Thinking of getting a '2' for everyday car

[Anonymous]

All

Just joined the forum, looks a very useful place!

My current car Mazda 3 Sport has just been sold and I'm considering a new style MR2, probably 2001 or later.  Was just wondering if anyone uses it as an everyday car through all the seasons.  I know the storage ability isn't massive, but don't tend to carry much around most of the time anyway.  If I do need extra space, can always borrow my partners Yaris!  I believe the mpg is not bad considering what type of car it is (my Mazda only did 30mpg and the performance wasn't exactly fast).

Presumably if I was going to use everyday then a model with a hard top would also be worth looking for?  Is a model with leather seats and A/C worth waiting for over standard cloth and no A/C?

Colours being considered at the moment are either Red (my favourite) or Silver.

Cheers for your help...hopefully have a new 2 soon!

Beavis.

[Anonymous]

I've got mine as my everyday car - Carol has a pug we use if we need to transport owt big. Its quite good doing the weekly shop in the 2 as it focuses your mind on what you want rather than what you fancy!


Aircon is deffo worth it - and I'm wishing I'd got leather seats - but then I may get them recovered by a local firm to a custom colour?


Go on..........you know it don't make any sense but!!!!!

[nafe]

Hi and welcome to the forum.   s:D s:D  

I have a 2000 x-plate that I use as my everyday car and have absolutely no problems.

Like you, I can always use my partners' car if I need to transport much so I've just learnt to adapt. Just remember not to go over the top at Tesco if you have the 2 with you. (did this once and the other half had to wait in the car park whilst I went home and swapped cars   s:oops: :oops: s:oops:  )

I decided not to bother with a hard-top, as I like to put the top down as soon as we get the slightest bit of sun, and I haven't regretted the decision one bit !

As far as the leather and AC option I would definately recommend you try and get this. The AC system on the 2 is very good and on exceptionally hot days you'll be glad of being able to blast yourself with cold air even with the top down. It's also a help with the demisting in winter.


Hope this has been some help !

[red_leicester]

No probs at all with using it as everyday transport.  It's a Toyota with, basically, and Avensis engine, not a Caterham.

MPG is low thirties mostly (high thirties on a long run), so an improvement on your Mazda.

A hardtop is certainly not a 'must have', but I think it makes the car look better in the winter months.

And you're right on one thing - red is the best colour   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Oh, and Welcome  s:D s:D

[Anonymous]

Ours is used as an everyday car but we have a Scorpio for tip runs,booze cruises and taking the dogs to the park.

Buy and enjoy  s:D s:D  

PS Leave some of your budget for the goodies you are going to buy on here  s:shock: :shock: s:shock:

[SimonC_Here]

Yep, daily driver here as well.
Loving aircon in this minor heat wave, leather does get hot and sticky though, but it's great anyway.
My MPG is going up at the moment, must be the drive to work. ~55mph constantly most of the way in 5th is giving me 310 miles/35ltrs, that's before the light comes on! Mind you, it used to be 250mile on the same tank, when work was down some nice twisty roads   s:twisted: :twisted: s:twisted:  

Again I have the other half with an estate if we need to go and get anything big, although you can fit a lot in the 2.

Simon

[fg]

Sadly I dont have my MR2 anymore (  s:( s:(  , keep seeing them on the road, top down   s:( s:(    s:( s:(  ), and one of my reasons to change was practicality.

However, for a year I lived with it, and shopped at Tescos with it (now and again), we (g/f and I) went to edinburgh in it, Liverpool, Lancaster, and lots of other places, always a pleasure to drive, and with just a little tiny bit of thinking whilst packing, no need to run out of clothes!

The practicality side of things (with regards to selling the 2) was only because of my requirement to transport PC equipment now and again, and even then, the footwell was good enough 50% of the time. But i was concerned that I would make the interior scruffy with sharp edges etc etc.

At purchase time, wanted a Hardtop, A/C and Leather, ended up with just the last two, and never missed the Hardtop. Think its one of those things you dont miss, if you never had it!

[Ernie Ball]

Mine's an everyday car and it's the only one.  It can't be used for buying lawn furniture, but there are other ways to acquire such things.

There are about 2 days of the year here in Ireland that I'd use air conditioning, so it's not worth it IMO.  However, given the climate here, a hard top is essential: from November to late March there is virtually no chance of putting the top down anyway and the car feels more solid (and less liable to be vandalised) with a hard top.

I've always preferred cloth seats to leather (which tends to stick to exposed flesh on hot days) and particularly like the cloth seats on the '2 which I find very comfortable.  They are harder to keep clean, however.

[darrenjuggins]

Hi,

Thought i'd add my comments:

I've had mine from new and it's been my only form of transport, if I need something big getting, I call in my Dad with his Discovery.

It's good in traffic and great on the open road, the A/C is a definate consideration, seeing it is sunny at the moment, but it's great to be able to block out all the fumes as well in traffic without the car turning all foggy!

obviously not good if you have more than one client to take out at once, but hell, for the odd occasion, get them to take thier own car.

Leather / Cloth, your choice.....

Hard top or Not ? your choice, I have and use it for about 4 months of the year and really like it, on a second hand one it won't make that much difference in price, they will expect it to, but haggle hard if you want one.

running costs are really good average service (Lincolnshire) has been about the £100 mark for 10k services and little more for 20k services (bigger ones!).

Tyre are reasonable in price £300 for a full set of Bridgestones, or about 1/2 that for Toyo's - again personal preference.

you may want to consider an extended warranty if you are going to do plenty of miles £400 - £600 is a good price for warranties and when you consider things like P/S pumps can cost £900, then it's worth it's weight in gold.... (consider).

