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      09-10-2010, 02:37 PM   #1
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335i or lotus exige

im looking into either a 335i coupe with jb3, dci, intercooler, downpipes, and meth or a lotus exige supercharged

the 335i is 28000 with 6000 of upgrades including wheels and aero kit so 34000 total

the lotus is 34000 and would have nothing done to it

please help me make this decision
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      09-10-2010, 02:42 PM   #2
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Is this a daily driver?Have you sat in the lotus? Not a good dd. I felt like shaq in that thing.
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      09-10-2010, 02:45 PM   #3
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I love Exiges, but that thing is far from practical. It all depends on your needs.
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      09-10-2010, 02:48 PM   #4
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Wut.

You cant compare a sporty daily driver with what is essentially a track toy. It seems all you car about is straight line speed, in which there are far better options for the price then a exige.
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      09-10-2010, 03:05 PM   #5
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daily driver straight line but some good handling
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      09-10-2010, 03:08 PM   #6
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Daily driver? And you're considering an Exige? Have you driven the Exige? Get the 335 for a daily.
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      09-10-2010, 03:11 PM   #7
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ive sat in it but never driven also the 335i is faster by a little bit. how fast to 60 does the 335i get with the mods i mentioned
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      09-10-2010, 03:43 PM   #8
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And people think people who Daily their m coupes are crazy.....

I'm going to second what everyone's saying. Get the 335i if it's your daily. Exige is not practical, at all. Does it even have rear windows?

You really can't compare the two. One is soft and the other is titanium hard.
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      09-10-2010, 04:07 PM   #9
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The exige is extremely impractical. It doesnt have rear windows so you have to count on your side view mirrors. Most just instal a double din and mount a rear view camera to help alleviate the problem.

Then theres the problem of being seen. The car is so small and low that most of the time while driving, you're trying to make sure you're not run down by a big suv or van that cant see you. And the super shitty horn that comes on the car stock doesnt help either.

Not to mention replacing parts are ridiculously expensive. If you damage say a 335 front bumper, you pay a few hundred bucks to replace it. But if you damage a exige/elise bumper, the cars dont have "bumpers or fenders". They are considered clams shells and you have to replace the whole front clam which is a few thousand alone.

You should also note that even washing your car will be a fiasco. If you wash your car on a slope with the car facing uphill, you WILL flood the "trunk".

I could go on and on, but again, it seems like you are trying to buy a car all about straight line speed, and impracticality aside, thats not what a lotus is about. You're better off with a C6 or something along those lines. Out of curiosity, how old are you OP?
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      09-10-2010, 04:39 PM   #10
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If you're going to buy an Exige and use it daily you'd be better off just buying a bike.
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      09-10-2010, 05:56 PM   #11
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I was actually in the market for an Elise before I purchased my 335. I've always loved Lotus so naturally as soon as I was in a position to buy one I started checking them out. Go on lotustalk.com, there are plenty of people who DD their Lotus Elise/Exiges. I forgot to check OP's location but there are a few guys who even run snow tires on them. So it isn't impossible, but after driving an Elise I knew it would've taken much more commitment than I had in me to have one as an only car.

As unbelievably fun it was to drive, there a few things in the back of my mind sticking out that I knew would have to be overcome, and in the end, the shear state of the roads around Chicago was enough to make think twice. I have hit bumps without warning (ie no signs, visual clue, etc) that have rocked my 335 so hard my radar detector has popped off my windshield. That same bump in an Elise is causing damage, and a cracked shell is very expensive. Insurance was another issue for me - after finally finding a company that would insure an Elise, doing the math put it at about twice as expensive to insure than a 335.

There are also of course the day to day things that depend on whether or not the person can live with it. There are no cupholders in the Lotus (there are aftermarket ones, but even our E9x cupholders put those to shame), and the radio is simply pathetic in sound quality and turning it up does nothing to drone out engine noise if that starts to get to you - just adds more noise to the mix. Tire life also seems to be below average on the standard suspension/wheel package, and downright ridiculous for the sport suspension/wheels.

I would love to have an Elise as a 2nd car, but overall I'm more than happy with the "jack of all trades" characteristic of the E9x as I am in a position to only have 1 car for now. Of course, this is just my experience/opinion, if you want the Lotus, I won't tell you not to buy one. But the fact that you're asking makes me think you are somewhat in a position that I was...you really want the Lotus but aren't sure if you'll love it or if it will annoy the shit out of you.

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask any further questions as I will try and keep up with this thread but often forget to come into this section of the forum - if it is the case I'm not responding shoot me a PM if it is specifically my input you are interested in.

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      09-10-2010, 05:57 PM   #12
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no i want a car that looks nice and is luxurious and fast or meets at least 2 of those the lotus meets looks and fast but isnt luxurious. and other suggestions? does any one have numbers 0-60 on the same mods. and im 17 turning 18 in a month and its my 18th bday present to myself
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      09-10-2010, 06:17 PM   #13
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While the Lotus is an attractive piece of machinery, if aesthetics as one of your top concerns then I doubt you will appreciate the sacrifices in amenities to achieve such precision and poise. If you are concerned with the purest driving experience readily available to consumers in that price bracket, the Lotus is the car for you. The sacrifices you will make to "look cool" are not worth it
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      09-10-2010, 06:24 PM   #14
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0-60 times 335i with mods in op ?
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      09-10-2010, 06:37 PM   #15
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I love the Elise/Exige, but you will find more luxury in the dollar store. As a DD it definitely falls short, and most women (I see that you are young so they may be a bit more tolerant) are going to think it is stupid and you are stupid for owning it.

All that aside, there is a fairly small window in life when you can buy and enjoy something as ridiculous as one of these cars. If you want to, do it now. You have your whole life to be old and boring. Be sure you buy a used one so you won't get hurt financially when you sell it, there are plenty of people who buy them and don't drive them.
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      09-11-2010, 12:34 PM   #16
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Sorry, but if I were 18 and looking to purchase one of these two it'd be a no brainer - Exige all the way!
You have the rest of your life to worry about luxury etc.
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      09-11-2010, 12:51 PM   #17
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but the 335i is faster and the handling is not far apart and its a dd so i want a car thats care free and a manual exige is not
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      09-11-2010, 02:26 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WDBi View Post
but the 335i is faster and the handling is not far apart
Wrong.

Quote:
Originally Posted by WDBi View Post
its a dd so i want a car thats care free and a manual exige is not
Then WTF are you asking this questions for?!
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      09-11-2010, 02:33 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WDBi View Post
no i want a car that looks nice and is luxurious and fast or meets at least 2 of those the lotus meets looks and fast but isnt luxurious. and other suggestions? does any one have numbers 0-60 on the same mods. and im 17 turning 18 in a month and its my 18th bday present to myself
Quote:
Originally Posted by WDBi View Post
but the 335i is faster and the handling is not far apart and its a dd so i want a car thats care free and a manual exige is not
I'm sorry, but that in it of itself says it all. Either way, it seems like you already have your mind set, and its probably best since you're really interested in a exige, or any lotus for that matter, for all the wrong reasons.
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      09-11-2010, 02:37 PM   #20
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Exige is care free, it has a toyota engine dude... And holy jesus you are young. Please drive responsibly
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      09-12-2010, 05:35 AM   #21
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      09-12-2010, 09:36 AM   #22
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Who the hell cross shops a 3 series and a Lotus??
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