New 2008 Lotus Exige Interior Review [ 2009 ]
Interior - What the Auto Press Says
The 2008 Lotus Exige's two-seat cabin doesn't sit well with reviewers -- both literally and figuratively. In addition to an extremely difficult entry and exit, the cockpit is sparse on features and relatively low on quality. Comfort, however, isn't what the Lotus is about.
"Still, once inside it's an inviting cabin, unless you're big on luxury," says Automobile.com. "Other than the thin yet comfortable leather-clad chairs ... it's all exposed aluminum and mid-grade plastics with, look the other way when I say this, rather remedial class panel fit. But then again, who really cares about such folly when there's an open road or open track to be conquered." Likewise, Kelley Blue Book comments, "Spartan with style, the compact cabin of the Exige S displays lots of bare aluminum, exposed fasteners, hard-touch surfaces and a Momo sport wheel that leaves no doubt about its true purpose."
For 2007, Lotus redesigned the dashboard and revised the instrument panel. Forbes says the cabin is "appropriately cockpit-like, with a minimalist design that incorporates a start button and short-throw shifter topped by a machined ball of metal." Also on the plus side, Car and Driver says the control positions are "right for all the faux-racing footwork you want to perform."
Seating
The Exige's sport seats provide plenty of support for racy maneuvers around the track, but the cockpit is cramped -- and getting in is quite a chore. "Getting in and out is a contortionist act: Climb up and over the wide doorsill to the extremely low resting place. How low? Your left armrest is that same door sill you just climbed over," says Car and Driver. AutoWeek adds that entry and exit "requires Cirque du Soleil acrobatics." But Forbes says, "If you can kiss the back of your knee, you should have no trouble getting in and out of the Exige. The wide door sills require you to sit on them, then lean forward under the roof and twist in to drop your butt into the seat while swiveling your legs in."
Once inside, the space is cramped. While Kelley Blue Book says the cockpit can accommodate six-footers, The Car Connection mentions that "you may occasionally find yourself bumping into the passenger, as well as the simple gearshift lever." Luckily, the seats themselves are more accommodating. Edmunds says they're "surprisingly comfortable given their deeply bolstered contours" and Automobile.com says "their deep bolsters dole out tough love hugs that'll keep you in place during hard cornering." Though they offer fore and aft adjustment, the seatback angle remains fixed, so the driver and passenger sit shoulder to shoulder.
Interior Features
The Exige's cabin is entirely unimpressive from a luxury standpoint -- but that's not surprising, considering that the Lotus isn't meant for daily commuting or around-town cruises. "The two-seater's cockpit is an exercise in minimalism," says The Car Connection. "There's a handsome wheel that's also just right to the touch. The appointments are mostly functional aluminum, with a sort of stripped-down aerospace feel. Niceties are at a minimum."
The Exige comes standard with air conditioning, a leather-trimmed Momo steering wheel, aluminum trim, an Alpine four-speaker stereo with in-dash CD player, tinted glass, and carpet foot mats. The optional Touring Pack adds a few amenities, including full leather seats and door trim, an upgraded stereo system, a stowage net, additional sound insulation, and a full carpet set. An air conditioning "delete" option replaces the A/C system with a European heater unit, thus reducing curb weight by about 20 pounds.
Interior quality is a downside. "Parts fell off the whole time we had it: little interior parts, the trim piece on the roof edge wiggled out, little plastic fasteners littered the inside," complains AutoWeek. "It creaks and groans, the interior gets mighty hot, it is loud, visibility out the rear and rear quarters is dangerously awful. Etc., etc., etc."
But do these complaints really matter on such a performance-oriented vehicle? Take it from Edmunds: "The Exige, however, exists for those live-fast die-hard enthusiasts who don't give a crap about cupholders, sat-nav, luggage capacity, impact harshness, HVAC, NVH, ESP, XYZ, or any other nifty electro-mechanic nuisance with an obscure acronym." They add, "It's a sports car in the fundamental sense, a track car in the ultimate sense, and a daily driver only for those of you who live in a municipality where smooth, twisted roads are as common as law enforcement is absent."
Cargo
If the Lotus is low on creature comforts, it's even lower on cargo space. But again, utility is not -- nor will it ever be -- this car's strength. The Exige's trunk provides four cubic feet of cargo space, which Edmunds says is "enough for a few wedged-in grocery bags and not much else." The Car Connection actually finds this space impressive for the car's size, commenting that, "We're used to sacrificing even the bare essentials for the thrill of a sports car, but we were pleased to discover that Lotus actually found room to engineer into the Exige a modest four cubic feet of trunk space." Of course, interior storage space is basically nonexistent; the Exige doesn't even come standard with cup holders.