KPZerone

Today, I visited 3 dealers and test drove three cars. This result is purely subjective so please don't feel offensive if you dont feel the same way.
(This is my first time buying a new car, test driving, and dealing with dealers )

Before going in, Z was my pick even though I knew it was not so practical cuz I thought this will be my only chance to get a non-practical car.

Nissan 350Z Touring 5AT
Lexus IS300 E-Shift
Infiniti G35 Coupe 5AT

Exterior Design: Z > I > G

Interior Design: G > I > Z

Performance: G > Z > I

Raw Power: Z > G > I

Adrenaline Pumping: G > Z > I

Space: I > G > Z

Luxury Factor: G > I > Z

Cool Factor: Z > G > I

Price: I > Z > G

Features: G > I > Z

Noise: I > G > Z

Handling: G > Z > I

Price/Value: I > G > Z



Nissan 350Z

Pros:
- Very charming & sleek looking
- Super-fast
- Kind of reasonable price

Cons:
- Cheap interior
- No trunk space
- No rear seats
- Expensive
- Not as good dealer support, no loaner car service


Infiniti G35

Pros:
- Super-luxurious interior
- Nice leather seats
- Very tight seating & controls
- Head-pulling performance
- Sunroof
- Great sound system
- #2 Dealer service in USA
- Relatively spacious back seats & trunk

Cons:
- Most expensive (may not be able to get sunroof & Bose speakers)
- Somewhat ugly but unique


Lexus IS300

Pros:
- Great looks
- Luxurious interior
- Nice leather seats (even non-leather felt good)
- Okay performance
- Cheapest among 3
- Great APR @ 3%
- Good sounds system
- #1 Dealer service in USA
- Most spacious back seats & trunk

Cons:
- Slower than others
- No sports feeling
- No more head-turner
- 3 years old model

This result could have been different if I had different sales reps for each dealer.

I visited Nissan first, and the sales rep who was supposed to meet me was not there. So someone else took me to the test drive. This was my first time driving high performance car so I was very careful. 350Z felt very heavy - steering was stiff (the sales rep told me all sports cars are designed that way) and the acceleration was not so great (but it was because I did not dare to press gas as hard as I could.. I was afraid, I admit.) After test driving, I looked at the interior very carefully. Having no rear seats were okay, but trunk space was just too small. What's up with "Z" pillar inside the trunk? Is it some kind of stablizer? If it was not there, Z could have been my pick. The interior design was okay. I could live with all the plastics - they did not look cheap - looked decent to me. But the limited trunk space killed me. I needed some space to put in some luggage back for frequent airport trip. The dealership was full of people and ran out of all brochures for "Z". Had about 5-6 Zs in stock. The sales rep did not even bother to ask me "are you going to buy one today?" He allowed me to feel comfortable and just hang out and see without any pressure.

Then I visited Lexus dealership. Not as busy as Nissan but most of them were old and looked for higher end level cars. Inside of IS300 was instantly more attractive than 350Z. I liked metalic gas/brake pedals. The instrument panel was small but nice and more sports like than 350Z but hard to read at first. Seating pose was okay - nothing spectacular but the fabric felt good. So I drove it a bit and stepped on it when highway was empty but it was not as fast as Z (even though I did not press Z as hard) - but it was surely fast enough. I didn't get to experience much of handling.. (neither with Z) After the driving, I was shown to other IS300s in stock. They had about 6 of them and one of them had really nice metalic silver, looked really really attractive. And I found out that the car I just drove did not have leather but some special cloth. I think I would like that cloth more than Z's leather. This sale rep was dying to make a deal with me. Lexus had special 3% APR & the price is pretty good. I thought IS300 had the best value. If my testdriving day wad ended here then I could have bought this silver one (I drove sleek blue color). Also I liked uniform key (key and control in one form rather than key & key chained control). Trunk space was not as spacious as Camry but it had the biggest one among three. IS300 was very very quite even though I was pressing hard, which I liked.

