370z Driving Feel

RandyD · 10-04-2011, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wstar

Really the only thing I agreed with in the initial post is the "3rd car" part. This is not a family hauler car. This is not a 10mph commute crawl for 2 hours car. This is not a drive to school every day car. This is a car for when you're driving for the sake of driving, at a time and place that allows for it.

It is what it is... I find it to be an absolute blast when driving it when and where it likes to be driven.. (not on a commute)

The BlueMax · 10-04-2011, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by birdmanx1

As far as driving feel, I would say this: the current Z generation provides a fun filled driving experience. Sure the car is raw, noisy, loud, rough, has a chatty clutch, kidney shaker is not the fastest (though Nissan never set out with that in mind) but that doesn't take away from the whole experience if not, it gets you involve all the more imo.

Are there better and more powerful alternatives to the Z? Absolutely.
Are those alternatives as great in terms of value? I think not. Paying $500/oil change and repairs that were high enough to be a fraction of the price of the Z got old after a few years, so Z for the win to me for a long time.

As far as the low sales numbers, I would attribute it more so on the current economic environment, the other cars you vaguely referred to have functional rear seats. Honestly, I don't mind enjoying the scarcity of the Z while it lasts, the current gen is going on 3 years but it's still fairly scarce to come by one on the road.

The unanimity of less than 10K cars imported, even for the last 3 years makes them kind-of scarce, a certain type of unique value is bestowed

birdmanx1 · 10-05-2011, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The BlueMax

The unanimity of less than 10K cars imported, even for the last 3 years makes them kind-of scarce, a certain type of unique value is bestowed

Great for us, bad for their marketing team. I def see more awe reaction to the Z driving by vs let's say the M3 though the M3 is a lot more expensive.

Alchemy · 10-05-2011, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by birdmanx1

Great for us, bad for their marketing team. I def see more awe reaction to the Z driving by vs let's say the M3 though the M3 is a lot more expensive.

LunaZ · 10-05-2011, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by birdmanx1

Great for us, bad for their marketing team. I def see more awe reaction to the Z driving by vs let's say the M3 though the M3 is a lot more expensive.

That's because to the average "non-car-guy", the M3 doesn't look any different than any of the other ten zillion BMW 3 Series passing by... so it's un-impressive or "nothing special" to them.
The 370Z's shape is immediately eye-catching. It's swoopy, sleek and muscular all at the same time. It has a long(ish) hood, 2 doors and and raked windshield. Most of the "non-car-guy" people don't even know what kind of car it is, so they think it must be something super rare and expensive. It looks exotic and definitely turns heads.

Red__Zed · 10-04-2011, 08:06 AM

I think the z has some of the best driving feel you will find under 35k. It's pretty transparent compared to most modern cars.

The tough thing is every couple years, standards for steering feel change. I remember people bitching about how the s2000 felt disconnected from the road--it's laughable now.
The only other inexpensive performance car I feel like has steering on par with the z is the wrx, and even then, it's a totally different experience. (not counting the miata here)

I think the z does frustrate some people (me included) when they made sacrifices like the rough engagement of the trans, clutch chatter, tons of tire noise, etc....while gearing most of the car for a luxury ride. It's a frustrating feeling for a car to feel so "raw", but have a silent exhaust, nose dive on 6k fronts, no oil cooler, severe understeer dialed into setup, fuel starve, etc.

I think nissan couldnt quite decide the target market for the car, and it showed. A little more dedication to the raw side, and we'd likely be seeing them all over the track.

If the steering feel, etc, in the z doesn't do it for you, I don't think anything new under 50k will. Time to shop for a miata or a Porsche.

Alchemy · 10-04-2011, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red__Zed

I think the z has some of the best driving feel you will find under 35k. It's pretty transparent compared to most modern cars.

The tough thing is every couple years, standards for steering feel change. I remember people bitching about how the s2000 felt disconnected from the road--it's laughable now.
The only other inexpensive performance car I feel like has steering on par with the z is the wrx, and even then, it's a totally different experience. (not counting the miata here)

I think the z does frustrate some people (me included) when they made sacrifices like the rough engagement of the trans, clutch chatter, tons of tire noise, etc....while gearing most of the car for a luxury ride. It's a frustrating feeling for a car to feel so "raw", but have a silent exhaust, nose dive on 6k fronts, no oil cooler, severe understeer dialed into setup, fuel starve, etc.

I think nissan couldnt quite decide the target market for the car, and it showed. A little more dedication to the raw side, and we'd likely be seeing them all over the track.

If the steering feel, etc, in the z doesn't do it for you, I don't think anything new under 50k will. Time to shop for a miata or a Porsche.

Personally I love the rawness of my Z. I think it has a great driving feel. I never feel disconnected from the driving experience. I would say to the OP that if you have the feelings you have toward the Z then maybe its not the right car for you.

ProfessorDave · 10-04-2011, 08:19 AM

I associate the OP's comments with my own impression that the Z would feel more sporty if it were more nimble and tossable. However, that would mean shedding weight which would have to come from the engine I suppose. Then we'd be without the power that makes the car so much fun to drive.

Oh, and I hear Steve is change avoiding. Someone saw him dump all his pennies into a tip jar at Starbucks awhile back.

wstar · 10-04-2011, 08:28 AM

I totally agree the Z would become an even better car if it could shed more weight, but there will be tradeoffs with that: either (a) the car gets way noisier (drop a bunch of sound-insulation / interior type crap), or (b) the price goes up due to more expensive lightweight materials doing the same job.

m4a1mustang · 10-04-2011, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProfessorDave

Oh, and I hear Steve is change avoiding. Someone saw him dump all his pennies into a tip jar at Starbucks awhile back.

BTW I agree with pretty much everything Dan said.

I will also say that people that piss on Miatas are not real car people! They are UBER FUN.

LunaZ · 10-04-2011, 08:43 AM

You want sports car feel? Get a 1994 Miata R Package.
Lightweight, no power steering... no power anything for that matter!
I guarantee you'll always feel connected to the driving experience no matter how few tenths you're driving at.

shadoquad · 10-04-2011, 08:59 AM

I think the Z feels fantastic to drive. It's subdued when I'm cruising around town, but I can toss it through twisties like a demon. The engine is fantastic, the steering feel is fantastic. I never feel out of control in the car. It handles like it's on rails. I like the stock exhaust being quiet, because it creates a low profile. I have immense amounts of fun in the car, it was worth every penny.

scottIN · 10-04-2011, 09:06 AM

I've got a 2012 on order...and I've never even driven one! In fact, I ordered a touring / sport in red and I've never seen: a touring..or a sport...or a red! Yeah, call me crazy. The only one they had at the dealership was super-base and I didn't even want to drive it. Sat in it to make sure I liked the overall layout & placed my order.

I'm *guessing* it's going to handle better & have more power than my Ridgeline does though. And I'm also going to assume it won't pull 3Gs like my kart will, but oh well - that's why I have the kart.

shadoquad · 10-04-2011, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottIN

I've got a 2012 on order...and I've never even driven one! In fact, I ordered a touring / sport in red and I've never seen: a touring..or a sport...or a red! Yeah, call me crazy. The only one they had at the dealership was super-base and I didn't even want to drive it. Sat in it to make sure I liked the overall layout & placed my order.

I'm *guessing* it's going to handle better & have more power than my Ridgeline does though. And I'm also going to assume it won't pull 3Gs like my kart will, but oh well - that's why I have the kart.

I suggest test driving one in the meantime.

The touring seats are different than the base seats. They feel nicer generally, but they have electronics in them which make them feel tighter. The sport package is quite different than base as well.

Do yourself a favor and find a sport/touring, even if it's on a used lot somewhere, and drive it around for a minute to get to know the car.

birdmanx1 · 10-04-2011, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadoquad

I suggest test driving one in the meantime.

The touring seats are different than the base seats. They feel nicer generally, but they have electronics in them which make them feel tighter. The sport package is quite different than base as well.

Do yourself a favor and find a sport/touring, even if it's on a used lot somewhere, and drive it around for a minute to get to know the car.

scottIN you don't want to be part of the "I thought the car did this and that" wagon.

Congrats on your purchase too boss

10-04-2011, 08:19 AM	#8 (permalink)
ProfessorDave A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Scranton, PA Posts: 1,580 Drives: In the fairway Rep Power: 20	I associate the OP's comments with my own impression that the Z would feel more sporty if it were more nimble and tossable. However, that would mean shedding weight which would have to come from the engine I suppose. Then we'd be without the power that makes the car so much fun to drive. Oh, and I hear Steve is change avoiding. Someone saw him dump all his pennies into a tip jar at Starbucks awhile back. __________________ Rain, snow, sleet, hail: 2009 Mazda 3 sGT HB Everything else: 2009 370z, PW Touring 6MT

10-04-2011, 08:28 AM	#9 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3595	I totally agree the Z would become an even better car if it could shed more weight, but there will be tradeoffs with that: either (a) the car gets way noisier (drop a bunch of sound-insulation / interior type crap), or (b) the price goes up due to more expensive lightweight materials doing the same job. __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details

10-04-2011, 08:43 AM	#11 (permalink)
LunaZ A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Vagabond Posts: 6,704 Drives: Project: a white one Rep Power: 513	You want sports car feel? Get a 1994 Miata R Package. Lightweight, no power steering... no power anything for that matter! I guarantee you'll always feel connected to the driving experience no matter how few tenths you're driving at. __________________ 2009 370Z Sport/Touring/Navigation \| see my journal for mods facebook: Be my friend... or not.

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10-04-2011, 08:06 AM	#6 (permalink)
Red__Zed A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: window seat Posts: 28,940 Drives: Mostly on two wheels Rep Power: 121	I think the z has some of the best driving feel you will find under 35k. It's pretty transparent compared to most modern cars. The tough thing is every couple years, standards for steering feel change. I remember people bitching about how the s2000 felt disconnected from the road--it's laughable now. The only other inexpensive performance car I feel like has steering on par with the z is the wrx, and even then, it's a totally different experience. (not counting the miata here) I think the z does frustrate some people (me included) when they made sacrifices like the rough engagement of the trans, clutch chatter, tons of tire noise, etc....while gearing most of the car for a luxury ride. It's a frustrating feeling for a car to feel so "raw", but have a silent exhaust, nose dive on 6k fronts, no oil cooler, severe understeer dialed into setup, fuel starve, etc. I think nissan couldnt quite decide the target market for the car, and it showed. A little more dedication to the raw side, and we'd likely be seeing them all over the track. If the steering feel, etc, in the z doesn't do it for you, I don't think anything new under 50k will. Time to shop for a miata or a Porsche.

10-04-2011, 08:59 AM	#12 (permalink)
shadoquad A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: . Posts: 42,608 Drives: . Rep Power: 3887	I think the Z feels fantastic to drive. It's subdued when I'm cruising around town, but I can toss it through twisties like a demon. The engine is fantastic, the steering feel is fantastic. I never feel out of control in the car. It handles like it's on rails. I like the stock exhaust being quiet, because it creates a low profile. I have immense amounts of fun in the car, it was worth every penny.

10-04-2011, 09:06 AM	#13 (permalink)
scottIN Track Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: New Castle, Indiana Posts: 764 Drives: '12 370Z Rep Power: 56	I've got a 2012 on order...and I've never even driven one! In fact, I ordered a touring / sport in red and I've never seen: a touring..or a sport...or a red! Yeah, call me crazy. The only one they had at the dealership was super-base and I didn't even want to drive it. Sat in it to make sure I liked the overall layout & placed my order. I'm guessing it's going to handle better & have more power than my Ridgeline does though. And I'm also going to assume it won't pull 3Gs like my kart will, but oh well - that's why I have the kart.