Thinking of getting something cheaper..
 

So I've come to realize that my Z is the most expensive thing in my life. I'm not saving much money with it, because the payments + insurance + gas easily put it over $1000/mo for me. Having owned a 350Z and this being my second 370Z, I've come to love the car quite a bit. But I think it's time to get something cheap and a little more practical. My thinking is a Lexus IS300 and here is why. My buddy is a mechanic at Toyota, and used to be a mechanic at a Lexus dealership prior to that. He knows the car inside and out, and he said it is very reliable, being one of the least common cars to be brought in for service when he worked there. Also, he can help me look for one in good shape and should I need to repair it, he can order parts at dealer cost for me.

The thing is, I don't know that much about these cars.. I've always liked the way they looked and know they have the same engine as the N/A Supras, so they should be pretty reliable. Does anyone here have any experience with them? Would you recommend the IS300 as a daily driver, considering they are 8-12 years old now?

I would like to find something for $13K or less. Do you guys have any other suggestions for cars to consider? I don't think I want a coupe anymore, and I'd like it to have semi-decent fuel economy. Thanks for all your input in advance!

My Hyundai Sonata before the Z was cheap and reliable! Only $285 a month and I bought the 2011 in 2010

As far as Gas, My car actually get's as good of gas mileage as my Wife's 4 banger! The Z is my Daily Driver and I put A LOT of highway miles on her

My sympathies on you getting old and responsible.

I've got a LOT of experience with them, I am a Toyota fanboy, BIG TIME... The major things you have to look for in the older IS300's is random maintenance, the engine is bullet proof, we all know that, but I'd still try to find something under 100k miles, if you're looking for a manual, make sure its a POST 2002 model, or else they did a swap (I don't trust people who do that, LOL) And most people beat on the manual, especially because it was hard to find...

Honestly with a car that old, your biggest things will be belts, plugs, pumps... Make sure the belts have been replaced recently, if it's under 100k miles it'll probably need a timing belt, which CAN be pricey, I'd change the spark plugs, and just have some spare cash in case the A/C dies on you, especially because you're in Phoenix...

Thanks for the info! I'm most likely going to be getting an auto (sigh) as the manual versions are nearly impossible to find. Thankfully my buddy is a mechanic, so he can hook me up on maintenance for it. I'm in no hurry to get it immediately, but I'm already looking for some decent deals. What would you say is a good price to pay for one with a clean title and less than 100k miles?

My rule of thumb is pay the KBB trade in value for a good condition if it's in amazing condition... And if the person really has ALL maintenance records, maybe more...
Figure for a 2005 with 75k miles, $10-11k?

If you can ask to have the car's compression tested, do it, again, I don't assume the engine will die, but if you're serious about buying it, $20-40 is worth the money more than any damn carfax... Also, if you don't know how to tell if a car has been painted or repaired, please look it up, or take a buddy with you... (If you're looking to buy a car from the Southern CA area, I'd be more than happy to give it a look over for you)

This isn't a smokin deal, but I'm just throwing it out there:

2002 Lexus IS 300, $12,870 - Cars.com

If I were going to get out of a 370Z and needed to get into something for $13K or less, it would be a C5 Corvette with highway miles.

Why?

300rwhp, great handling/dynamics, the LS1 is a VERY durable engine (mine had 150K miles and ran the same as it did when I bought it at 72K miles), the T56 is a very durable transmission (same story), and the C5 still looks "new" because the styling is very contemporary, even today. If not for the C6, people would think the C5 were current production.

That's the only $13K car I can see myself driving in the sports-car category, but you will have to stretch your budget a bit to get into one for that, or you will have to find one with highway miles on it or something. I recommend a 2001 or newer because they got the LS6 intake/PCV system, and that will give you 10whp and save you some headaches as well. The C5 gets better mileage than your 370Z, as well, btw. My LS1 car got better average and highway mpg than my 370Z, at least. It was a heavy brick of a Trans Am, too, compared to the lighter, sleeker (0.34CD vs. 0.29CD) C5.

