mk3 MR2 is the 'new' mk1 MX5 - discuss
Discussion
I had one for about a year ( 6'3") and they're pretty comfy
only thing I found is that the legroom is a bit tight and you end up adopting a 'splayed' leg position this in turn then needs more under thigh support so I added a couple of 20mm spacers under the front seat mounts to lift the seat cushion up
get one with the 6 speed gearbox / post 2003 to get the stiffer chassis too as well as the better engine
and they definitly need more power, the chassis is excellent and the standard engine is poor as I'd be suprised if it makes the 140 bhp they claim
one with the 2ZZ (180Bhp) engine woudl be about right
only thing I found is that the legroom is a bit tight and you end up adopting a 'splayed' leg position this in turn then needs more under thigh support so I added a couple of 20mm spacers under the front seat mounts to lift the seat cushion up
get one with the 6 speed gearbox / post 2003 to get the stiffer chassis too as well as the better engine
and they definitly need more power, the chassis is excellent and the standard engine is poor as I'd be suprised if it makes the 140 bhp they claim
one with the 2ZZ (180Bhp) engine woudl be about right
Excellent cars - as mentioned they don't suffer as badly from rot as the mx-5, are more efficient and have chain cams (don't think earlier mx5's did)
As for luggage - mine managed to take a set of golf clubs, pushchairs and the like (along with a passenger) - I'd be interested to know how much less the total capacity is compared to an mx-5/Elise.
I'd definitely like another, pref with the 2ZZ in it.
As for luggage - mine managed to take a set of golf clubs, pushchairs and the like (along with a passenger) - I'd be interested to know how much less the total capacity is compared to an mx-5/Elise.
I'd definitely like another, pref with the 2ZZ in it.
350Matt said:
I had one for about a year ( 6'3") and they're pretty comfy
only thing I found is that the legroom is a bit tight and you end up adopting a 'splayed' leg position this in turn then needs more under thigh support so I added a couple of 20mm spacers under the front seat mounts to lift the seat cushion up
get one with the 6 speed gearbox / post 2003 to get the stiffer chassis too as well as the better engine
and they definitly need more power, the chassis is excellent and the standard engine is poor as I'd be suprised if it makes the 140 bhp they claim
one with the 2ZZ (180Bhp) engine woudl be about right
Also aided by swapping to a 320mm momo wheel. It's literally like a go kart now :-)only thing I found is that the legroom is a bit tight and you end up adopting a 'splayed' leg position this in turn then needs more under thigh support so I added a couple of 20mm spacers under the front seat mounts to lift the seat cushion up
get one with the 6 speed gearbox / post 2003 to get the stiffer chassis too as well as the better engine
and they definitly need more power, the chassis is excellent and the standard engine is poor as I'd be suprised if it makes the 140 bhp they claim
one with the 2ZZ (180Bhp) engine woudl be about right
kambites said:
I never really understood why there was so much love for the MX5 and so little for the MR2 in the first place. The MR2 is just a better car unless you need a single large boot, IMO.
+1. I didn't want/need a 'practical' car (OH has those) so that never came into it for me. I considered an MX5 but heard that they suffered with rust and also fancied something a bit different - there were already three MX5s in the car park at work. Apart from anything else, I think the MR2 looks better than the MX5 (just my opinion).Had my mk3 MR2 for a few months now and I'm very pleased indeed.
Mines a weekend car and is a 2001 with 140k on it. At my price range I looked at a fair few dogs but this one drove tightly, body work and hood is in vgc, matching new Potenzas, immaculate alloys, also has the 6 speed box fitted and feels looked after.
Don't get too hung up on the engine issue, the manual claims it users litre of oil every 1000km, and I figured that as its made it this far and the fact it's a weekend car, if it goes kaput I'll put a 190 in there.
Handles very nicely and is just the right side of nippy.
Can also get some gear in it, yesterday had some plants in the storage bins and a bag of BBQ food and drink squeezed in the footwell with the other half. But if I was going proper food shopping I wouldn't be in the MR2!!
Edit to add I had a mk1 MR2 a few years ago, and the mk3 is very much a chip off the old block just more modern.
