My day 1 impression...
 

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 loved my 350z from day 1. Take some time and get used to the 370.........then get back to us.

I agree with the seating position. I can't seem to find a comfortable setting for braking/accelerating and still be comfortable shifting at the same time. It's weird, but certainly tolerable.

I'm only 5'8. I can't imagine how someone who's really short or really tall feel.

i came from a fully modded 03 g35 coupe, and what you are describing is the likes a well-made car... Its much improved over the 350z, the only thing i can think of is the torque down low in the 350Z comes in much sooner than in the 370. So the initial push back isn't there as much when you first throttle it down low. It builds up much smoother and perhaps doesn't feel as whippy, but to most that is a very good thing.. When you start to push it and you leave the revs high you will get that feeling back... Just break it in and get used to it... Its natural for you to miss your car that you had for 5 years and loved, i do, but each day with the 370z it certainly makes its case for me to forget the G35...

What really did it for me was when me and my buddy in his 335, that used to walk my g35, were next to each other and in a matter of 2 seconds of gassing the cars on the way home from putting in my test pipes, i pulled 3/4 of a car. I quickly backed off it since i have 900 miles but i couldn't resist... (wasn't a full blown street race, sorry if I offend anyone there) I swore my G was faster than the 370 until that second when I soon realized its just better made, doesn't feel as fast, but it certainly is faster and more refined.. that 335 was 1-2 cars faster than my G35 was.. the 370 gained serious points that day for me.

As far as the seating position in due time you should be able to find a comfort zone.. coming from a g35 coupe which seats you a bit higher than the 350z (my bro has one so i can relate) I had zero trouble finding a comfortable position.

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Having owned a 350Z before I owned my 370Z I will agree that the 370Z is alot more refined than the 350Z.....but then again I'd rather have the filet mignon over hamburger any day...

I had an 05' G35s, while I occasionally miss the comfy seats and my navi, the power and handling doesnt compare, not even close. I had full bolt ons, I/H/HFC's/Exhaust, Tein Street dampers w/EDFC and it still didnt pull as hard as my Z, so while you probably arent as used to having a better performing car, it will grow on you, drive it more. I, to this day, still look for excuses to get out and drive it, i've had my car since July 15th, and already have 5.5k on it, every time I get out, I still gaze lovingly at it as I walk away, my dates usually hate this :)

Hey I too also came from driving an 05 touring 350Z with the DE motor to a 370Z with the sports package, I will agree with you that it doesn't have that low rev torque to it anymore since the engine is a VQ37VHR (high-rev which I know you guys all know) so if you keep the rpm higher you will soon feel that power again but it's not ideal to drive around the street with 5 to 6k rpm because it's a waste of gas. Nissan has refined this car to be better than the old ones like all the other car companies are too with their cars, and I feel like Nissan has done it right this time with the 370Z, they listened to the feed backs of how the interior in the 350Z didn't do it and made it so so much better, and I also think Nissan had in mind that people will be tracking or spirit-driving this car so they have improved the transmission with SRM to help with track days or people's first manual transmission car. Keep in mind that's why the car is much faster at higher RPM because you're usually "pushing" the car on track. But overall I am very happy with this car and I can't tell you, you get more looks because a lot of people havn't seen this car.

maybe what you are describing is similar to when for the Subaru Impreza WRX went from a 2.0 litre turbo to a 2.5 litre turbo.

i hated it and needless to say i didnt buy the 2.5 turbo...

i came from a 05 DE also.

Only gripe i have so far is the suspension is softer than my 05.

all the pro's of the car totally make up for that and there is always nismo suspension

I wouldn't consider the stock Nismo suspension an upgrade. Not sure about some of the Nismo suspension add-ons that have been released recently.

Not really height...It's all about proportion..Some of us have longer or shorter, upper and lower halfs ;)

Wait til you see what the 370 does in the high rev range...amazing. I did a track day yesterday and the upper rev range never ceased to amaze me. Coming down the front straight (relatively short straights) at the top of 3rd gear, I could stay at a constant 6500 rpm, then plant my foot flat and car would still leap ahead. The power of the 370 is really a blast.

If you want your car to be a bit more 'fun', put an aftermarket catback exhaust on it. It'll give you the sportscar sound and aesthetic feel as well as improve hp and torque.

I went from a 2004 350Z to a 2005 G35c, and now the 2009 370Z...and getting rid of my 350Z for a G35c was very hard for me...I had my 350Z for 1 year and 8 months, and I got rid of it cuz it had too miles (47.7k...I know, but I get rid of my cars when they approach 50k)...I loved my 350, and when I test drove the G35c, I KNEW instantly on the test drive that it was nothing like the Z...in any case, I bought the G35c with Sport, Premium, and Aero packages...it was weak, handling, acceleration, everything about it was sub-par compared to the 350...I didn't like the look of the G compared to the Z...in any case, I kept the G35c and to tell you the truth, I really hated the G35c...after a month of getting it, I was already looking to get a 350Z Roadster.....but I didn't go through with it...I got the G at a steal, and I wanted to keep it for a bit to drive and flip it for a profit (and I did)...

when I got the 370z, I think the only thing I didn't like about the 370Z vs the 350Z was the shifter and the way and the distance of the shift...the throw on the 350 was a lot shorter and a lot firmer than the 370Z, but I guess I got used to it quick...and the other thing I had to get used to was the clutch pedal and catch point...otherwise, I loved the 370Z...to tell you the truth, I loved the interior of the 350, people were ragging about how it was plastic this and that, but I loved how it was just raw, and nothing else...nothing fancy that could distract you from the driving experience....I would have been fine had they kept the interior of the 370Z in similar finish as the 350z...


welll...I gotta run....talk more later...

