The New Toyota Supra Costs More Than a Tesla — Is It Worth It?

0 0 Editorial Team January 23, 2019 Edit this post

By Sean Dennison, GOBankingRates

The long-awaited Toyota Supra debuted at the 2019 Detroit auto show in January.

The new car comes with a price tag of about $50,000.

However, this car might be fairly priced when compared with the 1993 model of the Supra.

The long-awaited Toyota Supra debuted at the 2019 Detroit auto show—along with a fairly exorbitant price tag. The last time a Toyota Supra was available at a showroom in the U.S. was more than two decades ago in 1998, the year the 1993 model ceased importation, according to CNET.

But absence has not made the wallet grow fonder. The 2020 Toyota Supra will run you an impressive $49,990—over $2,000 more than a 2019 base Model 3 Tesla—and that’s before options. There is also a Premium version that adds up to $53,990, and the 2020 Toyota Supra Launch Edition costs more than $55,000. But is this car worth the high costs?

Extra Costs of the Toyota Supra

Some might argue these features should already be included in a car that retails for more than $50,000, but if you can comfortably afford the Supra, you can probably spring a few thousand more for the extras.

Two options packages are available:

1. The upgraded JBL stereo system and navigation runs for almost $2,500, but is already included in the Premium and Launch Edition trim levels.

2. The Driver Assist Package costs $1,195 regardless of which trim you choose, and it includes more advanced driver-assistance system features, including blind-spot monitoring, parking sonar, a rear collision warning system plus rear cross traffic alert.

Is the Toyota Supra a Bargain?

Toyotas are considered one of the cheaper and more reliable brands of vehicles to own. Although familiarity is probably a factor in its popularity, Toyotas also rank well in J.D. Power and Consumer Reports. Trusted Choice, a company that serves insurance agents, ranked Toyota vehicles as some of the cheapest cars to maintain in a November 2018 list.

Maybe that’s why the nearly $50,000 base price tag for the new Supra is causing a stir. CNET, in previewing the vehicle, bluntly stated, “If you were expecting the new Supra to be cheap because it wears a Toyota badge, think again, pal.”

Still, the car is a sports car, a type of vehicle that has never been known for affordability. The Supra’s lineage has also seen prices increase with every subsequent model, which is par for the course for any kind of upgraded model. The 1993 fourth-generation Supra, which proudly roared in the original “The Fast and the Furious” movie, fetched $34,225 at its base price. Adjusted for inflation, $34,225 comes out to about $59,546 today, so you could make an argument that the 2020 Supra’s base price is fairly priced. Not a bargain by anyone’s definition, but not unexpected either.