brightoncorgi

I don't buy German cars or I'd just buy a Porsche...

We were going to get a lesser spec XE to replace our Volvo S60 when the lease ends, but with a handful of more repairs needed on the Evora I thought it was worth going for a higher spec Jag and just move on. 5 year warranty with all service included. Yes, it is not a sports car like the Lotus, but I can't think of another sports car that I would be into beyond the Evora. I don't want to buy a German car. Aston came to mind. The local dealer (which is also the Lotus dealer of this thread) had a nice pretty new Vantage I was hot for, but to think it would be more of the same treatment at $150 an hour ($130 an hour on the Lotus) seems crazy for me to enter.

You don't like the XE.

Well after all the posts about the repairs and the dealer convinced me to dump the Lotus... Too many times I had to go back to the dealer a 2nd time and just lost confidence in them. I really loved the Evora, but after reading here that they are either incompetent or taking me for ride was just too hard a pill to swallow. The dealership experience just wasn't what I was looking for. I would've really like to have a 400, but it would be more of the same in this locale. Maybe another region or dealership would make owning the Evora more pleasant. I ended up trading the Evora in on a 2017 Jaguar XE 3.5 AWD R Sport. I haven't done much driving in it as I am out of the country 2 days into owning it. Digging it none the less. Next new car opportunity will be in 1.5 years. I am thinking an Elan M100 could be a fun car that would be easier for indy mechanics to work on.

Can't speak for 400, but my Evora's back seats are way more useful than the 991's. Try putting a couple cases of wine or medium size dog in the back of a 991...

That's probably just the tip of the iceberg for him. I am just about to sell my Evora as well. The dealership experience is just not worth the hassle. As the members TLF have pointed out, my local dealer is either taking me for a ride or incompetent. Too bad as I really like the way it drives and would buy a 400, but as an "official community partner" for Lotus you've shown me what is really going on... Shame really. Local dealer said it was around 8K to me as well...

Do you thin they're coerced to say as such? Porsche has a lot of pull/power... It is not competing against the 4C.

An American specific limited edition could do well. Something either patriotic looking or heritage model of a famous American race winning livery.

That is my next step. It's not like this car is super complicated or anything. There's a place my friend's buddy owns that works on Ferrari's and like, but the owner hasn't been there the last few times I went by.

I see a couple Evora's there for service every time I am there (which has been a lot this season). A few people on LotusTalk that have high praise for the dealer. Interesting enough, they charge more for Aston service than they do for Lotus or any other marque they work on.

You make it sounds worse than maybe it is? I don't know... Getting all the receipts from the dealer today and will follow up with an accurate summary of expenses. I would like to keep this car or get another Lotus, but not if the dealer experience is going to remain similar. The guys working there are nice enough and I don't think there is any malice towards me, but I can be naive I suppose?

The local dealer is more focused on Aston Martin sales and servicing a variety of exotic cars. Lotus service is bigger than their Lotus sales. They say they're one of the oldest Lotus dealers in N. America, FWIW... Maybe next season won't be as costly to maintain? What's next to fix... brake master cylinder, clutch replacement? If the 400 was here, I would consider ordering a new one. With no anticipated delivery date and no history of whether this will be a lemon in the US makes it hard for me to roll the dice considering how my car has been up to date. I love the way my Evora drives, but ownership experience is more in line with my old Maserati Biturbo.

They said the grease they used the first time wasn't "strong enough" or something like that.

There's only two Lotus dealers in New England. One is 12 miles away, the other is 96 miles away. I would really like a 400, but am I going to be bringing to the dealer even more often than a car that has been looked after for 5 years? Is the 400 going to languish at the dealer for weeks on end waiting for parts or a free service bay to fix it? An Aston sounds more appealing by the week, but it's also the same dealer. I hate to think something sinister, but they sold my car new, the original owner traded it in on Jag and I bought it from a 2nd hand dealer. The Lotus dealer was upset over it, but they did not have any cars on offer (a new white IPS was it or a new yellow/black pack 2+0). Neither were something I was after. Are they "giving it to me" as I did not buy from them? I'd like to think not, but the comments here make that a possibility I suppose.

