MM Comparo Review: MK4 vs. MK3 aka I've ruined myself

MM Comparo Review: MK4 vs. MK3 aka I've ruined myself - Printable Version

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MM Comparo Review: MK4 vs. MK3 aka I've ruined myself - Goodspeed - 07-29-2008

Background: I have a MK3 Supra Turbo, Ryan T has a MK4 NA Hardtop Supra. I am a shameless whore for these vehicles. I've always wanted to write a review thread, to make myself feel important.

So Ryan and I struck a deal the other day: I would get to drive his MK4 Supra for the (real) first time for a day if I washed, waxed, and photographed it for his upcoming FS ad. What a champion fellow Wink

. Now, I of course wouldn't pass up the opportunity, performing simple tasks that I regularly do to my own car to be able to drive one I've always wanted to.

I figured it would not only be fun, but it would give me valuable experience to go on when talking about the car.

Note: weak burnout marks were there when I hard parked
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So, lets begin with a mini review of my MK3. Read my thread in the sig to see what's done to it, but the gist is this: its a terrific cruiser and straight line sled, but its sheer size and heft limits its cornering manners, or lack thereof: the MK3 is not to be pushed. Think of it as a walrus*: pudgy and lazy, but a swift swimmer with poor direction-changing ability and the manners to kill and mutilate you if you piss it off.

*MK3 bucket-wants are inconclusive

Its a grand-fine tourer and a true powerhouse when you put your foot down, but don't mistake it for a sports car. I haven't and though it does sometimes leaving me wanting for a lighter, tauter car, I both respect and admire its heavy strengths as reliable, fast transportation.

My day with the MK4 went something like this: drive to car wash, drive through campus to photo shoot location, then off to 33 East for some relaxed, scenic cruising.

Thats at least how a calm and orderly speaker would sum it up at least. Me? I'm completely fucking ruined. I wanted one before, and now that want has been marginalized and beaten up by a much deeper, heavier want. A gut want, a want that makes me not want to drive my car for a while to abate the inevitable let-down.

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Sure my car is faster in a straight line and even goes "whoosh" when I let off, but the MK4 was an absolute blast to drive. And not in the dyno-queen way you are thinking; the chassis, the steering, the handling and the sound of that smooth 6 melted me. I'll concede that I haven't yet found a comfortable driving position in my car. I sink into the seats, arching my back to pull my head off the rest to level my sight with the road. In the MK4, I pulled the seat forward and the backrest up (like a race kar driver) to make sure I was well within reach of the controls, and I was instantly rewarded with a better driving position than I've ever experienced. The steering was heavier and the suspension was flatter and smoother on bone-stock suspension than my MK3 with sway-bars. The car was rock solid, stable, communicative, and balanced. The gate and throw of the shifter is faaaar more precise/shorter than my car, so I got the inevitable 5th instead of 3rd etc. a few times, but still, once ironed out it was a far better trans to use. I'd be curious to see if a short shifter would put mine in the same league in terms of feel.

But this is all dwarfed by another level of the driving experience: the attention you get driving one of these things. I mean sweet baby jesus, I got more looks/compliments/revs in 6 hours than I've gotten in 11 months in my car.

Attention Whore Achievements
- Two mean mugging guys in a blue '06ish Civic Si did a hellacious ricer fly by...in the opposite direction
- A guy in a slammed white Civic cruised past me at a stop light, laying it on with 6k revs
- Another guy standing next to his two-tone Integra stared at me for literally two straight minutes without flinching as a I cruised through a parking lot looking for the exit. I saw this same guy on 33 East
- The attendant at the Miracle Wash (older white guy) hovered around my bay, pretending to have things to do, when all I saw was him gawking at the car
- An orange Saturn Ion, riced and featuring dual Hattori Hanzo cannon mufflers, came into the car wash after me
- I had a guy obviously follow me through every turn in Olde Town H'burg in a CR-V, smiling in the mirror, until we seperated at a changing light
- Cruising towards C'ville on 33 East, a younger guy in a Del Sol frantically merged right onto the road when he saw me coming, and though I kept the same pace, he floored it to get past me
- Parked at Advance Auto, two guys walked up yelling "don't drop dat hood!" to take a look, remarking that it could beat one of their Civics
- 5.0 Mustang flyby/rev. Actually a few anxious Mustangs were encountered
- Everyone drives like a complete jackass around this thing. Speeding up to block your merge, etc.
- An older woman that looked like Lady McDeath in a clean SHO paced me and I could see her staring in the mirror
- Stopped at a light on my way home, two hot girls behind me in the next lane kept looking at the sexy ass and yours truly

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For all I know they could've been speculating on how small my penis is, but the hot passenger gave me the "look" every time we made eye contact, and she had boobs, so there

So there you have it. The MK4 is far superior to anything I've ever driven, and although that list may be short, I no longer see the need to make it much longer. I want, bad, and hopefully soon I'll have. I took some HD video when I stuffed my cam on a mini-tripod in the hatch area, so you may be seeing some of that in the future.

The end.

Now, to make your life easier, I've offered these numbered responses that I'm guessing I'll receive. Simply enter the number of your choice instead of having to type it all out.

