SI observations from my Lotus Evora owning buddy

[Captain Flounder]

I was on a road trip for combined personal and business events and took the Si. As before, this is an amazing road trip vehicle!

I stayed with my friend one of the nights. He owns a 2014 Lotus Evora. I let him drive the Si and then I drove the Evora. His thoughts (my words):
- Shocked by how good the handling is and in particular how flat the Si corners
- Pleasantly surprised by the acceleration, especially in the heart of the torque curve
- Not a fan of the steering in either normal or sport. Feels way too artificial.

If you're curious, my thoughts on the Evora:
- Loved the induction noise! Intake is right by your left ear.
- Pedal box is tight! I flubbed a shift or two with my big feet.
- Surprisingly compliant ride.

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[Captain Flounder]

Forgot to post a picture of his ride

 

[amirza786]

A coworker a couple of years back bought a Lotus Elise, 3.3L V6 and 6 speed manual. Well, for those that want a fairly fast Camry with a 6 speed manual, this is the car as it has the Camry V6 engine

 

[WhiteSi]

I have a 2010 Evora myself, and the Si clutch has really spoiled me.
After daily driving the Si for a few months, I got in the Lotus and just kept stalling it, trying to get out of the garage, which is on a hill. Clutch is very touchy. The stickshift is taller (and with a HUGE ball), but the shifts are somehow shorter than in the SI. It just snicks into gear. Less "lumpy" than the Si shifter.

Handling on the Si is reasonably flat, but get in the Evora and it seems to have no limits on a curve.
Acceleration in the Evora give you that hyperspace feeling, just faster and faster, while the Si acceleration is very linear. You'd never guess which car has the turbo!

The Lotus will brook no discussion of taking it easy for fuel economy. Fast and loud always, 20mpg will have to do.

And I can't say enough about the compliant ride the OP pointed out. It just smooths over the bumps. The Si has taught me just how rough the roads around here actually are!

While the Lotus has ultimate steering, I don't dislike the Si steering feel in Sport. Both cars convey the joy of driving a good manual transmission sportscar.

 

[VooDuuChild]

I'm surprised he thought the car cornered flat. I was kinda surprised at the amount of body roll, even in sport mode in the Si. I drove a Subaru BRZ a few months prior to getting the Si and that car felt far flatter...all stock also.

 

[amirza786]

I'm surprised he thought the car cornered flat. I was kinda surprised at the amount of body roll, even in sport mode in the Si. I drove a Subaru BRZ a few months prior to getting the Si and that car felt far flatter...all stock also.

From my experience the BRZ/86 is a lot funner in the curves and corners (it drifts!) much better than the Si, but it's just to unrefined, loud and cramped for my tastes. The Si is way more a better daily driver, but I will confess that after driving an IS 350 for the last almost 2 months, everything else feels unrefined... LOL

 

[Cornercarver]

I have not driven and Evora, but have test driven an Elise. Faster, flatter, and not really a daily driver.
But the SI is pretty flat as cars go, maybe 8 on a scale of 1 - 10. I liked the unassisted steering in the
Elise, but again for a daily driver, the electric steering in the SI doesn't suck, and I can still place the car where I want it.

 

[amirza786]

I have not driven and Evora, but have test driven an Elise. Faster, flatter, and not really a daily driver.
But the SI is pretty flat as cars go, maybe 8 on a scale of 1 - 10. I liked the unassisted steering in the
Elise, but again for a daily driver, the electric steering in the SI doesn't suck, and I can still place the car where I want it.

The Lotus Elise is definitely not a daily driver and is designed for purists. It's fun for that weekend out, but it will wear you down as a daily for sure!

 

[Yal]

I used to see someone daily'ing an Exige over a stop and go mountain highway (CA 17 from Santa Cruz to Silicon Valley). It's all in what you want to do with your car and how much you love it.

 

[Design]

I have to agree on his assessment of the steering. It's a precise unit. It's weighted. It has plenty of feedback. But it doesn't hold a candle to hydraulic units (which are quickly becoming dinosaurs).

EDIT: My MS3 had hydraulic steering. It was a slower turning unit, but much more progressive in weight/feedback the harder and further you turned the wheel.

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