MR2 v MX5 v MG F

py2006

I dont really like cars that are too OTT. I know the MR2 is bordering on that but I think the Lotus Elise is a bit way out there in appearance to me. Maybe its just me!

Again, I would like to reiterate (did I spell that right) that I am no expert on cars. I know they have 4 wheels and some doors and they go places but thats about it.

I am just looking at a pic of the MR2 at the moment. I am not mad about the view from behind. Looks kinda weird. It kinda suggests it has a large boot space but from what you guys have been telling me it doesn't.

Ernie Ball

That's because the engine is in the boot.

The question is: why doesn't it have suitable storage under the bonnet? I don't know the answer to this but I can confirm that there is really not very much room under there.

py2006

Ernie Ball wrote:

That's because the engine is in the boot.

The question is: why doesn't it have suitable storage under the bonnet? I don't know the answer to this but I can confirm that there is really not very much room under there.

hahaha, in the boot! Just shows you how much I know!!! Did they make a mistake or was that on purpose? Is there any benefit to that?

bp_me

prospect wrote:

Lazy bugger

Well i am happy to report:
No. One Manufacturer for reliability = Mazda
Toyota does not feature in the Top Ten

MX5 = Position 20
MR2 = Position 66
BTW - The lower the number, the better.....

That's for a mk2 mr2 not the current mk3.

Ernie Ball

py2006 wrote:

hahaha, in the boot! Just shows you how much I know!!! Did they make a mistake or was that on purpose? Is there any benefit to that?

My friend, you need to go and start reading about these matters if you plan to make an informed decision.

Yes, the mid-engined, rear-wheel drive layout has significant performance advantages over other layouts. In particular, mid-engined cars have what's called a 'low polar moment of inertia.' In simple terms this means that they corner better (quicker, more responsively) because the weight is concentrated in the center of the car rather than the ends.

That's not the only advantage. One gets better traction because the weight of the engine pushes on the tyres as weight shifts during acceleration.

There's a lot more to it of course, but suffice it to say that mid-engined, RWD is preferable to other configurations, everything else being equal.

The MX5, for what it's worth, is RWD but has it's engine in front.

ei9go

Hi. Had a 00 W MR2. The storage space becomes a huge problem. The actual capacity of the behind the seats storage is exactly two cases of wine. The front storage is not guaranteed waterproof according to the manual.

It is so bad, you cannot go any where in the MR2.

This is important.

DO NOT buy one without A/C.

I was driven almost suicidal in the winter by the inability to clear the fogged up windscreen after the car was parked at work for the day.

Ernie Ball

ei9go wrote:

DO NOT buy one without A/C.

D'oh! :eek:

ambro25

In the (small but perfectly formed ) MX5 boot, you will find: a pancake spare wheel, the battery, and enough room for a small suitcase (NOT briefcase, 'suit'case), a vanity case, a box of 6 wine bottles, and enough nooks and crannies to fit whatever oddments are left to put in, including coats on the top.

Bear in mind that there is NO inside access to the boot (so be careful when you shut it not to trap anything in the latch ...embarassing moments at HM customs just off the Ferry some years back... pass on the details... ).

"MX5 vs Elise" is known amongst knowing MX5 owners as "Elise-bashing" (and there is a reason why *nudge*wink*).

Anyhow, enough proselitism on my part about Mazda. Please yourself but, from the tone/content of your posts py2006, for God's sake read up & go test drive some

Ernie Ball

Yeah, I considered an Elise and quickly rejected it (didn't even bother to drive one). Too unreliable, too ugly, too uncomfortable, too dangerous, too expensive.

Ernie Ball

ei9go wrote:

Hi. Had a 00 W MR2. The storage space becomes a huge problem. The actual capacity of the behind the seats storage is exactly two cases of wine. The front storage is not guaranteed waterproof according to the manual.

Mine sure looks waterproof. It locks down pretty tight.

Doesn't the issue of the storage space depend on your expectations? If you're creative in your packing (2 duffel bags behind the seats, another in the hatch under the bonnet) you can put enough in there for 2 people to get away for a week. If you're by yourself you can put all kinds of crap on the passenger seat and on the floor. I went grocery shopping yesterday and bought a ton of stuff and had no problem putting it all on the floor on the passenger side.

Of course, nobody will confuse the MR2 with an SUV. And thank god for that.

DO NOT buy one without A/C.
I was driven almost suicidal in the winter by the inability to clear the fogged up windscreen after the car was parked at work for the day.

