The great big "all the customer test drives" thread

[PhilCP]

Just to add my two-penneth

I test drove a sport. Touring on order.

Sports suspension more compliant than I expected, however, the roads were mainly well surfaced so not an accurate representation of a B road blast. There was a couple of bits that were harsh confirming my choice of Touring was probably best for me. It's nigh on impossible to know without driving both.

Clutch bite point very low. Not ideal but grew accustomed to it. Managed not to stall.

Brakes very grabby. Even by the end of the test drive I still hadn't managed to regulate the braking to a point i'd call smooth. Not an issue in any other car i've driven. It did detract slightly from the experience as your conscious of it every time you need to touch the pedal.

Can't really comment on performance as it was too busy on the test route to open it up which was a shame. Felt adequate, not fast.

Gearbox was very mechanical in feel and needed a firm push across the gate. Not smooth or easy to make quick shifts. Might loosen up i guess although this car was run in.

Came away not really knowing any more than before. Don't think the test drive helped really.

 

[SmallerBaller]

Just to add my two-penneth

I test drove a sport. Touring on order.

Sports suspension more compliant than I expected, however, the roads were mainly well surfaced so not an accurate representation of a B road blast. There was a couple of bits that were harsh confirming my choice of Touring was probably best for me. It's nigh on impossible to know without driving both.

Clutch bite point very low. Not ideal but grew accustomed to it. Managed not to stall.

Brakes very grabby. Even by the end of the test drive I still hadn't managed to regulate the braking to a point i'd call smooth. Not an issue in any other car i've driven. It did detract slightly from the experience as your conscious of it every time you need to touch the pedal.

Can't really comment on performance as it was too busy on the test route to open it up which was a shame. Felt adequate, not fast.

Gearbox was very mechanical in feel and needed a firm push across the gate. Not smooth or easy to make quick shifts. Might loosen up i guess although this car was run in.

Came away not really knowing any more than before. Don't think the test drive helped really.

This is so strange, because my clutch bit was darn near the top of the range when I test drove... concerns about the consistency.

 

[SmallerBaller]

although I was not allowed to go over 4000rpm so couldn't really push it hard

Having been able to take the one I drove up to redline, I would argue that the car doesnt even come alive until about 4500 rpms or so. Which may not be the news you wanted following your drive...

 

[Evotion]

Amazing how different reviews are. Almost polar opposites.
Hardly get two similar reviews in a row.

Seats - some like, some don't
Gears - some smooth and love it, some think it is baulky with dodgy elements

One cannot put all of this down to people being different.
Are we seeing a pattern?
Are some cars better finished, or just different., than others?

I do find it concerning. These are not really things you hear on other forums about other cars.

I didn't really notice any difference to the two Emiras I drove,. apart from the suspension difference between sports and touring but am thinking maybe they were not typical examples of that even.

Very interesting.
In my usual positive way, I don't mind any of this individual character so long as the car is like the one I drove at Hethel. Umm.

 

[TomE]

The seats I think are down to individual shape/size and personal preferences.

The clutch and gear change does vary more from car to car than I had expected. I think some of this is due to running-in periods, but not all. I've driven the B&C demo car at 1500 and 3000 miles and there was a small but noticeable difference in shifter slickness. The Evora was known for having some shift variation, which is easily solved by making small adjustments. Lotus had said they'd got the setup process more consistent for Emira.

 

[ADC]

One cannot put all of this down to people being different.

I think you can absolutely put it down to this. This and the electron-microscope level of scrutiny that the car is under as each of us test-drive it

You come across as such a positive guy, and I think you're causing yourself more angst than necessary by overthinking every morsel of feedback... IMO, if it works for you, it's the right car to get. I do get the uncertainty around quality on the early builds, but that is kind of par for the course for being an early adopter. Keep your chin up and a smile on your face - next summer is going to be awesome

Well, for some at least... *mumble mumble where's my i4 mumble mumble*

 

[Evotion]

I am very happy! The Emira is a bonus and I like the seats - enough.
No other sports car manufacturer has this much amgst about their seats. Sports seats by definition are usually highly designed. It is a heavy super-adjustable seat. It really should be suiting everybody. That's the whole bloody point of an adjustable seat.

