your the one that said "I doubt there is any car at any price that could do much better." and I just said yes there are.

Ah...Seems you are stuck in the past here...The WS6 was a POS when new (as was its brother Camaro). How you can compare that to anything, I don't know. Sure GM made crap back then....Everybody knows that and these were two of the worst.

My '08 LS3 (built the 2nd day of the '08 production start) was faultless over the 14K miles I owned it. Cosmetically and mechanically. Mike here, and others can vouch for Corvette reliability. Hang around any car forum for a few years and it's essentially no different than here. A fair number of Whiners, anal retentive types, and conspiracy theorists hang out on all of them.. You need a good BS filter if you're gonna play on the intraweb...

Assuming that you owned the car from new 0-14k miles and didnt get it pre-owned, I wouldnt exactly claim 14k faultless miles to be an accomplishment. If I purchased a $15,000 car and something significant broke after 14k (~1 year national average) I would be pissed.

Ive only read the last 3 or 4 posts in this thread and have never owned these cars so Im not credible to comment on anything else, just sayin.

Don't worry...Lottsa guys here have strong "opinions" and have never owned the cars being discussed.

My buddy with an '06 vette and another with an '05 with 36K on it had no issues either...Just sayin..

Don't know. We had a 01 Trans Am that had 112k on it. Aside from the window motors having been replaced once and showing signs again of needing to be done right before we got rid of it; the car was perfect. Ran strong as hell and never had any problems. Owned the car for 9 years.

Also had an 06 Vette that we owned for 3 years. Had 22k on it but never any problems. No gaps in body panels or pain issues. Actually the paint seemed better than my 370z.

I too had a stigma about domestics but these two cars really proved me wrong. Maybe we just got lucky or maybe not.

My "opinion" wasnt a strong or abrasive one, just saying that no matter what car youre talking about 14k miles isnt a significantly long enough time to say it was built with quality. Im not saying your argument is wrong, Im saying that piece of evidence supporting it was weak. That being said, others have presented better evidence supporting both sides which boils down to my strong argument: that the most influential factor on any cars longevity is how the owner treats it.

I wasn't aiming that at you in particular. There are tons of Keyboard experts here that have weighed in with no experience other than what they've read on the internet..

I'd be happy to discuss any of the 57 cars I've owned, plus another 25 Honda Company cars..Major issues on all of them I can count on one hand, and yes I take good care of my cars....:tup:

Damn 57!? 1-57 where do you rank the 370?

I wouldn't even count the power window motor going out. Its ultra common on that era pontiac. A friend of mine has 45,000 miles on his car and has replaced the power window motors 4 times.

Summing up and ending this entire thread:

All cars have some sort of problem. If you are cross-shopping two and you truly do your research, you will find issues with literally every car out there. They are not perfect.

Seeing people say "well X had a problem with this car and X didn't have a problem with this car" is utterly silly. Just because one person has (or doesn't have) a problem doesn't mean you will be in the same situation.

Just buy a car based on how it feels to you and what you think -you- can handle. Do your own research and stop being a keyboard/magazine jockey who tattoos brand on their arm like a badge of honor.

LOL....I'd have to do some serious memory refreshes to answer that, but off the top of my head, from a general level of satisfaction with the car, it's somewhere in the top 10...:tup:

The LS7 has known issues with snapping valves due to the oiling system, and the small contact patch of the valve-guide on the valve-stem. It over-heats and causes problems with guide tolerance on the exhaust side.

I have sat in a 370Z (now) and have sat in Z06's. The Z was much better made regarding interior quality and over-all "feel".

I am not a targa top fan, so the Z06 is the only one in the stable I would consider. ZR1 is slightly outside my budget.

I had a '95 Trans AM that had 170K it. It ran great to, and aside from the previous owner blowing up the auto trans at 140K, and the heater core dying at 165K, it was great. It's why I bought the 01 WS6. GM is hit/miss. I don't like hit/miss. Japanese work ethic is so much better, and when people CARE about what they are doing, and have a good work environment, and seek employment for life, they are going to do a better job. It shows.

The older generations (before GenY and GenX) are very brand-loyal people, as a rule. Some people will tattoo a brand name on their arm--literally. I am not subject to this mentality, however, and am loyal to what works. I have owned fords, GM's, and now am getting into imports. Everything about imports seems better to me, from interior, to service, to durability, everything. I drove a 370Z today and was blown away wiht hte feel of the car (except the clutch. Horrible)

I don't own a Z or a 'vette, but my former roommate owned a 2004 C5.

It had a few quirks. It was quick--about like the WS6 I used to own--which was a total pile.

