Just curious to know since I have been looking at some and the prices and honestly I would prefer one over a Miata/S2000 to be different, anyone have any ownership experience with these or would it be a rather hard car to maintain?

And if anything it is strictly going to be a High Speed Autocross car.

 

Which year/model? It's a Toyota, I don't think it will be a problem. No first hand experience though.

 

1st through 3rd gen is really what I am aiming for not really a fan of the newer version since they are under powered from when i test drove them that and I can't stand how they look like RC cars because of the headlights, but primarily they 3rd Gen is really what I would prefer.

 

I had a 2003 MR2 Spyder SMT. They aren't money pits. 2000-2002 models do have serious problems with their pre-cats and oil burning due to piston rings but other than that, are otherwise very reliable. As for ownership experience, I wasn't impressed with it. Handling is indeed sound and it is very economical but lacked torque and thus was quite slow leading people to modify them with Celica GTS engines which is where the money pit thing comes from.

 

2nd gen MR2 Turbo = one of my least favorite cars to work on

They are also one of my favorite cars to drive.

 

2nd gen is the way to go. 3rd gen looks too girly and they are really underpowered. Or so I have heard, I have never been in one. I have been and driven 2nd gen and OMG that car was a go cart. I loved driving it. I am considering one of those as a toy car in the next few years as well.

 

I have an 04 MR-2 Spyder and wanted a convertible from the start. It's been a very reliable car, but the earlier build ones (00-02) had issues with precat failure and oil burning as indicated in the post above. I removed my precats in favor of a header at 6000 miles just to be safe- it has passed NJ emissions each time since removal (just take to emissions when it's warmed up). Also, the SMT cars in some cases have had issues, and the bigger problem is that Toyota technicians aren't too familiar with the car as they are pretty uncommon. 3rd generation cars (Spyder) have a 138 HP motor, but since they weigh in at ~2100 lbs, I never found power to be too much of an issue. They are more for the twisties, not so much for straight line acceleration (although they will hit 60 mph in the 7-8 second range). I actually like this car so much, I won't part with it.

I'm not a mechanic by any means, but have been able to work on this car easily.

You can get a lot more information on the following sites:

www.spyderchat.com

www.mr2spyder.net

I checked out Miataa and the S2000, and by far, the MR-2 is much more roomy despite its small size. Storage is not a strong point, but there are ways of creative packing (there's a 'frunk' which can be used as well as storage cubbies behind the seats). I've been able to go away with the car for a week using soft sided bags, and it was never an issue.

If I were to recommend one (I would), get an 03+ model year car with as low mileage as you can. Plus, buying one from a Spyderchat or Spyderweb member should ensure the PO removed the precats and knows quite a bit about the car (and may have done some upgrades, as in the handling dept).

Here's a link to my specific Spyder:

http://spyderchat.com/forums/showthr...%29&highlight=

 

As my son's friend's 2G MR2 turbo has been sitting idle in one of my garage bays for well over two weeks, I'm gonna say 'yes' to the OP's question.

 

Always loved the 2nd gen MR2

 

Harder to work on than a front engined car, but easier than a Fiat X-19.

 

Made a mistake meant to say a 2 Gen preference.