Is the 2020 Supra Worth It?

It’s been two decades since the Toyota Supra was center stage at Toyota dealerships. With the arrival of the all-new A90 generation, believe me when I say we’ve read every one of the “It’s not a real Supra; it’s a BMW with a Toyota badge and body” comments. It’s not, and I wrote a thorough backgrounder on this topic in the March 2019 issue. And would you as an automotive enthusiast prefer both the BMW Z4 M40i and Toyota Supra 3.0, sharing mechanicals as they do, or neither be available right now? Also, the 2020 Toyota GR Supra advanced to the finalist round of our annual Car of the Year contest, and the Z4 did not. MotorTrend en Español managing editor Miguel Cortina wrote a comparison test between the two if you’re still a doubting Thomas. The 2020 Toyota Supra is legit.

We chose a 2020 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Premium ($54,945) painted in stunning Nitro Yellow ($450) and added one option: the driver assist package ($1,195), which includes radar cruise control (with full stop/start capability), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and parking sensors with emergency braking function. Essentially, the Premium grade mirrors the loaded Launch Edition, minus the red leather and red mirror caps. Standard equipment is generous. Highlights include 19-inch forged aluminum wheels with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires, LED exterior lighting, keyless entry/ignition, black leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel, shift paddles, heated 14-way power adjustable seats, a color head-up display, an 8.8-inch-wide touchscreen, a 12-speaker 500-watt JBL audio system with AM/FM radio, SiriusXM satellite radio, wireless Apple CarPlay, navigation, connected telematics services, and a wireless charging pad. Standard safety features include a reverse camera, eight airbags, forward collision warning (it flashes what appears to be the rear of a BMW X6 on the windshield), automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning with (a forceful) steering assist, and automatic high-beams.

As generous as all that is for an as-tested total of $56,565, I do have a few real-life nits to pick already. Both displays are too dim even on the brightest setting. This is made worse with direct sunlight. The wireless charging pad has a low-rise cover, and negotiating the shifter and cover makes placing or removing a phone a threading-a-needle exercise. There’s no exterior button or kick-activated hatch release. When I park the car in my garage and shut it off, it remains in accessory mode for a period, stereo playing while I go inside. It goes off eventually, and locking the car truly shuts it down, but why lock it when it’s safely in my own locked garage?

I’ve really enjoyed commuting in this sports car. There’s something you won’t hear every day. In normal driving mode (as opposed to Sport), the ride is composed and cushy. Shifts are gentle and prudent. The driver’s seat is supportive and comfortable. And now that the break-in period is complete and I’m delving into Sport mode, I like that the car remembers the last drive mode on startup. And like with the BMW M2 long-termer I had a while back, I’ve programmed several memory hard buttons with things like my favorite news channel, current tire pressure, and audio system tone settings. This saves having to delve into iDrive (oops!) to find them on the fly.

Collectively, we’ve driven the Supra just over 1,500 miles and averaged a respectable 27 mpg. Associate road test editor Erick Ayapana deserves recognition for his contribution with a 33-mpg tankful on a trip to San Diego. Because break-in is complete, we can now surpass the temporary 4,500-rpm rev limit and exceed 100 mph. Huzzah! Much more to come.

Show All