This is a revue of the 2001. I'll move it when the category shows up.

The MR2 (which stands for Mid-engined, Rear-drive, 2-seater) offers as much speed, cornering, and sheer excitement as roadsters costing twice as much. About the only problems are the lack of luggage space (engine in trunk and spare takes up most of the front compartment) and it can be uncomfortable for people over 5'10".

My rather small roommate (5' 10" with shoes and 5' 6" without) recently started a lease on this vehicle. So long as he isn't picking me up from the airport, I enjoy riding and driving this vehicle.

To begin with, the Spyder looks like it might have come off of Porsche’s production line, with the Boxster’s rear and the 917’s front-end, mounted on a compact 96.5" wheelbase. With an overall length of 153" and a sleek overall height of only 48.2", the MR2’s profile is low and wide — just what you’d expect in a speed demon. With a gross vehicle weight of only 2,195lbs., there’s not much unnecessary mass to push around, something that becomes apparent the minute you take the Spyder out for a run.

The MR2 accelerates briskly through its five gears, reaching 60mph in a fraction under seven seconds, but the thrills don’t stop there. I find that accelerating aver 80 mph is extremely easy in fifth gear. The Spyder also stops just as well as accelerates. The Spyder’s four-wheel ABS braking system is capable of stopping the beast in only 167'... as long as you’re not going over 70mph, that is.

Speed is a truly wonderful thing and the Spyder delivers. And the amazing handling lets you test the acceleration and speed in almost any conditions. The folks at Toyota know this and have equipped the MR2 with a newly developed electric/ hydraulic power steering unit that was designed to save weight while providing exceptional responsiveness and road feedback. Actually, the word "exceptional" just barely covers how responsive the steering is.

The bucket seats are nicely contoured and hold the driver securely in place through the tight turns. The tilt steering wheel and the shifter are nicely wrapped in leather and the AM-FM radio/cassette/CD audio system performs nicely (the entire center cluster console can be removed to save even more weight). I'm not impressed with the dials that look more like something you'd find on an oven than in a sports car. Oh, and you can't get leather seats.

In terms of storage, there are compartments behind the front seats and under the hood, but these really won’t hold more than a small overnight bag at best. In fact, the spare tire takes up most of the "trunk" space.

Although it is easy to operate, the convertible top is manual and can easily be lowered as to not affect wind resistence.

The Spyder comes in seven colors, including Absolutely Red and Solar Yellow, both of which were carefully designed to stimulate the trigger finger of any law enforcement officer with a radar gun. There’s a choice of four interior colors: black, red, yellow, or tan leather. You can also get the convertible top in either black or tan for the 2001 model. My roommate has the Red with Black top. Could he want any more attention?

With a base price of only $23,000, the Spyder is the roadster for the common short man. It offers the speed, handling, and driving thrills typically found in considerably more expensive rides. He's leasing his for about $280 a month but he did trade in something so I'm not sure what that comes out to.

Features
I know I've mentioned them, but let's do it again for the people who just like stats

- 1.8 liter, 4-cylinder, twin-cam, 16-valve, VVT-i, EFI engine producing 138hp and 127lbs./ft. of torque
- McPherson strut front and rear suspension
- Electric/hydraulic rack-and-pinion power steering
- Sequential manual transmission (SMT)
- 0-60 in 6.95 seconds
- 70-0 in 167 feet
- MPG: 25/city, 30/highway