1995 Toyota MR2 GT Turbo T-bar 2 litre from UK and Ireland
Summary:
It will embarrass cars costing 10 times its price!!
Faults:
Nothing at all so far!
General Comments:
I came from a pug 306 1.8 (great fast little car I thought) then bought myself an MR2. First impression of the car is that it looks great. It had new alloys and bodykit fitted, which looks realy good. Went all the way from Glasgow to London to pick it up and drove back myself.
First time I floored in in the car was an absolute shock. I've been in Porsche Boxsters and other fast cars, and none of them can compare to how hard this car pulls. The handling is great as well with the driving position perfect. Really surprised how comfortable the car is.
Petrol costs haven't been that bad either, compared to the Pug I'd say I only lose 5-10 miles per 10 pound I spend. Not bad at all for some spirited driving.
Anyone thinking of owning an MR2? You definitely should. Only downside? 2 seats maybe. Once again, I love the car!!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 24th January, 2006
30th Mar 2007, 05:39
I am the original reviewer and would like to add a couple of points for anyone that is still looking at buying, what I feel still is, a good sports car with all the refinements making it comfortable enough for everyday use.
I’ve now owned the car for nearly 5 years (And they have been 5 happy years as far a motoring goes). The car is now at 136K miles and is still a pleasure to drive and own.
I have also noticed that 2 more of these have appeared down my street in the last year or so :-)
Firstly dealers – I put my car into Toyota for a service and it was hit while in their car park taking a large amount of paint of the front bumper. They admitted to it before I even saw the car, were very apologetic and told me they would fix it and provide me with a courtesy car. The work was done to a good standard and I was left a happy customer. (Not as happy as if they had taken car of it in the first place.)
I’ve since found a local Toyota Specialist who, in my opinion, does better work at less cost. In summation, I’ve found Toyota to do good work however they are very expensive. If you can find a local garage/specialist who you feel you can trust then go with them.
Problems I’ve had since the review are as follows:
Front Brake discs have been replaced due to wear.
There is an intermittent fault on the Oil Level Sensor. I’ve looked into replacing it, but unfortunately it’s quite expensive and so I’ve chosen to leave it for the time being as I don’t feel it’s essential. I just check the oil regularly like I would any other car.
The Heat shield over the exhaust in the engine bay started to rust and as a result it started rattling horribly. I was told this was a common problem and the heat shield has just been removed.
The seals rusted through just in front of rear wheels. Again, I was told this is a common problem and they were welded and re-sprayed.
Unfortunately, the car is bright red and the paint has started to fade. With a car this age it’s hardly surprising. It requires a lot of attention with Shampoo and Polish, but with a bit of elbow grease it does still come up nice. I’ve had to invest in an electric buffer though :-) This has put me off buying another red car.
There have been a few other small problems, like the springs that hold the brake pads in place failing and causing a knocking noise, but these were fixed with little expense and effort.
In the end, none of these problems have once made me doubt my decision to buy the car or made me an unhappy owner.
I’m now nearly at the point where I will be replacing the MR2 and I’m finding it difficult to find something that I believe will make me as happy. Whatever my new car is, I will be sad to see the MR2 go.