MR2 For a First Car

[David]

My dad was about 40yrs.old when he got a '93 mr2t. By that time he'd owned everything from a '67stang to a '99 caravan to a '95 camaro, and once he got in the two, he said it was the hardest thing he's ever driven.

But im still looking for a mr2 to be my first car.

[Choctaw]

Originally Posted by schmiddr2

This and other reasons are why this car is harder to drive than other cars. The replay show the guy braking right when he starts to turn causing the back end to be light and loose traction. Good example I think.

YouTube - MR2 Nurburgring Crash 2001

When's the last time you hit your brakes when you top a hill you can't see over? He looked like he'd never seen the corner before and he got scared and braked. Bad technique on the 'Ring or anywhere in any car. Hope he was OK. Some drivers, pros mostly, walk the track before they run on it. Wannabees should take a few slow laps to learn the track. It didn't say if it was the old 14 mile track, or the F1. The MR2T weight distribution is 43%frt and 57% rr, unloading the rear in a downhill turn is a recipe for disaster. Keep in mind, the MR2s rear alignment is crucial for good/safe handling street or track. Maintain the 2 psi difference between rt and rr; ie. 29 frt 31 rr, or more. I ran 31/33 psi on the tires w/Tokiko Illuminas set at 3 frt and 4rr for daily driving, I didn't track it because it was my work car too.

[MRtuned]

Great post David!!!



snap oversteer




.

[Choctaw]

Originally Posted by MRtuned

Great post David!!!



snap oversteer




.

One more caveat: never let your rear tires get under 4/32nds of tread in any MR2, unless you are on a track on purpose. I got 50,000 miles on my frt tires and 18,000 on the rear before changing tires. In fall 2004, Michelin,The Tire Rack and (I forget which agency) got together on wet braking schemes at Michelin's US Tire testing facility. FWD, RWD, AWD, ANY DRIVEN WHEELS are subject to snap oversteer when the tread is worn down. Wear bars are not a sufficient indicator, Lincoln's head is not good enough, use George W's head on a quarter; thats 4/32nds. Don't let the back tires get any more worn than that, especially an on an MR2. Rain and worn tires are anathema on MR2s. You don't have to tiptoe around in the rain with good tires, but be prepared to use some opposite lock when the rear end comes around.

If you are doomed, push in the clutch, and let it spin itself out, and you may have 0 damage from it. Watch the tires' wear!!

[stassy]

i learned to drive manual on my mr2. my first car. and i have not had any problems or even any close calls with it. i drive to the speed limit. no need to show off, by going fast, just drive to the speed limit and let all the people admire you 2.
nobody died at 50km/hr so yea if you dont speed you will be fine

[Super 2]

I don't get what's so dangerous about an MR2. Sure if you decide to be stupid on the road (no offence to anyone) you might kill your self or hurt the car. Yes, I'm sixteen and I have a 1991 MR2 as my first car and i love it. but can you explain why you all are saying it's dangerous. My Dad autocrosses and i plan to this year, i have seen the limits and you spin. My dad is one of the best drivers i know of and he can't even keep it from spinning when it decides to go, so i know thats dangerous, but thats in autox. so can you explain to me one more time why it is so dangerous.

[Angel]

Originally Posted by stassy

nobody died at 50km/hr so yea if you dont speed you will be fine

bs~ People die doing the speed limit too. But I get what you're trying to say.

[Desertacoma]

Good gas milage, you must make sure your kid will take a test to make sure they will take care of a classic. ask him/her questions, like. what gas will you put in this car? where will you park it? near, far, in view of security camaras? just to name a few. if they answer wrong then they get the Gremlin or festiva.

[Timon]

As a very first car, I'd say NO with very few exceptions. An MR2 is the kind of car that you almost certainly need at least some prior experience. Learning to drive a standard, a mid-engine vehicle with RWD is just too much for most young bucks just starting off. My advice is learn to drive FIRST and then debate over an MR2.

Like I mentioned there are a few exceptions. Some people are use to driving off road on four wheelers, dirt bikes, etc. That is by no means enough experience to start off with an MR2, but it is a start.

I do fall into the category of being young and owning an MR2, but it is not my first vehicle. I've been driving for just under 3 years, including pre-license, driver's ed (not on the road illegally at all though). Over the course of my experience I've driven a wide variety of vehicles and driving my MR2 is certainly unlike any other vehicle to-date that I've driven.

I have been fortunate enough NOT to have been born into a rich family and get everything handed to me (no offense to those that are), and therefore I've learned responsibility. Everything vehicle wise I've had to do myself or pay for. Registration, insurance, maintenance, etc. Therefore I've treated my vehicles with much more respect than some of my old high school classmates and even better than most of my current college classmates.

My first car was a 1992 Toyota Camry 4 SP, Auto. I essential did not have the choice, per say, of the vehicle, but I was the one that had to pay for it and everything done to it. My father knew I was on the look out for a vehicle and found a non-running one for $200, but it was in excellent condition overall from the looks of it. He purchased it and asked me AFTER if I wanted it - me being a young buck as I was not too long ago said yes. It needs some fixes in order to pass safety and emissions. A new windshield, distributor, spark plugs, brakes, tires, etc. All of which totaled up to just around $500-600, and was all done prior to the vehicle running. The mechanics hooked it up to the machine and 2/4 cylinders were compressing at about 46% of the other ones.

To make a longer story less long, they co-signed on a loan for me and I had a new engine dropped into it. A year and a half later the tranny went out, which was also replaced. Both the engine and tranny could've been avoid if the previous owners had not left the car sitting for so long. However, between those two times the car ran great with little to no issues (still runs great to this day), and I learned a lot about maintaining a vehicle.

