Help ! I,m in my 50s no mad driving planned, cruising.
mugenb20b,
Dec 2, 7:55am
MX5 is nicer to drive and easier to work on.
bitsy_boffin,
Dec 2, 8:37am
MX5 IMHO, but get a manual!Seriously, half of the joy in driving an MX5 is the gear shift!
austingtir,
Dec 2, 8:51am
He's after the autos so no point to the mx5 imo.If he is competent with tools and getting into tight places he should deff take the mr2.
theram1,
Dec 2, 8:53am
Visions of Clarkson on Top Gear.
austingtir,
Dec 2, 8:57am
End of the day they are both cheap as chips these days i say buy both and sell the one you dont like.
un_known,
Dec 2, 8:59am
since theyre both auto take the mr2.
whqqsh,
Dec 2, 4:23pm
MR2 IMO (owned 2 years ago) you wont out-handle the car for sure, they stick like the proverbial
mike1345,
Dec 2, 7:23pm
I'd go for the MX5 personally. Easier to work on and maybe less chance of having had lead a rough life.
tazcsv,
Dec 2, 9:11pm
Until it rains then they spin round and round and round. Great cars tho but a did have a manual turbo, if you want a fun car why buy a auto non turbo.
toysky,
Dec 2, 9:21pm
They don't spin in when normal driving right! even it it is pissing down.
tazcsv,
Dec 2, 9:31pm
Problem is they have no weight in the front end so i found that you had to be careful around town if the roads where really wet as i spun my one more than once without even touching the throttle, a freind of mine had the same problem to, Best to take one for a drive in the wet and try for yourself. In the dry it was an great fun car.
mm12345,
Dec 2, 9:42pm
You can get yourself into severe crap in any car.Bog standard MX5s are probably the most neutral well-balanced cars I've ever driven, but you're still going to want good tyres if driving exuberantly in the wet.Neither are really "cruising" cars -they're too "busy" at highway speed.If you want a sunday cruising convertible and auto trans, then some larger convertible perhaps.MX5, MR2, MGF, etc - perfect for enjoyable drives through the twisties - you can have a lot of fun without risking your life, someone else's life, or your license.For long boring trips on SH1 etc, you'd probably be happier in a corolla.
toysky,
Dec 2, 10:23pm
TAZCSVSurely just driving normal around town and at normal law abiding most of the time sppeeds these don't try an kill you!
Tis for a sunny day , take the roof off and cruise off to say Tekapo, Mt cook etc from here in Timmers.
bitsy_boffin,
Dec 2, 10:44pm
Give the poster is looking at 1990 models, money is likely a consideration, I don't really think that a larger convertible (Z3 would be my pick for a lazy summer cruising convertible) is likely to fit in the budget.
tazcsv,
Dec 2, 10:56pm
All i can say is take one for a drive and see what you think, im not saying its a bad car at all as i would own another one, but they do keep you on your toes.
timmo1,
Dec 2, 11:33pm
Having owned two MR2s and two MX5s, the MX5 is the better car in general, but if you want comfort and 'cruisability' than the MR2 is probably the pick.its got more creature comforts/insulation and better torque from the 2l engine.
timmo1,
Dec 2, 11:34pm
You will in an MX5 :)
ratherbefishin,
Dec 3, 2:25am
The 3sFE motor is brilliant, and a good looking car for a guy, MX5 is a females car, good car though, but if you look after the cooling in the MR2 and don't give it the big rev's you will have a good run out of it.I prefer the MR2 for looks!
pollymay,
Dec 3, 2:42am
Go to a tight autocross with an 1600 MX5, an mr2 and a talented driver. There is no way the mx5 will run rings around the mr2, in fact the gen 2 has been quite dominant in E-stock in the US for quite some years. The tracks and places I've been I haven't seen any mx5 without a huge turbo blow me off, in fact they are usually in my way :P
I'm quite bias but there is a lot of rubbish people talk about mr2s. The auto is a horrible gearbox in my opinion though. I've done a little with mx5s and they don't impress me anymore than my mr2 has
timmo1,
Dec 3, 3:49am
You are quite possibly right but on the ROAD I've found it to be the opposite (and in road-spec/standard MR2s and MX5s I've had)- The MR2 has more grip potential, but having the balls to get there on a bumpy and less predictable road is a different story. The MX5 gives better feedback to allow you to get closer to the grip limit of the tyres, the MR2 needs a bit more 'courage' to get through the initial understeer of the fronts tyres and into the more 'dynamic' balance of an MR chassis.
un_known,
Dec 3, 4:28am
Thats a commonly held belief by insecure males.
groverg,
Dec 3, 5:32am
MR2 targa tops can be a pain to take off and store - I used to worry about breaking them. Not much in it between the two cars.
austingtir,
Dec 3, 5:38am
They spin very easily in the rain if you do anything silly.I had one followingme in wellington one day about 10 years ago and he must of been showing off to his missus or something as i went around a corner at a reasonable clip but well within my gtir's ability in the rain and next thing this mr2 comes flying up behind me. right behind me he loses control coming out of the round about after the corner and goes one way then the other and tries to correct and its way to late and she's gone full 360 into the side of an overpass bridge.Must of been hugely embarrassing i just kept going. LOL.I saw him loosing it in my rear view and told the people in the car with me to watch behind it was honestly hilarious to watch.As i just could not believe he managed to spin it as it wasnt a difficult exit of the roundabout and not speeding or anything.
Was that overpass going into the tawa shopping centre.
austingtir,
Dec 3, 5:38am
They spin very easily in the rain if you do anything silly.I had one followingme in wellington one day about 10 years ago and he must of been showing off to his missus or something as i went around a corner at a reasonable clip but well within my gtir's ability in the rain and next thing this mr2 comes flying up behind me. right behind me he loses control coming out of the round about and goes one way then the other and tries to correct and its way to late and she's gone full 360 into the side of an overpass bridge.Must of been hugely embarrassing i just kept going. LOL.I saw him loosing it in my rear view and told the people in the car with me to watch behind it was honestly hilarious to watch.As i just could not believe he managed to spin it as it wasnt a difficult exit of the roundabout and not speeding or anything.
Was that overpass going into the tawa shopping centre.
If you drive them normally im sure they are fine and the guy above was obviously a bit of a spaz driver i suspect.
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