1973 914 2.0L vs. 1993 Toyota Mr2

[mfgriggs]

My wife finally gave me the go ahead for a sports car. I am only considering mid-engine cars. The candidates have so far been 1988 fiero GT, 1973 914 2.0L, and a 1993 toyota Mr2 Turbo. I would appreciate any comments and advice on the above selection. I once owned a 914 and truly loved it, but I was not careful when I bought it and it rusted out from under me. I am hesitant to buy a fiero because I have heard many bad things about them. I really like the Mr2. It seems MUCH quicker than my 1974 914. I think I have found a great price on the 93 Mr2 Turbo at $8200. This price should also get me a decent 914. What do you guys think? Would you go with a sweet 914 or the Mr2??

Thanks

Mark

[oredith]

Hi Mark,
I think you're talking to the wrong crowd if you're looking for a go on the MR2... The people who sit here and read these posts are probably also in therapy over our 914's.. we just love 'em..
I'm somewhat biased on the MR2 turbo.. my roommate works for Toyota in Torrance.. he owns a 95 supra twin turbo.. the turbo is fun, and it's definitely fast.. almost scarry fast, but i'd take my 914 over it any day..
in the end.. it's really your opinion.. drive them both.. and make the decision yourself...

good luck,

Jeff

[John Rogers]

There is snob appeal in any brand of sports car. The 914 seems to have a bigger "fun" factor, i.e. very little luxary, air-cooled engine noise, squeaky targa top, head lights that sometimes don't go up, weird electrical systems, no real windshield washer, etc, etc, etc. But then again we only own two of them now so I am not an expert....

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Depends on what you want out of the car, really.

The 88 Fiero may be the only good year out of that model. That is, if it's the last year. I heard (quite a while ago) that the last model year Fieros improved a LOT--just in time to be killed off by the bean-counters.

The MR-2 is certainly the most modern of the bunch. It will most likely be the most reliable (though don't count on it to be there every single day) and probably gives the V6 Fiero a good run on the dragstrip. It should handle quite nicely as well, from what I hear.

The 914 is, surprisingly enough, in some ways the most "practical" of the choices. Mostly in that you can carry ten tons of stuff in that sizeable front trunk, especially if you put the spare in the back. It is also about as reliable as all but the "best" year of Fiero (i.e., not very), is rather rust prone, is loud, leaky, harsh riding, has very few creature comforts, a nasty shift linkage, notorious brakes, very little power (relatively speaking)... And so on and so forth.

It has a lot more "character" than the others, and will put you more in tune with the road. I think it's more fun to drive, but I am just a *wee* bit biased. It is also simple enough that *I* can work on it, which the others are not, from what I hear. In particular, the Toyota is supposed to be a real maintenance headache.

One car not on the list is the Fiat X-1/9. It is everything the 914 is, but more so. It is smaller, lighter weight, has (a bit) better handling, is more prone to rust, has worse brakes, a sloppier shift linkage, and is even more underpowered. All the 914s vices, but moreso. Most of the 914s virtues, but moreso. The 914 is better, of course--the top-down fun factor, the simplicity of the design and maintenance, and the extra cargo space more than make up for the rest.

I know which car *I'd* choose. But I'm not you, am I?

--DD

[This message has been edited by Dave_Darling (edited 06-28-99).]

[jmcleod]

if you're in the position of making a choice, i'd recommend modern/up to date over antique, the MR2. consider all the posts here about rust, corrosion of terminals, fi vs. carbs, and other stuff about troubleshooting 914s, a modern car should have less of this than a 914. i personally couldn't troubleshoot and repair an all electronic car (MR2) but i did get a 74 914 running. for me, there is no choice (914).

[Alpine]

Most 914s need a lot of repair and maintenance so unless you are a very good mechanic or have lots of money to pay somebody to repair the car the 914 may not be your best choice. But then again there are not too many affordable mid-engined sports cars available so if you insist on one the 914 is probably among the best.

