Why do you think the mk3 Toyota MR2 is so underrated?
The question I think all mk3 MR2 fans wonder is why is it so often overlooked? A couple of years ago I got to spend a week with the red car you seen in the photos here (that’s not me driving, by the way!) and I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was.
The easy answer is to say that it just looks the softest. The mk1 is all angular, and the mk2 looks like a budget supercar, but the mk3 is much less individual in its styling. It was also less powerful than the outgoing model, which will immediately make a lot of people write it off.
It’s a shame, because it’s a genuinely brilliant little car. It feels more powerful than the 138bhp suggests, and it handles brilliantly. Steering is quick and changes of direction are fast, and if you’re too enthusiastic with the throttle on a roundabout it doesn’t take much to kick the back out!
Any owners care to add to the debate, agree or disagree?
Comments
Just because the mk2 is sooo much better looking? 😉
Simple, no pop up headlights. No trunk, no frunk. https://youtu.be/dn_HAvA33q8
The handling goes back to the roots of the mk1, which is good considering the faster mk2 lost the handling feel the mk1 was praised for…
No pop ups and mazda brought out the MX5 NB turbo around this time so alot of customers went there i think
I would of had the mk3 MR2 over my NB but i just come across a dirt cheap mx5 so went with it, I think people will realise the hidden gem it is soon
Because the mk2 was so good
What was about the mk3 being ugly?
Another sexy mk3.
One more
I have owned all three generations..
They all have different driving characteristics..
The MK1 was tough to drive, you needed skill to get around a track fast without suffering from over, under and slide steering.. It was fun to drive because it was difficult to drive.. The 4AGE made a great sound, and the wedge look was awesome.. The after market was huge, and they made EVERYTHING for that engine..
The MK2 IMO got too fat.. It was too heavy, it did handle but it tended to wallow around a bit when pushed.. it tended to understeer way more than any of the other models of MR2.. It wasn’t a bad car, it was very comfortable, great looking, and when equipted with the 3SGTE engine it was a blast to drive..
The MK3.. Well it was Ok.. The 1zzfe sounded terrible when pushed, there were quality issues with the exhaust manifold design, they weren’t geared to be driven on the highway, so they didn’t get that great of MPG, and weren’t really all that fast.. They could have put the 2zzge engine in it, but they didn’t and stuck with the Fuel Efficient head.. F.. The driving dynamic was all over the place, they had no available LSD, and while they were OK looking, they were pretty bland..
The drop top was nice, and being i can’t fit in a Miata, it was a good alternative.. Though the MK1 and MK2 were both more comfortable..