2001 Toyota MR2 from UK and Ireland - Comments

There have been no faults with the car.

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.

04/Oct Best used Sports Convertible Used Car Buyer (Magazine) U.K

03/Oct Best Used Sports Convertible Used Car (Magazine) Buyer U.K

03/Jun Best Handling Car 2003; winner Autocar (Magazine) U.K

01/May Top 10 Performance Car Autocar (Magazine) U.K.

01/April Used Car Awards; Best Roadster Auto Express U.K.

01/April Auto Color Award 2001 Grand Prix Japan Fashion Color Association Japan

01/Jan 10 Best Car & Driver USA

00/Apr 2000 All Star Automobile Magazine USA

00/Apr Top picks for 2000 in driving fun category Consumer Reports USA

00/Mar Eight Great Rides Sports Compact Car USA

00/Feb A Best Base Sport IntelliChoice 2000 Best Overall Value of the Year Award IntelliChoice USA

00/Feb Best Convertible MotorWeek Driver's Choice Award Motor Week (TV series) USA

99/Sep Sports winner under £10,000 Used Car Buyer (magazine) UK

99/Jun Sports & Coupe winner Good housekeeping (Magazine) UK

99/Apr Best Buy Consumer Report USA

99/Jan 1999 All Star Automobile Magazine U.S.A.

99/Jan 1999 Ten Best Car Car & Driver USA

99/Jan Used Car winner Sports car Auto Express UK

98/Nov Best Buy Consumer Digest U.S.A.

98/Nov Sports Car of the Year Scottish Car of the Year Scotland

98/Oct IBCAM Auto Design Award The Institute for Vehicle Techonology, sponsored by British Steel U.K

98/Aug 1998 Best Convertible car Auto Express U.K.

98/Jul 1998 Best Sports car autocar N.Z.

98/Jan Best Buy in Sport Coupes/ Sedan Category Consumers Digest U.S.A.

97/Dec 1998 Ten Best Car Car & Driver U.S.A.

97/Jan 1997 All-Stars Automobile U.S.A.

96/Nov Best Buy in Sport Coupes /

Sedan Category Consumer Digest U.S.A.

96/Apr MY96 Most Fun to Drive car Consumer Reports U.S.A.

96/Apr Second Place, 1996 Cars Reliability Consumer Reports U.S.A.

96/Apr Perfect Ten Automobile Magazine U.S.A.

96/Feb Best Value in the Base Sports

Car category Intellichoice U.S.A.

96/Feb 1996 All Stars Automobile Magazine U.S.A.

95/Jul Best Sports Car in 1995 Auto Express (magazine) U.K.

95/May Most Problem-Free in Class J.D. Power and Associates U.S.A.

95/Feb 1995 All Stars Automobile Magazine U.S.A.

94/Feb 1994 All Stars Automobile Magazine U.S.A.

93/Dec Top 10 of '93 Wheels (magazine) Australia

93/Feb Best Import Cabriolet Readers' poll, Auto Motor und Sport (magazine) Germany

93/Jan Auto Trophy Best Fun Car Auto Zeitung (magazine) Germany

93/Jan 1993 All Stars Automobile Magazine U.S.A.

92/Feb Best Import Cabriolet Readers' poll, Auto Motor und Sport (magazine) Germany

92/Jan Ten Best Cars Car & Driver (magazine) U.S.A.

92/Jan First place, Fun Car category, Auto

Trophy '92 Readers' poll, Auto Zeitung (magazine) Germany

92/Jan 1992 All Stars Automobile Magazine USA

91/Nov Best Sports Car, under $45,000 National Roads & Motorists Association (NRMA) Australia

91/Apr Best Sports Car, Driver's Choice Awards Motorweek (TV program) USA

91/Mar Best Sports Car of the Year '91 What Car? (magazine) UK

91/Feb First place, Fun Car category, Auto Trophy '91 Readers' poll Auto Zeitung (magazine) Germany

Best Import Cabriolet Readers' poll Auto Motor und Sport (magazine) Germany

91/Jan Ten Best Cars Car and Driver (magazine) USA

1991 All Stars Automobile Magazine U.S.A.

90/Dec Ten Best Cars Car and Driver (magazine) USA

Prize of Honour '91 Danish Club of Motor journalists Denmark

Best Sports Car National Roads & Motorists Association Australia

Car of the Year '90 New Zealand Motoring Writers Guild New Zealand

Top 10 of '90 Wheels (magazine) Australia

Ten Best Cars in the World & Best in Category, Sports/GT ($13,00-21,000) Road & Track (magazine) U.S.A.

