370Z NVH - Motor Trend article
 

Coming to the end of my lease on my '07 Z4, I really like the new Z4 but the price no longer makes sense (read - I can't afford it), so I'm looking seriously at the new 370z Roadster.

I just read the Oct Motor Trend comparison of 10 performance cars and the Nissan Nismo finished a dismal 7th. They hated the seats and the rear visibility, but what they marked the car down most severely for was the "tractor engine NVH" (noise, vibration and harshness) which they said was awful. At 5000 RPM's they said the vibration and noise was terrible.

I guess there are so few of these cars on the road that very few people have had a chance to try the car for themselves, but I would love to hear what others have to say.

The 3.7 liter engine is not new, so did this problem also exist with the coupe and/or the 350?

I guess if you are looking for a problem with the 370, yes the engine sound is a little harsh. Definately not a deal breaker though. The car is what it is. A two seater monster of a car. There is no competition. IMO. The 350 engine sounds beautiful. I've owned one of those also. I'll take the 370 over the 350 anyday though.

There are people who complain about tire noise, engine noise...(?) or other issues all of what seem pretty petty to me. The car has significant performance and really is amazing in the corners. I love the lines (looks) and when driving track many Porsche owners tell me they love the car as well. Go test drive one and see. Doing the test drive will address any questions you may have.

I personally find my 370 to be very smooth up to about 5500 RPM....... that last 2000 is a little noisier, and a little rougher, but it is being blown way out of proportion by Motor Trend in my opinion. Also, as the mileage increases on my car (6500 now), the engine is getting even smoother. It's a sports car :icon17:

John

The NVH, isn't that bad. Some get used to it, others get paid to get paid to bicker abut it and other petty things like lack of trunk space.

its a sports car.. when you compromise too much, you get a "sports coupe"

we wouldnt want that now would we lol

I love the NVH the engine makes.. it feels like a sports car/muscle car all-in-one. It give the car a very "raw" horsepower feel, so i "know" the power is there. Love it!


By the way, its a very good type of NVH, it sounds and feels good.

Throw a loud pipe ont car and call it a day.

I have heard and felt this NVH, but it does not bother me, actually if the engine was totally smooth, I would not feel like I was driving a sports car with a monster engine. Would be more like driving a luxary car and if I wanted that I would have purchaesd a G37.

well, Nissan isn't really advertising the 370Z as a creature of comfort...I think comfort and noise level were the last things on their minds when they designed this car...if you want a quiet ride, get yourself a sports coupe (G37, Altima or heck a Scion tC)...hell, my biggest complaint about a Toyota Avalon is that it's too comfortable and smooth...it's like those critics who writes about how a car is so comfortable and quiet, yet it lacks road feel": damn it, if you want road feel, go drive a Z....and now, they're writing about "great road feel, yet lack comfort and too much noise"...

I, myself, love the roaring of the engine at high RPMs...in fact, when I slow down, I find myself downshifting a lot to engine brake just to hear my car purring ready for WOT...I actually roll my windows down just so I can hear more engine noise...

^agreed

I had been car shopping for over a year. I test drove everything I was truly interested in. 911 4, Mustang GT, Shelby Mustang GT500, Honda S2000, 350z, C6 Corvette, and last but not least, the 370z.

I had all of these questions, too. I had done my research BIG TIME. Read nearly every, if not every review on the internet for the 370z. Professional and private. This forum and others included. Many professional reviews said that the car was way too loud in the cabin, the engine too harsh, etc. Bottom line is my first test drive in this car threw all that talk out the window -- they are being very picky. This car is an excellent VALUE. It can't truly compare to a 911 4S, but who would expect it to? It's 1/3 the price!

Yes, there is some road noise. Yes, there is some harshness to the engine, and you can feel it in the clutch when you rev the engine. But put it in gear, hit the gas, and you forget about all of it. Then you’re going way too fast, so you hit the amazingly powerful brakes, and you know this car is the one.

I have driven 4 different 370z’s for a total of 7 test drives. I recently sold my Mustang GT Convertible and put a deposit on a 2010 order.

Test drive it. That will tell you if this is the right car for you.

Whatever you do, drive happy. :driving:

You are complaining about noise in a fukin sports car.. come on ... these people are some softy bmw driving idiots... come on man ... just cus you cant say anything bad is no reason to make up stupid **** like that. Yes there is road noise... yes there are vibrations (read- this is a japanese car)... it also has a 1g skid pad and gets to the quarter in low 13s... once you drive one around you will understand why its ok to bear the noise...

And the seats on this car are awesome... I was about to replace mine w/ some brides but after driving it hard a couple of times I find myself wanting to upgrade the seats last as they really are quite good. Almost as good as the stock recaros were in my EvoX... its a sports car with sports car seats that hold you through turns.. if you want plush seats with 10000 way adjustable settings and a massager for your *** - maybe the Z isnt for you...

I agree with lovethe370z 100%. Keep in mind the price difference between the 370 and the other cars that beat it in that test. All but the Miata were significantly more and the Miata doesn't have the power to make much noise.

When making my decision this summer one of the made things I wanted in this car was quiet. Coming from a turbo Mazda this car is incredibly quiet. Granted it's not a quiet as the 335 (which my dad ended up buying after going on a test drive with me :P) but it does give you much better road handling feel. To me it's the perfect balance. You know and feel like you are in a sports car, but you aren't beat up by the suspension and you can hold a conversation at normal speaking levels.

People have become *******. People compalin nowadays if they have to make one or two extra clicks of the mouse, I know cause i am in IT.
And yes most of these ******* probably drive BMW's that as someone else said have *** massages for thweir delicate little tushies. Oh My.

Thanks guys!
 

You guys convinced me! But I really wanted to be convinced. I agree with the consensus that a sports car is not supposed to be quiet, my Z4 is too quiet.

The drawbacks to the Z4, this is my second one, are the oversensitive steering (electric not hydraulic) the run flat tires which are like wooden wheels, and now the price. The folding hardtop sent it over 50k - with extras it goes into the 60's which imho is insane for this car. Its too quiet for my taste.

Its hard to understand why a magazine for car enthusiasts would downgrade a 2 seater for noise??

The dealers around here (San Diego) still have hardly any of the new convertables - I'm looking forward to a test drive. :tiphat:

:iagree:
There is a lot of truth in this statement. When I had my Z in stock format, the 5k+ range seemed a bit harsh (but not a deal breaker). After I added the Stillen CBE, the 5k+ range actually seems the most tame as the exhaust quiets down and the car feels like it's outrunning its exhaust noise. Hard to explain but very cool and the sense of NVH is gone.

Not to mention that I dream of what the Stillen exhaust must sound like with a top that goes down!

Motor Trend is a rag and all the other car mags laugh at it constantly. Imagine subtracting points from a sports car for noise, lmao.

Can’t wait for my Berk HFC’ to arrive, to see how they sound on a Nismo CBE. I actually drove one (coupe) with a Stillen exhaust and now I am sorry I got the Nismo

thread resurrection. My previous whip was an slk230, which I loved driving so much. This is a different car. More muscular and brute but the performance is just wow

Have you test driven the 370z yet ? Once you drive the car some of your questions should be answered.

I think after owning a BMW you'll find the Nissan to be less refined, but more powerful.

At the top of the rev range, even the VQ35 (3.5 liter V6) sounds a bit harsh.

** The 370z roadster definitely has a sense of occasion to it. Makes the driver feel special while driving it. It looks gorgeous, too.

As a youngster in the early 1970's I had a z28 and loved it - this was back when HP was cubic inches and fuel flow. My last car was a Porsche that came off warranty last spring and as I couldn't order a 2012 at that time I shopped around for something else. I was interested in a grand ssport vette -couldn't find one on a lot to drive, z4 turbo with a 6 speed - couldn't find one to drive, Roush mustang - couldn't find one to drive (and this is a mustang that goes and handles - would have liked to drive one). Did drive a mustang gt but after the porshe it really lacked in the handling department. An aquaintance had a 370 roadster and he raved about it so I thought I'd take one for a ride and low and behold there was a brand new 2010 roadster (touring, sport pac and 6 speed) on the lot. I didn't know at the time how hard they are to find. Anyway, to shorten up the story when I drove it within a couple of kilometers I knew I was onto something very, very good. This was a Wednesday night. I went home, researched it, worked out a deal Thursday night and picked it up Friday. That was last June. The more I drive it the more I like it. It is sort of a combination of raw muscle car with a mixed of modern day Japanese high tech......very satifying to drive. I resisted the synco matching rpm device for awhile and finally tried it and now love it.....makes downshifts so fast and they're smooth. The upper end of the rpm band is not as smooth as say a bmw but to tell you the truth I'm having so much fun I don't notice......actually the fact that it is a little raw is one of the things I find so attractive.
I enjoy my 370 Roadster as much or more than the Porsche (Boxster) which was a great car.

I've got about 8200km now and I have noticed the motor has gotten smoother. Love the sound. Compared to a bmw or porsche it is definately a little more course (my previous car was a porsche) but I find it attractive. I drove a 335 coupe couple of years ago and I think they refined the fun out of it. The 370z is sort of a combination between high tech japanese and old school muscle car - immense fun.....

yeah, it has a muscle-car feel to it, but it's made by Nissan.