roadster opinions...

[Suz]

Hi there! I love and know the MR2 very well. I would suggest she get either the orig body MR2 or the 2nd body style, 91-95. The cars are now considered collectible and there is not a bad one in the bunch. Just get it from someone anal like me that loves and maintains it and drive it like bat from haides! I am very new to Porschedom....owned a 2004 now for 10k miles, or 15 months. The Boxter S is much faster than the MR2 turbo, which has 200 hp and a fabulous gear box, by the way....so far the Boxter gear box and ride et all is very nice...but I keep hearing about expensive maint and that kind of scares me. I drove the MR2 for 22 years and have a comfort level with that car, inside and out knowledge.

[xxxalexxxx]

Thanks for the posts so far guys, she doesnt care much about speed so i guess thats not a huge factor for her but i know its not a fast car regardless lol we have 4 porsches in the family now (my dad has been a porsche fan all his life), so she doesnt want a porsche for sure lol but i might suggest a miata like suggested below

[racer_d]

Umm.. There's ZERO storage capacity in the MR2 spyder. Ok.. maybe room for a bathing suit. I would get a Miata over an MR2 for this reason alone. Or, well, maybe a boxster

[MNBoxster]

Hi,

Miata over MR2. The lastest gen is related to the gen 1, 2 or 3 cars in name only. The Maintenance will be much less on the Miata and service costs will be lower because it's not a mid-engine...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[husker boxster]

I traded an 01 MR2 Spyder for my Box. Loved the MR2. Great gas mileage (30mpg city), inexpensive maintenance, and rock solid reliable. It was geared low, so it was quick in city driving (I had the 5spd). And I was able to get around in winter driving with a set of all season tires (not possible with the Box I found out). Mr Two had 48K miles on it when I traded him. I have seen on MR2 forums that they have some trouble with the cat conv clogging - might want to ask sellers about that. And there is 0 storage - not a problem for me but it can be an issue for others (either my golf clubs or a passanger went with me, but not both).

I got more questions about Mr Two than I do the Box. Plus there are fewer of them around (sold under 5K per yr). I see more Boxs than MR2 Spyders.

I suggest she gets an 02 and I will make her a great deal on a set of Motegi whls and Yokohama tires with 13K. I could use the garage space.

[Perfectlap]

I had a Miata, lots of mods, great car for the weekend autocross and top down cruising.
NOT a car to be driving everyday.

It's a tin can. Under no circumstances would I allow my wife, sister, dog, gold fish, to drive this car on a daily basis.
Same goes for the MR2. The cars are simply too small to do daily duty on the highways with 4 ton SUVs. My friend's miata was squashed like a grape by a Sequioa. Luckily he was in his apartment when it went down. But looking at the wreckage no way he walks away.

Tell her to get a VW Eos, Audi A4 convertible, BMW 3 series or Z4 if she doesn't want to be cool and buy a Porsche.

[husker boxster]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

The cars are simply too small to do daily duty on the highways with 4 ton SUVs.

Tell her to get a VW Eos, Audi A4 convertible, BMW 3 series or Z4 if she doesn't want to be cool and buy a Porsche.

Respectfully -1 on these comments.

I don't TELL my sister what to do, I offer advice and let her make her own decisions. She's an intelligent person and an adult. I'm also tired of everyone thinking they have to drive an M1 Abrahms to be safe. If you live your life in fear of something that might happen, have you really lived? No sports car is going to come out a winner vs an SUV. Based on the safety issue, how can anyone justify driving a convertible sports car? Road rash on top of the cranium isn't pretty.

Alex, offer the following advice to your sister. Explain to her a car like an MR2 (or Boxster or Eos or whatever) comes with extra responsibility. Put the cell phone down, take out the iPod earbuds, and drive defensively. Assume cars around you don't see you, never drive in someone's blind spot, and always anticipate a bonehead move. Also be aware of the cars around you. The blind spots on an MR2 are just as bad as the Box. I drove my MR2 for 4 yrs as a daily driver and never had any problems but the words above saved me several times.

Also forgot to mention in my earlier post that the MR2 has a harsh ride. If your sister has not driven one, she may be unpleasantly surprised by it. I imagine the expansion strips and potholes of Chicago could literally become a pain in the arse.

I hope your sister finds a car she enjoys.