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Not a Golf R, but own an 11 GTI & 13 sport/Z. When the wife decided she wanted out of her minivan, guess what she wanted......hint, it ain't the Z.
If you don't mind lag, carbon build up and other little maintenance issues the GTI is a practical car that has some fun factor. Z = rough around the edges but a lot more fun to drive. |
I bought my Z last fall after 16 years of owning German cars. I thought they were the sh!t until we bought a G35S sedan for my wife. After putting over 100,000 miles in her car and only spending around $500 on repairs (brakes, tires and oil excluded) I was sold on Japanese engineering and reliability, which was why I decided to by a Z. German cars are over engineered, which IMO has no advantage, they're also very expensive to fix and maintain. It's highly unlikely that I will ever buy another German car.
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You can get a fully loaded BRZ for $29k-ish and the lesser trim for about $27. Did I mention you'd buy it new? RWD, the super reliable Boxer engine, the Subaru name. Done! I haven't had any major (or even minor) mechanical issues yet, I'm at 32k miles now. It might not be as sporty as a 370Z but it's hella fun to drive and it's super low already, you get amazing handling with the right wheels/tires. The 370z is a great car, it wasn't in my budget and I'd prefer a car with all the bells and whistles, top of the line, and the BRZ was just right, for me. -RyanG |
I have to agree with the reliability of the Euro cars. There were quite a few things that I had to fix on my well maintained m3 with less than 50k miles. While it is a very nice car, but the repair/maint cost would be scary when it hits 100k miles.
My wife got a fully loaded g37s coupe and I was so impressed with it that I got a fully loaded Z later - a lot of cars for the money, relatively speaking. However, I do like the 991 GTS quite a bit. Quote:
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I see a lot of those around here in socal and they do look nice for the money. I don't mind picking one up to drive around town.
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Well gents, I think I have just about made up my mind on the Z - going to go for it!
I went out and test drove the little Golf R and while it was fun to drive, handled like a charm, I just know that the Z will give me more of a raw/visceral feeling. I will take the Z while I am young and return to the easy driving V Dubs in my years of old...(much later, if that even happens...)! Sadly, the Z I was looking at in san antonio was sold :( so I have to keep searching. There is a white one near by but I am looking for a color that is a bit more exciting. |
Yes good choice as the Z is raw/visceral. Test drove a M235i fairly recently and while it was superior to my Z in so many ways, I would not switch out the Z for it at this time. Just because of the r/v feeling.
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Like I said, get the warranty and drive that bitch without worry. So what if it breaks? Zs have had catastrophic engine failures too! Happens to every car on the road. Point is... drive what you love. Life is too ******* short to worry about how soon you'll need to replace tires. |
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glad to hear you went with the Z, enjoy it! Every time i see one on the rode I wish I was in one! |
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I drove the 235 too. And the 435. And the 535. And the M4. And an M3. NONE of them handled well. I ******* hated the handling. Horrible. The roll was a nightmare in all but the 435 and that one just felt too goddamn heavy to have any real fun. Don't even get me started on the 1 series. Garbage right there. I'm sorry. Not picking. I just don't know why everyone says that BMW is superior. I didn't really even care for the interior of the 235. And I couldn't understand why a reasonably optioned one hit $50k. ****. And no. It is a cheap, nearly entry-level car. No reason for it to hit that price. And like I said. Rolled like a bitch. I just don't know why people say they drive well. They don't. and 50/50 weight distribution will hinder performance more than help it. Sooooooo.... :confused: Anyway.... I guess I need to reference my own post here. Drive what you love and don't go by what Tigger says sucks. :icon17: |
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The VW would have been more practical but not nearly as much fun. The Z is a car that (if you mesh with it) will make you happy every time you drive it. You'll also look back at least twice every time you walk away from it; that's how I know whether or not I bought the right car.;) |
Here's my opinion, feel free to disagree...