90/Nov Top Ten Trouble-Free Cars Motor Trend (magazine) U.S.A.

90/Oct Best Sports Car Newcastle Journal (newspaper) U.K.

Sporting Car of the Year Middlesborough North Eastern Gazette (newspaper) U.K.

Best Value Sports Car of the Year Buying Cars (magazine) U.K.

90/Jul Most Trouble-Free Sports Car, Initial Quality Study J.D. Power & Associates U.S.A.

90/Jul Best Handling Car in the World Autocar & Motor (magazine) U.K.

90/Apr Best Sports Car, Driver's Choice Awards Motorweek (TV program) U.S.A.

90/Mar Second, 1990 Import Car of the Year Motor Trend (magazine) U.S.A.

Edison Best New Products American Marketing Association U.S.A.

90/Feb First Place, Import Cabriolet category Readers' poll Auto Motor und Sport (magazine) Germany

Best Car '89/90 & Best Sports Car '89/90 Modern Motor (magazine) Australia

Golden Award, Super Goods of the Year '89 Mono (magazine) Japan

Best New Model, Best Cars '89 Cosmopolitan (magazine) Japan

90/Jan Design of the Year Nihon Keizai Shinbun (newspaper) Japan

Ten Best Cars Car & Driver (magazine) U.S.A.

Automobile of the Year (inaugural award) Automobile Magazine (magazine) U.S.A.

Car of the Year Wheels (magazine) Australia

Best Car of 1989/90 Modern Motor (magazine) Australia

Car of Australia '89 Car Australia (magazine) Australia

Best Sports Car Car Australia (magazine) Australia

Best Products of '89 Business Week (magazine) U.S.A.

(one of) Best of the Decade, Design category Time (magazine) U.S.A.

(one of) Best, Best and Worst of the Year '89 Newsweek (magazine) U.S.A.

Grand Prix, Exterior, Best Car Interior & Exterior Best Car (magazine) U.S.A.

89/Dec Best Sports Car Autocar & Motor (magazine) U.K.

Eleven Products of the Year Fortune (magazine) U.S.A.

Top 10 of '89 Wheels (magazine) Australia

Best 100 Products Popular Science (magazine) U.S.A.

Promoters' Cup, My Best Choice '90 Gekkan Kuruma Erabi (magazine) Japan

Grand Prix, Trendy Goods '89 (hobby & resort category) Dime (magazine) Japan

Best Sporty Car, Kings of the Cars '89 Sports Nippon (newspaper) Japan

Coupe of the Year Automotive News (magazine) U.S.A.

The holiday gift-giving section Business Week (magazine) U.S.A

Hot Products for 1990 89/Nov Top Ten Import Buys '90

Motor Trend (magazine) Grand Prix, Trendy Goods '89 (hobby & resort category) U.S.A.

First prize, Smash Hit Goods '89 Shukan Bunshun (magazine) Japan

Grand Prix, Trendy Goods '89 (hobby & resort category) Dime (magazine) Japan

Marketing Initiative of the Year, Autocar & Motor Awards '89 (inaugural awards) Autocar & Motor (magazine) U.K.

89/Jul Five Best Cars in the World (inaugural awards) Road & Track (magazine) U.S.A.

89/Jul Five Best Cars in the World (inaugural awards) Road & Track (magazine) U.S.A.

89/Feb Most Fun, Chicago Auto Fair awards Autoweek (magazine) U.S.A.

Yes this lot was copied and pasted!

And some quotes.

"...still the standard-setter for low-cost roadsters. The chassis is impressively stiff, so the cabin remains largely free from shakes. The car's delicacy sets it apart from rivals. The steering is precise and full of feel, and the rear-drive chassis helps it cling to bends. It's wonderfully easy to control. An over-firm ride is its only vice." What Car.

"Key to this attraction is the low-slung driving position, rifle-bolt gearshift, fuss-free interior and ultra-simple folding softtop. They create a positive mood before the sweet-sounding twin-cam engine is fired... The rear-wheel-drive chassis is a giggle whatever your speed, feeling tremendously faithful and never leaving the driver out of the fun. Steering's also delightful..." Auto Express.

"Through flat-out sweeping bends it's balance is breathtaking. Should you wish to adjust your angle of attack then a small lift of the throttle will nudge the nose a few degrees towards the apex, while a gradual reapplication of power will push it away again. In slower corners, again it's the driver who calls the shots. Normally it just powers around, but if you so desire, power on, tail out progress is there for the taking. Few cars of any price can touch it's adjustability" Autocar.

Oh by the way, all these are for the "hairdresser" MX-5 by the way. Had you ever driven one, you'd be a bit better informed.

Don't know about Europe, but in the US the MR-2 will be history after this year!

Was it really necessary to put such a long comment in here just to defend the honor of the MX-5?

With hindsight, no the long comment wasn't really that necessary, however as an ex MX-5 owner, I got sick of the hairdresser comments, usually from MR2 owners, and believe me they stop being funny after a while. A bit of copying and pasting was worth it to provide some real evidence that it's not a hairdresser car, but one of the best affordable sports cars money can buy, and certainly more than a match for the MR2. Just wanted to add a bit of weight to my argument rather than descend into a baseless argument.

It was a bit long though - sorry!

All those awards were before the introduction of the MR2, the Honda S2000, and the not so great BMW Z3 and Z4. and therefore if there are no competitors in the class, they are bound to win everything. Currently in the class there is only one car with the engine in the middle as all true sports cars have, and that is the MR2. The MR2 also has a glass back window with de misters, not flimsy plastic. The top can be raised or lowered whilst in the car, as there are no zips, poppers, velcro. In short the MR2 is what the MX-5 should have evolved into, but it always retained the same faults and flaws, such as the engine being in the wrong place.

Er, not exactly. It won Autocar's best handling car award in 2003!

Mazda MX5...Toyota MR-2...who cares?!

Honda S2000 all the way!!!

Re: Comment of 6th Jan:

The MX-5 has had a "proper" heated glass rear window for about the last 7 years. The top can also be raised or lowered in the car as it only has two catches to undo to lower it, and a handle on its leading edge which is accessible from either seat to raise it. Only the tonneau cover uses poppers, and the use of that is strictly optional as it is just for aesthetic purposes. Nobody bothers.

As for your comment about evolution, why should the MX-5 have "evolved" into a mid engined car? It was designed as a front engined, rear wheel drive car, a layout that, despite offering less performance on a track, many experts argue is the best for road use. Look up some road tests for the Porsche 968 Club Sport, Caterham 7, Ferrari 550 Maranello or the original Lotus Elan to find out what a "flaw" front engined layout is in terms of handling. Oh, try the E30 BMW M3 as well.

The Honda S2000 is quite slow unless the revs are kept above 6000 all the time, which is tiresome after a while. It has little low and mid range torque, I was very surprised and disappointed by this. The S2000 is still a great car however and excellent for those that drive them properly, however very few owners drive them properly and don't understand that to get the performance, the engine needs to be worked hard constantly.

Whether the MX-5 deserves it's 'hairdresser' reputation is totally irrelivent it has it! it has had it for years! and it's not changing. The looks are also dated, and as for the MG TF well, the less said about that - the better.

At £26,000, the S2000 should be a better car than the MX-5, MR2, MG-F et al when you consider it's getting on for £10,000 more expensive!

If you're going to make comparisons, at least do it on a like for like basis.

Help me out guys. I have wanted an affordable rear wheel two seater for a while now and have considered the main 3. I think I have sold myself on the mr2 mainly for the looks as I have never driven any one of them. I only have up to 10k to spend and see that they start at £7500. what should I be careful of? is 75000 miles a problem with a decent service history? is a 2000 model OK or is there a difference with a later one? any help please, you all seem to know what your talking about. cheers.

Hi.

I just bought an MR2 Spyder about 2 months ago and absolutely love it. It is a 2000 model with only 25,000 on the clock. I paid £10,000 for it and its worth every penny.

It is very much like driving a go-cart, it really is just so much fun to drive and always leaves you wanting to just jump back in the saddle and drive off anywhere.

I recommend it to anyone, all you have to do is test drive and you will have that instant grin.

On the downside it has little storage space and one front light occasionally fogs up. But I really don't care one jot its more than worth it!!

I raced my brother over the moors, he was in his Z3 BMW and my MR2 outperformed his by miles. (he wants an MR2 now)

Drive one!!!