Finally test drove the 370z 6MT...
 

I currently own an 06 350z 6MT (enthusiast), and I've been meaning to test drive a 370z 6MT (base). Today the dealership had one, so I checked it out.

I can't tell if I'm crazy about it - I drove the automatic 370z a month ago and thought it felt far faster, and today the car didn't feel THAT quick. The clutch felt very light too, which is strange because my 350z's clutch is pretty stiff.

I will say that I for some reason got nervous driving with the dealer in the car, especially because I got so caught up on the push button ignition that I forgot to put the clutch down :rolleyes:. Maybe I just didn't push the car hard enough to really feel the power...

Anyway, can someone comment on the power difference between the two cars? I was excited for the 370 because I read that the 0-60 is down to 4.8 or so now (motortrend I believe?)..

Also, side question: how does dual aftermarket intakes sound in the 370z? I missed the intake sound from my current 350...

The auto is significantly faster......kinda sucks. I've had 2 6MT 350Z's and the 370Z 6MT didn't feel any faster than my most recent 350Z. I feel as if Nissan overrates their engines. Either that or the 6MT just isn't very efficient at putting the power down. I think it's time for a transmission redesign.

That high 4 second run is about the only one I've seen in a mag. Most of them are in the 5.0-5.5 range, which is nothing spectacular these days. I've seen autos run low 13's pretty consistently at the track here and trap >106mph

( I have the 7AT)
Maybe it's just me but I think the 370Z doesnt have as quick as a " get-up" as the 350z. It does however make up for that in other gears tho. That was the first thing I thought about during my test drive. But all-in all, the 370z wins in all categories besides that..oh, and the silent 370z exhaust note :( but that can be easily fixed by an FI exhaust:tup:
A few simple mods and the car is easily, no doubt about it.....in every aspect, a better car than the Z33.
As far as the intakes, I had the Stillen Gen 2s, and I honestly didn't care for them much..it seemed like at high RPMs, I heard more engine than exhaust note. But many have the Gen 3s now and hopefully they'll chime in on their opinion.

You're not alone. I also felt the same way with the power on the 'butt dyno'. I, too, also drove the 6MT.

i also had a 6mt 05 and the clutch on it did seem a little firmer.
and when i test drove the 370 the clutch had a soft feel to it.

i knew i wanted the auto but i drove the 09 mt just to make sure.

this ain't your grandaddys slush box....

This has been discussed before and was attributed to the drive by wire system nissan uses. If you look under the modifications section there was some kind of a sensor mod that when attached to the sensor near the gas pedal basically brought the car to life by changing the signal of the drive by wire. There is no doubt the 370z is faster than the 350z, especially an 06. Feel however is a different perception.

It's been said before, the 370z is a step up over the 350z but nothing crazy. A lot of 350z owners don't feel the step up is enough to lure them into another new car loan.

You guys just don't know how to drive that's all. :D

I've driven both (own a 7AT) and my "butt dyno" says they feel pretty much the same. My guess is that people don't really push the 6MT very hard since a salesman is sitting next to you during the test drive, but they are willing to push the 7AT harder - maybe it's a psychological thing.

I think the manual needs more skill to match the quickness of the auto. Since most of us aren't skilled race drivers, a 6spd in our hands will not perform as well as an auto where basicaly only your right foot does the work. Present company included.
I still prefer the manual for the simple fact that you feel more connected to the car and the way it moves. I also feel cooler:p

I had an '05 350 and I think the 370 is drastically different. You're not one of those "shift at 2500 rpm-ers" are you? When you hammer the 370, it just gets it IMO. I'm normally shifting between 3500 an 4k, so it's getting up in the torque band.
Autos are always quicker off the line compared to manuals for us "normal" drivers.

I raced my buddy's AT z vs my nismo z. I was somewhat a car or so faster, then we switched. Yet when i drove his AT the.nismo was a bit faster. I redlined the whole way. Between my old 350 and the 370, the z is stiffer and more responsive.

Could you link me? I can't seem to find it..

I do think it was an issue of me not pushing the car enough..

I'm interested in the sensor mod though.

http://www.the370z.com/engine-drivet...z-7-speed.html

Sprint Booster. Don't be fooled by the title. It's available for the AT and MT. There is also a little device made by Blitz. There's a link in the thread.

