Questions for Owners, Looking to Get Supra in Future

[jt.supra]

Hey everyone,

As of late I've had some interest in getting myself a 3.0 Supra. Currently I own a 2020 Mustang and I honestly do enjoy it a lot but the looks of the MK5, interior, and performance can't be beat at that price point, I just have some questions I think actual owners would have a better time answering.

1. How's the tuning/modification ceiling of the car? For example, what have you done to the car? How much torque and horsepower are you pushing? Did you need to change anything with the B58 block/internals to reach your goals?

2. How's the aftermarket? Are performance parts expensive? How much have you put into your personal build? Are there many tuners are out there that specialize in the B58 Supra? Does Toyota give you a hard time over tuning the car, such as voiding the entire warranty/ refusing to work on a modified car? Do they void over swapping OEM parts with AEM parts?

3. For those who daily their car, how is it? Do you/your passenger ever feel cramped in the cabin? How much stuff can you actually fit in the trunk? Does the car eat up potholes or does it suffer on crappy roads? What's the MPG you're getting?

4. For those who track the car, what's it like? Does it perform well from factory or did you need to extensively modify it?

5. For those who have a good amount of miles/kms on their car, hows the reliability? Any problems (including anything minor)? How is the matenience process? Do you go to BMW or Toyota dealers to get stuff done? What's the cost to repair any problems that have happened? Cost to do fluid changes like transmission fluid, brake flushes, and oil changes?

6. Is there anything the Supra is known for breaking? For example, water pump failures, head gasket issues, etc

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[darkknight302]

1. Big from what I've heard. I'm not gonna tune mine.

2. So far from what I've heard, decent to good size. I've haven't mod mine yet and so far haven't heard too many stories of dealers refusing to work on the car after mods.

3. I haven't used Sport mode that much as I like to because normal mode is fast enough for me., that I forget to use Sport mode. I've been averaging around 29 mpg but I've been driving alot on the highway to visit many places. The best I got was 36 mpg, but others on here are in the teens as they drive more aggressive than me.

4. Haven't done it yet and I'm too scare to try. I'm not a great driver at high speed.

5. My car was a buyback car that was bought back for the dreaded oil consumption issue. I've driven it 6K mils and so far no issues. Judging from the looks and what carfax said, the previous owner didn't give a rat's ass about the car and drove it very hard. The car's tires were replaced 3 times from it being shredded or worn out. He/she also didn't take bother to take care of the interior either. I think the previous owner purposely drove the car hard to get his money back by forcing a lemon issue on it.

6. I can't speak for others but mine did suffer a battery issue and the battery was replaced and read line 5 for the rest. For some people the oil consumption is a real problem, not eveyone has that issue. Some people like me do see a vibration from the steering wheel only from 70 mph to 80 mph.

 

[puzzled]

OP I can only answer 2 of your questions..

1. There is big potential to mod the B58, but honestly with just a JB4, it is already too fast for the stock tires and for street driving. I mean Mustangs are quick, but GR Supra's are fast.

6. Yes, known to break necks.

GL wih your purchase.

 

[suicidaleggroll]

1) The easy/cheap limit is around 500whp/600wtq, you can get there with just a downpipe and E50 tune, or if you don't have ethanol available where you live, a downpipe, Pure 800, and tune, so maybe $2-5k in total depending on the route you take. Unfortunately above that point you run into a lot of limits all at the same time. Fuel, transmission, and axles all need to be upgraded before going higher. Once you take care of those you're clear to maybe 800whp before you need to start thinking about the engine. This is all assuming you have a tunable ECU (mid-2021 and earlier). If you have a locked ECU then it's a bit more expensive/difficult.

2) The Supra tax is real, parts are expensive. $400 for an intake, $1300 for a catted downpipe, etc. Lots of remote tuners available. I don't have any experience dealing with Toyota, my car hasn't seen the dealership since I drove it off the lot.

3) It's great. I'm 6'1" and 250 lbs and I don't feel cramped at all, there's plenty of space, but the cabin is pretty dark and visibility isn't great. The backup cam helps a lot though, and getting convex side mirrors helps a ton too. My MPG is usually around 20 with E50, it's not bad. The trunk is pretty roomy, I haven't run into any issues there, but if I know I'm going to be picking up something big I usually just take my WRX hatch so I don't have to think about it.