I rode in his 'vette on occasion. It was decent. Had a sqeak here and there.

I traded my 2001 WS6 for a 2002 G20. I used to be completely in the domestic camp, having owned mustangs and F-bodies and the like. Well I got this little 2002 Infiniti G20, and it had a few issues. MOtor-mounts, etc. With 100K miles I expected it.

It had one electrical issue--ignition component, $50 and 20 minutes of my time to replace.

It had maintenance issues--valve-cover gasket (likes to go out on those cars), cabin filtration system (IT HAS ONE! WOW!), etc. etc. Just tiny things.

One thing I noticed though was how solid it is. How well designed it is. Those metal lines under the hood are coated with something to prevent rust. Etc. etc. It's not so much how it was put togather, it is that it is designed with the thought that it should look and feel and run well AFTER it leaves the lot, not just for 1-3 months sitting up and a test-drive.

A perfect example is the 370 'vert I rode in tonight. WE took it over hella rough roads. BAD stuff. I cringed. It didn't even waver. No creak AT ALL. No cowl shake. Nothing. Performed about like my Trans Am did in the acceleration department. The refinement was amazing. Car had about 10K miles on it alread, and the owner dogged the hell out of it regularly he said.

No, it's not all-out as fast as some of the cars I have been in and played with, but it was definitely peppy, the interior was VERY VERY NICE, and it felt IDENTICAL to the one I drove with 5-10 miles or whatever at a dealer a while back.

It is a different car than the 'vette. I am torn between which to buy, myself--a car no faster than what I used to drive, but inifitely nicer, or a car that is about the same, but hella fast. Decisions--they suck. Different cars, though. I would much rather take a girl out in the Z than in a 'Vette, though, as far as comfort and having a good time (regardless of image, etc. I think the girl would ask "What was that creaking?" A lot less).

Now you do realize you are comparing a 2010 car to 2001 and 2002 cars? So the new 2010 2011vette is way better than the 2004 one in all areas so you probably need to ride in one now to get a good comparison. Most cars come a long way from models from 5 years ago or more.

I had the chance to pick up a corvette (used) for the price i gave for my Z new. But what got me is the fact that i see vettes all day long, and there are only 2 370's here in Tifton, mine and my buddies. & the Nismo is much rarer...if i was going for shear speed, i would have kept my V10 :D

I just had the opportunity to drive a Corvette Grand Sport 6MT during a Chevy test drive experience last weekend. The interior has been improved and feels livable but not luxurious. The driving experience is awesome though. It pulls much harder than our Z and the steering feel is light and extremely responsive. The new vette is an awesome car, but I can't get over the demographic I usually see driving it. Also, too many vette owners think they have supercars. It annoys me.

Been there, done that. Rode in a friend's '08 Vert C6. It was fast, yes, but it had noticable cowl-shake and there were at least 2 different "creaks" I could hear, and this going over MUCH BETTER! pavement than we took the Z on last night. The C6 had 8,XXX miles, was a show-car/garage-queen (hence why I couldn't drive it, his insurance forbid it).

My friend's C5 felt a bit more solid if I recall.

The LS3 definitely has more juevos than the Z, but in every other department the C6 failed to impress me.

I am stuck. Do I want a fast car, or do I want a well-made car? Honestly? I want both--for under/equal 60K MSRP. I don't think it can happen.

You can make the Z faster, you can't make the Vette a better overall car.

Audi S5

Think some of you forgot you could get a 2002 camaro z28 for 19,000. I bought my SS for 24,000 and my used 2001 ws6 with 5k for 20,000. The f-body's are one of the best bang for the buck cars around and can mod them cheap too. The camaro was in the 12's with just a CAI. My 09 370 was 39,000 and the only mod that gives this car any balls is forced induction. Oh..and my z runs hot..the paint is three different shades of white and if you touch the plastic it scratches.:eekdance:

:icon18:

The new mustang is better overall car than a Z.

I have owned a loaded 2001 WS6 6-speed. The car was a fast POS. Rear-end, transmission, half the electronics, etc. all **** the bed to one degree or another. Worst car I ever owned. My 95TA was a decent car which is why I bought the 2001. Oh well. Now I drive a 145bhp Infiniti G20 and don't regret the trade one bit. It's not fast, but it handles corners at the same speed the WS6 did, and it isn't a POS that breaks literally every other week.

The MSRP on my WS6 was around 36K, if I remember the sticker rightly. The Z MSRP is around 43K, with similar options.

What does that extra 6K get you???

