Is this a good idea?

Malc

Malc

Malc

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Manchester
I currently own a 56 plate Megane 1.9 DCI (130bhp). Whilst it's not a bad car I'm not fond of it in the slightest and it will almost certainly lose about £1000 in depreciation every year from now until it falls to pieces.

I have no children wife etc so I don't need a family car.

Basically I want something fun and interesting before I have to start thinking about getting something a bit more practical. Fuel economy can't be dreadful though as I may have to comute around 60 miles per day at sometime next year (all motorway).

I don't want to spend more than £3000 so then I'll have a couple of grand left over from the sale of the Megane to cover repairs etc.

So... I've been looking at late 90's MK2 MR2s due to them being fun to drive, having fairly decent reliability and not breaking the bank in running costs. Plus the way I figure it, the megane will lose £1000 this year and possibly go wrong. The MR2 may lose a bit in depreciation but not much and I can't see it needing £1000 of repairs (unless I buy a ringer), so financially I'd be better off. I'd also have a car with some redeeming features and £3000 should get me a decent MR2 and leave a bit of change.

I basically need you to tell me if I've missed something in my logic:p Or am I completely sane and is this something I should do pronto before my Megane sucks more money and life from me?
 
I used to have a mk II MR2 turbo and I loved everything about it but I had it as a fun car when the weather was decent and used a mkIII Mondeo for day to day stuff. This was when I was Zak Dingle and could run such a luxury.

If getting an MR2 is what you want and there are no family ties etc ( obviously they are totally impracticle for wife and kid ) then go ahead I say as long as the history is there with the car.

The one I had was tweaked and I got 0-60 in about 5.2 - 5.3 and the twin entry turbo ensured that lag was minimal. The engine is Toyota so pretty much indestructible if looked after.

Never drove a standard MR2 so can't really comment there.

Be aware though ( and I'm sure I teach you how to suck eggs here ) that the MR2 is useless in the ice and snow and dangerous in the wet unless you drive like Miss Daisy. While mid engine and RWD is fantastic in the dry it is sometimes nerve wracking in the wet.

There are some good MR2 sites out there who give sound advice if that is the way you want to go.
 
Von Smallhausen said:
I used to have a mk II MR2 turbo and I loved everything about it but I had it as a fun car when the weather was decent and used a mkIII Mondeo for day to day stuff. This was when I was Zak Dingle and could run such a luxury.

If getting an MR2 is what you want and there are no family ties etc ( obviously they are totally impracticle for wife and kid ) then go ahead I say as long as the history is there with the car.

The one I had was tweaked and I got 0-60 in about 5.2 - 5.3 and the twin entry turbo ensured that lag was minimal. The engine is Toyota so pretty much indestructible if looked after.

Never drove a standard MR2 so can't really comment there.

Be aware though ( and I'm sure I teach you how to suck eggs here ) that the MR2 is useless in the ice and snow and dangerous in the wet unless you drive like Miss Daisy. While mid engine and RWD is fantastic in the dry it is sometimes nerve wracking in the wet.

There are some good MR2 sites out there who give sound advice if that is the way you want to go.
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What he said, but less of the scaremongering with the wet weather driving (although snow & ice is a no no :o). They need to be respected more than their front engined counterparts though.
 
As you haven't mentioned it being a turbo I'll add my comments on a n/a one. £3k is far to much to spend, £2k will get you a very good one. They're not all that fast, but they are easy enough to drive and in most conditions you'll not need to care that they're mid-engined and rwd. My dad managed to drive his 10 miles (Rochdale to Haslingden) to work in the snow last year a few times without incident. They're fairly comfortable but quite noisey. I may just be getting old but the suspension is fairly firm so isn't ideal on our crap roads.
 
Thanks for the replies.

I'm definitely not after the Turbo, my insurance is pretty hefty as it is (Preston PR1 and only 1yrs no claims) and I'm pretty sure the extra power and fact that it'll be modified and/or an import wont do it very good.

~170bhp should be enough for me as it is.

I'm a bit concerned by the comment on it's handling in the snow but on the rare occasion that I have to do it I'm hoping I should be ok. I'd class myself as a competent driver (along with everyother male in the UK!)

The 1996-1999 models which I've been looking at are all between £2000 and £2800. I'm reckoning that I should be able to knock them down a bit. My initial thought was about £2000 but after looking around I thought I may have to increase my budget a bit. I've got at least until December to be looking around and even then I don't have to buy if I don't find a good one.

What do people think about this one? http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1500765.htm

I'm going to look at it at some point next week to test drive it and see if I actually like the way that the MR2 drives. I personally think that it's overpriced considering the mileage. It does have all the paperwork though.
 
Malc said:
I'm a bit concerned by the comment on it's handling in the snow but on the rare occasion that I have to do it I'm hoping I should be ok. I'd class myself as a competent driver (along with everyother male in the UK!).
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They're certainly far worse than a fwd with nice thin tyres but by actually having some weight over the rear wheels they're better than most rwd cars in the snow. As long as it's on decent tyres wet weather handling isn't scary either as they don't have enough power to unstick the rears unless you actually try and provoke it.
 
The N/A is less of a handful in bad conditions but there are 2 factors which you have to look out for when buying a MR2. If the car has aftermarket alloys make sure they are staggered (have wider rear tyres e.g. 215/40/17 front 235/40/17 rear) and also that the tyres are a decent brand. When I bought mine it had same sized budget tyres all round. I had to tip toe around in the wet and also had snap oversteer in the dry when pushing. I have since bought new alloys and tyres and the car is much better behaved.

The car you posted earlier looks pretty good, I got mine in July for £1300 but it had tax/mot/service due. Also it was a little older (1995, 122k miles) and did't have a t-bar roof. I would reccomend against a t-bar personally as the car chassis will be me flexible and heavier and they have a reputation for leaking.

They really are great cars though, you won't be dissapointed!

Also, here is a short buying guide for you: http://www.imoc.co.uk/forums/kb.php?mode=article&k=48
 
Cheers for the guide Dwarf. I've come across that before and it seemed pretty comprehensive.

I'm indifferent about the T-Bar over the GT. Neither is a deal breaker but there seem to be more T-Bars around so I may end up getting one of those. The priorities for me are: Age (must be revision 3 or later), Service History and general up keep, mileage, colour (preferably white or red), price.

Are 17" alloys good on the MR2, just I assumed it would have a stiff ride anyway and more wheel and less tyre doesn't do anything for ride comfort. They do look better though and I imagine it will handle better.

How many miles are the engines good for? I assume 200,000+ as it is a Toyota. Just I'll probably keep it for about 3yrs assuming not much goes wrong, and it will be my main car.
 
17" in my opinion are fine, they fill the arches nicely without any rubbing. It is argued that 16"/15" are better for handling/performance but I haven't experinced this so I can't comment. The ride is not too stiff on the stock setup with 17" wheels either. I've driven a lowered MR2 with big wheels and the ride was very stiff and uncomfortable so watch out for that.

The engine is very reliable and good for 200,000+ miles if maintained well. Make sure the cambelt has been changed every 60,000 miles and also the condition of the radiator as it is prone do stone damage. Another point to look at is rust in the sills in front of the rear wheel arches but apart from that rust shouldn't be too much of a problem. Most parts are also quite cheap, so if something does break it won't cost the earth. Also something to keep in mind is the audio system. If the car has subwoofers behind each seat in a little box on the floor it has the active audio pack. This means it is an absolute pain to wire in any aftermarket headunit, it's not impossible but it took me ages!
 
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