Toyota MR2 mk3 Roadster Tyres

On this page you will find the best real world tyre reviews from owners of the Toyota MR2 mk3 Roadster.

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Tyre Reviewed Dry Grip Wet Grip Feedback Handling Wear Comfort
Nokian Line (65) 92% 90% 89% 89% 82% 86%
Vredestein Sportrac 5 (98) 88% 85% 84% 83% 86% 84%
Toyo Proxes CF2 (103) 88% 83% 82% 83% 84% 86%
Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08R (44) 95% 73% 91% 93% 72% 70%
Yokohama Advan Neova AD08 (30) 94% 72% 90% 90% 70% 74%
Toyo R1R (31) 95% 81% 91% 90% 60% 71%
Bridgestone Adrenalin RE002 (108) 90% 82% 82% 80% 77% 77%
Bridgestone Adrenalin RE003 (90) 91% 78% 83% 87% 71% 73%
Semperit Speed Life 3 (2) 85% 90% 80% 90% 80% 75%
Nokian WetProof (21) 88% 92% 76% 84% 65% 81%
Vredestein Quatrac 5 (37) 82% 79% 80% 82% 82% 85%
Dunlop Direzza DZ03 (7) 94% 66% 89% 89% 71% 47%
Nankang AR 1 (36) 91% 46% 85% 88% 70% 66%
Nankang NS2R (60) 89% 66% 82% 84% 72% 55%
Uniroyal RainSport 5 (68) 77% 86% 70% 69% 75% 80%
Toyo T1R (288) 83% 69% 75% 75% 63% 70%
Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08RS (32) 73% 64% 73% 71% 79% 68%
Jinyu YW51 (17) 70% 67% 63% 58% 71% 70%
Marangoni Zetalinea (15) 72% 45% 64% 64% 68% 57%
Wanli S1088 (85) 57% 35% 41% 39% 59% 38%

Toyota MR2 mk3 Roadster Tyre Review Highlights

Writing about the Semperit Speed Life 3 given 77% (195-45-16-)
Driving on mostly motorways for 12000 easy going miles
Bought these as they were recommended in German tyre tests. Do not disappoint in daily driving, and plenty of enjoyment when driving a bit more sporty.

Major gripe for me, and reason I won't buy them again: they are very sensitive to standing. Even after a few days I get a shaky steering wheel for the first few kilometers on the motorway. It is not a faulty tyre as during a test with 3.0 bars (45? Psi) the shaking is gone instantly.
tyre reviewed on 2023-08-10 03:31:44
Writing about the Dunlop Direzza DZ03 given 69% (225-45-17-)
Driving on mostly country roads for 3000 spirited miles
MR2 W30 2ZZ I tracked them twice, lap times improved compared to the AR-1, even though i went with a square setup (205/50/15) instead of staggered (205/225 AR1s). Excellent dry grip, not really pushed them on wet roads, VERY noisy, comfort level comparable to any semislick tyre out there, with hard sidewalls. As with the AR1s, though, i only managed around 4.000 Km and 40-50 heat cycles over 9 months of use (120 Km on track). Rears are toast. Fronts still have some tread, but take much longer to get to temp. Would 100% recommend them to anyone wanting PURE GRIP, i would definitely buy again, but they are getting hard to source and more expensive lately...
tyre reviewed on 2021-10-19 15:10:34
Writing about the Toyo Proxes CF2 given 87% (215-45-16-)
Driving on a combination of roads for 2500 average miles
I bought as a pair for the rear, these toyo proxes CF2 since where mid range priced tyres. I'm always afraid of driving my mr2 in the rain, but these toyo, definatly changed my mind. In the wet they excel very good. In the dry can't complain, feels good, grips good, can abuse a bit in the corners. Wear can't say much, since I've driven them for around 2 to 3k miles with them fitted.
tyre reviewed on 2021-10-12 09:40:25
Writing about the Wanli S1088 given 71% (235-40-17-W)
Driving on mostly country roads for 10000 spirited miles
These tyres are great on the front only of a roadster with RWD. Nowhere else. Underrated, mostly misplaced on wrong cars and at the rear.
tyre reviewed on 2021-01-12 02:51:19
Writing about the Nokian WetProof given 96% (215-45-16-V)
Driving on a combination of roads for 1800 spirited miles
Toyota MR2 roadster 2004, This is the second time I have purchased Nokian tyres and I am not disappointed, the car feels as if it’s on rails in wet weather and there is great steering feel, done about 1800 miles on them so far with no issues I previously had Nokian line which I loved and had done about 36000 on before changing but there was no stock of these when changing so bought wetproof instead. You can really transform the handling of a car by picking the correct tyre
tyre reviewed on 2020-07-04 16:46:31
Writing about the Nankang NS2R given 80% (205-40-17-)
Driving on mostly country roads for 12500 spirited miles
Running these on my MR-S. When there is some heat in them they stick insanely good to the road. Handling is very predictable, I'm on my second set now and grip never vanished abruptly, always very talkative at the limit. Feedback from the front is a bit more sparse if the tire isn't warm but that almost certainly has to do with almost no weight in the front too, so not sure how another 180 tw tire would handle this. I can run them for two seasons ~20k km. Especially for lightweight cars with not too much power these are the best for their price. Wet handling is solid and no surprises here either although you'll of course need to handle them like what they are in wet conditions.
tyre reviewed on 2020-05-07 09:24:59
Writing about the Uniroyal RainSport 5 given 89% (195-50-15-)
Driving on track for 200 spirited miles
Gave the Rainsport 5's a go this weekend at Oulton Park and it just so happens Storm Dennis was in full effect. So glad I did as conditions were horrendous. I was very nervous about going out on track on unknown tyres in my mid-engine MR2. I needn't be though as they were unbelievable. So much better than the Rainsport 3's I'd used previously. Wet grip 11, wet handling 11, wet braking 11. I had to reduce tyre pressures by 10 psi and was getting brake fade with track pads in they produced so much grip/heat. Highly recommended for wet weather driving. See for yourself here on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dm8qtcGU_4&t=270s
tyre reviewed on 2020-02-17 07:22:26
Writing about the Nokian Line given 90% (215-45-16-)
Driving on mostly country roads for 25000 spirited miles
I was dubious about what I read about these tyres but have not been disappointed. Handling in the wet is amazing and the car has never slid or had any unexpected oversteer no matter how I’ve pushed it .
These tyres are amazing and I will definitely be buying them again, done about 25000 miles and still got plenty of tread left, very quiet on the road. On the Mr2 roadster forums I have mentioned them for being so good but people just talk about the known brands and underestimate Nokian , dry handling is equally as good.
Had a set of Sunnis on before these which felt like you were driving on ice when it rained,
tyre reviewed on 2019-10-14 16:24:03
Writing about the Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08R given 88% (215-45-16-)
Driving on a combination of roads for 300 spirited miles
My car has staggered sizes, so this is also a review of 185/55 15 front tyres.

