Toyota Sprinter Marino

Toyota Sprinter Marino: which version to buy

If you are choosing a Toyota Sprinter Marino, you are choosing among six front-wheel-drive Sedan versions of a single generation (May 1992–December 1997). There is no later generation to “wait for,” and no restyle listed as a separate generation. The real split is engine output and gearbox: 1.5 AT and 1.5 MT at 105 hp, two 1.6 versions at 115 hp, and two 1.6 versions at 165 hp.

If you are choosing a Toyota Sprinter Marino, you are choosing among six front-wheel-drive Sedan versions of a single generation (May 1992–December 1997). There is no later generation to “wait for,” and no restyle listed as a separate generation. The real split is engine output and gearbox: 1.5 AT and 1.5 MT at 105 hp, two 1.6 versions at 115 hp, and two 1.6 versions at 165 hp. Acceleration to 100 km/h, top speed, and fuel consumption are not measured for any version, so the buy decision has to rest on power, torque, kerb weight, ground clearance, fuel grade, and brakes.

Generations: one production window, six versions

1 generation ran from 1992-05-01 to 1997-12-31, body Sedan, 6 versions. All six share FWD, a front transverse gasoline four-cylinder, multi-point injection, independent spring suspension front and rear, a 50 L tank, and ventilated disc front brakes. Nothing in the data adds a second generation or a numbered restyling, so “which generation” is not a fork: the fork is which of the six versions.

Engines and specs

Exact names as in the catalogue. Two 1.6 MT and two 1.6 AT exist — distinguish them by horsepower.

Compression and bore × stroke: 1.5 pair 9.8 and 78.7 × 77; 1.6 115 hp pair 9.5 and 81 × 77; 1.6 165 hp pair 10.5 and 81 × 77. Peak power for the 165 hp pair is at 7400 rpm, not 6000.

Specific output (hp per litre of displacement):

• 1.5 AT / 1.5 MT: 105 ÷ 1.498 ≈ 70.1 hp/L
• 1.6 AT (115 hp) / 1.6 MT (115 hp): 115 ÷ 1.587 ≈ 72.5 hp/L
• 1.6 MT (165 hp) / 1.6 AT (165 hp): 165 ÷ 1.587 ≈ 104.0 hp/L

The step from 1.5 to 1.6 at 115 hp is about +2.4 hp/L. The 165 hp 1.6 is about +31.5 hp/L above the 115 hp 1.6 on the same 1587 cc.

Performance and economy (mpg, 0–100)

For every version, 0–100 km/h is not measured, top speed is not measured, and city / highway / combined consumption are not measured. CO2 and eco class are not measured. You cannot rank versions by mpg or by sprint time from this catalogue. What you can rank is how much mass each horsepower must move, and how the 165 hp pair is specified to make that power (higher rpm, 5 valves per cylinder, 95 fuel, disc rear brakes).

Kerb weight per horsepower:

• 1.5 MT: 1020 ÷ 105 ≈ 9.71 kg/hp (lightest 105 hp car)
• 1.5 AT: 1060 ÷ 105 ≈ 10.10 kg/hp (heaviest per hp of the six)
• 1.6 MT (115 hp): 1060 ÷ 115 ≈ 9.22 kg/hp
• 1.6 AT (115 hp): 1090 ÷ 115 ≈ 9.48 kg/hp
• 1.6 MT (165 hp): 1100 ÷ 165 ≈ 6.67 kg/hp (best of the six)
• 1.6 AT (165 hp): 1130 ÷ 165 ≈ 6.85 kg/hp

The 165 hp 1.6 MT carries about 3.04 kg less per hp than the 1.5 AT. The automatic always adds mass versus the matching manual: +40 kg on the 1.5 (1060 vs 1020), +30 kg on both 1.6 pairs (1090 vs 1060, 1130 vs 1100).

Dimensions and weight

Wheel sizes are not measured. Gross vehicle weight is not measured. Tank is 50 L on all six.

Ground clearance: 150 mm on both 1.5 versions and both 115 hp 1.6 versions; 145 mm on both 165 hp 1.6 versions (5 mm lower). Rear brakes: drum on the 105 hp and 115 hp cars; Disc on both 165 hp cars. Front brakes stay ventilated disc on all six.

