looking to buy an MR2...help

[JeEvE]

Im thinking about selling my 98 Max SE 5spd for something else. I love the car but its been giving me a lot of bad luck. I had the car for about 5 months and already had about 5 accidents, I was in the car for one of those and it was not my fault. The car should be going into the shop soon to get fixed and then im going to sell it. Im not sure what im getting next but im interested in a 95-98 Mustang SVT Cobra, Porche 944 turbo, a DSM and an MR2. I found a 91 MR2 turbo with 75000 miles for $8,400. I havent looked at it yet but from pictures it looks like its in great condition. The price seems really high to me for that car or is it just about right? The Max was a little too big for me...im 5'3'', is the MR2 good for short people? The engine bay looks like there isnt much room. Is it hard to work on/mod? Also, are MR2s expensive to insure? Thanks in advance.

[mr2trd]

Obviously, I would recommend you to buy an Mr2. They may seem expensive, but trust me, it's well worth it. You get Toyota quality and reliability, plus performance that is unmatched for the price. $8,400....it's a little high for a '91, but I'm sure you can negotiate for much less if you're serious. Mine was listed for $9,000 but i got it under $7k.

There are drawbacks for owning an Mr2. If you like to ride with friends, have a family, live in the north, or prefer large cargo space...the Mr2 is not for you. It sacrifices all practicalities for performance and beauty.

[MRQtwinturbo]

ur age and driving record will determine ur insurance....if its high risk..insurance will kill u getting a turbo.....

these are not the most practical cars....u will need another beater to drive in wintertime...car is very difficult to work on because of mid eng layout...simple mods can be cheap (fcd and boost controller) but like any other car....high hp will not come cheap.....but if ur looking for a car that u won't see all that many ppls driving.....then this is the car for you....i love the attention the car draws when i'm driving.....

my gf is around your height and she can drive my car just fine.....

[JeEvE]

Thanks for the replies! This is the only car im going to buy so its going to be driven during the winter. Is it really that bad in snow/rain? Is there any webpages that have write-ups/guides about mods? Thanks.

[mr2trd]

to be honest with you, the MR2 has excellent traction, even in the snow. that's as long as you drive safe and not reckless. with the midship layout, the bulk of the weight rests on the drive wheels, so traction is secure. the problem you will run into is the unexpected slides common for rwd when driven harshly in slippery conditions. if this does happen in an MR2, it's quite different from any other RWD vehicles. if the brake is stomped on, the car will continue to spin and slide because the center of mass in behind the center of the car. this can be very frightening.

When i bought my car, i drove it back from a snow covered mountain side. it was quite safe actually, no traction loss or out-of-control spins. i would say it's as safe as any other RWD vehicle in the rain or snow...besides lots of ppls drive RWD cars in the winter...(many trucks.)

But why would you want to drive such a beautiful MR sports car in the winter? rust will decimate it's beauty in no time if not meticuously maintained.

[CamNub]

Well, ONe suggestion for traction is dont get all season tires.

Get Winter tires. Better traction in snow. The rubber sticks better when cold. Do a search and see which tires are good in snow.
In the summer, Use different tires.
The mr2 is a very fast car, and it looks cool because of the Mid-ship engine design. Not many ppl have a mid-ship engine (which is kind of like ferraris and lambos) so you'll get lots of compliments and wows from that.

Why are you comparing a Mustang and a Mr2 to a PORSCHE....I'd just get a porsche just for the name...Mr2's are good cars and all but a Porsche is a Porsche...