 

[ADC]

I am very happy! The Emira is a bonus and I like the seats - enough.
No other sports car manufacturer has this much amgst about their seats. Sports seats by definition are usually highly designed. It is a heavy super-adjustable seat. It really should be suiting everybody. That's the whole bloody point of an adjustable seat.

Fair point. For the record, there were aspects of the seat that bugged me too... I'm going to sit it one again after the New Year to see if I can truly set it up the way I'd really want.

Honestly, I'd probably still err on the side of getting a car I otherwise liked even with slightly duff seats, and replace the seats.

 

[Cachaco131]

Amazing how different reviews are. Almost polar opposites.
Hardly get two similar reviews in a row.

Seats - some like, some don't
Gears - some smooth and love it, some think it is baulky with dodgy elements

One cannot put all of this down to people being different.
Are we seeing a pattern?
Are some cars better finished, or just different., than others?

I do find it concerning. These are not really things you hear on other forums about other cars.

I didn't really notice any difference to the two Emiras I drove,. apart from the suspension difference between sports and touring but am thinking maybe they were not typical examples of that even.

Very interesting.
In my usual positive way, I don't mind any of this individual character so long as the car is like the one I drove at Hethel. Umm.

Yes, we are seeing the pattern of individual preferences. Therefore take most of these and "famous" YouTubers with a grain of salt and form your own opinion.

 

[SmallerBaller]

I do understand why some things are subjective, such as seats suck or seats rock.... and shifter feels good or cant place where I am with it. But clutch is almost at the bottom of the throw and clutch is almost at the top of the throw? That doesn't seem subjective!

 

[Flashback]

Just to add my two-penneth

I test drove a sport. Touring on order.

Sports suspension more compliant than I expected, however, the roads were mainly well surfaced so not an accurate representation of a B road blast. There was a couple of bits that were harsh confirming my choice of Touring was probably best for me. It's nigh on impossible to know without driving both.

Clutch bite point very low. Not ideal but grew accustomed to it. Managed not to stall.

Brakes very grabby. Even by the end of the test drive I still hadn't managed to regulate the braking to a point i'd call smooth. Not an issue in any other car i've driven. It did detract slightly from the experience as your conscious of it every time you need to touch the pedal.

Can't really comment on performance as it was too busy on the test route to open it up which was a shame. Felt adequate, not fast.

Gearbox was very mechanical in feel and needed a firm push across the gate. Not smooth or easy to make quick shifts. Might loosen up i guess although this car was run in.

Came away not really knowing any more than before. Don't think the test drive helped really.

Which dealer/car for your test drive, if I might ask?

Your observations seem remarkably similar to mine.

I'm wondering if there's some really notable inconsistencies between cars, so the disparities in feedback are attributable to the specific car more than the model?

 

[PhilCP]

Which dealer/car for your test drive, if I might ask?

Your observations seem remarkably similar to mine.

I'm wondering if there's some really notable inconsistencies between cars, so the disparities in feedback are attributable to the specific car more than the model?

Prestbury - Oakmere

 

[Flashback]

Prestbury - Oakmere

Thanks - not the same car as mine then.

 

[TomE]

Some of the seat discussion moved here:

Let's talk about the Emira's seats...

Let's talk about these Emira First Editions seats.. I can't help but notice just how bland and cheap they appear (especially the full leather on the shadow grey demo). They certainly don't appear to be from a $94k exotic sports car. Their comfort and placement has been a common complaint from...

www.emiraforum.com

 

[kitkat]

I do understand why some things are subjective, such as seats suck or seats rock.... and shifter feels good or cant place where I am with it. But clutch is almost at the bottom of the throw and clutch is almost at the top of the throw? That doesn't seem subjective!

I found this a little confusing too from different cars, probably some variance in build quality for test cars.

 

[TomE]

Right folks, I've decided to split my review into sections:

1. an overview
2. the conventional format of feedback on different aspects of the car
3. comparisons with other Lotus cars (to follow)
4. a story (to follow)

By the end of the week I'll also confirm what I'm doing next about my car, I'm just waiting for some info from Lotus.

 

[TomE]

Part 1: the overview

I'm writing this review with some apprehension, as some people have suggested they've been waiting for it as though it's in some kind of different category to other people's reviews. It's not. There are other people with a much broader car history and greater driving expertise who've already published very insightful reviews. Read mine alongside those and make up your own mind based on your planned car usage and the criteria that matter to you, rather than on the opinion of one random guy on the internet.

