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Thoughts on an MR2 as a Daily Driver?

Joined
19 August 2006
Messages
689
Location
Redlands, CA
Since everyone on Prime has an opinion (and that's a good thing!) I thought I'd ask...

I'm considering picking up a 1991 MR2 Turbo to have as a daily driver instead of my Explorer, which as a "farm vehicle" I can then simply leave on the farm.

I essentially want to spend just a little money and have fun (i.e., less than $9K)

Thoughts?

Too many toys, not enough space...:wink:
 
I'd say go for a 1993+ MR2, as they have the updated suspension geometry and extended wheelbase to counter snap-oversteer. Plus other updates.. Several years ago a lady ran a red light and t-boned my 93.. I miss that lil car..
 
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I did consider going 93+, but I think I might like the original suspension since it is more a "driver's" suspension. The '93 was supposedly tweaked for "average people".

Wikipedia notes:

These changes to the suspension geometry and tire sizes were made in response to journalist reports that the MR2 was prone to "snap-oversteer". As a counterpoint to the snap-oversteer phenomenon of the MR2, other journalists point out that most mid-engine and rear engine sports and super cars exhibit similar behaviour, and that a change to the driver's response to oversteer is really the problem, and not the fault of the car. In any car, braking shifts the weight forward, and acceleration to the rear. Because of the MR2's exceptional ability to accelerate out of corners due to its rear-drive, mid-engine arrangement, many drivers would apply the throttle too aggressively, too early, gaining too much speed, and inevitably lifting the throttle. This lifting would shift the weight forward while causing the rear suspension to toe-out--the recipe for non-power-on oversteer, or even a spin.

When improper steering inputs were made attempting to correct this non-power-on oversteer, the rear of the MR2 would swing one way, then wildly (and quickly) the other--thus the term "snap" oversteer. Toyota elected to change the MR2 suspension and tires to reduce the likelihood that this would occur, though many drivers would lament the change and claim that it "neutered" the sharp edge the MR2 was known for.


Any further thoughts since you have owned both the NSX and MR2?
 
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9K ??

How about an extra 1K and get a 00-01, S2000? .. they have 0 torque, but, man, they can be a blast to drive (if you can get a high mile but not abused sample) ... that's all I can suggest, I have no experience with Mr2's
 
I did consider going 93+, but I think I might like the original suspension since it is more a "driver's" suspension. The '93 was supposedly tweaked for "average people".

Any further thoughts since you have owned both the NSX and MR2?

The car was tweaked to make it handle better. And not have unexpected spinouts.

The car also looks better with the extended wheel base.. I think they earlier models looked too short. Other than that it was bullet proof, never had a problem with her.

I agree with oscar though, the S2000 is a great car for your price range.
 
Ahhh...the S2000. Yes, I know all about them. My friend Patty has a 2006 somewhat uncommon Suzuka Blue (same color as the first one Oscar references), and chases me in it on mountain and desert roads. Once she drops a supercharger in, she'll probably be in front of me. Her dad raced Triumphs, her brother Lola's and he was a certified Ferrari mechanic. I only come from a family of drag racers. :redface:

One of those S2000's is probably what the two of us will buy as a track car. We're planning on going in on one together, and have been looking at those.

I'm a MR freak, so it's why I'm attracted to the MR2...
 
I'm a MR freak, so it's why I'm attracted to the MR2...

You just want to do this.. :biggrin:

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I call the MR2 the mini-nsx....I helped my cousin get one for 1500 bucks....92 or 93 turbo but it was beat to hell and needed a lot of work.

I say go for it even though its a pain in the ass to work on.
 
Where in the world do you find that the later cars had extended wheel bases? I used to own a '93 NA and I dated a girl with a '91 Turbo and the wheelbase was exactly the same as far as I know. The cars looked virtually identical (other than mods, of course). I did a quick search and didn't see anything that indicated that they changed the wheelbase at all. As far as I know, the only real updates were the wheels and the suspension geometry.

I really enjoyed my MR2 personally. Being NA, it got around 30 MPG and handled pretty well. The 93's are a bit more forgiving, but I think as a daily driver, the 91-92 isn't really anything to be afraid of... You'll really only notice the difference when you're near the limit imho.