Yep, that's my problem. Guess my height wasn't the greatest descriptor to use... 30" length pants are too long for me! Very short legs.

Thanks for the constructive replies guys, all very good points and I'm starting to understand what you guys are talking about. I think what I really do miss is the early torque delivery. I actually pushed it a bit this morning (I couldn't wait to drive it again) and I did feel more on the top end. I will admit I was always disappointed with the top end of the 350 because it seemed to flatten out. But I rarely drive hard, so I really enjoyed the torquee feel. I also took some hard turns and noticed how much more planted this car felt. I thought about it for awhile last night - why I felt this way. And I came to a conclusion, its because I knew how far I could push the 350 and it was fun pushing it to its edge. In fact, it was pretty easy to get on the edge with the 350 (probably because of early torque delivery)which was why I had so much fun with it. But I can tell the 370's edge far surpasses the 350 and I have yet to see it. But being the driver I am, I'll probably rarely see it...I think I'll have to start autoX'ing to feed that hunger....

:gtfo2:

Nothing's wrong with a little constructive criticism, especially since he's coming from another Z.

Yup, as I've said before, once you're dialed-in to a new ride vs one that was old and comfortable for you.......once that comfort level is reached with the new, superior ride, you'll wonder where all the negative vibes went. :tup:

Oh yeah, Matt, but you know ima just joking around. Besides, see above.

:wtf2:

LOL we luv you elmz

The 350 was a revolution in my mind. I never was attracted to its deco styling. I went to the Mitsu dealer to buy an EVO... They had a Lemans Sunset 350 sitting there, my friend is like you should drive one, they are pretty fun.. I'm thinking Orange weird looking Nissan, yea right. Then I bought it lol...

If you were around and purchasing cars in the 90s you remember all the badass JDM cars that were available. One for almost every flavor, then all of a sudden nothin.. I was ready to settle for a damn 4 door, then Nissan graces us with a proper two seater out of nowhere!!!

Bottom line is the Z has evolved. It's better in every regard really, but you have to take the time to appreciate it.

I bet you will :)

you sir, speak the truth.

For me, the greatness of the 370 is in its capabilities.

- Yes, it now has a flat torque curve. The 1st gear rush may be somewhat missing, but your buddys 335i is no longer car lengths in front of you.

- Car may not be as twitchy and ragged as before. Yes, but it outperforms the 350 in handling and is basically right there with the Nismo 350. This alone should testify to the engineering enhancements in terms of handling.

Another huge benefit is, if you intend on keeping the car N/A you will actually yield tangible benefits from upgrades. Many, including myself threw thousands at the DE engine for not much benefit, and those who went FI went through a lot of pain when pushing their engine to real output. I know some here may be wanting more, but 40-50 rwhp gain from a jdm 6 cyl is impressive to me, most of the time they are fairly tapped out from the factory.

It can be frustrating when you see an M56 or other non performance cars packing huge numbers, while you have a modest improvement, but there is basically no serious conmpetitor for this car in the price range.

Let's face it. If the 370 didn't come around, you'd be looking at spending countless more cash for a new ride, keeping the 350, or left with an awd sedan.

Yes the new toyota concept looks cool, but it's going to be N/A and probably difficult to get power out of. Nissan deserves some serious kudos for putting out a two seater RWD with ample power for most of the people in this market.

Still in my mind no real competition for this car exists in the price range or anything close to it. It's a focused sports car, they don't come around often. Nissan has updated the interior, made the riide more compliant and the overall car more liveable. Yet in every performance test, it outperforms the 350.

I'm curious about ride comfort for you former 350Z/G35 owners. How does the 370Z fare compared to your previous vehicles?

As a G35 coupe owner, I've only had the opportunity to drive the non-sport Touring 370Z, so I am curious to see if the Sport package makes the ride much harsher or stiffer.

I find this thread a bit ridiculous. Seriously the 05 350z is a freaking toy compared to the 370z in every way. There isn't one thing about my 350z that I miss except for the Daytona Blue which was far superior to the Monterey Blue IMO.

The 350z was a good handling car, but has no pop at all. I've driven stock pickup trucks that were faster off of the line. Seriously it's a slug. My 370z could beat my 350z in any conditions at all. And it looks and sounds alot better too. I am always amazed at threads like this. I wonder if the people that make them are really legit, or what? Bizarre.

:rolleyes: I guess you can't please everyone...listen bro these are my personal opinions, by any means I did not try to push them on you or anyone else. But if you took this offensively(which I cannot imagine how or why) "sorry dude".

BTW Legit? hehe uhh I guess I can't really prove I really own or owned either of these cars, since this is the Internet...but you got something you wanna get out? everything ok on your side of the woods???

I liked both cars so it's tough to say, I had a 07 350Z so it had power, I find the 370Z to handle better overall which I like but they are both great cars if you ask me

Sorry elmz but if your 05 350 is a better sports car than your 370, than something is wrong with your 370 take it back to the dealer.

Now I see, well I never said the 350 was better, that would be crazy...If you read my post, I only griped about things I missed and things I noticed to be different...and I do agree with you though now that I've owned it a few months. Are we cool now ;)

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

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.

: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!

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.