The MR in the name of today’s Nice Price or No Dice MR2 Spyder stands for ‘Midship Runabout,’ denoting its engine placement and spry driving behavior. Let’s see if its seller has named a good price for it.
To say I was surprised by the response to yesterday’s 1968 Ford Country Sedan wagon would be an understatement. I thought the car’s rebuilt engine, heavy-duty transmission, and reasonably complete and driveable condition were likely worth the $8,000 asked for it. Most of you disagreed, however, sending the Ford packing in a 73 percent No Dice loss.
I guess we’ll all have to agree to disagree every now and again, and we might have another opportunity to do so with today’s 2000 Toyota MR2 Spyder. We’ll have to see how it goes.
When Toyota introduced the third generation of its mid-engine runabout, the new car proved a radical departure from the model’s two prior editions. Sure, it still rocked a mid-engine layout and just two seats, but it adopted a full convertible roof and wide-eyed anime styling in contrast to the previous generations’ more traditional sports car looks.
Also gone was the 2.0-liter engine and the option of turbocharging offered by the Spyder’s immediate predecessor. Instead, the only engine option was the 1.8-liter all-ally 1ZZ-FE DOHC naturally-aspirated four. That offers 138 horsepower and 126 lb-ft of torque, but drivers have to go hunting up the revs to reach to either of those numbers.
As a first-year model, this MR2 Spyder has a standard five-speed manual, not the weird SMT auto-manual introduced as an option the following year. That means all the ponies are available at the driver’s whim. These cars didn’t have a lot of options available when new, and aside from a big-screen double DIN stereo, this one doesn’t appear to have been infected by aftermarket-itis either.
This Toyota is dealer-offered, promoted by the seller as a two-owner car that’s been well-kept and perhaps the best in California. It rolls on factory alloys that look to be in good shape, and those are wrapped in rubber that are said to have about 75 percent tread left.
Complementing that is a silver metallic coat of paint and black vinyl convertible with a fancy glass back window. None of that shows any significant flaw in the pictures. Of note, however, is that the headlamp and tail lamp lenses appear to have been covered in dark film of limited appeal. That would probably be just a morning’s work to remove.
The only notable flaw in the cabin is a large crack in the hard plastic top of the center console. Was that owed to an errant elbow or too many aggressive yanks on the e-brake handle? There’s no CSI for such things, so we’ll never know.
Another issue to consider about the MR2 Spyder’s cabin is how tight it is. This is a Kewpie Doll-sized car, and two-up, it can make for an uncomfortable space for people with personal boundary issues.
Another tight space is the engine compartment. That’s expected of a mid-engine convertible, and to be fair, Toyota’s packaging is among the best of the breed. In fact, it appears that this car’s bay has been accessed at least once, as there are missing fasteners on the engine’s beauty cover.
That aside, there really don’t seem to be any gotchas with this MR2. Per the seller, it has a reasonable-for-a-Toyota 133,414 miles under its belt and has a clean title. The asking price is $11,495.
Now, here’s where it gets tricky. You see, that kind of cash will buy a decently sorted Porsche Boxster of the same era or any number of Mazda Miatas. Either of those is a solid choice, and I think we can all agree that both have better pedigrees than the Toyota. That said, this is the less likely choice and, hence, perfect for the individual who likes to live outside the mainstream.
What do you think? Is this MR2 worth that $11,495 asking and a smart expenditure in light of the competition? Or is this Spyder just not too fly?
You decide!
Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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