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The 2000 Toyota MR2 Spyder is a wonderful roadster, the full enjoyment of which requires adherence to one rule.

Don’t crash.

It’s little.

At 2,195 pounds, the car weighs less than the comparable Mazda MX-5 Miata, which checks in at 2,299 pounds.

The MR2 Spyder has a longer wheelbase than the Miata — the “wheelbase” being the centerline distance between the front and rear wheels. The MR2’s wheelbase is 96.5 inches, compared with 89.2 inches for the Miata.

Theoretically, that means the MR2 should be less prone to rollovers or other destabilizing events. Longer wheelbases, augmented by reasonably fat 15-inch tires, as is the case here, tend to increase vehicle stability. The Miata comes with 14-inch tires.

Overall, the Miata’s body is longer than the MR2 Spyder’s — 155.3 inches for the Miata, compared with 153 inches for the MR2. But the two-seaters have comparable headroom (with the convertible top up, of course) and a similar amount of space for legs, hips and shoulders. All of which means that both are potential road kill for compact cars or very heavy motorcycles.

I know that’s a downer. But such thoughts crowded my mind during my time in the test car. My willing suspension of disbelief — the ability to accept fantasy over reality — was battered after a few runs along Interstate 66 in heavy traffic.

I was dwarfed by a Chevrolet Malibu in the left lane, intimidated by a huge Dodge Ram 2500 pickup truck trailing me in the right lane and frustrated by a go-slow hunter-green, DaimlerChrysler Town & Country Limited minivan blocking my forward view and progress.

I felt vulnerable. Every lane change became a “What if?” Instead of enjoying the MR2 Spyder’s excellent ability to sprint, dart and weave through traffic, I became a slave to caution, staying well away from 18-wheelers and avoiding passenger trucks of any size or configuration.

This was frustrating. So I chose an exit and headed back home to collect my nerves. Surely I had driven many small cars before without fear or concern. Was I losing it?

I mentally reviewed the vehicles I’d driven in the past several months. Most were were hugemobiles such as the GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, BMW X5, Ford Excursion and Mitsubishi Montero sport-utility vehicles. I was king of the world in those beasts.

Climbing into the tiny, lightweight MR2 Spyder induced shock, which began slowly as I rolled through Northern Virginia’s suburbs but became unmanageable on Interstate 66. It was a gut check. I failed.

Things were better the next day. I sat in the MR2 Spyder for 30 minutes before driving off. Wet weather required keeping the top up, which was too bad. Convertibles are best enjoyed top down.

Eventually, I became comfortable with the car. I was ready to go.

Lordy! The thing could move! It’s equipped with the same 138-horsepower, twin-cam 16-val ve engine used in the new Toyota Celica GT. But that engine seems to work better in this application. The MR2 Spyder scoots from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 6.94 seconds.

Toyota knows that the car is a potential squishmobile in a collision with a larger vehicle. So, it included lots of accident-avoidance technology, such as an exceptionally responsive steering system (electric hydraulic power) that allows quick, high-speed lane changes. Braking is excellent. The MR2 Spyder’s standard four-wheel antilock braking system stops the car from 70 mph in 167 feet.

I got through the second trip without shakes, hits or near misses. But I passed a sobering scene on the way home. A late-model car — it appeared to be a Ford Crown Victoria — had smashed its right front end into a highway bridge abutment. What if that abutment had been an MR2 Spyder?

Nuts & Bolts

2000 Toyota MR2 Spyder Complaints: Rear vision is compromised with the convertible t p up. That little slit of rear plate-glass window is akin to a peephole.

Praise: Once you eliminate the “What ifs?” — which I suspect are a product of age — the MR2 Spyder is an easy car to love. It’s fast, tight, precise, almost like driving a sharpened pencil. It goes exactly where you point it.

Head-turning quotient: It’s smugly — small and ugly, but so ugly it’s cute, like a bulldog puppy.

Layout: Mid-engined, rear-drive two-seater — thus the MR2 moniker.

Engine specs: The car is equipped with a 16-valve, double-overhead-cam, 1.8-liter aluminum-block four-cylinder engine that develops 138 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 125 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm. The engine is mated to a standard five-speed manual transmission. Recommended fuel is 87-octane unleaded.

Mileage: Easily 30 miles per gallon in mostly highway driving.

Safety: Even with air bags and seat belts, the laws of physics still apply. Small cars come with higher crash risks. Period.

Price: Base price is $23,098. Dealer’s invoice price on base model is $20,578. Price as tested is $23,553, including a $455 destination charge. Price does not include taxes and fees.

Purse-strings note: Toyota is producing only 5,000 MR2 Spyders for the 2000 model year. Demand among the young and the restless is expected to be high. Expect dealers to price accordingly. Compare with the Mazda MX-5 Miata.