Is a 2024/2025 Supra a good choice for a daily driver?

[BA9092]

Looking to retire my long-term Acura daily driver and possibly replace it with a new Supra - looking for advice/suggestions based on the following:

1) Driven the same commute past 30 years, will be buying an AT as there is way too much clutching/stop-n-go traffic in parts of commute - 2 past stickshifts taught me that lesson. Commute is 50% city traffic, 50% highway/interstate.
2) From a scale of 1-10 in aggressive driving, I'm probably a 7 - knowing this commute so well, I do take advantage of traffic and light patterns but not recklessly or a traffic weaver. I want a well-mannered car that is nimble/quick.
3) Not looking to ever do mods or track it - I just want a dependable yet fun driving experience for 90 minutes a day. Refuse to buy a big truck/SUV like all my friends seem to do
4) Is it easy to maintain? - I've always done some of my own wrenching (oil and filter changes, brakes, tire rotations, tranny flushes etc).
5) Test drove a MT 2024 Supra (locally no Ats are available) - seemed to be well mannered in limited driving, but I noticed a few blind spots - not enough time to vet out. Thoughts on comfort/ease of driving?
6) Might occasionally take it on a 4-8 hour trip - any thoughts on long-drive comfort?
7) Reliability - all opinions welcomed
8) Any other thoughts also welcomed- past 6 family vehicles purchased were Honda/Acura and Toyota has always been interesting to me in terms of quality/reliability (same as Honda). I know its got the BMW drivetrain which isn't Toyota quality obviously but it appears to have a decent reputation.
9) If I dont get a Supra, am looking at the Acura Integra (kinda small), the Acura TLX (Type S if I can find one), the Lexus IS 500 or RC (hate the Lexus front end aesthetic however). Would never give Nissan a dime (although I dig my friend's 350Z) - any other ideas would be appreciated also.

sorry for the long post

First of all, welcome!

I bought mine new 4 years ago and still love it. I've always been a manual guy, but the ZF8 is a masterpiece.

My experience... I've almost always had sports/sporty cars. I've always enjoyed them to the masses or sedans and SUVs regardless of practicality or lack thereof.

As and artist and photographer, I've always liked the sexy lines of sporty cars. While great vehicles, the BMW and Lexus lineup pretty much all look the same to me. Aesthetically, the Supra is quite different from anything sharing its B58.

Now, I don't have any kids or pets and I rarely use the trunk space with the exception of a few road trips. Ride and comfort are great on those too. Much better than any M-car or AMG from a decade ago - those ride rough in comparison to the Supra.

I was a bit apprehensive about the maintenance, being a BMW, but I've done everything myself in my garage with jack stands, race ramps and low profile jack - except for wheel mounting, balancing and alignment. (BTW, I'm 53 and average at 170lbs, so not a young guy and not a gym rat either.)

Luckily, the only issue I've ever had was the AGM battery which was nearly drained after sitting on the showroom prior to purchase with no battery tender. Replaced the battery and all is fine.

On that note, there is a bit of a learning curve on all the electronics, bells and whistles, but nothing this forum or a YouTube video can't teach you. After my first year of ownership, I was already way ahead of any Toyota tech on this car. Lol.

Sponsored

 

[Myeil]

It sounds like the m240i would better suit your needs. It's pretty much 90% the same car, focused on being a cruiser than a Supra owing to its heavier weight and more plush and updated interior.

Practicality-wise, you get a 2+2 seat arrangement, optional xDrive, square setup, much larger trunk, 30+ highway mpg.

Downsides are: it's not a Supra, BMW's design language is hit or miss for some people.

 

[puzzled]

OP - If small Bimmer, would get the M240i drive for daily driving especially if this is your only car. If you have kids, then rear seats will make it that much either to carry your family.

It's all good and dandy while weather is nice, but add pouring rain and thunder, 2 door cars can be a pita latching/strapping your kids in while your back and arse and door gets soaked.

