Some input would be great...
 

As you can tell, I drive a car that isn't a 370z, but I'm planning on getting one soon!
More likely than not, it would be a 2011 370z nismo (unless I can wait for the 2012 model).

I have a few questions though:
1) I'm having trouble choosing to get it in black or white. I'm mainly wanting black, but I feel the color doesn't stand out and gets dirty too quickly (hard to maintain a good waxy look). What do you suggest?
2) How does the nismo's exhaust sound? I'm unsure if I should switch it out.
3) Is the nismo mod friendly? Or is it pretty much to be used as is (probably an obvious question, as if one were to want to mod a 370z, the sport/base package would be better).
4) Would it be a decent commuter? I plan on driving around 17 miles a day for school (one way).
5) How does it fare during the winter? I live in Oklahoma which is quite notorious for its cruddy weather (especially the ice storms)
6) The following answer might be bias (as it is a 370z forum), but if you were in my situation, with a car that could trade in for ~$33k, would you get a nismo 370z or something else? (335xi bmw, mustang gt, etc)

Thank you very much!

jeezus....


1)White, if your in school you wont have time to maintain black.

2)Sounds great, thats a call you'll have to make after hearing it yourself.

3)The Nismo is as mod friendly as any other model of Z. I would only buy a Nismo if you really liked the looks of the body kit. The base models can easily be tuned to reach the same power and handling as a Nismo.

4)Its a great commuter, relatively good gas mileage and easy to manuever thru traffic.

5)No vehicle can handle Oklahoma ice storms. Driving on snow it is possible to gain traction, on ice there is no traction. Driven smart with a level of maturity in inclement weather the Z will behave like any other rear drive vehicle out there.

6)Z

I have the mag black w. sport pkg. Color is excellent if you keep it swirl free (DA polish and proper hand wash) Check out the detailing section of the site, Junkman does have really great pointers on paint correction and maintenance.

Also came across a stock nismo exhaust someone sold on here when I first bought the z. Put it on with berk HFCs. I like the sound over 3K. Seems like standard procedure for those with a nismo and wanted a louder exhaust note (without going with a completely new exhaust system).

Was full of envy seeing a black nismo on the freeway. Seen both white and black in person. Maybe im biased lol.

Get the Z......it makes you want to drive it.

i dont have a 370z, but i could answer a few. i would for sure go white, i saw a white 370z nismo with black rims. it will stand out trust me. a 370z like any sports car is not safe or good for the winter. BUT my friend put winter tires on his 350z and made it fine on snow. i dont know much on how well sports car do in the winter with right tries as i all ways store my car before snow hits the ground.

now for comparison on other cars. there are faster cars for the same amount of money. but its all about what you want. one thing to say. a AWD 335i would be the best choice for winter driving. and they are better to mod over a 370z. hands down. mustang 5.0L is faster than a 370z stock. but doesn't have the rarer look on the road.

if i was you and needed a car for winter i would get a 335i, but the 370z is sexier. hard choice

I really appreciate the input so far, thanks!
More opinions the merrier!

The Z is a great daily driver, I really don't know why some people cry over the cabin noise, I owned several sporty cars in the past and the Z is actually very quiet. Ride is not harsh neither, and really thigh in the curves.

You can feel the perfect weight balance of this car, even though it is a little heavy for being a 2 seater sports car.

If I were you I'd get the sport instead, because it would get about the same performance at the end after some mods.

Not a fan of black but that's just me.

Hope it helps

The only reason I'm a but hesitant on getting a base model is that I feel I might spend more modding it than buying a nismo because I have no experience modding whatsoever.

The NISMO in white is hot. There is one I see every day near work and it catches my eye a lot more than any of the other colors i see all the time (mainly black and PG). White all the way!

Most mag reviews suggest buy Sport model and do basic bolt on mods - you can get to NISMO performance level at a savings unless your thinking body kits. Sport is a much better daily driver, not as harsh as NISMO suspension set up.

And you can get the touring package, which is great for a DD. Leather, heated seats, nav option, Bose stereo (good as long as you're not an audiophile), etc.

1. I used to have a yellow 370z sports touring. Had to replace it with a Nismo 370z black after it was totalled. I will never get another black car again. Just washed the car a few days ago and it already looks dirty. Black is just a pain in the ***

2. The NISMO exhaust was okay, but didn't have the sound I was looking for. My previous Z had the FI carbon fiber 18" CBE so I just swapped it out. Much better sound and I gained a few hp. The NISMO exhuast is only good for about 7hp while most aftermarket exhausts are good for about 15hp. So by going with a different exhaust you get better sound and pick up roughly another 5-7hp. Now my NISMO exhaust just sits in my garage

3. The NISMO is as mod friendly as the other Z's. As others mentioned you can easily get a regular Z to NISMO standards, and probably spend less than the price difference between a base sport and the NISMO. That being said since you are new to modding you will have a huge learning curve before you will be able to get a regular Z up to NISMO performance. Might just be easier to get the NISMO which is mostly done up for you. Also, if you are like me and many others, you can find a NISMO for cheap. I got my NISMO for 35k, had a sticker price of 45k.

