General Comparison
2.2.3 General comparison
As I waded through the many old messages in the mr2-interest
mail archives, I ran across this comparison of the two
generations of MR2's, and thought it was very appropriate.
I haven't asked permission to use this here, so I hope he
doesn't mind...
Subject: Re: New or old MR2's
To: cjohnson@TACOM-EMH1.Army.Mil (JOHNSON Carl)
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 93 9:30:08 EDT
>
> Having just bought an 89 MR2 and joining this mailing
>list. I was wondering if MR2 owners prefered the new or
>older body style. I know this is very subjective, but who
>cares. I have never driven a newer style MR2 but the
>mailing list seems to have a lot of people with the newer
>styles and I want to know if I'm missing out on something.
I own a '85 MR2 and a '91 MR2 Turbo. The cars are pretty
different. My new MR2 has all the power windows, cd player,
etc the works. It also has 200 horse power. My older MR2
has no power junk and only 112 horse power. I love them
both, but they are very different cars.
The '85 is simple. I love the simplicity. It is a smaller
lighter car than the newer MR2 and I really feel this in the
handling. The older MR2 handles much lighter than the new
MR2. The steering on the old MR2 is tight with not alot of
power assist and I can really feel the road. I really like
that about the car. The light handling and low horse power
gives me the feeling that I can throw this car at any curve
as fast as I want and it will handle it (and it has).
The '91 MR2 is nice, very very nice. I can just sit in the
car and smile without even starting it. The interior is
well styled and beautiful. The power accesories, 7 speaker
stereo, leather seats, ... make the inside of this car a
wonderful place to be. This car is also very fast. The
older MR2 are "quick" the new turbo is a real kick in the
ass. The handling of the new MR2 is heavier than the older
model. This is a little unfortunate. I also feel that the
power steering helps a little too much. I have not had the
new one very long and have not really put the suspention to
the test like I have the '85. The best word I can think of
to describe the handling of the new MR2 is "solid". When
hanging a curve it just feels right and it feels solid as a
rock. It is a pretty good feeling. I am not comfortable
throwing the new car around the way I can the old one
however. Perhaps it is just because I am not used to it
yet.
I plan on selling the '85 and I drive it very little now. I
drive the '91 turbo daily. But everytime I take the older
car out for a drive I always come back with a smile. I love
the way this car feels, a big go cart.
A great toy. I wish I had the space to keep it because I
would love to restore it to mint condition. It is a great
car. The new MR2 is a modern masterpiece it is also great
to drive. I love to pull the t-tops and just go out for a
drive with no destination. Anyway, which one a person
prefers would depend on what one likes from a sports car.
They handle differently and the new one is much faster. I
love the way they both feel.
David P. - rambling on about MR2s again.
------
As well as the following...
Subject: Re: New or old MR2's
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 93 18:31:47 -0700
From: Jeff Beadles <uunet!onion.rain.com!jeff>
>Reply to: RE>>New or old MR2's
>My opinion:
>
>The sharp, angular and functional appearance of the MKI
>suggests supersonic and stealthy performance--perhaps a
>small, high-performance interceptor or reconnaissance
>vehicle. The flatulent, over-styled shape of the MKII is
>nearly indistinguishable from a host of currently produced
>cars and could probably not be identified uniquely by the
>average observer.
>Needless to say, I prefer the appearance of my MKI.
And, of course there's the other side of the fence;
The boxey match-box styling of the MKI suggests a lack of
tooling, something like commercial air conditioning duct
work. The low-air resistance sleek look of the MKII, is
that of a car with class.
Needless to say, I prefer the appearance of my MKII.
Also, in case it's not obvious, :-) :-) :-)
MKI -vs- MKII body styles are one of personal preference.
Some like one, some like the other, and some have both. :-)
Later,
-Jeff
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