Lotus Elise (00 on) - Review

It may be an old-school sports car but the Elise rides surprisingly well and can easily cope with even rough and bumpy roads. However refinement is in short supply with lots of road and engine noise, making it a tiring car over long journeys. The small wide windows make it the cabin feel quite claustrophobic too. The standard seats are quite thinly padded, so while they offer excellent side support, they're not good for comfort. On the plus side, the 111S and 111R models get a few luxuries, such as optional lumbar support in the seats and air-conditioning.

Getting in and out of the Elise is a challenge in itself. Once you've mastered the art it's slightly less ungainly, but it's never an easy exercise. The height and width of the sills, combined with a low roofline make it a real squeeze and cabin space is tight with no storage apart from a small area behind the seats. Luggage room is severely limited too with just 112 litres - only enough room for a few shopping bags.

The interior of the Elise is fairly sparse - you don't even get carpets as standard, instead there's a metal floor. It's pretty well put together although not the most solidly built car around, plus some of the switches are familiar from other cars (the column stalks for instance are borrowed from the MK3 Vauxhall Astra). That said, the ventilation controls have a modern look and the driving position is superb - low slung and perfectly in line with the steering wheel. This does make visibility a little compromised when it comes to parking manoeuvres though.