Lotus Esprit (84-03) - Review Review by Parkers on 01 January 1984 The Esprit, with its distinctive wedge shape, seems to have been around forever. It first went on sale in 1976, but has been successfully re-styled for each generation. The last UK cars were sold during 2002, though the production line carried on until 2004, to cater for US demand. Prices are seriously tempting, and for the generation that grew up with Roger Moore's amphibious Union-Jacked Esprit, now could be the ideal time to buy. 4 out of 5 Other Lotus reviews Summary Facts & Figures Equipment Driving & Performance Comfort Costs Safety & Reliability Buying & Selling Also Consider Company Car Info Owners' Reviews Gallery 4 out of 5 Summary Tweet New price range: £17,980 - £65,135 Used price range: £4,399 - £27,312 View all used prices Get a Lotus Esprit (84-03) information pack Next steps Value, performance, handling Crashing depreciation, reliability The Esprit, with its distinctive wedge shape, seems to have been around forever. It first went on sale in 1976, but has been successfully re-styled for each generation. The last UK cars were sold during 2002, though the production line carried on until 2004, to cater for US demand. Prices are seriously tempting, and for the generation that grew up with Roger Moore's amphibious Union-Jacked Esprit, now could be the ideal time to buy. Driving & Performance Performance 4 out of 5"Original 1976 cars have a 2.2 engine (known as the 904) which produces just 160 bhp. A turbocharger..." Handling 4.5 out of 5"Later cars handle the best and benefited from years of development work and fine-tuning from the..." Comfort Comfort 3 out of 5"The last of line cars were the most refined, and had comfortable cabins, better instrumentation and..." Practicality 1.5 out of 5"Small boot and few other places for your odds and ends, but practicality isn't the reason to buy an..." Equipment 2.5 out of 5"Varies to spartan early cars, to more luxurious last-of-line V8s. Equipment isn't the main reason to..." Behind the wheel 4 out of 5"Cars with the large sunroof feel light and airy. Low-slung driving position makes you feel at one..." Costs Running costs 2 out of 5"Much cheaper to buy and run than a Ferrari, but it still needs lots of care and regular attention..." Green credentials 0 out of 5 Safety & Reliability Safety 1.5 out of 5"No Euro NCAP test. Deadlocks and immobiliser on latest cars but only top V8 models have an alarm." Reliability 2 out of 5"Not famed for its reliability - all suffer from minor niggles and cars that aren't well cared for..." Buying & Selling Buying new 0 out of 5 Buying used 2.5 out of 5"Your best bet is to get in contact with an owners' club. Although Esprit is a well known supercar,..." Selling 1.5 out of 5"Quick sales are rare, but evidence that it's been cared for (garage receipts, for instance) will..." Gallery View full gallery Owners' reviews Used Lotus Esprit (84-03) GT3 2d 5 out of 5 “ Surprising amount of luggage space for a sportscar, enough for a short European trip. Getting in and... ” Mark Britten Car Valuations Find used car prices with Parkers accurate car valuations. Find out more Cars for Sale Search well over a hundred thousand new and used cars for sale across the UK. Find out more Next: Facts & Figures
Used Lotus Esprit (84-03) GT3 2d 5 out of 5 “ Surprising amount of luggage space for a sportscar, enough for a short European trip. Getting in and... ” Mark Britten