They failed to mention that the MR2 was then and still is (to my knowledge) one of the only productions cars ever to meet full SCCA regulations right out of the box and was fully legal to race at an SCCA event at the time.

MR2 I like better.

I had a Supercharged MR2 when it comes out and now I am having another Supercharged MR2 again since 2021. You knew my answer ✌🏻

If I had my choice I would pick the Toyota mr2

I have an '88 MR2 N/A. I have people ask if it is a DeLoren(back to the future car). It is my daily driver, fuel consumption is still great, I really like my car.

This is a great video! I've been having trouble finding a low-miles MR2, starting to consider looking at Fieros instead. This gave me a lot of food for thought.

They are BOTH equally loved and unique. I love them both and I'm stuck in the 80's!

the toyota 4a-ge is a masterpiece

I owned a 87Fiero GT for 2 years and won a South Florida driving championship the second year of ownership. In 89 I bought the Supercharged Mr2 and filled my house with trophies over the years. The Mr2 SC, with a suspension sorted out, gave the V8's of the day a stunning thrashing on the short race courses. I now have 400,000 miles on the Mr2SC and it's been retired to the show car circuit.

Nice comparison video. I was always a fan of both cars as a child during the 80s and always wondered which was better. I did wind up owning an 86 MR2 back in 1997 and I did enjoy the car for what it was worth.

I have to say this that my 93 MR2 is a garage trophy and it never sees rain or snow. As I said it is more refined with fit and finish but it feels more like driving a sedan compared to the go-cart feel of the X1/9 or the rattling but firm Fiero. That said, when I am driving my Fiero or even the X1/9 they seem to attract a lot more attention. One of the X1/9s I bought new in 1974 and it has always been a head turner, and now I think it is because I think nobody knows what it is. I love middies.

I love them both. GM does scare me when it comes to trim quality and longetivity. I wish they would bring them both back to life as the 91+ version MR2 and 88 style Fiero.

The MK1 MR2 is my FAVORITE car.

The Aw11 was voted #8 of the top SUPERCAR's of the 1980s and for good reason . With a few simple mods they can still give cars 20yrs newer a spanking.

Of course as usual for GM, once Pontiac starts getting something right - they have them quit building it. If only they kept it around a few more years, it would have been possible to get the handling down and the HO version of the Quad 4 would have been a good fit for the Fiero. (180HP, 155ft-lbs, NA inline 4.) Or they could have simply stuffed a V8 in a performance version like some hobbiests now do. MR2 isn't bad though, so I'm not knocking it. Thing is GM easily could have upped their game, but the bean-counters always win there, so they didn't. The Japanese companies shold thank them for always giving up early and rarely ever using the good stuff available in their parts bin.

I have an '85 Fiero with a 3.4 conversion.I have driven a few mr2's and I have to tell you, I would choose to drive a Fiero over a mr2 any day of the week...The Fiero is just that much more fun to drive.

I'm MR2 AW11 owner, and it's my second car for fun and weekends trips. I love this car, more funny as the latest pocket sports cars.

going for a ride to the beach in my 86 SE fiero later TY for the insperation! Im going to put a fiero body on a MR2 chassis!

Cool vid posted. Thanks paul

I have owned both, and more than one of each. Personally I will take a deuce over a fiero any day! But let us not forget, while you can drop in a motor that clearly was not intended, into your fiero, we MR2 owners can easily do the same thing and produce just as much power if not more. Ever heard of the 3sgte swap? Those motors came in the turbo version of the MR2 second gens. Heres the thing folks, just cause you can do something to make your car better doesn't mean someone else can't!

Had an 89 mr2 put 100k on it then sold it to a friend who put 190k on it who then sold it to another friend who put 240k(total miles) on it before he had to rebuild the engine. Should have never sold it. Loved everything about that car,never gave me a single problem. Drove it from Seattle to San Fran more than 20 times never needing more than a tank and a half of gas to get there. Was quick,handled well,just a great car. Never owned the fiero but always loved the looks of the GT

that last comment breaks my heart. motor week must have wept when gm bean counters cancelled (perhaps corvette's jealousy) the fiero later that year.

I have a 1986 mr2 in good conditions with some engine performances and its a good car a little fast. I dont know about the Pontiac Fiero but I think its good car thats why both cars are being compared... I think its about what everyone likes....

I finally took the plunge....1985 FIero GT...KICK ASS machine!!!!!!

Thank you.

