Coupe or Convertable

jank

Right, lads and ladies.

Looking to upgrade my car from about March or April next year.
Ill get about 6 grand for the car I have now so im willing to spend about 14-15 Grand on it.

Ill be going to the UK for it, with it being cheaper and the higher specs cars they have over there.

Im stuck between a Toyota MR2 and a Toyota Celica.
I could get a 2002 in each car within my price range, maybe a 2003(have to see in a few months)

Does anybody have experience with these 2 types of cars. If I decided on the Celica then id like to go for the 190 model, but getting a decent one would be hard to get. Id say.

Afaik there are a few guys here with the gen3 Mr2's. Would like to know what they think of them.

Also saw this website up on ebay.
http://www.autoquake.co.uk/

Looks very legit. Anybody have experience with them.
I like they say they tell you about all the little bumps and scrathes a car has on its website. Makes it feel that you will get no surprises.

colm_mcm

The MR2 is seriously compromised space wise. no boot to speak of, and very small cabin. Celica a better all rounder.

jank

Yea I know this. I dont have kids and I wouldnt be touring the country with a band or anything. I never have people in my back seat so this lack of space isnt really a problem for me. I

f im going to own a convertable ever in my life then now may be my only chance...

I think what id have to do is test drive both of them and see which one makes me grin the biggest. I'm looking for the best all round driving experience here and that doesnt mean doing 100mph down the road either.

JHMEG

Drove a Celica 190 a while back. Felt quick enough, but a little 'soft' for my tastes. I suppose it depends on what you're into tho.

The Mk3 MR2 imho is a bit of a girlie car, and not that quick. Would sooner have a Mk2 MR2 Turbo, in black. Nice.

bennyx_o

If it was me, I'd find it hard to choose too. Both the Celica and MR2 look good IMO, both come with 1.8 engines. I suppose it boils down to how much space you need and which one you enjoy driving more.

Mojito

The Celica would be the better pick of the 2 but as you said it may be your only chance to own a 2 seater convertible!

colm_mcm

I'd be considering the MX5 as well if the MR2 appealed.

Ernie Ball

I love my MR2 Mk 3 and don't consider it girly in the least. It's a great car to mod and weighs very little compared to the Celica with the same engine. Coilovers, chassis bracing, turbo upgrade and you've got a car that can run with cars costing 3 times as much, especially in the twisties. Also, great online club at http://www.mr2roc.org You should look there for sales from mostly trustworthy guys who care for their cars.

If you care about driving, get the MR2.
If you care about what fools think of you, get the Celica.:)

RobAMerc

JANK - Would you consider an MX5 ?

The Celica does nothing for me, but the rag top MR2 is suposed to be a good steer.

From reading your posts you seem to understand speed aint everything, so you may appreciate the MX5 once you drive one.

I spent 6 times what I got for mine on my current car, I miss the MX5.

jank

I have considered a MX-5 but no matter how I try to convince myself I just dont like the look of it.

For the Max Power crew the Mr2 is faster then both the 140 Celica and any Mx-5 and also has a faster acceleration from 0-60.

I know a few users around here have the new mr2's, id love to hear what they have to say

Mojito

RobAMerc wrote:

From reading your posts you seem to understand speed aint everything, so you may appreciate the MX5 once you drive one.

jank wrote:

If I decided on the Celica then id like to go for the 190 model

Ernie Ball

jank wrote:

I have considered a MX-5 but no matter how I try to convince myself I just dont like the look of it.

For the Max Power crew the Mr2 is faster then both the 140 Celica and any Mx-5 and also has a faster acceleration from 0-60.

I know a few users around here have the new mr2's, id love to hear what they have to say

What I have to say is that the car is almost perfectly built for responsive handling. The rear mid-engined RWD layout is not something the feel of which can be matched by other means. Whatever about what's girly and what's not: the Celica is FWD.

That said, the later MR2 models (post facelift, i.e. 2003-2005) have some chassis bracing stock that the prior ones don't. You'll probably want to add some aftermarket bracing, which makes the whole platform much more responsive in the twisties. Best bang for buck: a so-called Corky's breastplate (usually available via spyderchat.com) and a front strut tower bar (several varieties out there but the best and most expensive is the TRD).

After that, TRD make a whole aftermarket sports suspension, including anti-roll bars, for this car. They aren't coilovers, just different struts and springs, but it is designed specifically as a package for this car. The next step up from there are Tein SSP coilovers and beefier anti-roll bars.

If you're not into modding, however, the handling on the car is better than 90% of the cars out there even unmodded. The front end will feel light and floaty without a STB and the possibility of snap oversteer, particularly on wet days, is something to be careful about. Also, you should respect the stagger in tyre widths if you plan on not going into the nearest ditch: the rears are wider than the fronts.

As for the reactions of others: I've put a J-Spec front badge on mine in place of the Toyota cowboy hat and you'd be amazed how many people stare at it while walking past the car, trying to figure out what it is. That's because you don't see very many around here. I get very little of the sneering reaction that so-called 'girly' cars are supposed to induce, perhaps because some of the upgrades have made the car a bit more aggressive looking. Young boys seem to love the car: I get a lot of 'deadly motor, mistah' wherever I go, especially with the top down.

