Is sport package a must?

Originally Posted by SeattleLion

People on here have such diverse requirements. Clearly there are advantages in the sport package, particularly if you don't plan to do major modifications (I don't). I don't think the wheels are that cool looking, but I have never made a decision to buy or not buy based on how the wheels look. After all, I am inside the car. Other people see the outside so it's their problem.

From a practical perspective, the $3,000 is a reasonable price for larger tires, bigger wheels, better brakes, and LSD. All of those things make the car more nimble and safer. The touring was a no brainer for me. That affects the inside of the car! That's where I sit. I like the Bose sound system, love the navi. It is really advanced (in the 2010, at least). The voice recognition is decent, even with all the road noise.

As for bolt-ons. Since I will never race (watching the laps on Top Gear is scary enough for me), the only mods that make sense to me involve safety and roadworthy driveabilty. For safety, I changed the brake lines to stainless steel and the brake fluid to DOT 5.1. Also for safety I added a backup camera (hooks right into the nav). I also changed the tires (big expense!) to Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus, stock size, to improve cold weather performance. I don't plan to drive in anything but light snow. Here in the Seattle area we don't get much snow. On days it is snowy my wife can drive me to work in her 4X4 Tacoma.

People here seem divided on the need for an oil cooler for non-track Z's. It is concerning that the engine oil could go to 260 and above. Of course, synthetics don't lose the ability to lubricate at 300 degrees, but it would be a royal pain to find myself limited to 45 mph while on a 10% grade. As far as I can tell, adding the Nissan Sports oil cooler ($795) will set me back about $1,100 bucks with labor. So I am taking a wait-and-see position.

The reason I included all this extra information is that in my case, at least, I always regret not buying some option when I get a car. As a result, I get true peace of mind if I order everything. Yes, it added about $5,000 to the base touring, but it saved me the $45,000 of getting a new Z next year cause I can't stand not having (fill in the blank...sports package...navi, etc.). I have seen more than one thread on here where others have turned around and replaced a 2009 with a 2010 because of buyer's remorse over unpurchased options.

The bottom line, in my opinion, is that if you can't afford the payment for a well-equipped Z, you might have a hard time with the more expensive care and feeding it requires. Then again, it's all a matter of personal preference.

If you do elect not to buy the sport package, be sure you won't find yourself back at the dealer next year for one that includes it.

Originally Posted by jakoye

Nice writing, SeattleLion. Good to finally see someone on here from Seattle with a Z. I see a fair number of 350s around here, but I've only seen a handful of 370s. I guess that's a good thing, eh?

I like replacing the brake lines with stainless steel and higher grade fluid. That's probably one of the best upgrades you could make to any car, I would think. I might do that to my 'Stang, but if I'm gonna get a Z, I probably don't want to sink much more money into my Mustang.

As for the Michelin Pilots, I've heard only good things about those tires. I've heard they also cut down on the cabin noise that the Bridgestone's generate. Did you find that to be true?