Before you bought your Z...
BMW M3 - Why not: Outdated, last year for this generation, all the options sky rocket the price
Mercedes SLK - AMG is the way to go, but all the options make the price ridiculous
RX-8 - Why not: Poor performance, circular stereo makes it a pain to upgrade
Audi TT - Outdated, last year for this generation + poor performance
G35 Coupe - Why not: Performance is not as good as the Z
So...
350Z Track: Just enough to mod and hold on until the GT-R is released!
Mercedes SLK - AMG is the way to go, but all the options make the price ridiculous
RX-8 - Why not: Poor performance, circular stereo makes it a pain to upgrade
Audi TT - Outdated, last year for this generation + poor performance
G35 Coupe - Why not: Performance is not as good as the Z
So...
350Z Track: Just enough to mod and hold on until the GT-R is released!
Welp...I was driving a car I thought all along I would never part with...then started to have some problems...then the paint that I had babied since day one got raped while in the body shop for some warranty (factory defect that paint started bubbling off...4 years after production)...suddenly my longterm thoughts went out the window...time to find a replacement.
All along I had thought of a Z as the likely replacement if something went wrong with the one I planned to keep. SO, I decided to finally take a closer look. I went with every intention of trying a hardtop model, but each time I would wander on the lot, I'd find myself staring at a Roadster...soon I finally test drove one and that was pretty much all she wrote. Never had a desire to own a convertible before, but I fell in love with the roadster design!
To make sure I was getting what I wanted, I did try a G35C first...but wasnt overly impressed by it. Felt slower, and definately didnt like the more conservative styling in comparison to the Z. There was really nothing else that interested me (in my price range). I personally think the Evo and STi look like @$$, regardless of how fast they are. I do like the RX8 styling, but a friend had one, and I just wasnt that impressed overall. I thought I would try a S2000 as well, but both of the dealers I went to, none of the fat@$$ salesman would give me the time of day, so I moved on. Mustang? can't stand them or any other Ford. The GTO w/ the LS2 could have been tempting, it not for such dull styling.
That being said, there is one car I'd have passed on the Z for...a C6 Vette! I've wanted a Corvette since I was old enough to know what one was. Unfortunately, my income level doesnt support a new one yet. Until then, I'll be having a blast in my Z!
All along I had thought of a Z as the likely replacement if something went wrong with the one I planned to keep. SO, I decided to finally take a closer look. I went with every intention of trying a hardtop model, but each time I would wander on the lot, I'd find myself staring at a Roadster...soon I finally test drove one and that was pretty much all she wrote. Never had a desire to own a convertible before, but I fell in love with the roadster design!
To make sure I was getting what I wanted, I did try a G35C first...but wasnt overly impressed by it. Felt slower, and definately didnt like the more conservative styling in comparison to the Z. There was really nothing else that interested me (in my price range). I personally think the Evo and STi look like @$$, regardless of how fast they are. I do like the RX8 styling, but a friend had one, and I just wasnt that impressed overall. I thought I would try a S2000 as well, but both of the dealers I went to, none of the fat@$$ salesman would give me the time of day, so I moved on. Mustang? can't stand them or any other Ford. The GTO w/ the LS2 could have been tempting, it not for such dull styling.
That being said, there is one car I'd have passed on the Z for...a C6 Vette! I've wanted a Corvette since I was old enough to know what one was. Unfortunately, my income level doesnt support a new one yet. Until then, I'll be having a blast in my Z!
I wanted a car that was white, had HID's and rear wheel drive so I test drove...
IS300: insurance was way too much for some reason (50% more than a Z
)
G35c: too mature, not flashy enough, old lady at work had one
bmw 323: too mature, not flashy, not ready to grow up
Z: good price, all the performance I can handle (not afraid to admit that a stock Z is fast enough for me), flashy, 2 seater (don't have to drive to lunch as often now
), not very common in my area, 2nd cheapest insurance of the pack (the bmw was way less for some reason), etc.
edit: once I heard the exhaust note of the 3.5l v6 I knew I wanted a g35c or 350z
IS300: insurance was way too much for some reason (50% more than a Z
)G35c: too mature, not flashy enough, old lady at work had one
bmw 323: too mature, not flashy, not ready to grow up
Z: good price, all the performance I can handle (not afraid to admit that a stock Z is fast enough for me), flashy, 2 seater (don't have to drive to lunch as often now
), not very common in my area, 2nd cheapest insurance of the pack (the bmw was way less for some reason), etc.edit: once I heard the exhaust note of the 3.5l v6 I knew I wanted a g35c or 350z
Last edited by hypeiv; Aug 11, 2005 at 06:05 PM.
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
From: Ann Arbor, MI
in no particular order...
STi - wanted one ever since I got Speedvision in '01, but price was a bit high and the looks are OK, but only because I'm a rally freak
EVO - see STi + ridiculous looking cartoonish greenhouse
GTO - drove one, lots of *****, nice interior; just couldn't pull the trigger b/c of blandness and the crappiness of my '99 Grand Am after 80k miles
Mustang - wanted a car now, but you should never buy the first model year (trust me, I work in Detroit); interior was too Enterprise Rent-a-car; solid axle
G35C - Love it, but seems like it will loose some luster after a few years (Z for life!)
RX-8 - Drove one, needs *****
SRT-4 - I was close, honestly, especially after I helped my co-worker slap on a giant snail and push 340 whp on the dyno with no bottom end work. Turns out I'm too vain to drive a Neon, even one that will spank my stock Z.
300C - not really, but my company makes the exhaust system; the car is a boat
300ZX - always wanted one and they still look awesome even by today's standards (probably always will); I don't have a good reason I didn't buy one, except that I like the newest tech
S2000 - fast by the numbers, but does't register high on the butt-o-meter; sort of plain
C6 - can't afford
C5 - I don't know... just...
STi - wanted one ever since I got Speedvision in '01, but price was a bit high and the looks are OK, but only because I'm a rally freak
EVO - see STi + ridiculous looking cartoonish greenhouse
GTO - drove one, lots of *****, nice interior; just couldn't pull the trigger b/c of blandness and the crappiness of my '99 Grand Am after 80k miles
Mustang - wanted a car now, but you should never buy the first model year (trust me, I work in Detroit); interior was too Enterprise Rent-a-car; solid axle
G35C - Love it, but seems like it will loose some luster after a few years (Z for life!)
RX-8 - Drove one, needs *****
SRT-4 - I was close, honestly, especially after I helped my co-worker slap on a giant snail and push 340 whp on the dyno with no bottom end work. Turns out I'm too vain to drive a Neon, even one that will spank my stock Z.
300C - not really, but my company makes the exhaust system; the car is a boat
300ZX - always wanted one and they still look awesome even by today's standards (probably always will); I don't have a good reason I didn't buy one, except that I like the newest tech
S2000 - fast by the numbers, but does't register high on the butt-o-meter; sort of plain
C6 - can't afford
C5 - I don't know... just...
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
From: Ann Arbor, MI
AND OF COURSE
Zeeeeeeeee! -
car snobs say Japanese cars don't have heritage but the Z has plenty;
Killer looks (the shape is challenging and, like it or not, forces you to look at it to comprehend all the surfaces. the character seems to _Shift from sleek to squat depending on which angle you see); Admit it, Z owners, you always look at your reflection in windows and secretly wish you could somehow switch to a 3rd person view.
Intoxicating sound. maybe I'm crazy, but I swear I can hear some V-12 character at 1/2 throttle between 2000-3500 RPM with the windows down. WOT sound is all business. Throttle blips on downshifts make a nice growl;
Super short shift throws. too bad my 2nd and 3rd gear synchros see to be a little lazy, resulting in a very audible clunk from the driven/driving dog rings making friends (other people probably think I don't know how to shift);
Handling. It's hard to really evaluate different vehicles on a test drive or even on the roads (at least the roads around me). I'll just take everyone's word for it until I get the chance to put it on the track or go on a road trip to somewhere other than Michigan;
VQ35DE.
Rarity. The looks combined with the relatively few you see on the road make it feel very exotic. I think even Z owners love spotting other Z's because it's still sort of a rare treat.
By the numbers, the Z wins some and loses some over the others, but it just seems to be the perfect combination for me.
Zeeeeeeeee! -
car snobs say Japanese cars don't have heritage but the Z has plenty;
Killer looks (the shape is challenging and, like it or not, forces you to look at it to comprehend all the surfaces. the character seems to _Shift from sleek to squat depending on which angle you see); Admit it, Z owners, you always look at your reflection in windows and secretly wish you could somehow switch to a 3rd person view.
Intoxicating sound. maybe I'm crazy, but I swear I can hear some V-12 character at 1/2 throttle between 2000-3500 RPM with the windows down. WOT sound is all business. Throttle blips on downshifts make a nice growl;
Super short shift throws. too bad my 2nd and 3rd gear synchros see to be a little lazy, resulting in a very audible clunk from the driven/driving dog rings making friends (other people probably think I don't know how to shift);
Handling. It's hard to really evaluate different vehicles on a test drive or even on the roads (at least the roads around me). I'll just take everyone's word for it until I get the chance to put it on the track or go on a road trip to somewhere other than Michigan;
VQ35DE.
Rarity. The looks combined with the relatively few you see on the road make it feel very exotic. I think even Z owners love spotting other Z's because it's still sort of a rare treat.
By the numbers, the Z wins some and loses some over the others, but it just seems to be the perfect combination for me.
Registered User
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 54
Likes: 0
From: Alabama
RX-8 - Dealer didn't meet my asking price,
2005 Stang - Salesman said they weren't taking less than $4k over sticker...WTF?
G35 - no particular reason, always wanted a Z!
Scion - Don't ask.
2005 Stang - Salesman said they weren't taking less than $4k over sticker...WTF?
G35 - no particular reason, always wanted a Z!
Scion - Don't ask.
Last edited by rlee60; Aug 11, 2005 at 08:22 PM. Reason: spelling
Originally Posted by rlee60
RX-8 - Dealer didn't meet my asking price,
2005 Stang - Salesman said they were'nt taking less than $4k over sticker...WTF?
G35 - no particular reason, always wanted a Z!