Seriously, did you take it in for servicing? Why do you think that this is common to the entire model rather than just specific to your car? For what it's worth, I drove mine in a relatively cold rainstorm the other night and didn't have a problem. And I've had a look at the message boards at both http://www.mr2roc.org (search on 'demister') and on http://www.spyderchat.com (search on 'defroster' or 'defogger') and found no complaints about this. And those people complain about everything since it's all in the family.

py2006

ambro25 wrote:

In the (small but perfectly formed ) MX5 boot, you will find: a pancake spare wheel, the battery, and enough room for a small suitcase (NOT briefcase, 'suit'case), a vanity case, a box of 6 wine bottles, and enough nooks and crannies to fit whatever oddments are left to put in, including coats on the top.

Bear in mind that there is NO inside access to the boot (so be careful when you shut it not to trap anything in the latch ...embarassing moments at HM customs just off the Ferry some years back... pass on the details... ).

"MX5 vs Elise" is known amongst knowing MX5 owners as "Elise-bashing" (and there is a reason why *nudge*wink*).

Anyhow, enough proselitism on my part about Mazda. Please yourself but, from the tone/content of your posts py2006, for God's sake read up & go test drive some

Oh I intend doing my homework on this one. I always do when buying things. I am starting with you guys. And your all being very helpful indeed.

py2006

hmm, I have to say the MR2 in black looks absolutely stunning! I have only really been looking at silver ones as there only seems to be silvers ones available at the budget I have. (well there are a couple green ones but lets not go there)

Black MR2's.....mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Ernie Ball

py2006 wrote:

Black MR2's.....mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Today, me, my black MR2 and a female companion went for a drive in the Wicklow Mountains with the top down. This was really my first day out with the car (and first drive with the top down) since I got it last week. Words cannot express how glorious it was. The beauty of the landscape all around, the shining sun on our heads, the wind in our hair, the car just a perfect driving machine...

I cannot recommend the experience highly enough. Nothing beats a convertible on roads like that on a sunny day. And this car, as far as I'm concerned, is more fun than just about any other one you can name.

By the way: very little wind buffeting in the car itself. Didn't have to put the heater on even though we were in the mountains.

py2006

Ernie Ball wrote:

Today, me, my black MR2 and a female companion went for a drive in the Wicklow Mountains with the top down. This was really my first day out with the car (and first drive with the top down) since I got it last week. Words cannot express how glorious it was. The beauty of the landscape all around, the shining sun on our heads, the wind in our hair, the car just a perfect driving machine...

I cannot recommend the experience highly enough. Nothing beats a convertible on roads like that on a sunny day. And this car, as far as I'm concerned, is more fun than just about any other one you can name.

By the way: very little wind buffeting in the car itself. Didn't have to put the heater on even though we were in the mountains.

Oh, you are bastard!!!!!

Is yours a hard top or a soft top? Am thinking of getting the soft top as all you do is slide it back whereas the hard top you have to take it off before you leave your house if you want to drive topless!!

Ernie Ball

py2006 wrote:

Oh, you are bastard!!!!!

Is yours a hard top or a soft top? Am thinking of getting the soft top as all you do is slide it back whereas the hard top you have to take it off before you leave your house if you want to drive topless!!

I think you might have a mistaken impression about hard tops and soft tops. All of the MR2s with hard tops also have soft tops tucked away behind the seats. When you take the hard top off, you can either raise the soft top or leave it tucked away. If it starts raining while you're out, you can then raise the soft top.

Mine has a hard top which I plan to store for the summer very soon. We took it off and left it at the house today. On one occasion, we had to raise the soft top because of a shower. And we also raised it when we left the car in the car park for lunch.

py2006

Ernie Ball wrote:

I think you might have a mistaken impression about hard tops and soft tops. All of the MR2s with hard tops also have soft tops tucked away behind the seats. When you take the hard top off, you can either raise the soft top or leave it tucked away. If it starts raining while you're out, you can then raise the soft top.

Mine has a hard top which I plan to store for the summer very soon. We took it off and left it at the house today. On one occasion, we had to raise the soft top because of a shower. And we also raised it when we left the car in the car park for lunch.

Ahhhhh, I see!! I am learning all the time! Thats handy. Is it the same story with the MX5?

PS. I want your car, NOW!!! I will give you 10,000 for it

bp_me

py2006 wrote:

Ahhhhh, I see!! I am learning all the time! Thats handy. Is it the same story with the MX5?

PS. I want your car, NOW!!! I will give you 10,000 for it

Yes, a hard cover is available for the mx-5

py2006

Yea I know that but does it work in the same way with the MR2's as Ernie Ball described above?

bp_me

If you mean a cliip on metal roof and the soft top stays folded inside like the mr2, then afaik the answer is yes

py2006

bp_me wrote:

If you mean a cliip on metal roof and the soft top stays folded inside like the mr2, then afaik the answer is yes

Cool, so how come they dont all come with the hardtop aswell. Or is that an "extra" when your buying it new?

