Which Toyota Engine In The Elise? 134bhp Or 190?

[pauljack]

Hi folks, went to test drive a new Lotus Elise yesterday and am thinking of buying one. My decision is which toyota engine? Elise s with the 134bhp engine or the Elise r with 190 t sport engine? Price implications mean if i went for the 190 bhp it would have to be nearly new or used as they are too much new and over priced i think? Anyway the nice man at Christopher Neil Lotus in cheshire let me drive both versions of the engine. I thought the 134bhp was good but i thought the 190 was great especially over 6000 revs. It came alive and burst in excitement with noise and power. The thing is, in the real world when would you get chance to get the car over 6000revs? especially when there are so many speed cameras. The 190 goes well over 60 in second gear so i was wondering if i would ever be able to really exploit the engine and therefore is it worth the extra cost? I hardly get chance to get my Compressor over 6000 revs never mind an Elise!

Anyone else drove these engines? I remember quite liking the mr2 engine!

this post is in the Corolla t sport section also!

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[JappyBeast]

Not driving either I would opt for the higher horse power.

[Captain Weirdbeard]

Hi folks, went to test drive a new Lotus Elise yesterday and am thinking of buying one. My decision is which toyota engine? Elise s with the 134bhp engine or the Elise r with 190 t sport engine? Price implications mean if i went for the 190 bhp it would have to be nearly new or used as they are too much new and over priced i think? Anyway the nice man at Christopher Neil Lotus in cheshire let me drive both versions of the engine. I thought the 134bhp was good but i thought the 190 was great especially over 6000 revs. It came alive and burst in excitement with noise and power. The thing is, in the real world when would you get chance to get the car over 6000revs? especially when there are so many speed cameras. The 190 goes well over 60 in second gear so i was wondering if i would ever be able to really exploit the engine and therefore is it worth the extra cost? I hardly get chance to get my Compressor over 6000 revs never mind an Elise!

Anyone else drove these engines? I remember quite liking the mr2 engine!

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IMHO the 134 is a shower and the 190 is a goer. If you can afford the odd track day and aren't afraid of the risks, go the whole hog. You'll wish you had when you're older and looking back anyway!

The proviso is that the T Sport engine gives the same excellent low to mid-range power delivery and economy as in it's native body.

[cfc1]

The 2ZZ is a superior engine in comparison to the !zz... but I would also consider an Exige against the Elise.

[pauljack]

The 2ZZ is a superior engine in comparison to the !zz... but I would also consider an Exige against the Elise.

I drove the Exige you can't see anything out of the back its even less practical as an everyday car than an Elise. However the 190 R is 29k new which is just silly money for that car!

The main difference between the 2 was that the 190 just felt quicker from the go and much faster after 6000 revs. However the salesman was surprised as in his experience he said there wasn't much difference up to 600 revs and then the R was much better, he put it down to the 134bhp only having done 200 miles and wasn't ran in properly?

[T600]

No contest; the 190 engine is so sweet. It must be awesome in the Elise. The only danger is that it'll make you want to use its power, but if you think you can resist enough to keep your licence then go for it. As has been said, it's definitely the one to go for if you want to use it on track days.

[pauljack]

No contest; the 190 engine is so sweet. It must be awesome in the Elise. The only danger is that it'll make you want to use its power, but if you think you can resist enough to keep your licence then go for it. As has been said, it's definitely the one to go for if you want to use it on track days.

thats the thing i would never use it on track days if i did i would agree with you, its simply to go to work in and enjoy!

[T600]

thats the thing i would never use it on track days if i did i would agree with you, its simply to go to work in and enjoy!

Difficult choice then. The lower spec car is pretty fast, and the handling is going to be great whichever one you choose.

Nice choice to have to make though.

[Jimlad]

Go for the higher bhp version!!

Why do people keep saying, "when will I actually be able to use the extra power?" ...

I've had cars well over 200bhp for the past few years now and believe me, you do get to use the extra power, and it's fun!! :)

PS : I also still have a clean license!

[Captain Weirdbeard]

Go for the higher bhp version!!

Why do people keep saying, "when will I actually be able to use the extra power?" ...

I've had cars well over 200bhp for the past few years now and believe me, you do get to use the extra power, and it's fun!! :)

PS : I also still have a clean license!

A good point.

I would sometimes get overwhelmed by the power when I'd just graduated a few hundred CCs to my latest 'bike. I owned machines that were able to handle most situation I rode them through with oodles to spare from the engine, the brakes and the tyres. It makes for extremely relaxed riding since it is difficult to overload the vehicle's capabilities without it is raining or otherwise compromised and yet I'd always reach a point where I'd feel that sometimes, just a little bit more would be nice. Just think about riding a 2.3 Litre Triumph triple..... totally over the top for the needs of most riders. Hang on a minute... I think I've just talked myself back into getting another 'bike.

My judgement is flawed - listening to me could be expensive, forget I spoke.

[Leeky]

Getting the 140bhp version is like going to McDonalds and having a salad. You want the 190bhp version with cheese, large fries and a supersized Strawberry milkshake.

[perfectshadows]

on another note, u guys never heard this before

LOTUS

Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious! i found when looking up lotus's when I was thinking wow that looked nice, but as most things i read everyone seemed to say lovely car if u can afford the repair bills whenever something else breaks

[Leeky]

Rubbish! My Esprit was no problems at all........ ;)

Yep i dont know what new Lotus cars are like but the build quality of my Esprit was terrible. Also the electrics are a god damn nightmare!

