Potential new owner (UK)

[iBartonn]

Hi all,

I’m thinking of potentially trading in my 2019MY C43 for an A90 Toyota Supra.

i know I’m on a Supra forum (so likely to get some biased opinions!) but I just wanted to get some opinions from people on whether or not it’d be a good trade? I’ve been given some trade offers - around £34-36.5k with (second hand) supra starting around £41-43k

one reason to not make the change is that I don’t drive the car too often (I normally do 2-5k miles a year) and I doubt that’ll change with a supra - I only have one car but work from home most days so it’s not daily driven!

But a reason to do so is that the Supra has such a good platform for modifications and makes almost 500bhp with minimal mods, where as the C43 aftermarket is much more limited (and much more expensive!) market.

I see the differences being the C43 is a more “luxurious” car with a nicer interior and more add-ons (ambient lighting, 360 camera, parking assists etc.) but the Supra is more of a driver centric car with better aftermarket support.

what do people think I should do? Is there anything I’m missing or should know about the supra?

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[B54]

Have you had the chance to test drive a Supra?

I cannot vouch for the luxuriousness or quietness of the C43 but I can imagine the Supra will be louder/more raw of an experience.

Since you are only driving a few thousand miles a year, the better question would be:
Am I willing to drive more comfortable with less power or less comfortable with more power?

I use the Supra as my daily and came from a GT86 before it. The difference is night and day in comfort. I went specifically for the Supra as I felt it checked all the comforts I could need on my commutes and/or grocery drives.

 

[iBartonn]

Have you had the chance to test drive a Supra?

I cannot vouch for the luxuriousness or quietness of the C43 but I can imagine the Supra will be louder/more raw of an experience.

Since you are only driving a few thousand miles a year, the better question would be:
Am I willing to drive more comfortable with less power or less comfortable with more power?

I use the Supra as my daily and came from a GT86 before it. The difference is night and day in comfort. I went specifically for the Supra as I felt it checked all the comforts I could need on my commutes and/or grocery drives.

I haven’t test drove one yet (still trying to get one booked) but a friend of mine has his own that I’ve been a passenger in and it honestly doesn’t feel much different comfort wise to my car! I’m trying not to drive his as it’s been tuned to 500bhp so it wouldn’t be a comparable test.

My C43 is a little louder than his and sounds more aggressive (AMG did well in this department!) and stock they’re actually very similar in a straight line - tested when my friends was stock in A rolling race and the supra pulled a little towards the top end.

I suppose the other main difference is the C43 is AWD whilst the Supra is RWD.

 

[Hakiro09]

I got my one recently and I have 600 miles so far. I think the biggest thing that I have noticed is the amount of attention the car get. I had many people give me the waive and start conversation regarding the car. Stock for stock straight line performance will be very similar…in the summer, over the winter the AWD will make the C43 easier to drive and probably quicker. It is a small cabin and getting in and out of the car can be a pain when u don’t have much space around u. If u have the upgraded sound system (can’t remember the name) on the C43 than be prepared as the jbl sound system doesn’t come close to sound quality no matter what u do with the eq. In term of tunability get a 2020 as it will have an unlocked ecu and overall it will be easier to tune for higher power levels. Overall I like the car and I drive it as my daily. If you any questions let me know.

 

[iBartonn]

I got my one recently and I have 600 miles so far. I think the biggest thing that I have noticed is the amount of attention the car get. I had many people give me the waive and start conversation regarding the car. Stock for stock straight line performance will be very similar…in the summer, over the winter the AWD will make the C43 easier to drive and probably quicker. It is a small cabin and getting in and out of the car can be a pain when u don’t have much space around u. If u have the upgraded sound system (can’t remember the name) on the C43 than be prepared as the jbl sound system doesn’t come close to sound quality no matter what u do with the eq. In term of tunability get a 2020 as it will have an unlocked ecu and overall it will be easier to tune for higher power levels. Overall I like the car and I drive it as my daily. If you any questions let me know.

