MR2's wheelbase is seven inches longer than the Mazda Miata's and about an inch longer than the Porsche Boxster's and Honda S2000's. The MR2's newness and novelty are unassailable image advantages over the Miata; since relatively few MR2s are planned, owners won't see another car like theirs on every street corner, as it can seem with the Miata on a warm summer evening.

On those evenings, the manual convertible top works easily, and can be lowered from the driver's seat, although the owners manual is required reading first. The roof folds nicely into the boot as a parallelogram, instead of the usual setup that flips over and collapses. Like the much more expensive Boxster, the folded top lies low, so no boot is needed, although dealers offer them for a handsome look. Unlike the Boxster and the S2000, the MR2 features a glass rear window with a very useful defroster, although the window vibrates a lot, making images in the rearview mirror jiggle. You can't always tell if that's a cop behind you or not.

Storage space is very minimal; there are compartments behind the seats and under the front hood, but you could hardly call it a trunk up there.

An unusual aspect of the MR2 Spyder is the space frame with bolt-on fenders. The design is similar to that of the long-gone Pontiac Fiero in that damaged components are easily and thus more cheaply replaced. It also lends itself to fairly easy customization by the youthful customers Toyota covets, though it's difficult to imagine this being done to an MR2.