Going from a sensible car to a sports car
 

Hey guys and gals,

My parents are planning on getting me a new car within the next month or two and I was hoping you guys could help me make my decision. Obviously, since I'm here, the 370Z is one of my choices (well.. it's my only choice, thus far). I'm planing on getting the Coupe with the Touring package (don't care for any of the other options or accessories) with the 7AT (yeah, yeah, I know the drill... autos are for morons and I already have one person who's planning on hunting me down).

My last two cars were a 1996 Acura 3.2TL and a 2006 Honda Accord EX (I4), both of which are tame compared to the 370Z. I've read a lot of reviewers on the 370Z and nearly every single one says the same few things: it's fast, looks great, and can't be beat for the price.

But what I do want to know is how it fares for those of us who don't race on the streets or tracks, and just want a fun car for when you want to speed by that damn semi who cut you off and decides to go extra slowly...:shakes head:

Some things I'd like your opinions on are:
1. How does it fair as a daily driver? I've read a few of the previous posts on this topic and most of it seems generally positive but... not really reassuring.

I'll be driving to/from school (an hour each way) in the fall when I go back to school for my Masters and most of it will be fairly smooth roads. I know it's not going to comfortable, like my previous cars but is it at least bearable? In my city there are plenty of really bad roads which I'll have to drive through nearly everyday but they're short stretches. I'm only 5'8" and have sat in one already so space isn't an issue.

2. I've read a lot of complaints about road noise. Has that issue been fixed or is it still prevalent?

3. Now... I'm sure this will make some of you cringe but can this be driven during the winter, with the standard all season tires? (*My brother's IS350 has summer/winter tires and that's something I'd rather not put up with.)

My commute will be done in the northern IL area and winters here are pretty bad... and I know that going from two front wheel drive cars to a rear wheel sports car is NOT going to be an easy transition.

4. The paint really that bad? I mean... I sofa-king hate swirls/chips on my cars. I understand it's unavoidable but from "Most Fragile Car I've Ever Owned!", it sounds like the paint just falls off for some of you.

5. To those of you with the 2009 model, is it a fairly reliable car? We've always bought Japanese since they make reliable cars but JD powers gave the 2010 Z a 6/10 rating in terms of reliability. I understand it's only an estimate but still, figured I'd get some of your opinions.

And any other tips/opinions/advise would be well appreciated. If I learned anything from GI Joe, it's that knowing is only half the battle (they never did tell me what the other half was...).

Thanks in advance.

PS - I'm sure a lot of you will think I come from a rich family and I'm a spoiled kid and I can't help that (I'd think that too) but I can assure you we're not rich. I just want a fun car and am not planning on dressing it up or fixing something or another on a daily basis. My parents are just buying me a nice car since my undergrad was basically free due to scholarships/grants...

why are your parents buying you a new car? get your own car. ;)

Hi and welcome to the forums. I don't use mine as a daily driver, but plenty of folk do and find it plenty comfortable. I find the comfort and road noise non-issues. For me and I'm about 5'10 175 lbs I find the seats comfortable for long trips and the road noise is only excessive if there is a bunch of sand or gravel on the roadway.

Winter driving ... I would definitely get snow tires -- there are some very informative threads on here that go over some nice winter setups.

Paint ... People complain about road chips and so forth, but those are gonna happen with almost any cars ...paint ain't what it used to be I guess. That said the color can make a big difference in the amount of upkeep required. The silver and platinum graphite are easy colors to maintain and don't show swirls like the red and black. On the other hand, lots of folk enjoy detailing their cars and would be at a loss if there were no swirls/minor scuffs to buff out with their new PC ;).

Do you have a link to that JD powers survey you reference? I've heard that the Z scored well in quality. Other than a few flakey e-key issues, ecu whining (which I haven't heard much about lately so they must have fixed it for the '10s) and aftermarket oil cooler issues, I haven't really heard of any systematic problems.

That's my $.02, I'm sure you'll hear some other opinions :)

I'm not really sure if the 370Z is the car for you honestly. It's a great daily driver, but it seems like you want a low-maintenance car, which the Z isn't necessarily.

Firstly, being in a state with harsh winters, you can't just throw on all-seasons and call it a day. It's either winter or summer tires, and any compromise would likely result in sub-standard traction. With winter tires, snow is barely an obstacle.

