RE: PH Carpool: Toyota MR2 Roadster

[Craikeybaby]

luke g28 said:

I have owned 4 Mr2s and now have an S1 elise.

I think once you have a test drive you will be smitten, look for a car that is regularly used and maintained rather than a low mileage queen and you will be rewarded with a surprisingly reliable ownership

Is that about the MR2 or Elise? Or both?

[Sycamore]

I bought an MR2 a few weeks back, the Red Edition which has the red leather seats and the Sable (sp?) grey body. It was either the MR2 or MX5, and the MX5 rust issues put me off. Sure, the MR2 has its issues with the pre-cats stting into the engine, but the facelifted models aren't so bad.

Those I'd bought it from had a red mohair soft top fitted not long back too which is great.

Fantastic little car. Feels better fixed together than my Smart Roadster, without the finicky gearbox (300bhp/ton has been summoned)

The storage space, or lack thereof, isn't as big an issue as people (usually MX5 owners) do enjoy to make it out to be.
Sure, it's tight, but the little extra space behind the seats along with room for a small bag in the front means it's not so bad.
It's a teeny little sports car, it's never going to be all too practical, however my missus and I still managed to pack enough for a week away up in the lakes & Scotland. If you can't do that, you're packing wrong

Although having to flip the seats forward each time you want something from the storage cubby holes does piss me off.

Edited by Sycamore on Monday 19th December 13:30

[McAndy]

Hurrah! An article that backs up my monotonous drone on these forums about them being far more practical than popular screams will have you believe! I miss mine.

[200Plus Club]

i'm in my mr2 today. its been sideways twice on the way to work, and all on purpose out of clear junctions, its just a hoot. in the dry, on decent tyres on a tight twisty country lane there isnt much would get by or keep up for less than 30k. (exige etc)
alignment is key, get it set up right and watch tyre pressures, with light weight its very sensitive. and drive it with respect in winter, its very lively on cold greasy slippy bends :-)
i dont think i will ever sell mine, it stands me at about 3k with the chassis brace, new shocks, de cat and new discs/pads. Proper 'bo i tell thee

[paul1087]

Had mine now for 3.5 years - longest I've owned a car!

Fitted the 2ZZ engine + coilovers and can't see myself ever selling.

Great little cars

[TheJimi]

Gah

I’ve got a love / hate relationship with these. Ok, “hate” is probably a bit too strong…

They’re brilliant to drive, but the engine is woeful. Dreadful engine – if ever a car was crying out for decent engine, it’s the Mk3 MR2 (imo) and I came from an MX5!

I tried very very hard, but in the end I just couldn’t deal with how gutless the engine felt, and before anyone says it, yes, I’m used to cars that develop their power high up rev range.

Having said all that, I can imagine a 2ZZ engined (or even better, a K20 VTEC) car being close to my perfect road car...

[J99KKE]

OP love your MR2, perfect combination of gunmetal/grey with red leather interior IMO

I had just sold my Mk7 Fiesta ST-2 earlier this year and wanted to buy something cheap + fun. Tried to find an unmodded MK1 MX5 for sensible money but that wasn't going to happen seeing as most of them have been chavved up to the n'th degree.

Stumbled across a 55reg in silver with black leather, 58,000 on the clock + FSH and jumped at the chance, paid just under £3500 and haven't looked back since

I know some people will say its underpowered and the like - I disagree, coming out of a car such as the Fiesta ST where it's more about overboost/turbo its a pleasure to have a car that loves to be revved! I dont think I will get sick of the of the 1.8 VVTI sitting right behind me...may be less than 150hp but with a kerb weight under 1 ton its an absolute hoot! Best of all it still turns heads despite being 11yrs old.