Thanks for sharing your experience so far! Yes I’m aware of all the attention they get and of course the people that bemoan that it’s “not a supra” and “It’s just a BMW underneath” But honestly that doesn’t bother me as I’ve had it all with my car “not being a real AMG” because it’s not a one man, one engine build.

i do get the point about the sound system the Burmesters in the c43 are excellent but are also so powerful the bass can drown out the rest of the music! Honestly, It might be easier to get a better balance with the JBL system in the Supra!

In regards to tunability, I know we don’t get the A91’s in the UK (which I believe are all ecu locked in the US?) and I think we can get an early 21 before the ECUs are locked and need to be bench unlocked but preferably I’d be looking for a 20/70 plate.

I know some owners have complained around visibility? What are your thoughts on this? I’m about 6”1 and of average build.

Appreciate you’ve also only done 600 miles and only recently bought yours but do you have any idea of maintenance costs? Or parts? Mercedes dealerships are generally very expensive to use!

 

[yellowsup]

Hi, to be honest you have a really difficult (but good) decision to make. I'm lucky enough to have a C43 (estate) for the family duties and I got permission (from the wife) for a 2020 Supra at the start of this year! The issue is that they are both great cars and under most conditions I'd argue that the C43 feels quicker. I've just purchased a draggy but haven't used it on the C43 yet, give me a couple of weeks and I'll have some data to share, for info the C43 has the Brabus piggyback and the Supra is stock.... for now. I would very much doubt there would be much in it on a back road, track or motorway, so I wouldn't base too much on performance differences.

For me, the Merc allows you to drive around un-noticed and still packs a punch under any conditions. But.... and this is the BIG one, I could sit and stare at the Supra all day long. As mentioned above it gets so much love from other people, be prepared to talk about it if you get one. I've not had any 'BMW' comments either yet, which surprised me, the point is, the Supra provides an experience in my eyes, the C43 is 'nice' but the Supra is exciting - isn't that what it's all about???

Service and parts from what I can see so far are about the same, Mercedes and Toyota are not too bad I don't think, especially coming from previous Audis, they had my pants right down .. I had the Supra serviced when I took ownership to set a baseline for maintenance. The dealer (Derby Toyota) updated all of the software for full screen carplay etc. with no issues at all.

I see you have the C43 coupe so I assume the back seats aren't an issue for you?

Exhaust noise, WTF was Toyota thinking on this one?? I've turned off the fake noise and the car is whisper quiet, if you get one, you WILL need a new exhaust, so get some cash put aside for that. I'm in the process of trying to decide which one to go for. I'm comparing it to the PE on the C43 which is miles better and something similar should have been fitted as std to the Supra. That said, the old mk4 Supra was the same with the std exhaust on.

Comfort wise, I'd say they are very similar, with the obvious caveat that the the Supra is smaller inside. Do check that you fit, I was having the geo set up a few weeks back and a 911 owner wanted to see if he could fit inside, which he couldn't due to his upper body length!! He didn't have an issue in the 911 he was driving, I'm 5'7 so no such issues but if you are tall, its worth a check... one telling point is that he was disappointed as he loves the look of the Supra.

All in all they are different propositions so it really comes down to what you need/fancy. Both very capable machines. Due to having a family (and stuff) if I had to choose one, obvs it would be the C43, but if that's not a problem for you I'd go and take a long test drive and see how it makes you feel. Judging by the photo you posted above I'd say that you like to drive and enjoy a good looking car, the Supra would definitely tick those boxes, and I'd recommend a bright yellow one, the best colour

ps. if you are thinking about tuning keep an eye on the date of manufacture, it's easily spotted on the sticker when you open the door. Mine is a 2020, but was manufactured mid 2019, so there could be a good 6 months between the plate and the manuf date helping you widen your search.

hope that helps?

 

[Schang105]

Greetings OP, you'll feel a difference in cabin luxury and tech right away. Ergonomics should be OK given your height but check the seating position during your test drive. Supra 3.0 is about 3400 lbs. so you may perceive less weight than the C43. You will be pleased with the chassis tuning in the Supra even coming from an AMG. Reliability is an open question but I've not had big issues so far in my ownership. It's last gen BMW iDrive so hopefully most electronics gremlins have been addressed. If considering mods, take a look at the Supra 2.0. Can save maybe 9,000 quid and use that towards upgrades.

