Nissan or Toyota, which should i go for?
Discussion
Are you after an N/A or Turbo MR2? Also what is your budget?
If your after any kind of luggage space, the MR2 is pretty poor (talking tv's and stereo's here...)but if your not moving your gear back between studentsville and home this won't be a problem. The S13 would probably have higher running costs compared to an N/A MR2, and i know some can have problems with the headgasket.
IMO the mk2 MR2 looks nicer and the prices for them are rock bottom at the moment. A well looked after standard example should also be uber reliable. You can get a tidy Rev3+ N/A for just over £2k. I have a Rev1 at the moment as i wanted one without power steering and although the early ones are noted for there edgy handling, mine has been great fun :-). I was actually looking at getting an S13 myself this summer for some tail-out action before i save up a bit more for an rx7.
When i was a student last year i wanted a mk1 MR2 but opted for an ae92 corolla gti for practically, though it still had the awesome 4age engine... great car for soooo little cash.
If your after any kind of luggage space, the MR2 is pretty poor (talking tv's and stereo's here...)but if your not moving your gear back between studentsville and home this won't be a problem. The S13 would probably have higher running costs compared to an N/A MR2, and i know some can have problems with the headgasket.
IMO the mk2 MR2 looks nicer and the prices for them are rock bottom at the moment. A well looked after standard example should also be uber reliable. You can get a tidy Rev3+ N/A for just over £2k. I have a Rev1 at the moment as i wanted one without power steering and although the early ones are noted for there edgy handling, mine has been great fun :-). I was actually looking at getting an S13 myself this summer for some tail-out action before i save up a bit more for an rx7.
When i was a student last year i wanted a mk1 MR2 but opted for an ae92 corolla gti for practically, though it still had the awesome 4age engine... great car for soooo little cash.
yep i've been heading over to the MR2 side, but it has to be Turbo all the way no N/A. thinking about it i would have a 4 thousand budget, but the use of the car isn't to ferry my junk back and forth. i want a car that can go fast sideways and in a straight line, and also that can be tuned to a 300-350bhp potential.
so just now speaking to a friend the S13 would have problems with the CA18DET engine (can always upgrade to S14 engine), but the thought of safety comes into mind of the S13, i've heard storys about high speed crashes but sideways is supposed to be mental. the MR2 on the other hand has great potetial especially with a 3S GTE engine from a 96+ celica GT4 placed in, but what about going sideways?
I just end up confusing myself it seems... any personal experiences? only1mikey thanks for the advice, probably ask for more soon enough.
so just now speaking to a friend the S13 would have problems with the CA18DET engine (can always upgrade to S14 engine), but the thought of safety comes into mind of the S13, i've heard storys about high speed crashes but sideways is supposed to be mental. the MR2 on the other hand has great potetial especially with a 3S GTE engine from a 96+ celica GT4 placed in, but what about going sideways?
I just end up confusing myself it seems... any personal experiences? only1mikey thanks for the advice, probably ask for more soon enough.
Are you on about drifting when you say go sideways?
If so stick to the Nissan.
The Mr2 can drift but is a right handful to hold due to it's layout.
I posted this question last your in Driftworks and everyone said stay away from the MR2. Great car but not so good from drifting. However I believe there is someone that uses one very well though.
If so stick to the Nissan.
The Mr2 can drift but is a right handful to hold due to it's layout.
I posted this question last your in Driftworks and everyone said stay away from the MR2. Great car but not so good from drifting. However I believe there is someone that uses one very well though.
Edited by The GMan on Tuesday 12th June 11:58
Gengis said:
But i've heard that if you were to crash in a 200sx due to its old Chassis then it could be fatal.
pmsl how old do you think a mk2 MR2's chassis is exactly? I stuck a 200 through the central reservation and into oncoming traffic rendering it well and truly stuffed and was absolutely fine. Loads of them been crashed, not heard of any fatalities in recent years that I can remember, they're good solid cars. Not seen any dead drifters recently...
