Toyota MR2 (2000 – 2006) Review

Toyota MR2 (2000 – 2006) At A Glance

Great fun to drive. More minimalist than previous version. Goes and handles just like a sports-inspired roadster should.

Virtually no luggage space. Prices are still high. A broken rear window means replacing the whole hood. Dangerous hidden corrosion to rear crossmember. 5 hour job to replace stretched parking brake cables.

Ask Honest John

Can you recommend a fun, reliable car for £3000?

"Since I was 17, I have had quick and fun cars. Would you be able to suggest a car that has good handling, a turn of speed, fairly reliable and around £3000? A tough ask, I know, but might you be able to help, please? Thank you."

We'd recommend a Mazda MX-5. They're popular for a reason – brilliant to drive, cheap to run and very reliable. £3000 will get you a third-generation model from around 2006. Also consider a Toyota MR2 – they're a bit rarer and not very practical, but provide mid-engined thrills for not a lot of cash. Otherwise, a hot hatch might be a good option. You might find a Mk5 Volkswagen Golf GTI within budget.

Answered by Andrew Brady

Should I buy a Mercedes-Benz SLK or a Mazda MX-5?

"I'm looking to buy either a Mercedes-Benz SLK or a Mazda MX-5. My budget is £2500. What are the pros and cons of both, please?"

Pros and cons of the MX-5: https://classics.honestjohn.co.uk/reviews/mazda/mx-5-mk2-nb/buying/ And the SLK: https://classics.honestjohn.co.uk/reviews/mercedes-benz/slk-r170/buying/ We'd recommend the Mazda. They're mechanically simpler and are very cheap/easy to maintain. There's also an excellent support network and more on the market – so you can be picky about condition. Watch out for rust, though. As an alternative, look at the excellent Toyota MR2.

Answered by Andrew Brady

What future classic should I buy for £2500?

"I have £2500 to spend on my first future classic car and was wondering if you could help? I'm torn between a number of candidates e.g Toyota MR2 MK3, MG TF160, Mercedes SLK 230 or a Mazda MX-5. It will only be used during the summer and needs to be reliable and not too costly to maintain."

All fine cars. I reckon you should go out and drive them - but before you do, make a list of what's important to you. If you want pure driving satisfaction, you make want to go for a Mk1 MX-5, if you like creature comforts then a Mercedes SLK may be more up your street. A car is only reliable as its previous owners, so check the history. Parts prices are a concern with any classic and can be hurt by the fluctuations in currency. You could always price up various items for your shortlist. For example, service items like spark plugs and leads, oil filter etc. Or items like brake pads and discs. But do also check out the prices of panels. Do you have a classic-friendly specialist nearby? How are you planning to store it? You'll need to take these things into consideration, too.

Answered by Keith Moody

Is a Toyota MR2 a good choice as a weekend car?

"I am hoping to buy a Toyota MR2 as a weekend car. What engine size is best, auto or manual? Which is the best year, hard top or soft top? If possible I would like a low mileage car with a good history for up to £7k. "

A £7000 budget will get you pretty much any MR2. As a weekend toy, I'd be looking for a third-generation model. This is the last MR2 to be sold, with the latest ones registered in 2006. If you're lucky, you mind find a TF300 model - one of the final 300 sold in the UK with desirable extras such as leather/alcantara seats and a twin exhaust system. Expect to pay around £5000 for a good one of these with low miles and full service history. I'd be looking for a manual as it suits this kind of the car and the SMT gearbox can be troublesome. If you'd prefer something older, you'll get a good Mk1 or Mk2 model with your budget. An original Mk1 would be a very cool, retro weekend toy that will be fun to drive and also be eligible for many classic car shows. They like to rust so do your research and give it a full inspection before buying one. Visit our classifieds here: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/cars-for-sale/

Answered by Andrew Brady

More Questions

Model History

• March 2000
• January 2002

Driving Toyota MR2 (2000 – 2006)

Brilliant sharp, responsive steering. Not quite up to Lotus Elise standards, but a million miles better than an MGF or MGTF.

Bigger, wider 16" rear tyres and 15" front tyres.

Still quite low geared in 6th. Excellent gearshift allows block changing.

Huge fun to drive.

Toyota MR2 (2000 – 2006) Buying Guide

Good

BMW, Toyota and Ford jointly suffered the fewest breakdowns attended by German ADAC during 2001.

Joint 2nd make in 2002 'Which?' reliability survey cars 2000 - 2002; 3rd for cars 1997 - 1999.

Top roadster, 15th overall in 2003 What Car? J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Survey.

Toyota generally 10th lowest average warranty repair costs in 2003 Warranty Direct Reliability index (index 74.95 v/s lowest 31.93) www.reliabilityindex.co.uk

In 2014 you could pick up a nice early one with a hardtop for £1,500, but by 2015 good, late 2006 TF300s were fetching £6,000+.

Bad

Hardly any luggage space at all: just two small compartments behind the seats and a bin containing the spacesaver spare under the bonnet leaving barely enough space for a briefcase. 

Power steering unnecessary. 

Small and low, so drivers need to be aware that other drivers may not see them. 

Demand initially ensured high used prices, but much more sensible by 2007.

Watch

Imports lack the Thatcham 1 security system. 

If glass rear screen gets broken, the whole hood has to be replaced and Toyota does not help with 'goodwill' over this. 

Complaints of pre-cat in exhaust manifold breaking up and debris being sucked into engine. Caused by "excessive acceleration - deceleration when the engine is cold causing vibration of the manifold and the cat matrix moving in its holding mat, then breaking up. Holding mat improved from October 2001, VIN ...0043748. For older cars, new manifold available and some possibility of goodwill from Toyota towards the cost. More on this at www.mr2roc.org If an early car make sure it has the improved cat converter manifold. VVT-i engines can start to use up to a litre of oil every 600 miles after 40,000 miles.

Can have an oil consumption problem, like 1.8 Celica and contemporary Corollas and Avensis. This was cured by late 2003.

27-5-2013: Rear crossmember that carries the inboard ends of the rear suspension locating bars and rear engine mount is prone to very severe corrosion that lies hidded by a plastic undertray and can pass MoTs for that reason. Photo shows crossmember taken from 2001 car, but similar, though not as severe, corrosion seen on 2006 cars. Replacement costs including dismantluing £1,000+. Not covered under Toota's 12 year body perforation warranty.

10-6-2014: SMT semi-automatic transmission can give trouble. UK Toyota dealer repair can cost £3,800.  Coversions back to manual available from the USA. Some links to threads: http://mr2roc.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=33160 ; http://www.monkeywrenchracing.com/extra_info_pages.php?pages_id=33 ; http://www.mr2oc.co.uk/forums/42/148094.html

18-4-2019: Complaint that parking brake greadually loses its effectiveness. 2004 Toyota MR2 owned from new and now at 40,000 miles suffers gradual decrease in efficiency of parking brake every couple of years. Two different Toyota garages have tried several times to fix it (at 2 year intervals) each time with only temporary success. This time, the garage wants to change one of the rear brake calipers, pads etc. Unfortunately, the parking brake cables eventually stretch and it’s a 5-hour job to replace them, which involves removing the fuel tank. But it could be that the club has a solution. Worth jointing anyway for club events as well as support. https://www.mr2oc.co.uk/

Recalls

May 2006: Toyota Service Bulletin issued concerning oil consumption problem of 1.8 VVT-I engines built up to July 2005. Affected models are: MR2 ZZT230.