For context, I've owned multiple Lotus cars over the last 20+ years. I've recently driven examples of cars I haven't owned, as a basis for some comparisons. Of particular relevance are the Evora GT430 and GT410 Sport (the GT in the US), as the final versions of the car immediately prior to the Emira. I currently own an S1 Exige and an early Evora S, which is a useful ride and handling benchmark as, according to Lotus, the suspension is very similar to the Emira Touring setup. I've driven other sports cars and supercars, but not as recently so not that relevant.

I'm approaching this review primarily from the perspective of comparisons to previous Lotus cars. It's also based on my own car-using scenario and criteria, which is as a fun weekend car for country roads and road trips plus 1-2 track days per year to explore the high speed handling of the car rather than set any records. As I don't drive every day, I'm less concerned about all the latest practicalities. For me a cup holder is an option not a must have!

Another key point to make is I've been close to Project Gamma / Type 131 / Emira for two years and that has had pluses and minuses. I know I've been slightly over-obsessive at times. The car has therefore had a weight of expectations (and a wait of expectations too!). In doing my test drives I've set aside the frustrations of the customer experience and delays - the focus is on the car. I've also concentrated on the driving experience, rather than things you can judge from sitting in a static car or from photos.

Here are my thoughts:

The Emira is a great daily driver sports car - it's a much more complete and well-rounded package than previous Lotus cars, with an eye-catching and coherent external design, decent performance, the Lotus magic in the steering and ride and handling, easier access and everyday practicality, all at a price point that feels like good value for money for what you get (one benchmark is it's about £10k cheaper than a new Evora and with a better-equipped interior).

In this respect, it's "Mission Accomplished" for Lotus, a car that largely fulfills the intended brief (at least for how the car drives - I think we still have to reserve judgement on quality and aftersales). The key point to remember is what that brief was - to broaden the appeal of a Lotus to a wider audience to increase sales volumes and help pave the way for future EVs. That broader appeal has mainly been through improving how it fares as a daily driver.

But (and you knew there was a "but" coming!) along the way some of the driver engagement has been blunted. The Emira isn't as sharp and engaging to drive as a recent Evora. The Emira is a decently quick car and easy to drive at a pace cross-country, you get great feedback from the steering and suspension and it is very competent and driver-flattering. But the chassis and ride and handling and the stability programmes are all so competent that you don't feel you are anywhere near the edge of the envelope at normal road speeds. Even in Sport mode it is very difficult to unsettle, for example with a heavy right foot doing a three-quarters turn off a roundabout. In Track mode you have more latitude, but you've got nothing apart from ABS to help if you get into trouble. There is no halfway setting, like in the Evora. In making the car more usable, accessible and safe for more people, it's not quite as playful. That's good for Lotus but less good for old school Lotus fans like me. It's certainly not "an Evora dialled up to 11" in terms of driver engagement, but it is a car you can drive briskly point to point. It covers ground more rapidly than you expect, achieving this by sure-footed cornering and maintaining momentum, rather than with the drama of "slow in fast out", punchy acceleration and a loud exhaust note. If you only drive on highways and not twisties, you won't appreciate the benefit of this.

My conclusion is the Emira is more #forthedailydrivers and less #forthedrivers. It's a great car and will suit a lot of people who want an interesting, different, daily sports car that is fun and practical for the weekend. It has Lotus ride and handling magic wrapped up in a well-balanced and good value package. You get brilliant steering and handling plus a car that will flatter the driver and generally keep you out of trouble. You don't get so much in the way of "drama", which probably suits the majority of the Emira's target audience. But you do get a dramatic-looking car, and for many people that's exactly the drama they want. It's not the fastest, most powerful or most luxurious sports car. It is a car you can connect with and enjoy driving and being in and going places. For quite a few people it will score highly on the things that matter most to them, but for others it won't.

If you're coming from previous Lotus cars I think you've got a more difficult decision. If you love the handling of an Elise, Exige or Evora and have already accepted the practicality compromises they entail, then the Emira isn't the step forwards in handling and performance you might have wanted. If however, you want something more practical than a previous E-car and are OK with 90% of the previous Lotus driving experience, then the Emira will suit you very nicely.