Own both(85 SE V6 Fiero,88 MR2 SC). MR2 is a better built car. Fiero better for long trips due to the leg room and being quiet. MR2 has more cargo space,handles better and has better brakes(even compared to the 88 much improved Fiero). 2.8 is reliable. Unlike a lot of Toyota V6s it doesn't blow head gaskets if you don't over heat it(ie running with leaking coolant). 2.8 is capable of more power than the 4AGE due to aftermarket and its size(not the 4AGZE but that car has a power adder so not a fair comparison). My favorite one stock is an early 85 MR2 car due to the better cams,less weight from the smaller brakes and lighter block. Can be a challenge for some MR2 parts to locate. Some parts of the MR2 interior are fragile. Electronics can be a problem in the Fiero in regards to the headlights. MR2 only has problems with the headlight switch which can be easily repaired. Check MR2 out for rust and check rear under trunk of Fiero for rust. Drive both and see which one you like better.

my friend has an '88 MR2 SC with nearly 380,000 kms on it!! Daily driven, barely any rust (can't figure out why not!!, salty here in Toronto, ON Canada) and the thing won't die.. rock solid reliability.. I have an '82 Fiat X1/9.. with an Uno Turbo 1.3L engine waiting to go in :).. FTW! -> by 1980's standards anyhow...

Does anyone know if these cars are badge engineered like the DSM's Mitsubishi Eclipse/Talon/Laser or are they completely separate platforms?

I own a fiero and is great for cornering better that the shown one just lower the suspention 2 inches and put a none stock wheels and tires and you feel the difference , i take curvs at 70mph and you dont even Feel , own my fiero for 15 years no complaints just a great car

That MR2 was a little beast. 0-60 in 6.5 secs. back in 1988, that was wickedly fast, even fast by todays standards. It definitely kicked the fieros ass..lol

thank you

I own three Middies, a 93 MR2 T, An 88 Fiero GT and two Fiat X1/9s. The X1/9 is by far the funnest for seat o the pants driving even if underpowered. The fiero is a close second with it's instant on power. These two are fun on the road and also the track. In Autocross these cars have the power and handling necessary to enjoy. Now for the MR2. This car is the most refined. It is fast and nimble but it's extra weight and luxury feel makes it a no-go in autocross. but preferred for touring.

They also failed to mention the T-Tops on the Fiero. I have had several girls mention how cute my Fiero is, so your argument is MOOT! I have no issues with comfort in my fiero.

I track my SW20 MR2, but know what? I like the Fiero, too.

i know someone that had 4 fieros. An 84 that burned down in his driveway, an 88 that he wrote off and an 87 daily that he also wrote off to name a few. That 87 looked fine on the outside, but in the trunk it had holes along with fully rusted floors. Many people think that just because they have plastic body panels, they don't have to rust proof them for winter driving...wrong.

+1 to all that said the article is biased. Anyone who has followed Motor Week over the years knows their comparison tests are a joke. I've owned multiple MR2s and driven a few Fieros. There is no comparison, the MR2 is flat out a superior car. It's light, nimble and a blast to drive (both NA and SC versions). The Fiero feels heavy, vague and plodding by comparison. Toyota enlisted the likes of Roger Becker (Lotus) and Bob Bondurant (F1) to fine-tune the MR2s handling and it showed. Pontiac initially threw the Fiero's suspension together from Chevette and Citation parts with very little budget for R&D. GM spent $30 Mil to fix the handling in the Fiero's last year of production but still never managed to reach the level of the MR2. The 4AGE and 4AGZE were two of the best engines produced by anyone in the 80s. Smooth and quick-revving they happily pull almost all the way to their 7500 RPM redline. The pathetic "Iron Duke" 4cyl and 2.8 V-6 were terrible engines born of a long surpassed era when 5500 RPM was impressive and dealers routinely put cardboard under the cars on the showroom floor to catch the oil drips. The Fiero's interior is in-arguably downright awful. Every time I see one I can't help conjuring a mental image of some disgruntled engineer marking the days until he could collect his pension on a calendar in the middle of an endless sea of cubicles somewhere in Detroit. Whoever it was either hated their job or just didn't care. The MR2 seemed open and bright by comparison. Plastic...yes, but with thoughtful placement and textures. The shifter on the MR2 was probably the best on any car produced before the millennium. ...and what was with that turn signal lever mechanism that GM used on everything from about 1970-1995? You know, the one that felt like a little piece of plastic would break off inside every time you actuated it? How could it take 25 years for someone to realize it was really unpleasant feeling and decide to fix it?. Sorry, I digress... Pontiac loved ill-fitting, ugly, oversized plastic bumper covers back in the '80s, at least the Fiero's wasn't quite as bad as the one on the Firebird. While the plastic body panels were an interesting idea, they certainly didn't help to make the chassis any lighter or more rigid. While not everyone liked the oragami-inspired angular lines of the MR2 when it was introduced, its withstood the test of time far better than the Fiero and is considered classic whereas the Fiero simply isn't considered. The MR2s 5 bulkheads made it rock-solid. The Fiero is great...as the donor vehicle for a kit car, if you like that sort of thing. Jeremy Clarkson said it best when he referred to the Fiero as a poor-man's MR2. The MK1 was an instant classic for a variety of good reasons, the Fiero was just another example of how dysfunctional Detroit was in the 1980s, a great idea that sadly just never quite fulfilled its potential.

