Hello all!

My sister is looking for a new car, she's a bit bored of her yaris, and wants something cute, fun to drive (not necessarily fast), convertible, and in black lol

She's had a look at the MR2 in the Toyota show room and likes it a lot. What are people thoughts on these? Are they decent cars? And are there any MR2 forums where I can research them further?

Anyone had any experience of driving / owning one?

Cheers

Where's Walkie?

I've been driving mine for two weeks now..............

I am like a pig in sh.it :eek: I can't get enough of it

If you dont need practicallity, then go for it.

I am going to post a review some time soon

Jimbo says the space for crimpers and curlers is quite commendable :P

yep pukka car, better to drive than the equivalent Mx5, MGF etc etc...providing you can live without a proper boot then its a cracking choice.

yep pukka car, better to drive than the equivalent Mx5, MGF etc etc...providing you can live without a proper boot then its a cracking choice.

:iagree: I test drove all of these and the MR2 knocked the sox off them

i spent 3yrs selling these, along with the rest of the toyota range and having driven it back2back with its competitors on a circuit, when the Mister2 first came out its definately the drivers choice (no matter what MX5 owners say;) )

Forgot to say www.mr2roc.com

edit: spyderchat and spydermagazine aswell

Hi Pimpster

I have had one of these for about 3 weeks now. The car is possibly the best option for a driver focussed car that is available for the money and reasonable to run.

Driving one requires a bit of learning before it all comes together. The mid engined layout will seem odd at first. Treat the car clumsily and the weight at the back seems to drop into the corners creating what feels like a lurch into oversteer without breaking away. Once she gets the hang of it, that engine at the back becomes a good friend, putting weight over the rear wheels and allowing early power on through the corners, which settles the car nicely. I can think of few better cars to learn about handling and dynamics.

Grip levels are really very high. Brakes are the best I have experienced in a standard car, similar to Porsche in stopping capability, loads of consistent pedal feel and I have not got them to even grumble in very fast road use. Combined with grippy tyres (I have Bridgestone RE040 on mine) you find yourself braking shockingly late coming up to corners and still having to let off the brakes a bit early. Well up there with the very best.

It is comfortable enough for a 200 mile journey with no problem. My height makes it difficult for me to get my foot at the right angle for heel and toe downchanges but other than that, the driving position is OK for 6'3" bruiser. The ride is supple but firmly controlled. You do get a bit of scuttle shake over really poor surfaces, but this does not upset the grip or balance. It is averaging around 39 - 43mpg (BP Ultimate which it likes). I use it mostly for B road blasting and days out. So far not got less than 36, but that was caning it and on Optimax.

The engine is pretty flexible and good progress can be made stroking it along between 2000 and 4000rpm. Get it to 4500 and it really pulls well up to 7000rpm. The engine is smooth and free revving for a four pot.

The gearbox is a remote cable shift. The action is very positive, but you cannot rush it or it can baulk particularly when cold. There is no lock out for reverse but you get a warning beep to tell you when reverse is engaged just in case. The clutch is light and easy to judge, but the engine has little rotating mass so would be realtively easy to stall if you dont pay attention.

The roof takes a few seconds to raise or lower, seems to keep the water out well enough as well.

The cabin is OK, CD / Radio sounds OK and instruments are clear. They even put the rev counter in the middle of the cluster where it should be.

On the downside, there is no really secure luggage space. There is an area behind the seats that is lockable. It would not keep a thief out for long but an ultrasonic interior alarm protects roof up or down and does go off if you try and open the storage bins. These bins take approximately 6 reasonably loaded up carrier bags. The front has a spare wheel area that can also take a couple of carriers or a 12 pack of Andrex on top of the wheel. Aircon can be had and is well worth it IMO. Another downside is that with the roof up, there are two very large blind spots to the rear quater view. The previous owners put a blindspot mirror on mine. Usually I hate them, but here it is very useful. The optional hard top is nice to have over winter. Toyota dealers will sell it at a high cost and assure her that they are not retrofittable. Fact is they are and I have seen them used from various palces for

Brilliant. Thats an excellent write up mate, and has helped us a lot. Just been out to see one, and bought it! Collecting it next weekend.

Black

'05

Black Leather (heated)

A/C

4000 miles

Will PM you with a few more questions! lol

Cheers bud

Enjoy the new car and let us know what you think!

My wife has had her mr2 for 4 years. So far it's been totally reliable only needing servicing and new tyres. The mpg is far better than you might imagine even when using it in a rapid manner.

The handling takes some getting used to - the ability to go round bends at ridiculous speeds never fails to raise a smile.

Due to it's light weight it is also quick off the mark.

Luggage space is limited but with a little thought it's amazing what you can cram in.

Only two negatives - three if you are a man -

1. Alloy wheels used to be very prone to corrosion - might have been fixed on later models.

2. You will get fed up being raced, overtaken, etc by boy racers.

3. If you are a man some might say it's a hairdressers car.

pmc