370z vs E92 M3
 

I have been having this debate with myself for the past 2 months. I currently own a '11 G37x sedan so I am familiar with the motor these two cars share. My main problem I have been contemplating is the additional cost of the M3 brand new (around 25k-30k more) worth it. As we all know, this will be the last year of the E92 M3 and the naturally aspirated V8 it currently contains. I have no interest in the next model as the tri-turbo setup just screams problems to me since the 3 series has the problems being twin turbo'd.

I will be financing either choice, just the amount of money I put down will greatly differ from one to the other. No matter which car I decide to get, I am going to modify it. Just doing a quick mock-up of parts I would want for them both, they are relatively close enough to each other it won't matter. If I go with the 370z, I'll be able to get all the parts that I want right off the bat minus the supercharger kit where as with the M3 I will have to save and wait to get each part as I would be putting down all my money on the M3; not the case with the 370z.

It is highly doubtful that I would daily drive either car unless the insurance quote that my current carrier gave me are correct. The 370z was double the cost of the G37x which sounds insane to me; yet Progressive gave me much lower rates in comparison. I would like to own a second car in case of down time while working on the vehicle. Also the possibility of daily driving a total of 50 miles each day may sway me one way or the other. Another reason would be the ability to actually haul items from place to place.

I was also curious as to what Z owners feel about the quality of paint that Nissan uses on the 370z's because if it is like what was used on the G's, it is horrible. I compare my G's paint job to Maaco thats how bad it is. My old daily driven Honda Civic that had 111k miles on it had less paint missing.

Some may say at this point why not just get the G37s coupe. I'm not too thrilled with that idea since the parts for that car are scarce, especially when it comes to aethstetics. Another person may say why not get a used M3 but I have steered away from that direction because with the amount of money that would be put down, I don't want to roll the dice on buying something that might be a nightmare to fix. The last person may throw out the idea of buying a used GTR, trust me, that idea is still floating in my head. I am just looking for some advice on this decision of mine. Some people might make points that I haven't thought of before which may help me.

I love my g to death. But it's time I try out the z. Too many people have the 37 coupe now lol. Idk I'm skeptical about m3's but **** If i had the money I'd go for it. It's all up to what youre looking for. at the end of the day it's your car and you're gonna be enjoying it. Good luck bruh.

If anything, Just get a GTR ;) lol

Hands down I think that M3's are a much better car than a Z. When you're talking 25-30k more though, that is almost double the price of a Z. I think we have one of the best sport cars for the price. It costs less than the difference to boost a 370 though. I think that would be a great option, unless you can get that gtr you mentioned. Both cars will probably be amazing though to be honest.

If I had the $ I'd go with M3 no doubt. I love my z though.

IMO Id rather have the Z.. because to get a lot of extra power out of that V8 you need to throw even more at it than the Z.. And I dont care about the exlusivity of owning a BMW...

Mustang :ugh2: All the power, cornering, peformance of the M3 but cheaper than a 370z. They did a head to head with the stang vs. M3, aside from interior the Mustang was just as good as the M3.

If thats not your cup of tea I would go 370z but I wouldn't boost it. If I wanted that much power I would just go with a Vette to begin with. A boosted Z is fun but too much of a headache for me. I like modding but when you are having to get that extensive to get the power you want, in my opinion, you might as well just get a more powerful car.

I Say no to the GTR for one reason: no manual tranny option.

I will NEVER buy an american made car, that will never happen.

M3, don't even kid yourself.

Lol nuffin wrong with mustang, but if you insist...

M3 is the better car. Worth the extra? I dunno.

Z paint is bad, just like your g.

I have a bias for the z. She's sexy, quick, and well built. The m is probably better, but it depends on your goals. Past warranty, a bimmer is pricey to maintain.

I traded in a E92 M3 on the Z. I do enjoy the Z, but it is anything but an M3. I miss my M3 so badly at times, but my Z will be paid for in 2 years and my maintenance bills will not be as much. The two are not comparable in my opinion. The only thing I didn't like about the M3 was the NAV. It looks good, but it navigates badly. The rest is a great wet dream. Pure pleasure! If you drive over 200 miles on trips, The M3 will do it in comfort, not the Z. I drove Amarillo to San Antonio in the M3 and enjoyed every mile. I drove from Dallas to San Antonio in the Z and couldn't wait to get there and get out of the car. I'm 6'3" 230lbs.

