Faults:

The car is a convertible, and I do realize that there are inherent costs with owning a convertible. The top was a nightmare because it constantly wore holes in it for no reason. After a long feud with Toyota, they finally replaced the entire roof and everything works fine now.

The customer service of the dealerships that I have dealt with has been bad. Frequently, when routine warranty-covered repairs would be performed, the technicians would try to get me to pay for it. This was if they even knew what was wrong with the car.

There is hardly any room for any cargo. Small locking compartments are behind the seat, but they are just big enough to fit a few six-packs. Don't buy this to go to the grocery store.

General Comments:

Don't let my bad marks about the car fool you. This is an amazing vehicle. Someone stole my emblems, so many people assume it is a Porsche. Not bad for a Toyota that is actually quite affordable for what it is.

The fuel economy is amazing. I regularly get 30-35 mpg, and on road trips it can get as high as 40.

The car is not extremely powerful, but it does very well. Because it is so light and the engine is in the back, it feels a lot more powerful than it actually is. If you are good at driving twisty road courses, you can win almost any race with this car.

I once saw an advertisement that is a good description of this car: "The more children you have, the more practical it becomes."

Faults:

There have been no faults with the car.

General Comments:

The MR2 has the best handling car I've ever encountered, it just sticks. Corners can be taken at insane speeds and there is not even a hint of instability, unless you want to power slide around corners in which case the car will let you.

The MR2 can only be beaten by Porsche Boxters and Lotus Elise's on cornering.

This car offers the most enjoyable drive under £30,000. I reguarly find myself driving to the local shops even though it's quicker to walk, and then making huge detours down the country lanes.

The MR2 is a real drivers car, and you feel at one with it. It encourages you to push harder all the time and to get involved in the drive, not just sit back and drift along, however it is a comfortable car and drifting along is also a pleasure.

The roof is much better than competitors, as it has a glass rear window with de-misters, and it can be raised and lowered in seconds, without any zips, velcro or poppers.

The MR2 turns heads and is seen as a real drivers car not a hairdressers car as the MX-5 and the MG TF have the reputation for.

The MR2 has what seems like endless torque throughout the range and although it only has 140 bhp it is very quick and is faster than most cars encountered. A regular tractor has a 1000 bhp, and has little torque so the bhp for the MR2 is misleading, as the car is so light the torque is enormous.

The Brakes are incredible, and frequently scare passengers. The MR2 equals the Porsche Boxter in braking distance.

The Turning circle is very small making tricky manovering easy. Many 3 point turns in regular cars can be done in one in one, in the MR2.