Mines a weekend car and is a 2001 with 140k on it. At my price range I looked at a fair few dogs but this one drove tightly, body work and hood is in vgc, matching new Potenzas, immaculate alloys, also has the 6 speed box fitted and feels looked after.
Don't get too hung up on the engine issue, the manual claims it users litre of oil every 1000km, and I figured that as its made it this far and the fact it's a weekend car, if it goes kaput I'll put a 190 in there.
Handles very nicely and is just the right side of nippy.
Can also get some gear in it, yesterday had some plants in the storage bins and a bag of BBQ food and drink squeezed in the footwell with the other half. But if I was going proper food shopping I wouldn't be in the MR2!!
Edit to add I had a mk1 MR2 a few years ago, and the mk3 is very much a chip off the old block just more modern.
Feel a bit of a silly goose having started this thread without ever having seen the mk3s 'storage' area (especially given that it's arguably the most common/ valid criticism levelled at them);
Imagine many owners ditch the space-saver too;
Even as a sort-of 'main car'/ DD I could def live with it. Fully understand how others couldn't though.
The suggestion of a smaller steering wheel is spot on- a mod I really should have made to both my MX5s, and also my current Z3 (as well as a smaller rear-view mirror; the stock one is inexplicably huge). Probably the first mod any tall/ long-legged driver should make on a small roadster, not sure I'd fancy having a proper shunt sans airbag in such a car tho...
Re the 1ZZ, I'm more wary than most because I've been burned before. I was young, daft and far less inclined to regularly check oil than I am now. Would the engine have survived had I not run it with too little oil? Quite possibly... I'd simply pay a bit extra for a later car now, and greater peace of mind.
Shame the 2ZZ swap isn't as straight-forward as one would assume- to those thinking 'if the 1ZZ borks I'll stick in a 2ZZ' I'd suggest you look up what that involves. Looks pretty daunting to a mechanical retard like myself, and it would be a 'cheap roadster' no longer if you paid someone to do the swap for you...
This sucks even more for me, as I experienced a 1ZZ immediately followed by a 2ZZ and am therefore aware of the vast superiority of the latter lump, which in my lightly modified Celica kept a friends' (lightly modified) DC2 honest on every drive. Neither of us was expecting it to be so capable when I bought it, and when I put it up for sale I reckon it was only pride that stopped him making an offer. Suspect buying an already 2ZZed MR2 could represent excellent vfm (wonders how many actually exist in the UK).
Can the 'Camry' V6 go in there as it can with the mk2 MR2? 6-cyl mk3 MR2 sounds like a very appealing thing...
All this engine bork/ swap talk brings me on to another
in the mk3 MR2s claim to being the 'new mk1 MX5'; it doesn't have the near-faultless reliability of the MX5s engine(s). True, theyre still very reliable and buying a later car mitigates the risk, but it's not the worry-free purchase that the MX5 is. The flipside of that coin ofcourse is that the MR2 is less of a ruster...
Another question I'd like to put to PHers regarding the MR2s 'claim'; is it as good-looking as the mk1 MX5 (which imho is a 'timeless' piece of car design)? I get that the packaging requirements of the mid-engine layout means that the proportions of the car must be fundamentally different, but even taking that into consideration I can't see the MR2 ever looking as 'right' as the original MX5 does now. I suspect the answer will overwhelmingly be 'no', and don't foresee many PHers arguing that the MR2 can hold a candle to the MX5 with regards to overall aesthetic appeal.
The MR2 has an almost cartoonish (anime/ manga/ 'cute') look in comparison to the MX5s more subdued 'classic' roadster design. I believe that the looks of the mk1 MX5 are almost universally liked, and even those who profess not to like it would have a hard time arguing that it's aesthetically 'wrong' in any way. Can the same be said of the MR2? I'm a big fan of them, but could easily nitpick afew styling cues/ lines that are a bit 'jarring'...