I think cars like the Golf GTI, BRZ, Focus ST, Mini Cooper, Mazdaspeed 3, etc are so popular because they feel a lot faster than they actually are. That's why owners get so attached to them. But the Z is the opposite; it's hard to believe the speedometer when you look down and see triple digits because the power is smooth and deceptive. V8 muscle cars have neck-snapping torque to let you know how quickly you're accelerating, and the hot hatches have torque steer... but the Z just sort of zips along without any drama, then sticks like flypaper when you reach an apex and start to apply serious lateral G's. I guess what I'm trying to say is that some cars can be exhilarating at relatively low limits (i.e. you can drift a BRZ at 20mph because it has no grip), but for the Z those limits are a lot higher and you have to push it harder to feel the excitement. |
I agree with DUC. The power delivery on the Z is linear. I used to own Evo's , Mazda speed 3, and their power delivery is like a sudden punch but that is it. There is no much of a momentum behind the punch. Evos are quick but no fast, and the same goes for the speed 3, is quick but not fast and there is a difference between quick and fast. I had a trans-am v-8 and sure it had power but it was heavy to maneuver.
The Z is not the fastest nor the most powerful car out there but one thing is for sure and that is a well balanced package when it comes to power, weight, agility and handling, fuel consumption and other little things in between. By the way DUC_Z09 I assume you are a Ducatisti? If so I'm a fellow Ducatisti as well, 1198 model. Cheers!!! |
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I went out and test drove the little Golf R and while it was fun to drive, handled like a charm, I just know that the Z will give me more of a raw/visceral feeling.
I will take the Z while I am young and return to the easy driving V Dubs in my years of old...(much later, if that even happens...)! Well, I had one before I bought my z. It was blast to drive(APR stg2+) and all but like you said the Z is more balanced and makes me look back everytime I park it which I never did with R.. lol Attachment 102607 |
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There's one freeway entrance ramp I usually wail up like there's no tomorrow. This time I decided to just ease up it, like the old man I am. Well, I'm almost at the end of the merge lane when I see a car almost in my blindspot. I decide to just nudge the speed up a bit to put some space between us. No drama. I look down at the speedo and see 170 kph. (just over 100 mph) WTF? I didn't even get on it. I didn't own a car for the past 15 years. I looked only at one 370 and bought it. Looked at nothing else. With Swifts the suspension is near perfect. It corners like on rails, hauls a** better than I ever need. It costs me the same as any other car to park and insure each month and gas mileage is really here nor there since I drive it so little. I was thinking today that I bought the right car. The only alternative would be to go back to being carless again. OP, buying yourself a Z really was a good choice. All the other cars mentioned in this thread are a dime a dozen out there. 104 |
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Z is a good choice. I'm having great fun with mine. Going autoxing in May for the first time in 35 years. It'll be a blast. |
Not even sure what happened over the weekend, I had my eyes on 3 different ones and they all disappeared! :( I am trying to real this one in but we'll see if they bite:
2011 pearl white/black interior 16k miles sport/touring I'm asking $25k drive out - that is a fair offer right? or should I keep looking and ask for something lower? |
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2. i don't think german cars are "better built" than japanese cars IMO. 3. i dont think people go for the interior when buying the Z, although it is much upgraded than the 350Z. also, depends on the trim you are getting. i know you said you want a touring model, but difference between touring and touring with navi are huge. |
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german cars are not what people think in terms of quality/reliability. in college, i worked at a enterprise branch inside a bmw/mercedes/porsche (yes, all 3 in one) dealership and i would hear so much complaints about BS issues that you would never expect, esp. for the $ you pay. |
Only you can decide whether it is a fair deal or not. It all boils down to supply, demand in your area and how much you like the car. Prices vary across the country and there is no such thing as identical used cars.
My take is that you should know the valuation in your area after you checked out a few. So if you found one that you really like and within your budget/reasonable priced, just buy it. Quote:
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I still prefer the better road hugging sports personality, albeit a little rough around the edges nature of the Z, then add in the Z's steering feel that the 235 lacks and no way could I trade in my Z for it. As someone mentioned in another post, the Z is the better car when driven in anger. Honestly, I'm very seldom angry but your last sentence sums it up best, "Drive what you love". Guess that's why I still drive a Z :tiphat: |
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Interestingly i knew nothing about the Z when i told them i wanted to drive it. there was a 135i, cayman, corvettes, mustangs, plus others on the lot but i gravitated to the nissan. The VW was a solid car, but the turbo cuts out before redline and it did not have the sporty feel i wanted. My Z is loud and harsh and i'm making it better/ worse all the time, its great |
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I've already got full Ohlins, a Dan Kyle link, Woodcrafts, Termis, and a bunch of other junk on my 848 so I'm pretty much committed to it. I'll add 28 or 30mm offsets, possibly go 520 15/41, and maybe upgrade the brakes and call it lovely. |
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