 

[Souriall91]

I had a 2018 mustang GT 2 cars ago. Went to a RS4 then to the Supra. The Supra is hands down the better car. I love that V8 growl, but the Supra is much more refined, it’s much nicer inside, and provides and overall better driving experience. It is also faster. Significantly. I had a GT try to pull me from a light and I was on his ass with plenty more to go. I’m 6’2 230 and I have plenty of room. There’s a trick to getting in and out, but you’ll get it down. Passengers get plenty of room.
the trunk is pretty good. I can do a full $400 Costco trip with no space issues. It’s more room than you’d expect. The pass through helps too. I also daily my car. It’s very comfortable. It does well in traffic too. I’ve been impressed with the car overall. I would say it’s even more enjoyable than the 2017 C63 I had and definitely faster. The speed is much more manageable too.

 

[Blindspot]

3. For those who daily their car, how is it?
I've got over 16,000km on my '21 3L, a lot of it in gross, wet, sometimes frozen Canadian weather, and have done a handful of 2,000 - 4,000km road trips since I bought it last September. It's dinged, curbed, and been clipped, and I drive it like a reta... responsibly and with the utmost respect to other road users. When it was stock, I never once found it uncomfortable, but the blindspots fucking kill me; they're absolutely terrible. You can turn your sensors up and swap out the side mirrors to help, but you might change lanes into a semi-truck with all its lights on and pulling two trailers that you somehow still can't see. For day-to-day use, that and the interior rattles are my only practical complaints.

None of my passengers have been cramped, even one who's 6'4" and has tall hair, and there's a reasonable amount of room in the back for loads of groceries and all the jugs of special Supra oil you'll need to carry along with you at all times.

It gets a lot of attention, which is kinda fun. People take photos from across the intersection, kids point at it and yell at their parents to look, and every car boi will be eye-fucking you so hard that you'll think, "Hmmm, maybe?" If you just want to blend in while driving a fun, douchey car, and since you already owned a Mustang, I'd probably recommend some sort of boring Porsche; one with a wang, not a soft-top, if you can swing it. But if you don't mind people staring at your douchey car and want something different, the Supra is really neat.

4. For those who track the car, what's it like? Does it perform well from the factory or did you need to extensively modify it?
My first track day in the Supra was also my first track day ever, just to be upfront, but I've been in a handful of fast things before I got this car. The Supra was a ton of fun and it was probably the best weekend of my life, but I was also surprised by the amount of body roll and understeer the car had on the track. That made me more aware of it on the road as well, even at just a medium-scary-fun pace. I've since added Öhlins suspension, 18" wheels with a wider square set-up, and of course an alignment, all of which have transformed the car. It was fun when stock, of course, but now it's a much sharper, less forgiving tool. Now the car tramlines like it has a mind of its own and I cringe at every pothole, but it's much more engaging and eight-hour driving days still don't cripple me too badly.

5. For those who have a good amount of miles/km on their car, how's the reliability?
My 2021 drinks enough oil that I don't actually need to ever change it myself; it's a new flow-through replacement system where you just keep pouring it in so it's always got the freshest stuff possible. Joking aside, the local Toyota dealer (who I didn't even buy the car from) has been incredible to deal with. One day it'll be fixed and I'll install the overpriced exhaust and downpipe I've had on the shelf since I bought the car... ARGH, must be patient. Other stuff: my Apple CarPlay is slow, glitchy, and makes me feel like I have dementia, I think I remember some sort of recall where they replaced a thing on or near the motor, or maybe it was airbag-related, and the trunk button on the driver's side door only unlatches the truck 50-percent of the time. And I am physically unable to park and walk away from the damn thing without a huge smile on my face and looking back at it. Do buy one.

 

[romanLegion9574]

1. I'm only FBO & JB4, but others here can tell you the ceiling is very high.
2. Aftermarket support is there, but expensive -- Supra tax applies. Less than the Porsche tax, but more than, for example, a Golf GTI. Warranty stuff is going to be dealer-to-dealer, we can't answer that for you.
3. Doesn't feel cramped once seated (more like snug), but ingress/egress isn't the most comfortable. You can fit a decent amount of things, but the trunk is a bit oddly shaped so its not too wide. It's a sports car -- you'll feel bumps, but its not as hard as a track focused car like an M2C or a GT4. MPG is based on how much of a lead foot you have -- can be in the low 30s if you're in normal mode with cruise control on.
4. You didn't specify what kind of track driving (drag, drift, or track days), so I'll answer for track days. Very little needed to track it if you don't have much experience -- In decreasing order of necessity: 5w-30 oil, alignment, pads, wider tires, brake fluid.
5. 15k miles -- I take mine to a BMW specialty shop for fluids since I don't have a lift. I did my complimentary oil changes at the dealer, but feel more comfortable with the BMW specialist. Many people DIY on the platform.
6. No regularly known faults. There was an overblown oil burning issues on 21s, which seems to be remedied with 5w-30. The emergency trunk release can pop off and jam the trunk locked. Fixed with a $6 connector from O'Reilly's or some tape, depending on how neat you want your fix to look. Wind buffeting is a common problem -- again $10-$200 based on how nice you want your fix to be.

