Buying MR2

hi,i'm 15 and i'm looking to buy a 91'-93' MR2 in the next couple months...i was just wondering what kinda prices i should b expecting,what about insurance,and engine wise(are they reliable.expensive to keep maintaned,etc)....i was also wondering what the stock HP is and what the handling is like....i really like the MR2's because they're so different...there isn't too many around my area so if i got one i kno i'd stick out...and i really like the Rear Wheel drive/rear engine bay....that really differnt also....anyways..everyones input would b appreciated...good or bad...i wanna kno what this car is all about http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/images/icons/icon14.gif

do u want turbo or n/a

Deff a Turbo...i got bout 8 or 9000 to spend...i'm lookin towards a 93...or maybe a 94 or 95...if i can afford it..

on a 94 or 95, that will most likely be all your money... if you get a 93, they can go from about $5,000 + .... varies with milage... or you can get a 91... if your luckey you can find a cheeper one... also the engine is classified as mid engine, not rear...

the mr2 turbo comes with 200hp stock... reliable? its a toyota... lol, if the car wasnt abused it should be ok over 200,000 miles...

as for the handling, all mr2s have oversteer... in 1991 - 1992 the suspention was different from 1993 - 1995... basically , the earlier 1991 - 1992 models tend to oversteer... a lot of people say that this is a bad thing, and that it is hard to handle, but really, if you know what you are doing it is very easily to correct... oversteer is not uncommon for mid and rear engine cars... in 1993 they changed the suspention and it oversteers less.. a lot of people say they prefer the 1991 - 1992 suspention over the 1993 suspention.. its personal preference, so, you have to test drive it and try it out for yourself...

Not to sound like a grandpa (im 19) but I really dont think the MR2 would be a great 1st car for you. They are difficult to control at the limit and most youth, when at the same right of passage, like to push cars to that limit because they can.

I'd recommend something cheap and FF to learn on, and to learn stick on... and after a year or two, if you think you're good enough, get an MR2.

But if you arent going to listen to my advice, at least get a NA instead of a Turbo. It'll be powerful enough and a little more forgiving to learn on...

also, get rid of the bold font... its really annoying

Yeah...i'm gettin an MR2 for sure...i also heard that they're exspensive engine wise....like if sumthin goes wrong than it costs more cuz its harder to do engine work on a mid-engine car...is tis true?

no and yes No is not that expensive yes kinda hard to werk on if you don't know how [email protected]

Performance specs:

91/92 NA - 130hp 0-60mph in 8.4 sec
91/92 Turbo - 200hp 0-60mph in 6.0 sec

Midengine cars are not for beginners. I'd also recommend getting a FF car (like a civic/probe etc) to learn on first, something reliable and cheap you know?
At 15/16 paying for your car is tough. Mr2s are rare, have a much different feel than other cars (like FF, and FR), and have high insurance cost.

If you simply must get an mr2, get an NA. The turbos are not for young drivers... they're just too tempting to speed with. NA mr2s are great for autocross. They are peppy, but not dangerously fast.

If you're really into drag racing, don't waste too much money on your NA for hp gains. It's better to save up for either a turbo mr2, or a turbo rear clip and swap out.

All mr2s last a while, but especially the NA. The 5sfe (NA motor), if cared for, will last you a 250,000 miles.


I hate to be a grandpa, but it's for your own good. An mr2 for your first car is really asking for trouble, especially a turbo one.

Personally, at 15, I saved up and bought a cheap, reliable FF car. It was a gutless 91 Probe Gl. I brought that baby back from the dead, and when the time was right, and I had enough saved up cash, I bought myself a 91 Red NA mr2. I was 17 when I bought it, 18 when I got her running.

I'm glad I owned the slower FF car first, I learned to drive responsibly, got some experience and appreciation under my belt.