The Mr2 is trickier on the limit mainly due to being mid-engined RWD, rather than front-engined RWD like the 200sx. Due to more weight being at the back, it can have a pendulum affect when the back steps out and if not corrected soon enough. The 200sx is much better at drifting, hence why its one of the most popular drifting cars along with ae86's. I have seen an awesome mr2 drifting vid on youtube tho. Both wouldn't be as safe as a newer car crash wise, but i think the mr2 has side impact protection on either rev 2 or 3 onwards. For 4k you could get a nice mr2 turbo or an s14 too. Both well capable of 300+bhp with the right mods. As standard a rev3+ mr2 has 255bhp with earlier ones having 225bhp. My housemate has a 330bhp mr2 turbo and it is quick...
Gengis said:
How is the MR2 a handful?
Being mid-engined they have quite low polar inertia so can change direction/attitude very quickly, and are sensitive to weight transfer especially if you do something like lift off mid corner. So if you get the back out you have to be pretty quick to catch it again. Thats a bit simplified but you get the general idea, someone can explain it in more detail if they can be bothered.ETA: having just had a quick look at your profile it appears that you haven't had anything faster than a corsa, so either car in turbo form will be a huge step up in both pace and required driving skill, and to be blunt based on your comments it doesn't seem like you have the understanding of driving dynamics to really handle that sort of instant step up. I'd suggest getting an NA version of either a Silvia, MR2 (or maybe MX5 or Skyline as other options) and learn to drive it properly while keeping your insurance/fuel/maintenance/repair costs much lower to help your student budget and let you save for a better turbo-car once you've learnt to handle Rwd.
I realise this makes me sound like an old fart, but I'm not - I'm a uni student (22) and have seen a lot of other young drivers spend up on cars which were too quick for their ability (without the experience to know when to back off and take it easy), and then crashed them, getting stuck driving an old POS for a long time until they could afford (a)another decent car and (b)the insurance costs which were pushed way up by their previous bad record.
Its the boring, sensible voice of reason, but worth thinking about...
p.s. don't go thinking you need a turbo to get a car sideways either - any RWD car will do it if you know how to drive it, especially in the wet. If you don't know how to drive it and try too hard then whether you have a turbo or not you may well end up doing the old understeer-understeer-spin trick
Edited by GravelBen on Tuesday 12th June 13:25
Hey guys i suspect you are right, it is a large jump from corsa FWD to turbo RWD; but i prefer to jump in at the deep end! im not the type of person who is stupid with learning new skills having just join IAM! I have driven cars far more powerful than the corsa (on regular basis)and have been more than capable of handling the power. i will not touch a BMW though (preference). Track days are on the cards with a new car, as i believe there is no better way toget used to ones car quickly and safely; but i should make my intentions clear i want a car that is fast in a straight line but also that i can learn to drift at a later date. I am a very sensible driver.
Obviously insurance, servicing, and fuel costs will be much higher in these cars than your corsa (especially tyres - something you don't want to skimp on). If you are a sensible driver and respect the car go for it. Though i would suggest an N/A MR2 as they are plenty quick enough around A and B roads, with none of the on-boost mid corner potential problems. An mx5 would be a fine choice and when you get bored of the power (or lack of it) whack a supercharger in it... Also worth considering is a porsche 944 or supra mk3, both of which can be insured silly cheap with classic insurance (though this often won't allowed mod's). However you have to remember these cars were not cheap when they came out and parts and servicing can be expensive. If your not hell bent on RWD why not get an old CRX vtec or Civic VTi - both very rapid.
get yourself onto sxoc.com
and FFS learn about RWD handling and dynamics it is totally and uterly different to FWD. In the wet 200sx's are 'fecking' lethal. Get decent rubber and learn to control your right foot especially in the wet otherwise you will end up as a parts supplier to the guys at SXOC.
To get to 350 hp in a 200 is gonna cost (unless you buy one with it already. Rust is the killer as are big ends on high power CA18's.
and FFS learn about RWD handling and dynamics it is totally and uterly different to FWD. In the wet 200sx's are 'fecking' lethal. Get decent rubber and learn to control your right foot especially in the wet otherwise you will end up as a parts supplier to the guys at SXOC.
To get to 350 hp in a 200 is gonna cost (unless you buy one with it already. Rust is the killer as are big ends on high power CA18's.
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