The great big "all the customer test drives" thread

[khamai]

This was posted on another platform -

This car is the prettiest DISAPPOINTMENT I’ve ever seen. From the disrespectful sales people, there standoffish approach to talk about the car, and the fact that my drive time was eaten up by some random child who wanted to sit in the car and take pictures… along with the fact that they had me wait while the others did not despite my arriving early, it really left a terrible first impression. It’s always nice when you get in a brand-new car and the stupid “copilot” tells you don’t crash and don’t kill me. “We only have six of these in United the States and there only one of me”….. EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL!

As with any situation there's 2 sides. The "child" was about 7-8 yrs old. He loved the Emira and speaking with the Lotus folks asked some insightful questions, "What do the initials on the badge mean?" "Why does the car have 3 pedals". He was offered to sit in the Emira. Like many of have experienced the young man was ecstatic. It made his day and likely he'll remember the car, the brand and the day for many many years. Did taking time with this "child" impact the demo? In short, "no". The guy had to wait and extra minute or two, but he got to drive the exact same route as all of the other demo drives. The "copilot" was a Lotus rep and part of the orientation was to ask drivers to respect the car and did so with some humor as well as honesty. You try getting in a car with some complete stranger with zero knowledge of their skills or experience.

I share this story because it's a good reminder that these cars can bring joy from driving them, but more importantly give us the opportunity to meet new and great people and form new and rewarding friendships. However, none of that's possible if you have self entitled, closed-minded attitude.

Cheers,
Kiyoshi

 

[Johnson]

I plugged in a usb stick that is normally plugged into my wife's X1's infotainment. Folder structure is Artist > album and mp3 format. 32GB or 64GB capacity and will be formatted FAT32, I suspect. We couldn't readily access the usb stick following my test drive so reverted to a bluetooth connection to my phone (firing up Android Auto). Anyone else had any usb stick access issues?

Can someone confirm? I too like the idea of having a permanent USB in the car for my music collection.

 

[SPoivre]

First, it’s nice to see some good reviews about the Vantage. I own a “ new” Vantage and for three years have seen pretty much nothing but people hating it on the Aston forums. Typical for forum fanboys. They bitch about pretty much anything that’s new or changed. The whining clearly gave me a headache Nice to see some fresh perspectives rather than prior owners complaining it’s not the same car

Second, I know it’s apples to oranges. I plan to keep my Vantage when my Emira arrives because I don’t see the cars as all that similar. The Emira is my Cayman replacement. Everything about the two cars seem different. Opposite driver cockpits, very different power delivery. I feel the Aston is a great highway car but doesn’t really “come alive” until I’m doing around 90mph. I think the Emira will be a better backroad car and enjoyable at more reasonable speeds.

 

[R1272]

I’m in Las Vegas. I drove the Emira Thursday, and then again today.

I mention that I drove it twice, because I enjoyed the first drive, but REALLY enjoyed my second drive a couple of days later.

My first time out in it was great, but getting it rolling smoothly in 1st took some concentration, and I was unsure of the cars limits, so while I romped on it in the straights, in the tight turns I wasn’t sure how far to push it. Brakes felt SUPER sensitive.

Today, was 10x better. From the first time I let out the clutch, everything felt 100% natural. I was completely one with the car during the entire test drive. Clutch felt great, gearbox felt amazing, acceleration felt faster too as I was more comfortable revving it out and knowing by sound when to shift. And... the brakes felt amazing today!

Like almost everything…you always feel more comfortable with something after the first time.

Point of all of this is….if you liked your test drive, you’re going to really like your second drive when you take delivery.

MY TAKE

There’s more than enough power to have fun street driving and canyon carving. If you’re looking for insane power, go elsewhere. The Emira feels totally balanced at all times, and it rewards you when you drive it hard. The engine, steering, suspension and power all work together to make everything feel really solid, strong, and full of character.

The sport suspension was not harsh at all. I ordered sport, and I’m glad I did.

Steering is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I don’t even know how to explain it. The communication through the wheel puts the other sports cars I’ve owned and own to shame. Perhaps this is some of that Lotus magic I’ve heard about. Regardless, the steering is incredible.

The image render on the center screen is very crisp, and everything looks really clean. I paid no attention to the center screen or radio, as I couldn’t care less.

As others have mentioned, it’s not raucous loud inside the cabin when you’re on the throttle, but the noise is good. As the next test driver pulled away, I can tell you it’s pretty loud from the outside! Sounded good.

The diamond cut wheels look even better in person than they do in pictures and video. I don’t know what it is, but they look really great.

The interior materials feel very good. They are not uber premium, but they aren’t cheap either. The look and feel are of good quality. The stitching was crazy perfect everywhere. Is a computer doing the sewing?

Overall I think it’s a very nice package for under $100k USD. The design is worth the price of admission. It’s really stunning in person.

Well, it was an exciting few days. Back to waiting!

 

[Mac71]

Hi.

I am new to the forum and I thought I would post my thoughts on my test drive last week at Lotus in Bristol.

Fortunately, the car was specified mechanically the same as my order, namely: V6 manual with touring suspension.

The test route was not long enough or varied enough for me to comment much about the ride, handling, and steering. However, my gut feeling says that the car will prove to be very good in all of these respects.

Performance: as others have mentioned it is not dramatic and perhaps it is not quite as good as the power to weight would suggest it should be. That said the engine was very new and I suspect it will loosen up and perform better over time. In any event, it would not be a deal breaker for me because, on the twisties, I am sure it would prove to be more than enough. Moreover, you would be using more of the power more of the time (compared to something with genuine high performance) and that brings its own satisfaction and reward. The engine developed very linear power with a nice (albeit not exceptional) V6 engine note enhanced by supercharger whine for added interest.

Great exterior styling (although no better in the flesh than in photos in my opinion).

Really attractive and well-made interior (even better than I was expecting). The test car had a red leather interior which complimented the Nimbus grey paintwork and red brake calipers nicely. The steering wheel was in leather and I thought it was great. The driving position was good and the seats were comfortable although I did find the headrest (which seemed to be semi-spherical and bulbous) to be oddly uncomfortable compared to the flatter items that I am used to.

The gear change seemed precise and nice to use but slow - just as reported.

As others have mentioned I found the brakes a bit grabby and as such, they didn’t provide an ideal platform for heal and toe-down change. That said the salesman suggested this would improve when the brakes bedded in and, in any case, I am sure I would get used to them.

Overall It came across as a friendly, warm, characterful, and unintimidating sort of sports car. I felt good being in it and it put a smile on my face (for whatever it may be worth a very comparable product from Germany I tested recently as a benchmark failed to achieve this). I hope and suspect that it will prove to have a very well-judged blend of performance, ride, and handling that will be ideally suited to our less than perfect British roads.

 

[lion shf]

2 enjoyable reviews back to back. Cheers!

 

[curtr]

I got to test drive a manual emira yesterday for the first time at Flow Lotus Winston Salem , NC. I currently own a evora 400 and gt , this would be replacing the 400. I’m 6’2”, 230lbs. First impressions are quite good! Love the exterior styling and they have really upped there game on the interior with tech that brings it into competition with other luxury sports cars in the segment. Greenhouse is excellent, much more so than the 400 or gt. Plenty of head room and spacious cabin. My GT has the carbon louvered tailgate so basically no rear view visibility lol. Clutch feel and engine response felt pretty much identical , no surprise there. The emira we test drove had the sports suspension (on good year tires) and felt very compliant, noticeably less stiff than the gt. I was told by the lotus rep that there was quite a bit of reworking of the chassis and suspension on this new model and that makes for a more refined/compliant ride. Turn in and steering feel all excellent as expected from lotus. Is it worth the upgrade? If you like the tech , upgraded interior , and new looks (which my wife does) , then I think it’s worth it. If you want more of the raw lotus experience then the 400/gt might be more up your ally.

Cheers,
Curt

 

[TomE]

Hi.

I am new to the forum and I thought I would post my thoughts on my test drive last week at Lotus in Bristol.

Fortunately, the car was specified mechanically the same as my order, namely: V6 manual with touring suspension.

The test route was not long enough or varied enough for me to comment much about the ride, handling, and steering. However, my gut feeling says that the car will prove to be very good in all of these respects.

Performance: as others have mentioned it is not dramatic and perhaps it is not quite as good as the power to weight would suggest it should be. That said the engine was very new and I suspect it will loosen up and perform better over time. In any event, it would not be a deal breaker for me because, on the twisties, I am sure it would prove to be more than enough. Moreover, you would be using more of the power more of the time (compared to something with genuine high performance) and that brings its own satisfaction and reward. The engine developed very linear power with a nice (albeit not exceptional) V6 engine note enhanced by supercharger whine for added interest.

Great exterior styling (although no better in the flesh than in photos in my opinion).

Really attractive and well-made interior (even better than I was expecting). The test car had a red leather interior which complimented the Nimbus grey paintwork and red brake calipers nicely. The steering wheel was in leather and I thought it was great. The driving position was good and the seats were comfortable although I did find the headrest (which seemed to be semi-spherical and bulbous) to be oddly uncomfortable compared to the flatter items that I am used to.

The gear change seemed precise and nice to use but slow - just as reported.

As others have mentioned I found the brakes a bit grabby and as such, they didn’t provide an ideal platform for heal and toe-down change. That said the salesman suggested this would improve when the brakes bedded in and, in any case, I am sure I would get used to them.

Overall It came across as a friendly, warm, characterful, and unintimidating sort of sports car. I felt good being in it and it put a smile on my face (for whatever it may be worth a very comparable product from Germany I tested recently as a benchmark failed to achieve this). I hope and suspect that it will prove to have a very well-judged blend of performance, ride, and handling that will be ideally suited to our less than perfect British roads.

Welcome to the forum, thanks for joining and taking the time to write a review.

I'm curious what your benchmarks are when you describe performance, interior etc - what cars have you owned and what other cars are you considering as well as the very comparable German one?

 

[Mac71]

Hi Tom

Thank you for your welcoming comments.

The other cars I have test driven recently are the Alpine A110 Pure, the Porsche 718 Boxter (I actually wanted to try the 718 Cayman GTS but the base Boxter was all the dealer had), and the 911 (992.1) Carerra GTS 2wd with lightweight package (the nearest equivalent the dealer had to the forthcoming 992.1 Carrera T that I was considering). On reflection, the Porsche models that I was actually able to drive are clearly not directly comparable to the Emira. Nonetheless, they gave me a rough idea of what to expect from the models I actually wanted to try (which are very much directly comparable to the Emira). Out of all the test drives, the Emira gave me the warmest feelings and put the biggest smile on my face. But it has to be said that the 2wd 911 Carrera GTS is utterly sublime and is still under consideration (although I would have to be content with waiting a long time to get one).

In terms of sports cars, at the moment I own R35 Nissan GT-R (with Litchfield stage 1 tune and suspension) which I have owned from new since 2013 (a fabulous car). Prior to that, I had a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 FQ340 from new in 2004 to 2017 (also fabulous) and prior to that a Caterham Seven Superlight R from new in 2000 to 2004 (great track car, but not so good a road car). As you can see I tend to keep cars for a long time and so I want to get it right...

Cheers

Patrick

 

[Blue Dude]

Just returned from Lotus in Winston. Planned on just checking out the car in person and sitting in it to get the feel.....They were ahead of schedule so they let me get in a test drive. Totally surreal experience. Loved the car and proud I didn't stall it since it's the first time I've driven a manual gearbox since I sold my Supra back in 2005. The Emira drives great, feels great, a real sports car, yet refined and comfortable. I put my deposit down before I left--yes it will be 1.5 to 2 years probably (who knows), but I'm still excited.

We both had similar experiences at Lotus in Winston. I'd never been there and found them to be very accommodating.

I'll basically echo what others have mentioned... Beautiful car. Fun to drive. Precise steering, brakes, and throttle. This Emira had Sport suspension on Goodyears and likely how I'd spec mine, didn't seem too rough to me. I also think the Emira makes some pretty cool sounds (exhaust, supercharger) that left me wanting to hear more and made the driving experience more of a special event.

Maybe of a little tidbit of news... The sunset prior to my test drive, so I was able to see how the lights performed. It wasn't incredibly dark during my drive, but dark enough to notice that the Emira's LED headlights projected a very nice, bright, crisp, white light that did a good job of lighting up the road.

I think this Lotus will be worth the wait.

 

[Tonyshepp]

I test drove today in Nottingham. Great route, mixture of town and country and fast A roads, rained all the time.

On the last leg of the journey I managed to lose the back end on a roundabout and ended up 180 degrees from where I started. This was in second gear in sport mode, it frightened me and my dealer. Luckily the other cars managed to break in time. I wasn't driving like a lunatic only 20mph ishh..

Performance of the car feels right coming from my V8 M3, plenty more torque then I'm used to
Interior is good but the seats I couldn't get comfy in easily. The headrest is weird like resting your head against a hard melon... Really odd.

KeF stereo got it finally working and set the equaliser on my phone, Amazon Prime streAming , it was good better, I actually got some bass, than my first experience using the radio as a benchmark.

Steering and cornering were sublime. Ride is sport was jiggy in town and not for me.

I then took out the Aston Vantage AMR manual, just couldn't get on with it. Mind you the gear know in the Emira felt like it hadn't been finished off, like the numbers were machined out rather then laser cut.
Took an automatic vantage out as well

Either car I'd be happy in.

During the Emira test drive kids were taking photos of the car and encouraging me to rev it at traffic lights...

Long and short of it is I'm turn between both auto vantage and Emira.

 

[ADC]

I test drove today in Nottingham. Great route, mixture of town and country and fast A roads, rained all the time.

On the last leg of the journey I managed to lose the back end on a roundabout and ended up 180 degrees from where I started. This was in second gear in sport mode, it frightened me and my dealer. Luckily the other cars managed to break in time. I wasn't driving like a lunatic only 20mph ishh..

If that was on Eagles (assuming demo spec thread is up to date), then Cup2's should definitely be a hard nope for UK road drivers outside of summer...

 

[Tonyshepp]

If that was on Eagles (assuming demo spec thread is up to date), then Cup2's should definitely be a hard nope for UK road drivers outside of summer...

it was on Goodyears I checked.

 

[Mctaff]

I test drove today in Nottingham. Great route, mixture of town and country and fast A roads, rained all the time.

On the last leg of the journey I managed to lose the back end on a roundabout and ended up 180 degrees from where I started. This was in second gear in sport mode, it frightened me and my dealer. Luckily the other cars managed to break in time. I wasn't driving like a lunatic only 20mph ishh..

Performance of the car feels right coming from my V8 M3, plenty more torque then I'm used to
Interior is good but the seats I couldn't get comfy in easily. The headrest is weird like resting your head against a hard melon... Really odd.

KeF stereo got it finally working and set the equaliser on my phone, Amazon Prime streAming , it was good better, I actually got some bass, than my first experience using the radio as a benchmark.

Steering and cornering were sublime. Ride is sport was jiggy in town and not for me.

I then took out the Aston Vantage AMR manual, just couldn't get on with it. Mind you the gear know in the Emira felt like it hadn't been finished off, like the numbers were machined out rather then laser cut.
Took an automatic vantage out as well

Either car I'd be happy in.

During the Emira test drive kids were taking photos of the car and encouraging me to rev it at traffic lights...

Long and short of it is I'm turn between both auto vantage and Emira.

Glad you didn’t crash!

Perhaps you get a prize for first loss of the rear end too….

 

[GJH]

Nimbus, touring, Bristol Rybrook, very wet

References for acceleration - Honda CBR600RR and (a very long time ago) a passenger in an F40 around Silverstone

References for sports cars - Triumph Spitfire and a 986 Boxster S

Lotus as a company baffles me. The test drive was about 1 mile in a residential area with speed bumps, 1 mile on an A road with 2 (count em, 2) corners, a few miles on a dual carriageway and a few miles on a motorway.

And that is supposed to be enough to make me spend £80k (I buy cars for cash as trying to work out PCP hurts my brain).

Leaving my confusion with Lotus' marketing strategy aside, I will be buying a sports car to visit my kids when they start going to university and (less likely, I know) as something that makes me want to just go out for a drive. Like when I was 17.