Oh, and by the way: a drive in the Wicklow mountains or similar with this car on a summer day with the top down cannot be beat by any experience with a Celica or any coupe.

In sum: great platform if handling is your thing and you're prepared to do some modding on it. The power can be upgraded up to 250bhp if you really feel you need it, though my engine is currently stock and it still feels quite peppy to me due to the VVTi and the great power to weight ratio. You can also swap in the 190bhp 2ZZ from the Celica GT-S if you're ready to pay for it, but that engine is the same as the 140bhp 1ZZ in the stock MR2 until you get to something like 6,000 RPM and the lift kicks in.

jank

Ernie Ball wrote:

What I have to say is that the car is almost perfectly built for responsive handling. The rear mid-engined RWD layout is not something the feel of which can be matched by other means. Whatever about what's girly and what's not: the Celica is FWD.

That said, the later MR2 models (post facelift, i.e. 2003-2005) have some chassis bracing stock that the prior ones don't. You'll probably want to add some aftermarket bracing, which makes the whole platform much more responsive in the twisties. Best bang for buck: a so-called Corky's breastplate (usually available via spyderchat.com) and a front strut tower bar (several varieties out there but the best and most expensive is the TRD).

After that, TRD make a whole aftermarket sports suspension, including anti-roll bars, for this car. They aren't coilovers, just different struts and springs, but it is designed specifically as a package for this car. The next step up from there are Tein SSP coilovers and beefier anti-roll bars.

If you're not into modding, however, the handling on the car is better than 90% of the cars out there even unmodded. The front end will feel light and floaty without a STB and the possibility of snap oversteer, particularly on wet days, is something to be careful about. Also, you should respect the stagger in tyre widths if you plan on not going into the nearest ditch: the rears are wider than the fronts.

As for the reactions of others: I've put a J-Spec front badge on mine in place of the Toyota cowboy hat and you'd be amazed how many people stare at it while walking past the car, trying to figure out what it is. That's because you don't see very many around here. I get very little of the sneering reaction that so-called 'girly' cars are supposed to induce, perhaps because some of the upgrades have made the car a bit more aggressive looking. Young boys seem to love the car: I get a lot of 'deadly motor, mistah' wherever I go, especially with the top down.

Oh, and by the way: a drive in the Wicklow mountains or similar with this car on a summer day with the top down cannot be beat by any experience with a Celica or any coupe.

In sum: great platform if handling is your thing and you're prepared to do some modding on it. The power can be upgraded up to 250bhp if you really feel you need it, though my engine is currently stock and it still feels quite peppy to me due to the VVTi and the great power to weight ratio. You can also swap in the 190bhp 2ZZ from the Celica GT-S if you're ready to pay for it, but that engine is the same as the 140bhp 1ZZ in the stock MR2 until you get to something like 6,000 RPM and the lift kicks in.

Great Post!

Thanks. Definately swinging towards the Mr-2 at this stage. Jusat hope prices drop a little come march/april.

Not too interested in modding to be honest, mainly cause i wouldnt have a clue on what to do.

Can you post pics of your car?

Kaskade

jank wrote:

Great Post!

Thanks. Definately swinging towards the Mr-2 at this stage. Jusat hope prices drop a little come march/april.

Not too interested in modding to be honest, mainly cause i wouldnt have a clue on what to do.

Can you post pics of your car?

Be careful you dont leave it too late if your looking at a soft top they should increase slightly going into the summer

jank

Yep im hunting already for the MR2. Seems to be a few around. Is it realistic that the prices of them will just go up now come March.

Funxy

In fairness there's no point in considering an mx-5 if your budget can stretch to a Mr-2. Do it, convertibles are so worth it. One thing to be careful of though. Once you have a convertible, it's impossible to go back to a non convertible without wishing you could still take the roof down. No better feeling then when the roof is down and you can enjoy ever aspect of the drive the way it should be!

smash

get a celice t-sport, they're great cars....

ambro25

Funxy wrote:

One thing to be careful of though. Once you have a convertible, it's impossible to go back to a non convertible without wishing you could still take the roof down.

Seconded and tripled.

5 years down the road after buying 'her' as dinkys (dual-income-no-kids-yet ), after many life changing events and a baby since, our well-travelled and now showroom condition* '98 Mk1 MX-5 is still ours (always will be) and enjoying her retirement in France, where we plan to shake the dust off every other summer

F*ck the loss on the no-resale, we just know we'd never buy another if we sold her, and the few hours a year of enjoyment are just so worth it it can't be put into words

* - for those that now about the car from my posts, yes, I have finally tracked down spares for the OEM flush boot rack, and the car is now absolutely spotless, not a dent, a scratch or a nick (incl. the hard-to-find porsche-style OEM alloys), on 45k fully documented miles. Happy days...

