Mkii MR2 whats it like?

[ShawnPreece]

Apart from the supra I just got a little MR2 for going to work and back for cheaper fuel and to keep the Supra tidy, I currently just got the roadster version which is a normally aspirated 1.8vvti and is a great little car but I'm missing a turbo. So anyway Im wanting something very cheap as its a second car but rear wheel drive and turbocharged so came up with the mkii MR2 turbo..... Has anyone got/had one? If so what are they like are they nippy enough and can you kick the back end out easy enough for abit of fun (only talking abit of fun every now and again not monster drift runs or anything) I also believe from what iv heard (may be wrong it's only what iv been told) that you can get an import which is 250bhp as standard and still cheap to buy

 

or even any other suggestions on cars that fit what I'm after but gotta be cheap as its only a second car

[j_jza80]

The car you've got is a much better car for daily driving than the MR2. An MR2 Turbo may manage 30mpg on a steady run, your MR2 will do almost 50!

 

Nothing against MR2 Turbo's, they're great, but not an ideal daily. An S14a 200sx would be a good alternative, but they do have a habit of rusting.

[ShawnPreece]

Yeah that's was another thing I was thinking about the fuel economy, I'm averaging about 42mpg out of mine which is quite good but just really lack a turbo lol, is it just the fuel economy that you don't recomend them as a daily for or is it the drive too? (Iv never driven one so not sure on the difference)

[j_jza80]

I only drove one one, an early MR2 Turbo on a slightly damp road. It did not inspire confidence

 

They are probably a little more practical than the MK3, but there isn't that much in it. Otherwise they're pretty well built, interior is average Japanese 90's plastic. I do seem to remember the stock seats being comfy though.

 

Personally I wouldn't want a daily that is less practical than my weekend toy What about an NA-T IS300?

[ShawnPreece]

Ahh I see yeah I know what you mean I end up going out my parents place and stealing mums Honda CRV when I need a practical vehicle lol, I did look at s14's but they seem to hold there value quite well and I'm only really looking to spend up to the 2k mark (what I could get for mine) as I'm spending a load on my supra atm, cheers il have a think

[The Raven]

Mr2s are great little cars however as a daily probably not so much. The one you have now is a better option. The turbo version is more or less death on 4 wheels when shown water.

 

I have had 3 Rev 1 mark 2 cars two of them where auto and everyone spun out on me around roundabouts, I wouldn't even say I was pushing it. The turbo would only make this more likely to happen once that back end goes I'm not skilled enough to get it back.

 

I think they made some adjustments to later revs but how much difference it made I don't know

[gordy.r]

Yeah as above, great cars but don't like wet roundabouts!

I had a '94 rev 3 tubby and whilst they are quick cars, the mkii is probably the worst handling of the 3 made. (I owned a mki as well, loved that car!).

What with the mid mounted engine if you lose the back end there's pretty much no chance of recovering it once the weight transfers past a certain point (a point that all happened too quick for even my cat like reactions lol).

Personally I'd stick with the mkiii and enjoy the fuel savings and save your turbo times for out in the Supe. Suppose it gives you something to look forward to driving!

(Plus you'll just want to mod a tubby MR2 if you bought one haha)

[ShawnPreece]

Cheers guys yeah the primary reason for having another car is for cheaper fuel and bad weather (and to be a winter car) so as much as I was wanting abit more fun its probably not the best option if its terrible in the wet lol. Think il just stay with the mkiii for now then although now my mind is in the background thinking "I wonder how much to get a turbo kit for it" lol, this will pass though (hopefully) as it was just going to be a swap of cars and I wasnt wanting to put any extra money towards it (the supra's costing enough in mods this last few months lol)

 

Plus you'll just want to mod a tubby MR2 if you bought one haha

 

haha good point

[ShawnPreece]

Cheers guys yeah the primary reason for having another car is for cheaper fuel and bad weather (and to be a winter car) so as much as I was wanting abit more fun its probably not the best option if its terrible in the wet lol. Think il just stay with the mkiii for now then although now my mind is in the background thinking "I wonder how much to get a turbo kit for it" lol, this will pass though (hopefully) as it was just going to be a swap of cars and I wasnt wanting to put any extra money towards it (the supra's costing enough in mods this last few months lol)

 

Plus you'll just want to mod a tubby MR2 if you bought one haha

 

haha good point

[mplavery]

Think you find alot of us had a MR2 tubby at one stage. i have had two of them, i do miss my MR2..great fun car until the back goes on you lol hence why i had two as one went through a fench at 50mph in the wet lol

[ShawnPreece]

Think you find alot of us had a MR2 tubby at one stage. i have had two of them, i do miss my MR2..great fun car until the back goes on you lol hence why i had two as one went through a fench at 50mph in the wet lol

 

Ahh I see, yeah I just thought they seemed great value for what you get from looking at ones for sale but from all the comments on here im changing my mind as it will be used all winter as my main car so if its really terrible in the wet its not the best option lol

[cered]

Great value for money like a mk1 MX5... But a nightmare to work on. Friend of mine bought one as a toy and they're great fun, especially the T-Bar one. But anything engine related is a ballache, being an MR = everything is ontop of each other. To change the spark plugs you need to take out the inlet manifold, airbox, air intake and related gubbins etc (On an NA at least).