That being said, I have to agree with Oscar. I'd spend a little extra and get an S2000. I went from my '93 MR2 to my '00 S2000 and I loved every minute of it. The full on convertible was better than the sunroof that mine had and easier to use than the T-Tops that most came with, and overall, it was just a better car to drive in my opinion. After I picked up my S, the MR2 simply *felt* old. The F20C is much more exciting than the lowly 5SFE in the NA and even the 3SGTE in the Turbo. The MR2 will always hold a special place in my heart and I do really enjoy the way they look, but I'll always prefer my S2000.

Just my $.01. I'd offer two, but I don't have a whole lot of money to spend! :D :D :D
 
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I owned a a 91 MR2 NA automatic when I was 22. It only had 60,000 miles on it and had a couple engine problems but after I fixed them it wasnt a bad daily driver. It wasnt fast at all but man did that thing handle well. It was like driving a goat cart lol. If your looking for a daily driver and dont care about the slowness it should be ok. I never got my hands on a turbo one so I cant say anything about those.
 
9K ??

How about an extra 1K and get a 00-01, S2000? .. they have 0 torque, but, man, they can be a blast to drive (if you can get a high mile but not abused sample) ... that's all I can suggest, I have no experience with Mr2's

+1
I would be doing just that if I had space and $10k to play with. S2000's rock! :biggrin:
 
I would not buy a 93 car that was most likely molested and abused in its previous life for a DD. The 2nd Gen MR2 has their fair share of problems such as rust that builds up at the E brake system that causes the rear brakes to lock up, leaky T tops, the gears are way too short for highway cruising, etc etc. The car would make a great weekend toy but no way would I use it as a DD.
 
I am thinking of getting a NA one myself.
 
When tastefully moded, they look so hot!

mr2.gif
 
I have owned a 88 SC, 91T and a 93T and they were a lot of fun (more go-kart like than the NSX). They would make great daily drivers and were very reliable. The bonus is that they hold their value extremely well also. My only issue would be trying to find one that hasn't been over-modified or heavily boosted. check out www.mr2.com, tons of info there.

If i was in the 9k-10K range, i would definitely consider the s2000 also.

HTH,
Bill
 
why don't you pick one of these up?
it's newer, more reliable, better on gas...

since you're only looking for a daily driver, you don't need turbo MR2...also alot of Turbo MR2 get worse gas milage than NSX depending on how it's been modded.

MR-S.jpg
 
My first car was a 91 N/A MR2, it was a great car but why would you want another 20 year old car as your daily driver? It will just suck up your mod money / time with little repairs and problems. Plus it has about the same amount of storage space as an NSX. What about something cheap, boring, and reliable (civic?) so you can focus all your time and energy on one fast car :)

I finally broke down and gave up on using my MR2 as a daily driver and got a Civic Hybrid, its really boring but is dirt cheap to rack up the miles in.
 
indeed...but he's only looking one as a daily driver though

I am 99.9% that even if the OP gets a 100% stock Mr2, still he will do wheels and suspension .. like most of us :D
 
I had an 93 N/A MR2 as a daily driver for the past 2.5 years I can say if you get a N/A model you can most definitely daily drive it fine only IF you are in an area with no snow. Do yourself a favor and get a hardtop model because the t-tops leak and it's annoying because it's not a simple fix. I've heard of people buying new seals and it still doesn't fix the leak. The car is old and rust is a problem as some have stated. I needed to buy new e-brake cables because my rears would lock up especially during the winter.

The turbo model I can't say because I didn't own but from what I've seen they are a bit more high maintenance than the N/A model. The 5sfe is bulletproof while the 3sgte tends to always have something wrong with it.

IMO don't get an MR2 as a daily though. It's good for a weekend toy to track with and autocross. Reason is that MR2s are cheap and if you wreck it, it's fine because there are cheap to replace. Anything else and I guess you could say there are better options out there.
 
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I have a 93 MR2 N/A and have had it as my daily driver since 2002. I got lucky and bought it from a one owner in Maryland with 12K original miles for $8K. Other than brake work (master cylinder etc, new e-brake cable...) with 138K miles on it now, it still runs as good as it did. Original clutch, muffler etc...My previous car was a MR2 Spyder, but I sold that to get the NSX. Prior to that, I had a 91 MR2 since 96. Basically, I have daily driven an MR2 for 14 years. Seriously, they are great cars. I can't say enough good things about them. Even the Spyder was a great car. But my 93 has been the best of all of them. Yes, the t-tops leak. I think every MR2 with t-tops leak. For me, it has turned out the be the best car "investment" I have made. Hell, $8K for a car, and say a couple of thousand in maintenance over 8 years, I could still sell it for 5K or so...not a bad cost for ownership I would say.
 
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