No excuse for the lack of a courtesy vehicle. When my car went in for warranty work on a dented panel ( done before purchase and agreed to fix by dealer) they had non available so the service manager gave me his own car for a week! Things like that stick with you.
buck3366 well just remember that the managers car was intended to be used for customers to begin with and when not needed they can grab one until needed, so while he could’ve been a dick, he did what he was supposed to not so much above and beyond, these days I guess that is praise-worthy nonetheless
Alpine lied too. They claimed their A110 Premiere Edition has a kerb weight of 1103kg, but when Evo Magazine put their test car on the scales it weighed even less at 1094kg.
As a current owner, I totally agree with your points and they reflect both my experience and the experiences of other owners. I think the lack of curtesy cars when there's major failures is really shocking and sums the company up. I want to see Lotus improve, but they really don't seem to care about their customers at all. And like you, I've influenced quite a few people into buying a Lotus, but they really just don't care.
Sad to see her go, but VERY much understandable, mate! Big props for naming and shaming those deserving of it! Here's to the awesomeness of the Evora and what it's meant and been for you! (Also, it's now a dream car of mine directly because of you ;) )
I had an S2 Exige S240 for 2 years and drove it like a madman. 0 issues. Well... I had a broken foglight because I went 155😂 The most reliable car i've had.
Welcome to the club of previous Lotus owners. I experienced bad service in the USA too until not even any dealerships around me even existed anymore. I love Porsche now. Lotus makes great cars but poor post sales support.
If you are all stupid enough to go to an expensive local dealer who on top gives bad service also thats on you, I never had any trouble in service with my Lotus, never ever and it's cheap as fuck also. Bunch of wankers.
I try to do all my own work on a car or at least at home for that very reason. I have a 1st generation Ford Mustang and had some (not from the Ford dealer obviously) bad experiences with a local transmission shop when it started leaking very badly. I always wanted to do a Tremmec T5 swap into it (its an automatic) and now Im also considering upgrades to the ignition system and a new carburator to resolve fuel/air issues. But yeah, all dealerships will gouge you on services.
Thank you JayEmm! I’m a very happy 2012 Lotus Evora S driver. But my dealer is from heaven: Thierry Verhiest, Ostend, Belgium. Makes all the difference!
Well done for the time you had the Evora, I hope this video helps the new owners in the improvement of the brand. We are greatful to you for introducing us to; and making your Evora available to Charlie so we can continue in following its journey. We look forward to seeing what you choose to replace it.
I enjoyed listening to your story of why your lotus ownership has ended, it's crazy how many companies fall down when it comes to service/ customer care! Very short sighted of jct600 but onwards and upwards James, Excellent video and I'm looking forward to seeing your replaced for the Evora 🙂
Greetings from Portugal James. Your integrity throughout has always been a highlight of the channel and your video detailing this developmeant is in keeping with that tradition. I was sorry to learn you were selling the car but as with your other fans I’m not going anywhere. On a personal note, thanks for trusting me with the news. I look forward to seeing you again in the States or in England and I’m eager enjoy your experiences with the new car. Any new car purchase all boils down to the ownership experience in the end and that is reliant on good local service. When that fails a customer is left with no other choice As for us, we’re looking forward to getting home after a long but exciting trip.
I've been following you since the start. You're a big reason why I chose to buy my own Lotus Evora 400 a year ago... Now in the past year, I have only put 2k miles on it... yet I have been to the dealership for repairs FIVE TIMES!! There is a quality control issue and I've never felt fully 'comfortable' with the car. As far as dealers.. my local dealer in San Diego is an absolute joke... they are inept, clueless and really don't give a rats ass about Lotus... so I drive 100 miles away to Irvine to have my car serviced. I also have never, not once, heard from Lotus or a dealer about anything anytime... it's like they just want your money and to get rid of you. All this being said... it is a fun car to drive, very unique and gets lots of eyeballs...
@@Jdalio5 LOL - you must be a gluton for punishment, asking me to sell you the car after telling you all of my issues....lol Nope, don;t have it... the transmission went out and instead of paying 5k to repair it, I sold it that day to the dealer.... Horrible car.
Understood. I've enjoyed many of your Evora videos over the past 2 years. Best of luck with the next chapter of your channel and your new car. Of course I haven't unsubscribed! It's about the person and the style, more than just the car.
Honestly I have nothing good to say about JCT600. I have only experienced them through Porsche and I find them extremely rude. They think they are something special. They have such a bad attitude. I wish I could use another franchise for Porsche to get my car serviced at but all that are near to me are JCT. And it’s sad to see the lotus go, it sounded terrific!!
I wouldn’t want to put my experiences with them in the public domain, wouldn’t ever use them again for anything is all I can say, and thats with nearly 20 years of dealings. Thier sales team are fantastic, top notch..... then.... well....
Totally understand the reasons for moving on. Touch wood still enjoying my 400, and it will be 3 years old in December. Fingers crossed the enjoyment continues.
Owned my 2015 4c since new. Not a single problem and dealers (3 in my part of Michigan) have all been very good. Sadly Lotus no longer sold in US...but while an Exige 6 cylinder would be neat, past experience and reputation would be concerns. Here in US the 4C has proven to be reliable and bullet proof on track. With minor suspension tweaks and better tires (P stock tires emphasize tramming) they can be quite the track weapon. Previously owned a 1970 ALFA dueto bought new snd kept over 40 years. Also a 67 ALFA GTV SCCA road racer that was raced a couple of years. Have owned lots of cars from all countries but only ALFA stays in garage a long time.
@@RobertKarlBerta I’m four months late but what? Lotus is absolutely sold in the USA. Sure they lack a huge dealer network but there are even a few near you. One of the most well known is in Indianapolis. Look at the evora gt a car created just for the North American market by Lotus.
I've been watching your vids since you had 500 subscribers... I came to this channel because of the Evora, and me being a fan of Lotus, it was great to see first hand experience when purchasing a new lotus and the excitement that goes with it... Anyway I will stick around due to your great videos...Keep rocking
A sad day obviously but the best outcome for you. That car and your channel has created friendships as well as experiences and at least you will still see the car and have access to it. Excited for the reveal video, your next project looks really exciting.
I'm sorry to hear about your issues with your dealer network but I am glad that the sale worked out so well for you. I've enjoyed your Lotus 400 content and would still love to drive (and perhaps own) one someday. I'm very curious to see what you have replaced your 400 with. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for sharing all the great content on the Evora. Totally understand the reasons behind selling it and agree with you on the sub standard Lotus dealer network. I’m sure Charlie will love it.
This guy’s honesty is admirable. The amount of extra content he could of got if he was biased. He sticks true to his opinion. Your insurance can give you roadside assistance and courtesy car cover. I have a 2018 Yaris for 18 months now. I have this cover and Toyota hardly breaks down. It does happen on the odd occasion to Yaris owners.
I've just sold mine, I miss it as it has been replaced by an i8 which is a different beast all together (still good but less intense!) I purchased my 400 via lotus Silverstone which helped as they're nice people and are very much customer first. As per your comments on dealers, jct600 for a car like this is not a good mix, they have issues with porkers aswell so it isn't isolated. It also baffles me how they risk annoying a guy who started a video blog series on lotus due to the purchase of this car! If I ran the dealer you'd be treated like a loss leader to allow me to showcase what the dealer/brand could do, it's amazing arrogance that they would short change you when you have 20k subs. I hope you enjoy the new car I'll be sticking around!
Sad to see the Evora gone JayEmm but I hope you find the same passion for another marque. Thank you for sharing the journey with us and here's looking forward to seeing where go from here! Like quite a lot of people commenting I have nothing good to say about JCT600; having had dealings with JCT600 Peugeot and JCT600 Audi, I'm not convinced they could cheese in a sandwich without messing it up (language moderated at this point). Lotus Leeds are my nearest dealer but I vowed I'd never step foot over their threshold, I'll head much farther afield to avoid giving them business; based on your experiences it sounds like I made the right decision!