 

[METAL]

1. 690/666 stock internals.
2. Bout $55k.
3. Avoid the potholes.
4. Only streets for me.
5. 25k miles serviced at BMW every 5k, ask your local dealer for service pricing.
6. Axles break and aftermarket charge pipes blow off.

Notable mentions:
Tranny slips in 6th past 650wtrq
Terrible sound system

 

[KingTai]

3. For those who daily their car, how is it? Do you/your passenger ever feel cramped in the cabin? How much stuff can you actually fit in the trunk? Does the car eat up potholes or does it suffer on crappy roads? What's the MPG you're getting?

For starters I'm 5'11" and have 50k miles on this thing in New England. The Supra is an overall comfortable car to commute for 5+ hours. New England is known for Its potholes and it takes potholes amazingly but I would recommend avoiding it as much as possible. I've dented a wheel going 70+ Into a large pothole...I know dumb but I was lucky because I didn't lose control at all. Space wise I've fit 12 sneaker boxes in the truck, full size backpack on top of the trunk cover, and a 5 gallon cooler/ full grown poodle in the passenger . It's only been pumped on 93 and MPG wise in sport mode is 19.6 but in normal mode 8th gear on the highway cruising 80-85mph is 23.6 MPG . One issue I do notice is sometime stopping at a red light; you might need to lean forward to see the light. Side mirror visibility could be better and I recommend upgrading to Sumo Performance Side mirrors. I've driven this car all year round and it handles really well but for sure pick up a set of winter tires if you want to daily this. Below 30 degrees you will wheel spin a lot with the stock tires.


5. For those who have a good amount of miles/kms on their car, hows the reliability? Any problems (including anything minor)? How is the matenience process? Do you go to BMW or Toyota dealers to get stuff done? What's the cost to repair any problems that have happened? Cost to do fluid changes like transmission fluid, brake flushes, and oil changes?

50k miles and only issues I had was the oil because the dealer would put in the wrong amount of oil at the 20k miles mark (ended up with a free oil change after). I now do my own oil change because it would cost $240 to do at the dealership. FYI my Supra is 100% stock aside from cosmetics and keeping it this way until a potential trade for the last year model.

6. Is there anything the Supra is known for breaking? For example, water pump failures, head gasket issues, etc

I hear the axles are known for breaking when going for more performance but overall I highly doubt a stock Supra would ever break anything. Also given the price I think it's the best looking sports car for the price point. Don't go for the black interior btw it gets really boring and dull quick because of how dark it is at night.

 

[Cptnslo]

I’m just gunna say the majority of this has been answered if you search

 

[jt.supra]

I’m just gunna say the majority of this has been answered if you search

Well yeah, you’re not wrong, virtually any information you seek can be answered if you search hard enough. The point of this was to ask owners directly & to get good, real answers all in one place. A question is a question & im not forcing anyone to reply

 

[zrk]

I'm going to take a stab at this from the perspective of someone chasing personal 1/4 mile records. Everyone uses the car for different things, so all these answers are going to vary. 1/4 mile cars are different than AutoX/Road Course cars are different than dailies are different than 'gently modified street cars.'

I'm in the first bucket, but I do drive it on the street occasionally.

1. How's the tuning/modification ceiling of the car? For example, what have you done to the car? How much torque and horsepower are you pushing? Did you need to change anything with the B58 block/internals to reach your goals?

It's decently high, but it's not an LS. B58 is good on stock block till around 800/850whp.

I have:
* Port Injection
* BMW X5 ECU Swap (2021+ locked ECU cloned to a donor ECU).
* EOS Intake Manifold
* Methanol Injection
* Pure800
* Aux Fuel Pump
* Pure Transmission
* Drive Shaft Shop axles
* Reflex
* blah blah blah

I can make a little over 700hp, the current limitation is the turbo, which will be replaced soon. I'm not really worried about the block, but some have failed with similar setups. (Rods build on a Monday/Friday, name your cliche).

The block itself, with built internals, has been proven to run up to 1200hp.

2. How's the aftermarket? Are performance parts expensive? How much have you put into your personal build? Are there many tuners are out there that specialize in the B58 Supra? Does Toyota give you a hard time over tuning the car, such as voiding the entire warranty/ refusing to work on a modified car? Do they void over swapping OEM parts with AEM parts?

Aftermarket is great.

Parts are a little expensive, but not Porsche expensive.