The C5 is a pretty robust system. You might go through some wheel-bearings if you track the car hard, but that's about it. I was told T56's need a rebuild every 80K miles, but I got 150K miles out of mine with no problems except reverse was a touch hard to get into sometimes, which is a common ailment of the T56 (nothing crazy, just hold pressure on reverse and let the clutch out slow and it pops right in.) Anyway, over-all, the C5 is cheap to work on (except the transmission, sadly), and very simple, while retaining very very good performance and feel. It probably feels way better than a 370Z, I know I prefer how my C6Z felt compared to my 370Z, over bumps and in corners. Much better car, stability-wise.

Now, all this being said, I totally empathize with your wanting to cut cost. I am going to either refinance my 370Z, or move into something cheaper myself in the next 4 years when I build a house. Why? I would rather be able to afford more house and less car, and the 370Z will be a "has been" after 2015, anyway, what with all the new stuff coming out. I would love maybe a little BRZ if they can find a way to install a turbo...

Anyway, you might also consider an S2000 in your price range. I dunno, I am thinking sports-car to sports car.

PS: I would NEVER own a car with timing belts. F that. I never have, and never will. Go into any dealership that belongs to a brand that predominantly sells timing belt equipped cars and I promise you will find several mangle-valved heads sitting around. They pop. Simple as that. A timing belt is as much of a deal-breaker as if you told me that the car had a giant apparatus that plunged up through the driver's seat-cushion and randomly had its way with you. Because that's exactly what it does to your wallet.

That's why they have non interference motor....

Thanks again for the replies guys. The reason I'm not considering cars such as the C5 and S2000 is because I won't be saving much in terms of gas or insurance. Both are classified the same as the Z - 2 seater sports cars. I want to get away from that, and get something 4-door. I'm sure that later down the road I'll be returning to the sports car world, and can definitely see myself owning another Z, if they don't screw up the next gen too bad. But for now I need to take a back seat ;) and save some money.

Corvette (at least in Texas) is cheaper to insure than a Z. Also gas mileage in a Vette is MUCH better. I would EASILY get 30+ MPG while driving 90+ on the highway. It was a heavily modded car as well with a big lumpy cam, headers, etc... I was very surprised. Most expensive to insure IIRC is a Mustang GT.

If you think 4 door car is going to be cheaper on insurance, don't get an EVO. You will be surprised.

To be honest, I've never been in a C5. However I did test drive the C6 after my first 370Z was totaled, and I wasn't impressed. I felt like I was stuck in a cockpit and the interior quality made me miss my Z. I'm not sure how the C5 compares to the C6 quality-wise, but I can't really see myself driving one. The Evo and the Mustang GT are definitely not on my radar either. Evos are terrible on gas and I did hear the insurance on them is expensive. Mustangs are everywhere and I would never want to drive one simply because it's so ubiquitous.

Mine was a 2008 C6. I've also driven many C5's. The C6 is a HUGE improvement over the C5 in terms of interior quality (and pretty much everything else). To be honest, my 370 is not that much better as far as interior quality except for the seats. The seats in a Corvette are horrible.

What IS a lot better in the 370Z is the suspension. I had to install coilovers in my C6 because the Z51 suspension was a joke. The 370 inspires A LOT more confidence.

Look into Volkswagen. Really solid quality German cars for reasonable prices and great fuel effiecency.

If you want it to break, and you want headaches, buy cheap Germam...

I'm sorry LakeShow, I agree with a lot of your posts and feedback, but this I don't agree with... My 2010 BMW 3 series, making engine noises after 30k miles of highway miles... Mom's 2008 VW Passat, 3 water pumps in 30k, 3 years, best friend's 2005 VW Jetta, 2 water pumps, overheated a few times struts blown out, 55k miles (in 2009, then he sold it)

Germans make AMAZING CARS... For a short time... Most of the time German cars take a dump at 50k...
And they USED to make really reliable cars, now they just have reliable owners...



Btw, the IS300 isn't going to get great mileage...

And call your insurance to get quotes, I got an estimate for a DeLorean, half of the premium of the 370Z... I made sure they looked into it, $1000 bumper, door skins are like $2000, hood costs another $3k, and mind you, these are USED parts on eBay, AND you can't Bondo the damn car to repaint it, but they confirmed, and they said they have all the estimates in their system... Even the Toyota Supra was cheaper, they even looked into it to give me the money they'd pay out if the cars got totaled... They were going to pay out like $4k over the price I was going to buy either car... God knows why, it just worked out that way...

:iagree: STAY AWAY FROM VW, ESPECIALLY USED ONES!

IF YOUR PLANNING ON MODDING THE IS300, MY BUDDY HAD VERY POOR RELIABILITY ONCE HE STARTED... ENDED UP TRADING FOR AN S2000 I BELIEVE

I used to own a 2001 is300. Its a great car. I've never had problems with mine. Had it for 4 years. But during winter time it SUCKED. And the gas mileage wasn't great.. but i do miss my is300.

I've helped mod several IS300's no problems, some were turboed, one with nitrous, and one guy just beat the crap out of his car, lol
Sorry your buddy had problems, but even though Toyota is Toyota, shít does happen every so often, so he probably just had that ONE car that was screwed... Ex: 98intrigue... 370 that died, Viper that died... Shít happens

Are you really going to be happy with that car? Or will you be looking to trade it soon? The worst financial mistake you can make is to continue to buy, mod, and then trade vehicles.

Scorch! You put so much money into the car!?!

Talk about loosing money. You wasted money buying the exact same car that you already had... Did you think you were going to make money buying the mods that you did haha? Poor planning my man!

Anyways, good luck with the car search. You can find a 2010-11 Kia Optima online for about 13-15k. Those are great cars and get good mileage without sacrificing too much of appearance

The Z costs me easily 800-1000 every month. Gas, insurance, payment, and running(service) costs.

Yeah, it wasn't the most thought-out purchase, that's for sure. But it was definitely worth it, and I have no regrets. If I had to do it all over again, I would. I still smile every time I open my garage and see my Z there, and I still look back at it every time I park and start walking away.

Maybe I should look at the Optima option.. My first 3 cars were Hyundai after all.

2003 Evo 8

2005 Evolution 8 MR (Evo VIII)

This place always has cars for around 16k...low miles
2011 Kia Optima LX For Sale In Glendale AZ 85301 - Equity Auto Center

"Equity Auto Center"

If you could find something like this, you will stay under $200 a month. and much less maintenance costs.. ~ 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

So how much was the speeding ticket? :stirthepot:

Insurance, no, gas, yes. The 370Z gets horrible mileage and both of those cars do better, both on the highway, and around town.

If Nissan wants me back for the next generation, they will fix the weight distribution "issues" of the 370Z. Other than that, killer car all-around and I love it!

Former C6 Z06 owner here, and I liked my friend's C5Z's interior better. GM really didn't fix the crappy Lear seats, the junk door panels, etc. but the leather quality did go down. *sigh*

Also, I hate my 370Z's suspension compared to my Z06 or the Grand Sport C6's I drove. The crappy weight distribution and the complete and utter lack of rebound control make the 370Z plow in the corners and bounce all over the place if you hit a bump. Corvette did a MUCH! better job planting the ride and handling the curves IMO/IME. Further, enter a corner in the 370Z and accelerate for balance and you might "go over the edge"---you can't stop accelerating after a certain point of you lose the back end when the weight shifts forward---hope you gauged things right. With the Corvette, you can back off without near the drama. "Plan as you go" in the corvette. Not so much the 370Z. IMO/IME.

Now, back to OP...


...What about a G35S? They are nice cars, peppy, cheaper, etc.?

