looking to buy a MR2, what do you think?

[Jumpingjerry]

Hello all,

I'm looking at buying a MR2, but don't know much about them yet. Anyway I found one for sale for $6900. It's a 2001 with 104k miles on it. New tires and it looks clean. Here are some pictures of it.






I haven't seen it in person yet, but it looks really clean in all the pictures. Just wondering if there is anything good or bad with that year. I will use the car to drive 50 miles total each day to get to and from work. I just want something sport, fun to drive and still be economical.

[MR2Jedi]

All the year model Spyders are pretty much the same with the exception of some minor differences on the body and seats.
They're very dependable cars. The 1zz engine sports 140hp and 125ft.lbs of torque.
I would suggest staying away from any Spyder with the SMT (Sequential Manual Transmision). They are problematic at best. Go with the 5 speed.
They are fun to drive and even at 80mph, they still get decent mileage.

[Jumpingjerry]

Thanks for the reply. I test drove it today and it was nice. Very clean and never smoked in. Not super quick, but quick enough to make you smile. I did not know they don't come with any kind of trunk. That's the only thing I don't like about it. Going to sleep on it tonight and make a decision tomorrow on buying it.

[RPAltman]

Originally Posted by Jumpingjerry

Thanks for the reply. I test drove it today and it was nice. Very clean and never smoked in. Not super quick, but quick enough to make you smile. I did not know they don't come with any kind of trunk. That's the only thing I don't like about it. Going to sleep on it tonight and make a decision tomorrow on buying it.

Ask the current owner if they have replaced the exhaust header to eliminate the ceramic pre-catalytic converters ("pre-cats"). It is is very important preventative maintenance for 2000 to 2002 Spyders as the pre-cats have a design flaw that could result in catastrophic failure of the engine.

While the actual number of catastrophic failures due to pre-cat (i.e., the pre-cat breaks down and is sucked into the engine, rendering it a heap of scrap metal) is up for debate - there's no denial from anyone that it has happened more than a couple of times. I've heard that Toyota quietly extended the warranty coverage on the engine for 8 years to cover pre-cat issues, but they won't replace them in advance of failure. Replacing the header or removing the ceramic pre-cat (otherwise known as 'gutting your kitties') are the best options. Because the pre--catalytic converter is a manufacturer emissions control device, you won't find any mainstream repair shops willing to remove the ceramic pre-cat from the stock header. My recommendation (and what I plan to do) is to replace the header with a Che or PPE header and keep the stock header up in the attic in case there's any state emissions issues later on requiring me to swap it back.

Check SpyderChat.com for MUCH more Spyder-specific information.