Using an MR2 Turbo for a winter daily drive

[ShadFx]

Hi All

I posted something similar the other day but didnt get a response.. Guess it was a little too vague!

Im thinking of getting an MR2 turbo because prices seem to be very reasonable and ive always wanted one.. But would it be okay for winter? Also, will the silt salt and general road crap kill the bodywork?

I cant really afford to have a sub 500 quid car as well as a two, plus the whole point of owning one is to drive it.. But I am worrying that if I wait til spring prices will go back up again.

Advise please PHers?!

[Devilstreak]

Do it. Put spare underpants in the glove box

[Liquid Knight]

You'll be fine. A chap at work has owed his from new and used it every day of it's life whatever the weather.

[ikarl]

I've had 3 in the past, 2 turbos and one n/a....driven through 5 winters up here in Scotland and I'm still alive.

Simple rules.... don't drive like a tt and you'll be fine

drive like a spaz and you may or may not die in the crash.

treat the turbo with respect and it'll behave very much like the n/a in the snow. Last year here in Scotland we had the worst snow for 100 years (blah blah blah) and I didn't get stuck once and I drove it every day.

HTH

[willfinch36]

Should be fine... I don't use my MR2 everyday, but could do if I really needed too. Apart from in snow.. you WILL get stuck.

I average about 16mpg but I have a heavy foot.

Prices have dropped in the last year ( I just read your other thread), probably due to the price of fuel/insurance etc...

[TheHeretic]

I drove mine in the winter. As has been said, don't drive like a cock. Tyres important.

[Rawwr]

You can drive anything in any whatever weather, excepting extreme circumstances. The vehicle isn't the problem, it's the fleshy sack of over-excitement and inexperience behind the wheel that's typically the problem.

[ikarl]

[quote=willfinch36] Apart from in snow.. you WILL get stuck.

[quote]


Got to disagree here ol' chap... I managed to get to work everyday last year right through the bad weather and my commute was 16 miles each way. My '2 handled it all beautifully

nearly a foot of snow in places here in Glasgow too!!

[s1lver007]

Devilstreak said:

Do it. Put spare underpants in the glove box

This, but more importantly,

TheHeretic said:

I drove mine in the winter. As has been said, don't drive like a cock. Tyres important.

This.

I had some seat of the pants moments in my S2000 earlier this year which resulted me in leaving the car at home and catching the train to work.

Driving the car sideways up the side road to the work car park gets a bit tiresome after a while.

[ShadFx]

Cheers guys, suspected it would be okay. Would it be worth me getting an NA first for a few months to get used to the mid/rear layout? RWD isnt a problem, I had an MX5 before. Totally different beast in terms of power output I know, but same principals of tail breaking loose apply I guess..

Interestingly I can get insurance on a MR2 tubby at 21 with 4 years NC for around the £600 mark.. Not expensive at all I thought!? Which is why im so baffled as to why the price of them has come down so much

[BlueMR2]

A relative has mine now and uses it through winter with winter goodyears on.

His sills went rusty a bit last year, so clear out any crud sitting infront of the rear wheel regularly.

[Baryonyx]

My MR2 Turbo is my only car. So it'll be seeing use this winter, no matter what! Rust wise, these cars don't seem to suffer too badly. Just keep washing it, about once a week, to get the crap off it and hose the inside of the arches and sills down.

It could be a difficult drive in the snow, but keep it slow and steady and don't push it into the turbo's boost range and you should be fine! Just had an absolutely marvellous drive in mine, down one of my favourite roads. Even on the wet tarmac, it felt fantastic.

[willfinch36]

ikarl said:

willfinch36 said:

Apart from in snow.. you WILL get stuck.

[quote]


Got to disagree here ol' chap... I managed to get to work everyday last year right through the bad weather and my commute was 16 miles each way. My '2 handled it all beautifully

nearly a foot of snow in places here in Glasgow too!!

Ahhh I had a bad experience on a hill thats all! lol

[BriC175]

My mate has had an MR2 for, like, 3+ years (not a turbo, but that won't matter unless you're driving like a tool) and has used it through all the past winters. It's been absolutely fine. I would think all the extra weight over the rear wheels would help too, much like a FWD car.

[ikarl]

if you're wondering between a turbo and an N/A let me say that an N/A is a very fast capable car that can still lift up it's skirt and show a fresh pair of legs to most 'fast' cars / hot hatches.

what I'd guess though is that you'll regret not buying a turbo by summertime when you start thinking about more power.

be sensible, buy a good turbo (and I stress, buy a good 'un) and drive it appropriately depending on weather and the rewards it'll give you will keep you smiling everytime you look at it.

one of the only cars that made me smile even when it was parked in my garage, even if I wasn't driving it for a few days!

[Baryonyx]

I went out this morning and test drove a nice 35,000 mile '07 plate Impreza WRX (the wife is looking for a new car) and whilst it was lovely and very quick, it just didn't strike me as being as involving or as grin-inducing as the MR2 Turbo.

So, you might have to faff on during the winter. For the rest of the year you'll be singing the praises of this awesome car and getting loads of enjoyment from it.

[willfinch36]

Sideways in the sn0w y0!

[mini1380cc]

I had a MR2-T through a heavy winter and it was fine. I think the weight over the back wheels helps it dig in. No worse that any other car. The main issue i had was the front splitter not clearing the top on the snow.

The Mr2 was much easier to control in the snow than my Mx5.

[TheHeretic]

willfinch36 said:

Sideways in the sn0w y0!

That looks more like understeer, to be honest!

[ShadFx]

Thanks guys! I suspected the same thing about the NA.. I drove a couple and whilst I didnt exercise them too hard, still found them slightly lacklustre. Ive got a potential viewing of a 2-T shaping up quite nicely, hopefully it is a goodun.. Only thing is it looks to have had a silly sized Zorst added, but I guess most of them will have had that done by now!