Brilliant tyres, straight up, but fairly hardcore. Great fun. You feel everything through the steering. These tyres fundamentally change the whole feel of my car. The steel reinforced sidewalls literally make the car feel like it's had stiffer suspension fitted. Ideal for enthusiastic drivers, but, understandably, they ride a little harder than average. To me, that's worth it for the razor sharp turn in.

They tramline a little on my medium profile front tyres - not enough to bother me, but you do notice. Anyone with 19" or 20" fronts on ultra low profile rubber should weigh that up carefully before pulling the trigger.

Dry grip and exceptional feel are these tyres' forte. Wet grip is OK (but I have separate winter wheels/tyres and would not advise pushing these tyres in cold, wet conditions). Feel in the wet remains good. 10/10 dry, 7.5/10 wet.

Sadly, these tyres have been discontinued, replaced by the AD08RS which has a lower rolling resistance. I hope this does not affect grip and feel. Time will tell. Looking forward to seeing some reviews on the RS.
tyre reviewed on 2019-04-06 11:06:39
Writing about the Nankang AR 1 given 71% (205-45-15-)
Driving on a combination of roads for 3000 spirited miles
Great track tyre, great value for money, on the same class as R888 and R888R by Toyo. Not especially good in wet roads, of course not recommended for a daily driver due to noise, stiffness, warm up times etc. A great tire for the weekend track car and the occasional mountain road, as long as you warm them up a bit first, then push the car. I tried both 195/50/15 and 205/45/15 and i can recommend the latter, as they basically are a 215 width tire, branded as a 205. Can achieve the same lap times for 5-10 fast laps, then they need cooldown. Tread is very few mm, will wear down very fast if you hit the track often, but the dry grip stays high even when worn.
tyre reviewed on 2018-12-19 08:42:49
Writing about the Vredestein Quatrac 5 given 85% (215-45-16-V)
Driving on a combination of roads for 100 spirited miles
My car actually has staggered sizes, so this is also a review for 185/55 15 fronts.

Really pleased. Instantly felt planted. Got the car out on some tasty roads, and it delivered.

I got these all season tyres just for use over winter to avoid any hairy moments on frosty mornings in this mid engined vehicle. Summer tyres will go back on in April. I was deliberately seeking the sportiest feel possible from a tyre with snow and ice capability. According to the 2018 AMS All Season Tyre Test, usefully archived on this website, this Vredestein might just be that tyre. Although it came 5th out of 7th overall, the test awarded it best steering feel and a score of 9 for subjective feel - as good as the reference summer tyre (Continental Premium Contact 5). I wanted winter safety without really compromising sportiness and feedback, and I believe I have achieved that. These are actually more fun to drive on than the, admittedly pretty average, summer tyres I had before, and I think that speaks volumes. For a siped tyre to feel sportier than a summer tyre, even an unremarkable one, is a real achievement.

The much vaunted Michelin Crossclimate isn't available in my size, so I can't compare it. But everything I've read and what I experienced today out on some twisty back lanes tells me these are actually better; at least for enthusiastic drivers. There isn't any such thing as a sports winter or all season tyre in 15" sizes. But if there was, this would be it.
tyre reviewed on 2018-11-16 17:58:26
Writing about the Bridgestone Adrenalin RE003 given 89% (225-45-17-)
Driving on a combination of roads for 0 spirited miles
So far so good in the Mr2 Spyder 2zz NA, acceleration and cornering feels more stable & very grippy during spirited drives, wet grip is better than my old tires, very happy
tyre reviewed on 2018-05-15 04:24:03
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