Miata vs MR2 Spyder

In the next six months I will be looking for a new droptop sports car. In doing the math, aside from the buy in, I can drive either for "free" just in the gas savings alone from not using my Rover half the time.

Because I have the Land Rover, I do not need to worry about carrying much of anything, so this can be a simple "fun" car that I can also use to commute to work when it is not raining or snowing.

Having grown up with front engined rear drive roadsters, I am leaning towards the Miata.. especially the NAs, I love their simplicity. However, the more I read about the MR2 Spyder, I am drawn to them. They seem the perfect car, light weight, mid engined, toyota reliablity, and fun.

What says the hive mind? pros and cons of each? This will not be for racing, I might not even autoX it.. I just want a fun to drive sportscar for commuting to work

I have had friends and relatives that have had Miatas and they have been fun. I had one friend that owned an MRS and it was a blast.

I think either you will have fun with.

The MR-S is a fun car. It's light, nimble, and has the mid-engine configuration which is pretty cool and different. If storage isn't a consideration, I couldn't blame you for buying one.

However I much prefer the looks (inside and out) of the N/A Miata. Couple this with the fact that the Miata is as much fun to drive, at least as reliable, and has a much larger aftermarket --- the choice gets easier.

Also, even though you have the Rover for hauling stuff, the MR-S doesn't even have enough space for a trip to the grocery store. It's ridiculously impractical design rules it out for me--- as the Miata exists and is very practical.

they are fun to drive though......

I think if you've grown up with front engine rear drive roadsters you should do the MR Spyder for a change of pace.

Unfortunately, their greater specialness is definitely reflected in their prices. A nice MR2 can be more expensive than a cheap Boxster.

I've never had an MRS, though I always wanted one. The NC (current generation) Miata, I've owned. The pros have been well discussed on this board. Great chassis, steering and just a purely fun car to drive. The negatives on it are that it isn't quite as go-kart esque as the first two generations. As the saying goes, it's a best overall car but not the best Miata. I loved mine. I agree it wasn't as raw a driving experience as my current NA, but it was a great sunny day fun car. Much more livable day to day.

From what I've heard, the MRS has enough room for your sunglasses and your cell phone...nothing else.

MR-Ss are cheap as hell around here. Cheaper than an equivalent year and condition Miata.

I'd do it. There's more storage space in an MR-S than people tend to say. There's certainly not MUCH, nor is there more than a Miata, but it's pretty doable as long as you're not doing 3 weeks worth of grocery shopping or plan on taking the girlfriend on a week long trip anywhere.

The only real thing to watch for is that these things had cat issues that were destroying motors or something.

Could i interest you in an MSM so i can go buy an MR-S?

NA/NB: Much better aftermarket, better looks when stock (NA), easier to work on, better weight distribution(!), doesn't require precat fix or baffled oil pan out of the box, more compact.

MRS: Better looks when modded, 200-300lbs lighter(!), room in the cabin.

I can't argue with anything Joe said, but I'm not sure I'd compare it to an NA Miata. They're much closer to an NB in performance and cost.

Personally, I much prefer the looks and the engine configuration on the MRS as it just feels more "special" than most Miatas. It doesn't sound like storage is a real sticking point since you have the Rover, so that would sway it even more for me.

Miatas are far more plentiful though, so you'd have a much bigger pool to choose from.

As others have said, can't really go wrong either way.

Having owned many of both, I'd say it depends. Either is a good choice, but the MR-S feels "more special". Plus, it's interior is light years larger. I'm not that big at 5'9", and I have to modify all my Miatas to fit in comfortably. Not so with the MR2. And you get all the mid engine goodness that no other type of car can deliver. There's nothing like a mid engine car to balance it on throttle.

The cons are that it does not have all that much space, but neither does a NA. If it's a toy, I consider this a non-issue. You can get groceries etc., you just have to use the passenger seat or have your "guest" hold everything. There's always a way.

And it's looks are subjective. I think they've aged OK though, but the Miata definitely has it in the looks department.

That said, I love Miatas too, and it's just a supercharger a way from being on the most fun cars on the planet. You can't go wrong with either, but the decision should be after you've driven both. They are very, very different in the way they perform their tasks.

I know the engines are a bit of a hand grenade, but what about an early Boxster?

I mean, this is tempting;

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp?tracktype=usedcc&csDlId=&csDgId=&listingId=122588016

'97 Boxster in Cali, manual trans and ~55k miles for $7k.

>Boxster very much a chick car no matter what
>always votes for Miata

girlslaughing.jpg

Jaxmadine's comments are, I think, another vote toward considering a Boxster. Or really whatever you want to do. Because ain't nobody who is grounded in themselves got time for worrying about a car looking like it "pees like a girl".

I've driven an MR2 and owned a Miata. The truth is, you can't go wrong with either. MR2 is much roomier in the passenger compartment (may be an issue if you're commuting in the car or are 6 ft or above), but, as mentioned, has almost no storage. Opinion: The Miata looks better, but the MR2 isn't exactly an Aztek. Pretty much everything else is a wash. Each has a few quirks which, if known and addressed, leave you with a car that's reliable, fun, and decent on gas. Aftermarket (heck, even OEM) parts are easier to get your hands on for the Miata, but I'm not aware of the MR2 being problematic. Each carries an equal man-card hit from the "Murica!" fanbois. In short, I'd let price and availability be your guide. Around here, both those tend to weigh in favor of an NA Miata.

At 6'2" 210lbs, I don't fit comfortably in a MR-S. I actually was more comfortable in a NA Miata but that seems to be the opposite of everyone else...

pres589 wrote: Jaxmadine's comments are, I think, another vote toward considering a Boxster. Or really whatever you want to do. Because ain't nobody who is grounded in themselves got time for worrying about a car looking like it "pees like a girl".

Sorry, but it fits the language so well!

Oh well - I have only ever sat in, never ridden, driven or bought. I know the guys here will help you once I stop "helping".

I vote MRS. The steering is brilliant, it handles very well, more spacious interior and more "special". It's also incredibly light feeling and hilariously fun to throw around in anger.
he MRS also gets significantly better gas mileage. 29-31mpg on fuely vs 25-28 for miatas. On mine I got 35-37mpg highway and around 32 commuting to work. The Miatas we've had (1 of every generation) all would get at best 30mpg highway and would average 24-25 commuting.

The storage space is small but liveable. If you flip the front spare you can put a decent sized backpack or some groceries there (or if you ditch it altogether you get a lot of space in the frunk) The area behind the seats is big enough for two fairly large duffel bags and some jackets. The Glove box is good sized and there is an extra hatch of decent size above the dash for sunglasses, maps, etc. My wife and I went on a 5 day trip in ours and were comfortable. We had to pack light but not really any less than when we went on a 5 day trip in our NC Miata. The only huge annoyance with storage was for an Autoxer there is NO WHERE TO PUT A HELMET. It has to go on the passenger seat.

I really enjoyed mine and may own one again someday.

what about working on the cars. I have had a couple of middies (X1/9 and 914) and working on their engines was always a bit of a contortsionists act. I am thinking of the simple act of replacing a clutch on the MRS vs the Miata

Clutch job is probably somewhat similar in terms of amount of time. On the MR-S, i'd just drop the entire rear cradle then do the job on the floor.

I haven't actually worked on an MR-S, but i've worked on an MR2 Turbo a bit. I don't find those totally hateful, and the MR-S looks like it's got more room and is a bit "cleaner" if that makes sense.

I find my MSM a bit of a pain to work on, but that's a turbo Miata. I'd say the Miata would be a little easier to work on, but wouldn't consider the MR-S to be a deal breaker.

Swank Force One wrote: I haven't actually worked on an MR-S, but i've worked on an MR2 Turbo a bit. I don't find those totally hateful, and the MR-S looks like it's got more room and is a bit "cleaner" if that makes sense.

I've never worked on an MR-S, but I've helped out friend with 2nd gen MR2s and found it to be way more of a PITA to get to stuff in the engine by than my Miata.

but is it X 1/9pita? or more like 914?

The cons are that it does not have all that much space... If it's a toy, I consider this a non-issue. You can get groceries etc., you just have to use the passenger seat or have your "guest" hold everything. There's always a way.

That sums up my feelings about the space issue perfectly.

And, frankly, it's a little disingenuous to knock the car for lack of storage when this forum is full of people who are either have done, like seeing, or are sympathetic to the idea of Miata owners finding hilarious ways of carting things around. One of my local miata friends built a trunk-top race-tire rack that utilized the hardtop mounting points and also built a hitch-mount tire carrier at another point. There are pictures of miatas towing little trailers around being used as trucks too. People love that stuff, but to love that and then go knock the MR-S for lack of space is silly. Where there's a will, there's a way. And in this case it's not even an issue since OP has an actual truck too.

I strongly agree with all the comments about the MR-S feeling more special. I think that has a payoff thats hard to quantify, but if you count the number of mentions of that word in this thread, it's hard to deny it has some value.

The MRS is fairly easy to work on. Access is generous and there is no truck so you lean over about as far as you would in a common FWD. The header is on the back of the engine so it would be similar to working on a FWD with a front facing exhause. There is a large cover under the engine ad the exhaust is high mount and in the engine bay so heat of a hot motor is a little worse than normal but overall they are very easy to work on.

I vote spyder, as an owner of a spyder and having driven many miles in every possible mx5 (including my friends ls1 powered na), I think its a superior platform in most respects. In terms of aftermarket support being not as good for the spyder, I tend to disagree, as far as you want to take the platform is readily available, and the 2zzge (185hp/8400rpm/6speed manual) swap is essentially plug and play and bolt in (check out monkeywrench.com). Check out my wife's build thread on this forum. I feel the spyder is a more special driving experience, the mx5 is easier to exploit but the spyder requires you to develop more of a relationship with the car, which I think makes for a richer experience. <img src="" />

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