Man, I really just don't know what to recommend. The Lexus IS is nice, but then, you are paying a premium to work on things, and those Japanese cars suck in my opinion. Why? They just fall apart once they get old. Not the engine itself or anything, but all your rubber bushings, things like that. Everyone I know who ever had an older Lexus/Infiniti/Nissan has run into that. The "little stuff" just seems to be pure junk. It falls apart. I ran into that on my G20, my friend Cara ran into that on her Lexus RX300 and Lexus car (I forgot what model, around 2001), and my friend has run into it on his Frontier. Sure, the motor keeps turning and the trans likely won't take a dump, but to keep the car 100% functional will totally kill you nickel-dime wise.

Great design and implementation and fit/finish and all that, but it's "weird" how some of it "goes together" and unnecessary in many cases, and the material the small-parts are made from is like bargain-basement from the 1995-2003 era it seems. Cracks, breaks, falls apart. My 1988 mustang GT held up better than my 2002 G20 and it sat in some old guy's lawn for years, lol. Interior had no cracks, body bushings were great, etc. If that had been a Lexus? Anything not made of metal or glass would have been worthless. Even their metal and glass seem inferior to American counterparts. My 370Z is literally the crappiest windshield I have owned---other than my G20. Japanese stuff just isn't as durable. My G20 windshield cracked with the heater turned on when it was cold out. Twice. My 370Z? It has tons of peck-marks, and broke with less than 500 miles on the car. My Z06 sat way lower and never had any issues. One TINY! peck when I sold it, and it sounded like a 9mm hit my windshield when I got that, probably would have fubar'ed my 370Z. I have no idea why this is, but it has been my perception from owning American and Japanese automobiles. YMMV

American cars, it seems to be stuff like window motors, water pumps, that sort of thing, but the other stuff does good, if you can put up with a somewhat crappy interior.

So take your pick, I guess, but the older American car is probably going to be a better choice for insurance, as well as "restoring/keeping" at 100% function.

Interior taste is subjective so there is no point in arguing that. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. :tup:

As for the suspension, I know in my '08 C6 with the Z51 suspension, above 110 MPH the thing was absolutely floaty. I thought I was driving a Cadillac. Did not feel planted AT ALL. Once I installed coilovers it all went away. It was stable all the way to 190. (Yes, I hit 190 in it)

As for comparing it to the 370, I have only driven my Nismo, and I can tell you it inspires much more confidence in me than my Vette.

One thing I am sure that you will agree with me on is that the Vette absolutely SUCKS in the rain. I have driven C6 Z06's in the rain and I was mortified at how it wandered all over the place above 60 MPH. It was really bad. Conversely, I hit over 100 MPH in the rain this Saturday in my Nismo and it was fine. Very stable.

My 370Z is crap in the rain. I spun out on the freeway with 9/32 left on the tires while doing the same speed as surrounding traffic. Sorry, the 370Z is not half the car the corvette is in the suspension department. Anything over about 55 and it hydroplanes. I have a 2012 Sport model. I did not know a modern car could BE this pathetic when it comes to handling rain on the OEM tires unless you count the ACR Viper or something on DOT's.

Nothing about the 370Z is superior to the corvette in the suspension department except for: It has less propensity to wheel-hop, and steering feel, as well as parking-lot turn radius/maneuverability. Those are the only improvements I have noted as compared to my Z06. Base C6 without Z51 felt very planted to me, and I beat on Grand Sports doing over 120mph down the back stretch of Spring Mountain and they (Z51 suspension, basically) felt great as well.

Performance-wise, it feels very bad in corners, comparatively. 55/45 (what it REALLY is, yes, I weighed it on DOT scales that do biasing) is crap for performance driving. That is weight distribution though, not suspension. The bad part is when you hit an irregularity and the pogo-stick at each corner upsets the whole car.

