Toyota MR2

Roughly 20,000 of your UK Pounds or 26,000 Euro buys you a brand new example of Toyota's little Midship Runabout 2 or MR2.

Toyota turned the sports car world upside down when they brought out their first affordable MR2 - cheaper than a front engined Celica, and about half the price of anything else with a Mid Engine platform.

In MK3 form, the MR2 is a real motoring bargain - really great fun to drive almost £10,000 cheaper than a Boxster - that's 50% of the cost of an S.

But before you think we've gone raving mad, let's consider some of the other factors:-

For starters it's not a Porsche - Toyota may be doing great things on the Grand Prix Track, but they simply can't shed their mass market image, not so long as they build mass market cars - why else did they bring out the Lexus brand for their prestige vehicles?

In performance terms, the MR2 can't quite match the Boxster for handling, and power is way down on even the 2.7l Porsche.  But it's light at just under 1000KG which is about 25% less than a Boxster.  So its 140bhp translates directly to 141bhp per tonne,  compared with the Boxster's 182bhp per tonne and the Boxster S with 200bhp per tonne.  Gearing is well suited to the car, giving it a great 0-60 time of 7.6 seconds and the ability to reach 100mph in 23.5. 

In the fuel consumption figures, it's no contest, the MR2 having official figures of 38.2 combined, and in real terms that means your Boxster could use 50% more fuel than the little Toyota when driven fast - so if you're spending say £3,000 per annum on petrol, you could be saving over a grand if you were driving an MR2 - and that's a lot less global warming too.

Regarding car insurance the MR2 wins again, with its amazing group 13 rating, compared with the 18 of the Boxster, and the ridiculous rating of the Boxster S which is a group 19 car.  This can make a massive difference to costs, particularly for young drivers, or anyone who has had a claim or a conviction.

Other running costs should be reasonable on the MR2 - its tyres, which like the Boxster are larger at the rear, are still much cheaper than those of the Porsche - expect to pay £120 to £150 per boot if you shop around, and they wear reasonably well for a sports convertible, so you're getting good value for money.

Luggage space is where the MR2 really loses out to Boxster - to keep weight to a minimum it's been made as small as possible, and that leaves almost zero room for storage space - two tiny compartments behind the drivers seat are all you get  - no boot (or trunk) to speak of at either the front or rear - if what you're after is purely a fun car then this could be the car for you - but if you expect to use it for practical purposes then you may have to rule it out.

So to sum up, yes, the MR2 is a great convertible sports car, and offers real value for money.  But if you're after a practical every day car with an adequate amount of storage space, or want the extra prestige of the Porsche badge, or the extra power across the range of the 6 cylinder Boxer engine, then the Porsche Boxster wins hands down, every time. 

No contest for us though several million MR2 owners wouldn't agree.