Kerb weight ladder, lightest to heaviest: 1.5 MT 1020 kg → 1.5 AT and 1.6 MT (115 hp) tied at 1060 kg → 1.6 AT (115 hp) 1090 kg → 1.6 MT (165 hp) 1100 kg → 1.6 AT (165 hp) 1130 kg. The heaviest car is 110 kg heavier than the lightest (1130 − 1020). The 165 hp automatic is 70 kg heavier than the 105 hp automatic (1130 − 1060) while adding 60 hp.

Which version to choose

If you want the lightest Sprinter Marino: 1.5 MT. It is the only version at 1020 kg, 105 hp, 135 Nm, 5-speed Manual, 150 mm clearance, 92 gasoline. Versus 1.5 AT, you give up the 4-speed Automatic and save 40 kg. Versus 1.6 MT (115 hp) at the same 1060 kg as the 1.5 automatic, the 1.5 manual is still 40 kg lighter and 10 hp / 12 Nm down.

If you want an automatic and the smallest engine: 1.5 AT. Same 105 hp / 135 Nm / 1498 cc as 1.5 MT, 4-speed Automatic, 1060 kg. It is the weakest automatic and the worst kg/hp figure (≈10.10). Choose it only if the 4-speed box matters more than the extra 10 hp of 1.6 AT (115 hp).

If you want more than 105 hp without 95-octane or a 7400 rpm peak: pick a 115 hp 1.6. Displacement rises 89 cc (1587 − 1498), power +10 hp, torque +12 Nm, compression 9.5 vs 9.8. Fuel stays 92. Clearance stays 150 mm. Rear brakes stay drum.

• 1.6 MT (115 hp): 1060 kg, 5-speed Manual, ≈ 9.22 kg/hp. Same kerb as 1.5 AT, but +10 hp. Versus 1.5 MT you add 40 kg for those 10 hp.
• 1.6 AT (115 hp): 1090 kg, 4-speed Automatic, ≈ 9.48 kg/hp. Versus 1.5 AT you add 30 kg and 10 hp. Versus 1.6 MT (115 hp) the automatic costs 30 kg.

If you want the most power per litre and the least mass per horsepower: the 165 hp pair. Same 1587 cc as the 115 hp 1.6, but 165 hp (+50 hp, +43%) and 161 Nm (+14 Nm), peak torque at 5200 rpm not 4800, peak power at 7400 rpm, 5 valves per cylinder not 4, compression 10.5 not 9.5, fuel 95 not 92, clearance 145 mm, rear Disc not drum.

• 1.6 MT (165 hp): 1100 kg, 5-speed Manual, ≈ 6.67 kg/hp. Versus 1.6 MT (115 hp) you add 40 kg and 50 hp — 0.8 kg per extra hp. Versus 1.5 MT you add 80 kg and 60 hp.
• 1.6 AT (165 hp): 1130 kg, 4-speed Automatic, ≈ 6.85 kg/hp. Heaviest Sprinter Marino. Versus 1.6 AT (115 hp) you add 40 kg and 50 hp. Versus 1.6 MT (165 hp) the automatic is 30 kg heavier.

Automatic vs manual, same engine: on the 1.5, AT is 40 kg heavier; on both 1.6 outputs, AT is 30 kg heavier. Gear counts are always 4 (Automatic) vs 5 (Manual). Drive is FWD throughout — there is no AWD Sprinter Marino in this data.

What “extra” does not buy here: a second generation, a different body, measured 0–100, measured top speed, measured mpg, listed wheel sizes, or a listed gross weight. Those are not measured or not present. Reliability and typical faults are not in the data, so they are not scored.

Short ranking by job:

1. Lowest kerb weight → 1.5 MT (1020 kg). 2. Automatic with least mass → 1.5 AT (1060 kg). 3. Best kg/hp among 92-octane cars → 1.6 MT (115 hp) (≈9.22 kg/hp). 4. Best kg/hp overall → 1.6 MT (165 hp) (≈6.67 kg/hp). 5. Strongest automatic → 1.6 AT (165 hp) (165 hp, 1130 kg).

If you will not run 95 gasoline or do not want 145 mm clearance and a 7400 rpm power peak, stop at the 115 hp 1.6 MT or 1.6 AT. If the point of the car is the 104 hp/L 1.6, buy 1.6 MT (165 hp) unless you specifically need the 4-speed Automatic, in which case 1.6 AT (165 hp) is the only 165 hp automatic.