Cross shopping other cars with the Z?
 

Hello all, looking to purchase a 370Z but now I am not so sure anymore :ugh2:

I have been looking for the last two weeks and I have narrowed it down to 2010-2012 370z with Sport/touring in 6MT Coupe.

Problem is, hard to find local dealers that will give me a good price. Anyways, long story short, I was cross-shopping the 370z with a Subaru BRZ and a used WRX if I could find one.

I then mistakenly walked into a VW dealership to look at a used 370z they had and then saw the other VWs...they had a used Golf R that I ended up testing driving :eekdance:

I can't believe the amount of difference in the interior quality of the VW to the nissan! I mean, I know German cars are better built, bla bla, but it was just worlds apart! I used to drive a '07 335i before so I know how good german cars they can be. However, the transmission was BUTTERY smooth in the golf, I was pushing it into gears with 1 finger! The other thing is, since it is a 2.0L Turbo, I just drop a tune in there and I am easily over 300whp and over 350whp of torque!

So basically now, I am sad that the interior of the 370z isn't as nice, more road noise in the Z and I can't afford the Golf because it is almost 5k more than the Z.

My budget is $25k and the Golf R was $30k used.

So here is my question, what other cars did you all cross shop before choosing the Z and why did you pick it?

I know people will say I am comparing apples to oranges but here are some things I am looking for:

-RWD/AWD
-6MT
-good handling/feel
-around ~$25k

Anyways, thanks for listening and helping out!

EDIT: if I end up going with the Z, anything I should be looking out for? Go 2011+ over 2010?

Since you havent mentioned did you already test drive a 370Z?

I drove a golf R and a BMW Z4 prior to driving the Z. Guess what I ended buying?

With regards to the interior design in my opinoion the Z looks better than the golf, the qulity of materials I give it to golf. You can't beat Germn quality.

In terms of driviability/ handling the Golf R was boring compared to the Z. The BRZ i felt like WTF I wish it had more power.

For your budget a decent 2011 -12 sports package Z is good. I know a friend for a 25k he got a 12th Nismo. Do your search it doest matter if you drive a 200mile radius. A 40th Anniversary is another good option.

I've driven a few different Zs, the first I drove had CAIs with some aftermarket exhaust...was very loud.

Second I drove was all stock, 2011 with Sport/touring. Very quiet, tamed. I honestly felt the handling was better on the golf, might have been because it was AWD and I hadn't driven that before. The BRZ - definitely wish it was F/I'd! Would've been easy to pick. Sadly, super under powered.

What about the road noise on the Z and comfort levels? I hate that the back window is useless and there is a HUGE blindspot. I adjust the mirrors out so I guess not a deal breaker.

I just want to make sure it is a car I love and not one I can learn to love.

I bought mine because it performed very well, had syncro-rev-match, and is absolutely stunning to look at. Looks and syncro-rev-match were my selling points. I can get past the rest with some minor mods. I got a reasonable price for a 2014. The Z has plenty of power, a huge aftermarket for parts and handles very well.

Not so sure you'll break 300whp with just a tune on that Golf R.

All that said, I'm sure the Germans have prettied up the interior and have many additional options over the Z. This horse has been well beaten on the forum. Those options cost money which is likely why you have said you can't afford a Golf R.

I looked at BRZ, Mustang, Camaro, and dreamed of a C7 Corvette. BRZ was slow, the Mustang GT (track package)/Camaro (1LE) big/heavy and the C7, out of my price range. None but the C7 had syncro rev match either. That was a huge selling point for me. Audi TTS was in their as well, but the Audi reliability question put it out of the running.

Oh ... and a Porsche ... Cayman S ... yea, if I thought the C7 was out of my price range, $90K for a Cayman S spec'd the way I wanted it was ... well. No.

TCO on the Cayman S and TTS also put them out reach. Too expensive to maintain.

did somebody miss the fact that the golf R hasn't even been released here in the states yet?

Road noise and engine noise is not the best quality of the Z. Made it worst by the OEM Bridegestone tires.

The build quality of the Golf is top notch than the Z. Just by looking at the door hinges of the Golf you can see the German engineering.

The fun part about the Z that I enjoined the most is driving it hard through the curves. Amazing!

I bought the Z as a weekend fun car. It fit my purpose for buying a sports car.

The Golf R might be better of as DD vs the Z. The fact it can haul 4 people.

You just won't have as many compliments driving around with the Golf unlike the Z! Lol (seriously) I even get compliments from elderly people.

German (over) engineering = very expensive parts.

^ thats definitely true.

I had a 2004 WRX which was tons of fun with some bolt ons. Now have a 2013 Z and couldnt be happier... Unless i upgraded to an M3 or GTR :icon17:

I believe that 2011 Z's had some things worked on like steering lock issue, oil cooler, etc. so choose it over the 2010. Quick search in google and/or here on the forums will help you :tup:

Golfs looks nice too, never driven one. I guess it all comes down with what your priorities are and what your willing to sacrifice. Good luck!

I thought about the 335i but there have too much problems... GTI i decided that it wasnt worth the time.. WRX sti was fun but I bought my Z and never looked back.

Volkswagens are for wankers. Case closed.:shakes head:

couldn't agree more!

only car id see myself driving for around the price range of the Z would be EVO X hands down, toyobarus are slow and wrxs are just not my style (quick cars though)

isnt golf-r like a family station wagon?

yah, i want to drive family station wagon now! never mind minivans

german engineering... great until it fails.

when will it fail? between now and when it fails.

like our csc :roflpuke2:

I just picked up a '15 S3 ...
I disagree w the VW comments.
;)



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Um ... yes ... I would fall in that catagory. Maybe because ...

I don't care about VW.

I wonder how many people commenting have even sat in or let alone driven a German car?
http://www.moibibiki.com/images/volk...interior-6.jpg

vs
http://image.automotive.com/f/nissan...nteriorjpg.jpg

Frankly, I don't care about what people think about - I will be spending most of the time inside the car and the Golf R is a decent looking hatch back - not as sexy as the Z, I will agree!

I guess I really need to figure out if I care about not having the syncro rev match and the fact that I will need to spend a decent amount to mod the car and get some good hp out of it.

The Z will definitely be faster stock vs stock.

2006 Porsche Cayman S

There is no cross-shopping with the Z. There is only faster + heavier, slower + lighter, or faster + lighter + more expensive. :D

@Tigger, I am not sure about the reliability/maintenance on porsches - are they anything like BMWs or Mercedes? I've heard they are the best when it comes to German reliability, though.

As a former BMW and Volkswagen owner, I will say the German engineering and reliability don't even belong in the same sentence. I put German reliabilty even lower than a domestic car. Don't get me started. I can't speak for Porsche, but a friend of mine just replaced the wiper blades on his Cayman and couldn't believe they cost over $100.

Where do people get this idea that German cars are somehow mechanically better than insert any random manufacturer here?:confused: All cars have problems. Aren't BMW's getting a reputation for drinking oil?

Yes, I've sat in/driven many BMW and Mercedes cars; they're OK but nothing special, certainly not worth the ***-ton of money they charge solely for the right to say you drive one. Try working on one sometime and after you buy your brand-specific tool sets and overpriced specialty parts, tell me how much better they are than everything else.

Working on one is definitely a b!tch but any modern luxury sports car has excessive panels I guess.

Im going to test drive this Used 2012 Volkswagen Golf R For Sale | Austin TX
today and i'll come back to decide which I want.

A friend of mine just got a 370z and he says he loves it but it is quite harsh and not exactly a good DD with the sport package.

I'm on board with that. Those are the sacrifices you make to own a true sports-oriented car, and nobody can decide whether it's worth it except you. The only affordable, good compromise between performance and practicality that I found was the WRX STI. But IMO you sacrifice almost all of that "wow" factor to drive a regular car that just happens to also be fast...

I've got a POS lifted Grand Cherokee for winter/beater duties so I don't need to DD my NISMO anymore.

The '14 and prior NISMO is quite a bit stiffer than the Sport package. I don't find the regular Sport Package Z to be overly stiff for a DD.

Apparently the '15 NISMO is a 9/10 compared to the '09 - 14's 10/10 spring rates (speaking relatively). I'd put the Sport package at maybe a 7. It's not that stiff. IMO if you can't handle the regular Z you should stick to Cadillacs and Camrys.

Yeah I can't comment on the regular Z because I've only ever driven one (mine) and it's a NISMO. I love it but it's definitely a loud and bumpy ride.:tup:

I didn't think the ride quality of the normal Z was bad at all but all I did was freeway driving and maybe a bit of the local road on the test drive.

I guess I won't know until I own one :D

Not saying that to sound "manly" or anything, I just feel like the sport package Z is pretty average as far as stiffness among the performance cars I've driven. A bit of stiffness comes with the territory, so if people have issues with the Sport Z they would probably have the same issues with most other performance cars (aside from those with variable suspension tuning and such.) :)

then why post here to ask for people's opinions? go get your family station wagon and family-on :cool:

I've owned a Mercedes c240, which is not a sports car at all, and let me tell you, them parts cost like a mother f**ker. I enjoy the 370z it's a car that gets noticed everywhere you go, at least mine does. Good luck!

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/04...a88aff5811.jpg

And I spend a lot of time in my Z

;)




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Always get the service warranty. Always. On ANY used German car. They do break. High-end types need more in the way of general servicing because they are more finicky and temperamental. The return is the driving experience and joy you get from owning one... Headaches included.

I'm not saying anything about reliability. It would cost me $27k to replace the motor in my 911 if I didn't have a warranty to cover it. You can get a 2006-2007 Cayman S for around $24-27k. Buy the best warranty you can (~4-6k) and drive the piss out of it.

i'd only drive a german car 1) if i bought it new. 2) if it had a warranty that would cover #- Z.

just like every person is not perfect (unless your kenchan), neither is any car. you just got to get what you like more.

:iagree:

Because I would like to see others' thought patterns and what they cross-shopped, hence the title :yum:

I crossed shopped 335i's and 2011+ Mustang GTs with my Z.

I quickly moved away from the 335i after reading up on used turbo BMWs.
The Ford is a great performer but I couldn't shake the fact that it's a Mustang and I see about 30 on my 25 minute drive to work.

I worked in sales at a VW/Nissan dealership for about 3 years until about 2006. VW's have awesome interiors and gadgets, but they were constantly getting serviced. They seemed to have tons of problems problems with electronics breaking. Overall they're very nice on the interior and the powertrain is pretty solid, but you're probably gonna spend a lot of time getting little stuff fixed.

Same here. If all I cared about was going fast relatively cheap, I'd have a blown 5.0. That car can move!:eekdance: