November Challenge!!!

[Guido]

I’m so close to upgrading my Elise S2 to an Exige Sport 350. I’ve been offered £15k p/ex against a £43k Exige!!  This is a cash deal so I guess the dealership isn’t interested as there is no finance commission etc….. to be earned.

Apparently, £15k is the going price!!!  I fully appreciate and understand how p/ex works but this is a bloody insult. 
 

So come on, show me an Elise S2 (08MY) with 43,000 miles on the clock for £15k. I can’t find one. 

Packet of Hobnobs for the winner. 

Edited November 23, 2023 by Guido

[DeanB]

You could always sell it yourself.

You might want to give Jon Seal a call and ask him if he would buy it and if so for how much. It might not be that different to what you have been offered though as all dealers will need to spend a bit on prep and so on, advertising, covering their overheads and make a profit on top of all of that.

What are 08 Elises fetching retail anyway? Is it an S or an R?

[Guido]

It’s an S. Jon Seal have/had a white car similar to mine. 6 months older with no air con/hardtop etc….. for £20k. £5k mark up for the dealer is excessive IMHO. It was serviced 3 months ago so would only need oil & filter change for peace of mind.

If I had just wanted to sell my car, I’d have understood a little but I was looking for a deal on a £43k car.  They could have tried much much harder. £18k p/ex was my thinking.

Maybe this is why I’m not in the trade!!!   

[duncx]

It's a bad time of year for dealership be buying in  stock, unless the car is very keenly priced it will likely be taking up garage space for the next four or five months. If you think £5K markup is excessive just wait until you try p'exing your new 350

Gotta say that £43K is a low price for a 350 Sport so maybe the dealer has cut to the bone on the sale and is trying to get a more healthy return on the p'ex? Chopping in your old car for a 'new' one is all smoke and mirrors, it's the cost to change that you need to be focussing on, maybe the deal is not as bad as you think? I'm assuming here that it actually IS a Sport 350 and not an earlier 3.5S ?

Whatever, get a couple of quick adverts on here, PH and SELOC with your car priced at £18K, sorry no offers, and see what happens

Edited November 23, 2023 by duncx

[Eric]

Selling to a dealer will always be disappointing in terms of their PX offer.  As Duncx says: "it's the cost to change that you need to be focussing on" and that's the figure I've always used to determine whether any given deal is worth it.

Just to throw a spanner into the works though.  Have you driven an Exige 350?  I tried one at Lotus Silverstone a few years back and was totally underwhelmed by it.

I would suggest lining up test drives in both a 350 and a recent Elise 220 Sport.  You may actually find that the Elise is far more agreeable, being smaller, lighter, more nimble, and still very, very quick!

[Jonathan E]

Have a chat with Jamie at B&C, I’m not saying he will give you a better price but if you’re looking to part ex he will at least give you an honest price. Just for the record I agree with Eric^^^^ re an Elise.

Edited November 23, 2023 by Jonathan E

[Guido]

Thanks for everyones input. It’s very much appreciated. 
I think I’m going to take Eric’s advice and try a few side by side to get a true feeling for what it is I actually want.  Having slept on the idea, I might even keep my S2 Elise and look at a S2 Exige as well which will always be one of my favourite Lotus. 
 

I will put a case of Hobnobs in the boot of my Elise at the next Lotus event I go to and maybe I’ll bump into one or two of you!!

Edited November 24, 2023 by Guido

[Eric]

5 hours ago, Guido said:

I will put a case of Hobnobs in the boot of my Elise at the next Lotus event I go to and maybe I’ll bump into one or two of you!!

I really like Hobnobs, especially the milk chocolate ones .