The road noise is ever-present, and furthermore, you'll feel just about every bump and hole in the road. But you could swap out the OEM tires for 'quieter' and cushier tires.

The paint quality, or lack thereof, is an especially salient issue, particularly with the black; swirl marks and scratches abound everywhere. You'll probably have to wash and detail the Z more often than your previous cars.

Along with all of those factors, you'll have to regularly check your oil and various other normal car maintenance procedures. Do all of the above and you probably won't run into any reliability issues.

I don't have a direct link, just what I read on USNews.
2010 Nissan 370Z Reliability - Best Cars & Trucks - U.S. News Rankings and Reviews


It's not that I want a low maintenance car, it's just that I don't know how different the maintenance is from a regular sedan to a sports. I understand how to check all the fluids, can change my own oil (though I probably wouldn't risk it on the Z), and I clay/wax my car twice a year (and polish every other year).

But obviously, there are somethings simple detailing and under-the-hood checking won't take care of. That's what I was more interested about.

im in Canada, snow isnt an issue WITH snow tires. not stupid enough to try without and crash my lovely z. start in second gear, dont drive with a lead foot, all that jazz. lots of tips from various places on how to drive in snow.

road noise isnt that bad if you get into the mindset that its a sports car not a lexus. same with comfort.

other than that i would find its pretty low maintenance as opposed to what a few posts above suggested. not much to do. drive it, change the tires for winter, check/change oil once in a while.

There are lots of threads about each of your questions.. its almost like you already knew this and just want people to confirm what you've already read, bizarre..

:iagree: :shakes head:

My suggestion: do fun and practical. For Z money, you can climb into a Mazdaspeed3, a VW GTi, or a Subaru WRX. All will fare better in the snow.

Even then, I don't have a gauge on maintenance cost for those, but I'm assuming they're a little easier, since you can't rotate a Z's tires due to size difference. All of these cars listed suck down premium fuel, so you may want something without a turbo...

Just sayin'.

Oh, and about road noise... Yes, it's loud. The Z is a sports car. I like my sports cars loud. I want to hear the engine and tires and feel many bumps along the way. It's immersion. Just my opinion.

The 6 is a made up value by US News. The actual JD powers predicted reliability is 3 of 5. This is an "average" rating. It's really just a guess though since the predicted reliability is supposed to be based on historical trends for a vehicle or manufacturer. Since the Z has only been out for a little over a year and a half the bulk of the predication must come from general Nissan reliability.

JDPower.com | 370Z

The "Initial Quality" or IQ ratings are based on how many "issues" are reported by consumers for that vehicle type during the first 90 days of ownership. It's only based on whatever strange reason a person may bring their car to the dealership (you've seen the threads on this forum...), and doesn't account for any by-design behavior or if there is a true defect. Also, I don't believe there is any weight to severity. The hatch spring issue a lot of people had was incredibly minor, and would impact reliability ratings just as much as melting electronics.

"predicted reliability" is different than initial quality. I agree the "initial quality" rating are rather arbitrary since someone may give a low rating because they don't like where the stereo controls are ... In any event initial quality wasn't what I was referring to -- the Z got 4 out of 5 on that anyway ...

"Predicted Reliability: Derived from historical trending for a vehicle and/or manufacturer in our Initial Quality and Vehicle Dependability Studies, Predicted Reliability is a forecast of how reliable a newer vehicle might be over time."

:ugh2:

I did my fair share of research, but the main issue here is that I've never driven a sports car (my brother's IS350 is the closest thing I have driven but that's more of a luxury car) so I was hoping for responses from those with both, to try and see if this was something I could live with.

I'm sure what I've asked is probably nothing more than redundancy to most of you but you guys are seasoned with Zs. I'm not.

And they won't let me test drive the Z at my local dealership... not sure why but I'm guessing age is a factor. They let me ride in it but riding in a car and driving it are two different things.

Also, to those of you who have answered my questions and/or voiced their opinions: thank you, you're help is appreciated.

Buy my Mazdaspeed3.
It even comes with a set of winter wheels! :driving:

The Mazdaspeed3 is quick and practical at the same time. I used it as a daily driver and other than me wearing out the tires, the only maintenance it required was regular oil changes.
My wife and I drove it from PA to FL non-stop and it was comfortable, fun and all of our toys fit in it with room to spare.

Click the link in my sig.