dude, every company rounded off their cars in the early 90s. you're correct with the semi-copying of cars except for the supra. none of the supras ever looked like camaro/firebird. but you know, they did what the market wanted. a similar looking car that was successful during the time, but with affordable prices + lower gas consumption.

I had a 1986 fiero se 2m6. By far one of my all time favorite cars to drive especially on long trips. Very quiet and comfortable . They had an awsome stainless steel dual exhaust . Its a shame they used the 2.8 instead of the quad 4 or the 3.8 liter which pretty much would have dropped right in. That car could have used the extra 50 horse. Mr2's were a neat car as well but long after they are rusted and gone here in the salt states fieros can be seen almost daily .

i had a 86 Fiero with the v6.All i can say is that it was a very reliable car.I drove it even in the winter but the front end was too light and it would slide too much in the snow.Toyota may be more of a refined car but I do agree with the host.Fiero was far more easy to live with.

I've driven Fieros, mk1 MR2s, and have a modified(300hp+) mk2 MR2 turbo. They're all fun cars. I wouldn't mind having all three, if I had the space.

I got a 88 Fiero GT that I just love. I spent a-lot of money on it and it is a fun, very well handled car. Because I race cars every now and then (legally) I got it to produce about 235 hp. However this added hp required a better suspension and other things so I wouldn't be sliding all over the place. The sport performance tires help too. I love it! Never knew much about the MR2 though. It looks like it would be fun to drive though.

gotta love the mr2 :)

@182adamssong - The light illuminates as you reach full pressure. Yes, it's always working, but no, it's not always moving the same CFM's throughout the entire RPM range. Hence the light to let you know not to push it too much further.

I Miss my 1989 MR2SC!!!

A knew had a guy who used to make Ferrari 355 body kits for the Pontiac Fiero. Looked quite authentic (from a distance!)

i have an 86 fiero and its the best daily driver weekend rider around. its just marvelous.

I love them both

I like the second gen MR2 allot, but I want a Fiero. Besides you can drop a 300 HP aluminum V8 into a Fiero easy.

I Love Both Cars ..... I have owned one of each ..... but now I have a Honda DelSol.... same kind of styling.... I know it is not mid engine ..... but I love that it is a targa top and I put a Fiero spoiler on it and it looks great with it. But I would still buy and old Fiero and an MR2 to have them as a collection.

I'd totally take a fiero and toss a quad4 HO in it. Torque and hp are higher and it's with a 4banger as well. If I REALLY wanted to go crazy I'd toss a 4g63t in the back :D

Your right! the Fiero's engine was intentionally underrated! Although rated at 135 HP, they actually had 145 to 160 HP. This is still disappointing? thats because it's compression ratio is only 8.9:1. Besides, torque is moar important, anyway.

Mr2 FTW!!

@The2020Watcher I see more Fieros these days than i see MR-2s. Who do you think withstood the test of time better?

In the end, the Fiero handled better, braked better, was quieter, more stable, and more reliable than previous years, and Motorweek preferred it over the MR2 and why not, the Formula was almost 5 grand cheaper.

We don't all see each other as enemies. I have owned several of both plus a DeThomaso Pantera. I loved the MR2 but fit in the Fiero for longer drives far better as it is very comfortable. Had the 88 Formula but prefer my 86 GT. The MR2 has a very narrow power band (can't speak for the super-charged, never had one). The MR2 shifter was sweet, honestly I have never found a better shifter in any other sports car including the higher end Ferraris. Love 'em all but only being able to keep one - FIERO

100% agreed. Not saying either are bad, I'd drive both, but I am saying I chose the Fiero over the MR2 for a darn good reason.

