I just had my first test drive in a 370Z
 

I've wanted one ever since I saw a 350Z next to me in Miami. The looks are fantastic, the 370z really stands out. I booked a test drive at home (in sweden) and drove a black 2012 version for about 20 mins. It was hard to do it justice because of all the traffic.

Manual gearbox - seemed clunky. I didn't like it much. I've read reviews claiming the automatic does the engine more justice, does it?

Noise. My god. Ok, I've never owned a performance car before so what do I know, but jesus it's loud. Swedish roads are not in great shape, but the road noise was very much an issue. I'm not sure I could cope with this car alone, I'd need an A-to-B carrier for transportation and shopping or lose my hearing after 500 miles.

I also connected my iPhone via bluetooth and called a friend to check that function. I heard him fine but he said I came through horribly. Sounded like talking out of a tin can. Unfortunate since I was hoping for a good hands-free integration. Maybe it was just that one time.

But, driving-wise, hair on fire bad-*** fun which is what I came hoping for. I'm in the market for a fun and impractical sports car to thrill me for 1-2 years. No kids, no wife, not even a dog. It's readily available at good prices in Germany thanks to the cheap euro, much less than similar cars from porsche and BMW.

If you had the choice between a used Porsche Cayman S, BMW Z4 35is, 335i convertible or M3 convertible or a spanking new 370z which would you go for?

I've emailed the sales guy to get an idea of what the cost of ownership is, service intervals and so on. Any major snags to expect? As a brand, Nissan is pretty reliable isn't it? Much like Honda.

Anyway, I appreciate any input. I wouldn't want to pass up a great car based on it being loud.

Also, I'm not sure what it's like in the US, but in sweden cars like this tend to lose value quite quickly. The market for them is not great to begin with and people tend to stick with the well-known models and brands. In the segment, I think the 370z is a bit of an outsider. I've yet to see one on the roads here at least, but I've seen three GT-Rs so far.

I've never read any reviews that say that the automatic does the car more justice... I may be biased since I drive a manual but I would have to say the opposite. The shifting may be clunky at first, but once you get used to the car a lot of that clunkiness begins to fade away and it is an extremely rewarding process.

As far as noise... Yes, the car is loud. But isn't that the point of a sports car? It's all personal tolerance I suppose. The noise level doesn't bother me (or my fiance) at all. I love how loud the car is honestly.

As far as bluetooth and all that jazz.... I never expected anything from the Z since I was buying it for the actual car not the gadgets... Go install an aftermarket head unit.

If you hate the noise of the car and are comparing to those other sports cars the Z might not be for you... But only you can decide that for yourself.

I also considered a used Cayman S, which is a nice car...but I've had my share of German cars and when the warranty is over, its very expensive to maintain and some parts have to come from Germany. So I got the Nismo and bought dynamatt to cut the noise down and its all quiet inside now.

same here the US, swedish car depreciate rather quickly too and no offense they're butt ugly but then again i think it's just me.

Buy it and dont look back. Its great here in Germany on the Autobahn. Its not quiet. Buy an Audi S5 if you want that. Its Porsche performance without the cost of purchase and maintenance.

The press here calls it the Japanese 911 and you will stand out in public as well. Buy the auto if you dont like the manual. No car is without compromises. This one does everything right overall and its fun! It will be a conversation starter in Sweden for sure. Just watch your speed!!! Its deceptively fast.

Yes it is fast isn't it, I had to watch the instruments quite closely when the road opened up.

Another question, would the roadster be possible to use during the winter or is the soft top more for autumn/spring protection?

The automatic is generally putting up faster times and is pretty fun, but if you love manuals, you'll want to get the manual anyway. I've got one and wouldn't have it any other way. I say test both.

Measures can be taken to reduce the noise, such as DynaMat and quieter tires, but it is a noisy car.
Don't know what to tell you. My mother's got the same system in her G37 and I usually hear her quite well when she calls.
She's a thrill a minute :)
The Z, but I'm biased.
I don't know what year you're looking at and what kind of driving you intend to do. If you're going to track days or planning to drive hard, you'll want to invest in better brake fluid and pads, probably better transmission fluid, and if it's a model from before 2012, you'll want to look at an oil cooler. There is also an issue with fuel starvation if you take hard sweeping right turns on low fuel on a race track if the fuel is under a quarter tank. Keep the car topped off or don't drive it that hard is all I can suggest for that.

It will depreciate rapidly from new, but they hold their value ok after initial depreciation.
That would be a question for roadster owners. I know some have had issues with the top, but I know quite a few who drive theirs year round, so I don't know.

I have the auto and it is indeed alot of fun. If you do get an auto make sure you get one with the sport package as it comes with the paddle shifters. With the 7AT and paddle shifters you just may find yourself not missing a manual at all ;) And if you find yourself sitting in a traffic jam you can switch over to drive and relax. It's the best of both worlds to me.

Since most Sweds are into rally, watch this youtube video in HD with your speakers turned up.

It is different for everybody. I will never give up my third pedal. It is simply more engaging and more fun for me. That said, it is subjective, and the flappy paddles are a fun substitute. The car is no less a sports car for it, it's all about personal preferences. I'm the type who doesn't mind shifting in heavy traffic. Again, I would encourage any prospective buyer to test drive both and decide what is right for them. :tup: Clearly, you could end up coming to the same conclusion that I have, or the same conclusion that Gatorman has. No right or wrong, and we both love and enjoy our Z's. :D

auto without sport package also comes with paddle shifters :icon23:

I just got off an 800 mile road trip, the road noise didn't bug myself or the wife at all. She daily drives the Z and loves it. I use it on weekends and nights for fun. But if you start to compare it with some of the cars you have listed, they definately are better cars, but cost a lot more than the Z. Dollar for dollar you can't beat the Z. We test drove many MANY 2 seater cars, Z4's, MB's, Saturns, Vettes etc etc. With everything that came in the Z for the price we definately fell in love. That along with the fact I have owned many Datsun and Nissan products over the years with minimal complaints. In fact I have yet to have a warranty issue knock on wood.

Now all that being said I still have my eye on a Cayman R. I will probably make that my next vehicle after a new project Jeep. Of course that is a few years away.


Oh and I test drove the 6mt many times, the last time I had the 6mt for more than 2 hours. I really wanted to like it but the 7at was so much better I just couldn't get past it. You need to drive them and decide for yourself though. This is coming from a once very hard core MT kind of guy.

Newbie here too just recently in the market for a new toy as well, and looks like I'm haunting the same kinda dealerships you are. So as part of the process I just had a couple new 370Z's out for a test drive; a 2013 Coupe 6-speed+sport and a 2012 roadster 7AT+sport. Forgetting the whole roof thing for a moment, it was quite a different driving experience in both. Mainly in that I was very surprised at just how nice the 7AT felt from a performance car perspective. Seat of the pants it did indeed feel faster (for what seat of the pants is worth) and the car felt no less handicapped over a good manual box, again from a street driving fun toy focus. And part of that was because, as you noted, I too felt the manual box was something less than great. It was clunky/heavy with a weird resonance felt through the clutch/shifter that was a bit off-putting, but which I chalked up to probably just being a new car with very few miles on it kinda thing. But I've owned/driven/tracked manuals in various performance cars my whole life (and I'm no spring chicken anymore LOL), so I have some small experience to draw on there. So, surprisingly, with those two specific cars I tested, I'd have to give the initial nod to the slushbox version.

Re "noise", it didn't stand out or seem an issue as you described. Not Lexus quiet, but really didn't seem excessive to me. Only thing related to that was the exhaust note could have a little more presence IMO ;) , but that would be easily fixed via aftermarket no doubt.

Didn't try the BT function, so can't comment on that. LOVED the "cooled" seats in the roadster though..hey it was a hot sunny day LOL.

You mentioned the Z4 35is and that is the other car that is left on my short list right now. Loved everything about it, but is it worth the extra $$$ - that's my personal sticking point right now.

As a counter-point, I know quite a few Z owners who bought automatics and later regretted not getting the stick. Again, no right or wrong, just individual impressions. I've driven both and like both. I think everyone should test drive both if they want to feel it for themselves. The above posters all did their due diligence and decided they liked the 7AT better. I know quite a few who've gone the other way as well. A very good friend and member here tells me all the time that he wished he'd learned manual before buying his 7AT, and says he would have bought the manual instead. I also know 6MT owners who wished they'd bought Automatic.

I'd like to avoid the sort of debate that arises. They are both good. The manual is cheaper, the automatic is generally faster. My whole point is that if you're considering both as options for purchase, drive both and see which you like better. Better to do that up front than regret it later.

I have never met one Z owner with the 7at that wished they went the other way.