Edited by J99KKE on Monday 19th December 13:58

[Evil.soup]

200Plus Club said:

i'm in my mr2 today. its been sideways twice on the way to work, and all on purpose out of clear junctions, its just a hoot. in the dry, on decent tyres on a tight twisty country lane there isnt much would get by or keep up for less than 30k. (exige etc)
alignment is key, get it set up right and watch tyre pressures, with light weight its very sensitive. and drive it with respect in winter, its very lively on cold greasy slippy bends :-)
i dont think i will ever sell mine, it stands me at about 3k with the chassis brace, new shocks, de cat and new discs/pads. Proper 'bo i tell thee

I have to agree with it being very sensitive to small variables, I had to borrow an MR2 wheel and tyre from a friend for a short while as I had damaged one of the rear wheels and it completely changed the handling of the car. The replacement tyre was a good make with plenty of tread but the difference in tread pattern and tyre density really threw the handling right out of the window.

The car became twitchy even travelling through long motorway bends within the speed limit, it felt dangerous in fact.

If it is set up right and you stay on top of the little details then its a dream to drive, cut some corners and it becomes a nightmare!

[McAndy]

J99KKE said:

...it may be less than 150hp but with a kerb weight under 1 ton its an absolute hoot!

I found mine to be the almost perfect answer to how much fun you can have a safe speeds on the public roads, and thus not having to worry about your licence.

[mikey P 500]

Agree mk3 mr2s make a great fun budget car. Can buy early ones for £500 upwards but due to engine issues and rusty sub frames makes sense to buy a good facelift for £3000ish which is still very cheap for a mid engined sports car. Loved my old one only sold as needed more seats.


I have also owned a mk1 Elise too, they are much faster and do feel a bit more special but and fun factor of the mr2 is almost as good for a fraction of cost and much easier to live with as a daily car too.

[giveitfish]

luke g28 said:

I have owned 4 Mr2s and now have an S1 elise.

I think once you have a test drive you will be smitten, look for a car that is regularly used and maintained rather than a low mileage queen and you will be rewarded with a surprisingly reliable ownership

The main problem I've found going to an Elise S1 from a car like an MR2 (Smart Roadster in my case, but bear with me) is that the S1 is so raw it kills any chance of touring 2-up. I've been all over in it, but long journeys are something to steel yourself for rather than relish and there is no way my OH will come with me. I've heard the same story from other Elise owning friends, it's a very selfish car.

Forget any ideas you have of driving to the Alps then arriving at the nice hotel restaurant for dinner with the OH. You'll arrive alone, sweaty and smelling of petrol and go straight to bed.

Obviously there is a trade off and nothing else comes close to the Elise when you're alone with the road and it's all corners and braking points.

[cj2013]

I had a celica with the same 1ZZ-FE (or was it FED) engine.

I can't imagine myself ever going near another 1.8 toyota again, as they seem to have too many piston ring issues. At the time, everyone said the facelift was ok, but even with the greatest care and attention, it shat out a Catalytic Converter with the same issue.

[TameRacingDriver]

TheJimi said:

Gah

I’ve got a love / hate relationship with these. Ok, “hate” is probably a bit too strong…

They’re brilliant to drive, but the engine is woeful. Dreadful engine – if ever a car was crying out for decent engine, it’s the Mk3 MR2 (imo) and I came from an MX5!

I tried very very hard, but in the end I just couldn’t deal with how gutless the engine felt, and before anyone says it, yes, I’m used to cars that develop their power high up rev range.

Having said all that, I can imagine a 2ZZ engined (or even better, a K20 VTEC) car being close to my perfect road car...

I see where you're coming from, in fact before I got mine yesterday, due to comments like this I'd already written off the engine in it before I'd even tried it.

I have to disagree though now. I came from a z4 coupe and a civic type R. I've also owned a couple of mx5s. I'll concede the 1zz is not as nice to use as my previous two cars but it's also nowhere near as bad as suggested by some, and frankly it's light years ahead of the mx5 engine - it's more powerful, seems to enjoy being revved more, sounds better and is far less thirsty.

I've tried the 2zz in the Celica and it has the same issues as a VTEC only worse. It has a narrower power band than the k20 and is less powerful, but both engines need to be absolutely caned to give their best and this isn't always suitable for the road IMO.

The 1zz still gives a decent turn of pace in a car this light but it doesn't have to be caned as hard as the delivery is more linear.