Scion - Don't ask.
2005 Stang - Salesman said they were'nt taking less than $4k over sticker...WTF?
G35 - no particular reason, always wanted a Z!
Scion - Don't ask.
If you don't want to talk about the Scion can you PM me why?
One of the other cars I'm considering other than the Z is MAYBE a Tc, which would allow me $$$ wise, to replace my Sportbike I sold. But right now it's the Z I'm interested in.
Registered User
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 54
Likes: 0
From: Alabama
Not a problem, I'll talk.
I really like the Tc. Performace was good, not great, but for the money decent. I don't know how old you are, but, I'm movin' on up there (45) and I felt that the Scion was too young for me. My nine year old loved it, and made me promise to buy her one when she became driving age. If I were in my earlier twenties, this would be a good car for the price, the look, and the performance. But remember, it still won't be a Z.
I really like the Tc. Performace was good, not great, but for the money decent. I don't know how old you are, but, I'm movin' on up there (45) and I felt that the Scion was too young for me. My nine year old loved it, and made me promise to buy her one when she became driving age. If I were in my earlier twenties, this would be a good car for the price, the look, and the performance. But remember, it still won't be a Z.
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 87
Likes: 0
From: St. Louis/Fort Worth
NSX (used)
M3 (36 and 46)
MK IV Supra TT
C5 Z06
1J into my old '90 supra
It pretty much came up between a NSX, E36 M3, and the Z...
Both the NSX and M3 would have been used...and eventually after test driving the Z fell in love with it...
Just got my 2005 Track edition off the truck from California 2 days ago...
Couldnt be happier
M3 (36 and 46)
MK IV Supra TT
C5 Z06
1J into my old '90 supra
It pretty much came up between a NSX, E36 M3, and the Z...
Both the NSX and M3 would have been used...and eventually after test driving the Z fell in love with it...
Just got my 2005 Track edition off the truck from California 2 days ago...
Couldnt be happier
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 443
Likes: 0
From: Houston, Tx
Originally Posted by Chad68
What if any other cars did you consider to buy other than the Z?
I have been bouncing back and forth for the last few months between getting the Z or a totally different car. I like both cars but for totally different reasons.
The other car is nothing like the Z at all, in fact it's an econo box in the <$20,000 bracket. I'm not going to bother to say what car it is because I will end up getting all of the rice this, rice that stuff even though that's not the case with that car. And no it's not a Honda either.
Anyway, I was just kinda curious what if any other cars you were thinking of buying, before you took the Z plunge? I know some were thinking of a Mustang GT. What about you?
Later.
I have been bouncing back and forth for the last few months between getting the Z or a totally different car. I like both cars but for totally different reasons.
The other car is nothing like the Z at all, in fact it's an econo box in the <$20,000 bracket. I'm not going to bother to say what car it is because I will end up getting all of the rice this, rice that stuff even though that's not the case with that car. And no it's not a Honda either.
Anyway, I was just kinda curious what if any other cars you were thinking of buying, before you took the Z plunge? I know some were thinking of a Mustang GT. What about you?
Later.
Originally Posted by rlee60
Not a problem, I'll talk.
I really like the Tc. Performace was good, not great, but for the money decent. I don't know how old you are, but, I'm movin' on up there (45) and I felt that the Scion was too young for me. My nine year old loved it, and made me promise to buy her one when she became driving age. If I were in my earlier twenties, this would be a good car for the price, the look, and the performance. But remember, it still won't be a Z.
I really like the Tc. Performace was good, not great, but for the money decent. I don't know how old you are, but, I'm movin' on up there (45) and I felt that the Scion was too young for me. My nine year old loved it, and made me promise to buy her one when she became driving age. If I were in my earlier twenties, this would be a good car for the price, the look, and the performance. But remember, it still won't be a Z.
That's kind of how I feel about it too, that I'm too old for it. I will be 37 in November and the whole Scion thing is geared towards early 20 somethings. Sometimes I just wished they called them Toyota Tc's and left all of that friggin' hip hop stuff out of their brochures and advertising.
But I still think it's a neat little car for the money, which is why it's still on my list. Aside from the fabric they use on the seats in the TC, I actually really like the whole interior. Leather seat skins would really make it nice, I think.
But also like ya say it will never be a 350z.
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 31
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From: montreal
330ci wi M performance package.
Z4.
The 330ci I turned down because the new body had just come out and I knew the ew coupe was coming out next year. I didn't want my car to look "old" after only one year.
The Z4 3.0 is nice, but it desperatly needs the BMW body kit. Factor that with the base price of the car and the sport package it was getting too expensive.
I'm happy with what I got. And have no regrets.
Z4.
The 330ci I turned down because the new body had just come out and I knew the ew coupe was coming out next year. I didn't want my car to look "old" after only one year.
The Z4 3.0 is nice, but it desperatly needs the BMW body kit. Factor that with the base price of the car and the sport package it was getting too expensive.
I'm happy with what I got. And have no regrets.