About $50k

The shops that specialize in drag builds are p2uned, Performance Playground Engineering (PPE), Evolution of Speed, Matt Meadows, Harrison Performance.

Tuners: Jeff Payn, Mikey Botti, Marin Nelson, John Visconti. There are others, these are the big ones.

No idea about the warranty. I left mine at the dealership.

3. For those who daily their car, how is it? Do you/your passenger ever feel cramped in the cabin? How much stuff can you actually fit in the trunk? Does the car eat up potholes or does it suffer on crappy roads? What's the MPG you're getting?

I don't daily it, but I'm 6'0, 220. Completely comfortable inside. I've never really tried to fit anything in the trunk, can't help ya there. MPG- I've been running E85 or Ignite Red as fuel as of late and am getting 7mpg or so. On 93 it's completely reasonable to get high 20s (28/29) if you keep it out of boost.

4. For those who track the car, what's it like? Does it perform well from factory or did you need to extensively modify it?

I assume you're talking AutoX/Road course. I won't answer.

5. For those who have a good amount of miles/kms on their car, hows the reliability? Any problems (including anything minor)? How is the matenience process? Do you go to BMW or Toyota dealers to get stuff done? What's the cost to repair any problems that have happened? Cost to do fluid changes like transmission fluid, brake flushes, and oil changes?

N/A.

6. Is there anything the Supra is known for breaking? For example, water pump failures, head gasket issues, etc

Head gasket failed on a car at TX2K, 1000+hp car. Axles for drag, trans at 600ish TQ. I've been hearing about some Vanos flakiness, but I haven't experienced it myself.

 

[JoeDaMechanic]

3. For those who daily their car, how is it? Do you/your passenger ever feel cramped in the cabin? How much stuff can you actually fit in the trunk? Does the car eat up potholes or does it suffer on crappy roads? What's the MPG you're getting?

So many variables. What did you do to the car and where do you live. With lowering springs and a very low front lip combined with very bumpy and uneven roads I scrape a lot and have to pay attention. Adjustable suspension to a degree can make it less punishing in normal vs sport. Mpg varies drastically based on how you drive. I get maybe about 10 with a lot of stop and go having fun.

4. For those who track the car, what's it like? Does it perform well from factory or did you need to extensively modify it?
Performs well from the factory, slight understeer with power oversteer. It rotates very well, lively. Rear is a bit loose for my tastes. Sway bars and aero really helped with making it feel much more planted. Waiting on new wheels and tires.

5. For those who have a good amount of miles/kms on their car, hows the reliability? Any problems (including anything minor)? How is the matenience process? Do you go to BMW or Toyota dealers to get stuff done? What's the cost to repair any problems that have happened? Cost to do fluid changes like transmission fluid, brake flushes, and oil changes?

I avoid the dealerships. Fluid changes aren't anything really special. Same as anything else.

6. Is there anything the Supra is known for breaking? For example, water pump failures, head gasket issues, etc

Side notes. Stock sound system sucks(even the upgraded jbl one) , no android auto from the factory, no rear hatch button on the outside. Shifts are decent, but hopefully now that the tcm has been unlocked they can be great. Space for things up front is rather limited. Wireless charging sucks unless you like a slow charge and a hot phone. Front windshield is fragile as hell, paint is a bit thin. Ppf is definitely a good idea. Brakes are dusty and squeaky stock.

All in all a great starting platform with support to make it great and personalized and still be moderately usable daily depending on your expectations.

Lots of attention, good and bad. People want to let you know it's an automatic, or it's a BMW, or it's not a 3JZ... or they love it. Camry TRD owners for some reason around here all want to race and act like an angry step child. Some domestics get pretty upset as well. So it's quite polarizing.

 

[Kyuen16]

for question 3. I daily mine from school to work to home with my girl every day, I am at 16k miles stock. I drive about 60 miles a day minimum. and coming from a celica GT the car does feel tighter but the smaller cabin feels more enjoyable when taking fast corners imo. I never felt like i was too cramped, but its not comfortable if you are waiting and trying to fall asleep . For the trunk space its compact but definitely possible to store everyday items. when traveling ive been able to fit 2 suitcases a king comforters and pillows, a backpack, and enough spcae for like 3 shopping bags of etc items needed for trips, but then you are full. At stock height small potholes are fine but you feel them. For me i get 25 mpg, and i only use sport mode when needed, but not often because the car is already so fast

 

[jt.supra]

Hahah I relate to that last bit even as a Mustang owner. Those TRD Camry's and TRD Tacoma's all want smoke, honestly that's the perfect way to describe them "an angry step child" LMFAO.

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