[Johndcfc]

I used to have a corolla t-sport with the 190 bhp engine - even in a corolla it was exciting, I'd guess its a complete beast in the elise.

Might get one in a couple of years myself.

[Fujisan]

Get the 190.......and then the only thing limiting your fun is you!

[JappyBeast]

I just sicked up.

[Fujisan]

Control is a great thing :D

[T600]

Go for the higher bhp version!!

Why do people keep saying, "when will I actually be able to use the extra power?" ...

I've had cars well over 200bhp for the past few years now and believe me, you do get to use the extra power, and it's fun!! :)

PS : I also still have a clean license!

Because power comes at a price, and it's everyone's personal preference how much they are prepared to pay for the power that they want. It's a how long is a piece of string question - how much power is enough - 100, 200, 300, 400 bhp. If you disregard price, and the other costs of higher power, then clearly the answer is forget the Elise, buy a Veyron.

But that isn't practical, therefore he has to make a decision about how much power he wants at a price that he's prepared to pay. What's right for one person will be wrong for someone else; that's why there is such a wide variety of cars on the market.

Personally, if I were going for an Elise, I'd buy the 190 without doubt, because that's the engine that would give me the level of performance that I would want from that car, so I'd be disappointed with the lower spec car, and the extra insurance costs for the 190 would be negligible for me as I have max NCD. That doesn't mean that would be the right choice for everyone though.

[pauljack]

Go for the higher bhp version!!

Why do people keep saying, "when will I actually be able to use the extra power?" ...

I've had cars well over 200bhp for the past few years now and believe me, you do get to use the extra power, and it's fun!! :)

PS : I also still have a clean license!

Because power comes at a price, and it's everyone's personal preference how much they are prepared to pay for the power that they want. It's a how long is a piece of string question - how much power is enough - 100, 200, 300, 400 bhp. If you disregard price, and the other costs of higher power, then clearly the answer is forget the Elise, buy a Veyron.

But that isn't practical, therefore he has to make a decision about how much power he wants at a price that he's prepared to pay. What's right for one person will be wrong for someone else; that's why there is such a wide variety of cars on the market.

Personally, if I were going for an Elise, I'd buy the 190 without doubt, because that's the engine that would give me the level of performance that I would want from that car, so I'd be disappointed with the lower spec car, and the extra insurance costs for the 190 would be negligible for me as I have max NCD. That doesn't mean that would be the right choice for everyone though.

Spot on really! if money where no object id have the 190R but im not paying 30k for a new one of those, can't afford it! plus don't think its worth it 30k to be honest. Christopher Neil in cheshire is the only garage where i have had a good px price on my Compressor so i am a bit tied to the stock that the dealer has in. I know this sounds a bit of a cop out but on driving both of them i didn't see 6k of improvement over the standard S 134bhp. It was fast but not 6k better, if that makes sense! The used 190 R's they had in were expensive compared to other dealerships so its a bit of swings and roundabouts.

Anyway, just to muddy the water. I initially rang about the Lotus Europa cos a year old and they were going for about 26k just in my budget. Great i thought, love the look of them, 2l turbo engine, more practical and usable than a lotus elise etc etc. But the garage didn't have any to test drive plus the used one had sold! Maybe test driving this and seeing if it is for me first before commiting to an elise is the way to go. Going to try to drive one today, will let you know?

[T600]

Must admit, I do like the Europa. As you say, it should be a more practical car for day to day use. And it'll still be a lot of fun to drive.

I'd be interested to hear what you think of it after your test drive.

Shame they didn't produce that car with the VVTLi engine though. I know the VX engine has a bit more power and is probably more flexible so is perhaps better suited to the Europa, but personally I'd still rather have the Toyota engine (that's just my preference for Toyota over Vauxhall).

[pauljack]

Just came back from driving the Europa. Loved the look of the car it was stunning. Loved the colour - aubergine purple - not to everyones taste mind? But one thing bugged me. I didn't particulary like the power delivery. There was too much turbo lag. It would defo need smoothing out to be more enjoyable! The weather was appauling tho so was ultra careful and didn't really give it beans. Another thing about the Europa it didn't feel as planted as the elise, maybe thats cos i was raining heavily? One thing i would say tho, it was much better over pot holes and rough roads, very quiet, no bangs what so ever, dare i say, even nice! I really don't know now, my mind is bursting lol

In summary -Toyota engine is sweet and rev happy. Vx engine has loads of pull low down but has lag!

[The Red Man]

Well personally I would expect the 134bhp to be quick being as the 111R Elise we have is insanely fast. Possibly the best car I have driven. Just try getting out in a dignified way (and thats made harder still by the 3mm thick seats and the complete lack of suspension)!!! LOL

[pauljack]

Canon red - nice colour

[T600]

Very nice car!

Though the pics - presumably taken with a very short lens - have distorted it somewhat. The toe in on the rears looks a bit OTT :D

Interesting comments on the Europa Paul. I wondered what the lag might be like, though shouldn't be too severe as it's presumably quite a small low boost thing (it's not adding too much power over the stock engine is it).

I think the Elise is the one I'd go for if I was in the market for a pure sports car. Though what I really want is a new version of the Mk2 MR2 T-Bar with the 190 engine in it. Damn you Toyota for not making one.