I still like my 370Z better than my C6Z06 as a car I drive on the street, but the suspension is horrible, the weight distribution reminds me of my 1980's 5.0, and the OEM tires...I don't drive in the rain above 50-55mph anymore. Period. I slowly worked up to that 55mph limit during light rain on open roads, that is where the OEM tires with good tread begin to lose contact with the road and steering input becomes iffy if you hit any water what-so-ever. I'm not talking puddles, I'm just talking rain coming down and running down the crown of the road in any significant quantity (if you can see it, it's too much to hit at over 55!!!). As it is, If I ever see the sheen of water on the road too late to drop under about 55, I just point the car straight and try to be calm so that when I get control back, I am still pointed the right direction. I leave 10 minutes early for work when it's raining.


I never drove my Z06 in the rain, it was a toy. I cannot comment on that. I did drive my WS.6 in the rain, though, and it was rock solid. Even my old highschool car, a crown-vic, on bald tires was more solid. My G20 was more solid. I have literally never owned or been in a car that was crappier to drive in the rain than my 370Z Sport w/OEM tires. Ever. Crown Vic with no tread up front, WS.6 with no tread up front (when you're broke in school, tires are the last thing on your list). None of them would lose it like this 370 on Potenzas.

Like I tell people, this is my luxury car with a little pep. I don't consider it a performance automobile, just luxury "with a bit of edge". Hell, I already warped the rotors in it at 10K miles and had to have them turned. All street driving and my front tires still have over 1/2 the tread left on them.

I'm sorry, but no. I cannot tell you my 370Z Sport is anything near what my Z06 or any other corvette I have driven (Grand Sport, ZR1) in the suspension department.

Planned fixes: Tires that aren't crap. Don't drive the 370Z like it's a 'vette and you won't end up in the ditch. It can't handle sweeping corners. It's meant for short, tight corners. Long corners are bad in this car. You have to accelerate to balance the 370Z, and you can easily run out of lateral traction, or you will have a low exit velocity...or you can hit it JUUUSSTTT right...but you have to do EVERYTHING perfectly.

I'm sorry, I hate the way this car handles compared to a true sports car. I still love the interior, looks, and the acceleration and brakes are plenty good for the street as long as they don't warp on me again. But the handling is very disappointing in every way unless you are on a very "tight" series of corners. I think that's how all Japanese cars are, though, or most of them. That's just how those people do things. American cars are great in high-speed sweepers and on the open road, Japanese cars are meant for those tight little technical type tracks/corners.

Since I am moving to NW Arkansas, I hope to be in the 370Z's element, though, with the tighter corners, and with the smoother roads there, plus better tires, a lot of my complaints will dissappear.

I hate somewhat going so bluntly against your opinions, but they are polar opposites to mine. Maybe the ADVAN tires on your NISMO are way better than the Potenza's on the Sport model, and maybe the stiffer suspension keeps it from feeling like a pregnant yak in corners with the front plowing unless you're on the throttle pretty good.

I think this is why people wonder why you made the switch, :icon17:

although you already told us why in another thread, still makes you think if I was happy with a vette Id stick with it. Jus sayin might I say you knew what you were getting into when downgrading :rofl2::tiphat:

I like the 370Z more. It is a much worse performer, but lets face it, I don't track the car and it makes me smile when I "push" it a little, still.

Now, the good?

The seats kick ***! My back doesn't hurt.
The interior is nice to look at.
The steering feel is great.
The NAV is modern!
The sound system, while not some audiophile's wet-dream is plenty for me!

Until you flop out about 100 large, you're going to be making compromises, I'm sorry.

I don't want to spend $100K+, and I am totally cool with the compromises I picked with the 370Z. However, I am honest with myself about them.

Well, I say totally cool, it's getting some Pilot Sport tires of whatever is the latest and greatest (coming from the 'vette world, that would be PS2's, but I think we in the Nissan world have a "better" tire that will fit our cars from the same line?). The hydroplaning issues has to GO. Other than that, I am still very happy with the trade and do not wish my Z06 back, helluva performer that it was, not withstanding.

