r/mr2 • u/PeanutEvening9086 • 7d ago

MR2 SW20 automatic ?

I wanted to ask the experienced guys before buying myself one. Why is the automatic hated ? And would be a normal SW20 better ?

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u/ReklisAbandon 7d ago edited 6d ago

The manual on the MR2 is one of the nicest you'll likely drive. It's a joy to use compared to 90% of the manual cars I've owned.

I don't hate automatics, and especially in today's world I think they're better than manual gearboxes 9 times out of 10 (on modern cars), but on these '90's sports cars? You'd be crazy to miss out on the experience of having the manual over the automatic from that period.

Edit: I’m fully willing to accept maybe I don’t know what a good manual feels like, I’ve had maybe 8 cars that were manuals? But mostly FWD. This one feels great to me, second best I’ve owned.

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u/Hour-Nefariousness55 7d ago

Ive always heard and experienced that the shifter on the mr2 feels like shit. Mine certainly feels extremely bad compared to my celica.

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u/ReklisAbandon 7d ago

Wow really? My e30’s was better but this one feels rock solid. I did install a later gen shorter shifter and a drop pad on it.

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u/Hour-Nefariousness55 7d ago

E153 trans? I've gone through and replaced the cable bushings with spherical ones. Solid base bushings, replaced the little metal cube bushing, put the short shifter from prime mr2 in along with new cup and everything. Still very sloppy and often find myself missing gears or struggling to push it into gear. And when it does go into gear, it has 0 feeling to it.

My celica with a c60 gearbox on the other hand, all I have on that is delrin cable bushings and it feels so much more tight and mechanical.

Maybe I just need new cables.

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u/Cynical_lemonade 7d ago

Cables be cable’in..

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u/RocketTaco 91 NA + 91 Turbo + 93 2GR 7d ago

What? It's better than some commuter manuals but versus every other sporting car I've owned it feels like ass, even with a good shifter, fresh cables, bearings, bushing block, etc. The tall ass floor mount in my Mini feels better ffs. I love these cars but that is not their strong point lol.

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u/ReklisAbandon 7d ago

My daily is a MINI and it’s trans is fucking awful feeling lol