UDel

So your Jeep is also your daily driver or something you will always have access to in the snow? If that is not the case then I would not recommend a rwd car, especially a little rwd sports car for someone in CO that has to drive it in the winter. Both cars are going to be pretty expensive to maintain, older SCs can be pretty expensive especially if something high priced needs replacing. If you want to stay with Toyota why not a used Celica, they are sporty, have a decent aftermarket support for mods, and much better in winter then a rwd car.
If not a Celica then maybe a Solara coupe.

If you have the Jeep at your disposal and want either a MR2 or SC I would figure your needs and what you want first because they are totally different. The MR2 is a sports car that is not practical or has room for anything should you decide to take a trip in it but they are fun and the only somewhat reliable mid engined car you are going to be able to get used for cheap. The SC is a good lux cruiser but not very sporty at all, it is much more practical and I would recommend it over the MR2 if it will be what you drive most of the time since it is much more comfortable and has room for friends and stuff if you decide to take a trip, beware of possible high repair bills though.

LunaVyohr

Oh wow, I didn't know that the older Miatas had bolt on hard tops. Interesting - I've never seen that.

I hope I never lease a car. To me, and I can't speak for anyone else, but it seems like a very stupid idea. I don't want to sign a contract so that I can pay to drive their property for a set amount of time. I want to OWN my first car, and I don't ever want to get caught up in that stuff.

I've driven worse cars in blizzards - a badly maintained Cougar and Grand Marquis come to mind. But, I wouldn't drive the MR2 in the snow unless there was absolutely no other way. I've said in my other posts that I would have the jeep at my disposal.

Unless it's a GT-4, Celicas do nothing for me. And the Solara? Ugly, FWD, convertible. I've NEVER liked the Solara.

Practicality doesn't matter to me as I've already said. I don't haul anyone around besides my girlfriend, and if I went in a long trip in it, I'd just need room for two suitcases really.

Above anything else, what makes me want the MR2 more than the SC at this point are the repair bills that come with owning a 20 year old luxury car, and the fact that I'd have to do a lot of modifying just to make the SC feel sporty.

1J0Z SC

iTrader: (7)

Honestly, my co-worker has a right hand drive MR2, it looks sick, its got the Berk exhaust, and is pretty quick for what it is. In any car repair bills come along with it, but then again its a Toyota. Parts will be easy to get, and once you get done it will be a ton of fun to drive. I recently purchased an 240SX S14, its a handle full because the wiring is a hack job, but my daily driver being an xB then hoping in my 240 on the weekend is a blast.

Ever think about a 240

LunaVyohr

I've looked into them, but I really honestly don't know anything about them. I'd consider them an option if I knew more about them. Enlighten me about the S14s.

84Cressida

What about a MKIII Supra? More practical than an MR2 and more sportier than an SC.

LunaVyohr

The 7M-GE. Unless I could find a MKIII for relatively cheap with that horrible engine already swapped out, I would NOT spend money on one of those.

LunaVyohr

I've also heard that parts for those cars are rather expensive and that they have a looooot of problems.

Joey-E

iTrader: (1)

Stay with the MR2 or SC

KillaIS250

iTrader: (1)

Get a 97-01 Honda Prelude SH =P

LunaVyohr

How about no.

DLo_IS300

iTrader: (3)

I agree, the 7mge is notoriously known for blowing head gaskets.

1sWt2GS

iTrader: (6)

defintely MR2

FrankReynoldsCPA

This may not be a popular opinion here, but based on my experience, if you want a decently affordable sporty car with some style, get yourself a mid-to-late 90's Firebird or Camaro with the LT1 or LS1 engines. They will be difficult to work on(but so is the Lexus), but parts are significantly cheaper and they haul ***. They might not ride as nice as a Lexus(they're not luxury cars), but i've driven them and they are fun as hell. Especially if you get the t-tops. I can't say anything about the SC400, i've never touched one, but my LS400 does have plenty of get up and go for me(right now), and has a nice ride. But for cost of parts, I probably wouldn't go this route again.

CarGuy89

Both are good choices. I know you're pretty set on Toyota, but I also want to toss in a 90s BMW E36 3 series. Those are pretty solid cars, offer a nice balance of handling/luxury, still look sharp and come in many difference body styles. I had a 90s E34 5 series for 1 yr in college and loved it (more so than the 328 i got after that). The car sat outside for the entire yr and gave me no problems at all. 90s German cars are built like tanks and don't really have that many electronics to go wrong. Just a thought.

LunaVyohr

Someone I know bought a 1995 M3 recently and it's been nothing but problems for him. I like german cars, but I'll never buy one unless it has a warranty. Thanks for the suggestion, though.