Looking for owner/driver opinions - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

95GTIVR6 · 09-04-2007, 11:04 AM

Right now I drive a 1995 Volkswagen GTI and I am looking for something a little more reliable but still fun. After looking at various options I believe I am going to start a search for a 3rd Gen MR2.

After doing a little searching I have a few questions I would like to ask anyone who has ever driven or owns one of these cars...

1. Do you prefer the 5-spd Manual or 6-spd Sequential when it comes to "spirited driving"
2. Are there any maintenance issues at certain miles (i.e. VR6's cooling system pipes should be replaced around 100K miles)
3. Are there any rare colors I should be on the look-out for
4. Is it safe to say it is as reliable as other Toyota's (sorry, noob question I know)
5. Are there any hidden flaws I should be on the look-out for that reveal bad maitenance (i.e. Early Model MKIII Golf's/Jetta's sometimes collect rust in certain areas)
6. Are there any "easter egg's" for any year of the MR-S production (i.e. limited edition)
7. What are descent price ranges for a used model from a dealer or private seller. (i.e. I found an '01 for $11,000 with 82K miles at a dealership)

As of right now any information regarding the questions would be a huge help. Unlike VW's I don't have much of a clue as to what to expect from a Toyota.

Thanks in advance!

***MR2Jedi*** · 09-04-2007, 12:43 PM

Avoid the 6 speed.

The 1.8 VVTi is a great motor. It revs quickly and loves high RPM's.

Colors--Nah..

The Engine was run WOT for 72 straight hours during testing and still put out 100k Miles of dependability. I have 60K on mine and not one problem out of it.Runs like new.

11K is kinda high for those miles...9k is more like it.

CompanyFlow · 09-04-2007, 05:27 PM

Is there any specific reason as to why you prefer a gen3 over a gen2 turbo?

JoeG67 · 09-04-2007, 05:38 PM

vvti 1.8....hmmm could that be a 1zzfe? or does the latest gen use a dif engine?

***MR2Jedi*** · 09-05-2007, 12:36 AM

Yes, it's 1ZZFE... ^

95GTIVR6 · 09-05-2007, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CompanyFlow

Is there any specific reason as to why you prefer a gen3 over a gen2 turbo?

Well, to be honest, I absolutley love Gen2's but ive looked and looked and I have not found one that hasn't been dogged or is in bad condition.

I like that the Gen3 has low power but still a good power to weight ratio. I've thought about S2000's but the prices are out of my range. If I could come across a nice Gen2 I would consider it but for some reason the Gen3 keeps calling me.

***MR2Jedi*** · 09-05-2007, 12:10 PM

They are fun to drive.
My peaves: No trunk.
2 bad blind spots on rear quarters when the roof is up.
It's under powered for it's looks

***mhadden*** · 09-09-2007, 12:01 AM

My Dad is going to have a 03 solar yellow MR2 up for sale shortly...less than 2500 miles, chrome rims, spoiler, custom car cover...It's in Queen Creek, AZ right now.