Other Car Test Drive Opinions

[Nikon FM]

So what other car's have been test drove while owning/driving your 370Z and how did they compare?

I test drove a 2010 Carrera S…….felt very taught compared to my 370Z but since I was not very familiar with the car it seemed a bit hands on. I imagine if I bought the car in time I'd work it. Afterwards when I was driving away the 370 felt much easier/comfortable to drive; possibly because I'm used to it.

2004 GT3. Wonderful road feel (understated), handling and acceleration but the clutch and shifting to me seemed "tractor" like.

1987 930 Turbo modified (450HP to the wheels) to be a track car……….holy crap what a fun beast to drive but…..hard to drive due to tractor like feel working the clutch, lack of power steering and the 4 speed had very long gears so… different.

After driving the above cars I still really love how the Z feels on the road and track simply because it is in my opinion easier to drive and is very predictable.

[shadoquad]

I tested several cars from different segments.

On the more practical side, I tested a VW GTI, which drove fantastically. I drove a Mazdaspeed3, which was tons of torque and pretty good handling, but was aesthetically a disaster. I drove a WRX, which was fast but didn't really feel like it was fast, and the cheap interior turned me off.

On the more sporty side, I drove a Miata, which was very fun, but too tight a fit for a big guy like me. I drove an RX-8, which is ok, but not really powerful enough. I tested the Camaro, which felt like a boat and was so cheaply built that it started falling apart inside on the test drive. I also drove the Hyundai Genesis Coupe. It was sluggish and cheaply built.

I liked the Z best. Best combination of muscle, cornering, and design for the money.

[Brutal 370Z]

I just drove a WRX STI and had the same impression. Its supposed to be fast but doesn't really feel that way....weird feeling. Didn't feel as connected to the road as I expected out of a rally car.

C6 Vet......beast....nothing else needed to be said.

Camaro......boat lol and worse blind spots than the Z.

2011 Escalade.....so boss.

[wheee!]

2010 Z4 Hard Top Convertible twin turbo. Very torquey as expected but too refined and smooth to feel like a true sports car. Didn't have the 'wow' factor of the Z and felt too much like a luxury sedan to be a sports car.

[6MT]

2008 GTI - great car! Too much turbo lag though.
2009 GTR - what can I say... impressive!

[AlphaSnacks]

I drove damn near everything under the sun before buying my 370Z. And I drove a bunch of others after buying my 370Z. Everything below I intended on purchasing, either new or certified-used, it was all in the price range for me.

BMW M6 - This is one of my brother's cars. He got an R8 V10, and I wanted him to sell the M6 to me. He went to Aruba one week with his family, and I had the car. I've always loved this beast, it's a split personality grand touring savage. Comfortable, yet sporty and blistering quick. Nothing like a V10. And it grips hard. I love everything about it, down to its odd look - sure as hell looks better than the new 6-series. Though my brother kept the M6 as his DD, which made sense, the R8 isn't the most DD-friendly car. Still, I looked at a few pre-owned cars, and even though many were certified, I knew that maintaining this out of warranty would've been annoying. Plus it guzzles gas, and worst of all has a pretty small tank. I'd have also wanted to mod it a bit (badly needs a drop), and that too was extremely expensive for this platform. So I figured I'd give the E92 M3 a look, and still enjoy the M6 every now and then when my brother let's me borrow it.

BMW M3 - I drove the E92 M3 DCT originally, and while I liked it, the interior kept throwing me off, especially for the price tag. The gauges were bland, as was the center console, and something about it kept feeling cheap to me. I also couldn't help shake the feeling that the numerous 328i and 335i Coupes that passed me during the drive don't exactly help the M3 stand out. Still, the M3 is very quick, especially once those revs build and while I'm not a fan of dual clutch transmissions (they feel soulless and hollow), I do admit they are absolutely incredible in execution. More recently, I drove a 6MT E92 M3, and I loved that quite a bit. This one had a slightly dressier interior (the DCT had boring grey CF inserts), which increased the interior's appeal quite a bit. Still, all of the other E92s on the road hurt this car's exclusivity appeal - but there's no denying it's a beautiful looking machine and it moves well. Though I will say the lack of low-end torque is very un-V8 like.

BMW 335i - I test drove a 335i before the M3 and M6. The lack of dazzle in the interior put me off, I also didn't think it handled as well as most people claimed - certainly nowhere near as sharp as my 350Z with Hotchkis. The whole fuel pump issue also scared me off (this was before BMW announced the recall + warranty extension). On top of that, the lack of a locking rear-diff in a car this powerful and this expensive was the final curtain call for me. I do think that despite the spartan interiors, BMW's build quality is unrivaled - the materials and craftsmanship is so superb that nothing rattles! I loved that. Plus the seats were awesome. And I think 335i Coupes with the M-package look sensational. And of course the mod potential for this thing was high, which I loved. But again, at the time, the fuel pump was a concern. Luckily for me, my girlfriend is getting a 335xi Coupe very soon...

Audi S5 - Probably the biggest disappointment for me. I loved the V8 rumble, I loved the V8 midrange punch. But I don't love the price and I don't love how common they are in my area. Furthermore, the S5 is underpowered. Yes, it's a nice and quick machine, but it feels heavy and it could definitely use some touching up in the low-end torque department. Fortunately, the supercharged V6 is set to arrive for the S5, but I don't wish to wait that long. That said, there were also certain other qualities about the S5 that bother me...the doors close cheaply. Where as the BMW closes its doors firmly, the Audi's door closes with a bit of a rattle and I've even verified this on my friend's A5 and all the other S5s that come to my weekly meets. Plus there is virtually no room for modding - nothing adds power to this thing. On top of that, I already have an A6 4.2 - so getting the S5, despite it being in stick, would've felt like I just bought a car too similar.

Corvette C6 LS3 - This is the beast that I probably considered the most. It was balls out fast. 430HP - it weighs the same as a 370Z, with 100HP extra. There is simply nothing like the surge of power made by an LS V8 - simply nothing. My complaint was that while the interiors of the BMWs were spartan, they still looked decent...while the Corvette's interior wasn't that great in quality or aesthetic. Worst of all, they are absurdly popular cars and lack any sort of exclusivity - this has always been a major deciding factor to me. So as much as I love this car, I still decided against it. I was pretty much set on an E92 M3 I found...

So how did I end up with a 370Z when I never even considered one? My 350Z had left me with such a bad taste in my mouth that I vowed I'd never get another Nissan or Z-car. I loved my old car, it was great, but the interior had gotten so drab and the absolute lack of refinement had began to drive me mad. I couldn't tolerate it anymore. At my weekly meets, a number of 370Zs started showing up - and one of them was fully loaded. Previously I had only sat and seen 370s without the navi. This one was loaded and I couldn't believe the difference between a loaded interior and a base/Bose one. Absolutely massive. So I decided to test drive one, but I went in with very low expectations...

Three weeks later I owned one. I swore I wouldn't own another Z, but it happened. Nissan simply fixed damn near everything wrong with the 350Z, including the sh*tty 6MT (my 350Z was 5AT for that reason). It feels marginally slower than the E92 M3, but around town felt livelier because torque is delivered nearly in full below 2500RPM. Huge plus for me. And it simply rips to its redline with the quickness. It felt quicker than my modded 350Z. And it felt quicker than the 6MT Audi S5 I test drove. I drove a 7-speed Auto Z, which is a superb transmission for the car, though I still opted for a 6MT.

I really liked the interior, the quality of the materials was exceptionally high for a vehicle in this class. The suede on the doors is a superb touch. The steering wheel felt thick and grippy, not like the 350Z wheel. The doors closed great, even when the window was rolled all the way down, there was no window rattle (like 350Zs do). It had everything I loved from nearly every car I test drove (excluding the Vette) - build quality comparable to the BMW, driving dynamics and the solid feel comparable to the M6 and M3, the punch of the M3, the interior aesthetics comparable to the Audi (perhaps even better looking), reliability of a Nissan, low-cost maintenance, great aftermarket potential, and so forth. It simply clicked.

Sometimes I still can't believe I ended up with another Z, simply because of how much I began to dislike my 350Z.

[Brutal 370Z]

good choice. I began to develop the same distaste for my old 350z even though I had the track pack brembos and everything. It just became very uninspiring and interior was lacking. I also considered the 2010 M3 but the pricy maintenance and lack of rarity threw me off. Also, a friend of mine had nothing but problems since he bought his brand new. He spent more time at the dealership than driving the damn thing...tonnes of computer issues and such.

I also agree that the Vet is a hell of a car but needs a complete interior re-vamp. My dad had an electric blue C6 and it was always fun to rip around in.

[b1adesofcha0s]

So you're going to get me a ride in that R8 V10 next time I visit NY, right?

That's a nice and extensive list there. For me, it was only the Z. Didn't test drive any other cars when I bought it or afterwards. If my price range was a little higher, I might have tested some other cars.

[AlphaSnacks]

Originally Posted by Brutal 370Z

good choice. I began to develop the same distaste for my old 350z even though I had the track pack brembos and everything. It just became very uninspiring and interior was lacking. I also considered the 2010 M3 but the pricy maintenance and lack of rarity threw me off. Also, a friend of mine had nothing but problems since he bought his brand new. He spent more time at the dealership than driving the damn thing...tonnes of computer issues and such.

