In this week’s Ask Nathan:
- The Toyota Supra will defeat the (2023) Nissan Z in every way!
- Alternatives to the painfully pricey Tahoe/Yukon?
- EV are burning up all over the place!
The first question comes from a Toyota fan who feels the Supra will defeat the Nissan Z, because – BMW.
Q: (Via: NathanAdlen@Twitter) It’s ridiculous that you guys go on and on about the Nissan Z when the Toyota Supra is obviously superior.
“You, Roman and Tommy go on and on about how amazing it will be. You forget that the Toyota Supra is lighter and built by BMW. It will outperform the Nissan Z on every level including economy. Not that you care about sports cars that much anyway. The Supra was built with BMW guys! That’s sports car royalty!
You guys should hire a sports car person one day. Someone who isn’t a fanboy.”
— J-Ting
A: You mean, Paul, our former Stig (1st gen U.S. Top Gear) is not good enough for you?
Okay, so we’re excited about a sweet new car hitting the market. It’s not like we’re forgetting the Supra. Most of us were just as excited when the new Supra came out a few years ago,
I’m glad to hear that you’re definitely not a fanboy. Right?
There’s nothing wrong with being excited about a new sports car. One thing the Z will do for the market: it may force Toyota (and others) to “up” their game. Now, let’s talk about what you said. Better still, lets simply look at the numbers.
The 2023 Nissan Z will come with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 that makes 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. Equipped with the 3.0-liter I6 turbo, the 2022 Toyota Supra makes 382 hp and 368 lb-ft. Both are rear drive, and the Toyota comes with an eight-speed transmission. The Nissan Z will have a nine-speed automatic, and a six-speed manual transmission.
To your point, the Nissan is expected to be about 100 pounds heavier than the full-spec Toyota Supra.
For consumers, the big question will be pricing. Nissan PR representative Dan Passe was quoted saying that the ballpark entry price would be around $40,000. The least expensive, four-cylinder Toyota Supra starts at about $43,000. If Nissan holds to that base price, and undercuts Toyota, it will be a hell of a bold act.
So, yeah — we’re excited.
Tell you what? Let’s wait for both vehicles to go up against each other before coming to definite conclusions. Sound good?
— N
The next question comes from a fan who was looking at the GMC Yukon, but now he’s looking elsewhere.
Q: (Via: NathanAdlen@Twitter) Hey Nathan!
“Haven’t been able to find a Yukon that isn’t marked up like crazy. What do you think about Grand Cherokee L vs the Ford Explorer King Ranch? Hope all is well with you and yours!”
— SeriesOfRandomNumbers
A: Howdy!
Man, it’s brutal out there. I have some personnel experience recently looking at the market as a consumer. I got so frustrated, I decided to buy a (well) used vehicle to hold me over for the next few years, before trying again. The markups, slowdowns and skimpy inventory are hurting consumers worldwide.
I see what you mean about Yukon prices, the same is true for the Tahoe and Escalade too.
The guys are over the moon for the Jeep Grand Cherokee L, and I am a fan of the driving dynamics of the Ford Explorer. I haven’t driven the King Ranch, but I find the Ford is perfect for people who want car-like handling, with SUV flexibility. On the other hand, the new Grand Cherokee has real off-road chops baked in. Both are luxurious, but I will tip my hat to the Jeep interior designers – it’s epic.
The philosophy and mission statement of both vehicles is a bit different. If I were never going to venture off-road, and didn’t tow very often, I might see the Ford as a more logical choice. As you know, I do a lot of off-road activities – and I tow. Still, that’s me – not you.
You need to both, side-by-side (if possible). They are very different machines, and I suspect they will answer your questions moments after your drive.
Best of luck!
— N
The last question comes from a consumer who is worried about EV safety.
Q: (Via: A salesman who tried to get me to buy an overpriced truck… he figured out who I was) I hate EVs and now the bad karma is catching up top them!
“I see posts just like TFL’s that say that electric cars are exploding all over the world. That includes hybrids too!”
— The dude who tried to talk me into a $45,000 used truck that was worth $35,000.
A: It’s not like they are popping like cereals in a microwave, but there is a reason for concern.
Just recently, GM had to issue a full recall for all their Chevrolet Bolt EVs for fire risk. Tesla, Stellantis and others have see a rise in media coverage regarding battery issues, car fires and other battery related issues. This will continue, just like any other tech.
I mean, there are still car fires with brand new gas vehicles. That’s been going on for about a century. Still, I know people who got rid of perfectly good PHEVs simply for the fear of battery fires. It’s something that needs to be handled as soon as possible.
Every automaker is working hard to advance electric technology right now. Hopefully, they are working just as hard advancing EV safety as well.
— N