I hope you find what you want, but you won't regret using it every day, consider the poor elise owners..... now that is hard core ownership.

good hunting.

Cheers

Darren J

[spit]

Ditto to everything above - the '2 is a great everyday car. I was originally concerned at the lack of carrying capacity, but its only when you look into it that its surprising how rarely you need it.

And big stuff can be carried on occasion with creative packing. I was gigging last night and managed a flightcased (v big and f heavy) keyboard and associated paraphernalia. Good thing it wasn't raining though  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

[filcee]

Daily driver here too.  For 5 years and 2 x '2s.

The MR2 is really not as bad as the press it gets for having poor luggage space.  One thing I would say is that sometimes you need to be careful when buying luggage to go in the bins.  For example, my current PC bag is just a tad too big if I'm carrying a lot of paperwork, so I have to unpack it to fit and re-pack it at the far end of the journey, but that's a minor niggle - I could throw it in the frunk, but I can't be bothered to get my hands dirty opening it!

I have easily done a weeks holiday with the missus, and very easily done weeks on end away working (including footy kit for old beggars play 5-a-side silliness).

I would say a hardtop is a must for the winter if you intend it to be parked overnight outside hotels and the like (as mine is).  There is a little bit more piece of mind than just stretched fabric covering the interior.

Get one.  The benefits far outweigh the smallest of small negatives in terms of luggage space.  Just think, you'll be able to roll into the company car park on a sunny spring morning with the roof down, having listened to the birds singing on the way in (or having terrorised the neighbourhood with loud music and an even louder exhaust  :-) :-) :-)  ).  Your colleagues will envy you for that alone.  Then, at the end of another rubbish day at work, you can do the same again on the way home!  Flipping marvellous  s:-D :-D s:-D

[Stifler]

The 2 is the only car the wife and i have and use it everyday, no hardtop or aircon dont have them and dont miss them  s:) s:)

I get easily 6-8 tesco bags in it, even had lawnmowers and carpets in her  s:) s:)

Get one, you will never regret it  s:) s:)

[edward.carter]

i use mine every day (red, leather and aircon) never have the need to pack much stuff so thats ok, with regard to the hard top i havent got one but my mate has and to be honest if i had one i would never have it on, as said above, as long as its dry the tops down and if it is cold heater on, i think aircon is very handy to have, leather is a 50/50 personal preference, and i would only worry about hard top unless you think your going to use it all through the winter. no probs at all with the car parked outside all through the winter with just the soft top.

[Anonymous]

Hi all.

Wow, what a great, friendly and knowledgeable bunch you all are!  s:D s:D  

Must admit it was between a sensible runaround ala Corolla (or something similar) or the MR2....after all the wonderful responses, my mind is made up...a 2 it is!

Think I'm going to concentrate on finding a Red one for now with A/C and if it comes with air conditioning that's a bonus!  Good news is I'm off work all next week, so I can have a good search then.  If I manage to get anything, I'll provide an update....will no doubt ask about essential toys to purchase!

Thanks again all, much appreciated.

Cheers
Beavis

[edward.carter]

good luck!!  and get ready for the grin factor  s:) s:)

[spit]

Red facelift? Is Lee's car still up for grabs? I get so confused!

Anyhoo, if it is, details are here and you will not find a more cherished example.

Beavis, its a good idea to plough through the forums (particularly the "Sticky" topics) to prepare you nicely for an informed shopping spree. Precats and flaking alloys are two particular achilles heels to watch out for alongside the usual car-hunting criteria.

Go for it!

[Anonymous]

 m http://www.mr2roc.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=11345 m

[spit]

Apologies to any other members currently selling up for my bias towards Lee's car   s:oops: :oops: s:oops:  

I should have added a comment that any of the "Cars for Sale" postings from regular and active members are a good option.

..... I'll be tied up outside awaiting public flogging  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

[edward.carter]

..... I'll be tied up outside awaiting public flogging  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

I'll get my whip!!  s;) s;)

[SimonC_Here]

..... I'll be tied up outside awaiting public flogging  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

I'll get my whip!!  s;) s;)

I'll get my camcorder!   s:oops: :oops: s:oops:    s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  


Simon

[Ernie Ball]

..... I'll be tied up outside awaiting public flogging  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

I'll get my whip!!  s;) s;)

I'll get my camcorder!   s:oops: :oops: s:oops:    s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  

I'll get the nachos!

[Anonymous]

I should have added a comment that any of the "Cars for Sale" postings from regular and active members are a good option.

I bought mine off a forum member. The car was absolutely immaculate and nothing like the rubbish I looked at off autotrader.

[edward.carter]

..... I'll be tied up outside awaiting public flogging  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

I'll get my whip!!  s;) s;)

I'll get my camcorder!   s:oops: :oops: s:oops:    s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  

I'll get the nachos!

lol I mean "literally" lol'ing   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

[celmacmat]

Guys   s:roll: :roll: s:roll:  , You are going to scare him   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  

I have HArdtop and Air/Con. The only reason i wanted the Hardtop is because the car sleep outside and leaving in rainny North West, it is quite nice in the winter.

I had two Mk2 before and thought i will never get use to the small lugage capacity...i was wrong, i do my weekly shopping with water and booxe included, i carry big stuff (8 ft Christmas Tree ring a bell) and i have learned to travel light when we go for weekend breaks.

It is a great car and the more i drove it the more i love it...

I have the roof down at every ray of sunshine and it is MARVELLOUS   s:D s:D

[kanujunkie]

Red facelift? Is Lee's car still up for grabs? I get so confused!

Anyhoo, if it is, details are here and you will not find a more cherished example.

yes, Lee's 2 is still for sale