Nissan Nissan Z RZ34 vs Toyota GR Supra A90
“Sports car against grand tourer: the Supra is the sharper, more serious driver's car, and the Z is the softer, roomier, cheaper one you'd rather live in.
The A90 Supra wins the driving. Its B58 holds a more linear band and stays in boost, the ZF 8-speed is rated the best torque-converter auto going, and the manual is the crisper, more mechanical shift. The steering is more precise, the chassis tighter and more confidence-inspiring, and back-to-back track tests have it out-accelerating and out-lapping the Z despite the lower rated output. It sounds better, too.
The RZ34 Z brings more power on paper from its VR30 twin-turbo V6 and puts it down well, but the suspension is soft, the body rolls, the one-two shift is clunky and the 9-speed auto hesitates where the ZF doesn't. What it wins is everything around the drive: a cushier ride, better visibility, more shoulder room, a more usable trunk and a lower price.
Buy the Supra for the road you drive to; buy the Z for the miles in between.
you want the one that's easier to live with — the comfier ride, the cabin you can see out of and fit in, the usable trunk, the lower price — and you'll accept soft suspension and a gearbox that trails the Supra's.
you want the sharper, quicker, more focused driver's car with the better gearbox either way you order it — and you'll live with the stiffer ride and claustrophobic cabin to get it.
Buy the A90 Supra if the drive is the point — the B58, the ZF or the manual, the more precise steering and the tighter chassis make it the more serious machine. Buy the RZ34 Nissan Z if the car has to be comfortable, roomy and easy to see out of every day, and you'd rather keep the price difference than the last degree of sharpness.
Value is the real split: most reviewers price the Z thousands below a comparable six-cylinder Supra, but ThatDudeinBlue found the manual Supra the better value at the same money and Extra Throttle House say the Z is cheaper for a reason. The VR30's delivery divides them too — Ben Hardy calls the power band Porsche-smooth, while Sleepy Garage and Realistick hear boost lag next to the more linear B58. And TheTopher thinks the Z may be slightly more fun precisely because its lower-grip tires let it slide.
Performance
Handling
Fun to drive
“Toyota actually had to develop the manual transmission... keep asking automakers for manuals and keep buying them more importantly because the Supra actually changed the tide on that one. However, there is really just one big upside. It's the way this thing drives... much like Nissan is considering putting a manual into their Nismo Nissan Z.”
“I had an opportunity to compare this with the Nissan Z while the Nissan Z is epic I think this takes a slight Edge because this does feel like a Supra”
Daily drivability
“I fit okay here in the Supra as a bigger guy. I've always found that I actually fit better in the Nissan Z. I have a little bit more shoulder room, it feels like there.”
“it is a little bit claustrophobic, more claustrophobic in here than a Nissan Z”
Value
“this car starts at under 40 thousand dollars uh and it's going to put vehicles like the supra to shame because you have to spend more to get the six cylinder supra”
“I found the value just wasn't there it was too expensive of a car for what you got in my opinion and I found the Toyota Super manual to be a better value for the same price.”
“I think the Supra is a significantly better value. The fact that it is about $8 to $10,000 cheaper”
