Lotus Europa (06-10) - Review

Review by Ben Wall on
Last Updated: 20 March 2009
The Europa is quite a curious model from Lotus. It's supposedly a more useable and comfortable alternative to the Elise and Exige. The firm describe it as a 'Grand Tourer' but while it does offer slightly more interior space than other Lotus models, it's still cramped compared to alternative sports cars. In essence there's no hiding what the Europa is - basically an Exige or Elise underneath, but with a slightly different body on top. What this does mean is that it's great to drive with superb handling, wonderful steering and cracking performance. But it doesn't deliver the refinement or comfort Lotus promises. It does come well equipped but ultimately it's simply too similar to the rest of the Lotus line-up and not sophisticated enough to rival cars like the Porsche Cayman or BMW Z4.
3 out of 5

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3 out of 5

Summary

New price range:

£29,328 - £35,092

Used price range:

£11,718 - £28,930

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Strong performance, superb handling, rare sight, more comfortable than the Elise

Not as user-friendly as it claims, getting in and out is still difficult, limited luggage space

The Europa is quite a curious model from Lotus. It's supposedly a more useable and comfortable alternative to the Elise and Exige. The firm describe it as a 'Grand Tourer' but while it does offer slightly more interior space than other Lotus models, it's still cramped compared to alternative sports cars. In essence there's no hiding what the Europa is - basically an Exige or Elise underneath, but with a slightly different body on top. What this does mean is that it's great to drive with superb handling, wonderful steering and cracking performance. But it doesn't deliver the refinement or comfort Lotus promises. It does come well equipped but ultimately it's simply too similar to the rest of the Lotus line-up and not sophisticated enough to rival cars like the Porsche Cayman or BMW Z4.

Driving & Performance

  • Performance

    5 out of 5

    "The Europa is available with one engine in two different outputs. The 2.0-litre petrol is actually..."

  • Handling

    5 out of 5

    "The Europa delivers a typical Lotus driving experience. It may not be hugely powerful, but it..."

Comfort

  • Comfort

    2.5 out of 5

    "Compared to the Elise and Exige, the Europa has a slightly softer suspension set-up, so it rides..."

  • Practicality

    2 out of 5

    "The sills may be narrower and the roof higher, but the Europa is no easier to get in or out of than..."

  • Equipment

    3 out of 5

    "The Europa is comparatively well equipped given Lotus's philosophy of lightweight minimalism. It has..."

  • Behind the wheel

    2.5 out of 5

    "The driving position is very low, exaggerating the sensation of speed and excitement - although..."

Costs

  • Running costs

    3 out of 5

    "It may be a high performance car, but the Europa isn't overly expensive to run. Economy is..."

  • Green credentials

    2 out of 5

    "For a car with such impressive performance, the Europa has quite low emissions with the standard..."

Safety & Reliability

  • Safety

    2.5 out of 5

    "There's no official Euro NCAP crash rating for the Europa but unlike older Lotus models it comes..."

  • Reliability

    4 out of 5

    "Lotus interiors tend to show wear and tear quite easily as they're built to be light rather than..."

Buying & Selling

  • Buying new

    2 out of 5

    "If you have this sort of money to spend then there are some very tempting alternatives, not least of..."

  • Buying used

    2 out of 5

    "The Europa is a rare car so you could struggle to track one down on the second hand market. A Lotus..."

  • Selling

    2 out of 5

    "Condition is always important if you want to get the best price come resale time. Be sure to keep..."

Gallery

  • Interior Lotus Europa (06-10)

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Owners' reviews