I was shocked when the notification popped in to say you had released a new video and I read the title!! From getting to know you from this channel I knew it would not be a clickbait title and I felt gutted. Gutted for me as I love the Evora and gutted for you as I knew how much you loved the car. Having seen your video I am angry at the dealer for depriving everyone on this channel the chance to see the car. The small saving grace is that Charlie has bought it, who I also follow but not as closely as you. I am definitely not unsubscribing and I look forward to seeing where you go from here. Good luck and chin up!
Thanks for your honesty and we look forward to see what you bought !!!! BTW off the back of your Channel I ignored your advice to by a S3 Exige and purchased a S2 260 RGB in Yellow ( number 1 of 10) Look forward to more videos Sir ! :)
Owning a 1971 Lotus Elan plus 2 I have found and I always say to people that it’s Lots Of Trouble Usually Simple instead of usually serious, great channel ! Keep up the good work 👍🏻
Hi James, the upside is your car journey is still in it's infancy and I'm sure there are many many more exciting adventures to come. So... now that you have seen the light, go get that Porsche and just drive and enjoy!
I owned a 2013 Lotus Evora S ips still under warranty.It was returned to the factory many times for faults. The worst was it would suddenly go into ‘limp home’ mode.The factory were unable to fix it so I reluctantly sold it and bought a new Jaguar F type S.
I have had it for 3 years now with a number of problems which were fixed under warranty.The 2 major issues were a knocking in the roof (which was a missed adhesive and involved a strip down) and corrosion of the rear x member which was replaced.Jaguar have extended the warranty by 1 year.I am now very pleased with the car and the dealer , Marshalls ,Peterborough have been excellent.
James - I will always be grateful for your help in getting me into my first Lotus. Your videos sealed the deal. Shame about the Evora but I understand and respect your decision. Would be good to see you back in a different Lotus soon. My Elise 220 is not my daily, and will always be simply a great sports car and great fun drive. Perhaps a return to an Elise is something that you'd consider. Good luck J
Hi JayEmm. Firstly, thanks for all the great video's - has it really been 2 yrs? Of course like many, I started watching because of the Lotus content, so good news that you'll keep some Lotus features going even with the E400 gone. Yup, kinda sad when I read on TLF you'd sold it, but its your car / money / choice. I think over the years you've treaded a finely judged line between telling us what you really think of things, yet not aimed to piss anyone off - a level of honestly thats is lacking elsewhere. I've owned many Lotus', but never picked-up the full tab, as I've always bought them used & maintained them myself - so I can fully understand that good customer care is expected when buying new from a dealer. Lets see what the future brings for both Lotus under Geely & your channel.... either way I'm sure it will be a great journey. Cheers
Really sorry to see it sold, I do think it’s a shame and I can appreciate the supercharger going will have created some concern about ongoing costs as it comes out of warranty, compounded by dealer / lotus support (lack of)...seems the cars done its job for you though, which was to support the launch of your channel. I’d already planned for an Evora and the content you’ve delivered really kept me on track!! My guess is you will miss this car, they get under your skin, mine certainly has and I’ve only had it 4 months!
after talking to our Lotus tech locally it seems the first run 2017 evoras did have many issues. some small, some big. the 2018 seems to be better and has not had the same issues. first run models always seem to be problematic.
Lotus makes really great cars. I had an Elise SC and loved it. The problem, at least here in Canada, is a lack of supply. Cars are sitting unsold on lots in the USA, but they cannot be shipped to Canada, where there are maybe 3 cars in stock for the whole country!
I was soooo close to purchasing a 2017 Red Evora 400. Thank you Jay for responding to my messages. it was beautiful. Something kept nagging at me down deep and I just could not pull the trigger. I drove by Carlock In Nashville yesterday and they had a neon looking green Evora. Oh my it was so awesome to see. That being said something inside me tells me that I am glad that I passed. The more research that I saw about so many issues the better I feel. I will stick with my Audi TTS for now. I know it is not a purist drive but I really enjoy the interior and it is plenty quick. I do love the look of this car. Maybe someday Lotus will get their issues down to a minimum. Good luck Jay on your new ride. Maybe check out the new Supra. It is on my radar but my TTS is really giving me what I need.
Thanks JayEmm for all your videos on your Evora. I've seen your car in the flesh many times as I live 30 miles North of London and seen it at various car shows and have always admired it I feel sad for the way you've been treated by JCT600. Seems like another case for we've got your money and now we don't care big company attitude. I always looked forward to the Evora videos as I own a N/A IPS for nearly 3 years now and it's been a amazing and reliable car so I will miss your updates. Best of luck with your new car whatever it is.... Im not unsubscribing as I want to see what it is....😃
Wow !!! really didn't expect that James, thought she was a keeper, but I can see your point for sure... and after all the great content and entertainment you have given me I will not be unsubscribing at all ,in fact looking forward to up and coming adventures and new cars .. cheers mate 😀😀😀
Here in the USA poor Lotus Dealership support is all to common. I refuse to take my 2011 Evora to the dealer that I bought it from new. Every warranty visit resulted in more problems. Dealer could care less about the Lotus portion of their dealership. Dealership would rather support Aston Martin and Lamborghini. Over the last 8 years I would say overall the car has performed well and have had no major problems, just strange minor problems. Good luck on the next adventure
I have just exchanged my 400 for a new 410gt. I have not experienced any problems over 2 years save a squeaky door handle admittedly with low mileage. Had to replace the battery because I left the car too long and it drained to zero. For me the best way to enjoy the car is something for the weekend if you can afford something beyond the daily driver. The need or anguish about not getting there diminishes. It still is one of the greatest bang for the buck in supercars. I am concerned that with Geely and pollution rules this may be the last of the V6 engines (Volvo is all 4 cylinders now); Keep the channel going.
Your cataloging your niggling problems with your beautiful Lotus reminds me of my life lessons from my first car, a Triumph GT6 MKIII. I have been pining for a Lotus the last four years. This video confirms that the modern Lotus models are brilliant designs, meagerly executed. Triumph motorcycle company has done a superb effort of recreating their product. I vote for Triumph taking over Lotus! In the mean time, I'll stick to my budget Boxster, z3, and MX5. : )
So funny, same story here. Moved from Elise R to Evora S. One of the first supercharged Evora. Sad to hear, that they have not improved much since 2011. Loved the car, but so unreliable: bent brake disks, A pilar replaced, dashboard replaced 4 times, oil line replaced, wheel bearings replaced (12 hours before we had booked a ferry for a road trip to Scotland 🏴), seat wobbled, horrible gear change, dealer dented the wheels... and probably forgot another dozen wiggles the car had. Final nail in the coffin was that the catalyst disintegrated and killed the entire exhaust system. Out of guarantee for 3 months. Gave it back to the dealer unrepaired. But all the other things you mentioned are also true: Great camaraderie amongst Lotus owners. Car got a great reception everywhere, very positive. Road trip through Scotland we met other Lotus owners who took us along on some great drives. Do I miss it? Certainly not, moved on to Porsche and will not go back. Also much more track focussed but Lotuses do not perform on track, Lotus horsepower are less than others.
Sorry to hear you comments about the selling Dealer,I can add that my local Dealer Murray now Leven Lotus sell quite a few down south and would rate the customer service as the best. On my second Evora from them.
Started watching the channel for the evora content so I'm sad to see her go but as an Evora owner, all be it in Dubai, I know the pain of ownership. Can't wait to see what comes next.
Agree mate...I bought a brand new Excel back in the 80s from JCT600 Bradford, completely useless. Loads of problems, squeaking windows, scratchy engine etc. Gave it back within 28 days. Bunch of idiots unless they're taking cash.