I've yet to wreck to this day and hopefully I won't. As for autoxing, I think it's a great idea and a source of practice that is much less detrimental for yourself and those around you should anything go wrong (Now if I could only find one in Utah I'd be set ). An MR2 is a great vehicle, thus far, but once again I don't think it is BEST as a first vehicle. The danger level of the vehicle really depends on the driver of the vehicle and other drivers on the road. Defensive driving will save your MR2, or any car for that matter, and keep it looking like new.

If someone does get an MR2 as a first vehicle, my suggestion is take it nice and slow, get some experience, and drive safely.

[pissonlotus]

no no no no no..
i m 28 been drivin 11yrs now.. and after i turn 19 i got into car moddingas i since then i had few small fender benders and millions of parking tickets.. i have always enjoyed the performance of every machine w/ cuation, total 6 cars but i never had car like it, my balls went out the window real quick when i had my first spin...
no... i would nt recommand MR to noooooooooobs..
i don even let any of my friend to drive the car....
NOOO
and i almost bitch slap my girl for askin ne to teach her drive stick.... with mr2.... ......
and she got pissed...... some biiioach lololo

remember... go in slow come out fast ok
its not going in at speed of 70miles try to drift your way out... lol

[pissonlotus]

let's all pray for our beloved machine.
to jesus buddah hindu and other gods, whoever that you savior is.
lets pray so that no idiots buys this fine machine and put peoples around him in danger... wrakkkin this fine machine..

let's pray so that all the remaining mr2s will survive to become the classic...

[phzoinkMKII]

Are you drunk right now, or just tired?

[pissonlotus]

both i think i had too much red bull...
it's freakin 4am still awake.. but... anyways i m in love w/mr2 BC this car teaches me lots of things.. and it help you understand that the machine that you sit on, under your ass is much supirier than next guy w/all the Front engine machines... after that i lost reason to even some punk try to somehting, BC i don want him to loose control and crash... lol
i need to sleep...

[metheores]

Well i might be a little too late with this, but I think that if you want to have an MR2 as your first car is up to you. I mean even if it is different and "dangerous" considering the traits of the car. (if that's the right term) There's only one way to tame the beast and that is to grab it by the horns. Basically if you want to know how to drive an MR2 you have to drive an MR2. You only get experience as you do it more often.

My friends are all tuners with RX-7's, Civics, Integras, some of them have supras I was the only one that developed interest for MR2s. Long story short, it's a sports car, and I am going to tune it and race it. I mean to be honest that's what it was meant for. But the car is also the daily driving and i don't think many people are dumb enough to go 40 on a school zone.

[MRtuned]

this is true, but it is better to learn driving on an ordinary car like a civic or something, because:

1.) that way an innocent MR2 won't be killed
2.) if the car gets ****ed up.. who cares?
3.) insurance is lower
4.) first cars usually don't get taken care of as well as later cars
5.) kids have certain tendencies that tend to work themselves out after a few years. These tendencies should be taken care of in a POS/slow car. If they chose to see how fast it is, it will be slower. Less chance of them getting hurt. Less chance of other people getting hurt. If they want to race.. same story.


MR2 should not be a first car. Period.

[Desertacoma]

My first car was a 77 Camaro that I raced everyday I drove it and was still faster than my MR2 is now. The MR2, unless maybe much suped up isn't that much car to tame. It can handle better than most cars, with it being balanced so well, you have to work hard on getting it sideway's. With it only being a two seater you only have one friend peer presuring you to race the guy next you.

[kbrew8991]

Originally Posted by Desertacoma

My first car was a 77 Camaro that I raced everyday I drove it and was still faster than my MR2 is now. The MR2, unless maybe much suped up isn't that much car to tame. It can handle better than most cars, with it being balanced so well, you have to work hard on getting it sideway's. With it only being a two seater you only have one friend peer presuring you to race the guy next you.

uhh, no - no where even in the same ballpark. wrong. do not pass go, do not collect $200

an understeering 4,000lb tank with a V8 drives *nothing* like a balanced mid-engine car. You're not anywhere near the cornering limits if you think they do

been there, done that, have the t-shirt

[Gairloch]

^^ Hey Mister Mustang you raggin' on the camaro guy?

The MR2 has it's own quirks that tend to lurk in the limits of traction and only come out to bite when you're least expecting. As long as you're just normal street driving the car it won't feel much different from a Miata. It's when people start horsing around or have to react with sudden violence that the strange dynamics of the suspension and drivetrain come out to play.

[Choctaw]

Originally Posted by Gairloch

^^ Hey Mister Mustang you raggin' on the camaro guy?

The MR2 has it's own quirks that tend to lurk in the limits of traction and only come out to bite when you're least expecting. As long as you're just normal street driving the car it won't feel much different from a Miata. It's when people start horsing around or have to react with sudden violence that the strange dynamics of the suspension and drivetrain come out to play.

Good quote! I drove a 1970 TransAm w/4 MT Hurst shifter; no air, hand cranked windows only a radio. If you wanted to race, just bolt in a roll cage. It had a handling suspension and was wicked fast. Put a set of modern tires on it and it would be hard to beat. 400 c.i. and 3500 lbs. made for a very fast, well balanced and highly tuned car with a LSD set up for road racing, not drag strip.

I watched Mark Donahue in a 69 Penske Camaro race against Parnelli Jones in a Boss 302 in an SSCA TransAm race at War Bonnet raceway in E. Oklahoma. It was tight 1.5 mile track and Mark Donahue won when Parnelli's Mustang overheated. A early muscle car can be tuned to handle very, very well with modern tires, Camaro/Mustang or others. Donahue never missed an apex, you could see 90% of the track. Incredible driver, his death was a blow to racing, but I did get to see him perform in person.

[kbrew8991]

you guys must have a different definition of "good" then