reliability?

[DSR]

I own a 94 Toyota Pickup and am looking for an MR2. Low low budget. Don't want to deal with any big problems with it. Is this the car for me? I heard a good one is hard to find and it's expensive to have it worked on. What are your guys' thoughts? Should I look else where? What kind of things should I look for if it's bad? Thanks

[MRQtwinturbo]

if ur on a budget...this is not the car for u...keep in mind toyota reliability is there if the car was well taken care of and maintained by the owner...but also keep in mind that the car is over a decade old....the car is not cheap to work on...most mechanics will bitch and complain to work on them (mid eng design)....the main things to look for are any noticeable oil leaks...warped exhaust manifold....as with buying any used car...have it checked out by a mechanic u trust before buying....

[DSR]

when i say budget i mean something that i dont have to keep putting money into.

[MRQtwinturbo]

like i said if ur on a budget...this is a car that u will have to continue to put money into it....especially if it wasnt' taken care of in the first place....u may luck out n find a decent one that wasn't abused....but just regular maintenance on the car isnt cheap...

[danieldaniel]

unless you plan on buying a new car, all old cars will have problems with them evne if the previous owner took care of it. parts start to fail on the car, so if you plan on getting an mr2 expect putting some money in to replace some parts in the near future.

[MR2QuiK]

MR2 turbo needs to be very well maintained and you want to so that ur call will perform at the level its supposed to. like i said a turbo car is high maintenance. it all depends of what ur gonna use it for. reliability speaks for it self. my car has 194k miles on it and im still wooppin ass with it and its fairly stock. that makes me feel AWSOME! i love MY 2!

[MRQtwinturbo]

the problems with most cars..is that ppl start modding them first before maintaining the car...which just leads to problems in the long run....cuz when things go and break...its pricey to fix.......

[lokn2bimr2]

All things are relative.

Before buying my 93 (stock) Turbo I researched the MR2 thoroughly. It is universally recommended as a reliable used car.

Many people modify their cars properly - probably most of the participants on this website. But to be on the safe side, you should probably buy stock (which in fact the buyers guides will always recommend for both reliability and resale) unless you thoroughly research what modifications work and what modifications don't work, or if you have good reason to trust the seller.

Getting back to my first point, that all things are relative, remember a fair comparison would not be a 93 Corolla or 93 Toyota truck or 93 Chevy half ton truck for that matter. If one asked is an MR2 as reliable as a 93 Corolla, for example, the answer is: maybe yes, maybe no. Many people baby their MR2s, others abuse them, so anything that is not a sports car is probably not a fair or helpful comparison. (People generally neither baby nor abuse their Coralla but there are exceptions I imagine.)

But compared to an old Camaro, Mustang, or Mitsubishi sports car, its probably better. For a turbo, its engine is relatively unstressed in stock form, and as for the rest of the components, its a Toyota, generally acknowledged to be the most reliable make in the world.

By the way, my MR2 is now almost 12 year old 93 (it was built in 92) looks and feels new and I have yet to encounter any significant problems. In fact, I don't even think of it as an old car.

[DSR]

Is there a big difference between non-turbo and turbo being maintained. I found a stock non-turbo well taken care of. 92 w/ 140k miles on it. I would imagine non-turbo would be better reliability but is it a lot better? THanks

[RogerSP]

You didnt really mention which mr2 in particular you are looking at..

If you dont want to reduce the risks of getting a MR2 that has been beatened then you should go for a NA. They will be cheaper overall for parts since there are no turbos or superchargers. And generally people tend not to beat on or modify a NA quite as much. While looking at a car be sure to take it for a test drive, check for any problems. Check the fluid levels, any rust, cracks, etc. You can usually tell by just looking the car over if it was maintained good or not. If you can pull the plugs, check the cap and rotor, air filter, etc.

I wouldnt necessarily agree that buying a MR2 is not going to bring you reliability. Id rather buy a MR2 with a few minor problems than most any other car with no problems, just because I have never had any major problems with mine, or any other problem that was a hassle to work with. Then again I dont have ANYBODY work on my car except myself. I dont trust mechanics workmanship so I do everything myself. For instance the one and only time I took my car to a dealer for work the guy stripped the oil filter housing threads and mangled up the drain plug gasket. Something so simple and they screwed it up. Another dealer kept telling me I had a turbo rather than a supercharger and tried to sell me turbo gaskets..

For good discounted parts call up Conicelli or ToyotaWorld. Tell them you are a member of the MR2 community.

I have a little over 180,000 miles on my SC, original clutch and its still running great. I dont baby my cars but I do maintain them properly, which is the key. Good luck.

[DSR]

Its a MR2 2 door coupe (any four door MR2s anyway?). Bought it yesterday, picking it up today. 148k miles and completely stock. Car looks excellent as far as the body not having any dents. The egnine bay as no leak stains... Previous owner had no problems with it so I'll give it a try for a while. I like to have fun. Thanks

[RogerSP]

What year?

Theres 3 different MR2 styles, the MarkI, MarkII and the Spyder.

And no, there has never been any 4 door MR2s made, except if you want to count the front and rear trunks doors...

[DSR]

1992