For the track I'd definitely prefer a 2zz but for a road car the 1zz is fine. Heck even some Elise owners choose the 1zz over the 2zz for similar reasons.

[Craikeybaby]

giveitfish said:

luke g28 said:

I have owned 4 Mr2s and now have an S1 elise.

I think once you have a test drive you will be smitten, look for a car that is regularly used and maintained rather than a low mileage queen and you will be rewarded with a surprisingly reliable ownership

The main problem I've found going to an Elise S1 from a car like an MR2 (Smart Roadster in my case, but bear with me) is that the S1 is so raw it kills any chance of touring 2-up. I've been all over in it, but long journeys are something to steel yourself for rather than relish and there is no way my OH will come with me. I've heard the same story from other Elise owning friends, it's a very selfish car.

Forget any ideas you have of driving to the Alps then arriving at the nice hotel restaurant for dinner with the OH. You'll arrive alone, sweaty and smelling of petrol and go straight to bed.

Obviously there is a trade off and nothing else comes close to the Elise when you're alone with the road and it's all corners and braking points.

That is interesting - one of my criteria when it comes to sports cars is "would I want to drive it to Monaco?", this rules out 7s etc, but the MR2 is fine.

[Craikeybaby]

TameRacingDriver said:

I see where you're coming from, in fact before I got mine yesterday, due to comments like this I'd already written off the engine in it before I'd even tried it.

I have to disagree though now. I came from a z4 coupe and a civic type R. I've also owned a couple of mx5s. I'll concede the 1zz is not as nice to use as my previous two cars but it's also nowhere near as bad as suggested by some, and frankly it's light years ahead of the mx5 engine - it's more powerful, seems to enjoy being revved more, sounds better and is far less thirsty.

I've tried the 2zz in the Celica and it has the same issues as a VTEC only worse. It has a narrower power band than the k20 and is less powerful, but both engines need to be absolutely caned to give their best and this isn't always suitable for the road IMO.

The 1zz still gives a decent turn of pace in a car this light but it doesn't have to be caned as hard as the delivery is more linear.

For the track I'd definitely prefer a 2zz but for a road car the 1zz is fine. Heck even some Elise owners choose the 1zz over the 2zz for similar reasons.

I don't like the power delivery on the 2ZZ. The extra power would be nice, I'm sure the MR2 could handle it, but I wouldn't want to change how it drives.

[Martin350]

My o/h had a 'Red' edition for about seven years.

Less than a year after she sold hers, and after me singing their praises in various topics on here, I missed it enough to put my money where my mouth was and bought this one - unseen on ebay for £922.



It's not the best example out there, and I had a bit of bad luck with a spark plug breaking up on my journey home, but since sorting that out I've driven it almost daily for six months or so and enjoyed every minute.

[paul1087]

Craikeybaby said:

I don't like the power delivery on the 2ZZ. The extra power would be nice, I'm sure the MR2 could handle it, but I wouldn't want to change how it drives.

you know its basically drives like a 1zz with a bit more umph below lift .

[TheJimi]

TameRacingDriver said:

TheJimi said:

Gah

I’ve got a love / hate relationship with these. Ok, “hate” is probably a bit too strong…

They’re brilliant to drive, but the engine is woeful. Dreadful engine – if ever a car was crying out for decent engine, it’s the Mk3 MR2 (imo) and I came from an MX5!

I tried very very hard, but in the end I just couldn’t deal with how gutless the engine felt, and before anyone says it, yes, I’m used to cars that develop their power high up rev range.

Having said all that, I can imagine a 2ZZ engined (or even better, a K20 VTEC) car being close to my perfect road car...

I see where you're coming from, in fact before I got mine yesterday, due to comments like this I'd already written off the engine in it before I'd even tried it.

I have to disagree though now. I came from a z4 coupe and a civic type R. I've also owned a couple of mx5s. I'll concede the 1zz is not as nice to use as my previous two cars but it's also nowhere near as bad as suggested by some, and frankly it's light years ahead of the mx5 engine - it's more powerful, seems to enjoy being revved more, sounds better and is far less thirsty.