 

EDIT: If you're concerned about winter, Mk1 MX5s aren't half bad, had one for nearly 5 years, 2 of which were as a daily driver in all weather and never had any issues... Just great fun. Only issue was when I picked it up (Snowy Boxing day in 2010) was aafter collecting ti and driving it out of the cul de sac, I stopped at the junction that was on slope that joined a main road going downa hill (bottom of hill to left, top of hill to right at the junction)

 

The car was genuinely sliding slowly sideways on the slope while stopped at the junction. It was interesting...

[add heywood]

I have one as a track car, loads of grip and really fun to drive... I had a n/a for a daily and that was fine.

[marc_p]

I had a rev 5, it wasn't bad, but if I were you, I'd look at a Porsche 944 or an MX-5, the MR2 can't even hold a candle to those cars IMO.

[ShawnPreece]

Cheers guys I just liked the idea of having a turbo on my daily too and also the ability to have a little fun without bringing the Supe out, a 200sx would of been perfect really but is a little more than I want to pay for a daily runabout then saw the value of the mkii MR2 and looked like a bargain but it seems they are flawed from the feedback iv got so probably just stick with the one I got now, unless I spot a great bargain of corse

[Axl]

I think jay is on to something with the is300 na-t but they can be abit troublesome what about an altezza with the beams engine in it I think they are 220hp out of the box and you can turbo them

[ShawnPreece]

I think jay is on to something with the is300 na-t but they can be abit troublesome what about an altezza with the beams engine in it I think they are 220hp out of the box and you can turbo them

 

yeah definitely a good idea and would love to own one but would be abit more than I was hoping to spend as I would have to buy one already done because my Supra's my only car that would get my time and attention in turns of modding

[Nic]

The MR2 turbo is fun car for weekends and track days, probably not the best to live with for everyday commuting.

 

A derestricted Rev3 turbo will make close to 300hp and at legal road speeds will have the jump on a BPU Supra with it's superior traction. They are very sensitive to changes in wheel size and suspension, lowering them too much, stiff springs and fitting big wheels absolutely ruins the handling. I don't agree with the comment about them being dangerous in the wet, with decent suspension setup, moderately sized wheels and good quality tyres traction isn't an issue in the wet, if you do lose traction it's fairly progressive and easy to catch (the Rev1/2 have different suspension geometry and are known to snap more when traction is lost).

 

I'd look for either a Rev3/4/5 (1994+), although they are quite a bit more expensive compared to the earlier Rev1/2.

[Shaleskin]

I sold my black rev 2 T-bar Turbo last month for my Supra. Had it for 2 years as a daily, only thing that let me down was the AFM got fried as the main ground cable stopped doing its job properly. Hybrid turbo and 16psi of boost and it was great fun! Bloke I sold it to demolished the front end of it in 11hours of ownership. Cut and shunt job and now back on the road ruined it.

 

Suspension and wheels were standard with Proxy t1r tyres all round. I thought it handled well, although after 80mph the front felt very light.

 

If you were to get one, get a rev 3+ for reasons people have probably already mentioned but it's a better base to play with; bigger injectors, metal head gasket, turbo holds boost 'till redline and a better suspension setup, to name a few. Only thing that did my head in was the drone, even with one of the quietest exhaust system (mongoose)

[ShawnPreece]

The MR2 turbo is fun car for weekends and track days, probably not the best to live with for everyday commuting.

 

A derestricted Rev3 turbo will make close to 300hp and at legal road speeds will have the jump on a BPU Supra with it's superior traction. They are very sensitive to changes in wheel size and suspension, lowering them too much, stiff springs and fitting big wheels absolutely ruins the handling. I don't agree with the comment about them being dangerous in the wet, with decent suspension setup, moderately sized wheels and good quality tyres traction isn't an issue in the wet, if you do lose traction it's fairly progressive and easy to catch (the Rev1/2 have different suspension geometry and are known to snap more when traction is lost).

 

I'd look for either a Rev3/4/5 (1994+), although they are quite a bit more expensive compared to the earlier Rev1/2.