If you like a fast saloon or hot hatch or track weapon or muscle car then consider carefully that the Emira maybe wasn't targeted at you. Enjoy it for what it is and was designed to be, rather than trying to compare it to cars it's not trying to emulate.

 

[TomE]

Part 2: the the conventional format of feedback on different aspects of the car

I did 3 Emira test drives:

• Two at Bell & Colvill Lotus Surrey: Nimbus Grey, red leather interior, leather steering wheel, Touring suspension, Goodyear tyres. Driven daytime into dusk (2,000 miles on car so fully run in, using full rev range and Tour, Sport and Track drive modes) and early morning (nearly 3,000 miles but temperatures below freezing so only in Tour drive mode). The test route is all on local roads I know well.
• One at Caffyns Lotus Ashford: Hethel Yellow, alcantara interior and wheel, Sports suspension, Goodyear tyres. Driven in daytime (1,500 miles so no rev restrictions, 3-4 degrees and only Tour and Sport drive modes).

Me: 5'9" / 175cm with relatively shorter legs and longer body, 12st6 / 174 lbs / 79 kg, shoe UK size 9 / EU 43 / US 9 or 9.5

Exterior: looks great, we all know this! It turns heads everywhere - on part of one test route we passed a school at going home time and ALL the kids and parents stopped and pointed and waved (of course this was in the Hethel Yellow car!)

Access: straightforward, easier than an early Evora and slightly easier than a late model 4xx Evora.

Seats: were fine for me in terms of holding me securely and comfortably; if other people hadn't highlighted some concerns I wouldn't have given them a second thought. I tried both leather and alcantara and they were equally comfortable and supportive on brisk drives. On both cars/both materials the seat base was showing some signs of sag in the material after only a few thousand miles.

Driving position: I could get into a good position but was surprised I was at the lowest setting on the seat and the highest height adjustment on the steering wheel to then be able to see all of the drivers display. The rev display is at the top edge (in Tour/Sport) so you need to be able to get your eyeline right. In all other respects the position was great and everything fell to your hands and feet as expected. It felt just right and my co-pilot observed I'd got comfortable with the car within a few hundred yards. No worries about pedal offsets or spacing, access to controls or buttons or displays.

Visibility: great forwards to the front wing arches (Becker points) to place the car. The downslope at the top front of the doors means you get good visibility to the side and of the mirrors, which in turn give you good rear visibility to supplement the rear view mirror. View out the back is similar to the Evora, so not great but fine in conjunction with the side mirrors. I was surprised to find the adjustment of the rear view mirror was partly blocked by the pod mounting it to the windscreen, making it hard to turn the mirror more to the drivers side.

Interior: the cabin is a nice place to be, the materials are good and it's well-built. The stitch lines are really sharp. There are echoes of the Esprit cabin in how the design flows from the doors into the dash and the position of the shifter. The controls, buttons and switchgear mostly look and feel great, a couple feel a bit cheaper. Driver display is good in the different modes, visible in sun and at night, configurable widgets are useful. I still would prefer analogue-looking gauges!

Steering wheel: takes a moment to get used to the shape then it's soon forgotten. Driving both leather and alcantara wheels on the same day, I noticed the layout of the stitching on the leather wheel was slightly more awkward and a bit distracting when doing larger turns where you needed to move your grip mid-turn. I think the alcantara wheel has less stitching around the hand positions so feels slightly smoother to use, which I hadn't expected.

Clutch, gearbox, transmission: felt very familiar after various Evoras. Clutch bite point varied between cars, as others have observed, but was easily found and soon learnt, with no issues with stalling. Changing gear requires a deliberate action, same as the Evora, and the box doesn't like to be rushed, particularly if you try to make a change too quickly near to redline. Once you learn the engine characteristic across the rev range it's easy to ignore the rev counter and up-shift lights and just anticipate where to change up to get close to redline but not hit the limiter. Being used to the supercharged V6 made it easier to pick this up in a short test drive. On the B&C test drive I did a few full bore runs from standing and rolling starts to check out the linearity and pull across the range. I'm a fan of the V6 SC (I've driven one for 11 years) and the combination of low end torque and linear power delivery. As I've mentioned before, there isn't an obvious "topping out" on the power delivery, so you have to use revs or shift lights or learn the feel of where the shift point is. Country roads around me are easily covered by 2nd and 3rd gear. It was interesting to note the slight but noticeable difference in gear change smoothness, engine freedom and exhaust noise driving the same car at 2,000 and 3,000 miles - things were still bedding in.

