hey guys,

I will get a mkII mr2 very soon since i need a cheap daily driver for now until i have enough money to get an Evo 9. just wanted to ask for your opinions. i'm thinking getting the n/a since it's cheaper, and with over 100k miles on the motor the n/a is more reliable as well (this is what i concluded from weeks of researches all over the web). personally i'd love to have a mr2 turbo, esp. with the jdm swap, but just wondering any of u owned an mkII mr2 n/a or turbo or know anybody that did? if so what were ur impressions of the car? acceleration, handling, ride quality etc? also i know it's one of the more reliable sports cars out there right now (toyota quality), but are they really bullet proof like most forums/web sites say they are? i will be driving my friend's n/a mr2 as soon as rain stops in socal, but just wanted to hear about the car from some folks with experience with the mr2.

thanks

p.s. it is a freakin hard car to find...anybody know of a deal or place on the web to look for it? looking to spend no more than 4k on the car itself. i've been lurking around on www.mr2oc.com, www.mr2trader.com, www.mr2boards.com, as well as craigslist.org and cars.com and autotrader...after about a month still nothing

 

I've owned 3 MR2 Turbos. They're great little cars but if 4k is your budget, you're probably going to end up with some NA junk. I dont really see the point of getting a MR2 NA, its awfully slow. Handles great but dont try drifting the baby, once your *** is loose, wave goodbye.

Reliability? For the turbo, you should play it safe and make sure its under 100k and has been properly maintained. JDM swaps are usually kinda risky, all jdm swapped friends I have - non stop problems. Rebuilds? Non stop problems. For MR2s, you need MINT. My 3 were 75k miles, 67k miles, 49k miles and never had 1 single problem.

NA? Dont know much but they definitely last longer and you could probably go safely to 130k without having to worry about **** blowing up.

Good luck on finding a nice one for 4k, these things have gone way up in value since the import scene came through.

 

i guess i'll be cool with a n/a for now, cuz it's just going to be a cheap beater that i use to commute to school (50+ miles one way). i will clock a crapload of miles on the car, but at the same time i want a car that's somewhat fun. the n/a wont be fun in the straight, but it'll be much more fun in the corners than my integra. so u're saying anything over 130k is not reliable? i thought if taken care off any toyota engine should be good at least till 200k....

thanks for ur input anyways anybody else??

 

sport compact car did a blurb a month ago about buying a used mr2. what to look for, what to be aware of, and ballpark figures of what you should be thinking of spending on the car, maintanance, and mods. i am not positive what month for sure, and i threw the mag out, but see if you can find the article online. i have never even driven one (wouldnt fit at 6'4") but they always seemed like a great car. good luck.

 

toyotas are good cars. my girlfriends toyota avalon is still kicking at 220k. regular maintenance and an o2 sensor have been her only services.

 

i had a pretty heavily modded mr2 2 years ago, and i swapped the engine with a 3sgte out of a jdm celica all-trac (same motor just acessories in diff spots and a tmic vs a side mount) total cost was around 3500 installed.

the 3s is a very reliable motor if maintained properly, which when i got mine it was not in good shape. keep in mind is is an older car an little repairs will happen and add up. it drives like a gokart, just watch out for snap oversteer.

also if possible go for the 93+ as the suspension was tweaked and a few other goodies.

almost all the ttops leak, but good luck finding one with a sunroof.

 

thanks for all the replies guys. yea it'd be great if i can get my hands on a 93+ with all the susp. upgrades...i've read it's kinda like the difference btwn the s2000 ap1 and ap2, the mr2 93+ being like ap2 of course in terms of susp improvements. but for the money i'm willing to spend right now 93+ might be hard to come by. i'm planning on just getting a pre 93 n/a for now, then swap the 93+ susp and brakes and prolly a 3sgte into her later, this way i get an Evo for everyday and mr2 for the weekends. who knows, thanks again for the advices though

to evolved04: i will try looking for that mag, thanks mate.

 

we're the NA's available with a lsd?

 

I had the second Gen III swap done in the states years ago into my 93-turbo.. All I can say is that I had an 03'evo with vishnu stage 3 and then some and now I have an 06MR. The gen III with the 245hp screams and if I could do it again I would. As long as the harness is not spliced and was kept uncutt the car should be fine. My Gen III stock with an intake and BOV on the stock 13psi ran a 12.86 at the track. Great cars but make sure you get the turbo!

 

holy crap!! 12.86 sounds like a lot of fun i'm def. more inclined toward the turbo, but that really depends on how lucky i am at finding a good 2 thanks for all the help guys!