Ditto, I just did the same and love it.

 

at least 3 peopel on here need new cars

 

i've said this before on this post, but i traded an 05 rx8 for an 03 350z, straight across....and by far the best thing ive ever done. The z is a true sports car, the rx8 is good, but no power, and the rsx only has 2 doors, why get two doors and four seats, thats what grinds my gears. i'd say go with the Z.

 

how can you dismiss the ride quality of the z when you admit that you havent driven or sat in one? before you go asking questions on a forum, drive the cars you are looking at first...

 

LMAO!

The 350Z : Is a true SPORTS COUPE [ie 2 seats], It out handles an RX8 in its' sleep, It does not have an Ion's 4 doors, It has a true SPORTS CAR suspension, It is a hatchback [no trunk], Current true SPORTS CARS are not bought for their gas mileage properties.

 

I have driven all three. I drove a lot of cars before getting the Z...I traded my 1999 SS Z28(LOVED THAT CAR) it was fast but handled like crap...so switching cars and being comfortable with it was hard UNTIL I test drove my Z then I was hooked. I didnt look to see was easy to mod I didnt care about gas I wanted quick,sexy and handling and it was the Z. Always test drive a car, magazines cant tell you exactly how it feels to drive only you can do that.

 

With respect, if your friend has 350Z questions, then your friend should ask them.

 

if you define ride quality as in not feeling the bumps on the road and the stiff suspension then the Z is not your car, its meant to be a firm ride. You cant just go off what Nissan's site says you gotta drive it and see for yourself if its for you. As far as the RX8 goes ..driven it, IMO its not in the same league as the Z in terms of performance. The Z will outhandle the RX8 any day of the week twice on sunday..pplus the RX8 gets some crappy gas mileage to top it off ots a 1.3 with a 6 speed!! plus the Saturn ION doors just kill the image of the car. As far as the RSX type s, my best friend has one, it does great on gas mileage, practicality (rear seats bigger cargo) but it doesnt compare to either the RX8 or the Z in terms of performance. Guess it just depends on what youre lookin for in a car?

 

LOL, I'm one of them. Of course, I'm a bit biased since I own one

Still, keep in mind the guy wants to know which car is best for his friend, not for you guys. A friend who is new to sports cars and coming from an Avalon.

The Z is a fantastic car, but might it not be a bit too much to handle, too much raw sports-car for an ex-Avalon owner? At least with the 8 he gets to keep four seats and a less punishing (from what I read) ride.

 

Seriously, the rx-8 is the most disappointing car i have ever driven. It was all hyped up, looked absolutely sweet, handles like a dream...but i'd rather drive my mom's Infiniti i35 than that thing. It was so damn slow, especially below like 7k rpm. Such a boring car to drive and overpriced to boot.

Make sure he drives each car, that's what i did and that's exactly why i chose the Z.

 

I went from a jeep wrangler to a 350z...too much raw power...you are a *****.

 

lol who voted for the now currently discontinued rsx? haha

-1 FTL

 

The RSX is discontinued??

 

absolutely

 

Probably won't be an 07 RSX. I'm getting ready to trade an 05 RSX-S for a 06 base Z. I can tell you the difference between my car and the ZR I test drove is like the difference I felt when going from my Ponitiac Sunfire to the RSX (huge diff). Yes, the RSX responds better to mods, but so what, the Z has far superior performance out of the box. If you spend $2000 less on the RSX, you'll turn around and spend that on mods (intake, exhaust, race header, tires) and be about even with a stock Z (from 30mph up when you can get traction). But you'll still be out-handled and out-braked by the Z and your girlfriend will leave you for the fat guy next door that bought a Z

 

LOL, it's fun to be so in love with a car that everyone (except owners and car reviewers) loves to hate. Different cars appeal to different needs. The 8 fits mine perfectly

Seriously, the whole point of the 8 is to combine sports car performance (in a dynamic, experiential, subjective, sensual sense - not just 1/4 mile times) with the practicality and comfort of a sedan.

If someone owns an Avalon... and wants to have sports-car fun too... the RX-8 sounds like a good fit.

The RSX is a ton of fun too, but I'm guessing an Avalon owner would find it a step down in terms of luxury and prestige (not that *I* care about those things, but an Avalon owner might).

The Z is a huge context shift from a Avalon. No rear seats. No trunk. Not even a glove compartment, right? Kick-*** thumping stereo. Very stiff sport suspension. Torquey, chomping at the bit engine. All the things you guys love, I know... but coming from an Avalon, it might be a bit of a culture shock, lol.

 

RX-8's are slow as hell....I ran one from a roll and all i heard was his rotary screaming, i didnt even have to downshift to smoke him.

the newer RSX's look too much like a civic...the earlier RSX's looked much better. Even though they respond to mods better, installing aftermarket exhaust makes it sound like those ricey civics/integras.

Get the Z....great amount of torque, sexy styling, and great sounding stock exhaust....my only complaint is the blindspots, but after a while i got used to it, so it doesnt matter anymore.

I have no regrets getting a Z....tell your friend to test drive it.

 

the "old" rsx and the "new" rsx are the same the only thing they changed on the exterior are the lights....

 

yeah, i liked the older ones better.

 

I have to agree. The RSX-S has little torque. only good thing about it is that it's easy to drive. As a Z owner I say go with the Z.