To conclude my Malbec-fuelled ramble, one final point on the subject of 'image'. While I acknowledge that the mk1 MX5 is neither 'butch' nor 'masculine' in any sense, I feel that I can drive one anywhere without looking (or feeling) 'effete'. I'm a 6'3" skinhead, with broad shoulders and a rather aggro resting facial expression (soft as sh*te really!) and don't feel out of place in what most people immediately regard as simply a small 'classic' roadster. How would the same big, bald ogre be perceived in a cutesy mk3 MR2 with its big round headlamps and grille resembling a simpletons grin? Worse, what if said MR2 was red or even God-forbid that purpley colour? Were I sat next to a white van on the North Circular with the top down in such a car, I'd fully expect to have homophobic slurs hurled at me.
In all seriousness, I genuinely dgaf how people perceive me, but I can't be the only PHer who feels the mk3 MR2 lacks the same classless/ genderless quality that the MX5 has... yet another argument against its being the 'new' mk1 MX5?
Imagine many owners ditch the space-saver too;
Even as a sort-of 'main car'/ DD I could def live with it. Fully understand how others couldn't though.
The suggestion of a smaller steering wheel is spot on- a mod I really should have made to both my MX5s, and also my current Z3 (as well as a smaller rear-view mirror; the stock one is inexplicably huge). Probably the first mod any tall/ long-legged driver should make on a small roadster, not sure I'd fancy having a proper shunt sans airbag in such a car tho...
Re the 1ZZ, I'm more wary than most because I've been burned before. I was young, daft and far less inclined to regularly check oil than I am now. Would the engine have survived had I not run it with too little oil? Quite possibly... I'd simply pay a bit extra for a later car now, and greater peace of mind.
Shame the 2ZZ swap isn't as straight-forward as one would assume- to those thinking 'if the 1ZZ borks I'll stick in a 2ZZ' I'd suggest you look up what that involves. Looks pretty daunting to a mechanical retard like myself, and it would be a 'cheap roadster' no longer if you paid someone to do the swap for you...
This sucks even more for me, as I experienced a 1ZZ immediately followed by a 2ZZ and am therefore aware of the vast superiority of the latter lump, which in my lightly modified Celica kept a friends' (lightly modified) DC2 honest on every drive. Neither of us was expecting it to be so capable when I bought it, and when I put it up for sale I reckon it was only pride that stopped him making an offer. Suspect buying an already 2ZZed MR2 could represent excellent vfm (wonders how many actually exist in the UK).
Can the 'Camry' V6 go in there as it can with the mk2 MR2? 6-cyl mk3 MR2 sounds like a very appealing thing...
All this engine bork/ swap talk brings me on to another
in the mk3 MR2s claim to being the 'new mk1 MX5'; it doesn't have the near-faultless reliability of the MX5s engine(s). True, theyre still very reliable and buying a later car mitigates the risk, but it's not the worry-free purchase that the MX5 is. The flipside of that coin ofcourse is that the MR2 is less of a ruster...Another question I'd like to put to PHers regarding the MR2s 'claim'; is it as good-looking as the mk1 MX5 (which imho is a 'timeless' piece of car design)? I get that the packaging requirements of the mid-engine layout means that the proportions of the car must be fundamentally different, but even taking that into consideration I can't see the MR2 ever looking as 'right' as the original MX5 does now. I suspect the answer will overwhelmingly be 'no', and don't foresee many PHers arguing that the MR2 can hold a candle to the MX5 with regards to overall aesthetic appeal.
The MR2 has an almost cartoonish (anime/ manga/ 'cute') look in comparison to the MX5s more subdued 'classic' roadster design. I believe that the looks of the mk1 MX5 are almost universally liked, and even those who profess not to like it would have a hard time arguing that it's aesthetically 'wrong' in any way. Can the same be said of the MR2? I'm a big fan of them, but could easily nitpick afew styling cues/ lines that are a bit 'jarring'...
To conclude my Malbec-fuelled ramble, one final point on the subject of 'image'. While I acknowledge that the mk1 MX5 is neither 'butch' nor 'masculine' in any sense, I feel that I can drive one anywhere without looking (or feeling) 'effete'. I'm a 6'3" skinhead, with broad shoulders and a rather aggro resting facial expression (soft as sh*te really!) and don't feel out of place in what most people immediately regard as simply a small 'classic' roadster. How would the same big, bald ogre be perceived in a cutesy mk3 MR2 with its big round headlamps and grille resembling a simpletons grin? Worse, what if said MR2 was red or even God-forbid that purpley colour? Were I sat next to a white van on the North Circular with the top down in such a car, I'd fully expect to have homophobic slurs hurled at me.