Finally, I arrived at Infiniti. I got there 1hr earlier than my appoinment so I had to wait for 10min or so for my sales rep to come. Meanwhile, I looked inside & out of G35 Coupe and Sedan (I became more comfortable to dealer atmosphere, I guess). The inside was 95% identical to Z's interior setting but with better materials so was much more sleeker. I really felt that Infiniti was luxury brand and Nissan was regular brand. G35 also had non-uniform key (seperated key & key chained control) & the pedals were plain rubber-looking - kinda disappointing, especailly when compared with IS300. I tried to seat in rear. I am 6-1, 180lb - it was okay but my head was touching the rear glass. I think smaller person will fit well & could have 3 adults for long trip as well. (if he/she was sitting diagonally) Trunk itself was about the same size as Z but without the "Z" pillar, it was way more spacious - not large but just enough. I liked the First Aid kit that I only saw from BMW (in my personal experience) but I couldnt understand why the rear arm rest(?) was so low and only covered with thin plastic. Finally, I was taken to test drive - and the sale rep first drove around showing "awesomeness of G". He was very cheerful and seemed to know a lot about the car and the series. Seemed like he also owned one as well. He was showing me how to use tiptronic & downshift and accelerated super fast, pulling my head back for the first time today. I was REALLY impressed at this moment. I bet 350Z could do this as well, if not better but the sale rep did not bother to tell me or show me. As a matter of fact, he did not feel like 350Z was really muscle car - just regular sports car, nothing special so I was slighly disturbed. Anyhow, He also showed me how to reach 0-60 in 5-6 seconds when he was entering semi-highway, and tightness of the car by making sharp turns at high speed. Frankly I was really scared but was impressed even more. So finally it was my turn to drive - and the seating setting was pretty unique. Somehow Z seating felt like regular car but seating in G was somewhat more special - I can't describe why. The car was fast and agile, and with assist from the sales rep (telling me when to speed & stuffs that I couldnt dare before) I was able to feel the capability of G. The sound coming from Bose was really good - but didnt have CD to try it - just radio. Sun-roof was large, another good point. When we came back to the dealership, he told me why not take one today - I told him that i am not ready (plan to buy in 1-2 weeks) and he did not force me to make purchase, which I really appreciated.
(There was no M/T for G35 in stock at all)

Both Lexus & Infiniti sales reps were willing to let me take the car without paying anything today - which seemed odd. (I didnt even bother to bring my checkbook cuz I knew I wouldnt buy one)

So, in overall, I liked G35 Coupe the best. The exterior was not as attractive as Z but I liked its uniquness & nice butt. IS300 has the best value with speical APR and already lower price. Both G35 & Z are so popular but it seemed like I could get $1000 off MSRP but it was still $2~3k higher than IS300. I will probably get G35C in a week or two. Not totally sure yet..

This wraps up my test driving experience. It was not as bad as I anticipated. Dealers were reasonably nice.. I know this is very subjective but any helpful tips or advice will be highly appreciated! (like corrections on 350Z especially..)

I bet by now most of you 350Z owners are like "what is he talking about! 350Z is not like that" or "what does he know? he only drove AT" etc, etc.. But I am also disappinted cuz I was not able to enjoy 350Z to its full potential. If I test-drove as last one, the result could have been a lot different.. Please do not take this as "anti-350Z" posting.

geezer902

Okay, you say you're new at this, and you sure put a lot of effort into the review, so I'll respectfully suggest:

If you think the style and interior of the IS is even on the same level as either the G or the Z, let alone superior to either of them, you will probably prefer the Subaru STi above all .... it, too, is a pure compact car with more attitude than most people need.

Give it a try! Good luck. J

droideka

Might I suggest a nice Buick Park Avenue.

Seriously, though. It doesn't sound like you'd begin to tap into even one-half of the Z's potential. Why bother even looking at it? If you're seriously considering an IS300, do yourself a favor and go look into the Acura TSX sports sedan. I think you'd be pleasantly surprised. It doesn't have as hideous an interior and is not as ricey as the IS300.