I can see that. Tall guys are the folks who primarily complain about comfort in a Z, and rightfully so. I've driven my Z on 12 hour road trips on several occasions. The only time I had pain or discomfort was when I drove my friend's Touring Z on one of these long trips. The electronics in the seat dug into my hip and lower back pretty badly. I actually like the non-touring seats better for this reason.

That said, I'm sure an M3 is more comfortable all around.

Interior comfort was something I didn't consider. I'm 6 feet tall so that was something that helped. What is the main difference between the touring and regular seats on the 370z?

As for the guy with the M3, which year did you own? To be honest, nav is not a high priority when it comes to choosing since I have one of the top of the line Garmins.

Why is it time to move on from your G37x sedan ? Do you have a preference as far as manual vs. automatic transmission, rear wheel drive vs. all wheel drive ?

My first car was a 3-series. What I miss about BMW is the incredible handling & refined, high-revving engine.
Now, I like driving a Nissan because the badge doesn't carry so much Stigma like a BMW. I also enjoy the good low-to-mid range torque and power of the V6 engines.

If you're looking at an E92 M3, are you also considering a C63 AMG or RS4 sedan ? A Lexus IS-F would be the Japanese alternative.

I'll choose the M3 over the 370z. My girl had one a few years ago and it was a blast to drive. My buddy also has a 335i with a stage 2 tune with Cobb and make 360whp and 450 torque . It's alot cheaper to get more whp out of BMW then the z. With my 5 series I Plan on doing the same thing. I have seen guys get 400whp with a downpipe upgrade, intakes, exhaust and tune.

People say BMW is over rated I say buy what you like and enjoy it. Test drive the m3 and the 370z. I can this, the interior is hands down way better in the BMW then the z and there service is better IMO

If I had the money for an M3, I'd have chosen that on top of a 370Z. (Although I'd probably get a Cayman S or Evora before the M3, just preference).

The M has a much nicer interior and would be able to handle the power better than the Z since it was built to have over 400 hp.

If driving manual isn't a concern though, GT-R. :>

non-touring is just no-frills cloth with rail sliding and a lever for folding the seat.

touring is leather with electronic doodads for all that plus seat heaters.

The extra electronics dug into my legs.

The sedan feels like driving a boat to me. AWD is something I can do without. Also the amount of money to get the sedan to where I would want it is too much to justify keeping it. I also would get the entire car repainted on the sedan because it needs it, I'm very anal about my paint. Manual is also my preference but for a used GTR I would def sacrifice that. I just cant say the GTR would be my choice because a used one could have been tracked which is something I dont want.

To get the sedan to what I would want, I would be redoing the entire car. This is what I wrote down for it:
Repaint entire car another color
Air ride system
New wheels to replace the DPE's
Exclusive Sport Front Lip and Rear Diffuser
G37S Front end swap
Full Amuse catback exhaust (custom job by amuse)
GTM Twin Supercharger Kit and everything needed to reduce the overheating
Upgrade brakes to either OEM BBK kit or Brembo's

The cost was well over 30k for that build. I have a spreadsheet with exacts, thats just the broad version

My M3 was a '10 model. V-8, 7-speed double clutch and paddles. Alpine white with silver/blue leather interior and sunroof. You will not regret getting the M3. I can't say the same about the Z. But when you are talking M3, you would be better off making your comparisons with the GT-R than the Z.

I agree the M3 should be compared to GTR both are overweight touring cars. My 370z nismo makes mince meat of huge m3 in autocrosses. But m3 v8 sure sounds sexy!

Seems like your used to heavy touring cars so M3 is likely better fit for you. 370z is lighter and less refined. More of a purists sports car. BMW is a sweet tour car that does ok for it's size but it ain't no sports car by a long shot. Think more like a Mustang. Speaking of Mustangs why not a Sweet Boss 302 with Laguna Seca package?

Yeah... i was g2 recommend checking the Boss out, too; but, TeRRor said he won't buy an American made car. Man, the Boss 302 or Shelby GT500 are really appealing cars, imo.

Unless you are really narrowing down/focused on a specific type of car, there are awesome choices from America, Germany, Japan, etc.


M3 Killer! Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laps Laguna Seca - YouTube

I must be missing something.