Yeah the Mr2 is better when it comes the engine, but I gotta be honest... The Fiero is much easier on the eyes. Also its pretty easy to swap a Fiero engine for something better.

The Fiero was a way safer car for everyone's information. SCCA ready, no roll caged required!

Fiero was such a good looking car with so much potential, but GM cheaped out on materials, suspension, and just about everything except exterior styling. They gradually improved it, and then, just as it was getting pretty decent, they dropped it. Classic GM mismanagement.

I had a Fiero it was a blast to drive. 1986 automatic. Had a lot of reliability issues, though. That was years ago. Now thinking of a MR2

MotorWeek (February 20th, 1988): Toyota MR2 Supercharged vs. Pontiac Fiero Formula. Some Numbers to keep in mind while watching this...... 1988 Chevrolet Corvette Z51 (0-60 = 6.0 seconds) (14.6 Quarter Mile) 1988 Ferrari 328 GTS (0-60 = 6.7 seconds) (15.0 Quarter Mile) 1988 Lotus Esprit Turbo (0-60 = 5.8 seconds) (14.4 Quarter Mile)

@TruthAndMoreTruth I'm not an expert on Toyotas, but from what I can tell, it's an aluminum head, 16-valve DOHC, with a turbo and intercooler. It ended up popular, but this was the first year of this build spec and yes it's more complicated. The 2.8 in the Fiero is an all-iron, 12 valve pushrod. No turbo, quite simple. Iron is more durable than aluminum, but heavier. If you work on cars you can appreciate the merits of simplicity. Both are non-interference They're both good cars, not bashing.

Ouch... that last sentence in the video hurts me so much. I'm a huge Fiero fan, and that made me a little sad that he said that, considering the way the fiero stopped. don't get me wrong, i love the MR2 as well. But Fieros have just been in my life a little more than the MR2. I'd still take either, and im actually in the process of buying an 88 GT Fiero.

I love MR2s, but I respect Fieros as well. I don't really care for the looks of the AW11 MR2s like the one in the video, prefering instead the more ferrari-esc lines of the SW20 Mk2 MR2s. The only thing that for me let the Fiero down was the company who built it, GM. I had an old friend that had a beautiful gold Fiero, which he drove for a few years. I lost contact with him, and passed by his house some 5 years later to find his Fiero languishing in his parents front yard. He sold it soon..

and now, after 27 years we all know that the pontiac is a peace of garbage and the toyota engine is indestructible.

MR2 owners don't need kits, we do all the work ourselves, we create anything needed (like mounts, axles, and so on), then we post our work with detailed instructions in case anyone else cares to do the same. We don't bother paying someone else to do the work we ourselves can easily do. Kits are good, however a true wrencher creates his car!

Hilarious numbers.

I have two of them and my friend Andy had 6 but he sold 3 of them. His wife has a custom painted purple one, and he has a brand-new looking red '84 and a blue '87 with a V8 in it

very much agree, this test was printed as an article in Road & Track...the Fiero cost 13K, the MR2 was 17.5K, not a fair test, and most Fiero people know the 88 was the best and actually most reliable Fiero...Speed sells, apparently all the testers needed to be impressed.

I have a SW20 second gen MR2, and I'm partial to MR2s, but I appreciate the Fiero. I think the fieros real problem like many other cars from American automakers of the time was that it wasn't thought out completly by GM. I mean c'mon, as stated by the narrator in the video, it took Pontiac 4 years to get the Fiero right.

Exactly!

Not hating on the Fiero, but I can feel the heaviness of the Fiero's handling just by looking at it go around corners, maybe it's just me.

Perhaps that negative comment about the brakes had an effect on Toyota because the brakes on my MKII MR2 Turbo’s brakes seem ridiculously over-spec’d for a car designed in the 80’s. They certainly do their job with both confidence and subtlety.

This guy's voice has been putting me to sleep for 25 years. What a legacy :O

You got that right! To little to late, darn shame.

