370Z Sport Package vs Mazdaspeed 3 GT vs S2000 vs Cayman S vs Mazda Rx-8

Sand123

To clear up what seem to be abundant misconceptions about my reasons for posting on this forum, I will say this: I didn't come here to disparage the Z, despite what many of you seem to think. I also didn't create this post. I came here to find some subjective impressions of Z ownership that you can't get from reading magazine articles because I have been considering buying one. I am trying to figure out if the performance benefit/fun-to-drive factor of the Z outweighs the advantage of having four dours and room for 5 people in my car.

Comparing the Z to a FWD car from Japan that is a second slower to 100 mph isn't disparaging the Z--it's part of my own decision making process. And while that is like comparing apples to oranges, the comparison is fitting for me because these are the two cars I am choosing between. What is that tradeoff worth to me? Will I have that much more fun tossing the Z around an autocross course, or around a hairpin, that it outweighs being able to fit more than two people in the car? That's a tough question to answer. So yes, of course the Z is faster than the Mazdaspeed3, stock for stock. But it certainly isn't a world of difference. Having driven the 370Z, then getting into my car (even though mine has bolt-ons) both cars seem to accelerate similarly merging onto the highway. Personally, it's more of a preference for the RWD than an extra 30 hp. I love tail-out powerslides as much as anyone else, and you obviously can't do that in a FWD car no matter how much power it has. And whether that performance benefit is worth it, I still have yet to decide.