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2005 TOYOTA MR2 SPYDER |
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Toyota’s Next Classic…For Sure!
Toyota’s next classic is most definitely going to be the MR2 Spyder. Why? Because since the Spyder’s introduction in 2000, production and worldwide sales numbers for this car have been very low compared to other Toyota vehicles and it was never highly advertised in America except during the launch and the first 2 years of production. The sales numbers were so low for this car, Toyota Motor Sales, USA never even bothered to print a specific brochure for it after model year 2003. As of this writing, the MR2 is already removed from Toyota’s product lineup at www.Toyota.com as Toyota begins to introduce the 2006 vehicles. The estimated sales numbers for the final year of selling this wonderful car to the USA are expected to be around only 1,500 units. The MR2 Spyder will continue to be built and sold in Japan and a few European countries for an indefinite period of time until the next generation MR2 debuts. The next generation MR2 is still about 3 years or more away from being introduced to the world marketplace. There are many rumors circulating that the next MR2 will be the world’s first Hybrid powered sports car. It is also rumored that it is going to be more like the first generation MR2 which means that it is not going to be a full convertible like the MR2 Spyder. However, the MR2’s Engineers and designers decide to make the 4th Generation MR2, it is most certain to be appealing to sports car lovers everywhere. Low production numbers signal a classic and desirable car but the MR2 is much more special than the production numbers and the horsepower numbers seem to suggest. One drive is all it takes to prove this! Open the wide door, lower yourself into the Spyder and you will see that this may be a small car but by no means is it lacking interior room. A person well over 6 feet tall will find plenty of leg room, shoulder room and even headroom with the top up. The outward vision is excellent with the top down but when driving with the top up, extra care is required when changing lanes or when backing up. The slightly concave dashboard design also helps outward vision with a clear view of the road ahead. Once you are seated, you will realize how low this car is, it is one of the lowest seating positions for any car currently on the market. This is all the better to contribute to a very low center of gravity for better handling at all speeds. The high bodyline really emphasizes how low you are seated in this car. Once you are seated in the car, the top of the door would be even with most people’s shoulders. This is in complete contrast with the MR2’s closest competitor, the Mazda Miata. The Miata may be a low car too but the seating position is higher and the bodyline is lower which makes larger Miata drivers feel rather exposed.
The high bodyline along with the steeply raked windshield in the MR2 really helps when the top is down; it is not as drafty or as noisy like some other convertibles. There is also a little tinted plastic flip up wind blocker between the 2 seats. It is only about 2 inches tall but makes driving at high speeds very comfortable with the top down. This is a car that you will want to drive top down if the weather permits. The top itself is one of the best convertible designs ever! First of all, it is very simple, just release the 2 levers and push the top down behind the seats. No covers to worry about, just click it in place and get back in and drive. This great top contains a glass rear window with a defroster too. No more worries about having a plastic convertible top window turning yellow after a few years of exposure to the elements. Not even the pricier rivals like the Porsche Boxster or the Honda S2000 came with a glass window when it was released. Now, the new Boxsters and S2000s do have a rear glass window. Did Toyota’s budget sports car raise the standards in this vehicle segment?
OK, so how does it drive? It is absolutely the most fun Toyota released since the second generation MR2 went bye-bye back in 1995. Any MR2 from any generation is just an overall fun car to drive. A brisk drive through the twisty roads of California’s Santa Monica Mountains proved just how agile and alive this car is. Considering that the steering system is Toyota’s new electro-hydraulic power-assisted rack-and-pinion design that is also used in cars like the Prius, it was absolutely fantastic to see that the MR2’s engineers created a highly responsive steering system with lots of road feedback to help the driver place the car precisely where he or she wants it to go. Thank you Toyota for not isolating the MR2 driver from the road! The balance of the car is one of the best ever; the skilled driver can make the most of carving through any mountain road due to the MR2’s low center of gravity. The brakes are also there to back you up on those mountain roads; just a tap here and there to balance the weight and plant the car from corner to corner is all that is needed. The MR2 just becomes your dancing partner on tight twisty roads that would leave most cars wallowing around corners looking for grip. The MR2 Spyder rewards smooth driving with cornering performance that is not within the reach of most cars. This is not a car to be driven like a chase scene from an old Steve McQueen movie. The smoother this car is driven the more responsive it becomes.
On a short test route through the super bumpy and potholed streets of downtown LA, the MR2 Spyder was able to handle abuse like that without much drama. The suspension soaked up the worst of these poorly maintained streets with a suspension setup that is neither too soft nor too hard. In fact, it felt like a little boat skipping and skimming over waves of bad pavement and all the while it never lost its composure. This only inspires more driver confidence. The rigid body structure flexes just a little in rhythm with these bad roads and with very little cowl shake unlike roadsters of generation’s past. Some drivers may feel intimidated to drive this “little boat” in a sea of land yachts and oil tanker sized SUVs. Don’t fear, the responsiveness of the MR2 Spyder will help you negotiate your way around vehicles like that.
With only a 138 horsepower engine, the MR2 Spyder is not a powerful car by today’s high horsepower standards. In reviewing other car magazine’s reports on the MR2 Spyder, almost every publication complained that it did not have enough power. Many people have forgotten the sports car brands of the 70s and early 80s like the MG, Triumph, Jensen-Healy, Fiat, Alfa Romeo and others. All of these brands produced fun affordable roadsters with relatively little power and these cars sold by the thousands all across America. Maybe a generation of people that appreciated those cars can appreciate the MR2 Spyder best. Even the ever popular aftermarket tuning market offers relatively few performance parts for the MR2. If drag racing is your game, look elsewhere, the MR2 Spyder is not the car for you. Since so many new sports cars and even sporty sedans are available with over 300 horsepower, the MR2 just got lost in a horsepower war that it was not even trying to participate in. Have marketers programmed our brains to the point that many people now equate that more horsepower = fun? Keep in mind that the Japanese and European market MR2 Spyders have the same horsepower as the American market ones so it was not a case of Toyota choosing not to import a high horsepower version to America. Remember also that the very fact that a highly conservative company like Toyota, putting a low-volume and low-profit pure sports car on the market for the past 5 years is absolutely amazing! This is the type of car that is usually left to low volume companies like Lotus and Morgan. Again, Toyota did what it does best, providing reliable, high quality transportation and pricing it right for the masses. This may be the last time we ever see such a raw and highly specialized car ever from Toyota.
For this driving evaluation, we sampled a 5-speed MR2 Spyder and the SMT (Sequential Manual Transmission) MR2 Spyder. Which one is better? For pure driving pleasure, the 5-speed manual is the hands down winner. It could only be made better by driving a 6-speed model which is only available in Japan and in European markets. Both the gearbox and clutch are very precise and allow the driver to be in the right gear for each and every situation and driving condition. This is not to say that the SMT MR2 Spyder is without merit. This type of transmission is normally reserved for high dollar exotic cars like the Aston Martin Vanquish, Ferrari 360 and BMW M3 SMG. Formula 1 fans will love SMT for sure! However, in really spirited driving it feels like the gear changes can sometimes be slower than can be achieved with the manual transmission. One nice feature of the SMT is flicking the shift lever forward twice right before a tight corner and listening to the double downshift before entering the corner. Upon first driving the SMT, the shifts were a little jerky but this is not to be attributed to the car itself. There is a new shifting technique to be learned. To make perfectly smooth shifts with the SMT, just lift off the gas for a split second while shifting up or down. Another nice thing about the SMT, was the sixth gear which really helps lower noise levels while driving on the freeway. If you are considering purchasing an MR2 Spyder, just try the SMT once, you might like it.
Why isn’t the MR2 Spyder a runaway sales success like the previous generations of MR2 have been? This version of the MR2 may be a bit too “raw” for most drivers. It is one of the purest forms of a sports car in this past decade. It is a pure driver’s car for cruising by the seaside with the top down or slicing through a mountain pass while enjoying the scenery. It is safe to say that the MR2 Spyder does not have a usable trunk in either the front of the rear as previous MR2 models had. There is no storage space under the rear hatch, which is filled with a very reliable Toyota engine. The front hatch stores the spare tire and there is barely enough room for a shoebox in there. The only useable storage is 2 lockable compartments behind the seats. It is awkward to get larger things in there but it does provide enough space for 2 medium-sized soft luggage bags. Since there is no proper trunk to be found in the MR2, this may be one reason why some potential buyers passed on this car. What is one to do, pile grocery bags on top of one’s spouse after a shopping trip? Maybe this explains why most MR2 buyers are single! Bye-bye for now Mister Two, we look forward to your return.
Specifications:
Engine: 1.8-liter (DOHC) 16-valve, Multi point EFI with VVT-i, Variable Valve Timing with intelligence.
Engine Code: Toyota 1ZZ-FE
Horsepower/torque: 138hp/125 lb-ft.
Front Suspension: Independent MacPherson struts with stabilizer bar Rear Suspension: Independent dual-link MacPherson strut with stabilizer bar
Turning Circle: 34.8 feet
Brakes: Power-assisted ventilated 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS
Front Tires: P185/55R15 Rear Tires: P215/45R16
Curb Weight, (manual): 2,195 lbs. Curb Weight, (SMT): 2,215 lbs.
Required Fuel: 87-octane regular unleaded.
Fuel Tank: 12.7 Gallons
EPA Fuel Economy 5- speed manual: 26 city/32 highway EPA Fuel Economy 6-speed SMT: 26 city/33 highway
TORC Test actual MPG, 5-speed manual: 29.19 MPG Average Lowest MPG: 28.17 MPG Highest MPG: 29.62 MPG
TORC Test actual MPG, SMT: 29.83 MPG Average Lowest MPG: 27.28 MPG Highest MPG: 32.20 MPG |
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TORC Test Evaluation (5 stars is top rating) |
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Future Classic Potential.......... ««««« Fuel Economy......................... «««« Handling.................................. ««««« Braking.................................... «««« Acceleration............................ ««« Comfort and Room................. «« Tuning Potential...................... ««« Fun to Drive............................ ««««« Styling and Design.................. ««« |