4. Its fine for commuting if you don't mind the harsh ride. I drive mine anywhere from 30-75 miles per day. It's not too bad but I prefer the suspension of my old touring sport more. Still, it's not a bad ride around town. My fiance still prefers not to take my car on extended trips though as after an hour or so the rough ride starts to get annoying.

5. Can't say much about winter as I live in Vegas where it only rains like 8 days out of the year. I will say that the stock tires suck in anything under 50 degrees. Essentially when it starts getting cold out I have to be more vigilant and less aggressive. In the rain, even more so. I go from driving 75-80mph in the fast line, going around anyone going slower than me, to driving like a grandma in the right line barely hitting 65 when it starts to rain. On our freeways there are areas where slight puddles can build up and I slow down to about 50mph in those areas. Basically, you just have to watch your *** in the winter. I wouldn't even want to think about driving this car in ice. Personally I'd be looking at an STI if I lived in an area like that.

6. This is probably just me but if I had 33k on trade in I would be looking at cars in a much higher price range than the Z. I mean the Z is great and all and with 33k on trade you wouldn't really end up financing much. That being said I'd probably get a Vette grand sport or M3 or hell maybe even a GTR. Then again I don't know what your monthly finances are. I considered the GTR instead of my NISMO but decided I didn't want to pay that much every month right now. Maybe in a few years.

1) ...color doesn't stand out. Red stands out. White/Black and Silver are so common.

2) Personal and up to you.

3) Yes, they all are.

4) Yes it is, except I think the touring is still better.

5) I'm from California so here it is fine. Where you are, OK, not so much.

6) I love the 370. You might want something else due to winter.

This is what I did and added to the touring/sport package, I could not be happier. Mods are in my signature.

I'm loving all the replies so far, thanks!

Comments from a fellow on youtube:

"1) If I could afford it, would the NISMO option be better than sport/base (modded)?
I would say if you're looking for a better performing model, yes. On the NISMO you get the tuned ECU, less restrictive exhaust, more stabilizer bars, a whole better suspension which you can definitely feel, and more. The accent trim and plate of authenticity sets it apart from all other Z's. However, if you are looking for a daily Z, the sport model will give you bigger wheels and better brakes from the base which is a great package (same brakes the NISMO uses). You might get some more convenience features in the other models such as power seats, leather, heated seats, auto dimming mirror, etc which you can't get in the NISMO.

2) What are your thoughts on the 370z?
I really enjoy my 370z. I had a 350z before the 370z, and there is definitely a difference. It's a well rounded sports car for the price. You cannot find another car that can compete at the Z's level (considering price). It's a very fun sports car, I love it to death. Anyone who has a Z absolutely loves it!

3) Will it be alright to purchase one, it is my first manual car (I understand the concept of shifting though cause I ride motorcycles all the time)
Yea that is perfectly fine, in fact my 370z is my first manual car. I like the fact that on the sport and NISMO models, you can get the "synchro rev" which is extremely helpful being a new manual driver. Don't worry about damaging it, once you get a hang of it, it'll be fine. The cars have strong transmissions.

4) I'm planning on buying it new, so should I wait for the 2012 one?
I honestly find buying new to be expensive. Buying a gently used Z will save you thousands of dollars, and if you buy it from a private party, no sales tax! But if you do want to buy new, I haven't heard of any major changes for the 2012 year. You could probably get a great deal on a 2011 once the year is ending.

5) WITH SNOW TIRES, will it be alright to ride in the winter? (Will be my only car)
Haha this is a tough question. People find driving their Z in the snow to be tough, but it's doable. My friends and I took our Z's up north last winter for the day and had to truck through snow. It was fine, just don't be sliding everywhere. Snow tires will probably be beneficial, but just be careful, since it is a low riding car, to watch for rust.
"

1. honestly i dont think a nismo is very impressive. watch some youtube reviews on it. they are not that thrilled by it. i would rather have loaded sports/touring PKG over a nismo. plus i hear the ride is rougher , i also hear its not any faster than a regular 370z 0-60+ 1/4 mile. me personally would rather get a after market exhaust over a factory nismo. plus i wont spend 40k on a 370z. its just not worth it.

now the 350z nismo was pretty dam cool. but i am not impressed by the 370z nismo in terms on performance. it does look pretty nice for the look department


2. everyone here loves there 370z. it is very fun, but cars like a STI can be funner than a 370z at time. BUT then RWD is fun at different times. anyways everyone here is going to tell you they love the 370z. you should post on different car forums, with different answers from other points of views on the car.




5. i think you will be fine with snow tires, but there will be days when you can not drive. i know my mom has a CTS, and there was days when the snow was just to deep. but it seems like you have already answered your question?