Edmunds Inside Line
 

Edmunds continually bashes the 370Z for unacceptable interior noise levels on its Inside Line Blog, going so far as to say that the car is not being selected for long trips.
My question is : to those who have also owned a 350Z, is the interior noise level significantly higher in the 370Z, specifically during highway driving? It seems silly that Edmunds would avoid driving an otherwise fantastic car solely based on noise levels.

Thank you

Without answering your question directly, if you read back through what Edmunds has said about the 370z, you can tell they cater to your SUV/comfy ride cars. One guy even said the clutch was "tough to press in." WTF? That person has clearly never driven a Mustang or many other cars, just letting you know Edmunds review of the 370z are from the wrong angle for most owners of this car.

Those guys are idiots...Pay no attention to them.

edmunds is like consumer reports these days.

i cant comment on the 350 interior noise level, but i can say this...

depending on the condition of the highway, its going to dictate the noise level in the 370...

here in the city where the highway cuts thru, the road conditions are a little worse than outside of town, so noise levels here in town on the highway are a bit loud...

however on the newer highway outside of town it s very quite imo...

to my understanding alot of the road noise we are getting is coming from the rear where there is less sound deadening, which equates to less weight.

i would rather deal with a little road noise over a heavier z...

I was suprised at how intrusive the road noise is, even compared to my old 2001 Camaro SS. It is very loud, and does interfere with the music/sound quality. You can't have everything, unless maybe you go Ferrari 599 ish for a quarter mil.

The road surface makes a huge difference in the noise level, too.

You can improve the noise dramatically (so I am told) by installing Dynamat, which is a viscous sound absorbing material installed on the inside shell under the carpets. This will cost you 100lb and maybe $800 for a professional instal. A better investment than an upgraded sound system by a long shot.

Also, a different set of tires could make a big difference. If getting new tires, look on TireRack for actual test data, as I have found it to be very accurrate. I noticed a big improvement on my Camaro when I switched to Firestone Firehawk tires, much quieter, and they performed exactly as reported.

Fixed

Large tires + hatch + short wheelbase (tires are closer to the driver) = road noise.

Also, dynamat has been referenced and discussed on here quite a bit in the audio section. Most of them figure it's not worth the weight...

I can't comment on the 350, but the 370 has the LOUDEST interior of any car I have owned or ridden in. On wet roads, the noise is so loud it seems like the windows are down. The road noise is very high as well. The review is written for the masses (not 350 owners)....and the masses have cars with much less interior noise.

The interior is noisy, but the car is great. What do you care what other say about it? You bought it for your reasons. Enjoy it.

Have you test driven one? That should give you a good idea of whether or not you would find it offensive.

IMO Edmunds is missing the point of a pure sports car entirely. Heck, they need to go drive an Elise and see how they like the Z.

I drive with the driver's side window down whenever possible, so I am so glad Nissan kept the weight down instead of trying to make the Z a G.

And that's what gets me - if you want quiet, Nissan has a car for it.

And if they think the clutch is tough to push in, they're crazy. I've driven cars with heavy clutches and this one doesn't begin to compare.

I agree with you!

Comming from my Camaro, driving the Z I nearly broke off the clutch, brake, and shifter on the first go, they were so LIGHT!

+1, they've obviously never driven a NSX.

I have the Touring/Sport package and do find the interior noise level at freeway speeds to be very high. I think it is directly related to the tires. Most freeways in CA are grooved, and when I transition onto a section that is not the noise level drops immediately. I wasn't expecting it to have a low noise level like a luxury car, but it is pretty loud. Every passenger that I have had has commented on it. I'll definitely be looking at noise ratings before I buy the next set of tires.