Jump to content
The mkiv Supra Owners Club

Reliability and useaility????


Guest ROBT
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hey there this is my first post on the forum. I was just wondering if any of you current supra owners could answer me a few questions.

firstly im thinking of spending some of my hard earned on a mkiv twin turbo manual but as it will be my only car i was wondering what they are like used as daily drivers and wether or not they have any major mechanical floors. Also the car i would be buying would be an import but are there any major down sides to this i.e insurance, parts availability or any thing else of this nature.

 

Thanks for any help Rob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hiya Rob im a daily driver and have found them very reliable indeed, never had any issues at all, the car drives the same every day. I think you'll be fine in general with a supra as a dd, its reliabilty and power in one. They are class on motorways or duallys, they really are at home there.

There are bad eggs in every basket tho so you have to be careful when selecting the right one. A guide on what to look for is in FAQ technical section!

Buying off a respected member here or trader Jurgen is my advice!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In my experience they are very reliable solid cars - they don't have any major mechanical flaws at all, just a few minor annoyances. Obviously they are not that economical as daily drivers but you don't get something (power) for nothing.

 

I'd suggest it is worth looking for a model with the right options for you. I.e. consider bigger export spec 4 pot brakes (available as options), LSD etc.

 

The manual 6 speed is a great car/box - but test drive one to be sure you like it (if you havn't already) a lot of people love the auto so you may not want to rule that out completely.

 

check for signs of accident damage, poor mechanical servicing etc, other than that you can't really go too far wrong! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I'd suggest it is worth looking for a model with the right options for you. I.e. consider bigger export spec 4 pot brakes (available as options), LSD etc.

 

Yeh get one with ABS too, it works very well, was forced to try it out today due to some **** in a BMW!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I cannot think of any known major defects that affect the car. Sily things yes e.g:

 

1. Boot rubbers needing changing to stop the rear hatch rattle

2. Passenger grab handle breaking

3. Headlights misting up

4. Top right warning lights intermittently not working (dry joint)

 

These type of things are very easily and cheaply fixed. Just be careful who you buy off. Try to buy off a specialist who knows the cars and not just someone who flogs these next to any old tat.

 

Ask local lads which garages to avoid - I am sure Keighley Car Centre will come up in conversation :innocent:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cheers for that every one. so far all the feed back about the mkiv is very positive. One other issue i was wondering about is the fuel economy now obviously a 3 ltr twin turbo engine is going to drink fuel but i was wondering just how much they do use as i do roughly 60 miles a day.

 

Cheers again Rob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cheers for that every one. so far all the feed back about the mkiv is very positive. One other issue i was wondering about is the fuel economy now obviously a 3 ltr twin turbo engine is going to drink fuel but i was wondering just how much they do use as i do roughly 60 miles a day.

 

Cheers again Rob

 

 

 

I dont find it that bad really, the tank takes 55quid ish and i get up to 250miles from a tank. I think im right in my calculations anyway.

When you drive it hard tho using both tubbies right up to redline, you can actually watch its fuel go down. I find it goes down one slight notch on the fuel gauge if you open it up proper style.

But on the plus side i find when driving it easy, fuel economy isnt that bad despite the first turbo being so low in the rev range. I find i dont boot the car as much as previous cars because it gets up to crusing speed with ease. It just seems to increase speed without seriously going up the rev range so in that way its actually better on fuel.

I have an auto too and im sure the auto is better on fuel due to lack of engine braking. All imo of course.

 

Its really hard to drive the supra soft tho, i just dont try and worry about it too much although i dont do a lot of miles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I reckon on a tank of V-power which costs maybe upto £60 to fill I can get from Peterborough to Basildon, visit some people round there and back and have about 1/4 tank left. Probably about 200-250 on 3/4 tank.

As for reliability, I've had a few warning lights come on but use it daily, always starts, drives really nicely. Servicing can be quite pricey as can some parts. But the power steering is really powerful and despite mine being on aftermarket suspension I've had no problems with multi-storeys etc. Mine's auto not manual though so useability may be different as never driven a manual one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To be honest servicing costs dont really bother me much as im a vehicle tech. So most of my labour charges would be scraped any way as i would carry out the servicing my self. But thanks for that info any way. Please keep ur opinions coming in as im interested to hear what every one thinks.

 

cheers ROB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To be honest servicing costs dont really bother me much as im a vehicle tech. So most of my labour charges would be scraped any way as i would carry out the servicing my self. But thanks for that info any way. Please keep ur opinions coming in as im interested to hear what every one thinks.

 

cheers ROB

 

You may be able to do the basic service, but the mid and major ones need some fairly experienced knowledge and tools. Most Toyota garages won't even know how to properly do a B or C service so be warned that you really need to know what is required at the service intervals. Be sure you get the proper service manual to ensure all check are carried out, its more than you might expect.

 

Am i right in adding that UK spec has a bigger petrol tank?

 

Yes, larger by 5 litres I beleive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For cruising to and from work, you can expect fuel economy in the low 20s - the best I've had so far was about 25mpg.

 

Other problems to look out for are valve stem seals (smoky start-up when cold - easily disguised by sellers by starting the engine befopre you view the car), and running overly rich due to a gunked up oxygen sesnor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The UK TT has an 80 litre tank. If I drive my auto like it isn't the car that it is I can get "almost" 400 miles from the tank. That was all clear motorway cruising at 65-70 on ordinary unleaded. I got a lot of odd looks as I pootled along in the inside lane doing that experiment! Obviously, if I have a bit more fun when I'm driving things aren't quite so good... probably 250-280 miles to the tank I would estimate, less if I go bonkers, turn off the overdrive, etc...

 

Rowland

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For cruising to and from work, you can expect fuel economy in the low 20s - the best I've had so far was about 25mpg.

 

Other problems to look out for are valve stem seals (smoky start-up when cold - easily disguised by sellers by starting the engine befopre you view the car), and running overly rich due to a gunked up oxygen sesnor.

 

Right thats it!!!! I cant keep quiet any longer. It is not just Valve Stem seals, in the vast majoriy of cases it is guide wear. By doing the valve stem seals you are just masking the problem.

 

If we built a head, but didnt put in the valve stem seals on a 2JZ it still wouldnt smoke at all for a good few 10,000 miles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. You might also be interested in our Guidelines, Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.