ChadO

I find calling it a "Z350" entirely annoying, but to each their own

It sounds like you're wanting more of a luxury-sedan with a bit of power. I second the TSX suggestion; saw it today, looks pretty good I thought.

Imo, looking at the Z for it's luxury qualities is kinda like going to a sushi restaurant and asking for grilled salmon.

KPZerone

I am glad that I am getting "less than anticipated" harsh replies.

I think my heart wants "raw power" of Z but my brain keeps interfering for "practicality". I still love the image of Z and would love to get it as my second car, if I had another practical car. If Z had a bit larger trunk space or rear sits (usable or not), it would have been Z, no brainer.

Sorry that if my posting made you guys feel uncomfortable or disgusted. I surely did not intend to do so.

ChadO and droideka, I will try Acura TSX tomorrow, but I do not like the face of TSX. I think I would like RSX more than TSX.

bhobson333

Thanks for taking the time to give the review. I'm glad that you were honest with yourself and with us; you really didn't give the 350Z a chance to shine; you drove it first, you were scared to push it, 5AT, etc.

It sounds like you got a good demo from the Infiniti salesman. Good demos are, unfortunately, rare. (sigh)

It sounds to me like you aren't right for a Z. Buy the G35.

droideka

Keep in mind that the Z is just powerful enough to be dangerous. If you're not used to it, it will bite you in the ***. Front end aside, the TSX is much nicer than the RSX IMO. I almost bought one for the wife, but with with the V6 Accord instead.

Blue04

Huh?, huh? and huh? I think a better test drive of the Z would have changed these maybe.

Agreed with the rest though. And that thing in the trunk is the RTSB. They could have exposed it and had an ugly bar to take up space (which everybody would have complained about) or made something stylish out of it. I'm glad they went the way they did. I think it looks kind of cool.

cwerdna

I would disagree about these points on the IS300:
- Great looks
- Luxurious interior

I think it looks just ok and as for luxurious... err.. not at all. Take a look at all the other Lexi and you'll see what I mean. It's weird that that car is even sold as a Lexus here. In Japan, it's the Toyota Altezza and I think it should be sold as such here (given the interior quality compared to other Lexi).

samw1978

I will never believe a G35 will out-perform and out-handle the Z(stock to stock of course) like you said... but you admited you didn't push it hard, I'll say, give it another try. The Z will match and out-perform the G35 coupe for sure... consider it has more power and has stiffer suspension and sits lower.

As for seating position, I found G35 sitting too high, the Z is sportier for me

If you are considering getting a IS300, I'll strongly suggest you go test drive a TSX, to me it looks better, performs better and cheaper

john0213

well, i don't know about you but i think saying that the IS interior is luxurious = exaggerating..... i can live with the interior and it definitely is "ok", that's all. I can't say it is luxury you know~ you might not notice but i feel that the IS's clutch is just too soft, and the throttle seems to be inaccurate, it seems to have a delay when u give it a little gas, which makes it not so accurate compare to a Z. For me, i can't live with the IS's clutch and throttle, it just doen't do the job for me~

For the G, you might have a great experience with the sales rep but let's get the fact straight. Saying that the G outhandles the Z and accelerate faster than the Z is just purely bias imo, you might feel very happy with the sales rep, but that doesn't proved the handling of a car right? Well, let's give a better example, you went to a ferrari dealer and was looking at a Modena, u test drove the car and u found that neither did the handle impress you nor did the acceleration. So you went to a 18 wheeler dealer, u find out that the sales rep was so enthusiastic and he even showed you all the tricks he could do. So does it make sense that the 18 wheeler will outhandle the Modena? I'm not trying to blame you but i think we should use some sense to think and make a clear observation rather than assume. Right?

Don't be angry that is just my 2 cents so you can give each car a chance and hence result in a happy ending~ Peace

___DJK___

iTrader: (2)

IS = Its slow

We have an 01 E-shift and it is just begging for some type of forced induction. Unfortunately, in the segment its currently being marketed in, it is severely underpowered. If Lexus was somehow able to shoehorn their 4.3L V8 in there, they would have a winner.

I do think the interior is nicer than the Z's interior, but thats my opinion. I love the suede inserts on the seats. They really keep you (and your passengers) planted on hard turns.

DruDragzOn

I'm getting the feeling you value practicality more than the other intangibles. However just to let you know, the Z is anything but practical. But there's nothing wrong with how you feel at all.... to each his own.

I agree, though, it's definitely worth a shot looking into the TSX.

MannishBoy

iTrader: (1)

I was deciding between the Z and the G35C myself, and one of my issues was if I could get enough luggage in the Z to go to haul enough clothes for a week's business trip.

I can get my largest suitcase behind the bar, suprisingly, and either a pilot sized bag and/or a large garmet bag in front of the bar. That doesn't count the passenger seat if I'm alone. I think you might be surprised how much luggage you'd get. I didn't think my big bag would fit, but it does. In reality, the G35C doesn't really have significantly more trunk space than the Z's hatch space, although the space is a bit more pratical.

I'll echo several in this thread. You don't sound to me like you really want a sports car.

I really wanted a sports car this time, but had a hard time deciding I could live with a bit less practical car. Once I figured out I could haul my luggage, the Z hooked me

jikman01

KPZ:

First thought:......The dealership can make all the difference ....

I was in your same position albiet, I was considering the following G35c, Accord V6 EX coupe, and S2000. I am a car nut though and love to feel the road and have never owned anything but manual transmission cars.

I finally narrowed my search between the Z and the Accord. Both were in my more immediate price zone (less than $30K) and both very different cars.

I posed your same question and I got the same results. Most people were like "dude you don't sound like you're ready for a sports car"....

Long story short, I made my mind up for the Z and I am SO freaking happy that I went with that choice. You either love the sports car or you don't. I love it and I love the attention and I love to drive it every day!

However as it has already been said...to each his own. And I agree with everyone else, if you like the IS, then you should definately consider the TSX. (4 door thing). But if you want 2 door sporty with a lot of space, check out the RSX. You can't go wrong....unless you don't get the stick because it's 160hp vs 200hp for the 6-speed.

Let us know what you end up doing!!!!

KPZerone

Wow, thanks so much for all the invaluable feedback, guys!

Yes, if had driven Z the last, then all the result could have been different. Also the fact that Nissan sales rep was not so excited about the car himself (it was just another Nissan for him, nothing spectacular) affected the ride, I guess.

As you guys suggested, I might test drive TSX/RSX, or give another shot at Z. I just received e-mail that all Acura dealers are commited to increase 20% sales for some reason so they were ready to make big deals - but I am not so into Acura anymore (Acura used to be my favorite pick until recently..

Once again, all of your feedback are highly appreciated!

Buub

iTrader: (1)

Well, you basically invalidated your entire argument on Z performance, then.

Unlike most cars, the Z has a "drive-by-wire" throttle. In other words, it's entirely electronic -- there is no physical connection to the engine. What this means is that the throttle response is FAR more linear than most cars.

I also was underwhelmed by the performance at partial throttle because most cars give a good 3/4 of their power in the first half of pedal travel. After that the returns diminish.

However, that is not how the Z drives. You push it half way, you get half power. This makes it very deceiving if you're used to driving any other car.

I cured myself of this by stomping the pedel while already rolling with a fairly mild start. I was thinking "hmm there just isn't any oomph here" (after having driven my Maxima for eight years), so I stomped on it in second gear. If I had a hat on it would have flown off! :-) It was like someone flipped the "go" switch.

Baby the Z and you'll get a babied experience. The Z wants to be driven hard and rewards the driver for doing so. You didn't experience the Z; you just sat in it while it was moving.

VandyZ

iTrader: (2)

The G35 Sedan is fun too. I would drive that before you even think about writing a check for the IS.

fdao

Good point! I too would consider the G35 Sedan before the IS or the TSX. The sedan has the same VQ35 as the G35C/350Z, but of course less HP. Handling is quite sporty and interior is better than the IS 300 IMO. Price is competitive and similar to IS 300.

Buub

iTrader: (1)

nm... wrong thread!