The repeat services I did not have to pay for: 1. When I bought the car, it was in a slight parking lot accident. It needed some paint work and something to align the bumper. I had to buy new LOTUS lettering for the back. The dealer installed the letters, but they came out crooked so I had to go back and have them do it again. 2. I did an alignment with new tires and they put some awful black "shoe polish" on the tires and left the old wheel balance sticker residue on the wheels. Had to back to have them fix both items. 3. I had sway bar bushings installed in the front. They were creaking like crazy once installed, had to go back again to fix the noise. 4. I had to go back a 2nd time for the rear window defroster. The applied a fix kit and that did not work, so they had to replace the rear windshield 5. I bet I am missing a couple of other incidents that required going back to dealer 2nd or 3rd time... They don't charge me to fix their repair or service the 2nd time, but it's hardly convenient to go there or take sick leave to fix my car... My car was at dealer almost 2 weeks to fix a master cylinder on clutch.

I've asked the dealer to forward me all my invoices since owning the car. I could be off on my assessments on how much I am spending, but I don't think I am that off. I know I just spent $1600 yesterday and had a spring service done earlier this year that was over 1K with AC fix and then the sway bar bushings that was like $200.

One of the coolest looking cars IMO. I wish that was available in the US.

I am not blaming Lotus for the hail damage at all. Just saying what it is costing me. On the headlights, $800 is less than a few places have quoted. The dealer is actually on low end. Take out lights, sand them and then 'clear bra" them. I was going to shop the headlights around some more as I had planned to do that service at the end of season. I should've done it now as my car sat at the dealership almost two weeks waiting for the master cylinder repair. I have had some servicing done by indy's, but I am no longer so close to the shop that worked on my other cars.

My warranty expired a while back and there was a ton of work covered by the warranty over its time period. This car was a regular at the dealership and still is. At least if I ever sell/trade it, the next owner will have a well maintained dealer serviced car. Luckily, the dealer is about 12 miles from my house, but they do not offer loaner cars and all that so it's still a hassle going there. I usually end up bringing my laptop and working from customer sitting area... Beginning to feel like my 2nd office.

Beyond the annual service which is oil/filter, cabin filter, windshield wiper, brake fluid & clutch flush... Had to replace a gasket on AC, trunk solenoid broke, hail damage to hood exhaust vents. Pretty much every month I am at the dealer for one thing or another. D Loop for seat belt replacement, new Velcro for rear seat bottom... D Loop for seat belt replacement, new Velcro for rear seat bottom... Sway bar bushings, alignments, transmission fluid flush.... Several times I had to go back more than once for the same job. Passenger door latch and clutch master cylinder fix was $1600 (just paid that yesterday). Headlights flaking refinish is going to be $800. There's been so many nickel & dime fixes over the season of ownership, I can't remember them all. This is not an inexpensive car to own. Sure, the Toyota engine is fabulous and hasn't been an issue, but everything else has it seems. I would tell anyone looking at an Evora to expect 2-3K in operating costs per season. I guess that's not much compared to a Ferrari and the like, but not chump change either.

In the three seasons I have had the Evora, I wish maintenance was only 2K; $1500 sounds like a dream come true... I believe I have average about $2500 a year. This year will hit 5k. Car has only 20k miles.

I am looking to get a Vantage or Rapide next (unless the 400 pans out in US). What model year is the Centenary edition? I've spent over 4K this year on service/maintenance on the Evora and looks like another 1k+ to go before season ends. Seems like the Lotus costs Aston money to maintain; might as well get an Aston... For sure if the Lotus is like this next season, it is gone.

Not at all... but funny. The US has a sturdier seat simply due to the air bag. Seating dimensions should be about the same. I guess it'll come down to where creaks are coming from. It could be universal to all Sparco sourced seats.

US Spec cars have a different seat which I'd like to think is more robust with the side air bag design.

I have a feeling that there are several US owners or perspective buyers waiting to see how the 400 goes before considering ordering one.