Lexus RX300 vs Toyota Supra

What's the difference?

The Lexus RX300 is luxurious but affordable, making it great value and superbly comfortable, with a high level of fit and finish. Fear not about the four-cylinder engine being small – it makes plenty of grunt and handles daily duties perfectly well.

Which would you go for: An entry level Lexus RX300 or a top-of-the-range Mazda CX-9? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

The Toyota GR Supra GT is a superb sports car that’s relatively easy to live with in the city even with the manual gearbox and incredibly fun to drive out where the roads are free from traffic.

Not only is the GT great for the price compared to rivals but it’s the pick of the Supra range.   

I've mentioned the Spindle grille and its jewellery-like appeal, and even the sharp edges of this SUV make the RX300 look like a carved gemstone, but I'm not the biggest fan of this vehicle's proportions. I think the door-to-window ratio is a bit off. There's just too much door for my liking.

That said, I'm intrigued by the craftmanship, the attention to detail and the use of materials, which make this SUV both pretty and intriguing.

The cabin mixes the plushness of cushioned surfaces on the dash and the armrests  with pleasing design elements, like the swooping aluminium trim, which zig-zags its way from the instrument cluster to the passenger's side of the centre console.

The giant media display is impressive, but the functionality is awkward, to say the least, but more on that in the practicality section below.

The Luxury is the entry grade into the RX model and so comes with smaller wheels than the F Sport and Sports Luxury above it, but it does score roof rails, dual chrome exhausts, a roof-top spoiler and rear privacy glass.

How big is the RX300 Luxury? The dimensions show it to be 4890mm long, 1895mm wide and 1690mm tall.

How do the looks compare with rivals such as a Jeep Grand Cherokee, a Mazda CX-9 or a Land Rover Discovery? Hmm, each has its own distinctive styling, with the Jeep having brutish American looks, the Discovery boasting prestige British off-roader personality and the Mazda an elegant air that's way beyond its price point.

So why haven't I mentioned the Mercedes-Benz GLE or BMW X5? Because they're at least $20K more than the RX300 Luxury, which costs around $72K. If, however, you can stretch the budget to an RX 350 Sports Luxury then you will be crossing the $100K threshold into Benz and Bimmer territory. So let's talk about price.

Perhaps it’s just me but I think the Supra looks exactly how it should look - like a Hot Wheels car.

Seriously, how good does the back view look? I love the spoiler that angles up like a crazy ski jump and the tail-lights integrated underneath it.

I love the huge rear hunches swollen like they’ve been stung by an enormous wasp. Check out the roof - see how it’s curved? And that bonnet with the vent above the wheel arches, I love the styling of every millimetre of this car.

But my neighbour doesn’t. I pulled up and said, “How good does this look?” And he gave me this stare like I was bonkers.

I don’t know, maybe you and I have the same excellent taste, but if there’s anything I hate it's anything that’s boring.

To me the BMW Z4 ‘twin’ is getting very close to the boring end in the styling department. 

Talking of BMW, the Supra's interior is very BMW from the indicators stalks to the media system and climate control set-up.

It’s a modern and minimalist cabin… if only there wasn’t a cupholder right where my elbow goes. That’s a good place to stop and talk about the Supra GT’s practicality. 

The RX300 is a five-seater SUV and, while it would be even more practical if there was a third row, the cabin is impressively spacious.

Have a look at my photo of the entry to the RX300's back seat – that's a big doorway  for a car. Parents will understand the value of wide-opening doors and these ones made it easy for my child to climb into his car seat and for me to buckle him up. Head and legroom in the back seats are also good, even for me at 191cm tall, while the flat floor makes it easy to 'scoot' across from one side to the other.

There are two cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest in the back and small door pockets, but storage up front is better, with huge pull-out door pockets, two more cupholders and a large centre-console bin.

There's a wireless charger in the hidey hole in front of the shifter, plus six USB ports on board - the rear passengers have two of their own in the back of the centre console and the rest are up front.

The second row doesn't come with climate control, but the directional air vents back there got a workout over the 40C days we had over summer.

The RX300's boot has a cargo capacity of 506 litres, measured to the top of the second-row seat back.

Now,  the media system. Yes, it's a tech thing, but I'm calling out it out as impractical. The functionality of the trackpad used to navigate around the screen is frustratingly awkward. I think 12 swear words in a row came out of me on one occasion (no child on board, obviously), just trying to use the sat nav. The layout of the display menu is also confusing and non-intuitive.

The good news is that if you’re tall like me (189cm) and mainly legs then you’ll have more than enough legroom and headroom because the footwells are impossibly deep and the seats can be lowered to what feels like ground level.

Actually, you are almost at ground height in this car so the bad news if you’re as tall as me you’ll probably have to crawl out of the car on all fours.

The cabin of the Supra doesn’t do the storage space thing well. Sure there are two cupholders but their location is the same place my elbow frequents while changing gears and resting.

The wireless phone charging area is good and easy to access, but the door pockets are as thin as post box slots so if it’s letters you’re storing there you’re in luck.

If it’s anything thicker than that you’ll be left looking around for a place to put your purse or wallet and end up throwing it in the phone charger space if the passenger seat is taken.

You could always ask your co-pilot to hold onto your things which reminds me to tell you that the Supra is a two-seater only. There are no back seats, and there’s no option to have back seats.

If you’re looking for a sports car with rear seats (although space will be limited) for the same money then there’s the Audi A4 45 TFSI and at an even lower price is the Ford Mustang GT.

If you look over your left shoulder while in the driver’s seat of the Supra GT you’ll see into the boot -  there’s no wall separating the cabin from the cargo area. This is handy for throwing a school bag in as I did for my son on the morning drop off, but also means your items may make an unexpected visit to the cockpit if you stop suddenly.

The boot is large for a sports car at 296 litres (VDA) and it managed to fit our large CarsGuide suitcase with space to spare as you can see in the images.

The Toyota GR Supra GT with the manual gearbox lists for $87,380 and you’ll pay the same price for the same car with the automatic transmission. 

Yes, almost $90K might sound like a lot of money for a Toyota (unless it’s a LandCruiser) but it’s actually a bargain considering the GTS grade above costs $10K more and has the same engine plus pretty much the same features apart from a fancier stereo, head-up display and 19-inch alloys (rather than the 18s on this GT).

Also, if you didn’t know already the Supra is a BMW/Toyota joint venture model aligned with the BMW Z4, and if you want the Beemer version with the same engine as the Supra GT you’ll pay $139,800 for it.

So see, it’s a bargain in comparison.

The standard features list of the GT has pretty much everything you need. There’s a proximity key, LED headlights with adaptive high beam, active cruise control, sat nav, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 10-speaker stereo, wireless phone charger, heated and power adjustable seats, shifting paddles and sports pedals. 

Great features, but let down only by a small 8.8-inch screen for your media and nav. Still, that absolutely shouldn’t be a deal-breaker for you.

The rivals? Well, clearly the BMW Z4 which is way more expensive, but also there is the Nissan Z which costs between $70-$80K and is also a hoot to drive.

Add the Ford Mustang GT to your research list, as well. It’s not as agile as the Supra but it’s quick, fun and sounds better to my ears. 

The RX300 has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine making 175kW and 350Nm, with a six-speed automatic transmission. This peppy four-cylinder gives the RX300 a completely different feel to the lethargic-but-powerful oomph of the RX350 and its naturally aspirated V6, even though it doesn't make a great deal more grunt, at 221kw and 370Nm. There's a difference in fuel consumption, too – find out how different below.

Is the RX300 all-wheel drive? Nope, it's a front-wheel drive. Only the RX350 and RX450h are AWD.

You’re looking at a Supra that could be the peak of its model evolution because since the generation’s arrival in 2019 Toyota has increased the power of the 3.0-litre turbo-petrol in-line six-cylinder from 250kW to 285kW (torque remains the same at 500Nm) and introduced a six-speed manual. 

This 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol is the only engine you can have with the Supra, there are no four cylinders or V8s - now there’s an idea. 

Toyota says the 0-100km/h time for the GR Supra with the manual gearbox is 4.4 seconds and 4.1 seconds for the automatic which comes with a ‘launch control’ feature.

Of course, all Supras are rear-wheel drive.

Lexus says the RX300, with its 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, should use 8.1L/100km of premium unleaded after a combination of open and urban roads. My own testing over 375.4km - taking in motorways, city and suburban call-of-daycare drop-off-duties - had our RX300 using 11.79L/100km, measured at the petrol pump. The real-world results almost always exceed that of the manufacturer's claims so you can expect the V6-powered RX350, with its claimed 9.6L/100km, to have a much higher mileage again after the same kind of usage.

Toyota says the 3.0-litre six-cylinder straight-six turbo-petrol engine in the Supra GT paired with the six speed manual gearbox should use 8.9L/100km after a combination of open and urban roads.

I did a week’s worth of city commuting and then a couple of hundred kilometres on country roads, but no motorways and the trip computer told me I was averaging 10.3L/100km.

Not bad for a big engine in a car tuned for performance, driven by a big kid who feels like he’s playing with somebody else’s toys.  

Premium 95 RON fuel is recommended, although 'standard' 91 is acceptable. A 52-litre fuel tank translates to a theoretical range of around 580km, dropping to approximately 500km using our real-world number.

Good seats are the start of a good driving experience and I've not met a Lexus that doesn't have superb pews – from the uber luxury models, such as the LS500 and ES300, to sports cars such as the RCF or LC500, they all have supportive and comfy ones. Lexus somehow manages to  combine the comfort of a lounge chair yet still holds you firmly, all while placing you in a great driving position. The RX300 is no different. Large enough to fit me and my 191cm frame, yet bolstered enough to feel snug.

As for performance, the RX300, with its four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with its six-speed automatic, is responsive and a bit hyperactive feeling. It's a very different sensation to piloting the RX350, which has a V6 and delivers its grunt in a more linear and lethargic fashion. Having driven both back-to-back I'd say the V6 and its eight-speed auto suits the RX personality better, but the 300 is a car that would have had a school report card that read: "Lots of potential, but lazy".

That said, plant the right foot and the RX350 will get the message to hurry up and can do the 0-100km/h sprint in eight seconds flat. The RX300 is keen but can't match it, with  a time of 9.2 seconds.

Either way, the ride comfort is excellent, although body control could be better - the speed bump and roundabout route I take to do the preschool drop off caused it to  get the wobbles, but give the RX300 a motorway and it'll cruise beautifully.

Forward visibility is good but vision through the tiny rear-quarter window (it's even smaller than it looks) while reverse parking isn't great.

Ah, but what about living daily with a manual? As a car enthusiast most of the cars I’ve owned have been manuals and I’ve rarely cursed them because I love to drive.

But there were times when they were a pain, such as in traffic, or in traffic on steep streets and in traffic in shopping centres. Did I mention in traffic, also?

But on the nice roads with bends and dips, hills and sweeping corners, hairpins and twisty parts in places without traffic, then all is forgiven. 

And so it goes with the manual version of the Supra. 

Making life easier in the Supra GT is a clutch pedal without much travel so you don’t feel as though you’re at the gym doing a one-sided leg press.

I found the shifts themselves, while short, to be less than smooth. At first, I thought that the clunky changes might have been because the gearbox hadn’t been run in yet, but the odometer was saying 7500km, so this could just be the nature of the gearbox and after a few days I became used to it.

The rev-matching feature of this gearbox is a nice touch, especially on those sporty drives when you change into a gear and you’re thrown straight back into the power band again.

Superb balance, great steering with a nose which points exactly where you want it to and that magnificently smooth turbo-petrol in-line six posting all its meaty grunt to the rear wheels just behind your shoulders makes for a sports car that’s fun, talented and quick.

Good brakes (348mm ventilated rotors with four piston calipers at the front and 330mm discs with single piston calipers at the rear) and grippy Michelin Pilot Supersport tyres (255/40 fr - 275/40 rr) complete a great package. 

A ride that’s still comfortable over bad Sydney roads and surprisingly good visibility made the Supra easy to live with in the city, from parking to school drop offs.

Yes, used it each day for the school run with my older child and the grocery shopping. 

The GR Supra GT has not been crash tested by ANCAP, but its BMW Z4 twin scored a maximum five stars when it was tested by the European equivalent Euro NCAP.

Still, the Supra has seven airbags, there’s AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane keeping assistance and blind spot warning, plus front and rear parking sensors. There are seven airbags on board.

There’s no spare wheel, but there is a tyre inflation kit which should get you out of trouble.

Lexus recommends servicing the RX300 annually or every 15,000km, with the first three services capped at $595.

The duration of Lexus's factory warranty is four years/100,000km, which is a bit longer than BMW and Benz's coverage, but behind the five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranties of the mainstream brands.

Toyota covers the GR Supra GT with its five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty. Servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km and is capped at $415 per service.

The warranty is the industry standard in terms of time and kilometre length, and the capped service prices are very reasonable - a lot more affordable than a car with a prestige badge on the bonnet, too.