Alpine

[Neal Colingham]

I just got my 76 2.0 running as a daily driver. The MR2 is a nice car but I have had more fun crawling around on the floor of my garage than I have in years. I inherited this 914 from my dad who bought it new in 76 (7200 dollars). The feedback I get driving it is worth every bit of extra work it requires. To sit so low and to feel every bump is awesome!.
Pick a clean 914,have it checked top to bottom and go german. The MR2 has no SOUL!
P.S there is so much aftermarket stuff to spend money on and so many willing people to give you guidence.

Let's see, countless websites devoted to Porsche, with five to ten hardcore 914 sites. How many MR2 sites are there?

If you want a clone car, buy the MR2 or if you have the $$$, the Boxster, if you want unique get the 914.

[This message has been edited by Michael (edited 06-30-99).]

[John Nguyen]

Get both, the 914 and a MR2... You could enjoy the 914 on weekends and the MR2 daily...
I got a 73 2.0L that i totally love, and a 85 MR2 w/ custom turbo kit! driven daily.

BTW: There's ALOT of web-sites for the MR2...

my $.02

[mfgriggs]

I would love to buy both, but I already have a 1994 Mazda B3000 pickup truck, a geo metro, a 1999 jeep cherokee and a 1967 beetle. The wife is sick of cars.

[bonz]

I know exactly what Neal Colingham means. I am 17 and have been restoring/driving the 74 2.0 that my dad bought new after his 73 Lotus Elan was totaled. Ever since I was a little kid I loved that car. I always told my parents that I wanted it, and they kept it siting for the last 8 years in our garage for me. There is nothing that quite gives the exilerating feeling that the 914 gives. The wind in your face, the enigine right behind you, the stiff suspension, everything about that car has character. I also have an 89 Mustang LX 5.0. Even that can be somewhat dull compaired to the 914 on a clear sunny summer day with the top off and a open country road ahead. Yes the 914 does need a lot of maitence, but have you ever looked under the hood of a Mr2. A friend of mine at school has a Mr2 turbo. I would hate to work on that, there is even less space under there then in the 914. Go with the 914, I find it is most often my daily driver.

[7391417]

I have owned my 914 for about a year now. It replaced my first car an 88 honda about five months after I saw a white rusting 914 at a stoplight, when I got home I asked my dad what kind of car this little square sporty looking car was (It doesn't seem square anymore though). After I saw that 914 I just felt that I had to have one no matter what. We talked to a friend of ours who is heavy into porsches and he gave us the pointers. I found an all original 73 914 1.7 in perfect condition. I have used the car as my everyday driver (7000 MI this year, I don't have far to drive) with less maintainence costs than either of my parents "new" cars. I would say go with the 914 (of course). My dads car is fast and comfortable but there is something about my 914 that I like better despite it quirks and its 0 -60 time of 13sec. (if you drive one you know what I meen)But its all about the handling, I can lose about 90% of the cars on the road in the twisties. Anyways Go for the 914 especially if it's not your everday driver (I'm working on getting an extra car)just be carefull of what you buy Look at everything in detail!

[Dave Bell]

Let's see, I have owned my 914 for only 3-months now, it has a crack in the windshield, needs a few small rust spots fixed, (maybe more than I think!), interior will need lots of TLC, but everywhere I go in this little machine, people stop and talk to me about it, at work, at the gas pump, up in the hills driving it around, my neighbor after seeing it went out and bought a copy of Excellence magazine, read it and then gave it to me. In short I cannot imagine people coming to talk to me so much about an MR2. I don't initiate these encounters, they come and talk to me and this 914 in its present state is in the 30 percentile range or lower in terms of looks compared to other 914's.

Hey, everyone knows that is is fun to drive, but the interaction with other people it stirs up is probably just as fun... and of course that just makes it more fun to drive.

Oh yea, forgot one thing, even with old lousy tires on it still and having not touched the supension, I left a few motorcycles behind me on some mountain roads a few weeks ago and they were pretty upset as they were trying to chase me down and kept getting stuck behind other traffic. They finally caught up with me back in town... the 914, for me, really is all about driving fast on them curves, low to the ground and with the wind blowing.

[This message has been edited by Dave Bell (edited 07-01-99).]