A hard-top (I hated T's, although mine did not leak because I took care of it correctly, they did rattle on very cold days).
An IRS rear suspension.
A NAV system
A Bose sound system (The Bose in my 2002 G20 still sounds GREAT! My 2001 Monsoon sounded like **** when I got the car in 2006).
Door panels that don't crack.
Syncro-rev (Kinda a wash as I rev-match my shifts fine on my own).
Much better weight distribution
A 7-speed auto (if you like slush-boxes...I don't, some do)
An interior that doesn't rattle and sqeek all the time.
Another almost .1 on the skidpad
Resale that doesn't plummet (Wait, your post covered that...)

What do you give up?

A cam(s) isn't really cost-effective.
Stock/stock they are equally quick, but mod/mod definitely not.
That wonderful LSX motor
A back-seat for a muppet
The ability to say "My car has a 'vette motor" to everyone you meet.

Yeah, I owned a WS6, I like the speed at first, but the car was a total POS and instead of fix the problems it had and slap a cam in it for chump change, I got rid of it for a car I wouldn't hate that was slow as hell. I like my decision. I am a quality-minded person. If speed is all you care about, the LS1 F-body is a GREAT! deal.

Here you go, pix of the offending car (2001 MSRP@36K):
http://i33.tinypic.com/1zwdnyp.jpg
http://i33.tinypic.com/116rlm9.jpg
http://i33.tinypic.com/jg07ky.jpg


Also, I have gotten more compliments on my G20 than I did on the WS6, which really kindof shocked me. The owner of my gym actually stopped to tell me how much he liked the G20 he owned and how reliable and good of a car it was. Lots of women like it, too. Women never complimented my WS6. Girls did, but never women.

G20 (2002 MSRP of around 22K, and check out the interior...oh, 6-disk and Bose w/tape-deck and in-dash CD player too):
http://i35.tinypic.com/28c0tg9.jpg
http://i34.tinypic.com/245czsz.jpg

370Z interior:

http://gallery.carreview.com/data/ca..._rdstr-186.jpg
Yeah...I see where that 6K went right there. IRS and the resale value and all that is just a bonus almost.

Oh, don't forget how crappy the economy is. What would my WS6 cost NOW if we account for inflation, around 45-48K?

Looks nice, but the automatic transmission and pathetic V8 nix it. I didn't know they even made V8's with less than 400bhp anymore.

sounds like you might have limited options then, got to give on the power to get on the lux if you want to stay under 60K. The S5 isnt a power house but it is fairly fast for a car of its nature (lux). 0 60 in 4.9 isnt bad for a lux car that is high quality. Maybe a BMW then like the Z4M (not sure if its under 60K but should be).

370Z is better in every way compared to the Z4M. The M3 is nice, but to get the decent options is $$$$$$$$$$$. I am liking the 370Z. I could buy a Z06 or something, but they just feel so ragged, and in a few years I can't imagine it would improve. You get used to speed, no-matter what you drive, but nagging things like rattles and cracked door-panels grate constantly. At least, for me.

From what I have read the 2010 vette has improved its interior quality about the same as the 370Z did over the 350Z and when I was in it, it looked to around the same quality build material wise as the 370Z. I didnt drive it then as I was at lunch and didnt have the time so I dont know about rattles and all. But I do know my 370Z has rattles in it so I guess thats a mut point now. Plus my 370Z squeaks now too. So I guess Im saying all cars have thier issues and none are perfect. Ive owned a few cars now and the vette will be my next car if I can work the deal, as Ive always wondered about them. I went down in quality from the Audi to the Z but gain in power. Now I will go up in power and performance with the vette but hope to stay the same quality wise with it compared to the Z atleast. And when Im used to its power I will just have add a SC to it. After the vette who knows what car will be next.

Im trying to catch modshacks numbers with vehicles owned. lol.

The 'vette is nice, but they have their issues. On the surface they look like a good deal, but consider who built the cars. The 'vette was built by Americans 9-5ing it, and the Z is built by a people who value their jobs as more than a source of income. The seats in the 'vette are junk compared to the Z, just fair warning.

I owned a GM, (2001 WS6) and even forgetting about the materials used, the attention to detail was not there at all. For instance, it would randomly die on the freeway. Why? Because the person who tightened the ground-screw for the fuel-pump stripped the hole in the body of the car out, and just didn't care. It would intermittantly lose contact and kill the FP. Further, they use inferior vendors. Almost every electronic sensor on the car died (IAC, TPS, etc.) The speakers weren't any good (died often) the window motors went out often, the water-pump gave it up at 70K miles, and so-on. GM uses the cheapest parts they can to assemble the car, except for the driveline itself. That is how they have a 505bhp car that they can sell for 64K new that will beat Ferrari's costing 300% as much in every way that can be measured on paper. Do you think Ferrari's name alone is worth $200K? I don't. Neither do their customers.

