How much is auto insurance for a Lotus Elise?

Drivers looking for a vehicle that delivers pure performance will find it in the 2011 Lotus Elise, but don’t expect practicality or daily driving comfort from this tiny sports car.

Designed for the track, this roadster weighs in at over 1,000 pounds less than competitors like the Porsche Boxster and BMW Z4. To achieve this streamlined weight, Lotus designers stripped the Elise of creature comforts like air conditioning, navigation, and power steering.

The 2011 Lotus Elise also lacks electronic stability control, a safety feature that the federal government will require beginning in 2012. As a result, both the Elise and the Lotus Exige will be discontinued in the U.S. until the redesigned models are released in 2015.

Compare auto insurance quotes for high-end sports cars like the Elise below or enter your zip code in the box above to view personalized quotes for the Lotus Elise online.

Lotus Elise Auto Insurance Rates

Since production numbers for the Lotus Elise are so low, average auto insurance rates aren’t available for this vehicle. However, similar luxury sports cars like the BMW Z4 and Chevrolet Corvette do have available auto insurance rate information.

Edmunds anticipates that BMW Z4 drivers will have paid over $12,000 in car insurance premiums after five years of ownership.

The expected annual auto insurance rate for the Z4 is $2,529. Chevrolet Corvette owners are expected to pay higher rates of over $16,000 for five years of auto insurance coverage, or $3,273 per year.

The Porsche Cayman and Porsche Boxster are also in the same class as the Lotus Elise, and they are more affordable than the Corvette and the Z4 to insure with expected annual auto insurance rates of $2,329 and $1,936, respectively.

Lotus Elise Repair Costs

Estimated 5-year repair costs for luxury sports cars like the Z4 and the Porsche Cayman generally range from $1,500 to $4,000, Edmunds reports.

Edmunds’ projected repair cost figure for the Chevy Corvette is just $1,547 for five years, while Porsches like the Boxster and the Cayman usually cost about $3,300 to repair over five years. The Z4’s repair costs should total about $2,611 after five years.

Repairs for the higher-end Dodge Viper are anticipated to cost just $2,350, which is low considering this vehicle’s high sticker price. Drivers will pay a bit more to repair the Porsche 911 Carrera, at $3,300 for five years, and the Mercedes Benz CL Class, at $3,375 for five years.

The Jaguar XK, which is quite a bit pricier than the Lotus Elise, will cost about $4,591 to repair for five years, Edmunds reports.

Lotus Elise Maintenance Costs

Sports cars like the Lotus Elise have a reputation for incurring high maintenance costs. Although maintenance cost estimates aren’t available for the 2011 Elise, potential buyers can consider estimated rates for other luxury sports cars as guides.

Expected scheduled maintenance costs for the Chevy Corvette, the BMW Z4, and the Jaguar XK are all under $5,000 for five years. However, the expected 5-year maintenance rates for the 2012 Nissan GT-R top $10,000, and Edmunds expects that it will cost nearly $8,000 to maintain a Mercedes Benz CL Class for five years.

Expected routine maintenance costs for the typical Dodge Viper owner add up to $7,330 for five years, and anticipated costs for the Porsche 911 Carrera are nearly $6,000.

Lotus Elise Safety Features

As mentioned earlier, the Lotus Elise lacks safety features that are standard on many luxury sports cars, such as electronic stability control. However, many of the 2011 Elise’s competitors allow this safety feature to be disengaged for performance driving, so the Elise’s safety deficiency will be more of an issue for the handful of drivers who use it as a daily commuter.

Given the Elise’s unrelentingly stiff suspension and tiny cockpit, few consumers purchase it to pick up the kids from soccer practice.

Driving a racing-tuned vehicle is inherently risky, but Lotus does offer driver training at an additional cost at its tracks in Hethel, UK, and Budapest, Hungary.

Although it is undeniably stripped, the Lotus Elise does offer a few basic safety and security features. It is outfitted with anti-lock brakes and electronic brake force distribution, as well as traction control, tire pressure monitoring, and a post-collision safety system.

Security features include a remote alarm system and an engine immobilizer.

Lotus Elise Performance Reviews

The Lotus Elise, which starts at $51,845, delivers “astonishing” acceleration, Autoblog raves. This sports car blasts off from zero to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds, and New Car Test Drive ranks it among the “best-driving” sports cars worldwide.

Edmunds acknowledges that in terms of comfort and utility, the Elise is “heavily compromised,” but explains that it delivers “unfiltered” driving performance that’s second to none.

There are two versions of the 2011 Lotus Elise available. Both the base model and the Elise SC come equipped with a 4-cylinder, 1.8 liter engine, but the SC is equipped with an M45 supercharger that boosts its horsepower from 189 to 218.

The Elise SC can go from a dead stop to 60 mph in just 4.3 seconds, Lotus reports.

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