*I will admit that I did think the weight distribution was 47/53 with a driver and fuel. It's not. Not even close. If it were, I think I would like the handling much better. Nissan lied, I believed them, the world keeps turnin'. GM was within about 0.25% of 50/50 with gas and a driver, BTW. So I expected honesty from Nissan, there, as well.

Well put, and from a unbiased position as well. :tiphat:

Yup, there will always compromises you make, glad to know you have positive things to say about the 370z as well, it really is a well balacned sports car for its value imo.:driving:

Speaking of the hydroplaning issues a couple of people I know have the Hankooks V12, Im gonna be ordering some soon, they are proven to reduce hydroplaning, and drivibaliltiy in wet conditions. Look into them if you havent already. :tup:

I have tunnel-vision when it comes to tires. I pushed the 'vettes at Spring Mountain, and the Pilot Sports on those cars were amazing. Great feedback, very predictable, they really let you know where you stood, wet or dry. For that reason, I want them. I know how they "feel". IF I am dissapointed with them, I will wear them out and when they are dead, look elsewhere.

I have a ton of positive things to say about my 370Z. I still own it, yes? :tup:

However, when I am ready to trade this car in, I will be leaving Nissan unless certain things change. I will probably go over to BMW or Porsche. I have experienced American sports cars, and found the over-all experience very lacking. I have experienced Japanese sports cars, at least a little, with this 370Z, and I would like to sample what Europe brings to the table, and Mercedes does not offer manuals in America that I know of. To me, cars are disposable, and they are fun, and life is about living. I could care less for the "If it's not a such and such it's a pile of crap" mentality. I want to sample them all (within reason). A house...wife (if I was a marrying type), gun, those things are "long term investments". A car? Buy what you want when you want it, and when that changes, change it. DEFINITELY no room for brand-centric emotion hard-ons automotive speaking, although I am sore at GM for the "Bail-out".

Right now, as it sits today, I cannot think of another new car I would rather have for the cost of my 370Z or less. Yes it has foibles, but its strong points (Style, interior, qa/qc, what performance it does have, affordability for what you get) outweigh its negatives (clunky transmission, bad weight distribution, horrible rebound control, windshield that cracks if you look at it hard).

So far my take-away from American and Japanese:

American:

Dude, this interior sucks and what's up with the NAV, is that a calculator screen?

"But...it's FAST! It pulls over 1G! It sets world records!!! Who cares if you hate the interior and the seat reminds you of your favorite bean-bag chair in gradeschool? ITS FAST!


Japanese:

Why is this thing only 332 horses? Do you really mean that 50/50 weight distribution is bad even though GM spent over 500,000 just developing lighter fenders for the Z06?

"But the VQ, it doesn't have intake cams! It's a marvel! It's so advanced! Look at this volumetric efficiency at low rpm! Also that radiator support, it's carbon-fiber! SO ADVANCED! No...I don't know why we did that or bothered with the other, but it's a marvel of modern engineering! The seats, good, yes?

German (as I perceive it):

Why the hell are you charging me $2200 to change the spark plugs?

Is ultimate experience. You like how holds road? Enjoy sound system? Silky transmission? Growl of 8,000rpm V8? Good. Shut up. We will charge you what you want and you can stew over it while ogling our receptionist and swilling this premium roast coffee we brought you. By the way, tack on $320. A coil pack also needs replacing.

Italian (as I perceive it, and will never truly know):

Wow...look at that.

"Hi, brochures are $50 a piece. Look, please do not touch. When you get a real job, I will be happy to have one of our staff take you for a ride in the Investment of your choice. Until then, I'll just follow you with this little micro-fiber cloth and detail spray because I'm afraid you won't be able to resist smearing your poverty on at least one door-handle since you don't believe me that yes, they are all locked."