 

Very helpful comments Nic thanks and nearly 300bhp from an MR2 has to be be pretty nippy

 

I sold my black rev 2 T-bar Turbo last month for my Supra. Had it for 2 years as a daily, only thing that let me down was the AFM got fried as the main ground cable stopped doing its job properly. Hybrid turbo and 16psi of boost and it was great fun! Bloke I sold it to demolished the front end of it in 11hours of ownership. Cut and shunt job and now back on the road ruined it.

 

Suspension and wheels were standard with Proxy t1r tyres all round. I thought it handled well, although after 80mph the front felt very light.

 

If you were to get one, get a rev 3+ for reasons people have probably already mentioned but it's a better base to play with; bigger injectors, metal head gasket, turbo holds boost 'till redline and a better suspension setup, to name a few. Only thing that did my head in was the drone, even with one of the quietest exhaust system (mongoose)

 

Thanks for your help I think I'm beginning to get a better understanding of them now

[Phlukey]

I have a rev3 MR2 turbo running about 300bhp. They're great fun and amazing 'bang for your buck'. I used mine as a daily for a while and they are juicy and not much fun at all during the winter. They are not easy to drift or recover when the tail kicks out a lot due to the majority of the weight being over the rear with the mid engine setup (acts like a pendulum when the rear breaks traction). Mine's in a lockup and I haven't used it in ages. Really must dig her out again soon for a spin. Here she is at Santa Pod a few years ago.....

 

[ShawnPreece]

I have a rev3 MR2 turbo running about 300bhp. They're great fun and amazing 'bang for your buck'. I used mine as a daily for a while and they are juicy and not much fun at all during the winter. They are not easy to drift or recover when the tail kicks out a lot due to the majority of the weight being over the rear with the mid engine setup (acts like a pendulum when the rear breaks traction). Mine's in a lockup and I haven't used it in ages. Really must dig her out again soon for a spin. Here she is at Santa Pod a few years ago.....

 

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy227/phlukey/40E96EA2-9F41-437B-95F5-4DE54CDAD13C_zpswjrq8lgk.jpg

 

That looks nice mate, very tidy what kind of rough figures do they get on the strip?

[Kendo11]

As above, also had a rev3 and it was great fun to drive.

 

Very impractical as a daily though, and the only car that's ever really scared me.

 

They have a mind of their own when going round even a slightly damp roundabout lol

[Chris Wilson]

As Nic said, on OE suspension, wheels and recommended tyres they are fine, but a huge percentage of imports have been ruined, handling and grip wise to the point of being dangerous, by ultra stiff suspension, lowering and totally inmappropriate wheels and tyres for their basic MacPherson strut suspension. The wife had an MR2 turbo and it came on silly suspension and was real handful. I swapped it onto soft springs and good dampers and it was a great little car. If something goes wrong like a turbo, or it needs a cam belt, they are a bit of a whatsit to work on, ofter easiest to drop the engine out. The coupe handles much better than the T top, and is probably much safer in a big accident. Generation 3 on has a much better engine set up, with no potentially expensively unreliable air flow meter, they are on a much more performance efficient MAP sensor set up, and are a much nicer unit. Gear change is via cables, and is typically a bit `orrible.

[ShawnPreece]

As above, also had a rev3 and it was great fun to drive.

 

Very impractical as a daily though, and the only car that's ever really scared me.

 

They have a mind of their own when going round even a slightly damp roundabout lol

 

Cheers mate is always good to hear from the people that have had them so speak from experience

 

As Nic said, on OE suspension, wheels and recommended tyres they are fine, but a huge percentage of imports have been ruined, handling and grip wise to the point of being dangerous, by ultra stiff suspension, lowering and totally inmappropriate wheels and tyres for their basic MacPherson strut suspension. The wife had an MR2 turbo and it came on silly suspension and was real handful. I swapped it onto soft springs and good dampers and it was a great little car. If something goes wrong like a turbo, or it needs a cam belt, they are a bit of a whatsit to work on, ofter easiest to drop the engine out. The coupe handles much better than the T top, and is probably much safer in a big accident. Generation 3 on has a much better engine set up, with no potentially expensively unreliable air flow meter, they are on a much more performance efficient MAP sensor set up, and are a much nicer unit. Gear change is via cables, and is typically a bit `orrible.

 

Thanks Chris yeah if I was to get one then it would be standard suspension and wheels, As a daily I wouldnt want a stiffer suspension with low profile tyres's, im getting too old for that as a daily now lol

 

Im kind of torn now between everyone's comments, think il keep my eye on it and if a good standard one comes up for sale at a good price then il go for it but wont be looking for one with any mods.