Should I sell my Mazda MX5 for a Toyota MR2. VOTE by liking my comment for either the MR2 or MX5 below.

Imagine Toyota made a revived version of this, that would be every car guy’s dream

I wouldn't mind seeing more videos of older cars being reviewed in the same way the newer cars get reviewed.

9 second 0 to 60 in the 80s is like 5 seconds by modern standards.

This thing is such a beauty!

can we have more heritage fleet vids, they're so cool

My step dad has a 1989 Toyota MR-2 T bar and there is no rust what so ever, it's in brilliant condition.

YES, DO MORE HERITAGE. 80’s Hot Hatches 🙏🙏🙏

I owned one of these back in the 80s. Loved the handling and drove some 70000 miles in it. The balance was incredible - if you need a bit more oversteer, just lift off ever so slighty and it turns in just like you need. I don't remember ever spinning it. I had one epic drive down the Ligurian Alps to San Remo with the slope down making it accelerate like a Ferrari and sliding it in every bend of the serpentine road. Had to sell it when I moved up the corporate ladder. Miss it almost as much as my mk2 RS2000 :)

Mat: Burns the clutch out doing 0-60 runs. Toyota GB: So, what exactly happened?

I owned an MR2 identical to this colour year and everything it is the only car I have ever owned that I want back it was SOOOO good. Would definitely have one over an MX5

Speaking of Toyota's and the 80's , I believe I'm speaking for all when i say: We want a Toyota AE 86 Trueno Review!

Couldn’t wait till this video comes out. One of the legends of Japanese classics

Coincidental how Car Throttle just bought a mr2 too!

Matt, This is one of the better AW11 reviews I have seen. Props to you! You covered many of the issues these cars can have quite accurately. I have owned 7 AW11's over the years and currently own an 88' Supercharged MR2 that has been thoroughly sorted and fully restored. Everything from the A/C system be converted over to R134A to rebuilding all steering, suspension, brakes and even T-Tops seals has been completed and the car is basically a brand new 33 year old car. A change to an HKS supercharger pully brings the power safely up to 175hp motivating 2600lb (1180kg). One suggestion I have for aspiring owners looking for a good rust free car is to pull off the side skirts when inspecting these cars for rust issues. Rust loves to hide just where you said in the video... down in the lower A Pillars. By pulling the side skirts you can really see where the water and debris likes to cause mayhem. Also, these cars are now over 30 years old and most of them are still operating on their original fuel pumps (located on top of the fuel tank located in the hump between the driver and passenger seats). It's a pain to pull the fuel tank and change the pump but in my experience it can wake these cars up. Not only will it solve many driveability issues but also can help the motor produce fully power that can be lost due to age and the original electric fuel pump motor loosing it's ability to push fuel. Lastly the steering rack has a little plastic busing located on the passenger side of the steering rack that wears out over years of use. It is a very inexpensive part and easy to replace and it completely transforms the steering in these cars. Rarely are these bushings ever dealt with by previous owners and most people that drive an AW11 have no idea how much better these cars actually are with a simple $10 part.

My 5th grade teacher had one of these. I didn’t know back then how cool she was. She spent time in Japan as an English teacher.

We need more classic car reviews Loved this one

I had a red one in 1987, i even had a carphone fitted, I felt like Don Johnson!

I have an 'F' reg T-Bar one of these in White with black leather interior. Had it since it was 11 months old and it still runs perfectly and is really fun to drive. No leaks from the targa roof and no rust. Good news about the value going up. I was thinking of selling it but may hang onto it longer now if it's an appreciating asset (unlike my other vehicles).

Thanks for great review . I've owned one for 22 year's and it's still a blast to drive and always makes me smile 😊

I love the windshield visibility in old cars. I drive a citi golf ( South African VW golf mk1 2006 ) and I feel more connected with the road than in a newer car.

Best car I ever had was the me of the final Honda S2000. No traction control or esp and 240bhp to the rear wheels on a front mid engine layout. Awesome car but scary as hell in the winter 😀

Fantastic Review, real blast from the past, I had one 15 years ago, picked it up for under 1k, my second ever car, WAS A FANTASTIC CAR TO OWN, taught me how to drive, ultimately the rust and lack of money to fix it killed it, I watched it get dragged out of the drive way because the rear wheels ceased, put on the back of a truck and literally driven off into the sunset 😭😭😭 MK1 MR2 you are dearly missed 😢

As soon as I signed my first teaching contract I bought an '85 in '88. I took it for a test drive and couldn't stop smiling. The best experience I've ever had driving.

