1985 Toyota MR2 from North America - Comments

Nothing, just normal tune up procedures which I could do myself.

This car is great and fun to drive it's engine is so rev happy with a 7500 RPM redline, and the Toyota variable induction system or TVIS

It is great at cornering and has enough power to pass on the freeway.

The only two flaws are the restrictive stock air-box, which is easily replaceable with a high flow filter like K&N.

The seats are rather comfortable unless you have a lot of distance to cover, I've topped the car out at 129 MPH.

This car has some serious potential for the beginning driver.

The MR2 is NOT a beginners car, get a Mazda Miata to learn on. The MR2 websites document the over-steer issues with this and most all rear/mid engine cars.

Keep good rubber on the back, or better yet, upgrade to 195/50X15 wheel package to cure the oversteer issues. Or train yourself to recover from a spin.

I learned by autocrossing many years ago.

I will not give a MR2 to my kid to learn on. Not good, no, no! How about a FX-16 or a old Corolla GTS. They get the same motor and sport treatment from Toyota, just not mid-engine.

Front wheel drive or front engine/rear wheel drive are much easier to learn on.

I disagree with the previous comment. I've owned four wedges and my wife has owned 3 x-bodies. The wedge is very intuitive and the balance afforded by mid ship design actually causes all four wheels to break loose simultaneously, making it infinitely more easy to bring back into control than the push out experienced by front wheel drive vehicles. This is the easiest car in the world for a teenager to get in and drive competently while getting driving experience. I sold my last one to my brother's son (16) and he love's it because it's so easy to feel like a pro behind the wheel.

Yes, the previous comment is correct. My wife and I have owned 5 wedges and 6 X-bodies and I constantly break the wedges loose with childish impunity and it is the most predictable car when the tires break loose, ever made. The X bodies on the other hand I have had scare me twice. Once at high speed and most recently I floored my Automatic 2.2 93 off a light into a left turn. It had just started raining and I know that this is the slipperiest road you can drive on but what was most alarming wasn't that I lost control, It was that I couldn't regain it. What would have required letting go of the steering wheel to correct and grab when it straightens out (wedge tactic) turned into, 4 rather desperate moves to stay in the two lanes I had (only because no one was coming the other way)

I would give a kid a wedge to start with. My brother did and his son is an excellent driver. Just no X-Bodies. And in defense of X-Bodies they handle phenomenally well, but don't break them loose. Breaking loose in a wedge is so fun, you actually plan it.