Faults:

Generally very good for a now 13 year old car.

Rear brakes - calipers and hand brake cable seized off last year. Had to replace disks, calipers and cable (£250).

Passenger side window switch won't work. (It does from my side.)

Overheats occasionally, usually when stuck in traffic jam following a blast down the motorway.

Electric aerial makes the noises, but not the action.

Rear wheel arches have surface rust.

General Comments:

Where else can you buy a car that will out handle a Porsche and beat most cars, even the turbo diesels, both off the mark and through the gears for less than £2000?

There's more storage than you think. Certainly more than the latest MR2

Handling is fantastic, provided you keep the power on in from the apex on. Go easy in the wet, although it's reasonably quick to put it straight again.

Bit noisy on the motorway above 80.

Faults:

Nothing, but I haven't had the car very long.

General Comments:

This car is amazing for the value! If you don't mind only having two seats and a small boot go out and buy one today! You can pick them up for only £2,500 and get a really nice one for £4,000. Beats a boring family car hands down.

Engine sounds brilliant and pulls well in every gear. Mine hasn't got power steering, but it is not very heavy.

Make sure you have a full service history and check when the cam belt was last changed as this costs around £300 and is very important on a new car.

Major head-turner in bright red.

Passenger has complained that his seat isn't very comfortable as it hasn't got lumber support and tilt like the driver's has.

Faults:

The radiator packed up at 40k and the alternator at 42k, I did put a new battery on it at the same time, at the electric window on the drivers side froze down.

General Comments:

This is the 1st and only sports car I have ever owned. But having said that I have drive, a number of others Esprit, Elan and 911. All were very quick, but the running cost were that much higher. The MR2 Mk1 is the first and the best, if they still made it I would buy another, the 1.6 engine has 122 BHP on tap. And is fun to drive in town and on track. Look for the best money can buy and make sure it has a FULL TOYOTA SERVICE HISTORY.

Faults:

Nothing dramatic, the power steering has failed to work a couple of times on the car when starting up. This is easily remedied by switching the ignition on and off about 10 times (apparently this is a trait of the car as I read on the MR2 owners site). Or could be a loose relay switch.

Squealing noise during winter, meant I had to change the two fan belts. In my second winter, I've noticed a couple of squeals on start up, but nothing as bad as it was. Apparently Belt Dressing spray does the trick.

General Comments:

This car is an excellent purchase for someone who wants to buy a sports car on a budget. I bought mine for £2650, and bar a couple of niggles as mentioned above, the car is an absolute joy to own. It feels much more expensive than it is, and still manages to turn a head or two.

If you buy a G-ltd spec version, you get all the creature comforts such as electric windows, CD player and air con.

My favorite thing about this car is its performance. Press the Power button (it's an auto remember) and the car revs like a demon - a 911 it isn't, but there is more than enough there to make me smile!

There is a great network of enthusiasts out there to solve any problems you have, and websites like www.mr2dc.com are to be commended for advice and support.

Overall, it's a very reliable and fun car to own, and despite what some say, it's easy to get parts, and insurance is also not a problem.