Brandonanix
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Brandon
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2020
- Threads
- 3
- Messages
- 66
- Reaction score
- 99
- Location
- California
- Car(s)
- 2020 Supra LE
- Thread starter
- #1
Just picked up a 2020 Launch Edition two weeks ago, and after spending some time hitting some fun roads, I wanted to do a real world comparison between the cars I have had over the last few years. This is not a “what car is fastest on the track or drag strip” review. This review is to compare the Supra against higher and lower level vehicles I have owned and lived with in daily life settings.
Me:
-I work in the automotive industry for a supercar manufacturer and also compose music for movie trailers/video game trailers. Previously I was with Porsche North America and BMW North America on the corporate side.
-Adult, late 30’s
-Married, two Italian Greyhounds
-No kids (yet at least!)
Supra vs. My exes:
I love cars. ALOT. It is my passion in life, so I spend a lot of money going through cars in search of the ultimate one that I will hang on to! The following are the cars that I feel closest rival the Supra which I have owned.
-2017 Porsche 911 Carrera
-2016 Cayman, and 2017 718 Cayman S
-2018 Honda Civic Type R
-2019 BMW M2 Competition
Looks:
Subjective of course. All of my cars looked great in their own respective ways. I am always after something that will age gracefully, but has a futuristic machine like element to the design. I am not afraid of weird, or different or what other people think about my cars. The 911 always gave me a sense of accomplishment when walking out to it and I never grew tired of its looks for the most part, however I struggled with narrow body I had, as the 4S wide body looked SO much better. The Cayman’s I had also had a great look, but I always slightly discounted them knowing that the 911 exists. They felt very small as well and I didn’t really like how flat the fenders looked. The Type-R was very interesting to look at and generally kept my interest for a long time, however I felt weird pulling up to professional meetings in that car, like I was too old, or it didn’t work getting out of the car wearing a suit. Whenever I would see a Type-R on the road it would blow me away how cool the DTM style fender flares look, like an actual race car with bolted on fenders, with little regard for the design, but entirely focused on function. The M2 has a classic BMW look, professional, and aggressive, amazing fender flares, great front and rear end but ultimately it felt like I had been there, done that so many times before with all of the other M cars I have owned. The Supra I feel combines elements of ALL of the above cars which is what I really LOVE about it. It has the interesting, fun and polarizing looks that remind me of the Type R but more professional and classic in design (while still looking futuristic as hell), the classic coupe body and proportions which remind me of the Porsches, 2000GT’s, Vintage Jaguar’s and Ferrari’s, Daytona Coupe Cobras, the flared arches which reminded me of the M2, and of course design cues which call out to the Mark IV Supra. My only fear about the Supra, is that if Toyota releases a track, or R version with a wide body, I will have the burning fire to upgrade.
Winner: Supra
Daily use:
The Cayman’s were exhausting getting in and out of. The 981 felt heavy around town and needed to be pushed hard to move. The 718 S Cayman was better but still difficult getting in and out of the car if you are running errands. Storage was limited in the rear as well but had the large front trunk. The 911 was an excellent daily car, equal to the M2. Type R was very easy to live with, easy to navigate around town etc however the manual transmission could get old in Los Angeles traffic. Also the Type R was VERY loud in the cabin on the freeway. The Supra is so far excellent, however the large hood, low roof and difficult entry/exit can make it wear on you over time. I was struggling navigating the car through a very narrow drive through at Dunkin Donuts as a result of the above for example.
Winner: M2
Fun Factor:
This is a very important part for me. Both Caymans felt heavy around city driving, and only came to life in my opinion when being pushed. The 981 sounded awesome when pushed, where as the 718S did not have a great sound due to the 4 cyl engine. I also did not like how the Cayman chassis took hard, sharp road imperfections. The 911 was WAY too safe feeling. It felt more like driving a BMW 340i-very business-like, no drama, safe and secure. I want drama in a car and I want to feel some element of danger. The Type R was similar to the Cayman in the respect that the car really needed to be pushed hard to realize the fun and reward. It’s an amazing car in a canyon, then reverts back to a complete civilized Prius when not pushed. The M2 was near perfection for me, extremely fun in just about all scenarios except for low speed city driving/traffic/parking lots. The DCT transmission always felt outdated in automatic mode and the car has a strange 1st gear feeling. Also the steering in the M2 always felt too heavy for my preference. The Supra is just amazing so far. Extremely agile, zippy, quick, feels lighter than the other cars, feels substantial like a Porsche, takes less effort to move (All of the Porsches and the M2 felt like you had to kick the horse to get them to move). I love the light steering, I love the sound (stock!), it feels like a true sports car in canyons and is still just as fun going to the grocery store.
