Question for you more experienced car owners.
 

So, I'm highly considering getting a 370z. Its the best looking car for the price on the market, and I'm sick of my current semi slow little 2004 Mazda 3.

With that said, i've got a couple questions on a few of the extra features.

I'm interested in keeping cost as reasonable as possible, and the closer I can keep it to the 30-32k range the more likely I am to actually buy it.

I definitely want one with the rear spoiler, but I see that there appears to be 2 different ways to get one. Either the sports package or the aerodynamics package.

Can someone who actually understands the technical stuff explain in simple terms to a sports car newbie why I want the extra stuff that comes in the sports package? Why is it worth an extra 2 grand to me? I understand the larger wheels, but does it really make that big of a difference in terms of appearance?

If it makes any difference, I'm also only looking at the auto transmission (yea, sue me... I'm a lazy driver :yum:)

Also, I've never driven a rear wheel drive car in the winter. I live in Minnesota, so that's definitely going to be an obstacle for me. How big of a difference is it? I realize its just a matter of where the weight distribution is, but is it an issue I should really worry about?

Thanks in advance!

the sport package is well worth the money. the rims arent just better looking, they are really light for better acceleration and braking. you also get better brakes, a lsd, and the spoilers.

as for rwd in the winter, big difference in my opinion.

The Sport Package includes a few pieces which may be of interest to you:

1. Aero Package: This can be obtained on it's own so it's a bit of a wash here.
2. Sport Brakes: These larger brakes will give you more full steam stops before fading. On the street these really aren't necessary but worthwhile on the track.
3. Limited Slip: This will help you put the power down coming out of turns and launching. Once again more use on the track than the street, but still handy.
4. SRM: This will rev match downshifts for you This is most useful when downshifting and powering out of a turn. It allows smoother engagement of the gear you have selected when you downshift.

Thank you very much for the reply.

When you say it's a big difference, do you think it's a big enough difference to warrant NOT buying a Z if it would be my primary vehicle and need to be used in the winter?

If it snows alot dont buy it. I put mine away when it snows but when the roads are ok I have it out.

Despite living in phoenix, i have also lived some snowy places ... i would get a z, and a beater awd for the winter. it will only be a matter of time before you lose control. even though the z isnt the fastest car in the world, it has a low end kick that throws your head back even when youre not trying ... especially the auto downshift.

are there hills where you live? if there is, it's safe to say rwd is not ideal unless you plan on going up the hill in reverse (with snow tires of course). you can get a beater as frost has mentioned, but that really defeats the purpose of a "daily driving car", not to mention that'll cost a few grand extra. there are a few alternatives in that price range that are suitable for winter driving. if you can find a vw R32 in your area, that might be your best option. Or you can always wait another year for R20T. depending on your age/preference, Evo X isn't a bad option either. just my 2c

the lsd is worth it and the bbk's also


lsd = limited slip deferential
bbk= big brake kit

better braking and no peg legging...one wheel spinning

wheels r enough
 

Cost wise, you dont have to look any further than the wheels. Two grand will get you laughed at to get a brand new set of 19" Volks with tires. Plus, Rays made these FOR YOUR CAR. Not like you can get them at your local dealer.

Aero package.....what plans do you have for mods in the future? Lots of nice carbon wings out on the market right now. Front spoiler....are you gonna add a tt set up later on? Cause the front end you get with the aero package will not accomodate an intercooler.

Bigger brakes. Priceless. I dont care if your tracking your car or not. Larger brakes should be welcomed, not questioned.

LSD. Sports car........power to ground is what its all about. Nuf said

SRM. If you are used to heal/toe, than you wont know you have it.

All this typing and replies to the original post...........is the sport package an option with the AT version? Certainly dont need SRM if its an automatic. IDK....My BFF..Jill? Just my $.02

Ohhh, a Minnesotan! I was a Gopher for my undergrad. I'm from Wisconsin, and if you should get the sport package, you WILL have to buy new tires. I was completely stuck in one-half inch of snow here in Wisconsin. Seriously, could not get it to move. I had to wait to get salt under the tires and ahead of me to get rolling. Get the car, get a sport package just because it looks awesome, and people who may buy it from you down the road would probably want that. I would completely agree with getting a winter beater. I know our winters, and the front chin spoiler wouldn't even clear anything with "Winter Weather Advisory" criteria. Winter storm? You're idle no matter your tires. It's just so low to the ground! I love this car though, and as far as winter temperatures.... Mine ran perfectly when it was -15 this past winter. (My FX35 is my snow car.) Get it, but think about getting a spare car for the snow.

Well hmm...

I'll be honest with you guys, you've done a great job of "selling" me on the sports package, but an even better job of convincing me that I should probably not get the car in the first place.

It's just not practical for me to own 2 vehicles. I only have 1 garage spot to store my vehicle in, and I'm not going to park a second vehicle outside in the freezing cold that I need to get into every day. Plus moving it around when the snow plow comes around... just not going to happen.

Plus, buying a winter beater is another hassle and cost I don't need. There's going to be a cost associated with buying the vehicle in the first place, and the whole reason I avoid beaters is because of the maintenance they require. No, I'm only interested in a car that I can drive year round. Like I said, I'm simply just sick of my current car, but I don't NEED a new one. My little Mazda 3 only has 37k miles on it and still runs perfectly. I'm absolutely not considering any other vehicle at the moment. Only interested in the Z because I like it. I wouldn't be happy with anything else.

Now, I'd be open to the idea of snow tires completely... but if its still going to get stuck in even a little bit of snow due to the low profile of the car, then I guess it just won't work out.

I'll think about it a bit more I suppose, but its kind of looking like I first need to get out of Minnesota before I can really get an awesome car like this.

^ there is always a time and a place, and this might not be it. good luck in your decision, cheers!

I haven't had the Z in snow yet, and we don't get a lot of snow in Baltimore, so it wasn't a concern. I can tell you that at one time I did have a 91 MR2. That was rear wheel drive and I lived in Pittsburgh for 2 years while I had it. Pittsburgh has snow and lots of hills. I used to drive back and forth from Pittsburgh to Baltimore every other weekend and I never had any issues at all. Now the MR2 was mid engine, so that may have helped with having some extra weight over the drive wheels. I've also had a Mustang GT which never gave me problems in the snow, and a Cadillac CTS RWD that did fine in the snow. You wouldn't want to take any of them out until after the plows have passed, but I imagine you have the same deal with the Mazda.

Hey Portlis, am from Apple Valley and am planning to buy the Z next year. It is going to be my daily driver regardless of winter. I am just going to purchase another set of rims and snow tires for to solve the traction problems and, of course will drive her sensibly during winter. The clearance problem is a non-issue for me as I currently have a dropped car which I used last winter without any hassles.
Am not going to let winter get in the way of my ownership of this beautiful car!

People that drive the Z in the snow are f'ing nuts.

First off all, this car is LOW to the ground. I mean, if your town doesn't have alot of snow plows they will appreciate you helping them out as you'll do a good job plowing.

Second of all, it's a REAR WHEEL SPORTS CAR. If I have to explain why you shouldn't drive a car like this in the snow please don't get one. I mean how many corvettes and vipers do you see driving in snow... Exactly.

Third -- The paint on these cars are extremely fragile. Rock Salt and freezing rain and snow and all that crap with RUIN this car's finish.

Do yourself and whoever plans on driving this car in the snow a favor and buy a $2000 Jeep or equivilant winter beater and keep the 370z waxed and pretty in a garage.

I would think there would be plenty of reasons to get out of Minnesota! ;) But that's just West Coast bias talkin'. Pay no mind.

As for a Z in the snow, or any RWD sports car, I'd say "don't do it". Last winter was unusually snowy here in Seattle and I slipped and slided my way to white-knuckledom one too many times for my taste in my Mustang. These types of cars just aren't made for inclement weather.

It sucks, but if you need an every day car in a snowy climate, and you can't afford a second car, then I don't think the Z is for you.

Cyberium, not saying you're wrong or anything, but what do you base your belief on that the paint job is fragile on the Z?

Since he said he's only looking at 7AT, SRM isn't going to be a factor for him in getting the Sport package (and I think all 7ATs have SRM). But the larger brakes and LSD are definitely worth paying for the Sport package, IMHO.

Unless of course you plan to upgrade those later on.

Hmm, looks like snowboarding trips to the mountains will be in question having RWD.

Will the LSD help out with traction on somewhat slick roads? I do frequently head up to my local mountains during the winter so this raises a bit of concern. Of course, if it was really bad I wouldn't even attempt it but my eclipse being fwd never had a problem.

The traction control will help significantly more than an LSD will. I strongly advise against driving on slick mountain roads with this car, at least with stock tires. Blizzaks might do the trick, but you'd still need to be careful. Once again, if you have any significant snow, the car with the front lip may as well be a snow plow.

They won't even have the road open if it had that much snow. Usually the roads are very well coated with a sand/salt type mixture. That can make the road a little slick depending on how much they put down. Is the traction control and vdc the same?

If you plan to purchase this car in areas with adverse weather you will definitely want some dedicated ice/snow tires mounted on an extra set of wheels.

Significant for this car would be anything even north of 3" or so.

We rarely have bad weather like that here. its only when i go up to the mountains. I may just have to stop by my parents house on the way up and borrow one of their cars if need be.

Here is what my car looked like coming back from one of my trips
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...h_S7300638.jpg

Just keep in mind, the tires on that car would have been much better suited for winter weather.

most likely. i think they are yoko avid a4 or something like that.

Just don't do it. You can drive a RWD car in the snow. It's not physically impossible. But you're gonna be dancing with the devil A LOT and it's just not worth the hassle. Especially for a RWD sports car. There's just too much power going to those rear wheels.

You might think "oh, I'm a good driver... I'll go slow", but then you'll drive for a little while and get cocky/go too fast and then BOOM... hello snowbank (if you're lucky)!

The Z is simply a car made for fair climates. It makes no pretense of being an all-weather car. So don't treat it like one or expect it to be one.

Just my 5 cents.

I've been driving my 350Z all year round for 4 years now and will do the same with the 370Z. We do get quite a lot of snow here "North of the border" but the roads where I live are usually well plowed reasonably quickly so most of the time driving the Z during winter is not a problem.

Of course the Z is not the best option for winter driving, and front-wheel drive cars like your Mazda or all-wheel drive cars like SUVs and such will obviously handle winter better. But like you I liked the Z and I'm not a winter beater kind of guy either, and I did not let the winter driving issue get in the way of getting the Z as my daily driver 4 years back (I already did have some rear-wheel drive winter driving experience from my teen years though). What do you think people did in snowy regions before front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive cars became quite common? They drove rear-wheel drive cars and did not have all the traction control aids that modern rear-wheel drive cars like the Z get these days. Again front/all-wheel drive cars are better suited for winter driving but rear-wheel drive cars like the Z can be driven during snowy winters too.

With a good set of 4 winter tires (a must), some common sense (e.g. the Z is not an SUV and steep icy hills are not your friend) and some practice on driving a rear-wheel drive car on snowy roads, driving the Z during winter is definitely doable and can be quite enjoyable too (e.g. purposely losing the end of the car a little around empty street corners and letting the traction control system do it's thing can be fun!). The 350Z VDC system is actually very good at keeping you on the road if you happen to give the Z too much power on a slippery road, but you have to remember to turn it off when trying to get going from an unplowed area with a significant amount of snow like a parking lot.

Just my .02 cents

We're still talking about this? Everyone is saying pretty much the same thing.

http://3alleypub.files.wordpress.com...dead_horse.jpg

Thread killer!

I really really appreciate the answer. This is exactly the kind of answer I was looking for. I work a late afternoon shift (retail) so I never really need to worry about unplowed roads unless its a super fierce storm. And the area that I live in is extremely flat, so hills are never going to be an issue.

After giving it a bit more thought, I'm really starting to think its not such a bad idea after all. Yeah, i'll fork out a bit of cash for the extra winter tires. That's not a problem. But considering I'd be paying at least 25 grand for any decent vehicle that I'd be ok with anyway, what's an extra 7 grand to get exactly what I want?

Now, I really just need to find a black on black, base model sport automatic for a reasonable cost. All the dealerships in my area are being extremely unhelpful....

Really? Interesting perspective...

Glad you can appreciate my take on this. I know what you mean by unhelpful dealers, but don't let this put you down. You just need to find the right one who's willing to get you the car that you're looking for. Good luck with your search!