Considering a Z
 

I currently own a 2009 Maxima, but I'm getting more and more interested in the 350 roadster or 370 coupe (I'm really like the Nissan quality). Which would you suggest? Also, has anyone driven an 09 Max that can compare the interior/seats etc to the Z series? How about the ride vs a Max? How is the trunk space? I'd give up the back seats as long as the rest of the car (I'd be buying the Touring version with Sport/Nav) is on par with Maxima.

If you are in the northeast you also have to consider winter driving if this is going to be your only vehicle. With the sport tires the Maxima sucks in the snow but with winter tires it is pretty good.

The Z seats are more bolstered and the ride is stiffer. The interior options are at about the same level for stereo, nav etc. The Z is much much louder on the highway, lots of tire noise depending on the road surface. Personally I turn the radio off and turn the engine up!

Umm ... ride is MUCH harsher... engine is much more strong... trunk - what trunk? you are buying a sports car... buy it for the feel of the car... not for ANY of the amenities... I would just go test drive one if I were you...

Good idea except no dealers have an auto...they are sold once they are in. Why are these cars so hard to find? I found tons of Maximas 3 months after they came out.

Maxima is much more mass produced than a 370z. You are worried about trunk space and looking for an auto. To me it doesn't sound like the Z will be for you, but I could be wrong.

Your hooked, go find your Z!

I'm gonna test drive one...see what the story is. Are they tight about test drives? Obviously i just bought an 09 Max off them so they know I'm not messing around with the car.

Most I have seen are pretty cool about test drives.

Im only 19 and I got on 4 test drives- 2 from the same dealership and 2 from 2 other dealerships - dont ask how but just know im good

Im getting the car in june, cant wait

What Id be looking for in the 370Z is to get back to higher HP and RWD...but I want all the luxury and plush of the Maxima..so.what options do I get?

Test drive the 7AT Touring Sport with Nav, it should have all the amenities that you're used to.

Yeah I will. I like the Silver/Black color combo...7AT, Touring with Sport and Nav...Going to see what kind of deal I can get. How far down from MSRP do they come on the Z? I got over 3k off the Max...

You should be able to get pretty close to invoice, possibly a little under. See the invoice pricing here:
Invoice price thread

How will this all work if I still have a balance on the Maxima? Will Nissan take care of this? Also...Sticker on the Max was 35,500 I paid 32 + TTL so 35k out the door. I want NO LESS than 30k on the trade...only has 3k miles on it.

:iagree:
look at kbb.com and find out how much your car is worth (trade in value). I love the new Maximas.

The new Maxima is a GREAT car. i read on a few sites that the Sport Package adds a little too much noise from the tires when driving...anyone go Touring AT with the Nav but no Sport package? I have the Sport Package on the Maxima and it didnt create a loud ride at all...but that's a different car im sure.

This screams that you want a Infiniti G37, not a Z.. the G's got a lot more plushy feeling when I compare my friends 37 to my Z. Same performance, more plush. The Z's going to outhandle and go faster stock for stock though because of a lot of reasons.

I think you are going to be dissapointed in your trade. Nissan is dealing like crazy on the new Max. My father bought one last month. The sticker was over 39K and he paid 32,500. You should be able to get a touring Z with auto, sport and nav for about 38,500. Basically the only options you would be giving up is the back up camera, memory seats, air conditioned driver's seat, and the sunroof, but I don't know if your max has all of those features.

I was always a huge Maxima fan. The last one I owned was a 2000. It was a great car. After that body style they really went down hill. I recently had an 08 as a rental and it was like driving a boat and it had that insane skinny sunroof that went the length of the car that served no purpose. For 09 Nissan got their act together and the Max is back. I almost bought one when they first came out, but nobody wanted to deal on them, so I bought a Cadillac CTS. They need to bring the manual tranny back to the Max. I wish you luck, but be prepared to bring cash to the deal or roll over at least 4K into the Z.

Well I did make a down payment on the max...personally if I go to this same dealer i have a feeling they will make me a deal and make it work within reason. I'm not upside down on the loan...I just want 30k or I'll feel like it's a waste.

I would go towards the end of the month and be looking at a Z that they have on their lot. If they sold you the car brand new for 32K they are going to be hard pressed to sell it used for 30K, so you are asking them to make nothing on your trade, probably even take a loss. You have to look at the fact that right now Nissan has over 2K in rebates on the Max. Most dealears will come down at least another 3K, so somebody could buy a new one for 30K. I took a bath on my CTS when I traded it in. I got a diminished value claim from an insurance company because it was rear ended right before I got rid of it, so that helped, and I didn't mind forking over some cash because I wanted to get away from a GM car.

In the likely event that they come back with 26 or 27k for your Max, then don't despair. You have a great car. I talked my father into the Max. He was thinking about another Toyota Camry. I went with him to buy it because he doesn't speak so well since he had a stroke a couple years ago. That's when I saw the Z and knew I had to have one. I did drive my dad's Maxima and I love the car. If they still came with a manual I may have considered one for the practicality and the fact that they were taking over 7k off sticker.

Great points. I'd take 29k trade... but thats it. They have to eat the difference or it would be no deal. To move another car I'm sure i could work a deal...how many customers are crazy enough to trade a new car for another one 9 months later...ha!

My 3 options:

A) 2009 370Z Coupe loaded
B) 2008/2009 C6 Corvette (don't like all the attention they get)
C) 2009 Jeep Cherokee SRT-8 (good rebates there, but company is down)
C) Keep the Maxima another year or two then look around

Well out of your options I would go with the Z or keep the Max.

Vettes are a dime a dozen, a notorious mid life crisis mobile, and a GM car. The Jeep wasn't worth much before the company went bankrupt. If you get it be prepared to keep it until the wheels fall off because you will never get value for it.

yeah thats what steered me clear of the vette and jeeps...all the drama going on. i think its not smart to buy a Z either after just buying the max a year ago but sometimes you have to do what you want to do. I dont LOVE the 370Z looks, but the quality is sure there.

You're going to be "upside down" most likely, unless your balance on the Maxima is very small. The sticker on the Maxima is immaterial at this point, the used car manager at the Nissan dealership will use a KBB value or arbitrarily give a trade-in value. You know that cliche, "as soon as you drive a new car off the lot it automatically loses $5,000"? This isn't far from the truth.

For example, say your loan balance on the Maxima is $27,000; and the used car manager says, "this car is only worth $25,000," then you are $2,000 upside-down. So if you put $7,000 down towards a Z, then only $5,000 will apply to it.

I say keep your Maxima and consider a Z or another car when you're done paying it off.

Isn't this the media section?

Yeah I get that, but I'm not a 27k balance (nice down payment) It might be more wise to just add the Z as a second car, pay them off as I go.

not anymore. thanks for pointing it out.

I wish the Z had the Maxima's baller *** heated steering wheel!!!

that heated steering wheel is great in the winter.

I'd take a chilled steering wheel :D

You get yourself something like an M3, or an E55 AMG.

V8 Hyundai Genesis Sedan

Plush, RWD, Fast

Don't hate, this thing has got good reviews and Hyundai's quality surpassed all the US makers years ago.

I would never go Hyndai over Nissan...if i went away fromNissan I'd go Corvette...

That's your choice but maybe you should just do some research. Flip through some magazines until you read the article that makes you go, "Aha, that's it."

I went the other way, corvette to nissan :D


Just say no to GM's low quality interiors http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/.../thumbdown.gif

Yeah I'm going with the idea that the 370Z is less flashy...am I wrong? It just seems to blend in better, Corvette stands out everywhere no matter what color you get it in.

Eh, I guess there was some cred that came with the brand name, but all that rep was lost the minute they saw the interior. And it's not like I had vettes from the 80s, I had two 03s and an 06. I've mentioned in other threads that it was actually embarrassing when people would get in it. I could see what they wee thinking in their eyes: "You paid how much for this?"

Edit: Now the vette engine in the Z ... that would be sex on silk.

So how does the 06 Vette compare to the 09 370 performance wise? and the interior is that much better? What made you trade for the nissan?

They both handle about the same, don't think you would notice a difference. Very noticeable difference in the performance area, but the vette is about a second faster. I use my car as a daily driver. I don't care if people use their cars as garage queens, but I buy cars to drive them. That being said, the vette interior just isn't something you want to spend 1.5 hours a day in. Rattles, creaks, and more cheap plastic than you can shake a stick at. The leather, if you want to call it that, is the cheapest, thinnest feeling leather you could ever find. Within two weeks, it had all the wrinkle marks in it; deep ones that eventually start flaking.
They ripped the oversized junk radio out of the tahoe and put it in. And the base vette is 10 grand more than the most expensive Z.

So many people are garage queens with their Vettes that GM has never really had to address the issues for the daily driver. I buy cars to drive them as well. With a few rare exceptions a car is a huge depreciating assett. You might as well enjoy the things.