Let me bounce this off you guys, I am talking to the dealership about the lotus and just need some input. There are some subtle difference from 05 to 06 and I wanted a 06 for some of the improvements. The 06 has LED taillights, slightly different pedals(some say better for street driving), DBW(drive by wire), and improved seats(same shape but are "probax" seats and a lot of people rave about them. The taillights can be swapt for about $500, the pedals and DBW are not swappable and the seats could probably be changed for about $800(some swear by the probax, others could care less)

Well here's where things get tricky, the dealer has a super clean 05 exactly how I want it with only 1600 miles on it, other wise I can pay about $1500-2000 more and and get a 06 with closer to 10,000 miles. The drivetrain is pretty bullet proof and I sort of wanted a 06 but the 05 is such a tempting deal I am starting to seriously consider it, and suspect with a little negotiating I can get another grand off.

Would you go with the 05 or wait for a 06 and pay a little more? If it has any impact on your decision I drive about 5k miles a year.

 

If you wanted a 2006 for some of the improvements, then wait and get a 2006.

Why would you buy something in a configuration you don't really want? Just to buy it? I'd wait and get exactly what I wanted...

 

I agree with junior. You are going to get it and you will be happy with it, until you see an 06 with all those little improvements you wanted.

In my opinion, I'd go for the more expensive one to get what I wanted.

 

The jew is strong in me, its sometimes hard to ignore a great deal on a car that is damn near perfect. With 1600 miles the car is pretty close to new, at 10k miles its clearly used.

 

^^^At 10k, it's slightly used.

 

I'm w/you, man...and I'm not even Jew. Unfortunately, I can't give you any advice - I'd be just as torn as you. However, I'd have to say that you're out to get a car that is what you want, not what you need, right? If you're out to get what you want, get what you want. If this was a Camry to haul your wife & kids around or something, I'd say get the cheap one. This is not that type of situation.

 

get the one you want

 

What he said. Wait to find the perfect one. Nothing like buying a sports car with the wrong configuration.

 

He just took another grand off the 05, for around 1300 I can change the little things that bother me, probably less if I buy the stuff used. The 05 is more tuneable as well, I'm going to think about it this weekend and decide how cheap I really am.

 

If the DBW and pedals are not important to you, then grab the deal on the 05. You can get the LED if you want later.However,make sure that the configuration (colors/int) are the way you want them on that 05.

 

how much less are we talking, here, than getting a brand spaking new one that is all iTimmy?

 

The color combo is exactly what I want and super low mileage cars are few and far between. They sold the 06 I wanted this afternoon and the other 06 I like is red and while I would drive red if it where the perfect deal its far from my first choice.

 

New, as I want one would be around $52k+/- The 05 is around $34k the 06 is closer to $40k and has higher miles.

 

52,000-34,000=$18,000 depreciation for a car with 1,600 miles? That's ridiculous - I don't care what kind of car that is. mmm...that makes the decision more difficult, IMO.

How long will this car be yours?

 

I never knew Lotus depreciated like AMGs and M cars.

 

MSRP on the 05 was not 52k it was probably closer to 45k, they have gone up in price the 08's and pricing just came out last week, which is what I have been waiting for to get in touch with the dealer. In 08 there is now a $5,100 dollar paint option

My goal is to keep this car for the rest of my life, but we all know how that usually goes.

Where is Lotus Tracker?

 

BTW, the drive by wire is not a plus for the 06, its just one of the differences. Its much harder to get the fuel trim perfect on 06+ cars because of this in the event you go FI, which would be an option when it is no longer my daily driver.

 

well you need to probably take on the mindset that 1) you'll only have the car for a couple years or more & just go with the cheap one to say you had the experience of owning a Lotus for a while & it was fun or 2) you'll have the car for the rest of your life and go ahead & spend 60K total on the car & mods, etc.

If you don't know how long you'll have the car, you don't need to buy it right now. This isn't the RC version & you're not so rich that it doesn't matter what you do. This is a good chunk of change you're talking about.

Personally, I'd be more inclined to the prior rather than the latter.

 

What can I say? I'm no fan of drive by wire....especially in a track based car like that. Not only are you saving purchase price $$$ on the '05, you're saving sales tax money on the purchase too.

I say '05 and don't look back. If you really gotta change the seats then you can do that.

Cheers,
-Mirror

 

I would say go with the supercharged 08.

 

That's not what I wanted to hear!