@adonian best reply so far,i myslef love midship layout so both car share that in common so i rather maintain myself neutral here since i never had a fiero but.... if i hear a fiero owner trash talking mr2s on my local area he will have to prove it against my mr2 ^^

"Overall, we would rather live with the Fiero"......'Nuff said. Neal Huff, Pahrump, Nevada.

hey bud the fiero had enduraflex body panels that didn't rust, and all my interior is still in perfect condition 23 years later, and still no rust cracking or tearing anywhere :D

I had a 1985 Fiero SE 2M6.....FAST car for what it was.....it wasn't stock when I bough t it...it had been bored, balanced and blueprinted (figgure someone had more money than brains to do that to an old 2.8) I LOVED the car, I want to sell my F350 and buy another one....but stuff a 4.9 caddy in her this time!!

SO TRUE!!!

You don't get honest, thorough, beautifully narrated car reviews like this any more. Also the last 6 seconds of this video are sad. It was too late.

MR2's Rule !!!

i've driven both cars lol. fiero was like i said "in someone's garage". the guy i bought my celica turned into one of my friends and i helped him with wiring on his new v6 and i drove it for fun. mr2, i've driven two red aw11s (non-sc) and a white sw20 (turbo). got another aw11 in my backyard as well... don't kid yourself buddy. you ASSumed that i've "probably never even been behind the wheel of one". i've been in/under/over and have suspension parts fall on my face/driven both.

i think it depends where you live. because i've seen two this past few days at the malls near where i live during christmas shopping. surprisingly, not a lot of people can pull off bodykits in a mr2. i wish i could send you a pic somehow, but i think the one i have has a great blend of looks and oem styling

I have an 87 MR2 not supercharged, also my first car and I absolutely love it, hugs the ground, is very fast , and my mechanic says if I continue to take car of it should last another 10 years. Me personally, i like the MR2, its also simple when it comes to the engine.

MR2 is the Best. I miss mine. That was my baby. :-( I had an 89 supercharger. Best car I ever had.

That's true. That said, I bought an '89 MR2 that had every single kind of engine maintenance (oil, plugs, filters etc.) deferred for so long it would have broken a GM 2.5. The dumb kid I bought it from regularly revved it cold to near 8K on low oil, this on a motor with 250K miles on it.

well said

The exterior looks much cleaner with the Fiero.

It's sad that Fiero and MR2 people still look at each other as enemies. How many people here own stock in GM or Toyota? I don't. People that keep awesome 25 year old cars on the road need to stick together, not hate on each other. It's stupid. I'm a Fiero fan, but I don't hate the MR2 or people who drive them. If the opportunity permits, I might have a friendly drag race with a first-gen MR2, but the key word is "friendly". I can't stand people who take manufacturer rivalries so damn personally.

I am selling an 89 and I hate to do it because there is so much potential there and such a solid car

I had an 87 SE V6, it was a FUN CAR!! I also had an 86 MR2 Non super charger, also FUN CAR!! Either one would be a great "classic" car for someone to restore.

you are mis-quoting me there buddy. I will always pick the MR2 over the Fiero in non-V8 form. But for a project car I would choose the Fiero. It is cheaper, found all over in junk yards, and parts are available for V8 swaps all over. It is tried and true in V8 assembly. The LS fits just fine. But building a 3sgte powered MR2 would make the Fiero V8 look like the secretary car that if turned out to be in the 80s. I know, I sold 4 from a Pontiac dealership in the spring of 1988 to secretaries

First thing they said was the gear knob on the Fiero was awful, and I can attest to the fact that it is. Besides when I'm driving my MR2 I would much rather have a loud engine noise so I can hear what is going on in the engine bay rather than listen to the radio. It's just safer, but in all reality it isnt hard to drown out the noise with the radio

how many fires (I mean Fiero's) do you see on the road today? right around the zero mark. Yet mr2's are still driving 35 years later.

It hasn't been posted yet,so i will correct who ever said it.I own a second gen Mr2 and i have had my car weighed at a recycling center.they dont weigh 2700+lbs....mine weighs a little over 2200lbs without me in it.Thanx

Awesome video. I've always wondered about the comparison. I have the 1986 AW11 but I'm most likely swapping out the engine for the 2nd gen motor. The 3sgte. THEN the AW11 MR2 will be a notch above ridiculous.

Yeah I apologize for acting like a little kid. Fieros are pretty cool. I have a second gen '92 MR2 turbo and I think it brings me more joy than a Fiero would. That's only my opinion though.

Yea but they dont dent. When they showed the Fiero to consumers they droped a bowling ball on the panels 100+ times and it never dented. They are also rust proof and ur right they do shatter in hard impact, its called energy reduction...it absorbs energy from the crash and there is still metal reinforcement under the body panel thats why u can drive it with no body panels on