If you want speed, buy an old LS1 F-body and have a built 408 put in it, a Ford 9" out back, and spray a 2-stage 300 shot. Not much will catch you.

Or you could buy a 'vette and deal with the horrible cowl-shake, etc. I have not seen that much cowl-shake since I drove a convertable pre-05 mustang. I was honestly very shocked to see it in the 2008 'vette I rode in.

The 4LT package is nice, but all it is is leather over hard plastic. You could do that yourself with some time, energy, and a kit from a vendor. The Z is much more ergonomically pleasing to me and drips quality.

For all-out performance, though, the C6 has it. The 370Z performs very close to the C5.

To much jealously in here!

I own neither car, and am a potential customer for either. No jelousy possible.

um.....

2005 Chevrolet Corvette Reliability - MSN Autos



and 2009 model camparisons...
http://www.jdpower.com/autos/Chevrol...tte/2009/Targa
vs.
http://www.jdpower.com/autos/Nissan/370Z/2009/Coupe

As someone who has owned both Zs (350Z and 370Z) as well as a C6 Corvette these comparison threads make me laugh. :icon17:

Bottom line it's like comparing apples and oranges. Both cars are capable cars and great perfomrance bargains, but in different price ranges and with different target markets.

All things considered (including price) I prefer the Z. That doesn't mean I didn't like Corvette, just that overall I would rather have a Z. However, performance wise the Corvette is the king of the hill in almost every category. It really depends on what you want.

What I want is a Z with an LS3 motor. :roflpuke2: :driving: :stirthepot:

I agree. However, I came from owning an LS1 car. I loved the power, but after a while, all I could think about was what a POS my WS6 was, how it rattled, how it broke every other week in one way or another (literally). How the door-panels were cracking, etc.

Sure, beating NSX's and all that was fun, but in the end I drove a POS and I hated it.

The C6 isn't a POS taken on its own, but compared to the Z, it kinda is unless you get the 4LT package (or 3LZ), but even then the interior quality is lacking, the seats are unsupportive, the thing creaks and has horrible cowl-shake, etc.

Yes, it is fast.
Yes, with 325's out back it does have 1G lateral grip.

I went and looked at 911's today. I could not tell a difference in the 100K 911 Carrera's interior and the 370Z Touring's interior as far as quality or material use. I prefered the lay-out of the Z. I really don't think the P car had ANYTHING on the Z as far as interior in any way. Again, I don't own either car, so I am not trumping up "my" car. Just calling the shots how I saw it.

Looking at the MSN user-ratings, the Z scored a perfect 10. The 'vette did not.

JD power looks like they are handing out "most improved" awards instead of actual assessments of quality. There is no way the 'vettes I looked at held a candle to the Z in "initial quality" unless you just looked at photos of them and compared lay-outs or something. Touch the materials and appearance gives way to reality.

http://autos.msn.com/research/userre...?modelid=13868

vs.

http://autos.msn.com/research/userre...cent#reviewnav

My old Camaro SS LS1 engine destroys the v6 in the Z, I do miss the engine, but that's the least important thing to me. The Z clutch sucks too, as some have mentioned. Overall, I prefer the handling, interior quality, and refinement which makes the Z a better value than the vette. The vette is a stomping cool car - even though there are way too many of them on the road, but would be a bit of a downgrade except for the engine. I thought I wanted a vette, but my next car would probably be a GTR instead, which has the engine and the refinement to equal the Italian offerings, half the price.

I am not at all impressed by Porches, I think 911's are fugly, and the Cayman interior has nothing on the Z, but probably outperforms the Z by a smidgen - not worth the price difference. Audi, on the other hand, does interiors better than anyone, but have no car in the Z catagory (no, the TT is not really a sports car, it's a hairdressers car). The R8 or R10 is not quite as good as the GTR, according to the experts who have driven them.

so by MSN user ratings the Z actually outperforms the Vette! Wow! I think I see some real fanboi action there! :tup:

I went back and forth between the Z and 2010 Grand Sport Corvette for almost 3 months. The corvette's power is insane. But I have to agree there is a major difference in the quality between the 2. I spent months going over the corvette forums. On a regular basis Corvette owners complain about the seats deteriorating very quickly, horrible stock tires, targa tops that rattle, etc. The LS3 motor is really what holds the corvette above water. The LS3 is a beast of a motor but it's not the entire car.
In the end, I just couldn't pay that much money for a motor knowing the car with it has so many reported problems. I ended up with a Z and If I decide I need more power I can always use the money saved towards a TT.

I'm very happy with my decision!