MR2 or MX5/Eunos?

[THE_Liam]

Dilemma...

Been looking for a second car for a while now I can get classic insurance, and decided on something small, light and RWD, preferably Japanese for JDM points and reliabilty, and I've narrowed it down to a mk1 MX5/Eunos or a mk1 MR2. Here's my breakdown of them...

MX5/Eunos

- Lots of choice
- Simple and easy to work on
- Proper soft-top
- Easy to mod
- Cheaper
- Stronger, less rust prone

MR2

- Less gay
- Rarer and more "WTF is that?!?!" appeal
- Faster
- Better handling
- T-Bar roof, open top without the noise/damp/cold
- More boxy and 80's (good thing in my book)

What are peoples opinions? I've driven both and love both, and it'll be the same mods either way (lows, JDM bits, drift stickorrzzz), which would you go for? Open to left-field suggestions, but please don't say AE86/S13/S14/R32/R33, if I had the money I'd straight away have an Initial D replica AE86 but I don't earn enough money

[adamm306]

MX5/Eunos
- Stronger, less rust prone

hahaha lest rust prone? mx5's are shocking for rust...

[THE_Liam]

MX5/Eunos
- Stronger, less rust prone

hahaha lest rust prone? mx5's are shocking for rust...

Very true, but not even half as bad as MR2s

[bigcheez2k3]

MR2.

It's mid-engined, that wins it for me. Get one in baby blue, lower it and 18" borbet wheels in purple like my car in Forza

[THE_Liam]

MR2.

It's mid-engined, that wins it for me. Get one in baby blue, lower it and 18" borbet wheels in purple like my car in Forza

Would prefer some proper Watanabes to borbets, and a 2-tone colour scheme, grey and white would be good

[Piggy]

im sorry...MX5, 'LESS gay'??!!

its the gayest sports car money can buy!

its known to be owned by eother a woman or a gay man!

[adamm306]

MX5's are pretty cool tbf... but the pompey lot swear im gay anyway

[pugvivant]

MR2 all the way

[lolsteve]

mr2 all the way.
I appreciate what the mx5 stands for in cheap, rwd modding fun but..its just so camp

[Connor]

MR2 /thread

[r3k1355]

6-7 months ago I'd of said MR2.

DON'T DO IT NOW.

They're notorious for being a handful in the winter, it's going to step out on you, it's gunna keep on going and you will end up in a hedge.
It's compounded by the fact they're cheap old sports cars, so unless you pay top dollar for one thats been restored you will get suspension that needs work and cheap mis-matched tyres - both will help to swing the car all over the place.

At least in an MX-5 if the back steps out you can just giggle and have a play, when an MR2 does it you fill your pants and hope nothing is coming the other way.

[Jake]

Mk 1 mr2 are beautiful cars... I'd have that!

[1616six]

s2k <3

[C.A.R.]

Drive both and see how you get on. I've never driven a MK1 MR2, but they look very cool / retro and certainly have a lot of appeal. My concerns would be maintenance however, like the access to the engine / oily bits being in the middle of the car. I've passengered in a Gen2 MR2 'T-top' and they are quite civilised, similar to the MX5 really but maybe a bit less special to sit in. The dashboard in an MX5 is hardly the last word in cabin refinement, but it looks good with the little round air vents and the potential for a double-din stereo.

I found my MX5 surprisingly practical as a daily driver. As a single bloke I could fit all my shit in there, and that included going on camping trips, work sites etc. The parts support is immense, I think to look 'good' they need a roll bar (not chrome hoops though!) and a spoiler / front splitter. I imagine the MR2 thing is similar to that of the MX5 - get an import as they have a better spec. Mine had Bilstein suspension, BBS 15s, front and rear strut brace, lightened fly, metallic paint, A/C, leccy windows and a load of other stuff from the factory, it was basically an 'RS' but without the expensive Kevlar bucket seats! Always buy on condition - not mileage or what 'extras' it might have. Mine had Bilstein suspension, but at ~18 years old it was shit. The shocks needed replacing, hence going down the GAZ route. Don't slam it if you want to drive it quick, they're low enough as standard.

The allure of the MR2 is that mid-engine thing and it's slightly more masculine than an MX5, but I'd do a lot of research first. There must be a reason why the MX5 is so much more common...

