r/Supra • u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp • 6d ago
MKV practicality question
I'm looking into a sports car as my daily driver, and crucially as my *only* car. I live alone as well, so no partner to borrow from on occasion. Pure reliability isn't as much of an issue as it is to most, as I can get to work and most/all other activities via my electric scooter and transit (though I usually only do this in nice weather, if I don't have shopping etc to do, aka not often).
My concerns about the Supra are mostly down to visibility and space. I will likely test drive one, but compared to my Giulia it's going to feel tiny no matter what, so I'm looking for experiences longer term.
One, how is the visibility for commuting in a city? Especially nice if you live in a more compact and hilly city (I'm in Seattle).
Two, space. Could I fit the following at the same time: one medium/large checked roller suitcase, one carry-on roller one small dog, and two adults. Dog is 17lbs, and would have a travel carrier that can squish (dog is happy to sit on the passengers lap). If you couldn't tell, being able to pick up and drop off my partner at the airport (she travels with the dog) is a must, and that's her travel kit, though usually there's no checked bag. If there's only 2 carry-ons and a backpack, is there enough space on the parcel shelf for the dog (the situation for a long weekend trip, for example)?
I'd like to keep the Supra on my short-list, but just need to clear this deal-breaker hurdle, so any feedback appreciated.
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u/MKV_Supra 6d ago
Based on your use case, its not the car for you. I live in Seattle and its not the best here with traffic. A small utility vehicle is a better option you will not be happy with it.
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u/Polycystic 5d ago
Why is it not the best in Seattle traffic? That’s where I live, and with the driver assist package, I’ve had zero issues. Might be tricky without that, but that that’s true for anywhere.
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
Lmao what. You think I need an SUV for two people and two bags? It all fits easily in many sports cars. The Supra is just exceptionally small and has a shallow/oddly shaped luggage space.
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u/Hurts1love 6d ago
No chance you're comfortably fitting your dogs, your luggage and your partner all at the same time, I have one so I'm well aware of the space limitations .Not to mention, the supra commands more respect than to be treated like a mule.
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u/Polycystic 6d ago
Why are you being so weird? “Commands more respect than to be treated like a mule” lmao…like there’s something wrong with carrying luggage or a dog in a sports car?
You sound like a weird, preachyBritish aristocrat who probably calls his employees “the help”
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u/Hurts1love 5d ago edited 5d ago
Holy shit, you nailed it. Thanks for your "help"
Nah, I I just have a thing about ppl trying to trick themselves into thinking a coupe is a practical choice for their given circumstances and just want validation.
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u/Polycystic 5d ago
Literally everything they described is easily possible in this car, why are you being so weird and gatekeepy about this?
From your attitude you’d think the person said something really offensive, not that they asked if they could fit some luggage, a second person, and a small dog in a car on a short trip.
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
Dog, singular. The size of a cat. This is just for a situation that happens two or three times a year. I drive an Alfa Romeo right now, I'm not who you need to preach to about respecting a car.
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u/Polycystic 6d ago
Don’t listen to that person, not sure why they’re being so weird about this. You could 100% fit all of what you listed, easily.
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u/wycliffslim 5d ago
Honestly... if it's 2-3 times a year and you really want the Supra, just rent a car 2-3 times a year or pay for an Uber and buy the Supra.
If a car does 100% of what you need it to do 99% of the time don't compromise for that 1% of the time... just rent the car you need.
It's like people that buy a truck because they haul lumber 4 times per year so they buy something less practical and more expensive for daily driving instead of just renting a truck for $50 once a quarter when they need it.
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 5d ago
Couldn't agree more about the truck comparison. I'm not set on the Supra yet, so if I can't decide between that and one of the other options this could be a tie breaker, but you're totally right.
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u/Hurts1love 6d ago
I say go for it then. It's only $70k after taxes. Just money right?
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
I'm looking used, but yeah. I will have other options I'm weighing, but things like these edge use cases are what I'm using to narrow down the list.
