2 cars ago I owned an 01 MR2. I agree with what the others have said about it but wanted to add a few tidbits. The city gas mileage was excellent - 30mpg, but the highway was OK at 33. It had a 5spd and 5th was not OD. The ride was harsh due to the short wheelbase. The interior design doesn't get your heart racing. And you had to put your golf bag in the passenger seat. I loved MR 2 - he was my introduction to open air motoring, but I don't miss him.
I traded him for my 01S. The Boxster is a more refined vehicle in every aspect. If you're on a budget, then the MR2 is probably the way to go. If you've got a few more discretionary dollars to spend, find a nice 986.
Also, MR2s are not bullet proof. I perused an MR2 forum in an effort to sell an extra set of wheels and tires I had left over. There was plenty of discussion about catalytic converters or something like that failing fairly regularly. I put 48K mi on mine without any problems but maybe I got rid of it just in time. I'd suggest looking around SpyderChat and get a feel for any problems discussed there. However, the folks there aren't as friendly as on this forum. Many have a snot-nosed kid attitude, maybe because most of the owners are younger. My name there was MR2NoMore and I posted a pic of my LE. While some were very interested in finding out about it, many had rude comments. So watch yourself.
You have some fun choices to make.
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