Price Note: Prices are for vehicles distributed by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. The low cowl and short hood give a clear view ahead, and top-up visibility isn’t bad. Seats are upholstered in grippy fabric, but padding seems skimpy. Getting in and out isn’t easy, either.Ĭontrols are easy to see and reach, including simple climate and audio controls. Taller occupants get only adequate head and leg room. Seating is bathtub-low, sills are high and wide, and door openings aren’t that large. Only 1.9 cubic feet of cargo space is provided, and most of that is behind the seats, with dual locking covers. Luggage space is minuscule, so travel light. Wind rush is copious with the top up, but wind buffeting is modest, thanks more to the low seating than the standard flip-up plastic wind deflector. Expect a noisy experience except in gentle cruising, where tire thrum takes over. Beware in fast wet-road cornering, because this mid-engined car is slightly tail-heavy.īraking is powerful, with virtually no nosedive in hard stops. Virtually no body lean is evident in curves, and the MR2 handles very nimbly on twisty roads, helped by quick and direct steering. Though not uncomfortable for a sports car, some sharp bumps can cause momentary skipping. When new, a test model average 26.5 mpg, despite hard driving, using regular fuel.įirm damping, a short wheelbase, low weight and somewhat limited wheel travel translate to a “busy” ride. Happily, a smooth, light clutch and a precise short-throw gearshift extract all the available performance.Īlso pleasing is the fact that the MR2 is as frugal as a Corolla. Toyota claimed the MR2 could accelerate to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds, but a test car needed nearly 8 seconds. Razor-sharp reflexes combine with adequate power to make the MR2 Spyder feel like a big Go-cart. This midengine 2-seat sports car is essentially unchanged for 2005, which is its final year. New for ’04 is the availability of a limited-slip differential on the MR2 Spyder. Cruise control was a new feature with the SMT. Wheel size stayed 15 inches in front, but grew to 16 inches in the rear, where slightly wider tires are fitted as well. MR2 also got restyled gauges, chrome and metal-look interior trim, standard fog lights, and a power antenna in place of a fixed mast type. Exterior changes included a reshaped nose, new headlamps and taillights, and color-keyed instead of black side air intakes. The sequential manual transmission was upgraded from 5 speeds to 6 for ’03. No automatic-shifting capability was provided, and no automatic transmission was available for the MR2 Spyder. Or, the driver could use an optional pair of steering-wheel buttons to accomplish the same task. Gears could be changed by moving a floor lever forward to upshift, or back to downshift. Working without a clutch, the optional sequential manual gearbox had no conventional “H” pattern shift lever. Technology took center stage for 2002, as a unique new transmission became available. Toyota intended to limit availability to about 5,000 cars per year.īecause the MR2 Spyder had been launched late in the 2000 model year, nothing changed for 2001. No factory options were offered, but a Toyota dealer could install a tonneau cover, front-end mask, and wheel locks. Standard equipment included all-disc antilock braking, air conditioning, a tilt steering wheel, power mirrors and locks, power mirrors, a CD/cassette stereo system, and 15-inch alloy wheels. No lift-off hardtop was available, so the MR2 Spyder was strictly a convertible. The folding soft top contained a glass rear window with defroster provision. Tuned to deliver 138 horsepower, the engine came only with a five-speed manual transmission. Built on a modified version of the Corolla sedan platform, the MR2 held a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, adapted from the one in the larger Celica sport coupe. Priced to go against the popular Mazda Miata roadster, the MR2 Spyder also competed against the more costly BMW Z3-Series and Honda’s S2000. This time, Toyota made the MR2 a Spyder convertible instead. The name and configuration had last been seen in 1995, in the form of an MR2 coupe. The Editors of Consumer Guide are regular contributors to the following programs:īorrowing a name from the recent past, Toyota launched a mid-engined, rear-drive, two-passenger sports car as a late 2000 model.Car Shopping From Home: Carvana vs Vroom vs CarMax.Should I Buy a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) Vehicle?.How to Negotiate the Best Deal on a New Car.Dangerous Dealers: Servicing Car Potentially as Perilous as Purchasing One.
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