I've tried the 2zz in the Celica and it has the same issues as a VTEC only worse. It has a narrower power band than the k20 and is less powerful, but both engines need to be absolutely caned to give their best and this isn't always suitable for the road IMO.

The 1zz still gives a decent turn of pace in a car this light but it doesn't have to be caned as hard as the delivery is more linear.

For the track I'd definitely prefer a 2zz but for a road car the 1zz is fine. Heck even some Elise owners choose the 1zz over the 2zz for similar reasons.

As is the case with such things – each to their own

I disagree that the 1ZZ is a better engine than the 1.8 in the Mazda MX5 (mine was the Mk2, not VVC) yes, the 1ZZ was more economical, but beyond that, it has no redeeming features, imo.

Toyota dropped the ball big time by putting that engine into the MR2.

As I say, I do really like them, and I definitely agree that they are superb to drive – bang on the money there

For me, it was ultimately a combination of the lack of practicality and the lacklustre engine that killed it. Before anyone suggests I learn how to pack, I can and do pack “alpine style” and live out a rucksack for days at a time, so I know a thing or two about packing light. The car IS still inherently impractical though, and if I’m having to put up with that sort of impracticality, I want it to be offset by the overall experience of driving the car and I just couldn’t get that to stick for me.

On a separate note, I'm honestly not pissing on your new-car chips TRD, as I say, I tried awfully hard to like these things, and ultimately it's just my opinion.

Anyway, I do hope the MR2 sees you right

Edited by TheJimi on Monday 19th December 14:48

[TameRacingDriver]

Craikeybaby said:

I don't like the power delivery on the 2ZZ. The extra power would be nice, I'm sure the MR2 could handle it, but I wouldn't want to change how it drives.

I agree.

I was quite happy when I picked my MR2 up yesterday to rev it out all of the way, but it was equally as happy being changed up at any point in the rev range. I've always found with cars with a high lift cam, that I either drove it up to the point of the cam change and changed up OR I entered the "fun" zone and kept it there. At that point, I was travelling at some pretty crazy speed for the road, and I collected a fair few points on the way at times (and I was lucky not to get a worse punishment).

I can totally see the point in a track car of these engines, but on a road car, I tend to find them rather frustrating as I feel I'm either not getting the most out of them by short-shifting, or driving VERY illegally just to enjoy the noise and acceleration.

I maintain the 1ZZ is a fine match for the car.

[Evil.soup]

TameRacingDriver said:

TheJimi said:

Gah

I’ve got a love / hate relationship with these. Ok, “hate” is probably a bit too strong…

They’re brilliant to drive, but the engine is woeful. Dreadful engine – if ever a car was crying out for decent engine, it’s the Mk3 MR2 (imo) and I came from an MX5!

I tried very very hard, but in the end I just couldn’t deal with how gutless the engine felt, and before anyone says it, yes, I’m used to cars that develop their power high up rev range.

Having said all that, I can imagine a 2ZZ engined (or even better, a K20 VTEC) car being close to my perfect road car...

I see where you're coming from, in fact before I got mine yesterday, due to comments like this I'd already written off the engine in it before I'd even tried it.

I have to disagree though now. I came from a z4 coupe and a civic type R. I've also owned a couple of mx5s. I'll concede the 1zz is not as nice to use as my previous two cars but it's also nowhere near as bad as suggested by some, and frankly it's light years ahead of the mx5 engine - it's more powerful, seems to enjoy being revved more, sounds better and is far less thirsty.

I've tried the 2zz in the Celica and it has the same issues as a VTEC only worse. It has a narrower power band than the k20 and is less powerful, but both engines need to be absolutely caned to give their best and this isn't always suitable for the road IMO.

The 1zz still gives a decent turn of pace in a car this light but it doesn't have to be caned as hard as the delivery is more linear.

For the track I'd definitely prefer a 2zz but for a road car the 1zz is fine. Heck even some Elise owners choose the 1zz over the 2zz for similar reasons.

I never really had an issue with the power delivery of the MR2, I found it quite a well rounded engine, although, if I went back to one i do worry that it might feel a little weezy after a turbo engine.

The car isn't about the power though.