6 speed vs 5 speed and leather interior..questions..

[Anonymous]

Some more questions from the noob.

I think Im right in saying 6 speed only came in on the 2003 model...can anyone give me any indication if its a much better drive with 6 speed...when your cruising on the motorway does it make it quieter in 6th gear?

Whats the gearing on the 5 speed like?

Leather interior...does this always come with heated seats as standard?

appreciate the help...trying to make a decision on whether to spend the extra and get a 2003> rather than 2001?

Ta.

[GSB]

I think I'm right in saying 6 speed only came in on the 2003 model...can anyone give me any indication if its a much better drive with 6 speed...when your cruising on the motorway does it make it quieter in 6th gear?

Yes, its quieter. Although personally I prefer the gate of the 5 speed, which is far eaiser to flick betwwen cogs.

Leather interior...does this always come with heated seats as standard?

Only very recently, I bought my car in October November '04, and Heated seats were not fitted at the point.
[/quote]

[proeliator2001]

Not driven a 5 speed car for a while but 6th on the '2 is more of an overdrive gear - I don't use it unless I'm on a fairly flat road at 40 mph or above.  Seems to labour the engine otherwise.  6 speeds were standard from the 03 model on.

Heated seats are only fitted to very late models (post 54 I think).  I've an 04 with leather and no heated seats.  So far, haven't found it an issue and i had the car in February down in snowy Kent lol.

Re cruising sounds, it's far more likely to be wind noise over the roof (though that is really quiet I think) than the few rpms difference 5 or 6 speeds make!

You want to get an 03 over an 00 model purely for the extra goings on underneath - they handle better and seem to be less prone to oversteer - hence if you spend the extra you may save your insurance premium   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

[Anonymous]

Yes, its quieter. Although personally I prefer the gate of the 5 speed, which is far eaiser to flick betwwen cogs.

I do a lot of motorway miles to and from work.....sat in 5th gear doing 80...does it get a bit tiresome or is it not that loud a noise coming from behind you?

Only very recently, I bought my car in October November '04, and Heated seats were not fitted at the point.

So did heated seats only come in recently or have they always been an option?

Thanks for you reply!

[Anonymous]

You want to get an 03 over an 00 model purely for the extra goings on underneath - they handle better and seem to be less prone to oversteer - hence if you spend the extra you may save your insurance premium   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Have you driven both?

[GSB]

Heated seats are an option only form the end of last year/beginning of this year. Up to then they werent available at all. Frankly though, you can live without. I put them in my latest car, and hardly ever use them. Up to then I've made do with leather without air-con or heated seats since Nov '01

As for the gearboxes, 6th gear is pretty underused in normal driving, unless you have a unichip, in which case you have enough torque to get away with using it much more often. As has been stated though, it was the extra stuff fitted to tha car at the same time as the 6spd box that makes the post '03's worth paying extra for. See my post on the eveolotion of the mk3 for more details of the extras fitted to the car. I've had both cars though, and to be honest, I'd be equally happy with either.

 m http://www.mr2roc.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4807 m

[Anonymous]

Heated seats are an option only form the end of last year/beginning of this year. Up to then they werent available at all. Frankly though, you can live without. I put them in my latest car, and hardly ever use them. Up to then I've made do with leather without air-con or heated seats since Nov '01

As for the gearboxes, 6th gear is pretty underused in normal driving, unless you have a unichip, in which case you have enough torque to get away with using it much more often. As has been stated though, it was the extra stuff fitted to tha car at the same time as the 6spd box that makes the post '03's worth paying extra for. See my post on the eveolotion of the mk3 for more details of the extras fitted to the car. I've had both cars though, and to be honest, I'd be equally happy with either.

 m http://www.mr2roc.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4807 m

Thanks GSB you've been very helpful - much appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Just to throw another light onto the proceedings, I personally use 6th a hell of a lot, even in everyday driving. I go ripping through 1st and 2nd, hit 3rd long enough to take me up to 70mph and then it's straight into 6th. I sometimes use 4th if I'm nipping along country lanes at 60mph, but I never use 5th. Ever.

I get as much fun out of my car as I can up to the speed limit, then I accept defeat by the State and do the legal limit. Also means I get to save a little bit more fuel...

[jonytom]

I go ripping through 1st and 2nd, hit 3rd long enough to take me up to 70mph and then it's straight into 6th. I sometimes use 4th if I'm nipping along country lanes at 60mph, but I never use 5th. Ever.

Me too.

Also, it's amazing how far you can get in 6th, and I'm not talking motorway driving.

I have a regular ten mile drive back from 5-a-side every Friday night. One time, having gone straight from 1st to 3rd to 6th, I realised I hadn't bothered to change gear through a couple of traffic lights and roundabouts.

Could I get all the way home?  s:twisted: :twisted: s:twisted:  

Breezed it, including a 90 degree bend followed immediately by a mile and half of up hill twisties (that being my driveway of course).   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

[Anonymous]

 s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

I once got all the way back to Braintree from Stansted Airport in my turbo diesel Ford Ranger in 5th gear, and that was before the new dual carriageway opened and at rush hour!  s:D s:D

[Anonymous]

I'm another who'll say that the 6th is great

70mph comes at just 2800 rpm and the car will sit nicely at 40 in 6th.

The heated seats would be nice in my 54 plate (feb 05) as the winter draws in.

It's worth going for the 03 onwards just for the better looking front lights and bumper.

[heathstimpson]

And I'm another but I do quite a few journies up and down the M1 for my sins  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

[Anonymous]

Hmmmm...so now Im torn. Im convinced I dont need heated seats but not sure about 6th gear. I can pick up an '01 for around £9.5K and an '03 is about £13k so is it really worth the £3.5k to get 6th gear and all the extra changes on the car or do you reckon I would be just as happy with an '01 plate?

My main concern is that as well as a fun car I want a car that will be fine on the motorway in rush hour for 80 miles a day...I will love the sound of the engine at the weekend but Im liking the sound of 2800 rpm @ 70MPH.

Can anyone tell me what the 5 speed idles at the same speed and id be very interested in the feedback on how noisy it is with the roof up and stereo OFF  s:D s:D  

Thanks once again for all the feedback...been really helpful.

[roger]

how noisy it is with the roof up and stereo OFF

I don't reckon noise is governed by the 5/6 gear issue, its the exhaust box, inlet pipe, air filter/system, empty manifold that turns a pussy cat into a tiger   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

[aaronjb]

Can anyone tell me what the 5 speed idles at the same speed and id be very interested in the feedback on how noisy it is with the roof up and stereo OFF  s:D s:D  

Pretty quiet really - not that much noisier than my 300ZX was with the T-tops in. You can easily carry on a conversation in the car without raising your voice..

Roof down is quiet too really until you get up to about 90ish (on a private road, of course). You can't talk over it, but you can hear the radio easily enough.

Can't remember what the revs are at 70 - 90mph is 4000rpm though.. Not that I'd know, honest.

[heathstimpson]

I can pick up an '01 for around £9.5K and an '03 is about £13k so is it really worth the £3.5k to get 6th gear and all the extra changes on the car or do you reckon I would be just as happy with an '01 plate?

Are you sure 03's go for 13k  s:?: :?: s:?:  Could be tempted myself to sell mine and buy a brand spanking new one  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

[Anonymous]

I can pick up an '01 for around £9.5K and an '03 is about £13k so is it really worth the £3.5k to get 6th gear and all the extra changes on the car or do you reckon I would be just as happy with an '01 plate?

Are you sure 03's go for 13k  s:?: :?: s:?:  Could be tempted myself to sell mine and buy a brand spanking new one  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Having a scoot around the autotrader website - yes...around 13k.

[Darth Paul]

Don't forget the 03 doesn't just have the sixth cog. It has much more chassis bracing under the car, which makes the ride better. Also you get front fogs...  s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

[aaronjb]

Also you get front fogs...  s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

So you can drive around with them on all the time and annoy people, yay!  s;) s;)

I'm just jealous because I don't have front fogs  s;) s;)

[jonytom]

PLUS... am I right in thinking that '03 onwards has limited slip diff and before that doesn't?

[Tem]

PLUS... am I right in thinking that '03 onwards has limited slip diff and before that doesn't?

All EU models have LSD. Toyota just never advertised it bfore 2003 for some reason...

[GSB]

PLUS... am I right in thinking that '03 onwards has limited slip diff and before that doesn't?

Nope, ALL Euro and UK MR2's have had LSD since launch... Toyota GB only decided to advertise the fact when they launched the '03, apparently because they ran out of impressive things to say. You're average buyer is unimpressed when you say "We added some bits of metal underneaeth the car", as he wants stuff he can see, or things with catchy abbreviations that he can tell his mates about at the pub:

"Well, we changed the lights, and put some little bits of chrome inside, oh, and the bumpers are new, and er... Oh, theres another gear, with a really annoying beeping noise when you put it in reverse, and errr, errr.... Oh we got an LSD and a 6MT now, and on the SMT we have VSC, ASC, TC, and a load of other really impressive pub friendly abbreviations... Please buy it?"

[Anonymous]

I have an 02 car and must admit I would like it to have a 6th gear in an ideal world.  At 70-80 MPH it really starts to sound laboured, and this is even more true now, with the H&S exhuast and gutted pre-cats.

Plus, as both my last car and my present car have 6th gears, I'm so used to it that I often catch myself just as I'm about to try to put the MR2 into 6th    s:shock: :shock: s:shock:   I actually did do this in my parent's Yaris - putting the car into reverse at around 70 MPH, probably not a good idea!  It didn't seem to do any damage though...

As others have said, the 03 onwards MR2's have a nicer front bumper, plus less cheap-looking black plastic body parts (side air vents, rear number plate surround), plus the extra chassis-bracing. The only negative AFAIK is the crappy replacement stereo.

[heathstimpson]

I can pick up an '01 for around £9.5K and an '03 is about £13k so is it really worth the £3.5k to get 6th gear and all the extra changes on the car or do you reckon I would be just as happy with an '01 plate?

Are you sure 03's go for 13k  s:?: :?: s:?:  Could be tempted myself to sell mine and buy a brand spanking new one  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Having a scoot around the autotrader website - yes...around 13k.

I just thought I would be looking at getting a lot less if I was to upgrade to a nother new 05  s:shock: :shock: s:shock:  Do you want to buy a silver one  s:?: :?: s:?:    s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Edit musst lern to spel

[proeliator2001]

Just checked autotrader and there seems to a fair few 03 model '2 for 11500 to 12500, so thats 11000-12000 in reality.  Given the fact that you might get 1 year original warranty and less wear and tear, a better looking car that handles better with better resale value (as it's 2 years younger), I don't see your dilema!