2021 Toyota Supra Four-Cylinder Vs Inline-Six Which Is Best CarBuzz News Features New Cars Used Cars Sell My Car Shopping Tools Car Reviews Car Finder Compare Cars Best Cars Car Dealerships Used Car Reviews Car Advice Home Features 2021 Toyota Supra Four-Cylinder Vs Inline-Six Which Is Best
2021 Toyota Supra Four-Cylinder Vs Inline-Six Which Is Best
May. 14, 2020 11:26 AM ET by Jared Rosenholtz Opinion / 7 Comments There's a clear winner. The 2021 Toyota GR Supra has two significant upgrades compared to last year's model. First is a new entry-level four-cylinder model called the Supra 2.0, which offers less power and fewer features at a lower price point. Second is a power increase on the Supra 3.0 model, which now produces the name 382 horsepower figure found in its sister car, the BMW Z4 M40i. Pricing for these two new Supra models is currently under embargo but Toyota gave CarBuzz an early chance to drive both cars in lieu of a first drive event. There are points to love about each Supra but after driving them both back-to-back, we have a clear favorite. Here's why. CarBuzz CarBuzz CarBuzz CarBuzz Benefits Of The Four-Cylinder
Without checking under the hood, the best way to spot a Supra 2.0 is via its smaller 18-inch wheels (the 3.0 models all wear 19s). These smaller wheels are still wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport rubber and measure 255 in the front and 275 in the rear, which is the same width as you'll get with the 3.0's 19s. With two fewer cylinders and smaller wheels, the Supra 2.0 is obviously lighter than its six-cylinder counterpart. The Supra 2.0 weighs 3,181 pounds, which is 219 pounds less than the 3.0. Less weight over the front results in a slightly more responsive nose, which goes where you point it without fuss. The Supra 2.0's diet also includes stripping it of the adaptive suspension, active differential, electric seats, and 10-speaker stereo while the brakes are also downsized from a four-piston Brembo to a one-piston floating caliper. This has resulted in a spry handling experience that is docile and manageable at the limit but lacks the excitement of the six-cylinder. We can't comment on pricing just yet but the four-cylinder model also comes at a sizable discount compared to the six-cylinder and will achieve better fuel economy. CarBuzz CarBuzz CarBuzz CarBuzz Drawbacks Of The Four-Cylinder
While the Supra 2.0 will come at a significant discount compared to the Supra 3.0, there are some concessions you will need to make with it. We thought we would enjoy driving a small sports car with lighter manual seats but in practice, we found it harder to adjust to our perfect seating position in the non-electric chairs. Our tester included the optional 12-speaker JBL audio system, so we did not get to test the base four-speaker system. But after living with the excellent JBL system, we couldn't imagine stepping down to so few speakers. That JLB audio system will come in handy too because the Supra 2.0's exhaust is nowhere near as enjoyable to listen to like the loud bark from the inline-six. It produces a nice growl, for a turbo-four, as well as some small pops on the overrun, but for a more exciting exhaust note, you need the Supra 3.0. CarBuzz CarBuzz CarBuzz CarBuzz Benefits Of The Six-Cylinder
For the 2021 model year, Toyota has upped the Supra 3.0's horsepower from 335 to 383 hp with a slight bump in torque to 368 lb-ft. The power increase has officially dropped the estimated 0-60 mph time from 4.1 to 3.9 seconds but we think Toyota is being conservative with that time . This turbocharged six-cylinder engine is much quicker than the four-cylinder, which required 5.0 seconds to hit 60 mph. It will be a bit thirstier and weighs considerably more but on the road, the weight gain isn't noticeable. Toyota has also attached lightweight aluminum braces to the strut towers, improving the car's rigidity. The dampers, power steering, differential, and stability control have also been re-tuned to work with the uprated engine, so the Supra doesn't become a tail-happy mess. In our estimation, the power increase is a bonified success. As with last year's model, the cracks and pops from the BMW-sourced inline-six stack up well even when measured against V8 engines. CarBuzz CarBuzz CarBuzz CarBuzz Which One We Would Buy
Unless you just can't afford the price difference (which will be revealed soon), we just can't envision any downsides of buying the six-cylinder Supra. Ever since the Supra debut back in 1978, it has always used an inline-six. Buyers of the four-cylinder car will likely face the same stigma seen by V6 Camaro, Mustang, and Challenger owners. Toyota chose not to bring back the Celica name with the four-cylinder Supra, even though we think it would have fit perfectly and added some heritage to this new model. But unless price and fuel economy rank atop your needs in your next sports car purchase, we recommend saving up for the Supra 3.0. CarBuzz CarBuzz CarBuzz CarBuzz Join The Discussion
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Toyota GR Supra Jared Rosenholtz Editor-at-Large After graduating with an MBA, Jared pursued his love of cars by becoming an automotive journalist. An internship with CarBuzz grew into his current position as Editor At Large. Jared now spends most of his time evaluating new vehicles and chasing the latest news stories in the automotive industry. When he’s not attending Cars & Coffee events on the weekend, Jared loves to watch NFL football and cruise around with the top down in his German convertible. Contact Jared @Carsnbites @jar_rosenholtz LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top