Ernie Ball

py2006 wrote:

Cool, so how come they dont all come with the hardtop aswell. Or is that an "extra" when your buying it new?

For the MR2, it's an extra. Costs something like €1,700 if I remember right.

bp_me

Its an optional extra. I'm not sure if it needs to be specified when buying or not. I would imagine it should be possibly for any mazda or toyota dealer to get one for you......at a price.

Volcano

Ernie Ball wrote:

Yeah, I considered an Elise and quickly rejected it (didn't even bother to drive one). Too unreliable, too ugly, too uncomfortable, too dangerous, too expensive.

To be brutally honest here i dont even think the Mr2 or Mx5 come close to the lotus elise. The newest version of the elise, the 111r has completly revamped the whole brand. It has a toyota celica 1.8 six gear engine. Its in a completly different league in terms of handling and speed. Comparison of 0-60 times shows you the difference.

Lotus Elise 0-60 = 4.9 secs

Toyota Mr2 0-60 = 8.0 secs

Mazda Mx5 0-60 = 8.5 secs

Plus it has a boot big enough for a case, the insides been redone and sticks to the road like glue. Its way above both cars in performace, and shows that in a higher price too.

Ernie Ball

Volcano wrote:

To be brutally honest here i dont even think the Mr2 or Mx5 come close to the lotus elise. The newest version of the elise, the 111r has completly revamped the whole brand. It has a toyota celica 1.8 six gear engine. Its in a completly different league in terms of handling and speed. Comparison of 0-60 times shows you the difference.

Lotus Elise 0-60 = 4.9 secs

Toyota Mr2 0-60 = 8.0 secs

Mazda Mx5 0-60 = 8.5 secs

Plus it has a boot big enough for a case, the insides been redone and sticks to the road like glue. Its way above both cars in performace, and shows that in a higher price too.

Don't know where you got those figures but the MR2 does 0-60 in 7.3 secs according to Road and Track magazine. This page has the Elise 111r at 4.9 seconds, as you claim. However this page from the same site has the MR2 at 6.6 seconds.

That said, it's not at all clear that the Elise is a much better car than an MR2 upgraded with the 2ZZ (i.e., the 190bhp VVTLi engine from the Celica GT-S that the Elise has). At least it's not clear it's worth the price difference.

But I concede the general point: as sold, the new Elise outperforms the MR2. I still think it's ugly and unreliable, however.:p

Ernie Ball

Anyway, the relevant comparison wasn't between a brand new Elise 111R and a brand new MR2. It was between a 2000 MR2 and a 2000 Elise, most of which had only 120bhp compared to the MR2's 140bhp (although the Elise was lighter).

Volcano

Yea i basically got the 0-60's from a few different car mags and choose the best. Although it is strange the differences that some claim are the top speed. To me the mx5 looks so boring, at least the mr2 has a bit more edge to it, and well a lotus is amazingly scary looking :eek:

I do apologise i thought it was the newest makes of the mr2 and mx5 that were being looked at as i would fully admit i dont know much about the older make of Mr2 and i know the rover engined lotus isnt anything like the newer models

py2006

What difference does it make if a car is a second or two faster getting to 60mph???? Who cares???

Its not like you can actually put that to practise on a daily basis on our roads. And even if you could, its a bloody second or so in the difference.

The Lotus is a peculiar looking vehicle. The reason I am looking at MR2's and MX5's is because they are more in my price range.

Ernie Ball

py2006 wrote:

What difference does it make if a car is a second or two faster getting to 60mph???? Who cares???

Uh, people who drive these sorts of cars?

Its not like you can actually put that to practise on a daily basis on our roads. And even if you could, its a bloody second or so in the difference.

It's not about the 0-60 time. The time is only meaningful as an approximate measurement of what it feels like in one's lizard brain when you jam the accelerator to the floor. And, yes, you can put that into practice on a daily basis. Ireland has speed limits. It does not, to my knowledge, have 'acceleration limits.' So, entering the motorway, I floor it and the car responds with a healthy growl while throwing me back in my seat in a most thoroughly pleasing way.;) It's a big part of the appeal of these cars.

py2006

well excusssssssssssssssssssse me!

prospect

Well py2006,

There is your answer to your original post.

It is all about personal preference. If you ask enough people, you will never buy ANY car, because there is always someone, somewhere who has had a major problem with it.

I think if you go for either the MR2 or MX5 you will be a very happy camper. Neither should give you much trouble, both will be very entertaining and all the rest is trivial.

As the song says; "Whatever makes you happyyyyyyyyy"