In all seriousness, I genuinely dgaf how people perceive me, but I can't be the only PHer who feels the mk3 MR2 lacks the same classless/ genderless quality that the MX5 has... yet another argument against its being the 'new' mk1 MX5?
Personally, I think the storage bins behind the seats are a little underrated.
No, they're not as big as a proper boot, like in a MX5, but a few shopping bags or a couple of weekend bags are easily catered for.
My other half and I had several weekends away in her's when she had one, and we never struggled fitting our weekend stuff in there.
I get where you're coming from with the aesthetic thing.
I like the early MX5 as a design, and I might get one at some point.
I like the Mk3 MR2 too, but in a very different way, and from very recently I own one as a second car (I get the non-masculine thing too, but luckily I don't give a fk about that!).
I guess that's all very subjective though.
No, they're not as big as a proper boot, like in a MX5, but a few shopping bags or a couple of weekend bags are easily catered for.
My other half and I had several weekends away in her's when she had one, and we never struggled fitting our weekend stuff in there.
I get where you're coming from with the aesthetic thing.
I like the early MX5 as a design, and I might get one at some point.
I like the Mk3 MR2 too, but in a very different way, and from very recently I own one as a second car (I get the non-masculine thing too, but luckily I don't give a f
k about that!).I guess that's all very subjective though.
Edited by Martin350 on Tuesday 7th June 02:15
In terms of looks, I wasn't comparing it with a Mk1 MX-5, because I wasn't looking to buy a car of that age. I was comparing it with similar aged MX-5s (2004) which - in my opinion - don't look as good as the MR2.
Being a female, I don't care about the 'masculine' appearance aspect but, personally, I think that the MR2 is less feminine looking than the later MX-5s.
In terms of storage - most of the time it's just me and a handbag
But a couple of times a week (when commuting for work) it's a bit more. Wheeled suitcase goes in passenger footwell, handbag on passenger seat and laptop in storage bin behind seat. Job jobbed. If I need to carry more than that, I use the Celica
Being a female, I don't care about the 'masculine' appearance aspect but, personally, I think that the MR2 is less feminine looking than the later MX-5s.
In terms of storage - most of the time it's just me and a handbag
But a couple of times a week (when commuting for work) it's a bit more. Wheeled suitcase goes in passenger footwell, handbag on passenger seat and laptop in storage bin behind seat. Job jobbed. If I need to carry more than that, I use the Celica I've had two, and probably driven them collectively for around 70,000 miles in total. The first was a 2002 plate, the second a TF300. I loved them both, cracking cars, a thoroughly enjoyable drive and seemed more than fast enough most of the time.
I used them both as my daily driver. There was plenty of room for me, my work bags and the odd bits and odd bits if I stopped at the shops - the passenger seat/footwell was what I used.
A few longer trips with a passenger just meant we used the storage behind the seats, or actually stuffed things down behind the seats, and for camping the passenger had stuff in their footwell.
When I bought the first one it was my only car, and I was single. I still didn't have any issues using it daily.
So assuming you like the price, performance and drive, but the practicality is worrying you... it comes down to how you use your car(s) now.
I used them both as my daily driver. There was plenty of room for me, my work bags and the odd bits and odd bits if I stopped at the shops - the passenger seat/footwell was what I used.
A few longer trips with a passenger just meant we used the storage behind the seats, or actually stuffed things down behind the seats, and for camping the passenger had stuff in their footwell.
When I bought the first one it was my only car, and I was single. I still didn't have any issues using it daily.
So assuming you like the price, performance and drive, but the practicality is worrying you... it comes down to how you use your car(s) now.
Martin350 said:
Personally, I think the storage bins behind the seats are a little underrated.
No, they're not as big as a proper boot, like in a MX5, but a few shopping bags or a couple of weekend bags are easily catered for.
My other half and I had several weekends away in her's when she had one, and we never struggled fitting our weekend stuff in there.
I get where you're coming from with the aesthetic thing.
I like the early MX5 as a design, and I might get one at some point.
I like the Mk3 MR2 too, but in a very different way, and from very recently I own one as a second car (I get the non-masculine thing too, but luckily I don't give a fk about that!).
I guess that's all very subjective though.
I unscrewed the doors (see pic above) to the storage on mine - makes it much easier to get stuff in and out and you can get more in there. (obv at the expense of security but that didn't worry me)No, they're not as big as a proper boot, like in a MX5, but a few shopping bags or a couple of weekend bags are easily catered for.
My other half and I had several weekends away in her's when she had one, and we never struggled fitting our weekend stuff in there.
I get where you're coming from with the aesthetic thing.
I like the early MX5 as a design, and I might get one at some point.
I like the Mk3 MR2 too, but in a very different way, and from very recently I own one as a second car (I get the non-masculine thing too, but luckily I don't give a f
k about that!).I guess that's all very subjective though.
Edited by Martin350 on Tuesday 7th June 02:15
Office_Monkey said:
well the price of MX-5s is going a bit nuts, and loads with hidden rust so thought I'd look into the MR2. Just picked up this, initial reactions are good, will try to give it a bit of a run at a later stage, but pleased so far.
Keep an eye out on Facebook for the mr2 roadster group as it's very active with buying and selling parts. You can pick up manifolds with decat and exhausts etc second hand and cheap. Essential mods to tighten it up are the matt mr2 under brace and a front brace. 200 quid tops. So much more confidence in throwing them into bends with those.daveofedinburgh said:
Can the 'Camry' V6 go in there as it can with the mk2 MR2? 6-cyl mk3 MR2 sounds like a very appealing thing...
the 1MZ V6 fits, as does the 2GR. The 2GR is the same V6 Lotus use in the Exige. It's a tight fit!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsxD9Lt5uO0
US one nailing it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-1f4SLilSs
2GR is a lot more expensive than the 1MZ.
I'm a bit biased having had 3 SW20 turbos, but I really don't like them. They're good to drive, but the styling and interior for me is pretty naff. A definite downgrade from the Mk2.
They should have done a version with the 190 engine from factory. If you ever get the chance, have a go in one of those - it changes the whole car for the better to the extent that the interior could be barbie pink and it wouldn't matter.
They should have done a version with the 190 engine from factory. If you ever get the chance, have a go in one of those - it changes the whole car for the better to the extent that the interior could be barbie pink and it wouldn't matter.
Edited by vtecyo on Wednesday 8th June 12:23
I had an Y reg one back in the day and used it as my daily, lovely bloody things 
This was of course before I had the internet so I was completely unaware of the engine woes, but it was faultlessly reliable. Look at my profile and see the cars I've owned, it's up there with the best of them.
The storage issue is a misnomer. You can get a weeks shop in from tescos and we did weekends away camping, including the bbq! If you win a chester draws on the bay, just hire a van for the day for £35.
So you can't get two 22kg suitcases in for the 2 week summer holiday? We just hired a rentacar to get us to the airport and back, I reckon in the couple of years I ran the car I spent a couple of hundred quid on hire cars. no big deal.
Oh and the lotus question, disregarding the huge difference in price, I thought my MR2 Spyder on TTE lowering springs and 17" alloys better than my S2 Exige.
This was of course before I had the internet so I was completely unaware of the engine woes, but it was faultlessly reliable. Look at my profile and see the cars I've owned, it's up there with the best of them.
The storage issue is a misnomer. You can get a weeks shop in from tescos and we did weekends away camping, including the bbq! If you win a chester draws on the bay, just hire a van for the day for £35.
So you can't get two 22kg suitcases in for the 2 week summer holiday? We just hired a rentacar to get us to the airport and back, I reckon in the couple of years I ran the car I spent a couple of hundred quid on hire cars. no big deal.
Oh and the lotus question, disregarding the huge difference in price, I thought my MR2 Spyder on TTE lowering springs and 17" alloys better than my S2 Exige.
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