Keep reviewing older cars, they’re fascinating and feel special unlike today’s copy pasta cars

More heritage cars please, Mat. 👍😎

More of this. Absolutely brilliant. The buyers guide stuff is like the Fifth Gear cheap alternatives segment but waay more in depth. Great work Mat!

A S2000 review would be good!

Hi Mat, I have this MR2 from 1985. Great review! It is sooo much fun to drive. And like you said, the car wants to be spanked. When people drive it, they always say "this car really wants you to go faster" even if they have a faster car, or of they are not a car lover at all. It says a lot. And the handling is so much fun, although risky. I have gone to track a lot of times, and it is just great fun. No need to make it faster, it is a true sportscar feeling. I have never felt the need for a faster car. Because they would just be faster, but usually don't give more joy to drive it. It is a relatively safe car in forward collisions, pretty good for that time. However, the real danger is hitting a tree after you spin it. Brakes are good, but not that good for track driving. I bought it for 1250 euro 10 years ago. But yeah, I need to probably put in some money to get rear wheel arch fixed and back on the road. But the engine is almost never a problem, even if it stands still for a couple of year.

Love it! More please. I actually owned a 1986 MR2 myself back in the day. It was such a fun car!

Thank you Mat. Really getting into your channel now! Appreciate your hard work and humorous!

Had one of these in 1990, the very first model, the closest ivr ever been to a motorcycle with 4 wheels, one of my very favorite cars, love em

Really good review. I had an identical one to this but on a D plate back in the early 90's and it's my favourite car ever. Replaced it with a Mk2 and while I also loved that, the AW11 topped it in my opinion. Love the point about the gear change - really smooth and the interior was awesome. Suffered from the rusted arches issue like many other owners but there were a number of after-market fixes. If I had the space now I would buy another. Saved for a Mk3 before they came out but was really disappointed by it on release and ended up getting a TT instead. Good advice about coolant and temperature - they've solid if you look after them properly but don't cut corners. Blew my head gasket - expensive fix but worth it to keep the car. A real classic and still looks awesome (especially from above!)

Yeah... You've nailed it Mat. More of these please. Cars are getting more artificial nowadays we tend to miss the joy of pure driving.

One of the many reasons I'm subscribed to you Matt is videos like this. Always wanted one of these, the dash is really 80s sci fi looking. I had a MK2 Gen3 N/A for a few years, most fun car I ever had.

More videos of that era cars are needed. Good old times. Great review. Thanks

I would be great to see a Nissan Silvia turbo, a friend had an 1987 example and back then it was fast

Being 50yrs young and the Eighty's being my era id like to see a few more cars from back then, The Escort mk2/mk3 , Mini GT, Astra GTE and so on....Oh and the XR3i but for me back then the Escort RS turbo, i had a 90 plate one in 1996 and had the thing took apart, de-rusted re-painted and she was an absolute blinder, god i miss that car!

I would love to see more videos on older cars. Let us know what you have decided to do about keeping your Mazda or getting the Toyota 😊 keep up the good work. I love your reviews they are honest

Please make more videos like this!! My grandad used to have one and it was hilarious!! Excelente car review!

Yes Mat, more heritage videos. Had one back in the 90s and loved it but something else loved mine even more......rust 🥺

Had one when I was 21, it was a great little car. Highly recommend!

i owned this exact car here in NY, bought it new in 1986 for about $15k, kept it for 7 years and sold it in 1993 with 73k miles. Same color, except the interior was black with gray cloth and mine had different rims but all else looks identical. I changed the oil every 3k miles, never had one issue with it. Never changed the brake pads nor rotors, i always engine braked. Did have the timing belt changed at about 60k miles. Was a blast to drive, it was my first manual transmission. Would love to have it back to drive again!! Now i have a 1999 C5 FRC with only 19k miles. An absolute legend and very rare since there was only just over 4k made in 1999.