I don’t doubt any of the things you’ve stated here but have you approached lotus or the dealership for a response? It would have been good to hear their side of the story.
sorry to hear jay. your evora was the main reason why i followed your channel. there are not many lotus content on youtube. hope you will still review lotuses in future. will still support you regardless of your next car, keep up the good work. btw i'm a subaru brz owner from malaysia, in 5-6 years i may be looking at a used evora 400/410, m2, boxster/cayman. would you still recommened someone to go for a used evora 400 say from 2017 manufacturing date onwards? knowing that you once told 2016 batch had a lot of issues.
Ive owned an exige for a decade and live an equal distance from both the oakmere and jct dealerships. Went to oakmere for the first service and have stuck with them since as found them to be very helpful and friendly. Phoenix Motorsports (Ollie) in Lancashire, whilst not a dealership, is a lotus specialist with great customer service
As someone who has owned an Elise for 9 years, I am not surprised. It's all the Lotus specific stuff that will drive you nuts. The rock solid powertrain and out of this world driving experience are the only reasons I have kept mine so long. It is almost a requirement for a Lotus owner in the U.S.A. to be handy in the garage because the service network is spread thin.
Afraid I totally agree ! I’ve owned (Your welcome to check) 2 x brand new Lotus Elise R’s 2 x Lotus Elise R’s - supplied by Lotus Dealer 1 x Lotus Elise SC (S2) direct from Lotus Cars 1 x Lotus Elise SC (S3) Lotus dealer Lotus 2 11 Lotus Dealer Lotus Evora NA Lotus Dealer Lotus Elise S (S3) Lotus dealer Treated exactly the same ! That’s why I haven’t bought another Lotus.
Great to see honesty, I'm thinking Lotus should be at least sponsoring you for all the advice and content you've put there way as well as the many new customers they have gained over the past two years directly from your content.... Unfortunately car dealers have the worst customer service almost out of all verticals.... Im hoping you may at some point get the Exige 350 + or a cup version for your new car
Such a shame to hear you've sold it! I know only a minor part of your decision but I strongly feel if you had bought from a dealer like Bell & Colvill you would have got that "welcome to the family" feeling as I know first hand they do lots of events and trackdays for their customers I've been on. It has been great to watch your videos on it and the 400 has been placed on my must have bucket list because of them! Looking forward to seeing what's replacing it!!
True story - The late great Roger Moore enquired in to buying an Esprit after making The Spy Who Loved Me, Lotus offered him a 2% discount. Good old Lotus.
Guess I’m lucky to be living in the Netherlands because Willem and Jan van der Kooij are the best when it comes to customer service and involvement. Sorry to hear that there are so manu people out there that are not happy with there Lotus dealers. I’ve got a Lotus Elise cup250 for about 9 months, have driven about 18.000 km’s with it and I still absolutely love it!
That’s what I’m hoping with their next plant upgrades but the dealer experience is vital as they are the front end of the business. I’ve put a deposit down for an Emira so if i do go for one Lotus they must get the customer service right.
Sorry to see you go JayEmm - I would say that you're one of the reasons I upgraded to an Evora 400. Your comments about the failure of your dealer to create a an enjoyable owner experience ring true to me. Fortunately for me, the local dealer in Sydney - Simply Sports Cars - has always been brilliant. Lotus only track days, owner support for the Targa rally events, exceptional customer service etc have really made the difference to me in the total experience. I think your expectations as a new car buyer are optimistic at best. The best dealer service I've ever had have been with Lexus who would pick up the car from home and leave a courtesy car - but I think they are exceptional.
Peter Wolsey I had the pleasure of meeting the SSC guys in Melbourne just this week, great passion and integrity - true enthusiasts, helping educate me on my planned Evora S purchase. JayEmm - echoing other folks thanks for your open ness, transparency and style and all the best !
I was stuck with a faulty engine sensor on my TTRS in the middle of the alps. Would only rev to 2000rpm. Audi fixed it within 2 days, over christmas, with parts overnight shipped from Germany. Of course I got a free rental car from them. And had they not been able to fix mine, I could have taken any transportation to my home town (including said rental car), while my car would have been delivered to my doorstep once fixed. All for zero money. This is how customer service is done.
To me it has always been the dream car. This damning report should lead to a very public Lotus apology to you, whilst at the same time committing to a courtesy cars guarantee for "under warranty" repairs, an improved customer desk, improved customer relations including pro active new-car clients activities and publications and a quality control system for their dealers. I think if they do not do this a video like this will be result in a major (further) drop in sales for the foreseeable future. I am amazed they have not responded yet. Also this must be infuriating to many of the Lotus staff, it cannot be very motivating for all those excellent engineers to see their customer service department kill off so publicly all their good work? Jay, please post a new video if they do respond, your video is exceptionally valuable for prospective buyers. Finally can you disclose your sale price? It may help people contemplating buying a second hand Lotus (if they still dare....) Thx for the video!
Hi Bert Unfortunately I do not think Lotus will pay any attention to this video, but it is clear from the comments which dealers care and which do not. The sale price of the car is a private matter but all I will say is they hold their money well
I get you man..having a shitty dealership for your dreamcar is just big bollocks...i went to see for my first lotus here in belgium and there was one dealer here that was just utter crap at customer support and service,selling the car to someone else when i had an appointment for a test drive i was like wtf?! A little while i bought my dreamcar a blue lotus elise 111r as u can see on my channel..bought in belgium in oostend lotus and everytime i walk in for a chat and just my regular service the owner of the whole thing allways give me a handshake and is allways real nice and talkative..i mean there are still good dealers out there for lotus,sucks you had bad experience with your dealer...hope this wont be your last lotus tho...keep up your channel,because its bang on amazing!keep up your good work!!!
It’s 2020, any word if those reliability issues, especially the supercharger, have been fixed? Was debating between this car or the C8 corvette but I just absolutely refuse to use paddles when driving. Paddles are for water.
A bit of a shock!! Although saying that I did think that you skated over the supercharger braking in the last updated and now I see why. You have managed to ignite a interest in lotus for me and hopefully next year if finance dictate I will serious consider a Evora.
Not spoken out about this in public forums before, but I had a dream of owning a Lotus for 25 years. The content on this channel fuelled that passion and I bought an Exige 350 in October last year (new from Williams). What subsequently followed was the worst 10 months of my life. The worst customer care you will have ever experienced. The boot release broke on day 1 within 2 hours of picking up the car. Took it back, couldn’t fix it, so they gave me a mole wrench to pull the cable for one month. No courtesy car, no lift to the train station.....a fu*&ing mole wrench on a £65k car. After 2 months without the car, returned back and broke again first time out. Same problem. Not the only issue on the car, but what followed was 8 months of hell....but ended in a full refund of the car.....sorted eventually by the finance company after financial Ombudsman was involved. Long story, but Williams & Lotus factory were a total waste of space......and the dream is now over. Won’t touch the brand again. Tip :- buy the car with financé and you will have Independent support if something goes badly wrong. Otherwise you are screwed. Ps - other then that, my Exige was a fantastic car to drive....but I have bought cars for a fraction of the cost with less problems. Problems spoil the pleasure. No pleasure, no love. I see people in a Lotus now and wonder what pain and frustration have they actually tolerated in their ownership experience. One last thing......anyone I have spoken to that owns a Lotus have always been nice people...... I feel Lotus have missed a trick somewhere.
Whilst I haven't experienced as bad as that, I sympathise. My new one had its own issues and a friend's got rejected due to mechanical problems. There's lots that goes on that stays hidden with this brand some out it due to love, some of it vociferous support.
Mate, totally sympathise with you on all points. I bought a launch model Evora S from JCT Leeds years ago (when they were at the Ferrari/Maserati/Aston location) and had nothing but issues. Poor dealer help, unresolved issues, recalls galore. 3 month wait on parts when someone rear ended it. It really did leave me frustrated. Amazing car but owning made me angry, So I chopped it in. Sad to see the ownership experience has not changed. I had a Exige S prior to that and had zero issues (purchased from Christopher Neil) but really only had JCT service it.