:iagree:

Try shifting at or above 5k rpm. I doubt you'd do that with the salesman in the car. I did, and the guy actually told me I was scaring him. Must be used to selling Versas.

+1

The only way an auto should feel faster is if it's a PDK or something, or you are launching the manual from idle.

you were probably light on the gas and shifted kinda early. theres not much power below 4k, especially if you are light on the gas, which i imagine you would be if you were not used to the car and nervous with the salesman in the car.

...and once you get an aftermarket exhaust you'll never shift below 4k again! Huge improvement in power and throttle response with this mod (well, Fast Intentions anyway).

The 350 is a nice car, by the way.

You want power, get a Mustang. You want refinement, handling and looks, get the Z. The 350Z is dated and has been for 2 years now, its time for an upgrade :tup:

Don't ever let a salesman prevent you from pushing a car when you test drive! It's ur money and ur insured, drive it like you stole it and then report back if you feel the same way about the power. I came from a 350 also and it wasn't even close, didn't sit back in the 350 after I tested the 370, we went straight from the car to the bargaining table.

Lol I test drove a used 370 last week. Unfortunately to say... it had the 5th gear grind issue just like the 350/G35. It wasn't a problem when I shifted slow into 5th, but IF i were to shift anywhere from slightly fast to fast, I'd hear a slight grind. All the other gears were butter smooth tho.

But anyhow, I thought Nissan would have fixed this by now?

I was starting to get the 5th gear grind when I traded mine in, not on the upshift, but downshifting from 6th at highway speeds made me cringe.:shakes head:

werd, neither my G35C nor my 370Z grinds in 5th or any gear for that matter... :confused:

:facepalm:

The torque output between the 350z and 370z engines are about the same. The difference is the top-end power. You have to push it and keep on pushing it to sense the difference.

Also, you have to toss the 370z around in the corners to really appreciate the differences.

It's really night and day between the 370z and 350z if you push the car this way.

In my opinion, the 370z performs very well (numbers and all) but it doesn't communicate that performance to the driver well.

This...not sure how the auto is faster? I have driven both autos and manuals and never felt like the auto was faster.

a lot of normal folks in general are saying auto's are faster because they dont know how to drive MT and want some sort of justification.

the AT's might be faster on paper, i dont know and dont care, but why not learn to drive MT and not halfarse yourselves? it's one thing to be able to drive MT and yet choose AT vs not being able to drive MT and settling on a AT.

if you're going to settle on a car just get a toyataha

:iagree:

Maybe 1 or 2 milliseconds... :shakes head:

Red Z's are the fastest.

Truth.

Red = fastest color period.

Is that why you went grey with your Mustang? Couldn't handle the 5.0 with red paint upgrade? God help you if you'd had the GTR start button mod.

Dude I learned my lesson. 3000whp just isn't streetable.

i must have installed the GTR button incorrectly because mine only gave like 5watts at best... :confused:

:iagree:

you guys are nuts!!! the 350z is a turtle in comparison to the 370Z...the throttle response on the 350z is more touchy so it adds to the feel, but its a false impression. You dont feel the speed of the 370Z as much because its much more refined and smooth, the power band is excellent. But trust me the 370Z is way faster, the times speak for themselves... Especially then the 06 revup...the 03-05z had excellent torque...the HR was everything the 350Z SHOULD have been from the get go....As i remember it, the the revup engine was the slowest. I had an 06 and 03.

Hard to believe, but it is what it is.

Forget about feel and take them to the strip. I know 5 guys that come down to the track here and the 2 autos consistently run 13.1 - 13.3 and the highest trap I've seen is 108mph from an auto but usually its a tad over 106mph. Highest trap for the manual was 104mph and yes we all know how to drive and have been dragging for quite some time.

This I agree with.

Denial maybe? More like 0.2 - 0.4 sec. To any motorhead, like myself, that's a significant gap.

I agree with this mostly as I've owned a couple. The revup felt significantly slower than the previous models but it was faster after 100mph compared to the DE engine. The DE's torque was just fabulous though but lost steam upwards of 100mph. The HR was, indeed, perfect.....and not much different from the 370Z.

+1 on GZ3. I also miss the sound of the 3.5HR, the 370 sounds like poop.

lol