Owned an NA MX-5 and a Mk1 MR2 back in the day. Two of my favourite cars ever. The MX-5 shaded it, but it was close. Loved the MR2 interior though. It died of terminal rust and oval bores in the end.

This car's shape reminds me of the Countach 😂😂

YES, more vintage car reviews!!!

JEEZ... This takes me back...! Back in the late 80s, I worked at a Mercedes dealership in Sheffield and we took in a Mk1 MR2 in p/x. The boss let me run it for the weekend before we traded it out - your comment "It just wants to be spanked...!" brought it all back. Rainy Sheffield roundabouts are a particular memory - the back end would step out at the merest poke of the throttle, providing you were in the upper end of the rev range. Just bliss... :-)

I used to have a 1989 Targa one (red of course). Was a great car. I ended up keeping it until 1999. Loved it. You’re so right about getting set up properly for corners. Especially in the wet. Plan it wrong and the weight will shift quite dramatically and induce quite a trouser soiling moment. But that is what made it such a driver’s car. You were so connected and it felt like it was a part of you. No hand holding nanny aids. Just pure fun.

I just subscribed just because you said you were gonna do more retro cars

Wanted one of these when I passed my test in 1988. Ended up with a 1978 Austin Allegro 🤣. It was a rare automatic. Try finding one of those to review.

You should definitely review more heritage cars for sure , my buddy had two of these first gen models , it was such a great car , I had a first gen Mazda Rx7 and we would always go for drives , with the sun roofs off LOL great memories !!!

Great review Mat, I always enjoy your great vids. In May, I managed to get my hands on a red 1999 MK1b Targa after years of searching with 45000 Miles on the clock from its first owner at a price of € 10.000,-. Since then, I have already received offerings of 15.000+, as cars of this quality are getting very rare and demand is skyrocketing among enthusiasts... so if you find a good one, don't hesitate to buy: This car is all about driving pleasure and very hard to match...

We had the supercharger in the Canadian models. They were alot of fun .

Mat has never been happier doing 0-60 mph in 8.91 seconds. 🤣

Loving these current reviews on older cars! Matt, have you ever driven the Vauxhall VX220?

I enjoyed this video. They are very hard to find and are nostalgic to watch. For those who are interested in buying them, they can be very practical as you are pointing out things to keep in mind.

I remember knowing someone with one of these in early 2000. And he said “I just can’t see why anyone would ever need more power then this.”

"You wont confuse this with anything else" The Fiero would like a word.

Great vid Mat. We've just taken delivery of our 1989 MR2 that's the almost identical to your review car. Really looking forward to taking it to a few meets and events soon.

Hey Mat! This is a great video of a great car. Not many people appreciate these legendary cars from a legendary era. So please do more videos of 80s & 90s JDM cars, especially 90s ones. I would like to see a Toyota Starlet EP82 GT Turbo reviewed as I own a quite special one. Cheers!

Man I remember when these were £500.🤣 Still think the Rev 3 Turbo Tin top is the best of all MR2s

I had an '89, T Bar roof, honestly the best car I ever had, soo much fun

Absolutely loved this review!!!!!

I’ve owned two of these, one with a 20v silver top swap, other with red top 4age. Don’t let the looks deter you, it’s like driving a go-kart. I’m surprised he didn’t talk about T-vis, when he was noticing the engine woke up a little after 4K rpm.

good idea matthew, keep on reviewing older cars for the elderly - like me '66 ! best regards, harald

Review the hot clio range - Williams, 16v, v6 etc !!

Awesome car great review! More of these oldies please 🔥

So nice to be re-acquainted with this lovely car. I had one back in the day and I always think of it as the best car I've ever owned - pure fun to drive and quite practical around town if you were single. Ahh well... If you are looking for one, go for the slightly improved '87 onwards' version (recognisable from the slightly enlarged air intake at the side), not the earliest version. They got better. Each of the three marks of MR2 had their own, unique 'drive', but for my money the Mk-1 was the best, marrying together sportiness with ride comfort better than the later versions. (Mk-3 also a lovely car in it's own right, but more of a basic 'go-kart' to drive.)

I honestly love the interior. Love the low dashboard and the many layers

My favourite car I have ever owned, by a long margin.

Keep those heritage cars coming! It's great to see pure ,untampered with examples reviewed with today's insights.

