Used Car of the Day: 2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder

by Tim Healey

June 8th, 2023 12:30 PM

used car of the day 2003 toyota mr2 spyder

We haven't featured a Toyota MR2 in this space very often -- maybe ever. This one is based in Florida, and sadly not a stick.

The car will be available in July and have around 130K miles on the clock at that time. The seller says it will have new spark plugs, an oil change, and new trans fluid by then. The battery is new, too.

The car is apparently in good shape but has some minor issues.

If you want to check it out, click here. The ask is $8,500.

[Images: Seller]

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2 of 13 comments

Theflyersfan on Jun 08, 2023

Oh boy - the sequential manual transmission. Otherwise known as "Your 16 year old driving stick the first time is smoother" transmission. I know automakers were trying new things out around this time and seeing what would stick (hint: the dual clutches won out), but even in testing, the Toyota engineers should have said いいえ、ジャンクです。(No. It's a piece of junk.) Is this seller going to get $8500? Doubt it. Way too much interior work is needed and it just looks worn out in there. St. Petersburg - salt air year round can do some wonders under the cover as well. But the exterior still looks good which makes me thing it was garage kept. So, for $8,500 - no chance. But for maybe $5,500 to $6,000 and the buyer doesn't mind some extra work to clean up the interior, maybe a decent top down sun down fun car. Just hope the transmission holds up.

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========Read all comments======== on Aug 06, 2023

The MR2 is a blast to drive, particularly with the manual transmission. The automatic takes a lot away, but it still handles great and is a joy on a warm, sunny day.
The Corolla mechanicals make it very dependable, but there are a few maintenance projects that are more difficult with the rear engine.
This guy would be smart to reupholster the seat - it devalues the car more than it would cost to make it look nice.
There are a couple of MR2s in my town that I would love to own, both in pristine condition. One is yellow, the other is green with a tan top. They are to Toyota what the Miata is to Mazda. Driving nirvana, no matter what TTAC's resident bile-spewing idiot in the first post has to say about such a wonderful car.

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