 

[iBartonn]

Hi, to be honest you have a really difficult (but good) decision to make. I'm lucky enough to have a C43 (estate) for the family duties and I got permission (from the wife) for a 2020 Supra at the start of this year! The issue is that they are both great cars and under most conditions I'd argue that the C43 feels quicker. I've just purchased a draggy but haven't used it on the C43 yet, give me a couple of weeks and I'll have some data to share, for info the C43 has the Brabus piggyback and the Supra is stock.... for now. I would very much doubt there would be much in it on a back road, track or motorway, so I wouldn't base too much on performance differences.

For me, the Merc allows you to drive around un-noticed and still packs a punch under any conditions. But.... and this is the BIG one, I could sit and stare at the Supra all day long. As mentioned above it gets so much love from other people, be prepared to talk about it if you get one. I've not had any 'BMW' comments either yet, which surprised me, the point is, the Supra provides an experience in my eyes, the C43 is 'nice' but the Supra is exciting - isn't that what it's all about???

Service and parts from what I can see so far are about the same, Mercedes and Toyota are not too bad I don't think, especially coming from previous Audis, they had my pants right down .. I had the Supra serviced when I took ownership to set a baseline for maintenance. The dealer (Derby Toyota) updated all of the software for full screen carplay etc. with no issues at all.

I see you have the C43 coupe so I assume the back seats aren't an issue for you?

Exhaust noise, WTF was Toyota thinking on this one?? I've turned off the fake noise and the car is whisper quiet, if you get one, you WILL need a new exhaust, so get some cash put aside for that. I'm in the process of trying to decide which one to go for. I'm comparing it to the PE on the C43 which is miles better and something similar should have been fitted as std to the Supra. That said, the old mk4 Supra was the same with the std exhaust on.

Comfort wise, I'd say they are very similar, with the obvious caveat that the the Supra is smaller inside. Do check that you fit, I was having the geo set up a few weeks back and a 911 owner wanted to see if he could fit inside, which he couldn't due to his upper body length!! He didn't have an issue in the 911 he was driving, I'm 5'7 so no such issues but if you are tall, its worth a check... one telling point is that he was disappointed as he loves the look of the Supra.

All in all they are different propositions so it really comes down to what you need/fancy. Both very capable machines. Due to having a family (and stuff) if I had to choose one, obvs it would be the C43, but if that's not a problem for you I'd go and take a long test drive and see how it makes you feel. Judging by the photo you posted above I'd say that you like to drive and enjoy a good looking car, the Supra would definitely tick those boxes, and I'd recommend a bright yellow one, the best colour

ps. if you are thinking about tuning keep an eye on the date of manufacture, it's easily spotted on the sticker when you open the door. Mine is a 2020, but was manufactured mid 2019, so there could be a good 6 months between the plate and the manuf date helping you widen your search.

hope that helps?

Ah glad to see someone has experienced both! As you say I’ve definitely put myself in a bit of a predicament with this decision if I could have both at the same time I would but it would be such a waste with the miles I do per year!

My C43 is pretty much stock, other than being lowered. I also upgraded to an aftermarket chargecooler (in preparation to be tuned) but when I went to get it done the car decided to run in a soft limp and the battery started to give out…

I’ve had the car for almost two years, and whilst I love how it looks inside and out there’s just something that drawn me to the Supra. Maybe that’s what’s missing, “the experience” that you get with a Supra?

Mercedes parts and service wise haven’t been too bad especially once you get a service plan -outside of that it can be a bit shocking! I think they wanted about £800 for a Service A!

Seats are much of an issue for me, as you say I have the coupe currently and very rarely have the rear seats been used (maybe once!). So I don’t see that being an issue in the supra with only having the one passenger seat.