Also, to work on an MX5 MK1 is piss-easy. The hardest part of a service is removing the oil filter, which is why a lot of people fit a remote one. So much space in the engine bay, for things like, y'know, a fancy air filter...or a turbo.

Import models are nearly all 'limited editions' and whilst some are rarer than others, most have similar equipment levels. Imports are also more likely to have an LSD and are less likely to have rust...

[silverzx]

MX5 for dirt cheap drifting. It won't be as good as a BMW 325 or 200SX but it'll be 5x cheaper!

MR2's are more of a grip / fast road car, good luck drifting one.

[Poodle]

Mr2 every time, I know itd kill me, but I still want it.

[kernow_joe]

MR2.

It's mid-engined, that wins it for me. Get one in baby blue, lower it and 18" borbet wheels in purple like my car in Forza

Not on a mk1!!!! One of my brothers was ruined by having big wheels, nice light 15's are perfect.

never driven an mx5 but driven a few mk1 mr2's and they are amazing cars, but as you said they like to rust, have a search if you find a reasonable - good one I'd go for it. Hell of a car for the money and awesome engines!

[THE_Liam]

Thanks everyone, I'll write a proper reply when I'm not on tapa but that's loads to go on. I'm leaning toward the MR2, I've driven them before and handling wise if you understand how to drive a mid-engined car they are quite forgiving, as said it has to be set up right, 4 wheel alignment and camber settings are massively important! It won't go out in bad weather much as I'll be keeping the DT as a daily, running that on veg is what's gonna pay the insurance for this!

They are a twat to work on though, true misery is replacing the alternator on an MR2

[GTI 6]

Mk1 mr2 ftw

[bigcheez2k3]

MR2.

It's mid-engined, that wins it for me. Get one in baby blue, lower it and 18" borbet wheels in purple like my car in Forza

Not on a mk1!!!! One of my brothers was ruined by having big wheels, nice light 15's are perfect.

never driven an mx5 but driven a few mk1 mr2's and they are amazing cars, but as you said they like to rust, have a search if you find a reasonable - good one I'd go for it. Hell of a car for the money and awesome engines!

Only in Forza Wouldn't put them on a real one.

[ozonehostile]

It wasn't a mk1,but hands down the scariest car I've ever been in was a '96 mr2 twin turbo. Freshly imported and TRD tuned, my god was it a handful.

Personally I wouldn't get either, find something much cooler than both if you have the intention of second car while raping the cheap classic car insurance

[Curt]

DSC_2494 by Curtis Footman, on Flickr

Yes, so gay...

Don't think I really need to comment, apart from if you're worried about image you're doing it wrong.

[THE_Liam]

Not really bothered about style, more bothered by a combination of RWD, light weight and a revvy twin cam

[adamm306]

Not really bothered about style, more bothered by a combination of RWD, light weight and a revvy twin cam

1.6 mx5 then

[THE_Liam]

To be fair, I think I'm just gonna look both for both and buy the best I can get of either. I'd prefer the MR2 to be honest, but either I'd be happy with, they both cost about the same on classic insurance (£300-ish) and fuel (25-30mpg seems to be the average, although the MR2 is higher geared so can actually manage 40mpg on a run which the MX5 apparently can't), they both offer similar fun, although the MX5 would be easier to work on...

Coin flip

[Danny2009]

If your going for the mx5 get the 1.8 not the 1.6 but I have a mr2 over a mx5 any day

[adamm306]

the 1.8's shite man not a rev happy and doesn't feel as responsive although its better for motorway cruising the 1.6 is a much better engine

[Curt]

That part is also down to preference. They're terrible on fuel by the way

[C.A.R.]

the 1.8's shite man not a rev happy and doesn't feel as responsive although its better for motorway cruising the 1.6 is a much better engine

Eh? Both are rev-happy. It's just that to make the 1.6 go anywhere you have to rag it more, which some people say adds to the experience. I tried both and much preferred the power delivery of the 1.8. It's much better to drive on the motorway too. If a 1.8 struggles to spin up the rear wheels with decent tyres then I imagine you'd really have to kick the clutch in a 1.6!

[adamm306]

meh all a matter of preference as you say but the 1.6 is alot more fun to drive