Hey Guys. I'm going to be buying an '87 MR2 AW11 soon.
I was wondering if you guys can tell me a bit about the safety of the car?
I know being an 80's car it won't have airbags, but I heard that its crumple design is really advanced.
Can you guys please give me more information, because I can't find anything online. Thanks.
Also general experiences with the car would be great.

If your really worried about safety then an AW11 may not be the car for you. I remember seeing a NRMA safety rating brochure once of a whole load of different cars, looked up my AW and it scored a 2 out of 5 star rating, compared to modern cars that are 5 stars.
 
That said. it all does come down to the accident. I got hit up the arse from 100km in an old car of mine, I say from as I am sure the guy must have taken some speed off by hitting the brakes. and I didn't get any jarring injuries. Also I have T-boned a person who pulled out directly infront of me. Hit them at 60km with zero braking as it was too close. I bruised my knees pretty badly. these days though I am having knee problems so not sure if they are related. I know another bloke who got hit by a 4WD and pushed into an on coming car and he had no injuries. Another one got hit by an oncoming car who fell asleep and dirfted across the lanes and hit him with both of them going 80km. the car was a mess, and he only had minor cuts and bruising.
 
so really, its a gamble. But if you love the car you will take that gamble

No airbags or ABS. Seatbelts and seats are very well made to withstand crashes.
 
True the front is very well made and designed to absorb energy on impact. The rear is part of the monocoque however so whilst there is also room for energy absorbing in the boot panel area, they are still susceptible to transfer energy to the cabin in the case of a bad shunt from the rear. Side impact is good due to factory protection in the doors (no side bars needed to be added for ADR approval on import).
 
I doubt the AW11 is any worse than a lot of 80's cars for driver safety, but if you have a bad back I don't expect it would be a pleasant experience being shunted from the rear. Nor would whiplash.
 
Where the AW11 does shine though, and unfortunately this doesn't appeal well to insurance companies, is it's ability as a handling car to mitigate situations. 4 wheel disc brakes will pull you up quickly before they lock, and the superb handling should get you out of most situations.
 
If you are concerned about safety, I'd advise you just buy a new car. If you want a sports car from the 80's that embrasses a lot of new sports cars, then the AW11 is for you.

By the way out of the 5 star rating at least one star is for pedestrian safety, so 2 star rating isn't all that bad.
 
The first great wall's that came to australia only managed HALF a star.

Just wanted to add that my 1989 AW11 JDM import had door intrusion bars fitted when it landed in Australia for compliance I assume.  So not 100% sure about that no side bars needed statement above.

They'd have a low rating due to the lack of airbags & trickery (stability control, ABS etc) that's mandated for todays new cars. For their time, I'd consider them safe (like all Toyotas) & wouldn't classify them as a "death trap" unless you own a rusted lemon.

Mrskylighter
Just wanted to add that my 1989 AW11 JDM import had door intrusion bars fitted when it landed in Australia for compliance I assume.  So not 100% sure about that no side bars needed statement above.

It had them fitted? My engineers report for compliance says they are factory fitted that comply with ADR, so no additional intrusions bars needed.

maj

Mrskylighter
Just wanted to add that my 1989 AW11 JDM import had door intrusion bars fitted when it landed in Australia for compliance I assume.  So not 100% sure about that no side bars needed statement above.

It had them fitted? My engineers report for compliance says they are factory fitted that comply with ADR, so no additional intrusions bars needed.

Mine are definitely aftermarket custom made (Non OEM). Weird :)
 
Have you seen the OEM ones inside your doors?

Yeah there are factory bars (though admittedly they are very basic) but I guess it's up to an engineers discretion whether they constitute compliance with the ADR.

The AW has a very rigid (torsionally) body structure, which is one of the reasons why they handle so well. The lack of air bags etc is partially made up for by the fact, as stated above, that they are nimble enough to 'get out of the way' of most accidents.