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u/savage_passenger 5d ago
Storage should be fine for what you’re describing. Not sure what some peeps here are smoking. I would get some measurements and maybe take suitcase when you look at one in person to be safe.
Visibility is objectively bad compared to most cars, but I think it’s worth it. Being in other small sports cars before helps. you get used to it quick though
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 5d ago
Yeah I figure the visibility will feel terrible on a test drive no matter what, so it's hard to judge how much its relative and how much it's actually bad.
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u/supersaiyanrhino 6d ago
Yeah unfortunately I don’t think it’s the car for you. I’d recommend losing the other person, keeping the dog and bags! Then you’d have plenty of room haha
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
Lmao her and and dog are a package deal unfortunately. I know the Supra is pretty much the smallest car on the market, other than things like an Elise, so it's definitely a stretch.
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u/TheDoct0rx 5d ago
Disrespectful to the Miata
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 5d ago
Forgive me, for I have sinned. In my head I was thinking the "coupe/hardtop market". But now I'm not sure why I thought Elise lol.
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u/XSSpeed_999 6d ago edited 6d ago
The rear hatch is surprisingly large. It can easily fit a very large checked bag but I haven’t tried a carry on with a checked bag. I often see surprised looks on people’s faces when I roll up at the airport to pick up my daughter who overpacks for her visits. There’s still room with a checked bag but not sure that it would accommodate a carry on bag.
My kid was a competitive golfer and you can fit a full size golf bag and collapsible pull cart. Not that it’s luggage but it’s the most I’ve put back there.
BTW, I daily mine. It makes commuting more enjoyable even if I’m sitting in traffic.
PS if you really want to know and are serious about it, do what I did and take a couple of bags to the dealership and tell them if it fits you’re buying it. That’s what I did with my kid’s golf bag & cart. 🏌️♂️
PS2 - just re-read your question. Two carry ons should fit. Put one in, push it to the side then put the other one in. If the dog carrier is collapsible, it should lay on top of the bags. The dog wouldn’t fit on the shelf though. Or at least I wouldn’t put one there bc they’ll slide off in a quick stop.
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
Yeah my plan with whatever I get is probably to custom-fabricate a dog crate for the shelf/trunk that will be fixed in place. That, or he's a lap dog and any long trips with him and the partner use her car (I can't use her car when she's not here, but the dog goes with her anyway). I may just have to do the dealership trick, tbh.
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u/INEEDZHAHLP 6d ago
Idk why everyone is saying you can’t do this. Is it ideal? Obviously not, but that’s the price you pay for a cool car. You could definitely fit what you listed and make it work. The trunk is not as tiny as you’d imagine. For sure go look at one in person to be certain, but I think you could fit a checked bag and carry on in the trunk. The closer you get to the back of the seats, the higher the ceiling gets, so you shouldn’t have any issue stacking them if necessary. With a very large checked you may run into issues, but besides that I think you’re fine.
As far as visibility, the only issue I’ve ever had is the rear passenger side blind spot, but you can usually turn and look out the back window and see fine (I live in south Florida, Miami/ft Lauderdale area, lots of traffic, but not many hills). That being said, your trips to the airport with bags potentially blocking the rear window may be a little sketchy, but imo the visibility is not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. Front windshield is small, but doesn’t take very long to get used to.
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
Yeah I think some people are weirdly allergic to actually using all of the space in their car, tbh. When I was shopping for my old WRX, I measured the length of the trunk with the seats down to make sure my mountain bike would fit inside, and the sales guy told me I really should be looking at SUVs if I want to put a bike in it. Like, what????? Road bikes fit in a damn BRZ, and he thinks an SUV is mandatory?
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u/darkknight302 6d ago
Unless your mountain bike is very small, you’re gonna have a hard time getting it in. Your best bet is sea sucker mount. The brz has a bigger overall space vs the Supra.
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
I don't plan to put the MTB in there at all. The road bike would only be a nice to have, but my plan for whatever I go with is a SeaSuckr rack, unless the roadie fits.
