Want RWD. AW11 vs AE86

[Rogue-AE95]

I already have two cars, a del Sol and an All-Trac wagon. So I've got FWD and AWD. Been thinking about getting something RWD, and to that, thinking about either an AW11 or an AE86. I see pros and cons for both, with the most notable con (to me anyway) being working in the MR2 engine bay. I've only seen a few in person at the junkyards but the bay seems to have limited room to get in there. Only other con would be that it's a 2-seater, and I already have one of those (del Sol). But mid-engine RWD fun... and I love that boxy rear.

For both, a negative would be getting replacement body parts since they're older. They're not as common in my area. I was thinking about daily driving whichever one I ended up deciding on. So there's that to think about. Ideally I'd have unlimited space (and more income) and buy both, along with a 1st gen Honda CR-V 4WD The CR-V for outdoors/off-road adventures, All-Trac for street sleeper, del Sol & MR2 for daily / track use, AE86 as a fun backup car (plus it's a four-seater). Yes, I'm crazy and have a sickness.

[hachigo87]

I've personally owned and daily driven both. I had an '89 t-top MR2 I bought with 89k on it and I have my 85 GT-S now.

Honestly, even up here in Pennsylvania MR2's are in junkyards and pretty reasonable to find parts for. That aside, MR2OC is your home should you buy an AW11. They're a great community and any part you could ever need will show IP in the classifieds eventually. I have ironically done head gasket repairs on both cars and believe it or not the 2's aren't that bad. Your back will hate you some days but in the end its still a 4AGE and they really are pretty user friendly.


You have a Del-Sol now, so you know what the in-cabin experience is like every day. It was a fun daily, just didn't have room for jack squat at the end of the day. Personally, look around on Craigslist, the forums, etc and test drive both, talk to the owners and really get a feel for both platforms. I miss my MR2 some days because it was just so clean, but I myself am a RWD guy at heart. Don't get me wrong, those MR2's handle fantastically out of the box for what they are, but its not the same. That and you'll learn pretty quick to not lift your foot off the accelerator around a corner when you're really pushing the limits (see: snap over steer)

[Rogue-AE95]

Thanks for the reply. I'm debating whether to look at an MR2 for sale in my area... I have enough projects between my other two cars at the moment though. I think I'm leaning more towards getting an AW11 someday.

[asjoseph]

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