Hench I'd go for MX-5 nice MK3 or MK2
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Toyota MR2 Spyder
- Thread starter Skinner
- Start date
If I had to go MX-5, I'd only go for the MK3 - It looks way better with a permanent hardtop.
I test drove the MK2 about a year or two ago - It was two small behind the drivers seat - I found the S2000 to be alot more spacious.
Although I let me gf drive me home the other day - I had a major hangover - and the passanger side of a S2000 is tiny - I was so cramped, my knees touched the dash with the seat the whole way back.
Pitbull
Verboten
The driver had a 5L can of oil he was suppose to deliver to a Golf5 driver mate of his. He fogot about it and the can fell over in the boot leaking oil all over the boot
EvoBunny
Well-Known Member
Glad you think it's bulletproof... I actually know of a couple of people who either is trying to get rid of it, who owned one and all of them said it's the worse car they've ever bought.
Use it, don't use it.
F
Fudzy
Guest
Are you a hairdresser, skinner?
No. Hence, I won't go for the MX-5 (even the new MK3) - MR2 is very similar and much cheaper. More reliable and more manly. Crappy resale unfortunately, but I'll worry about that later
F
Fudzy
Guest
Well I applaud your decision then. Buying a mid-range convertible is the 90s version of wearing a pink golf-shirt. Good on ya!
ROFL... sure you do... Amazingly I've never heard of a S2000 leaking oil in the boot.
EvoBunny
Well-Known Member
Well, that's one of the issues I've heard a one of the S2000's and yes the guy is pissed as the car is brand new...
Please explain how? Or consider you know so many people with S2000 that have issues - ask them - considering the boot is tiny - and no oily car parts are actually near it...
The only occasional problem this car picked up was with the AP1's diff, and thats usually from using the wrong oil. A stronger diff was used in the AP2.
FiestaST
Honorary Master
Toyota MR2 | Used Car Buying Guide
The Toyota MR2 offers two-seat, mid-engined thrills, and you can bag an open-top Mk3 for the price of a tired old hatchback
A mid-engined, rear-drive two-seater weighing just 975kg, powered by a 138bhp 1.8-litre four good for 0-62mph in 7.9sec: yours from as little as £300.
Okay, the seller of this particular £300 Toyota MR2 Mk3 is honest enough to admit that the engine is likely to go pop.
It’s a good example to begin with, though, because there’s every chance the problem it’s suffering from is pre-cat disintegration, an event that haunts pre-facelift Mk3s (cars up to late 2002) and some later ones, too.
Basically, it’s to do with the pre-cat in the exhaust manifold shaking itself to bits and/or ingesting engine oil that has escaped past the piston rings.
That's the bad news. The good news is that with the exception of some other foibles – such as a rustprone rear subframe, sticky rear brake cables and notchy steering – the Mk3 is a dependable (there are stacks of 130,000-mile daily drivers out there) and cheap-as-chips roadster that’ll put a smile across your face, rain or shine. It’s a real driver’s car, with near-perfect weight distribution, a Torsen limited-slip diff and economy of around 38mpg.
Downsides? Unless your idea of a week’s luggage is a washbag, you’ll struggle to go on tour with a Mk3. There’s simply nowhere to stash stuff. You could cram a few things into the spare wheel under the bonnet and some odds and ends in the cabin cubbies, but that’s your lot. Practical the Mk3 is not.
We mentioned the facelift of late 2002. It’s an important milestone. Prior to that, the Mk3 had a tough five-speed manual gearbox, but the facelift ushered in a sixth gear. Some say Japanese-spec ’boxes have better ratios, and they’re a popular exchange unit with racers, but most people have few complaints with the standard cogs. Before 2002, there was an optional clutchless five-speed ’box, called a sequential manual transmission or SMT, operated by a lever rather than paddles. It, too, gained an extra gear and steering wheel buttons in the facelift. The MR2 also got cruise control, stability control and brake assist.
It’s a rare bird, the auto, and there are some issues with the electronic control unit. It also knocks around 1.0sec off the manual’s 0-62mph sprint time. However, enthusiasts say the faster-shifting, six-speed SMT makes the best Mk3, because it leaves you free to exploit the car’s superb handling. For used car buyers, there’s also the possibility that it hasn’t been thrashed by a keen driver.
Throughout the Mk3’s life, engine power remained the same, at 138bhp, meaning the development engineers had time on their hands. They didn’t waste it. With the facelift, the car gained front and rear bracing to stiffen an already stiff body, as well as revised spring and damper rates to accompany an increase in wheel size from 15in to 16in.
Attention to detail: that’s the secret of the MR2 Mk3. With prices on the floor, it’s also the reason you should buy now before word spreads.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/used-car-buying-guides/toyota-mr2-used-car-buying-guide
The Toyota MR2 offers two-seat, mid-engined thrills, and you can bag an open-top Mk3 for the price of a tired old hatchback
A mid-engined, rear-drive two-seater weighing just 975kg, powered by a 138bhp 1.8-litre four good for 0-62mph in 7.9sec: yours from as little as £300.
Okay, the seller of this particular £300 Toyota MR2 Mk3 is honest enough to admit that the engine is likely to go pop.
It’s a good example to begin with, though, because there’s every chance the problem it’s suffering from is pre-cat disintegration, an event that haunts pre-facelift Mk3s (cars up to late 2002) and some later ones, too.
Basically, it’s to do with the pre-cat in the exhaust manifold shaking itself to bits and/or ingesting engine oil that has escaped past the piston rings.
That's the bad news. The good news is that with the exception of some other foibles – such as a rustprone rear subframe, sticky rear brake cables and notchy steering – the Mk3 is a dependable (there are stacks of 130,000-mile daily drivers out there) and cheap-as-chips roadster that’ll put a smile across your face, rain or shine. It’s a real driver’s car, with near-perfect weight distribution, a Torsen limited-slip diff and economy of around 38mpg.
Downsides? Unless your idea of a week’s luggage is a washbag, you’ll struggle to go on tour with a Mk3. There’s simply nowhere to stash stuff. You could cram a few things into the spare wheel under the bonnet and some odds and ends in the cabin cubbies, but that’s your lot. Practical the Mk3 is not.
We mentioned the facelift of late 2002. It’s an important milestone. Prior to that, the Mk3 had a tough five-speed manual gearbox, but the facelift ushered in a sixth gear. Some say Japanese-spec ’boxes have better ratios, and they’re a popular exchange unit with racers, but most people have few complaints with the standard cogs. Before 2002, there was an optional clutchless five-speed ’box, called a sequential manual transmission or SMT, operated by a lever rather than paddles. It, too, gained an extra gear and steering wheel buttons in the facelift. The MR2 also got cruise control, stability control and brake assist.
It’s a rare bird, the auto, and there are some issues with the electronic control unit. It also knocks around 1.0sec off the manual’s 0-62mph sprint time. However, enthusiasts say the faster-shifting, six-speed SMT makes the best Mk3, because it leaves you free to exploit the car’s superb handling. For used car buyers, there’s also the possibility that it hasn’t been thrashed by a keen driver.
Throughout the Mk3’s life, engine power remained the same, at 138bhp, meaning the development engineers had time on their hands. They didn’t waste it. With the facelift, the car gained front and rear bracing to stiffen an already stiff body, as well as revised spring and damper rates to accompany an increase in wheel size from 15in to 16in.
Attention to detail: that’s the secret of the MR2 Mk3. With prices on the floor, it’s also the reason you should buy now before word spreads.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/used-car-buying-guides/toyota-mr2-used-car-buying-guide
SauRoNZA
Honorary Master
And sadly the local pricing won't even be remotely comparable.
But it is a great little car.
I always laugh at the comments about luggage space. You should try touring with a motorcycle, then you'll quickly realise a sports car isn't much different and not really that hard to live with.
But it is a great little car.
I always laugh at the comments about luggage space. You should try touring with a motorcycle, then you'll quickly realise a sports car isn't much different and not really that hard to live with.
Lupus
Honorary Master
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Yup close to 100k and some close to 200k, welcome to SA where a car can cost as much as an apartment.