I’m aware of the exhaust noise… that’s certainly one thingG excelled at in my opinion. The Performance Exhaust just makes it sound so mean. However, my friend has had the opf deleted and decat downpipes added which seems to do enough (still not quite C43 level but more respectable!)

the seat positioning is definitely something that I will be checkin on the test drive. I have enough room on the passenger seat of my mates but the driver seating position would be completely different! Part of me hopes I can but part of me also hopes I can’t just So I don’t have to make the decision

Thanks for the recommendation on the Yellow! I’ll keep it in mind although at the moment I am leaning towards the midnight blue or black. The picture was taken in the Angolan alps this year so a long test drive is definitely needed so I know it’s comfortable enough! Potentially a road trip through the Stelvio pass next year so we’ll see if it’s in the C43 or Supra!

If I do decide to get the Supra I’ll definitely be looking to add some mods! Hopefully get it towards that 500bhp mark and a few exterior mods (maybe the street hunter wing )

 

[iBartonn]

Greetings OP, you'll feel a difference in cabin luxury and tech right away. Ergonomics should be OK given your height but check the seating position during your test drive. Supra 3.0 is about 3400 lbs. so you may perceive less weight than the C43. You will be pleased with the chassis tuning in the Supra even coming from an AMG. Reliability is an open question but I've not had big issues so far in my ownership. It's last gen BMW iDrive so hopefully most electronics gremlins have been addressed. If considering mods, take a look at the Supra 2.0. Can save maybe 9,000 quid and use that towards upgrades.

Thanks for the welcome and response! I am a little afraid of the difference in tech and electronics. At the moment, the car has to be parked on the road due to next door and our house being renovated.So the Mercedes parking assistance helps quite a bit with the parallel parking (just because I’m too lazy!)

I think the B58 (from what I’ve seen) seems to be pretty bulletproof… but as you say it’s probably still a bit of an open question and with the iDrive whilst I’ve never had a BMW before (so have absolutely have no idea about it!) I’d like to think I can manage as I’d only really use Apple CarPlay.

Modifying isn’t really much of a problem for me really, I’ll happily wait until I can get things together before making the move and honestly I think I’d much prefer the 3.0! But thanks for the suggestion anyways!

 

[Schang105]

The power in the 3.0 is incredible. It's easy to reach peak torque in the low to mid RPM band, merely thinking about power makes the throttle jump. To me it feels like 400 brake horsepower even at stock.

 

[yellowsup]

Potentially a road trip through the Stelvio pass next year so we’ll see if it’s in the C43 or Supra!

This is reason alone to ditch the C43 for the Supra. That kind of trip is what the Supra was made for, no contest... plenty comfy enough for the motorway bits, and plenty of room for luggage.

 

[Supra_UK_]

Hi,
As you mentioned we're biased because we all have a Supra here, but I can tell you as most others have, if you can get your hands on a manual supra you'll have a properly special feeling.

I also work from home mate and I drive the Supra one every 7-10 days and keep it on a CTEK (I daily a fiat, embarassing), and every single time the weather is right and I take the monster out the garage all shiny, it is a special moment I look forward to, each drive I try to learn something new, and again as others said, wait till you get to the petrol station and just seeing everyone jaw drop and ask questions, it is quite fun even for introverts like me, last week a dude came up and said "IS THAT A TOYOTA?!" especially seeing children smile and point. It's cool to see that as a circle of life as that child would have been me 25 years ago, seeing those cars is what breeds you to become a petrolhead and work hard to achieve your dreams. In my mind, a C43 is a gorgeous car to own and very serious/posh/mature but it would never have that kind of broader effect on your life, so that's my take on it, I wanted something that stands out, I never understood the whole "sleeper" thing other than in a fun type of scenario.

Regarding visibility, I'm 6'1 like you and it's very comfortable no headroom issues, just takes some fiddling to get the seat position right to reach the clutch which is deep and not hit your knee on the steering wheel, but you only have to do that once.

When in the fast lane looking to go back in the left lane you do have visibility issues so yes I suggest you adapt your driving style when you buy it and just be slower and extra cautious with ANY lane change, blind spot monitor helps but for me at least, I never fully rely on tech, too much at stake.
If you have anymore specific questions let me know.

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