I'm not a big fan of leaf spring suspensions. All I can tell you is that when I put coilovers on my car, it transformed the way it handled.

I wonder if there is a big difference in the way the Sport models handle versus the Nismo models? I know the shocks are A LOT stiffer in the Nismos, maybe that with the small aero tweaks make a difference? Not sure.

X2 and that is Ironic coming from a chevy owner, :icon17:

yes have heard good reviews on PSS as well. And agreed with the last paragraph the Zs have their faults as any car does, but I feel its strong points are a good enough reason to own and drive one...or like you said why else would we be in one? :driving:

As far as future choice goes I will almost 95% stick with JDM, I am loyal to em, no change there and that was from day one when I got my altima before my Z. The Nissan 370z is a good car that is both valuable, and like many say the best bang for the buck sports car. :tup:

Bring LOTS of money. Serious. They are awesome cars, but when things go wrong, it gets expensive really quickly. If you can wrench on the car yourself, that helps a lot. But if not, I suggest you find a good mechanic that you trust and who knows what he is doing first, and then buy a car that he knows how to work on.

Nice thing about American cars is that when things go wrong, parts are cheap and everybody and their mother knows how to work on them. (You can get front brake rotors for a Vette at NAPA for like $28!)

Please see my above, lol. Yes, I know that BMW is very expensive if anything breaks. Not even the parts always, just the privelidge of swilling their coffee while they work on your vehicle. It is my OPINION that this is why they began including service-plans with Mercedes and then BMW, because people shied away from them a few years ago because of this.

If I buy BMW/Porsche, it will be CPO with an extended warranty. Also, up next is a house, so it won't be for another 5-7 years. I like my 370Z quite enough to keep it that long.

American cars have GREAT! drive-lines now days. Interior bits and pieces are mainly what die in my experience, and if the driveline bits die, it's usually simple and cheap like you say.

How did the "something cheaper" thread turm into talks of BMW and Porsche:rofl2:

I doubt Aero matters at the speeds I am talking. I am willing to bet it's the suspension and the tires that are responsible for our differing opinions.

I really liked the leaf-spring setup. It worked very well. Well enough to set world records around the 'ring. My only complaint was that it managed torque/wheel-hop very poorly compared to coil-overs.

Shocks alone are supposed to do a lot on the corvettes. I kept mine stock so I wouldn't know. The leaf-spring really isn't a bad setup from the technical standpoint. I liked how it performed, as well. It was very progressive regarding how it loaded up. I liked that. Not "bouncy" at all. Like you noted, it felt "floaty" compared to my 370Z, but it was very much in control, much better contact with the road than my 370Z even though it felt like it floated. I loved it.

I think it felt that way because over small bumps that upset my 370Z, the leaf barely flexed, didn't load up much, and the suspension did the work without involving the body of the car so much, so it felt like it floated, but really, I was just more isolated from minor pavement irregularities. My Dad hates that about my 370Z. Says every time we take a cornering bridge the front-end jumps to the side every time we go over an expansion joint. I kindof feel what he means, but it must be worse from the passenger seat. That was actually his first comment about it on a technical level "Your Z06 didn't do that. I do NOT like it."

You can pretty much count that as fact. Even Ferrari now has free 7 year maintenance on their new 458's.

E46. Still an ultimate driving machine. :tup:

Noone from Nissan corporate has ever bought me supper. I'll buy what I think is the best fit for me at the time. I try very hard to "call it like I see it" when it comes to product reviews. I don't emotionally identify with my cars anymore, although I certainly used to in my early 20's/late teens. Now, it's land/house, lol. Also getting into class III weaponry, etc. The 370Z makes that a bit more affordable than the Z06 did. Especially the house/land stuff, since loans are based on D/I. I did not get rid of it thinking that, but now that I have sold it, I am thinking about it.

Yeah priorities over wants-needs, finding a way to balance both is the the best of both worlds, although it always involves compromises such as in your situation. :icon17: :driving: