Nissan 370Z Forum - My day 1 impression...

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i had an '06 350Z Enthusiast and loved it to death...but i moved to the city so i assumed it'd be a bitch to drive as a daily driver what with traffic and potholes so i gave her up for a Lexus IS350...big mistake for me...no offense to the Lexus, it's a wonderful car but i gave up the 350Z when i was still very much in love with the car so i never got to appreciate the Lex...3 years down the line and several dreams of driving my old Z later and i just couldn't handle it anymore...traded in the Lex and bought an '07 370Z Roadster...i love driving once again!

in terms of which is better, i think they're both fantastic cars...the 350Z revolutionized the Japanese sports car division when everyone else decided to give up - RX-7, 3000GT, Supra, etc. (RX-8 is not and never will be a competitor, I owned one of them too and regretted every second of it)...the 370Z is just the logical step forward, it's a little better in almost every respect...it's a refined upgrade much like you upgrade from one Windows OS to the next...i think most rational ppl would agree that the 370Z is better in almost every way because it was designed to be...Nissan took what was already fantastic, superior in its class product, tweaked it a bit, and produced a slightly better product

I still miss my 03 Z. There weren't any mods done, only carbon fiber hood, wing, and radio, but it was an awesome car. I LOVED the sound of the stock exhaust, way better than the stock 370 IMO. But it was well worth the trade. Getting the 370 modded up to my preferences and to it's potential is a great feeling. Hope your enjoying your Z by now! I've had it for a year and I'm still loving every minute

Quote:

Originally Posted by elmz (Post 250795)

So I finally got my 370Z Base+Sport Package. Like others before me I had the need to say something about my experience. Anyway, lets get to it.

I'm coming from a 2005 350Z(in case you don't know its the DE;least powerful motor). My first encounter with the 370Z was the test drive at the dealer. Just so you know, this is a thread about the things I DON"T LIKE about the 370Z. But before I get to that, I'm going to just agree with what everyone has said before, THE INTERIOR IS NICE! I'm not going to go into details because I'll just be repeating what everyone has said before me. But the one thing I'd like to point out is the ceiling mat. It's black! which I love! I never understood why it was always a different color from the rest of the interior but in this car its BLACK! and that I really like! Oh and one last thing, I love how the white seams on the seats really pop with the black background. I'm so relieved they didn't choose red seams....I think its played out.

So now with the fun stuff. I'm just gonna come out and say it...the 370Z IMHO is not as fun to drive as the 350Z. Although yes, it has more power, better brakes, more grip...etc....It has lost some excitement to me. I drove over 1.5 hours to pick up this car and I nearly fell asleep driving it home. I'm not lying when I say this, but I had my 350Z for about 5 years and I honestly told myself every time I drove it "man I can't believe its still fun" - true story. Now I know some of you may not agree with me on this, but I think the car is too refined for my taste. What I mean by that is, everything seems softer, smoother, and less responsive. I don't feel as connected to this car as I did with my 350Z. My 350Z was not smooth or soft by any means. When I pushed the throttle the entire body of the car jerked back, the front end in my opinion was a little sharper. I just felt like I knew what the car was doing at all times. Now, with the blind spots...wow its going to take some getting use to. And those side mirrors...it doesn't quite go with the rest of the car's line and design. Its so big and bulky, but it has to be to help with the horrific blind spots. The seating position is also different. I'm having a hard time finding the perfect position. And this directly affects the distance to the shifter which I also think is too high. I wish the stick was and inch or 2 shorter. And now to the lil tiny tid bits...I miss my lil speedo, I'm not accustomed to looking at the speedometer. I also prefer a suspended gas pedal. In a nutshell my 350Z(BTW it was stock I only had a pop charger) felt like a go kart and the 370Z feels like a luxury sports car.

Don't take this the wrong way. I do not regret this purchase, although I do miss the feel of my 350. And believe me when I say, there are more good things about this car than the bad things I've mentioned. It's just this is a 370Z forum, its not going to be hard for anyone to find what people love about it. I think its refreshing to talk about the things we don't like.

Maybe I haven't given this car a chance yet, since it hasn't been broken in and properly driven if you know what I mean. I will add that I was starting to like the feel of this car towards the end of the day. But as of now, its lacking some excitement.

I know what you're saying about the 370Z being refined, etc. For the past fourteen years, I've enjoyed my beloved Miata as my weekend fun car. It makes the driver feel much more interactive with it and much more a part of it than does the larger and more refined Z. Two different personalities. Both wonderful like your two children. Still love them both equally.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldGuy (Post 386976)

Both wonderful like your two children. Still love them both equally.

:iagree:

how many miles you have on your Z now elmz? What are your opinions on it now vs your OP? Have you takin it down HWY 94, Honey Srings, Lyons Valley Road for some "spirited driving yet"? I felt the same way about the Z that it was a luxury sports car vs my RSX which was more sporty. Now since I have had the chance to break the Z loose around a few corners and attempt to do donuts it feels like my RSX only I have had so much more fun in this car and I have had it for less than a month!

Quote:

Originally Posted by TARDCORE (Post 387066)

Now that I re-read my original post I think I was just missing my 350 =). Anyway, it really did take me a few months to start enjoying this car as a daily driver. I now have about 3.7k miles. I don't want to rehash everything I've said before, but I miss the mechanical and raw feel of the 350. And to be honest I'm aching to actually drive a 350 again or even my old 350 just to see if I really am missing something.

The 370 is in my opinion is a blast to drive (above 4k). You can't really compare the two in this aspect because the 370 is a much more capable car. But that doesn't mean the 350 is less fun. If you've ever driven a lesser powered car like a Miata, you know what I mean. I'm a conservative driver (had too many speeding tickets and a racing ticket in my past). But yes, I do like to do some spirited driving on certain roads. And that's when I really fall in love with this car! I've not had a chance to track the car due to the recent rain storms. I'd like to do some autoX at the Q this month or head up to Fontana for a real track day, and have some real run. All in all, my opinion is not as strong as they were in my original post, and I still miss my 350. But in my world I can't have both, but I'll happily choose the 370.