fusionchicken

hey guys,

I will get a mkII mr2 very soon since i need a cheap daily driver for now. just wanted to ask for your opinions. i'm thinking getting the n/a since it's cheaper, and with over 100k miles on the motor the n/a is more reliable as well (this is what i concluded from weeks of researches all over the web). personally i'd love to have a mr2 turbo, esp. with the jdm swap, but just wondering any of u owned an mkII mr2 n/a or turbo or know anybody that did? if so what were ur impressions of the car? acceleration, handling, ride quality etc? also i know it's one of the more reliable sports cars out there right now (toyota quality), but are they really bullet proof like most forums/web sites say they are? i will be driving my friend's n/a mr2 as soon as rain stops in socal, but just wanted to hear about the car from some folks with experience with the mr2.

i'm lookin to spend around 4k for the car itself. so if it's an n/a it will have around 130k miles on the motor. i've always heard/read that toyota/honda engines if properly maintained can hit the 200k miles mark. is this applicable to the mr2's based on ur experience or what u've heard?

thanks

p.s. it is a freakin hard car to find...anybody know of a deal or place on the web to look for it? i've been lurking around on www.mr2oc.com, www.mr2trader.com, www.mr2boards.com, as well as craigslist.org and cars.com and autotrader...after about a month still nothing

vader1

I realize this is heresy on this board but I think my MR2 turbo was more fun to drive than my S2000. I liked the looks better too.

But now it is all riced out by the new owner. Just be prepared to spend money and time on them. They are reliable, but they are also all very old by now. Even the newest ones are ten years old. Anything can fail one them at that point. Many things, like timing belt are a HUGE pain to work on because there is not much room in the engine bay.

I decided to sell mine after doing the "hose from hell" repair. If you surf the MR2 board you will hear all about that one.

dio

I used to have a mr2 n/a, these are great cars and pretty reliable
but when comes to maintenance repair, it's gonna cost you. especially timing belt/water pump, clutch etc....
If you need a daily beater, maybe you should consider of getting a more practical car, maybe a 4 seater, since the s2k and mr2 both a 2 seater car

fusionchicken

i'm ok with the 2 seater actually, cuz i'm honestly tired of taking ppl around lol. i'm too weak and esp. when girls start to ask me to take them around in a certain way i give in so 2 seater will serve me well for now, plus i've always liked small and compact cars; it makes me feel so much more "one" with the car

anybody else with any advices/comments/opinions??

aren't major maintenance only needed at the 100k miles mark? i'll be getting one with more than 120k miles on the odo for sure with the money i'm willing to spend on it right now. so without the major tune-up stuffers maintenance shouldn't be too bad after 120K miles right???

btw thanks for the replies guys

aklucsarits

I think there are much better car choices out there if all you need is a "need a cheap daily driver." For your "cheap daily driver", also consider recurring costs like insurance rates, fuel economy, and replacement parts costs and availability.

But the n/a MR2s should be very relaible and fun transportation for you. The T-tops typically leak - especially if you are looking at a car with it's original, degrading, 13-year-old rubber T-top gaskets.


Andrew

Christople

If you are looking for something mid engined, get the older porsches.

Unless you can find a real hell of a steal get the MR2. The engines are real hard to work on and most dealerships don't like them.

I honestly would just consider getting a modded one that has been taken car of. These were easy to find 3-4 years ago, but then that one movie came out....

bobushka king

Well yI came from the MR2 world before i got the S2K, so I'm pretty familiar with them. The N/A's will last forever as long as you take care of them, it is a Camry motor so it isn't anything overly special. They ae somewhat of a pain to work on (esp. if your short) but you get used to it. As far as the accl. and all that goes, they're not bad (N/A), you won't win any awards with it but it's more than enough for a daily driver. They handle great (no P/S is the best) a little different than a Front engine car, but you'll get used to it. Just don't push it before you know the car or in the rain/snow or you'l regret it. As far as the timing belts goes (oooohh the dreaded timing belt) yeah it's a PITA but you can do it in an day if your mech. inclined. Besides that just look for the normal car stuff if you look at one, brakes are good, suspension is tight, trans shifts smoothly (it'll never feel as smooth as a S2000 but you'll know whn you get a bad one), etc. With $4k you should be able to pick up a nice 91-93 NA that if you take care of it will last well over 200k miles.

Oh and don't take it to the dealership, your just asking for trouble. These are 10-15 year old cars, with a very basic motor, if you have the time you should be fine wrenching on it yourself....and if you feel unconfortable many local place should have no problem fixing them too.

DouglaS2000

I can't complain about my 14yo MR2 Turbo, it runs great and it's at 147,900 miles now. The handling is decent of the car is properly aligned and the shocks are not worn. The ride however, is a bit choppy due to the short wheelbase. But overall, it is more comfortable to drive around than the S, easier to get in and out of as well.

Some pix of mine, which I just sold to my dad.