Is the Emira going to do that? I found it comfortable and easy to drive. Acceleration is noticeable but not manic (so I think will be very usable on the road), the gear change is smooth and quick, the interior uncluttered (my preference) and seemed good quality.

And it does look very pretty.

But will it make me smile every time I use it? No bloody idea as I spent nearly all my time going over speed bumps or overtaking lorries on the M5.

 

[vision]

Nimbus, touring, Bristol Rybrook, very wet

References for acceleration - Honda CBR600RR and (a very long time ago) a passenger in an F40 around Silverstone

References for sports cars - Triumph Spitfire and a 986 Boxster S

Lotus as a company baffles me. The test drive was about 1 mile in a residential area with speed bumps, 1 mile on an A road with 2 (count em, 2) corners, a few miles on a dual carriageway and a few miles on a motorway.

And that is supposed to be enough to make me spend £80k (I buy cars for cash as trying to work out PCP hurts my brain).

Leaving my confusion with Lotus' marketing strategy aside, I will be buying a sports car to visit my kids when they start going to university and (less likely, I know) as something that makes me want to just go out for a drive. Like when I was 17.

Is the Emira going to do that? I found it comfortable and easy to drive. Acceleration is noticeable but not manic (so I think will be very usable on the road), the gear change is smooth and quick, the interior uncluttered (my preference) and seemed good quality.

And it does look very pretty.

But will it make me smile every time I use it? No bloody idea as I spent nearly all my time going over speed bumps or overtaking lorries on the M5.

welcome to the club

 

[Tonyshepp]

Glad you didn’t crash!

Perhaps you get a prize for first loss of the rear end too….

I felt a right tool

 

[Mctaff]

Nimbus, touring, Bristol Rybrook, very wet

References for acceleration - Honda CBR600RR and (a very long time ago) a passenger in an F40 around Silverstone

References for sports cars - Triumph Spitfire and a 986 Boxster S

Lotus as a company baffles me. The test drive was about 1 mile in a residential area with speed bumps, 1 mile on an A road with 2 (count em, 2) corners, a few miles on a dual carriageway and a few miles on a motorway.

And that is supposed to be enough to make me spend £80k (I buy cars for cash as trying to work out PCP hurts my brain).

Leaving my confusion with Lotus' marketing strategy aside, I will be buying a sports car to visit my kids when they start going to university and (less likely, I know) as something that makes me want to just go out for a drive. Like when I was 17.

Is the Emira going to do that? I found it comfortable and easy to drive. Acceleration is noticeable but not manic (so I think will be very usable on the road), the gear change is smooth and quick, the interior uncluttered (my preference) and seemed good quality.

And it does look very pretty.

But will it make me smile every time I use it? No bloody idea as I spent nearly all my time going over speed bumps or overtaking lorries on the M5.

Agree the Bristol test route was appalling and I’m out based on lotus giving me zero opportunity to appreciate the cars strong points.

 

[Mctaff]

I felt a right tool

I’ll bet!!

 

[///M]

Nimbus, touring, Bristol Rybrook, very wet

References for acceleration - Honda CBR600RR and (a very long time ago) a passenger in an F40 around Silverstone

References for sports cars - Triumph Spitfire and a 986 Boxster S

Lotus as a company baffles me. The test drive was about 1 mile in a residential area with speed bumps, 1 mile on an A road with 2 (count em, 2) corners, a few miles on a dual carriageway and a few miles on a motorway.

And that is supposed to be enough to make me spend £80k (I buy cars for cash as trying to work out PCP hurts my brain).

Leaving my confusion with Lotus' marketing strategy aside, I will be buying a sports car to visit my kids when they start going to university and (less likely, I know) as something that makes me want to just go out for a drive. Like when I was 17.

Is the Emira going to do that? I found it comfortable and easy to drive. Acceleration is noticeable but not manic (so I think will be very usable on the road), the gear change is smooth and quick, the interior uncluttered (my preference) and seemed good quality.

And it does look very pretty.

But will it make me smile every time I use it? No bloody idea as I spent nearly all my time going over speed bumps or overtaking lorries on the M5.

My test drive is at Bristol, l will have a word before re the route !!!