 

[DR.COKE]

I could easily use only the Supra as a daily to work 20 miles daily round trip if I wanted to. Blind spot isnt as bad as it looks, just floor the gas and you will pass anyone in blind spot, driver assist package is helpful. I mostly used my Acura SUV for daily now. Keeps mileage down on supra, avoid weekday road debris, avoid tight weekday parking at work to minimize door dings. Car door opens very wide So you need a lot of space to get in and out. Supra paint and windshield very soft and dings easily.
gas can average +30MPG IF you wanted to. I average low 20s because driving higher RPM sound better.
maintance so far is a bitch when your trying to have proper paper works for warranty and resale value. Not many places that you can trust to Do oil change or other maintenance that records on carfax. You can’t rotate tires and they don’t wear evenly. Seems like outside wall wears faster. Tires run around $1600 for a set at Costco, maybe $2,000 at independent when you factor in road hazard/installation. You’re not gonna find the H9 battery readily available. Most places including Costco has to order them for you.
In over 10 years, I might have 1 passenger in the back seat so supra 2 seat has zero affects for me. Big enough for my weekly Costco run and still big enough to carry my offshore fishing equipment to marina.
I replaced an Acura TL type-S for supra, days I do start the Supra makes me feel 30 years younger.
Can’t find another car I would rather have in price range if I had to pick over again. Lower budget would be GR86, higher budget would be base Cayman.

 

[nanaisu]

I could easily use only the Supra as a daily to work 20 miles daily round trip if I wanted to. Blind spot isnt as bad as it looks, just floor the gas and you will pass anyone in blind spot, driver assist package is helpful. I mostly used my Acura SUV for daily now. Keeps mileage down on supra, avoid weekday road debris, avoid tight weekday parking at work to minimize door dings. Car door opens very wide So you need a lot of space to get in and out. Supra paint and windshield very soft and dings easily.
gas can average +30MPG IF you wanted to. I average low 20s because driving higher RPM sound better.
maintance so far is a bitch when your trying to have proper paper works for warranty and resale value. Not many places that you can trust to Do oil change or other maintenance that records on carfax. You can’t rotate tires and they don’t wear evenly. Seems like outside wall wears faster. Tires run around $1600 for a set at Costco, maybe $2,000 at independent when you factor in road hazard/installation. You’re not gonna find the H9 battery readily available. Most places including Costco has to order them for you.
In over 10 years, I might have 1 passenger in the back seat so supra 2 seat has zero affects for me. Big enough for my weekly Costco run and still big enough to carry my offshore fishing equipment to marina.
I replaced an Acura TL type-S for supra, days I do start the Supra makes me feel 30 years younger.
Can’t find another car I would rather have in price range if I had to pick over again. Lower budget would be GR86, higher budget would be base Cayman.

$2,000 for a set of tires? What tires and where in the world are you getting tires at? It was $1,400 for my Pilot Sport 4S at Discount Tire! $1,600 all in with installation and warranty.

 

[BA9092]

The M240ix is a great option for you as well. The newer iDrive 8, bigger trunk, (emergency) rear seats, AWD...

Now, 2+2 seater coupes are generally cheaper to insure than 2-seater sports cars, so that's a plus. The downside is, those rear seats are for kids and emergencies only. No adult is going to want to sit back there unless they can't find an Uber. Lol. Out of all the 2+2 seater coupes I've owned, maybe 2% of the time would anyone actually sit there. So, as far as practicality goes, it's not a huge deal. Unless you go up to the M340ix which would make more sense, practicality wise.

 

[Vertex]

Many others have already kind've touched on my own opinions and answered pretty much all of your questions regarding the vehicle.

This is not my daily but I do drive it when weather permitting and I want something a little more fun.

Can this be a daily driver? Absolutely. If you need more space than the two seats and very limited trunk space this will not be the car you're looking for. Very easy to do your own maintenance on the vehicle. Nothing is over the top or really any different than any other modern vehicle as far as maintenance on the car goes.

I think this thing is very comfortable and a very doable daily as it also gets fantastic fuel mileage if you aren't putting it through it's paces. I just recently did an 8 hour trip in the car and I was more than comfortable without any issues in that trip there or back.

Touching on the blind spot subject as another mentioned; if you have your mirrors positioned properly it really isn't an issue along with the blind-spot monitor system in the car which is also adjustable to have minimal or more warning with someone in the blind spot of the vehicle. I really don't have any issues with this personally and isn't an issue for me.

I think the largest limiting factor you're going to encounter is passenger/cargo space in the car. If this is not an issue I'd go for it

 

[concept]

$2,000 for a set of tires? What tires and where in the world are you getting tires at? It was $1,400 for my Pilot Sport 4S at Discount Tire! $1,600 all in with installation and warranty.

It looks like he pays $1600 at Costco, but I agree that a tire store like Discount Tire can offer good deals.