Gatster

For the same reasons as the OP I've just indulged in a convertible (not anything mentioned here), but would definitely recommend the MR2 over the Celica. Someone at work has one and it's a cracking drive.

bf

Jank,

Can highly recommend the Mk3 MR2. I brought one back in from the UK at the weekend for her goodself. If you are seriously thinking of one make sure you go for a 2003 model onwards. Up to 2002 a common problem on the MR2s was a pre-cat failure which can be quite expensive. Also the pre-2003 models had well known problems with alloys which bubbled/rusted easily.

Supposedly the problems have now been fixed in the 2003 model. It also benfits from a 6 speed gearbox.

The MR2 has a small bit of space in the (front) boot beside the spare tyre, enough for a school bag. There is also cubby hole behind the 2 seats which is sufficient enough to get the weekly shopping for 2 people in!

After driving 300 miles in the UK to get it home I can safely say I had a grin from ear to ear. Sure its not as practical as an MX5 but its much more of a drivers car in my opinion.

The roof literally takes 10 sec to get up an down. 2 quick words of warning - convertibles are a lot harder to insure than regular cars - only 3 compnaies will insure them here, and secondly sometimes the MR2 can be quite thirsty oil, best to check oil levels every 1000 miles to make sure everything is ok.

Now is the time to buy before the sunhine appears and price rise, if you buy one you wont be sorry!

BF

Gatster

For the same reasons as the OP I've just indulged in a convertible (not anything mentioned here), but would definitely recommend the MR2 over the Celica. Someone at work has one and it's a cracking drive.

ambro25

bf wrote:

Sure its not as practical as an MX5 but its much more of a drivers car in my opinion.

Hahahahaha... erm... whatever

OP - you're right, do it now, go for the topless option else you probably never will. You can always get a coupe when your auld bones start to feel seasons and humidity

jank

Thanks for the advice lads. i'm hunting for one at the moment so if ye see any around give me a shout.

jank

Right decided to take one for a test drive on saturday and I have to say i was very disappointed so much so I have almost given up on the idea of an mr2. I have been talking about it for so long that my expectations were probably way over the top.:(

I thought the gear stick was terrible. Whats the deal with putting the reverse and first gear right next to each other?
The inside was tacky imo and when i put the roof down the windshield was low causing a blind spot.

Now it was only a small test drive around an industrail estate so I wasnt able yo get her to going at all.
Also it was an imported mr-s version from singapore. Are these cars different in terms of size as I felt a bit cramped in there. Im not that big a guy 6" 14 st.

But something else did catch my eye. It was a lexus IS 200. Beautiful car especially in that dark grey. All the extras you can think off. Great build quality and the feeling that you were getting more bang for your buck. And they were both the same price too which surprised me how cheap it was. There was something understated about. Not too flash but kinda professional businessy.

Im just going to have to take them both out again with no expectations in a week or 2 and see.
Whoever said choosing a car was easy!!

ambro25

jank wrote:

The inside was tacky imo and when i put the roof down the windshield was low causing a blind spot.

You'll find that to be a common occurence with pretty much any 'real' convertible (by that, I mean a car designed as a convertible, as opposed to a converted sedan/hatch, such as Pugs, Renaults, Vauxhalls, etc.).

jank wrote:

But something else did catch my eye. It was a lexus IS 200. Beautiful car especially in that dark grey. etc.

Interesting. I did contemplate that very car, coming out of an MX-5. It does have that driver's car feel to it, I must admit. Still contemplating it now, as replacement for Impreza (still undecided as to go newer Scoob or IS200 - you're quite right, whoever said it was easy?!? ). However, wrt "cramped", you'll find that it's not a lot of useable space, relative to the size of the car (which I was astounded at, first time I had a close look and a drive - Impreza/IS200 about the same size-ish, but IS200 boot and rear passenger footwell are both about half the size of same in the Impreza :eek:). All that said, the IS200 sounds so much sweeter than an MR2 when you hoof it

jank

This morning I took the is200 for a proper drive. Very impressed with it. This was a different car to the one i saw saterday. It wasnt the sport version so it didnt have the chrome pedals, the full leather and one or 2 others nice extras. But i was very happy with it. Very comfortbale for the driver

Very refineded until you put the foot down and a nice purr is emited. The thing is im going for a completely different type of car now. (had a look at a 02 3 series bmw but there was no comparision!) And if im importing from the UK i wont be saving as much.

Anyway. Im planing to take the mr2 out for one more test spin before to make competely sure that i dont want it. This time though im going to drive it with no expectations and ill give it a good run out and about on main roads. Ill try and get that rwd to slip out a bit

Im after going off the celica too as im finding that alot of boy racers are picking them up and im just after going off it. The same might be said of the is 200 but they arent as common on the road.

RobAMerc

Since you looked at the 3 series would you consider a 3 series convertible ?
You get 4 seats and no roof.

Also you should reconsider on the MX5 and at least try one.

The TT's are nice but feel a bit wooden in my opinion.

You'll be sorry if you buy a 4 door saloon in a few years when you've a people carrier and think what you could have had.