Noise: inside the cabin you get more transmission and supercharger noise and less exhaust noise than I expected, even in Sport or Track. This is particularly so at lower revs, where the transmission noise reminds me of a straight cut race box until you increase the revs and the supercharger whine takes over. It's a different sound to the Evora and some will prefer more exhaust note - this is improved by opening the windows! For others a decat or sports exhaust will add enough. For the intended daily driver target it's probably about right.

Steering, suspension, ride and handling: the chassis, steering and suspension are brilliantly capable. You get the directness of feedback from the road you expect with a Lotus and an ability to flow down a country road, even ones with some really bad surfaces and changes of camber. On the B&C test route there is a fast downhill section into a left-hander with a large diagonal depression in the road from a sunken drain, which badly unsettles most cars. The Emira tells you exactly what's happening and flows through it at speed with no concerns about losing traction or steering precision. Further on, we stopped to get a clear full bore start and accelerate through a really badly pot-holed section and the car just took it in it's stride without skipping traction or the steering being diverted. This was with a Touring suspension setup.

Suspension - Touring and Sports: as you know from my comparison thread here, I'm an advocate of matching suspension choice to your intended use. I've said before that I thought Touring would suit the majority of daily drivers using roads with a mixture of surface qualities. My test drive confirmed that - the setup has the great Lotus "flow" on uneven roads and is composed on off-cambers and pot holes without being wallowy or having too much roll. It feels very similar to my Evora S, which is the comparison Lotus had advised. Sports is flat and taut through fast changes of direction, with less roll - not better, just slightly different. There is some extra feel through the steering but also extra fidgeting at the front end, a slight jiggling even over fairly smooth surfaces. You are more aware of uneven surfaces and pot holes, but it's not crashy. It is sensitive to off-cambers and it tramlines more on worn roads. It would potentially be more wearing on a long journey but would be fine for weekend use and if you are blessed with smooth roads. The feel is very close to the Evora GT410 (US GT), so that is a good alternative to test drive. Both drove as I expected they would based on my Evora S/Evora GT410 experiences.

Brakes: were great, I agree with comments from others about slight grabbing at low speed, but easy to calibrate your brain to it. More frustrating was the e-brake - I hate them on a manual and this was no exception! It was also disappointing that the release button and surround are noticeably cheaper-feeling than the other switches and buttons.

Drive modes: interesting to note that Sport drive mode gives you more exhaust noise but doesn't significantly alter the TC/ESC programme in normal driving (there's no throttle reduction if understeer is detected - it is reduced in Tour). This is different to Sport drive mode on the Evora, where greater yaw angle and tyre slip is allowed, so you can get the back to step out more easily. This is clearly a safety/everyday driving thing but does mean you have to use Track to get a bit more playfulness, but this means you have a lot of TC/ESC off or minimised and are largely on your own. Tour-Sport-Track-Off feel more evenly spaced on the Evora.

Infotainment, satnav, audio: apparently there's some half-decent tech in the car. I usually drive with the window down to listen to the exhaust noise better and have a phone mount to run Waze on my mobile, so I supposed CarPlay might be useful

Yes, there are a few annoying or disappointing items, but they are mostly small and out-weighed by considering the whole. As a complete package aimed at a daily driver, it's the best car Lotus has produced so far, which is a great achievement.

But in my opinion it's not the best drivers car they've produced. To get that you have to compromise on practicality and accessibility (and - subjectively - looks) and go into the back catalogue. The potential is there in the Emira foundations to suggest a lighter, noisier, faster, sharper GT version could take that crown.

 

[Cachaco131]

... however, if you want something more practical than a previous E-car and are OK with 90% of the previous Lotus driving experience, then the Emira will suit you very nicely.

This is a very helpful comment, describes well what I want. And we can always upgrade to future versions if needed. Since I have a further 12-15m wait, surely by then there will be further clarity!

 

[lion shf]

Really enjoyed that cheers