4 Porsches, much more expensive than this car, but I will never go back to Porsche again. They are so boring and bland compared to this car. A purchaser of this car should be aware that it is one of the most raw cars for sale. Raw meaning it has a loud engine (1/3 of my reason to buy a car is the sound it makes), the interior is spartan with a lot of exposed chassis metal (which I think looks so cool), it is a simple car designed to have balanced handling and performance, low weight, and will give you grins every time you get in it. It has a Toyota drivetrain to boot.

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  Simply Awesome! - 2005 Lotus Elise
  By rayenet - July 4 - 9:26 pm

  The most incredible exotic car under $50K.

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  lotus - 2005 Lotus Elise
  By alexfox - May 28 - 10:00 am

  nice car. love to drive it.

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  Great Car - 2005 Lotus Elise
  By Jim - April 16 - 11:36 am

  I purchased the car with the idea that I wanted a fun car with a performance bend that I would get good gas mileage and be a good everyday driver. The Lotus met my needs! Its a lot of fun. While it gets good mileage, the small tank needs frequent refills. The interior size is something you have to experience to understand. Once in, its very comfortable. Highly recommend the car!

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  Good Times! - 2005 Lotus Elise
  By Walk - April 10 - 6:16 am

  Wow! Unlike any car Ive ever driven. Fast, fun, great engine, and awesome looks! Not a car for those who dont like attention. This car keeps a 4 foot wide grin on my face. You feel very connected to the road and theres no need for a radio because its more fun to listen to the engine and the car as it reacts to the road. I still cant get over the fact that Lotus was able to get this car into the US. After all, the US is the home of the giant SUV and a small, responsive, light weight roadster is such a welcome breath of fresh air. If you want one, you better contact a Lotus dealer to get your name on the waiting list. Waiting stinks, but for the Elise, its worth it.

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  Purest Sports Car - 2005 Lotus Elise
  By Adrian - April 8 - 5:00 am

  This is absolutely the most fun to drive car in the world. All around performance acceleration, handling, stopping are all remarkable. Its also a beautiful work of art to sit and stare at. A true exotic car at a bargain.

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  Purest Sports Car - 2005 Lotus Elise
  By Adrian - April 8 - 5:00 am

  This is absolutely the most fun to drive car in the world. All around performance acceleration, handling, stopping are all remarkable. Its also a beautiful work of art to sit an stare at. A true Exotic car at a bargain.

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  Like nothing else - 2005 Lotus Elise
  By Bill - April 1 - 11:33 pm

  Ive had the car for 9 months and cant rave about it enough. Ive had my experiences with other exotics and this car just amazes me every time I drive it. My Ferrari is just a memory! I cant believe were fortunate enough to have this genuine hard-core exotic sports car in the US. The build quality is excellent, especially for being hand-built. I have had zero trouble with it and it never fails to bring a smile to my face. If you live to drive quickly and efficiently then this car is for you.