350ZFast

I am seriously considering purchasing a 350Z. What other cars did you look at before buying the 350Z, and what were their strengths and weaknesses?

Thank you.

davidv

iTrader: (2)

In the fall of 2004, I saw my first 350Z sitting in a parking lot. I walked around the car several times and was stunned by the style and simplicity of visual lines. It was then that I decided that I must drive one. And in December I did just that and have never looked back.

davids

iTrader: (7)

I looked at:

RX-8: 13-15mpg, slower, not a true 2 seater - which is what I wanted.

LOADED GTI: Too much $ for the car, slower, expensive parts.

LOADED MINI (JCW Kit): Too much $ for the car, slower, expensive parts.

S2000: Too much $

Supra: Too old no warenty, too expensive for a daily driver.

Saturn Sky / Pontiac Solstice: Too slow.

zzzzzz ya

Unless you are willing to spend alot more money, the z is the best car out there.

Zmazing03

iTrader: (9)

Mustang GT?
STi?
Evo?

davids

iTrader: (7)

Unreliable
Too expensive
Too expensive

UltraYellow350z

iTrader: (6)

the 350z is a blend between speed and style. Some cars are for racing, some are just good to look at. A Z is a little of both.

'06 WRX was the other car I was looking at when choosing my Z

jamnew

I hope this helps
Chrysler Crossfire-very tight interior, underpowered, sporty car, but doesn't feel like a sports car.
Honda S2000-not much wrong with car at all, very quick, gokart feeling when you are in traffic.
RX8-nice car, not as fast as the Z, reliability issues.
Evo-a pocket-rocket, but ugly for a car this price.

VO...

iTrader: (25)

350z hands down. Buy it.

Brick-Z

iTrader: (2)

Mustang GT: Not happy with the interior.
Crossfire: Underpowered
Evo: Ugly looking Lancer

I honestly could have bought a more expensive, faster car but asthetically, the Z is exactly what I wanted. I can always make a car faster but it is hard to change an STI or EVO into a good looking vehicle.

abstrakt

iTrader: (10)

I looked at the G35 Coupe also and at the time, Infiniti was not negotiating price so I walked out and bought the Z and loved it for as long as I had it

jcs4

iTrader: (5)

E46 M3: Great car in every sense Cons: (Too much for maintenance) new V8 in a year
STI: Great daily, AWD, Fast Cons: Ugly
EVO: Great to mod (had 4 eclipses in the past), AWD, Fast Cons: Ugly
Legacy GT: Like the STI, Very Comfortable, AWD Cons: Plain looking
IS350: Very nice interior, great engine Cons: Exterior is so-so, dealer wouldn't budge on price ($40K)

Picked the 350 because Ive owned 2 300zx TT in the past and miss having RWD. Car has great handling, style, and decent motor. Cons: Very little room, insurance is higher (than my 300zx TT & s4).

jshirley

I just went through this... I'll chip in my two cents

Originally I was looking to purchase an Evo MR. Best price I could find was around $35K with very few incentives. A 2.0L turbo is never going to replace 3.5L; I don't like the STi much -- I'd rather get a WRX Wagon.

If you are going for a daily driver, a turbo is going to have more maintenance overhead and typically lower gas mileage than a naturally aspirated car (like the Z).

And for a daily driver, the G35 coupe is a good choice if you want a coupe with a backseat. The RX-8 is quite a bit less both in cost and performance, but a fun car nonetheless. If you don't need the backseat, and are looking for increased performance (lower curb weight, better suspension in my opinion) the Z wins over the G35. It is also a more cost effective car to purchase and maintain (interior fixtures, etc. are more costly through Infiniti).

In the price range ($25-$35K) you'll have a hard time competing with the Z. The Saturn Sky (Vauxhall VX220) is a contender if you want a touring car and a convertible. Also, in the same class, an MR-S can be picked up and tuned pretty well.

I don't really look at Hondas or American cars, but other people in the thread have listed the S2000. Hope this helps!

bailey bill

I considered a G35. Already have a 4 door Camry, and a Frontier extended cab. Didn't need another back seat, wanted a sports car. (The Z is replacing my Miata, which replaced my MR2 turbo, which replaced the Mk I MR2, etc...