 

[Myeil]

Touching on the blind spot subject as another mentioned; if you have your mirrors positioned properly it really isn't an issue along with the blind-spot monitor system in the car which is also adjustable to have minimal or more warning with someone in the blind spot of the vehicle. I really don't have any issues with this personally and isn't an issue for me.

The only real visibility issue I have is the passenger C-pillar when trying to reverse. You're very much dependent on the backup camera and sensors. With properly adjusted mirrors, anyone in your rearview should immediately appear in your side mirrors.

 

[Professor SKO]

I have been retired for almost 20 years. A little over 25 years ago I drove a MB230 SLK. About 8 years ago, I purchased a MB350 SLC. Both are 2 seaters for Driver and 1 passenger. I purchased my 2022 Supra GR A91-CF in the fall of 2022. So, a two seater isn't a problem for me. The GR storage space is definitely small as compared to either of the 2 MBs. Still, it is large enough for me.

My one major problem is Blind Spot. Even with mirrors adjusted to help with blind spot detection and also having the Blind Spot monitoring system and looking left and right, I still can be surprised. Also at side street intersections, the left mirror gives me problems seeing cars that are already at the intersection or are approaching the intersection. It would help ME if the mirror was about 2" lower.

I have driven my Supra GR a few times well over 600 miles in one day without feeling worn out. For the past 68 years, I have preferred to drive rather than fly.

 

[DR.COKE]

$2,000 for a set of tires? What tires and where in the world are you getting tires at? It was $1,400 for my Pilot Sport 4S at Discount Tire! $1,600 all in with installation and warranty.

Front around $900 and rear around $1,000 for around $1,900 total for stock tires at pep boys. My local Independent shop is well over $2,000 when you factor in road hazard with installation. Price is south florida. My guess Toyota dealer even more expensive.

 

[nanaisu]

Front around $900 and rear around $1,000 for around $1,900 total for stock tires at pep boys. My local Independent shop is well over $2,000 when you factor in road hazard with installation. Price is south florida. My guess Toyota dealer even more expensive.

Ah, I see. You're replacing them with the wrong tires.
Pretty much universal consensus is Pilot Sport 4s >>>>> Pilot Super Sport.

 

[DR.COKE]

Ah, I see. You're replacing them with the wrong tires.
Pretty much universal consensus is Pilot Sport 4s >>>>> Pilot Super Sport.

Pep boys don’t have 4S to choose so I went with stock tires to show 2 grand. Generally 4s about $100 cheaper, still up there In price. Would have gone with Indy hawk 500 but it rains almost everyday in Florida.

 

[bl4ck_wng]

Interesting mix of cars in consideration @archsteve

I have a caddy 4v-Blackwing edition... you described that car very closely, without realizing it. I use mine primarily as a long range highway missile, that can also tackle track days and weekends at the strip with zero drama. It is stealthy, luxurious, fast as all hell, and needs no mods from factory -- Vehicle is 100% track-ready (not just track-capable) from factory and is fully warrantied to be driven at 10/10ths out of the box. Zero mods are required to enjoy it fully. The exhaust bangs are nutty for a stock exhaust system. Driver feel is (IMO) superior to any modern G8x series BMW, even if it is not as fast in a straight line. 6 speed manual gets very good reviews and has no lift shift which is fun. Does not matter for you as much, but the aftermarket support is still limited since there are not many out there (and even fewer owners willing to mod). Long range trips are a breeze in the top tier racing buckets - I got lucky on the massaging and climate comfort packs being included in my spec. 2-4 hours of seat time is a pleasure, from my experience, and my back is shot from 20 years of golf. I usually take a short walk every 2.5 hours driven no matter what car I am in -- I can make it past that mark in the 4BW somehow - testament to the seats being awesome to look at AND sit in.

Reliability is terrific. In my experience - the "larger" dealers are plenty capable of working on the 4BW. Most of the guys I know have had headache free ownership experiences so far. I have an early production 2022MY VIN, so I had some minor issues along the way, but now I am totally sorted out. I do have a custom valved exhaust system and some other light mods installed -- I hurt feelings and damage fragile egos in this car.

The whole platform is very under the radar too. Enthusiasts know, LEO does not, and you can easily convince the wife since "it's just a caddy". I think it gets just the right amount of attention, until you make the bangs and pops.

Extra bonus - The high end special edition IMSA cars can be acquired for well under sticker right now too.

 

[lucky phil]

It's a sports car. Can it be used as a DD, yep. Is it a good choice as a DD as your subject heading asked? Nope.

Phil

Sponsored