1.) Did you ejaculate?
2.) You're a fanboy gay
3.) Awesome d00d!

- Apoc - 07-29-2008

2

(thanks)

- CaptainHenreh - 07-29-2008

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- HAULN-SS - 07-29-2008

Man, seeing those screen shots makes me want to get the MK trilogy to kill some time.

- Chris - 07-29-2008

I think you should buy Thayer's... keep it in MM Big Grin

- JackoliciousLegs - 07-30-2008

An the mk4 is still a pig... and it's not that attractive anymore. Maybe I've never found them attractive. Either way... it's still a pig. An overpriced pig.

- Dave - 07-30-2008

Welcome to club Goodspeed, your sentiments mirror how I always felt about my mk4 vs my mk3. You've always wanted one of these, so it sounds like this just sealed the deal...

- ScottyB - 07-30-2008

Chris Wrote:buy Thayer's

also i probably would have left out that you were the key interest of every man in harrisonburg and just left in that last bulletpoint about the babes.

- Maengelito - 07-30-2008

I choose options 1 and 2

Also, I agree that you should buy it from Thayer and just be done with it.

- WRXtranceformed - 07-30-2008

My buddy and I were browsing Supraforums because he's always been a huge Supra fanboi. I cannot fucking BELIEVE how much of a premium those cars still pull. I saw a white one with around 500whp, chipped wheels, overall average car for fucking $60,000!!!! I think he was dropping the price down to a paltry $47,000. I am absolutely astounded that people even consider paying that much for those cars.

I like Supras, the 2JZ-GTE is an awesome platform and I agree you should sell your car and buy a MKIV, but buy Thayer's so you don't get raped on the price. There is no way in hell I would consider paying a dime over $25,000 for even the cleanest, low-mileage TT Supra I could find.

Edit: BTW, did he ever finish that turbo conversion?

- Sijray21 - 07-30-2008

WRXtranceformed Wrote:My buddy and I were browsing Supraforums because he's always been a huge Supra fanboi. I cannot fucking BELIEVE how much of a premium those cars still pull. I saw a white one with around 500whp, chipped wheels, overall average car for fucking $60,000!!!! I think he was dropping the price down to a paltry $47,000. I am absolutely astounded that people even consider paying that much for those cars.

supply and demand for them are definitely ridiculous - but i do have to admit, that's an ass of a car i'd always hit. i've always had a soft spot for the MKIV supra TT and i wish i could afford one.

+1 for buying Thayers' (i wanted to buy Dave's)

- Goodspeed - 07-30-2008

Chris Wrote:I think you should buy Thayer's... keep it in MM

I really can't afford to unfortunately. I'd love to have a hardtop as well.

Dave Wrote:Welcome to club Goodspeed, your sentiments mirror how I always felt about my mk4 vs my mk3.

ScottyB Wrote:also i probably would have left out that you were the key interest of every man in harrisonburg and just left in that last bulletpoint about the babes.

Plus, the girls might of truly liked the car

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WRXtranceformed Wrote:I am absolutely astounded that people even consider paying that much for those cars.

As am I. I lurk the FS forum constantly and the market is dead right now, especially with this economy and the new cars coming out that make more fiscal sense. A lot of MKIV owners disregard the notion that modifications don't equal a higher selling price. IMO, there are some $60k cars out there that are worth it, but most owners tend to throw a rediculously high price out there, only to have the car sit on the market for months until they lower it to what it should have been or less to finally sell it. This is a great deal, and if your friend revisits the FS forum anytime soon, there are two '98 Twin Turbos, one of them low miles and the other being very clean and the rarest color ever made, for $28k.

Maengelito Wrote:I choose options 1 and 2

- WRXtranceformed - 07-30-2008

Goodspeed Wrote:A lot of MKIV owners disregard the notion that modifications don't equal a higher selling price.

That was one of the first things I noticed when we started browsing.

- HAULN-SS - 07-30-2008

blech. I still don't see what makes them look good. The wheels are turrble. The headlights are too close together. The side scoops are tiny compared the massiveness of the rear. The rear is too massive. Are these high prices still a F&F fallout?

- BLAIR - 07-30-2008

save money.. buy an SC.. same car.. and they look better :lol: you can get into a 5 speed sc for like 3 grand.. thats what i just sold my black 95 for.

- Evan - 07-30-2008

Rex beat me to it.

its a tough call, MK3 had that shitty multi-hit combo system, but MK4 was shitty 3D albeit with much better controls. In the end they both loose to MK2, the best MK of all time.

ps. #1

- HAULN-SS - 07-30-2008

yeah, mk3 combos were shitty. Nothing worse than getting newbed by someone

- Ryan T - 07-30-2008

I pretty much have to agree with everything goodspeed said, having owned both a mkiii and a mkiv. mkiii is a nice boulevard cruiser that is heavy but confident and the mkiv is lighter and more nimble and a lot more fun to drive. Plus the mkiv looks better, even better than an sc (sorry blair)

- WRXtranceformed - 07-30-2008

Evan Wrote:In the end they both loose to MK2, the best MK of all time.

ps. #1

For reals!!

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