Also considered a used Boxster. Really didn't want another roadster, and didn't want the Porsche maintenance issues.

350Z wins, hands down.

bill

06Firebase

I looked at a number of performance coupes (with a max price of ~$30K) over a period of about 8 months. So that eliminated the Corvette. I eliminated most of the others b/c of front wheel drive or too "new" a vehicle (Solstice and Sky, e.g.) or lack of service availability (RX-8). I finally had it narrowed down to the Mustang GT and the "Z".

Took another month of agonizing, test driving, comparing, etc.

I just couldn't make up my mind. Between the poor sales tactics of the Ford people and gouging the customers with a $1K to $3K price OVER the MSRP, and the difference in insurance premiums, I went with the "Z".

Strengths of the Mustang GT include over 40 years of expertise, an incredible record of reliability, and a gigantic customer support and aftermarket base.

The strengths of the Mustang are exactly the weaknesses of the 350Z.

Both cars have the same 300hp, but the Stang is a few ticks faster in the quarter mile. I don't care about that stuff anymore, but you might.

I can go on and on about the Mustang, but I really like the "Z" interior better than the Stang. I also like the slightly more connected-to-the-road feeling, and I like the styling a bit better too. As a daily driver I can get 25mph out of it, with well over 30mpg on a road trip. Since it needs premium fuel, it costs me more gas money than the Stang would, but gets about the same mpg.


According to Allstate for an "old" guy like me with a good record:

A new Mustang GT would cost me $2600 per year to insure . . .
A new 350Z would cost me $2000 . . .

BUT my used '03 Touring costs me only $1600 per year, which more than makes up for premium gas as compared to the Mustang GT

The only real downside to the "Z" is reliabilty issues, but I don't yet have enough experience to offer any fair criticism in the regard. I'm sure that the other guys on this board who have owned "Z"'s for years can tell you more about that.

Good luck with your decision.

Joe

DevineOrn

for me it was between
rsx (what i wanted in the first place, but couldn't find a white one)
eclipse (told they were going to change the body style soon)
rx8 (no comment)
crossfire (what i liked best, until i saw the z and the z4 roadster)
z4 (can't remember why turned down, but should have been my choice at the end - i get real jealous when i see them on the road )
mclaren (apparently i'm too poor to even look at or find one)
g35 (too plain looking for me)
350z (what i ended up with - for good reasons too: $, looks, handling, history)

Almighty

I have been beating myself up over getting a newer car. I finally I have narrowed my decision down to 3 cars...

350z
S2000
IS300

I love the Z to death, I have been in love with it since I first saw it on the roads.You need to ask yourself one question.What do you see yourself doing with the car? For me, I enjoy any kind of spirited driving. This include future trips to VIR, autocross, and drifting.

To be honest, I have yet to pick up any of the cars I have listed for one reason only..Money. Im trying to keep a budget and so far all of the cars I have found so far will put me over that budget with the exception of one car, the S2000. I may end up with that car, but I can honestly say I do forsee myself selling it in the near future for the Z. I think the car is more suited to my personality.

kpiskin

iTrader: (5)

It looks like we all pretty much considered all the same cars. The G35C and 350Z are just in a price/performance sweet spot that other cars can't match. The only other car I think of like this is the Corvette, but it costs $50K+, but is in a completely different class. The S2000 is also a good alternative if you want a true roadster since it was designed that way from the ground up.

If you look at the other sport cars out there to compare it to like the S2000 (unpderpowered but great track car), the RX-8 (gas hog and an interior you either love or hate), Chrysler Crossfire (cheapo car, crappy service, tight interior and underpowered)/SLK350 (good power, fast but pricey) you start to see that the Z has a pretty good combo. Sure the interior looks kind of cheap, but you can buy a G35C for about a grand more if you want. Same thing goes if you need the back seat.

HighwaySpeed

I did a SEARCH at www.my350z.com and found the answers to all of my questions.