Winner: Supra
Power:
This is about perceived power-the kind you feel in your butt through the seat, and judged on the size of the smile on your face-not a spreadsheet of numbers. The Porsches I am comparing against ALL felt underpowered, heavy, and laborious to get any fun out of. The Honda felt underpowered until it got up to around 30 mph then came alive and felt agile and “fun enough”, especially on freeway interchanges and canyon roads. The M2 was a fast car with an element of violence to the power delivery which none of the Porsches had. The M2 felt very substantial and slightly heavy though which could be due to the artificially heavy steering and DCT programming in 1st gear. The Supra honestly feels quicker and more nimble than all of the other cars in this comparison. WAY funner than the 981 Cayman and 911. Smoother and more accessible than the M2. Of course the real battle would be on a track, and would be very close between the M2 and Supra but this isn’t about track use.
Winner: Supra
Transmission types: Porsche PDK, vs. BMW M DCT, vs ZF 8-speed, vs Honda 6-speed manual
If I lived on a racetrack, I would likely prefer the BMW M DCT or Porsche PDK. The BMW DCT is great in aggressive scenarios, but struggles in daily use situations-mainly at low speeds. Porsche’s PDK is fantastic and the best of its kind as its equally good in low speed or aggressive driving. The Type R 6-speed manual had a horrible 1st gear, but was great in 2nd-6th. The ZF in the Supra is EXCELLENT. I have had zero regrets or desires for my older car’s transmission types while driving the Supra. It feels like it shifts just as fast as the others, yet has exceptional daily driving properties AND aggressive driving capabilities. The Supra ZF trans feels very similar to the Porsche PDK
Winner: Porsche (but the Supra is VERY close behind)
Tech: I am one of those idiots who is obsessed with technology, programming, what’s next etc. so this is an important aspect for me
Porsche really makes you pay to get anything decent. Nothing really comes standard in those cars. My 981 Cayman was essentially a base model, horrific stereo, no navigation, no Bluetooth, no parking sensors etc. It made my time with that car very short. The 718 Cayman S had all of the modern tech and a great Bose stereo, but it cost a fortune for this and never felt worth it. The 911 I had was in between, it had CarPlay which really saved it from feeling dated, but the stock stereo system which was not great. The M2 had decent assets such as the app controlled remote stuff, CarPlay, cameras, parking sensors but did not have the more premium newer tech like blind spot, head-up display, lane keep, adaptive cruise control, etc- BUT THE SUPRA DOES! The Type R has a horrible infotainment system which felt like it was from 2001, horrible stereo system, but again CarPlay saves the day. In the end, the Supra just gives you a tremendous amount of technology for a small price. You would be paying $20k to Porsche for equal elements. It also has the best looking typefaces, a super fast refresh rate in the cluster screen, and awesome headlights. And with the M2, its not even available as an option to add the extras.
Winner: Supra
Interior:
Porsche once again makes you pay for a decent interior. The base interior on a 911 or 718 feels about equal with what we get in the Supra and has fake leather elements mixed in with real leather surface panels. The base Porsche steering wheels are fantastic however and only get better when you upgrade. The base Porsche seats are extremely boring and flat and definitely need to be upgraded to the sport seat but at a high cost. The M2 Competition interior is extremely good. Awesome leather and Alcantara mix, colored stitching, matte finish carbon fiber throughout, great seats, and one of the best steering wheels in the business. The Type-R was the cheapest feeling of all of them but damn its amazing what a good steering wheel can do since that is your main interaction point in the car and it has a GREAT ONE. The seats are very boy racer, bright red cloth, would be better in Alcantara and a little more adult looking design language. Surrounding elements are decent but not great. The Supra has average level leather material on the seats and door arm rests and and very disappointing steering wheel, which is very thin, very hard, and feels like a cheap grain leather. If this could be realized in Alcantara, it could entirely change my perspective of the interior. I do like the look of the minimalists Supra interior though and the carbon console looks great.
Winner: M2
Conclusion:
For this comparison I truly feel and believe that the Supra is the best package for the price, and can easily compete with cars even twice its price (GT350, F-Type, Porsches, BMW M4’s, AMG etc). The amount of fun you can have in any scenario is worth a lot to me. The technology you get in the car makes it feel modern and is an offering you would need to pay extreme amounts for in other vehicles. It has a polarizing look, which I love, and will keep me entertained for a long time. It’s has major mod potential and will cost less to mod than a Porsche or BMW product. For a bone stock car, it is extremely rewarding and feels like a very complete and special vehicle. The M2 is very close, but I prefer the drive dynamics and feeling I get when in the Supra. Maybe its the fact that the Supra is the same width as the M2, but 5” lower roof, and 5” shorter wheel base which contributes to the increased fun factor. To have this much fun in a 911, I would have needed to upgrade to the S variant and added several thousands in options, which would sit around $140k. If price were not a factor at all, I would choose a 2021 Porsche 911S, but again, that is Nearly 3 times the amount of the Supra! So the winner of my comparison is the Supra
Me:
-I work in the automotive industry for a supercar manufacturer and also compose music for movie trailers/video game trailers. Previously I was with Porsche North America and BMW North America on the corporate side.
-Adult, late 30’s
-Married, two Italian Greyhounds
-No kids (yet at least!)
Supra vs. My exes:
I love cars. ALOT. It is my passion in life, so I spend a lot of money going through cars in search of the ultimate one that I will hang on to! The following are the cars that I feel closest rival the Supra which I have owned.
-2017 Porsche 911 Carrera
-2016 Cayman, and 2017 718 Cayman S
-2018 Honda Civic Type R
-2019 BMW M2 Competition
Looks:
Subjective of course. All of my cars looked great in their own respective ways. I am always after something that will age gracefully, but has a futuristic machine like element to the design. I am not afraid of weird, or different or what other people think about my cars. The 911 always gave me a sense of accomplishment when walking out to it and I never grew tired of its looks for the most part, however I struggled with narrow body I had, as the 4S wide body looked SO much better. The Cayman’s I had also had a great look, but I always slightly discounted them knowing that the 911 exists. They felt very small as well and I didn’t really like how flat the fenders looked. The Type-R was very interesting to look at and generally kept my interest for a long time, however I felt weird pulling up to professional meetings in that car, like I was too old, or it didn’t work getting out of the car wearing a suit. Whenever I would see a Type-R on the road it would blow me away how cool the DTM style fender flares look, like an actual race car with bolted on fenders, with little regard for the design, but entirely focused on function. The M2 has a classic BMW look, professional, and aggressive, amazing fender flares, great front and rear end but ultimately it felt like I had been there, done that so many times before with all of the other M cars I have owned. The Supra I feel combines elements of ALL of the above cars which is what I really LOVE about it. It has the interesting, fun and polarizing looks that remind me of the Type R but more professional and classic in design (while still looking futuristic as hell), the classic coupe body and proportions which remind me of the Porsches, 2000GT’s, Vintage Jaguar’s and Ferrari’s, Daytona Coupe Cobras, the flared arches which reminded me of the M2, and of course design cues which call out to the Mark IV Supra. My only fear about the Supra, is that if Toyota releases a track, or R version with a wide body, I will have the burning fire to upgrade.
Winner: Supra
Daily use:
The Cayman’s were exhausting getting in and out of. The 981 felt heavy around town and needed to be pushed hard to move. The 718 S Cayman was better but still difficult getting in and out of the car if you are running errands. Storage was limited in the rear as well but had the large front trunk. The 911 was an excellent daily car, equal to the M2. Type R was very easy to live with, easy to navigate around town etc however the manual transmission could get old in Los Angeles traffic. Also the Type R was VERY loud in the cabin on the freeway. The Supra is so far excellent, however the large hood, low roof and difficult entry/exit can make it wear on you over time. I was struggling navigating the car through a very narrow drive through at Dunkin Donuts as a result of the above for example.
Winner: M2
Fun Factor:
This is a very important part for me. Both Caymans felt heavy around city driving, and only came to life in my opinion when being pushed. The 981 sounded awesome when pushed, where as the 718S did not have a great sound due to the 4 cyl engine. I also did not like how the Cayman chassis took hard, sharp road imperfections. The 911 was WAY too safe feeling. It felt more like driving a BMW 340i-very business-like, no drama, safe and secure. I want drama in a car and I want to feel some element of danger. The Type R was similar to the Cayman in the respect that the car really needed to be pushed hard to realize the fun and reward. It’s an amazing car in a canyon, then reverts back to a complete civilized Prius when not pushed. The M2 was near perfection for me, extremely fun in just about all scenarios except for low speed city driving/traffic/parking lots. The DCT transmission always felt outdated in automatic mode and the car has a strange 1st gear feeling. Also the steering in the M2 always felt too heavy for my preference. The Supra is just amazing so far. Extremely agile, zippy, quick, feels lighter than the other cars, feels substantial like a Porsche, takes less effort to move (All of the Porsches and the M2 felt like you had to kick the horse to get them to move). I love the light steering, I love the sound (stock!), it feels like a true sports car in canyons and is still just as fun going to the grocery store.
Winner: Supra
Power:
This is about perceived power-the kind you feel in your butt through the seat, and judged on the size of the smile on your face-not a spreadsheet of numbers. The Porsches I am comparing against ALL felt underpowered, heavy, and laborious to get any fun out of. The Honda felt underpowered until it got up to around 30 mph then came alive and felt agile and “fun enough”, especially on freeway interchanges and canyon roads. The M2 was a fast car with an element of violence to the power delivery which none of the Porsches had. The M2 felt very substantial and slightly heavy though which could be due to the artificially heavy steering and DCT programming in 1st gear. The Supra honestly feels quicker and more nimble than all of the other cars in this comparison. WAY funner than the 981 Cayman and 911. Smoother and more accessible than the M2. Of course the real battle would be on a track, and would be very close between the M2 and Supra but this isn’t about track use.
Winner: Supra
Transmission types: Porsche PDK, vs. BMW M DCT, vs ZF 8-speed, vs Honda 6-speed manual
If I lived on a racetrack, I would likely prefer the BMW M DCT or Porsche PDK. The BMW DCT is great in aggressive scenarios, but struggles in daily use situations-mainly at low speeds. Porsche’s PDK is fantastic and the best of its kind as its equally good in low speed or aggressive driving. The Type R 6-speed manual had a horrible 1st gear, but was great in 2nd-6th. The ZF in the Supra is EXCELLENT. I have had zero regrets or desires for my older car’s transmission types while driving the Supra. It feels like it shifts just as fast as the others, yet has exceptional daily driving properties AND aggressive driving capabilities. The Supra ZF trans feels very similar to the Porsche PDK
Winner: Porsche (but the Supra is VERY close behind)
Tech: I am one of those idiots who is obsessed with technology, programming, what’s next etc. so this is an important aspect for me
Porsche really makes you pay to get anything decent. Nothing really comes standard in those cars. My 981 Cayman was essentially a base model, horrific stereo, no navigation, no Bluetooth, no parking sensors etc. It made my time with that car very short. The 718 Cayman S had all of the modern tech and a great Bose stereo, but it cost a fortune for this and never felt worth it. The 911 I had was in between, it had CarPlay which really saved it from feeling dated, but the stock stereo system which was not great. The M2 had decent assets such as the app controlled remote stuff, CarPlay, cameras, parking sensors but did not have the more premium newer tech like blind spot, head-up display, lane keep, adaptive cruise control, etc- BUT THE SUPRA DOES! The Type R has a horrible infotainment system which felt like it was from 2001, horrible stereo system, but again CarPlay saves the day. In the end, the Supra just gives you a tremendous amount of technology for a small price. You would be paying $20k to Porsche for equal elements. It also has the best looking typefaces, a super fast refresh rate in the cluster screen, and awesome headlights. And with the M2, its not even available as an option to add the extras.
Winner: Supra
Interior:
Porsche once again makes you pay for a decent interior. The base interior on a 911 or 718 feels about equal with what we get in the Supra and has fake leather elements mixed in with real leather surface panels. The base Porsche steering wheels are fantastic however and only get better when you upgrade. The base Porsche seats are extremely boring and flat and definitely need to be upgraded to the sport seat but at a high cost. The M2 Competition interior is extremely good. Awesome leather and Alcantara mix, colored stitching, matte finish carbon fiber throughout, great seats, and one of the best steering wheels in the business. The Type-R was the cheapest feeling of all of them but damn its amazing what a good steering wheel can do since that is your main interaction point in the car and it has a GREAT ONE. The seats are very boy racer, bright red cloth, would be better in Alcantara and a little more adult looking design language. Surrounding elements are decent but not great. The Supra has average level leather material on the seats and door arm rests and and very disappointing steering wheel, which is very thin, very hard, and feels like a cheap grain leather. If this could be realized in Alcantara, it could entirely change my perspective of the interior. I do like the look of the minimalists Supra interior though and the carbon console looks great.
Winner: M2
Conclusion:
For this comparison I truly feel and believe that the Supra is the best package for the price, and can easily compete with cars even twice its price (GT350, F-Type, Porsches, BMW M4’s, AMG etc). The amount of fun you can have in any scenario is worth a lot to me. The technology you get in the car makes it feel modern and is an offering you would need to pay extreme amounts for in other vehicles. It has a polarizing look, which I love, and will keep me entertained for a long time. It’s has major mod potential and will cost less to mod than a Porsche or BMW product. For a bone stock car, it is extremely rewarding and feels like a very complete and special vehicle. The M2 is very close, but I prefer the drive dynamics and feeling I get when in the Supra. Maybe its the fact that the Supra is the same width as the M2, but 5” lower roof, and 5” shorter wheel base which contributes to the increased fun factor. To have this much fun in a 911, I would have needed to upgrade to the S variant and added several thousands in options, which would sit around $140k. If price were not a factor at all, I would choose a 2021 Porsche 911S, but again, that is Nearly 3 times the amount of the Supra! So the winner of my comparison is the Supra
Sponsored
Last edited:
