2005 Toyota MR2 Consumer Reviews
Review Summary
Most Helpful Reviews
Positive Review
I had a yellow 2001 MR2 spyder several years ago, I sold it because of a job transfer and have missed that little car ever since. Since that time I have had other cars (including an 08 RX8), but nothing compares to the MR2 in driving satisfaction. The Mrs. and I just found and purchased our second 2001 MR2 spyder, except this one was white and I love the color combo much better. Drving one of these machines is an awesome experience like no other. It only weighs about 2200 pounds so the small 1.8L, 138hp engine is fine to accelerate and gets great MPG. The twisties in the road are what makes this car fun and exciting. It handles just like a go-cart with immediate feedback and feel of the road to hug the corners. Everything on the styling is awesome and you frequently get looks (ok, gawks) or people asking what the heck kind of car it is. Most can't believe it is a 13 year old car. Another positive aspect of this car is being a Toyota and the engine is the same one in the corolla's so repairs are cheap and easy to maintain. I think mine will need a new top soon, but other than that it is solid and a bargain to have some fun. The only thing you can knock this car on is the non-existent storage with no real trunk and only a small space behind the seats - but the thrill of driving the car outwieghs the negative storage and you just pack lighter if you are taking it somewhere! This is an excellent car and they are becoming extinct with the last model year in 2005 - get'em while you can to enjoy driving with the top down and zipping around the corners and thank me later!
VS
Critical Review
I came to find out that these mr2 spyders were not as well designed as i had previously thought. First of all the latches to the convertible top need to be constantly tightened and the car is extremely noisy around corners and it is very difficult to get hard tops for these since they were not sold in the us so you will end up forking out around 3,000 for one. It handles well but lacks power. The car has around 140hp which seems like alot for such a small car but it really isn't. There is no trunk, no storage space in exception to a capartment behind the seats. You cannot rotate the tires due to a tab on the rear rims that connects to the axels. It is has very bad blind spots when the top is up. Right now my car has around 82,000 miles and will burn 10w 30oil if you do some research this is a very common problem in these and it costs around $1800 to have new rings put on. These should have come with a 6spd transmission while driving at 70mph the rpms will be at 3500 which is very high. Overall i would say that its a really low quality car. I bought mine from an older gentleman who was the original owner no accidents. I had thought that since it is a toyota that it would be a very good reliable car. I would not recomend these to anyone go with a honda s2000 or a z3 if you want a 2 seater sports car.
2005 MR2 Reviews
Showing 8 of 170 reviews.
I just bought a yellow 2003 Spyder with high mileage. It was very well maintained and a one owner car. I took it to my mechanic, and he gave it a clean bill of health. It runs and drives beautifully! It is a pure driving machine! No frills, no bells and whistles, just pure fun. I believe Toyota was trying to capture a 1960's era Porsche because as soon as I drove it, I was taken back to my 1968 912. A car I wish I never sold! Now I have that same feel in a much more modern car, albeit 23 years old. And, yes, it is faster than the 912 was.
LOTS OF FUN TO DRIVE
VERY LITTLE STORAGE
i LOVE MY LITTLE CAR, BUT CANNOT TAKE MY DOGS WITH ME, SO I MOSTLY DRIVE MY SPORTAGE TO TAKE MY DOGS AND THEIR KENNELS.
Fun to drive
Little cargo space
Good condition low miles garage kept
A joy to drive , handles awesome!
watch out for those speed bumps.
My perfect 2001 everything original... green/tan interior Spyder gets smiles, waves and "I Love Your Car" exclamations at stop lights. Such a joy to drive, and to wax and condition the beautiful leather seats. The most fun car I ever owned, maintenance is cheap and it makes people happy to see it.
I used this car to drive to school every day. When I sell it I feel my youth is going away. I was the only owner and I took good care of it. It's in a great shape.
Fun to drive great mpg for a convertible
Cant drive it like you stole it,motor breaks
Mr2 Spyder gets 32 mpg in city. Not sure kbb says 25mpg which is the same as a stock v6 mustang. Its called math, Mr2 spyder is just over 2k lbs with a 4 cylinder engine set as low as a vette. Great performance compared to a old Corolla which is whats under the hood, which is in the back of car. Fun car but dont red line as much as you may want to .
Fun to drive, rare
No cruise control, very little storage
My 2003 MR2 Spyder is so much fun to drive I look for reasons to go somewhere. It is very economical, sporty but not fast and very nimble on the road. I call it my go-cart because that’s what it reminds me of. I get compliments everywhere I go and so many people think it’s a more expensive sports car. I have the 5 speed, black on black with no custom engine work. It’s hard to beat the enjoyment for what you have to spend. If you can find a low mileage MR2 in good shape, buy it. You won’t regret it.
fun to drive top down
minimal storage space. no place to mount gps.
Absolute Red paint, blemish free, above excellent condition, drives and looks like new, all original, well maintained, garaged kept since 2001. No mechanical issues. A real charmer. Eye-popper. Friends cant believe it is 17 years old. Fun to drive.