You were the reason I decided to buy my Exige 350. I was confused by the S, CS etc and you helped clear it all up. Hearing about your supercharger blowing up has freaked me out. If it breaks I can't afford to fix it. The service you got from JCT is also why I avoided them when searching for my car. Sorry to hear they fobbed you off like that! Even if they said sorry we can't but we will split it 50/50 it would've been better as a gesture! I'd also like to say B&C are brilliant, especially Jamie. I'm servicing my car with them even though I have a local dealer over 100 miles closer, again, because of Jamie. Good luck with your search and I hope to see you back in a Lotus. P.S. ignore the haters. Your "rant" is justified, warranty and value of the vehicle qualify us/you for better service that simply wasn't even close to existing!
I was about to say why, but you made a good point. Same point as to why we got rid of our quadrifoglio. Customer service was awful and the closest dealer was 100 miles away, plus when we sent it in for its limp mode issue, it had to go in 3 times and still wasn't fixed. So does that mean you're buying a used muscle. 😂💪👍
@@JayEmmOnCars no joke if the car didn't have that stupid issue then there's no point to let it go, it was alot of car for the money. I'll still watch your channel even if you go to different car brands. Unless you go to the dark side of fanboyism. 😂👍
Interested to see what you replace it with. I occasionally think about selling my S, but can never quite go through with it. Mainly because I really can't see what else I'd buy as a replacement. Oh and thanks to you, I'm still desperate to by an Excel...
Sorry to watch this video. Nick Murray another you tuber had major issues with his previous 911. He used his channel to help persuade Porsche North America to do the right thing. He had an M4, but returned to a 991 911.
Having worked in the industry for 35 years customer service is paramount, regardless of price and I was in the volume game. If I was buying a super car at these sort of prices then service is a must and my expectations would be on the ceiling. So who is the best if you have your lottery win?
A 2+2, so two adults and two children can go away for an exciting holiday in it, as long as a small van comes along with luggage. What were Lotus thinking.?? A type 50 2+2 at least had luggage space.
Thank you so much. I was really looking into buying a used GT as a retirement gift but can see now I'll just enjoy my 370z which has been fantastic! Service included... Cheers
Long Stratton Lotus are great mechanics and do fantastic work, but their lack of courtesy car is a joke! When I took my Elan in for a new radiator 3 years ago, they did give me a falling apart VW Polo which they said I had to pay for insurance for it myself which cost me 50 quid so not as bad as your cost of hiring a car, but if you bought the car from new...really falls short of the "Lotus Experience"
You were failed, my dad bought a used Lexus es350, that’s a pretty entry level Lexus with the NA 3.5 V6, he got it about 3 years ago almost and it was about 3 years old, it’s a 2013 i believe. Every time it has a dashboard light go off, or a airbag recall, even when he needed a tire repaired, they throw him the keys to a newer/better equipped car & they’ll even drive his car to him and pick up the loaner if he so desires. For a glorified Camry worth about $15k iirc
Sorry to hear of the dealer issues you had, very surprising in this day and age, it seems from my own experience that Porsche dealers are at the other end of the spectrum in terms of customer service, just saying.
All IMO could be very wrong. Watch the making of the Elise documentary from the early 2000 late 90s, that will show you what kind of company they are. Summery; they just make great unique cars, really thats all they've been good at, as a bod of engineers and designers. They do have their new owner/governors so it may change? I feel like a Lotus is something you have to take ownership of, where a warranty is only a few years direct with the factory at lead times and postage cost. If you are buying for after sales then I don't think a lotus is there at the moment.
S2 Elise, 15k+ miles and a few minor issue nothing serious apart from transmission oil being spilt (must've been the first owner to actually drive it fast) and a faulty headgasket...which I had coming, so no blame on lotus...dealerships however...oh no...won't see me there again ever...I have my car guru now and he's brilliant!
Fair do, good rant well explained. It's sad when a great car is sullied by problems and poor customer service. But I hope you are getting a Lancia Delta Integrale Evo II. That would be something....
I have to say that my experience of both the Lotus factory and my dealership Lotus Silverstone, has been completely opposite to yours. Any problems I have had with my Elise which was collected 18 months ago and ordered new have been dealt with in a very timely and professional manner. Since ordering my car the level of care and service has been second to none and as someone who has bought privately a number of new cars from Nissan, Audi, Seat and VW in the last 8 years my experience with Lotus has, by a considerable margin been the best. My only comment about JCT600 would be, that many years ago, having just graduated and secured my first job as am automotive engineer, I walked into their Porsche dealership to view the cars and within 5 mins was asked to leave as I clearly was not buying. This one action 30 years ago, has meant I have no interest at all in ever buying a Porsche !
Nothing but the truth of story of the British moter dealership in general .Friday fun for so many across Britain even though it's the mobile phone age. Never breakdown on a Friday and worst are the days of TVR.
I had problems with JCT600 Porsche back in 2007 when I had my Boxster S. They truly do not give a toss about customer service in any shape or form. Regarding your Lotus you'd have been better with a Cayman GT4. Better, faster car and you'd have probably made money on it..
![โอ้เธอช่าง... - บี้เดอะสกา ft. ต๋อง เทวัญ (Prod. by ป๋าเพชร) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zbWhiLFmVL0/mqdefault.jpg)
No excuse for the lack of a courtesy vehicle. When my car went in for warranty work on a dented panel ( done before purchase and agreed to fix by dealer) they had non available so the service manager gave me his own car for a week! Things like that stick with you.
buck3366 well just remember that the managers car was intended to be used for customers to begin with and when not needed they can grab one until needed, so while he could’ve been a dick, he did what he was supposed to not so much above and beyond, these days I guess that is praise-worthy nonetheless
Alpine lied too. They claimed their A110 Premiere Edition has a kerb weight of 1103kg, but when Evo Magazine put their test car on the scales it weighed even less at 1094kg.
Preposterous !!
Your openness is refreshing and I hope all goes well with your new purchase. I look forward to seeing what it is.
As a current owner, I totally agree with your points and they reflect both my experience and the experiences of other owners. I think the lack of curtesy cars when there's major failures is really shocking and sums the company up. I want to see Lotus improve, but they really don't seem to care about their customers at all. And like you, I've influenced quite a few people into buying a Lotus, but they really just don't care.
Sad to see her go, but VERY much understandable, mate! Big props for naming and shaming those deserving of it! Here's to the awesomeness of the Evora and what it's meant and been for you! (Also, it's now a dream car of mine directly because of you ;) )
I had an S2 Exige S240 for 2 years and drove it like a madman. 0 issues. Well... I had a broken foglight because I went 155😂 The most reliable car i've had.
Love my S2 Exige as well. Sold my E30 M3 to buy the Lotus and never looked back.
how does speed break foglight?
@@DimiGem Rocks
On a track I assume? 😉
Welcome to the club of previous Lotus owners. I experienced bad service in the USA too until not even any dealerships around me even existed anymore. I love Porsche now. Lotus makes great cars but poor post sales support.
Porsche aren't perfect but Lotus could learn a few lessons from them
skrads i agree i was accused by a lotus rep of damaging my own car. I dont do work at the dealership anymore, closest dealership is 209 miles away.
If you are all stupid enough to go to an expensive local dealer who on top gives bad service also thats on you, I never had any trouble in service with my Lotus, never ever and it's cheap as fuck also. Bunch of wankers.
I try to do all my own work on a car or at least at home for that very reason. I have a 1st generation Ford Mustang and had some (not from the Ford dealer obviously) bad experiences with a local transmission shop when it started leaking very badly. I always wanted to do a Tremmec T5 swap into it (its an automatic) and now Im also considering upgrades to the ignition system and a new carburator to resolve fuel/air issues. But yeah, all dealerships will gouge you on services.
@Daniel Caine love you 2 baby.
Thank you JayEmm! I’m a very happy 2012 Lotus Evora S driver. But my dealer is from heaven: Thierry Verhiest, Ostend, Belgium. Makes all the difference!
i own a lotus Evora sport with 17000euro of extra, i bought it with Thierry in ostend and i am happy with their service !!
Well done for the time you had the Evora, I hope this video helps the new owners in the improvement of the brand. We are greatful to you for introducing us to; and making your Evora available to Charlie so we can continue in following its journey. We look forward to seeing what you choose to replace it.
Thanks Henry
Lotus should employ a customer service 'fixer'in to sort stuff out. He be a busy person mind you!
They have customer service people but don't give them any resources!
Are you going to pay for that? Everything costs money mate
I enjoyed listening to your story of why your lotus ownership has ended, it's crazy how many companies fall down when it comes to service/ customer care! Very short sighted of jct600 but onwards and upwards James, Excellent video and I'm looking forward to seeing your replaced for the Evora 🙂
Thanks Ryan
Greetings from Portugal James. Your integrity throughout has always been a highlight of the channel and your video detailing this developmeant is in keeping with that tradition. I was sorry to learn you were selling the car but as with your other fans I’m not going anywhere. On a personal note, thanks for trusting me with the news. I look forward to seeing you again in the States or in England and I’m eager enjoy your experiences with the new car.
Any new car purchase all boils down to the ownership experience in the end and that is reliant on good local service. When that fails a customer is left with no other choice
As for us, we’re looking forward to getting home after a long but exciting trip.
Safe travels Lew
I've been following you since the start. You're a big reason why I chose to buy my own Lotus Evora 400 a year ago...
Now in the past year, I have only put 2k miles on it... yet I have been to the dealership for repairs FIVE TIMES!! There is a quality control issue and I've never felt fully 'comfortable' with the car.
As far as dealers.. my local dealer in San Diego is an absolute joke... they are inept, clueless and really don't give a rats ass about Lotus... so I drive 100 miles away to Irvine to have my car serviced.
I also have never, not once, heard from Lotus or a dealer about anything anytime... it's like they just want your money and to get rid of you.
All this being said... it is a fun car to drive, very unique and gets lots of eyeballs...
Do you still own the car? Have the problems been sorted out yet? If you ever want to sell the car I'm looking for one.
@@Jdalio5
LOL - you must be a gluton for punishment, asking me to sell you the car after telling you all of my issues....lol
Nope, don;t have it... the transmission went out and instead of paying 5k to repair it, I sold it that day to the dealer.... Horrible car.
Understood. I've enjoyed many of your Evora videos over the past 2 years. Best of luck with the next chapter of your channel and your new car. Of course I haven't unsubscribed! It's about the person and the style, more than just the car.
Thanks Brian
Honestly I have nothing good to say about JCT600. I have only experienced them through Porsche and I find them extremely rude. They think they are something special. They have such a bad attitude. I wish I could use another franchise for Porsche to get my car serviced at but all that are near to me are JCT.
And it’s sad to see the lotus go, it sounded terrific!!
Also jct are a bunch of liars. The number of times they have tried to rip me off... 😡🤬
I wouldn’t want to put my experiences with them in the public domain, wouldn’t ever use them again for anything is all I can say, and thats with nearly 20 years of dealings. Thier sales team are fantastic, top notch..... then.... well....
Totally understand the reasons for moving on. Touch wood still enjoying my 400, and it will be 3 years old in December. Fingers crossed the enjoyment continues.
And this sums up why people don't buy Lotus, I had better service from Alfa dealers with my 4C
Caterham got the British Leyland parts bin. Lotus got the Ford/GM ones
Yes but you had a 4C so they had to do something to make you feel special :)
I had great service at the Alfa dealer for my 4C.
Owned my 2015 4c since new. Not a single problem and dealers (3 in my part of Michigan) have all been very good. Sadly Lotus no longer sold in US...but while an Exige 6 cylinder would be neat, past experience and reputation would be concerns. Here in US the 4C has proven to be reliable and bullet proof on track. With minor suspension tweaks and better tires (P stock tires emphasize tramming) they can be quite the track weapon. Previously owned a 1970 ALFA dueto bought new snd kept over 40 years. Also a 67 ALFA GTV SCCA road racer that was raced a couple of years. Have owned lots of cars from all countries but only ALFA stays in garage a long time.
@@RobertKarlBerta I’m four months late but what? Lotus is absolutely sold in the USA. Sure they lack a huge dealer network but there are even a few near you. One of the most well known is in Indianapolis.
Look at the evora gt a car created just for the North American market by Lotus.
I've been watching your vids since you had 500 subscribers... I came to this channel because of the Evora, and me being a fan of Lotus, it was great to see first hand experience when purchasing a new lotus and the excitement that goes with it... Anyway I will stick around due to your great videos...Keep rocking
I really appreciate it!
A sad day obviously but the best outcome for you. That car and your channel has created friendships as well as experiences and at least you will still see the car and have access to it. Excited for the reveal video, your next project looks really exciting.
I'm sorry to hear about your issues with your dealer network but I am glad that the sale worked out so well for you. I've enjoyed your Lotus 400 content and would still love to drive (and perhaps own) one someday. I'm very curious to see what you have replaced your 400 with. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for sharing all the great content on the Evora. Totally understand the reasons behind selling it and agree with you on the sub standard Lotus dealer network. I’m sure Charlie will love it.
He's already in love, I hope she treats him well
That supercharger better hold on tight ;)
What’s an addition warranty on this going to cost. Once looked into one for my Porker.
There is no official Lotus extended warranty
This guy’s honesty is admirable. The amount of extra content he could of got if he was biased. He sticks true to his opinion. Your insurance can give you roadside assistance and courtesy car cover. I have a 2018 Yaris for 18 months now. I have this cover and Toyota hardly breaks down. It does happen on the odd occasion to Yaris owners.
I've just sold mine, I miss it as it has been replaced by an i8 which is a different beast all together (still good but less intense!)
I purchased my 400 via lotus Silverstone which helped as they're nice people and are very much customer first. As per your comments on dealers, jct600 for a car like this is not a good mix, they have issues with porkers aswell so it isn't isolated. It also baffles me how they risk annoying a guy who started a video blog series on lotus due to the purchase of this car! If I ran the dealer you'd be treated like a loss leader to allow me to showcase what the dealer/brand could do, it's amazing arrogance that they would short change you when you have 20k subs.
I hope you enjoy the new car I'll be sticking around!
Thanks for your support Richard
You may as well have bought a Camry then.
U bought overpriced Prius with 3 cylinder
I8 , thought u liked cars?. Would rather have a wheelchair or scooter.
Thanks for a well considered video that articulates the frustration that can sometimes come with exotic car ownership.
Thanks for watching
Sad to see the Evora gone JayEmm but I hope you find the same passion for another marque. Thank you for sharing the journey with us and here's looking forward to seeing where go from here! Like quite a lot of people commenting I have nothing good to say about JCT600; having had dealings with JCT600 Peugeot and JCT600 Audi, I'm not convinced they could cheese in a sandwich without messing it up (language moderated at this point). Lotus Leeds are my nearest dealer but I vowed I'd never step foot over their threshold, I'll head much farther afield to avoid giving them business; based on your experiences it sounds like I made the right decision!
Really enjoyed your honesty within this film, customer service counts for everything when you buy a new car, regardless of price.
Absolutely, the idea of no hassle is why people use dealers rather than just buying private
I was shocked when the notification popped in to say you had released a new video and I read the title!! From getting to know you from this channel I knew it would not be a clickbait title and I felt gutted. Gutted for me as I love the Evora and gutted for you as I knew how much you loved the car. Having seen your video I am angry at the dealer for depriving everyone on this channel the chance to see the car.
The small saving grace is that Charlie has bought it, who I also follow but not as closely as you. I am definitely not unsubscribing and I look forward to seeing where you go from here. Good luck and chin up!
Thanks Ray!
Thanks for your honesty and we look forward to see what you bought !!!!
BTW off the back of your Channel I ignored your advice to by a S3 Exige and purchased a S2 260 RGB in Yellow ( number 1 of 10)
Look forward to more videos Sir ! :)
Oooh nice choice
Owning a 1971 Lotus Elan plus 2 I have found and I always say to people that it’s Lots Of Trouble Usually Simple instead of usually serious, great channel ! Keep up the good work 👍🏻
Hi James, the upside is your car journey is still in it's infancy and I'm sure there are many many more exciting adventures to come. So... now that you have seen the light, go get that Porsche and just drive and enjoy!
I owned a 2013 Lotus Evora S ips still under warranty.It was returned to the factory many times for faults.
The worst was it would suddenly go into ‘limp home’ mode.The factory were unable to fix it so I reluctantly sold it and bought a new Jaguar F type S.
How has the Jaguar ownership been like since then? Because I've heard that they also tend to be not as reliable.
I have had it for 3 years now with a number of problems which were fixed under warranty.The 2 major issues were a knocking in the roof (which was a missed adhesive and involved a strip down) and corrosion of the rear x member which was replaced.Jaguar have extended the warranty by 1 year.I am now very pleased with the car and the dealer , Marshalls ,Peterborough have been excellent.
That's probably a good idea to extend the warranty, thanks for the response!
James - I will always be grateful for your help in getting me into my first Lotus. Your videos sealed the deal. Shame about the Evora but I understand and respect your decision. Would be good to see you back in a different Lotus soon. My Elise 220 is not my daily, and will always be simply a great sports car and great fun drive. Perhaps a return to an Elise is something that you'd consider. Good luck J
It's definitely a consideration John
And they supported Seb Dellanney..........
Seb who?
Seb best car vlogger
@@Steven-eb5op pffffffffffff
and he has the most annoying voice on you tube i just cannot listen to him
Hi JayEmm. Firstly, thanks for all the great video's - has it really been 2 yrs? Of course like many, I started watching because of the Lotus content, so good news that you'll keep some Lotus features going even with the E400 gone. Yup, kinda sad when I read on TLF you'd sold it, but its your car / money / choice. I think over the years you've treaded a finely judged line between telling us what you really think of things, yet not aimed to piss anyone off - a level of honestly thats is lacking elsewhere. I've owned many Lotus', but never picked-up the full tab, as I've always bought them used & maintained them myself - so I can fully understand that good customer care is expected when buying new from a dealer. Lets see what the future brings for both Lotus under Geely & your channel.... either way I'm sure it will be a great journey. Cheers
Thanks for your support Sean
Really sorry to see it sold, I do think it’s a shame and I can appreciate the supercharger going will have created some concern about ongoing costs as it comes out of warranty, compounded by dealer / lotus support (lack of)...seems the cars done its job for you though, which was to support the launch of your channel. I’d already planned for an Evora and the content you’ve delivered really kept me on track!!
My guess is you will miss this car, they get under your skin, mine certainly has and I’ve only had it 4 months!
Definitely gonna miss it. No doubts there.
after talking to our Lotus tech locally it seems the first run 2017 evoras did have many issues. some small, some big. the 2018 seems to be better and has not had the same issues. first run models always seem to be problematic.
Wonder how reliable the non-supercharged Evoras are. Whats it like to have for 100K plus miles? A dead supercharger wasnt as bad as I was expecting.
Lotus makes really great cars. I had an Elise SC and loved it. The problem, at least here in Canada, is a lack of supply. Cars are sitting unsold on lots in the USA, but they cannot be shipped to Canada, where there are maybe 3 cars in stock for the whole country!
I love the cars
That changed 2020 .... tons of cars in Canada now sitting and overpriced
Somewhere in Tennessee,at the precise moment this video was posted, Scotty Kilmer let out a deep,profound cry of agony and regret.
I was soooo close to purchasing a 2017 Red Evora 400. Thank you Jay for responding to my messages. it was beautiful. Something kept nagging at me down deep and I just could not pull the trigger. I drove by Carlock In Nashville yesterday and they had a neon looking green Evora. Oh my it was so awesome to see. That being said something inside me tells me that I am glad that I passed. The more research that I saw about so many issues the better I feel. I will stick with my Audi TTS for now. I know it is not a purist drive but I really enjoy the interior and it is plenty quick. I do love the look of this car. Maybe someday Lotus will get their issues down to a minimum. Good luck Jay on your new ride. Maybe check out the new Supra. It is on my radar but my TTS is really giving me what I need.
Thanks Robert.
Very curious to see what you purchase.
Thanks JayEmm for all your videos on your Evora. I've seen your car in the flesh many times as I live 30 miles North of London and seen it at various car shows and have always admired it
I feel sad for the way you've been treated by JCT600. Seems like another case for we've got your money and now we don't care big company attitude.
I always looked forward to the Evora videos as I own a N/A IPS for nearly 3 years now and it's been a amazing and reliable car so I will miss your updates.
Best of luck with your new car whatever it is.... Im not unsubscribing as I want to see what it is....😃
Thanks for the support Steve
Wow !!! really didn't expect that James, thought she was a keeper, but I can see your point for sure... and after all the great content and entertainment you have given me I will not be unsubscribing at all ,in fact looking forward to up and coming adventures and new cars .. cheers mate 😀😀😀
Here in the USA poor Lotus Dealership support is all to common. I refuse to take my 2011 Evora to the dealer that I bought it from new. Every warranty visit resulted in more problems. Dealer could care less about the Lotus portion of their dealership. Dealership would rather support Aston Martin and Lamborghini.
Over the last 8 years I would say overall the car has performed well and have had no major problems, just strange minor problems.
Good luck on the next adventure
I have just exchanged my 400 for a new 410gt. I have not experienced any problems over 2 years save a squeaky door handle admittedly with low mileage. Had to replace the battery because I left the car too long and it drained to zero. For me the best way to enjoy the car is something for the weekend if you can afford something beyond the daily driver. The need or anguish about not getting there diminishes. It still is one of the greatest bang for the buck in supercars. I am concerned that with Geely and pollution rules this may be the last of the V6 engines (Volvo is all 4 cylinders now);
Keep the channel going.
What? Noooo! I loved that car ok your channel, more people need to know about the Evora and how great it is, too many people buy Porsches
Your cataloging your niggling problems with your beautiful Lotus reminds me of my life lessons from my first car, a Triumph GT6 MKIII. I have been pining for a Lotus the last four years. This video confirms that the modern Lotus models are brilliant designs, meagerly executed. Triumph motorcycle company has done a superb effort of recreating their product. I vote for Triumph taking over Lotus! In the mean time, I'll stick to my budget Boxster, z3, and MX5. : )
On the positive side, I am still very much in love with my 400 and I can only recommend my dealer at Hexagon as they have always behaved impeccably.
Wow. A pretty damning indictment of Lotus and your original dealer.
Kudos to you for taking it all so well... you could have gone berserk on here.
So funny, same story here. Moved from Elise R to Evora S. One of the first supercharged Evora. Sad to hear, that they have not improved much since 2011.
Loved the car, but so unreliable: bent brake disks, A pilar replaced, dashboard replaced 4 times, oil line replaced, wheel bearings replaced (12 hours before we had booked a ferry for a road trip to Scotland 🏴), seat wobbled, horrible gear change, dealer dented the wheels... and probably forgot another dozen wiggles the car had.
Final nail in the coffin was that the catalyst disintegrated and killed the entire exhaust system. Out of guarantee for 3 months. Gave it back to the dealer unrepaired.
But all the other things you mentioned are also true: Great camaraderie amongst Lotus owners. Car got a great reception everywhere, very positive. Road trip through Scotland we met other Lotus owners who took us along on some great drives.
Do I miss it? Certainly not, moved on to Porsche and will not go back. Also much more track focussed but Lotuses do not perform on track, Lotus horsepower are less than others.
Sorry to hear you comments about the selling Dealer,I can add that my local Dealer Murray now Leven Lotus sell quite a few down south and would rate the customer service as the best. On my second Evora from them.
Started watching the channel for the evora content so I'm sad to see her go but as an Evora owner, all be it in Dubai, I know the pain of ownership. Can't wait to see what comes next.
The spirit of ACBC lives on. It seems not much has changed. I sold my last Lotus in 2006. My Porsche dealer has always treated me quite well.
Thanks for your ownership insights. Best of luck to geely owners of the brand. They will resolve your concerns of the brand with great cashflow.
Damn... I was gonna get Evora 400 in the U.S. now I gotta reconsider.
Agree mate...I bought a brand new Excel back in the 80s from JCT600 Bradford, completely useless. Loads of problems, squeaking windows, scratchy engine etc. Gave it back within 28 days. Bunch of idiots unless they're taking cash.
I don’t doubt any of the things you’ve stated here but have you approached lotus or the dealership for a response? It would have been good to hear their side of the story.
sorry to hear jay. your evora was the main reason why i followed your channel. there are not many lotus content on youtube. hope you will still review lotuses in future. will still support you regardless of your next car, keep up the good work. btw i'm a subaru brz owner from malaysia, in 5-6 years i may be looking at a used evora 400/410, m2, boxster/cayman. would you still recommened someone to go for a used evora 400 say from 2017 manufacturing date onwards? knowing that you once told 2016 batch had a lot of issues.
A used Evora with the issues fixed should be a very good buy
Ive owned an exige for a decade and live an equal distance from both the oakmere and jct dealerships. Went to oakmere for the first service and have stuck with them since as found them to be very helpful and friendly. Phoenix Motorsports (Ollie) in Lancashire, whilst not a dealership, is a lotus specialist with great customer service
As someone who has owned an Elise for 9 years, I am not surprised. It's all the Lotus specific stuff that will drive you nuts. The rock solid powertrain and out of this world driving experience are the only reasons I have kept mine so long. It is almost a requirement for a Lotus owner in the U.S.A. to be handy in the garage because the service network is spread thin.
Afraid I totally agree !
I’ve owned (Your welcome to check)
2 x brand new Lotus Elise R’s
2 x Lotus Elise R’s - supplied by Lotus Dealer
1 x Lotus Elise SC (S2) direct from Lotus Cars
1 x Lotus Elise SC (S3) Lotus dealer
Lotus 2 11 Lotus Dealer
Lotus Evora NA Lotus Dealer
Lotus Elise S (S3) Lotus dealer
Treated exactly the same !
That’s why I haven’t bought another Lotus.
What because you bought out the entire factory? Jk lol sick history
GT-APEX 😂👍
Most of the dealers are great guys and I agree with James
Castle Lotus (Ben) used to be brilliant
Took a while for the message to get through! Nice cars though
Great to see honesty, I'm thinking Lotus should be at least sponsoring you for all the advice and content you've put there way as well as the many new customers they have gained over the past two years directly from your content.... Unfortunately car dealers have the worst customer service almost out of all verticals.... Im hoping you may at some point get the Exige 350 + or a cup version for your new car
Lotus don't even answer my emails, so it seems unlikely
Such a shame to hear you've sold it!
I know only a minor part of your decision but I strongly feel if you had bought from a dealer like Bell & Colvill you would have got that "welcome to the family" feeling as I know first hand they do lots of events and trackdays for their customers I've been on.
It has been great to watch your videos on it and the 400 has been placed on my must have bucket list because of them!
Looking forward to seeing what's replacing it!!
True story - The late great Roger Moore enquired in to buying an Esprit after making The Spy Who Loved Me, Lotus offered him a 2% discount. Good old Lotus.
Guess I’m lucky to be living in the Netherlands because Willem and Jan van der Kooij are the best when it comes to customer service and involvement. Sorry to hear that there are so manu people out there that are not happy with there Lotus dealers. I’ve got a Lotus Elise cup250 for about 9 months, have driven about 18.000 km’s with it and I still absolutely love it!
New car incoming 👀 liked the intro to this vid mate.
Cheers Stef, not a patch on your cinematics though!
Is it possible (likely) that with the introduction of the new model (Emira) that this experience would be different?
That’s what I’m hoping with their next plant upgrades but the dealer experience is vital as they are the front end of the business. I’ve put a deposit down for an Emira so if i do go for one Lotus they must get the customer service right.
Have a 380 Cup and weighed it at c 1190 kg with me in it. Kerb weight of 1105kg looks spot on.
Sorry to see you go JayEmm - I would say that you're one of the reasons I upgraded to an Evora 400. Your comments about the failure of your dealer to create a an enjoyable owner experience ring true to me. Fortunately for me, the local dealer in Sydney - Simply Sports Cars - has always been brilliant. Lotus only track days, owner support for the Targa rally events, exceptional customer service etc have really made the difference to me in the total experience. I think your expectations as a new car buyer are optimistic at best. The best dealer service I've ever had have been with Lexus who would pick up the car from home and leave a courtesy car - but I think they are exceptional.
SSC seem to be true enthusiasts. I'm not surprised to hear that about Lexus
Peter Wolsey I had the pleasure of meeting the SSC guys in Melbourne just this week, great passion and integrity - true enthusiasts, helping educate me on my planned Evora S purchase. JayEmm - echoing other folks thanks for your open ness, transparency and style and all the best !
Appreciate it Bruce
Very interesting summary of Lotus ownership. Can’t wait to see what will replace the Lotus.
I was stuck with a faulty engine sensor on my TTRS in the middle of the alps. Would only rev to 2000rpm. Audi fixed it within 2 days, over christmas, with parts overnight shipped from Germany. Of course I got a free rental car from them. And had they not been able to fix mine, I could have taken any transportation to my home town (including said rental car), while my car would have been delivered to my doorstep once fixed. All for zero money. This is how customer service is done.
To me it has always been the dream car. This damning report should lead to a very public Lotus apology to you, whilst at the same time committing to a courtesy cars guarantee for "under warranty" repairs, an improved customer desk, improved customer relations including pro active new-car clients activities and publications and a quality control system for their dealers. I think if they do not do this a video like this will be result in a major (further) drop in sales for the foreseeable future. I am amazed they have not responded yet. Also this must be infuriating to many of the Lotus staff, it cannot be very motivating for all those excellent engineers to see their customer service department kill off so publicly all their good work? Jay, please post a new video if they do respond, your video is exceptionally valuable for prospective buyers. Finally can you disclose your sale price? It may help people contemplating buying a second hand Lotus (if they still dare....) Thx for the video!
Hi Bert
Unfortunately I do not think Lotus will pay any attention to this video, but it is clear from the comments which dealers care and which do not.
The sale price of the car is a private matter but all I will say is they hold their money well
Thanks for sharing your thoughts , I do not think i will be buying a Lotus ,
I get you man..having a shitty dealership for your dreamcar is just big bollocks...i went to see for my first lotus here in belgium and there was one dealer here that was just utter crap at customer support and service,selling the car to someone else when i had an appointment for a test drive i was like wtf?! A little while i bought my dreamcar a blue lotus elise 111r as u can see on my channel..bought in belgium in oostend lotus and everytime i walk in for a chat and just my regular service the owner of the whole thing allways give me a handshake and is allways real nice and talkative..i mean there are still good dealers out there for lotus,sucks you had bad experience with your dealer...hope this wont be your last lotus tho...keep up your channel,because its bang on amazing!keep up your good work!!!
Thankyou very much
It’s 2020, any word if those reliability issues, especially the supercharger, have been fixed? Was debating between this car or the C8 corvette but I just absolutely refuse to use paddles when driving. Paddles are for water.
I have not heard of any other supercharger going bad - I think on that one I was genuinely unlucky
A bit of a shock!! Although saying that I did think that you skated over the supercharger braking in the last updated and now I see why. You have managed to ignite a interest in lotus for me and hopefully next year if finance dictate I will serious consider a Evora.
You know what, well done for giving your opinion and telling the truth on TH-cam.
Thanks Freddie
Not spoken out about this in public forums before, but I had a dream of owning a Lotus for 25 years. The content on this channel fuelled that passion and I bought an Exige 350 in October last year (new from Williams).
What subsequently followed was the worst 10 months of my life. The worst customer care you will have ever experienced. The boot release broke on day 1 within 2 hours of picking up the car. Took it back, couldn’t fix it, so they gave me a mole wrench to pull the cable for one month. No courtesy car, no lift to the train station.....a fu*&ing mole wrench on a £65k car. After 2 months without the car, returned back and broke again first time out. Same problem. Not the only issue on the car, but what followed was 8 months of hell....but ended in a full refund of the car.....sorted eventually by the finance company after financial Ombudsman was involved. Long story, but Williams & Lotus factory were a total waste of space......and the dream is now over. Won’t touch the brand again.
Tip :- buy the car with financé and you will have Independent support if something goes badly wrong. Otherwise you are screwed.
Ps - other then that, my Exige was a fantastic car to drive....but I have bought cars for a fraction of the cost with less problems. Problems spoil the pleasure. No pleasure, no love. I see people in a Lotus now and wonder what pain and frustration have they actually tolerated in their ownership experience. One last thing......anyone I have spoken to that owns a Lotus have always been nice people...... I feel Lotus have missed a trick somewhere.
Thanks for sharing Stephen
Whilst I haven't experienced as bad as that, I sympathise. My new one had its own issues and a friend's got rejected due to mechanical problems. There's lots that goes on that stays hidden with this brand some out it due to love, some of it vociferous support.
thanks for that
Mate, totally sympathise with you on all points. I bought a launch model Evora S from JCT Leeds years ago (when they were at the Ferrari/Maserati/Aston location) and had nothing but issues. Poor dealer help, unresolved issues, recalls galore. 3 month wait on parts when someone rear ended it. It really did leave me frustrated. Amazing car but owning made me angry, So I chopped it in. Sad to see the ownership experience has not changed.
I had a Exige S prior to that and had zero issues (purchased from Christopher Neil) but really only had JCT service it.
You were the reason I decided to buy my Exige 350. I was confused by the S, CS etc and you helped clear it all up. Hearing about your supercharger blowing up has freaked me out. If it breaks I can't afford to fix it. The service you got from JCT is also why I avoided them when searching for my car. Sorry to hear they fobbed you off like that! Even if they said sorry we can't but we will split it 50/50 it would've been better as a gesture!
I'd also like to say B&C are brilliant, especially Jamie. I'm servicing my car with them even though I have a local dealer over 100 miles closer, again, because of Jamie.
Good luck with your search and I hope to see you back in a Lotus.
P.S. ignore the haters. Your "rant" is justified, warranty and value of the vehicle qualify us/you for better service that simply wasn't even close to existing!
Jamie and B&C are superb. FWIW your supercharger is not the same as the one in the 400.
@@JayEmmOnCars that does indeed help :)
Great car. Super reliable. Quality went up fast. Now the Emira sets the new standard in beauty and desirability.
I was about to say why, but you made a good point. Same point as to why we got rid of our quadrifoglio. Customer service was awful and the closest dealer was 100 miles away, plus when we sent it in for its limp mode issue, it had to go in 3 times and still wasn't fixed. So does that mean you're buying a used muscle. 😂💪👍
I do hear a lot of unfortunate stories about Alfa dealers
@@JayEmmOnCars no joke if the car didn't have that stupid issue then there's no point to let it go, it was alot of car for the money. I'll still watch your channel even if you go to different car brands. Unless you go to the dark side of fanboyism. 😂👍
Interested to see what you replace it with.
I occasionally think about selling my S, but can never quite go through with it. Mainly because I really can't see what else I'd buy as a replacement.
Oh and thanks to you, I'm still desperate to by an Excel...
Great cars, the Excel
Sorry to watch this video. Nick Murray another you tuber had major issues with his previous 911. He used his channel to help persuade Porsche North America to do the right thing. He had an M4, but returned to a 991 911.
Nick doesn't have a lot of luck with his cars
Having worked in the industry for 35 years customer service is paramount, regardless of price and I was in the volume game. If I was buying a super car at these sort of prices then service is a must and my expectations would be on the ceiling. So who is the best if you have your lottery win?
Which has the worst for finishing, Lotus or Maclaren?
When I had a mk1 Ford connect tourneo other owners used to wave at me!
A 2+2, so two adults and two children can go away for an exciting holiday in it, as long as a small van comes along with luggage. What were Lotus thinking.?? A type 50 2+2 at least had luggage space.
Thank you so much. I was really looking into buying a used GT as a retirement gift but can see now I'll just enjoy my 370z which has been fantastic! Service included... Cheers
thanks for your honesty
Long Stratton Lotus are great mechanics and do fantastic work, but their lack of courtesy car is a joke! When I took my Elan in for a new radiator 3 years ago, they did give me a falling apart VW Polo which they said I had to pay for insurance for it myself which cost me 50 quid so not as bad as your cost of hiring a car, but if you bought the car from new...really falls short of the "Lotus Experience"
You were failed, my dad bought a used Lexus es350, that’s a pretty entry level Lexus with the NA 3.5 V6, he got it about 3 years ago almost and it was about 3 years old, it’s a 2013 i believe.
Every time it has a dashboard light go off, or a airbag recall, even when he needed a tire repaired, they throw him the keys to a newer/better equipped car & they’ll even drive his car to him and pick up the loaner if he so desires.
For a glorified Camry worth about $15k iirc
Sorry to hear of the dealer issues you had, very surprising in this day and age, it seems from my own experience that Porsche dealers are at the other end of the spectrum in terms of customer service, just saying.
Not all of them, unfortunately. Do you still have your targa?
JayEmm on Cars GTS targa is sold I now have a coupe GTS 2015 year
I feel for you RE: this video. I've also bought through JCT600 Leeds pre Yeadon days
All IMO could be very wrong. Watch the making of the Elise documentary from the early 2000 late 90s, that will show you what kind of company they are. Summery; they just make great unique cars, really thats all they've been good at, as a bod of engineers and designers. They do have their new owner/governors so it may change? I feel like a Lotus is something you have to take ownership of, where a warranty is only a few years direct with the factory at lead times and postage cost. If you are buying for after sales then I don't think a lotus is there at the moment.
S2 Elise, 15k+ miles and a few minor issue nothing serious apart from transmission oil being spilt (must've been the first owner to actually drive it fast) and a faulty headgasket...which I had coming, so no blame on lotus...dealerships however...oh no...won't see me there again ever...I have my car guru now and he's brilliant!
Buy a Lexus LFA, a Camry TRD Pro or at least a Honda Accord 2.0T. You wont be disappointed.
Fair do, good rant well explained.
It's sad when a great car is sullied by problems and poor customer service.
But I hope you are getting a Lancia Delta Integrale Evo II.
That would be something....
That would be something, wouldn't it?
I have to say that my experience of both the Lotus factory and my dealership Lotus Silverstone, has been completely opposite to yours. Any problems I have had with my Elise which was collected 18 months ago and ordered new have been dealt with in a very timely and professional manner. Since ordering my car the level of care and service has been second to none and as someone who has bought privately a number of new cars from Nissan, Audi, Seat and VW in the last 8 years my experience with Lotus has, by a considerable margin been the best.
My only comment about JCT600 would be, that many years ago, having just graduated and secured my first job as am automotive engineer, I walked into their Porsche dealership to view the cars and within 5 mins was asked to leave as I clearly was not buying. This one action 30 years ago, has meant I have no interest at all in ever buying a Porsche !
Nothing but the truth of story of the British moter dealership in general .Friday fun for so many across Britain even though it's the mobile phone age.
Never breakdown on a Friday and worst are the days of TVR.
I had problems with JCT600 Porsche back in 2007 when I had my Boxster S. They truly do not give a toss about customer service in any shape or form. Regarding your Lotus you'd have been better with a Cayman GT4. Better, faster car and you'd have probably made money on it..
Only if I had one from new, which was virtually impossible
Any performance car gets expensive to own and what makes the car so great (its focus) does wear off...