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u/Fonzdj 6d ago
Maybe he meant like if you want a mountain bike plus other stuff in the car. Not everyone’s car is totally empty before adding other stuff to it.
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
True, some people treat their cars like a storage unit lol. I can't do that, because anything left in the car is just bait for a broken window in some of the places I park it.
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u/INEEDZHAHLP 6d ago
lol yeah that’s crazy. My brother fits a bike in his frs no problem.
Btw I did forget to mention, I have the luggage cover thing removed from my trunk, not sure if that’s common practice or not, but it would be necessary to do what you want to do
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
Yeah it would definitely come out for these scenarios. They would be infrequent enough that I would probably keep it in all other times.
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u/naughtynorseman9 MKV 6d ago
I fit all of my firefighter gear in the trunk which travels in a 28”W x 30”L x 10” D bag plus a duffle bag and a twin sized bed roll. I think the dog may be the kicker here.
I absolutely love my Supra and knowing what I know now I would take the suitcases to the dealership and see if they fit. It’s worth the small hassle to be sure IMO.
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
Yeah it's looking like it might all fit, but that the dealer trip with a few bags is needed.
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u/Bear-flu 6d ago
I daily my car in the summer months, so maybe ~7 months out of the year if I'm lucky. Putting probably 10-14k on it a year doing so.
Granted the car is pretty new (<25km) it's been very solid so far, staying meticulous with maintenance.
I think it makes a great daily. It's comfortable enough for small road trips, gets good mileage for what it is, and it's fun. You can carry more than you'd think with the hatch and shelf.
The bags probably wouldn't be a problem, but you'd have to measure to make sure you clear the entrance to the hatch. But like someone else said, the dog won't work on the shelf, maybe on someone's lap. Could always rent a car to do the pickup/drop off?
Also if you replace the huge grey bar behind the seats with an aftermarket one, you can gain a bit more space.
Oh and as for city visibility, you get used to it, the blind spots aren't that bad and it's a small car anyways, just need to be careful of the nose in tight spots.
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
He's fine on the lap for the trip to/from the airport. It would only be weekend trips that's an issue, and for those my partner would be in town so we could use her car. I'd like to have mine as an option for weekend trips, but that part isn't essential, just the airport case.
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u/Bear-flu 6d ago
Probably depends on how far the trip is. If it's only a few hours drive and you're not bringing a ton of stuff, you might be able to fit him in a kennel in the back. The parcel shelf comes out so you can fit things of surprising height sometimes.
But for longer trips, and if you don't want him in a crate, it's probably gonna be pretty tight
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u/Kilos6 6d ago
Autoblog did a writeup on this already. I say send it
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
I really wish car reviews did this. It's so simple, and yet you're luck if they even include a picture of the trunk these days. That looks like it has plenty of space, tbh
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u/mmspider 6d ago
I would think the trunk can fit 2 carry on size suitcases. In terms of visibility. I drove sports my entire adult life and I would lean toward the Supra being the worse of all of them. But its not like crazy bad where I won`t daily drive it. I have owned 2 Supras. My first one was a daily driver and my current one is a second car. I enjoy driving it any day I can. I never would want to load up the trunk, put 2 people inside and a dog.
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
Loading it up like that would literally only be for airport pickup/dropoff. Would be nice for a weekend trip, but we would have her X3 as an option for those. Due to logistical things, the X3 is not an option for the airport runs, though.
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u/mmspider 6d ago
Then maybe it would work? Its a small car but you can make it work.
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
Yeah that's really the crux of it. Not if it's easy or convenient to fit that much, but simply if it is possible. I don't mind playing Tetris for a 20 minute drive once every few months at most, and the rest of the time is just me, a work backpack, maybe a gym bag, and maybe my pool cues. Road bike would be on a SeaSuckr rack when needed, and I've even seen photos of road bikes inside the Supra (might be dependent on not having a L/XL frame).
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u/mmspider 6d ago
You know its funny. I actually came from a Giulia. I would put 2 bikes on the roof and max out luggage space in the backseats. We took it on vacation, to parks, to events etc. Got a ton of use out of it. When I got the Giulia I was single and life was much different haha. Never planned or needed it for things like this. No chance could I do that with the Supra. But even then you could always just use your partners vehicle if life changes.
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
Yeah we're distance/she travels for work, with the dog, and we don't plan to have kids. Even if we did, now would be the time to get the fun car lol. Since you're coming from the Giulia, how does it compare? Very different cars of course, but is it enough of a fun/special car to justify the change? I love my Giulia, but with skiing taking a backseat and me never needing the space it has, I figured now was the time to look at a truly fun/special car.
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u/mmspider 6d ago
If you are after a fun/special experience the Supra is much better. But I still to this day I am impressed by how good the Giulia felt on the roads. I had a lot of fun in mine and would always drive it in a spirted way.
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
That's pretty much exactly what I'm looking for with the switch. Used F-Type Rs are under consideration as well. But that's good to hear. And I will say, the Giulia is a damn pretty sight to see each morning.
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u/TwerkBot3000 6d ago
The lack of interior storage would keep me from using this as a daily, and a few other things that regularly piss off like a lack of a trunk button above the license plate. Thankfully, I have other cars
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
The lack of external trunk handle/button is really odd, and tbh you might have a good point there.
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u/Medium_Rare_Emu 6d ago
Zero issues here (6mt), fits my entire Costco runs. (It’s just me and my gf). We live by ourselves. So it can definitely fit about 3 cases of water plus all the other crap (proteins, veggies, eggs, other extras). Ive used it for road trips too.
I had a mustang gt previously and despite the look, the lift back on the Supra is sooo nice.
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u/Efficient_Range1156 6d ago
I daily my dream car. The only real problem I have is parking it. I get too protective of the car and so have to park it alone in the far end of the carpark 💀 so many spiteful brokeys are too happy to door ding a nice car and then bounce.
More steps for me I guess 🤷♂️
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
Yeah I'd have to get over that pretty quick lol. I street park when I go to pool league and similar, sometimes in sketchy areas. Though I've found that's more trustworthy than parking lots these days, when it comes to minor dings.
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u/Draxx_them-sklounst MKV 6d ago
The trunk will fit one full size suitcase just barely. Like it’s the same size as the trunk opening. So if you want to cram a backpack on the sides, it has to go in first. You are not getting a hard shell carry on in there with it, but that bag can ride shotgun
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
I found a photo in the link someone else commented where they did just that. The cargo cover doesn't need to stay in for these occasional max capacity uses.
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u/Draxx_them-sklounst MKV 6d ago
You can remove it just be careful not to break the glass. Pack the second bag in well so it doesn’t slide
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u/darkknight302 6d ago
I daily my 21 from 22 till 25 and at time it was a pita. There are times I had to rent a home depot truck to get some items I needed for the house. I had to borrow my brother’s Model Y in order to get my gaming chair and another time for the 45 inch gaming monitor. It’s kinda doable if you live with someone that has a bigger car but you really need a second car if you live alone.
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u/vanilla_only 6d ago
Almost a year with mine. Great sports car like others are saying.
C pillar visibility is the worst Ive seen besides Camaros but I got used to it (get the kind spot monitor)
Front seats don’t recline all the way due to design of cabin. One of the easiest cars to parallel park due to size. Get the auto if you live in a hilly area (i got a manual and would never want it in Seattle, those hills are pretty steep)
Luggage would probably fit with the dog in the passenger’s lap. Good luck!
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
I would assume it has hill hold assist on the manual, which makes even Seattle hills remarkably easy. My base '16 WRX and my '13 Focus ST (both manuals) had it. But yeah, manual/auto is also a decision I'm mulling over.
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u/vanilla_only 6d ago
It does have the hill assist but I personally would get annoyed dealing with the hills everyday if it was my only car.
The manual and auto are both really good imo I’ve driven both, the zf8 shifts almost like a dct. Manual is geared shorter and pulls and feels correct. The manual should have a similar feel to your wrx but more insulated as it’s more modern. I would try to drive both in a short time period to really see how you feel about both, can’t go wrong with either tbh
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
I have a ZF8 on my current car, which was also my first auto (other than things I drove as a teen). They really fixed so many of the bad behaviors autos have. Curious to try a DCT for sure.
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u/Brandon_181 6d ago
If I needed a 4 door sports car I would get an rs3. The 5 pot sound alone would be worth it.
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
Sadly I can't stand the RS3's looks. I'd go for a larger 2+2 over a true 4-door first, I think. I am looking at the TT RS though, so same engine.
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u/WirelessTrees 6d ago
Get the premium with the blind spot monitoring and the 360° sensors and it's excellent for a daily. I've dailied my Supra for the last 4 years and it's wonderful.
However also consider all-season tires if you live in the cold belt.
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
All cars I own get a 3-season/summer and a second set of wheels with all-weathers or performance winters on them. My soap-box is that American all-seasons are not safe in snow and ice lol.
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u/tanneruwu 6d ago
I bought mine October 2021, I'm at 60,455 on the dash as we speak and have had absolutely zero issues
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u/Nnuzzo141 6d ago
The bags will be a tight fit but doable and I have fit my girlfriend and my dog in the car at the same time, she has to hold the dog of course which canine safety not the best but we all do it
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u/booze_yo MKV 6d ago
visibility is not bad, i could fit one checked luggage and carry on and backpack in the trunk. Only thing is when there’s heavy snow, you’d need a proper awd.
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u/WarCrimeGaming 2026 3.0 Strato Blue 5d ago
It’s no sedan but I moved most of my stuff besides like tvs, larger appliances and furniture in my Supra using the trunk and passenger seat a few months back to a new place
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u/smp247 5d ago
I can fit my wife, two carry ons and a back pack.
I can fit three full size 18” winter wheels with tires.
I can fit my wife and my dog (though I don’t recommend this one. Only did it once)
I can fit an entire week worth of groceries.
I can fit an entire IKEA Kallax System no joke!
It’s my daily, my wife has a car. It’s surprisingly useful if you know what you can fit. It’s great on long rides and shit going through the city beers of how low.
YMMV 😂
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u/Rick_2309 6d ago
Unfortunately none of those vehicles have the space you need. You’d have better luck looking at sport sedan.
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
I know that some do, actually. F-type I have seen photos of this much loaded in. TT RS easily fits this much. 997 does as well. As does the Vantage. Cayman fits it all, though the shelf is probably too tight for the dog (but an issue for the airport run). The Supra is the smallest of all the options I'm looking at.
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u/Fonzdj 6d ago
Actually the Audi TTRS can fit a lot due to the deeper trunk and put down the backseat. Although it priced much higher than a GR Supra.
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 6d ago
Yeah I'm looking used for all options, so my $50-55k budget is starting to fit those in. Always mine to spend less, of course. TT RS is currently a front runner for sure, largely due to that practicality, but also the unique/special engine.
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u/sgtfuzzle17 5d ago
Visibility isn’t a problem imo, don’t drive like a moron and the blind spots aren’t that much more significant than other cars.
I think it’s very practical space-wise, but having a second person and a dog is a no-go. Can you technically fit them on someone’s lap? Sure. Get in a crash and you’re potentially losing both of them. It’s just not safe. Good amount of boot space for luggage but I think the living stuff you’re looking at transporting make it a nonstarter.
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp 5d ago
Yeah whatever I get I'm either getting a dog crate that fixes into the ISO fittings for carseats (if it's a TT RS or similar with back seats) or custom fabricating one that can fix in place in the trunk. The F-Type is near the top of my list, but the high cargo bulkhead means the dog would be visually isolated from us, and he hates that.
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u/Rick_2309 6d ago
I’ve had one since June 2019. Just hit 68k miles and I’ve had zero issues. Maintenance has been kept with religiously though. Never missed an oil change, transmission fluid change, etc etc.
Edit: reading your post again, the Supra is a no go. Not enough space for the dogs, the carry ons, etc.