Friend trying to talk me into Z trade for Challenger

m4a1mustang · 01-08-2011, 10:55 PM

You cant get an 03 Cobra for under 20k. Mid 20s for a good specimen is about average. A low-mileage coupe will run you at least 25k and a low mileage vert is around 28k or so. Believe it or not you can still find ones that have never been modded!

It's a great car but it holds its value a little too well for my taste.

Nismoracer · 01-09-2011, 12:36 AM

Woah slow down. First there are 3 different models of challenger to choose from. Forget about the V6. That's for people who want show and no go for less $$$. The R/T is an excellent car. Dodge did good with its challenger. It is a nice smooth ride and the power is there. It handles great, brakes are good it is a nice car. When you put on a CAI it really opens it up. The hemi motor really comes alive you gain 30hp just from a K&N CAI. Not 10 or 15 but 30. Huge trunk to put whatever you want in it. The R/T is comparable to a 370Z and there are some extra options you can have on the R/T remote start is really cool. It's a big car! I had to put on a custom fab exhaust because at the time when I got my R/T there were none around and I knew what to do with the dodge. Had plenty of 5.7 hemis. IT'S a GREAT CAR! B U T>......... It WAS kinda boring. There really wasn't much excitement as far as driving the car. I think the look was what was appealing so much at first but it is no where near as fun to drive than a 370Z. When I step into my Nismo I want to drive it, when I look at it I want to drive it. The challenger didn't make me want to drive it. Loved the V8 rumble especially with some flowmasters. But it got boring real quick. In the 2 years I owned it I put on less than 4k miles. Chicks really dig it. They don't know what it is but they sure loved it. WAIT. Next years batch will be even better with the new transmission. The one above the R/T is the SRT this year its a 392 even bigger with even more horse power. But that is way more expensive than a 370Z your talkin $45k-$50k. The challenger is a nice car but it was boring. Did not make me excited to drive it. And the MDS feature, great for fuel efficiency clashed with the aftermarket exhaust. Made droning noises when it would drop to 4 cylinders. You have some classic muscle cars that when restored will probably be worth something. The new challenger holds its value pretty good but you're gonna have to wait 30yrs for it to be a classic. Keep the Z and go buy a Kia optima for a back seat, 2nd car, DD what have you. I only mention Kia optima because they look really cool this year and the price is right on them. As a former owner of a challenger.......Great car but it got boring real quick.

rede2go · 01-09-2011, 06:42 AM

My 1st post.... I am also torn between the challenger and the 370z. Actually I wanted to get a viper and shopped for one for a little over a year but reality set in and realized to maintain that car and buying tires every year was going to break me on top of how many accidents people were getting into. Then I rented a camaro didn't really like it. Then I started shopping for the 370z cause I don't see too many. Then I read the how much do you weigh thread and Im starting to think the 370 might be too small for me. I am 5'11 and 260 pounds and I am coming from an S2000 so I look like a linebacker coming out of a smart car. A little embarrassing so I have only put 300 miles on car in 2 years lol. I took my wife to look at both cars 370z and chally, when I asked her which she liked better she said it was 2 totally different cars and she liked them both but because of my chunkiness the challenger would fit me better. The deals will probably be decent on the 2010s since the 392 is coming out soon. Nismoracer was your challenger a manual or automatic wondering if I will get bored also. My S2000 was fun to drive going around turns but I know the challenger is going to be a boat but I do like the looks and the rumble of the v8. I wont even consider the mustang I tried just cant get into it.If I do get the 370 it also will be the nismo. Which ever i choose i dont need a backseat I have 2 other cars as DD

m4a1mustang · 01-09-2011, 07:36 AM

Red, i know a few 250+ guys around your height that have no problem with the Z. Ingress/egress can be difficult but when you are seated it is very comfortable and spacious.

The Challenger is huge and certainly does not compete with the Z in the corners, but I'm actually kind of surprised at the level of road holding for it's size. I think with some suspension work you could actually turn it into a pretty fun back road car, especially with a manual transmission.

Nismoracer · 01-09-2011, 09:40 AM

My chally was an automatic. The sport shift was a little slow on the shifts. Maybe getting a manual would have made it a little less boring. But I got the auto cuz I like to be able to drink my coffee, smoke a cig.... I don't like stick shift as a DD. One of the big reasons I got the 370z= synchro rev match. If you're not a fan guess what you can turn it off. It's a great feature that can make driving in city traffic better than without it for sure. And yeah if you get a 370Z get a Nismo. You will not regret getting a Nismo. There are countless threads about Nimso vs base, sport, touring.....Nismo is better, not by a huge margin but it is better and i'm sure you can pick one up at a great price especially a 2010. IF a dealer has one they want to get rid of any leftovers. Any 2010 models so use your bargaining chips. For your size if you want a bigger vehicle the chally is sure to please. It's comfortable it's nice test drive a manual vs auto and really spend some time. You might wanna go for a manual.

mick · 01-09-2011, 10:50 AM

jeremy clarkson from topgear is 6 feet 5, 251 lbs and he could get into the 370z to do the review.

m4a1mustang · 01-09-2011, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nismoracer

My chally was an automatic. The sport shift was a little slow on the shifts. Maybe getting a manual would have made it a little less boring. But I got the auto cuz I like to be able to drink my coffee, smoke a cig.... I don't like stick shift as a DD. One of the big reasons I got the 370z= synchro rev match. If you're not a fan guess what you can turn it off. It's a great feature that can make driving in city traffic better than without it for sure. And yeah if you get a 370Z get a Nismo. You will not regret getting a Nismo. There are countless threads about Nimso vs base, sport, touring.....Nismo is better, not by a huge margin but it is better and i'm sure you can pick one up at a great price especially a 2010. IF a dealer has one they want to get rid of any leftovers. Any 2010 models so use your bargaining chips. For your size if you want a bigger vehicle the chally is sure to please. It's comfortable it's nice test drive a manual vs auto and really spend some time. You might wanna go for a manual.

Meh, the NISMO is fine and dandy if you want a sport base with a body kit... otherwise the Touring + Sport is the best bang for the buck. I like heated seats, bluetooth connectivity, homelink, navi, etc.

Vegitto-kun · 01-09-2011, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nismoracer

My chally was an automatic. The sport shift was a little slow on the shifts. Maybe getting a manual would have made it a little less boring. But I got the auto cuz I like to be able to drink my coffee, smoke a cig.... I don't like stick shift as a DD. One of the big reasons I got the 370z= synchro rev match. If you're not a fan guess what you can turn it off. It's a great feature that can make driving in city traffic better than without it for sure. And yeah if you get a 370Z get a Nismo. You will not regret getting a Nismo. There are countless threads about Nimso vs base, sport, touring.....Nismo is better, not by a huge margin but it is better and i'm sure you can pick one up at a great price especially a 2010. IF a dealer has one they want to get rid of any leftovers. Any 2010 models so use your bargaining chips. For your size if you want a bigger vehicle the chally is sure to please. It's comfortable it's nice test drive a manual vs auto and really spend some time. You might wanna go for a manual.

nismo is not all that better. HP increase gets destroyed by the added weight. and with the money you have to spend extra you can buy way better suspension mods and bolt ons

Well that is what I read around here.

m4a1mustang · 01-09-2011, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vegitto-kun

nismo is not all that better. HP increase gets destroyed by the added weight. and with the money you have to spend extra you can buy way better suspension mods and bolt ons

Well that is what I read around here.

Pretty much. There is no empirical evidence to demonstrate that the NISMO 370Z is superior in any performance measurement than a Sport 370.

It's a base package car with a VERY mildly tweaked sport suspension and a body kit. The extra few ponies over the base car don't even come into play because it's so minute. If you like the look and don't want the bells & whistles of the touring package, it's a good deal. But better than the others? Certainly not.

mick · 01-09-2011, 11:58 AM

the nismo z is equivalent to the dodge challenger R/T with the mopar exterior appearance package
if i get a challenger, i would want that mopar exterior appearance package also

rede2go · 01-09-2011, 01:25 PM

Awww man those pics make it even harder to decide. Thats the exact car that I saw at the dealership with my wife and she liked that car better than the srt8, which i gave her a dirty look when she sad that cause at 1st I was leaning towards the 6.1 hemi, guess it was an ego thing. Then doing research they said with the R/T you get 95% of the srt8 with 75% of the price with all the bells and whistles. The way gas prices are going NOW i might get the R/T. The 370z I did fit in WHEN I WAS SITTING IN IT. Getting in and out was a bi**tch. The convertible of course I was in the same boat as the S2000 and I always got comments about how do you fit in that thing which became annoying. I test drove the convertible but sat in the coupe and was surprised how much room I had but getting out was bothering my back. Its not a deal breaker though cause I will suck it up and deal with it for a nice car. Its a matter of do I want a sports car or american muscle when I make this decision. Plus this is an excellent forum never did I think I could get info about this particular car in a million years luckily from a previous owner. I lurked viperclub.org for over 2 years and learned a lot from those guys but its just a rich mans toy. I could buy the car no problem it would send me to the poor house to maintain.

PapoZalsa · 01-09-2011, 02:20 PM

The 370Z has a lot more style than the Challenger even that I like the retro look better than the Camaro and Mustang.

ImportConvert · 01-09-2011, 05:27 PM

Considering how bad I smashed the Challenger R/T 6-speed I raced a while back, I certainly hope you don't get "95% of the SRT8" with the R/T.

rede2go · 01-09-2011, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImportConvert

Considering how bad I smashed the Challenger R/T 6-speed I raced a while back, I certainly hope you don't get "95% of the SRT8" with the R/T.

What kind of car did you have that smashed the R/T. If I buy the R/T it certainly wont be for the bragging rights it will be for the styling. It has more of that old school feel to the challenger. Now do I want the srt8, hell yea but challenger owners are saying they are only getting like 9mpg city driving. Doing 3 months of shopping for the challenger I only CONSIDERED the R/T last week and thats also because I will be driving the car a few times a week when it gets warmer to work and I have a far commute. My other DD is a Nissan Titan truck so I really dont have fuel efficient cars in my driveway.

m4a1mustang · 01-09-2011, 06:22 PM

A WS6.

The R/T isn't all that quick. At a track day back in September there was a manual R/T with exhaust running low-mid 14s at 98 mph or so. I think with a great driver you could get one into the 13s, but 375 hp and 4000+ lbs is not going to wow anyone in a straight line.

01-08-2011, 10:55 PM	#46 (permalink)
m4a1mustang A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Northern VA Posts: 55,385 Drives: on two wheels Rep Power: 6962	You cant get an 03 Cobra for under 20k. Mid 20s for a good specimen is about average. A low-mileage coupe will run you at least 25k and a low mileage vert is around 28k or so. Believe it or not you can still find ones that have never been modded! It's a great car but it holds its value a little too well for my taste. __________________ - Steve Zs & Coffee - Saturdays at 10AM in Fairfax, VA and Columbia, MD (Click the banner!) LIKE us on Facebook! Last edited by m4a1mustang; 01-09-2011 at 06:42 PM. Reason: Freudian slip?

01-09-2011, 07:36 AM	#49 (permalink)
m4a1mustang A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Northern VA Posts: 55,385 Drives: on two wheels Rep Power: 6962	Red, i know a few 250+ guys around your height that have no problem with the Z. Ingress/egress can be difficult but when you are seated it is very comfortable and spacious. The Challenger is huge and certainly does not compete with the Z in the corners, but I'm actually kind of surprised at the level of road holding for it's size. I think with some suspension work you could actually turn it into a pretty fun back road car, especially with a manual transmission. __________________ - Steve Zs & Coffee - Saturdays at 10AM in Fairfax, VA and Columbia, MD (Click the banner!) LIKE us on Facebook!

01-09-2011, 11:58 AM	#55 (permalink)
mick Track Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: California Posts: 903 Drives: Used to drive a 370z Rep Power: 16	the nismo z is equivalent to the dodge challenger R/T with the mopar exterior appearance package if i get a challenger, i would want that mopar exterior appearance package also Last edited by mick; 01-09-2011 at 12:37 PM.

01-09-2011, 02:20 PM	#57 (permalink)
PapoZalsa A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Not in Sunny Florida Posts: 6,358 Drives: 16 Nismo w/Tech Pack Rep Power: 4499	The 370Z has a lot more style than the Challenger even that I like the retro look better than the Camaro and Mustang. __________________ 2009 370Z MB Base w/Sport Package 6MT Modshack's Custom Air Intakes /3M Clear Bra/ Illuminated Kick Plates / F. I CBE w/12" resonators / EVO-R Front Lip / Rear Hatch Wing / Tein S-Tech Springs /Ilegal Tint in the Rep. of VA/4x20mm Z1 Spacers/ Vinyl Roof/Liquid Carbon Designs

01-09-2011, 06:22 PM	#60 (permalink)
m4a1mustang A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Northern VA Posts: 55,385 Drives: on two wheels Rep Power: 6962	A WS6. The R/T isn't all that quick. At a track day back in September there was a manual R/T with exhaust running low-mid 14s at 98 mph or so. I think with a great driver you could get one into the 13s, but 375 hp and 4000+ lbs is not going to wow anyone in a straight line. __________________ - Steve Zs & Coffee - Saturdays at 10AM in Fairfax, VA and Columbia, MD (Click the banner!) LIKE us on Facebook!

01-09-2011, 12:36 AM	#47 (permalink)
Nismoracer Enthusiast Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Earth Posts: 420 Drives: 10 Nismo Rep Power: 14	Woah slow down. First there are 3 different models of challenger to choose from. Forget about the V6. That's for people who want show and no go for less $$$. The R/T is an excellent car. Dodge did good with its challenger. It is a nice smooth ride and the power is there. It handles great, brakes are good it is a nice car. When you put on a CAI it really opens it up. The hemi motor really comes alive you gain 30hp just from a K&N CAI. Not 10 or 15 but 30. Huge trunk to put whatever you want in it. The R/T is comparable to a 370Z and there are some extra options you can have on the R/T remote start is really cool. It's a big car! I had to put on a custom fab exhaust because at the time when I got my R/T there were none around and I knew what to do with the dodge. Had plenty of 5.7 hemis. IT'S a GREAT CAR! B U T>......... It WAS kinda boring. There really wasn't much excitement as far as driving the car. I think the look was what was appealing so much at first but it is no where near as fun to drive than a 370Z. When I step into my Nismo I want to drive it, when I look at it I want to drive it. The challenger didn't make me want to drive it. Loved the V8 rumble especially with some flowmasters. But it got boring real quick. In the 2 years I owned it I put on less than 4k miles. Chicks really dig it. They don't know what it is but they sure loved it. WAIT. Next years batch will be even better with the new transmission. The one above the R/T is the SRT this year its a 392 even bigger with even more horse power. But that is way more expensive than a 370Z your talkin $45k-$50k. The challenger is a nice car but it was boring. Did not make me excited to drive it. And the MDS feature, great for fuel efficiency clashed with the aftermarket exhaust. Made droning noises when it would drop to 4 cylinders. You have some classic muscle cars that when restored will probably be worth something. The new challenger holds its value pretty good but you're gonna have to wait 30yrs for it to be a classic. Keep the Z and go buy a Kia optima for a back seat, 2nd car, DD what have you. I only mention Kia optima because they look really cool this year and the price is right on them. As a former owner of a challenger.......Great car but it got boring real quick.

01-09-2011, 06:42 AM	#48 (permalink)
rede2go Base Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: new york Posts: 20 Drives: 04 acura tl silv Rep Power: 14	My 1st post.... I am also torn between the challenger and the 370z. Actually I wanted to get a viper and shopped for one for a little over a year but reality set in and realized to maintain that car and buying tires every year was going to break me on top of how many accidents people were getting into. Then I rented a camaro didn't really like it. Then I started shopping for the 370z cause I don't see too many. Then I read the how much do you weigh thread and Im starting to think the 370 might be too small for me. I am 5'11 and 260 pounds and I am coming from an S2000 so I look like a linebacker coming out of a smart car. A little embarrassing so I have only put 300 miles on car in 2 years lol. I took my wife to look at both cars 370z and chally, when I asked her which she liked better she said it was 2 totally different cars and she liked them both but because of my chunkiness the challenger would fit me better. The deals will probably be decent on the 2010s since the 392 is coming out soon. Nismoracer was your challenger a manual or automatic wondering if I will get bored also. My S2000 was fun to drive going around turns but I know the challenger is going to be a boat but I do like the looks and the rumble of the v8. I wont even consider the mustang I tried just cant get into it.If I do get the 370 it also will be the nismo. Which ever i choose i dont need a backseat I have 2 other cars as DD

01-09-2011, 09:40 AM	#50 (permalink)
Nismoracer Enthusiast Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Earth Posts: 420 Drives: 10 Nismo Rep Power: 14	My chally was an automatic. The sport shift was a little slow on the shifts. Maybe getting a manual would have made it a little less boring. But I got the auto cuz I like to be able to drink my coffee, smoke a cig.... I don't like stick shift as a DD. One of the big reasons I got the 370z= synchro rev match. If you're not a fan guess what you can turn it off. It's a great feature that can make driving in city traffic better than without it for sure. And yeah if you get a 370Z get a Nismo. You will not regret getting a Nismo. There are countless threads about Nimso vs base, sport, touring.....Nismo is better, not by a huge margin but it is better and i'm sure you can pick one up at a great price especially a 2010. IF a dealer has one they want to get rid of any leftovers. Any 2010 models so use your bargaining chips. For your size if you want a bigger vehicle the chally is sure to please. It's comfortable it's nice test drive a manual vs auto and really spend some time. You might wanna go for a manual.

01-09-2011, 10:50 AM	#51 (permalink)
mick Track Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: California Posts: 903 Drives: Used to drive a 370z Rep Power: 16	jeremy clarkson from topgear is 6 feet 5, 251 lbs and he could get into the 370z to do the review.

01-09-2011, 01:25 PM	#56 (permalink)
rede2go Base Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: new york Posts: 20 Drives: 04 acura tl silv Rep Power: 14	Awww man those pics make it even harder to decide. Thats the exact car that I saw at the dealership with my wife and she liked that car better than the srt8, which i gave her a dirty look when she sad that cause at 1st I was leaning towards the 6.1 hemi, guess it was an ego thing. Then doing research they said with the R/T you get 95% of the srt8 with 75% of the price with all the bells and whistles. The way gas prices are going NOW i might get the R/T. The 370z I did fit in WHEN I WAS SITTING IN IT. Getting in and out was a bi**tch. The convertible of course I was in the same boat as the S2000 and I always got comments about how do you fit in that thing which became annoying. I test drove the convertible but sat in the coupe and was surprised how much room I had but getting out was bothering my back. Its not a deal breaker though cause I will suck it up and deal with it for a nice car. Its a matter of do I want a sports car or american muscle when I make this decision. Plus this is an excellent forum never did I think I could get info about this particular car in a million years luckily from a previous owner. I lurked viperclub.org for over 2 years and learned a lot from those guys but its just a rich mans toy. I could buy the car no problem it would send me to the poor house to maintain.

01-09-2011, 05:27 PM	#58 (permalink)
ImportConvert A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: SWMO Posts: 4,454 Drives: 2019 CX5 GT Reserve Rep Power: 7626	Considering how bad I smashed the Challenger R/T 6-speed I raced a while back, I certainly hope you don't get "95% of the SRT8" with the R/T.

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