2001 Toyota MR2 Spyder ZZW30/Mk3: The yitznewton Review -- Casual, Focused Fun

"yitznewton" (yitznewton) 10/18/2015 at 09:45 • Filed to: toyota mr2, reviews

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Toyota’s Midship Runabout Two-seater, the MR2, is an unusual car. By the end of its run in 2005 (U.S. market), it had gone through three very different generational concepts, and ended up all alone in the budget light, rear mid-engine segment. It is an uncompromising Fun Car: casual, because it shines on the street more than the track; focused, because there is not much else you can do with it other than go for a spirited drive. But does it ever excel at the fun part!

This third generation envisioned the MR2 as a convertible, vying for attention with the contemporaneous NB Miata. Unlike its predecessors, the ZZW30 has a functional trunk neither fore nor aft, with the frunk space occupied by the spare tire cavity and several fluid reservoirs. Although it’s possible to fit a small bag in lieu of the spare, the simple truth is that the car does not provide a sensible spot to park even a briefcase during your daily commute. Apparently the assumption is that you are stepping into the MR2 in order to drive it, not to engage in anything as absurd as moving objects from one place to another.

Engine: 1.8L DOHC 16-valve I4 (138 HP @ 6400 RPM, 125 lb-ft. @ 4400 RPM)

Transmission: 5-speed manual

Configuration: rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive

Suspension: MacPherson strut front, multilink rear

Steering: variable hydraulic-assist rack and pinion

Brakes: vented disc front, solid disc rear

Weight: 2195 lbs.

MSRP: $25,145 (2005)

Full Disclosure: Toyota was so utterly indifferent to my reviewing the ZZW30 that they stopped making them for the US market ten years ago, long before I became a discerning enthusiast; and made fewer than 30,000, which means that there aren’t all that many out there to find.

This is my first published review, and was a last-minute decision, so there are some omissions, notably detailed brake and audio performance. I also left out the customary N/10 ratings, because I haven’t experienced enough cars yet to have that refined of an opinion.

Exterior

I don’t think there is any car that quite shares this MR2’s aesthetic, although there are overall shape similarities to the Porsche Boxster. With bulgy headlights, sweeping side air inlets, a drop-top, and high, unique taillights, it has an individualistic design that comes together in a tight, mostly-cohesive package, with an eager expression on the front.

Roof duty is assumed by a Z-frame, vinyl-coated fabric top with a glass window, operating similarly to the NC and ND Miatas. After releasing latches at either side, the top collapses on itself and latches down flat. The action was a bit stiff in the car I tested, but I’m not sure of the age or use history of this car’s top. Putting the top down was easy enough, whereas closing the latches after putting it back up required some gymnastics inside the car, or two people on the outside.

Interior

Everything here screams intent: a budget sports car. Toyota parts-bin pieces abound, but the seats and control surfaces all reveal their purpose. The paneling feels Spartan but stylish, and much of the dash and walls are covered in a textured material that grants a youthful feel. Climate controls are a traditional three-dial affair, with hard-linked slider for recirculated/fresh toggling.

Seats in my test car were cloth, not very bulky and quite firm, reminding me of the NC Miata. Leather was also available. Bolstering gives medium support for legs and torso. Manual fore-aft, lumbar, seat-back, and height controls are provided: the height control actually raises and lowers the seat bottom in relation to the back, as opposed to moving the entire seat up and down.

The tilt steering wheel is a smallish, no-nonsense, three-spoke affair with cutouts for the 9-3 position as well as 10-2 knobs. The material is a bit on the slick side; I might suggest a Wheelskin to make it grippier, but it otherwise feels great. The shift knob appeared to be leather-wrapped, and has a longer protrusion from the low center console than many other small sports cars, probably due to the lack of transmission tunnel in the rear-mid layout. I was able to find a comfortable driving position easily to accommodate my 5’8” frame. The MR2 doesn’t give the same tight sense of some other small sports cars, such as the S2000: it felt like plenty of room in the car, without anything squeezing me.

The instrument cluster is traditional and clear. Tach is large and front-and-center, with 5500 RPM at the top. The more busy-looking speedo is set to the left and lower, with positional emphasis on the higher speeds, making it less accessible to the eye. Analog fuel and coolant temperature gauges are together with various indicator lights on the right side of the tach.

Lacking the usual trunk storage compartment, the MR2 goes to great lengths to provide every other conceivable place to put things. Fold down the seats, and you’ll find doors that pivot open to reveal small storage bins in front of the engine bay. The top of the dash opens up for a small space in addition to the conventional glovebox, and there are small map pockets in the doors. All of this seems to be a guilty concession to the fact that you can’t really stick a bag anywhere in this car.