E92 L: 181.4" W: 71.7" Weight: 3704lbs
Boss 302 L: 188.1" W: 73.9" Weight: 3631lbs

Also M3 comes with 20K miles PS2 while the Boss 302 comes with 60 treadwear Pirelli. Really? Is that a fair comparison?

Mustangs are made in the same plant as some Mazdas if I’m not mistaken?

Also… the Top 2 AMERICAN MADE cars in the USA are…. The Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

Go for the Dodge Challenger, it’s made in Canada and Italian owned! ;)

:driving: :usa: ps, Happy 4th of July :usa: :driving:


other than that... I'd vote M3 if money didn't matter.

Yes your right the M3 should be compared to much larger SVT Ford Fusion. :tup:

[QUOTE=bigsix;1806500]Yeah... i was g2 recommend checking the Boss out, too; but, TeRRor said he won't buy an American made car. Man, the Boss 302 or Shelby GT500 are really appealing cars, imo.

What's that even mean in today's automotive world? All big manufacturers are global corporations, most source parts from same suppliers globally. Toyota Camry is more American made than a Mustang these days. BMW makes cars in the US does that mean you won't by a US made BMW?

My Jeep Cherokee was designed by Mercedes and built by Fiat/jeep in the US using some of same parts that are on Mercedes SUVs Lol! Best vehicle I have ever owned. I have owned infinitis, Porsches, Nissans, Hondas, fords, Chevys, etc. it's weird these days to say you won't drive an American made car. So you will only drive a car made outside the US? Why pay the premium? Manufacturing in Europe and Japan costs a fortune and currencies are inflated to USD so your paying 25 to 50% more over a car manufactured here. That's why Totyota makes Camry here. Why not take advantage of us manufactured car? Not only helping our economy but quality in US is top notch too. quality statisitcs show bmw being lower quality than most other makes. Plenty of quality issues with BMWs.

But will say that V8 m3 is wicked sounding. Just doesn't fit sports car bill for me. It's closer to my SuV than a true sports car

Pretty easy to determine if a GTR has been tracked. Especially if it has low miles. Just check brakes. If it has new pads or rotors at fairly low miles or extremely worn pads you will know someone has hauled that beast out. Also tires are good indicator as well. New tires on low mileage car may be sign of a track day. Hard to hide track day on those beasts?

I have a bias towards American made cars, most of them are made like crap. Great example are the past 3 American made cars my parents have owned before they both switched to Japanese, 2 Ford Explorers and a Ford Taurus. I was win HS and college when they owned those. The Taurus was just poorly made, nothing else can explain it. Then my dad owned the Ford Explorer, not bad but def not on par with my friends Nissan Murano. Then he traded that in for the Eddy Bauer edition Explorer, worst truck ever. That thing spent more time at Ford than at my parents. The 20 yr old Volvo they had worked better than the Ford Explorer. Also had a friend that bought one of the new Vette's and he sold that within a year.

I know the M3 should be more compared to the GTR, but I wanted to get your guys take on the 370z. I'm not entirely sure if I would want to buy something that I can have modified the day I buy it or piece it together. I also wasn't sure if the 20-30k difference in price was justified.

I might as well ask this, does Nissan offer loaner cars for when the 370z is in for oil changes and such like Infiniti offers?

And doesn't the GTR lose its warrenty on the drivetrain if you turn off something so you can launch it?

ha they didn't even give me a shuttle ride from 15 miles away.. you get what you paid for

If this is what you refer to as a heavy touring car, then that's what I was used to. 650whp, viper 6-speed, 4:56 gears, coil over suspension 11 second 1/4 mile drag and 70 mph @ 2200rpm fun car. That is what I drove prior to the M3 and the M3 was just as fun. As much as I like my Z, it hasn't been a replacement to either my 57 Chevy or the M3. They do not compare. They are Apples and Oranges.

Attachment 50081

Attachment 50082

Attachment 50083

bet that thing was fun...

Agreed and you'd look even stupider doing patriotic burnouts in a 370z.:bowrofl:

You are right, I would look stupid trying to do patriotic burnouts with the Z. I am at least smart enough not to try something with a car that it is incapable of doing.

^ ^ haha, that's cool. Never seen a burnout like that

I actually went from a 09 370 to an 11 e92 M3, and as much as I loved my Z, it can't compare to the M3. The M3 is just a different beast altogether.