This is actually something I started seeing A LOT on the BMW forums after I decided not to buy the car. I feel like I've dodged a bullet. Allegedly, there's ton of reliability issues with the car, and even the motor, which is scary. Knowing my luck, I'd have been running mods on my car, the motor would blow, and BMW would refuse to cover it.

[b1adesofcha0s]

Never knew the M3 had such issues, I may have bought one someday. Now I don't think I should, at least not the current generation.

[AlphaSnacks]

Yeah, check out the M boards. I remember coming across a thread where a guy put a few hundred miles on his car and the motor blew. It turned into a gigantic thread thereafter, with people claiming similar issues (but with more mileage). The crazy thing is that this isn't uncommon for an M3. The E46 M3 from 2001-2003 had an issue with spun bearings that axed the motor.

[Nikon FM]

It seems that there is no beating the driving performance/experience of the 370Z when comparing to nearly the same price bracket and even somewhat higher price brackets. nice

My 2009 has ~45k miles now and is running strong on the track and off Hard to beat.

[ImportConvert]

Originally Posted by Nikon FM

So what other car's have been test drove while owning/driving your 370Z and how did they compare?

I test drove a 2010 Carrera S…….felt very taught compared to my 370Z but since I was not very familiar with the car it seemed a bit hands on. I imagine if I bought the car in time I'd work it. Afterwards when I was driving away the 370 felt much easier/comfortable to drive; possibly because I'm used to it.

2004 GT3. Wonderful road feel (understated), handling and acceleration but the clutch and shifting to me seemed "tractor" like.

1987 930 Turbo modified (450HP to the wheels) to be a track car……….holy crap what a fun beast to drive but…..hard to drive due to tractor like feel working the clutch, lack of power steering and the 4 speed had very long gears so… different.

After driving the above cars I still really love how the Z feels on the road and track simply because it is in my opinion easier to drive and is very predictable.

I test drove a 370Z and Z06.

The ride in the Z06 and 370Z felt similar to me, but a lot less roll on the Z06.

The interior of the Z fit me more like a cocoon than the Z06, but the gauges in the 370Z were not nearly as nice, while the seats were a tiny bit better.

The clutch in the 370Z was more on/off and in the Z06, more progressive. Both were very light (too light, imo).

In the 370Z, you are always shifting, in the Z06, it has looooong gears. 3 shifts gets you to 160.

The 370Z feels a bit more "rigid" than the Z06, possibly owing to it's monocoque design and shorter wheelbase.

The shift feel of the Z06 is a bit more "positive" while the Z's is "slicker". A 370Z owner might call the Z06 transmission "notchy" and the Z06 owner a 370Z transmission "vague". Although, I think both of those are overstatements.

The 370Z power delivery was more linear. The Z06 was a lot more frantic the higher the rpm went. I was very surprised given engine size. The Z06 seems to LOVE to rev, while the 370Z is happy anywhere in the rpm-band.

----Odd enough, the 370Z is the only car I test-drove before making my purchase of the Z06----

A lot of dealerships will NOT let you drive things that cost over $45K when you are a young guy and won't allow them to pull credit first.

[shadoquad]

Originally Posted by ImportConvert

The 370Z power delivery was more linear. The Z06 was a lot more frantic the higher the rpm went. I was very surprised given engine size. The Z06 seems to LOVE to rev, while the 370Z is happy anywhere in the rpm-band.

Interesting. The 370Z's variable valve timing gives it very little low-end torque. I usually have to get it around 4k before it's ready to really play. That surprises me about the Vette. I guess I imagined that, with its torque, it would be powerful even in low revs. I never got out to drive a Z06. I imagine it's still very, very fast.

Originally Posted by ImportConvert

A lot of dealerships will NOT let you drive things that cost over $45K when you are a young guy and won't allow them to pull credit first.

I know. It's a shame, too. There are tips on how to get a test drive out there on the internet, but this happens all too often. Salesmen want to profile you and determine if you can or can't afford the car before driving it, or if you're there to joyride the vehicle.

[DJ-of-E]

Originally Posted by Brutal 370Z

I just drove a WRX STI and had the same impression. Its supposed to be fast but doesn't really feel that way....weird feeling. Didn't feel as connected to the road as I expected out of a rally car.

Unfortunately, the "connected feeling" of the car from Subaru WRX's started to decline since 2006 as they are being tuned in favor of average Joe with "more comfortable" settings. Heck the new STI's have far worst "sag" feeling than previous years.