Acceleration

A four-cylinder, naturally-aspirated engine gives this car Miata-like performance. In a 2001 test, MotorTrend got it to sixty in 7.2 seconds against the 7.9 of the NB Miata. The power band is smooth and eager, taking the car happily from about four thousand to its 6750 redline. This performance is adequate for the segment, but handling is so good that I was left wanting more power to match it.

Braking

Pedal feel from the brakes was firm and confidence-inspiring. I didn’t put down any hard braking, but MotorTrend’s test had the MR2 at 112 ft. for 60-0, beating the Miata’s 121.

Ride

There’s a balance in the MR2 between sporting prowess and street orientation, which is why I call it a casual sports car. Its compliance over bumps also means that it’s easier to unsettle than I would like. There is a clear sensation of road surface, without feeling rock-hard or butt-numbing. Road vibration is ever-present, but engine vibration is well-managed. Cowl shake is very noticeable without being flaccid.

Handling

This is the feather in this MR2’s cap. Steering is super-direct, with no dead spot on center, and breathtaking turn-in, at least from the perspective of this Mk4 Jetta captive. Suspension is soft but precise: start taking a turn and the body pitches to accommodate it without wallowing. It reminds me very much of the ND Miata, but without quite the same level of poise.

Rotation after turn-in seems to come on hard. I didn’t get to do lots of cornering, but in the most aggressive one I took, I think rotation would have followed hard and tight if I had stayed in the corner. The MR2 turns like a top around its mid-point.

I didn’t notice the level of steering feedback, which leads me to infer that it is good without giving an overwhelming amount of data. Action of the electronically-managed hydraulic system was medium-light at parking-lot maneuvering speeds.

Transmission

Shifter throw is neither short nor long. The MR2 falls into gear without fuss or ambiguity, but without the same rock-solid mechanical assurance of the S2000 or Miata. The clutch is easy to drive to a fault; my tester did not provide quite the level of clarity I look for as to when and how it is engaging.

Audio

I did not even turn on the radio, which was a factory AM/FM/tape/CD unit, so I can’t comment. With the top down, wind noise was not excessive. The exhaust (I assume stock) was barely detectable, and the engine’s song was companionable without being raucous, about as talkative as the well-dampened 2006 Cayman I drove a few months ago.

Toys

Forget about it. This car has power windows, A/C and a stereo — that’s it. No driving modes, traction/stability control, navigation, nada. It’s just you, the MR2, your best jam, and the road.

Value

NADA prices on the Mk3 MR2 are in the $9-10k range for a clean late-model example. I can see how a modest suspension upgrade would make this car a handling monster for autocross use. With a turbo install, the MR2 would be a beast in the right hands — in other words, hands capable of keeping this light, mid rear-engine, nanny-less horse on the road. The MR2 Spyder loses significant points for its lack of cargo space, but if two seats and moderate power are enough for you, this is a wonderful car for fun, top-down driving.

After writing this review, I did a little reading, and on the miata.net forums I found some !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! on the autocross potential of the suspension from Brian Goodwin of Good-Win Racing:

Sadly, the suspension didn’t work that well at the limit. The fact that it was mid-engine was not the problem, had they invested in a purpose built aluminum double A-arm front setup and multi-link rear it might have been a winner. But they did not. Instead, they used a parts bin MacPherson strut setup that was simple and cheap...and it felt cheap and unsophisticated at the limit.

So there you have it... it’s a casual fun car!

Video test drive

Enjoy, everybody! Sorry about the noise; the video is from a lowly dash cam.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > yitznewton 10/18/2015 at 09:59

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I just wish these came with a 2ZZ instead of the 1ZZ.

yitznewton > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 10/18/2015 at 10:23

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Ooh, it looks like the 2ZZ would give it that extra punch I was looking for. I see that it’s in some of the Lotuses.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > yitznewton 10/18/2015 at 10:51

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It’s a pretty common swap in them. I would love to have one with the 2ZZ and a 6 speed.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > yitznewton 10/18/2015 at 11:37

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Same engine and steering wheel in my Vibe.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > yitznewton 10/18/2015 at 11:48

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Needs more face cam.

This one for sale or your own personal car?

yitznewton > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 10/18/2015 at 11:58

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For sale. I was pretty impressed, but the lack of cargo room and relatively high mileage were pretty big cons.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > yitznewton 10/18/2015 at 12:03

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how much did they want for it?

yitznewton > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 10/18/2015 at 12:11

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$8k, which looks to be in sane asking price range for a 2001 with 110k miles

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > yitznewton 10/18/2015 at 12:14

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ehhhhh that seems really really high for what you get

yitznewton > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 10/18/2015 at 12:17

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I see KBB puts it at 4500-6500, so you’re probably right. NADA was a bit higher. I imagine that the low production numbers inflate it, as long as there are fans who will want this specifically.