I'm actually excited about this review because as a kid I was fascinated with these cars or next door neighbour had a black one it sounded so great 👌

I literally have a 1989 MR to T-bar and it's such a fucking sick car I'm only 17 insurance is expensive but it's worth it

I think that's the same 4A-GE engine from the Toyota Sprinter Trueno that was featured in Initial D.

More videos like this Mat. ‘Twas an enjoyable watch.

I wonder what happened to the MR2 that Edd China fixed in series 2 of Wheeler Dealers.

Still think this was Toyota’s answer to Fiat's X 19, only more reliable. My brother had one for a short while, in white! I liked how you felt cocooned when you sat in it, as the transmission tunnel is so high, everything just wrapped around you. Not my cup of tea though.

Great video. I always loved how "TOYOTA" was reflected off the back window. You should get it, have a new experience!

Tak Mat. Endnu en fin video og præsentation fra din hånd. Gerne flere klassiske og nyklassiske som denne. Du er altid godt selskab.

To answer your question, yes. Keep them like this where you give an overview and then go for a ride.

1:08 *donut media pop up headlights song starts playing *

I defintely want to watch more videos like this. So lovely!

Mat's video posted 11 minutes ago me :watching in 144p and having a blue kind of effect on the screen. did youtube existed in 1990's

Those 4AGE engines are so revvy, imagine if you have the 20 valve version in the same car

Had this exact car, same colour and on a E reg. still my favourite car I’ve ever owned and wish never sold it 5 years ago🥲 Flew down the M25 everyday in it as my regular drive for 2 years and didn’t give me any trouble, only big smiles and fun.

Absolutely do more reviews. My first car was the first gen Honda CRX Si. In fact, it was between the MR2 and the Si and I went with the Honda. Both cars were so fun and drove like Go carts.

"...you can actually blow a head gasket..." EJ25 : yes.

Having tried the MR2, you have to try the Honda CRX now.

This has brought back some great memories! I used to own one in the 80’s when they first came out. B-Reg, two tone Oak Green/Champagne. It looked so modern ‘at the time’, felt like I was driving a Ferrari, superb handling…but when it rained it was lethal! After that I bought a 1991, Honda CRX 1.6 V-Tech and that was the dogs bollox, pissed all over the hatchbacks at the time, loved it. Try and get one of these Mat.🙏

Had one these, same year same colour. A real fun car but you had to watch for the snap oversteer in the wet. The big rear spoiler made the front end light and floaty at motorway speed. It was more at home on the twisties and the engine screaming behind your head made it even more enjoyable.

How many cars u wanna keep mat???

It has a 4AGE tho 😍

Bought a brand-new 1988 MR2 in two-tone metallic grey and silver. Drove 120,000 miles in FL, WV, MA & NC. It was an AWESOME car! It ate tires, but was so much fun to drive, reliable and very well built. The Poor Man's Ferrari...👍🏼

I bought Mine New in 1988. It's the supercharged version. Still have it and love it.

Classics are so much more interesting to watch and compare to newer cars imo!!

You still had RPMs to go in second gear… I guarantee your time would be quicker if you did not shift into third right before 60 mph

Thanks for this review mat

I owned a dark blue 86 with t-tops. Probably my favorite car. The T-tops were just great! It makes it so open and wind through those years. Yeah man! That engine was cutting edge for its time. 16 valve engines were a brand new thing for production cars. And I believe Toyota was the first to bring one to market. It first appeared in the GTS Corolla, and then the MR 2. It made around 112 HP, nothing today, but in 1986, 4 cylinders were getting more like 75. It does not use rocker arms, and the cams act directly on the valves with little shims in between, Which helped it rev so freely and smoothly. The transmission shifted incredibly smooth, and that tunnel was so high in the middle, that you could literally shift it with your wrist. Nothing but fond memories of this car

One of the greatest "put a shit eating grin on your face 24/7" cars of all time

Great review Mat. Just on the blinker control location, Japan still has the blinkers on the right and, here in Australia, we get right hand blinkers on our Japanese cars. Personally, I have no issues moving from right to left hand depending on the car I’m driving. I have a Subaru Liberty (Legacy) and a Citroën Dyane and the blinkers are on different sides. I did mount the blinker control on the right when I installed them on my 1927 Model T.