AndyB

I agree with other people. If what you want is "best bang for the buck 1/4 mile / drag car" then the Neon is for you. It is truly a bargain.

For ME (maybe not you, but ME) I hate the looks of the neon and I loath front wheel drive wish-they-were-sports-cars. Torque steer and unfavorable load transfer are two major reasons.

The EVO and the STI are fugly and they are not QUITE as quick the numbers might lead you to believe. They launch AWESOME since they have AWD, but that skews the 1/4 mile numbers. In real street day-to-day driving you probably won't really be hard launching at every light. (unless you can afford a new clutch every 24K miles).

As for the flames, you did come in here and insult the Z. If the flames suprised you then you are probably too imature to handle a fast car anyway.

JFritz

Well there are some decent posts on here.

I will say this. With all my harsh remarks about the Z, I may still end up with one in 6 months.

With every car I have bought, and or looked at, I give my honest straight up opinion. If it hurts your feelings, too bad. I'm just trying to get some opinions on why or what made you go your route. I only hope most of the Z owners on here that aren't responding, can take a few negatives about their car.

beamm, look up coherent in a dictionary before you use the word. you've also ignored my comments about the cobra. that's fine.....where did you see that i dont like high priced aftermarkt products? read my posts with an open mind you idiot.

well the 93z28 i bought in 95, first year of college. a mullet car? lol maybe now it is, but back then, it wasn't.

jackwhale

If you want a car that will be the absolute best at any one thing, the 350Z is not for you. Its a great car right of the showroom at driving mountain roads at high speeds. The 0-60 numbers are really good but not the absolute best. The braking is phenomenal but not the absolute best.

If you're going to be upset when any other car beats you, especially one costs less, then the 350Z is not for you. Whoever thought that if one buys a Z then absolutely no car that costs less will beat me. Any good mod mechanic can make a car go faster than the Z.

If you want a drag car that wins all the time, the 350Z is not for you.

I've had my car for a year and 20K and I don't envy any other cars. I like a lot of cars but I've never reversed my decision to wait in line and beg the dealer for one.

Ralphus

One sentence: The Z is not the BEST in every category, but it excels in all of them, therefore it's the most well balanced car for my money.

Conceyted

iTrader: (7)

****ing troll... Now your starting to instult our members. Get the **** out.... You sound like you have a bias'ed towards american cars anyway. Don't come on OUR forums and instult OUR members. What a dipshit...

MannishBoy

iTrader: (1)

All unprofitable (add in F-Bodies), so no longer manufactured. There is a reason those cars died out. The reason is they were too pricey for their perceived value to their target buyers, so sales didn't meet a point where they made money.

The new Supra is supposedly targeting similar price/performance markets as the Z is, because that seems to be a sweet spot where sales are high enough to make the cars profitable.

The Z does have compromises, but it is still a good sport guy value and a fun car to drive. If you don't like it, fine, buy the Neon or Cobra. Both are fine for what they are, but are totally different types of cars from the Z.

buzzdsm

By looking at some of the cars you've had in the past, I'd guess quality is not a big issue. Go drive a T/A or Cobra with about 40K+ miles and you'll see what I mean. These cars fall apart and after about 2 years they are worth 1/2 of what you paid.

If you don't mind the styling I think the Sti is a great car. Some people like myself can't get past the styling.

cincyspider

Dude...I sold my 300ZX for the 350!

Am I sorry??

NO! The styling and handling are far superior. I DO miss the headlights on the 300....they are the BEST driving headlights I have EVER SEEN on any car. High beams were much superior to the 350.

eh!

JFritz

conceyted, I've owned american sports cars for the most part. cool off. i'm not a troll.

listen,

93z28, the money pit this **** went through 3 transmissions, ignition, and about $3K other worth of sh-t that wasn't under warranty.

98 cobra fast car with few mods. i ran a 13.3 in the 1/4 but i also wrecked it when a tire blew at the track. $8K in damage that i had to pay off. plus 2 transmissions out.

98 ws6, fast, not nimble, and definitly a beast. i only kept it for a year, nice looking, fast, but i lost my license for drag racing. so it had to go.

also, when i say step down for the 300zx to a 350z, i meant performance wise.

Ralph, that was short but sweet.

manish, well put.

why do i feel so threatened when you guys tell me to buy a neon. lol stop.

Ralphus

Really why I like the Z personally, besides what I mentioned above about the Z being good in every category...

I've had 3 CRX's, one street, one SCCA racer, and one motor swapped turbo beast. Overall the CRX is my favorite car, and the 350z is like a more refined version of the same car. (Sorry if that's insulting to any Z owners).

mxpx_8

Had to bump this one just in case you missed it. It is the truth...

D'oh

All the cars you mentioned are fast compared to the average car. Of course, what you think of the 350Z will depend on what you compare it to.

I guess I'm not sure what you are really wanting to know. You compare the Z to these other, similarly performing cars, and when someone says maybe the Neon is best for you, you get all bent out of shape. If you are taking that as an insult and then why are you offering it as an alternative to the Z in the first place?

As for the 300ZX, it is not really a step up or down relative to the 350Z. More of a step sideways. The 300ZXTT is marginally faster in a straight line, but will not handle as well. The Brakes on the 350 are better, and it is lighter. To think that the 300 is going to perform significantly better than the 350 is mistaken.

As far as handling goes, the Z's slalom times are very good (comparable to S2000, Boxster, etc) and the skidpad results seem to range between .88 and .92 depending on the magazine. Not too shabby at all.

I bought the Z because none of the other cars you mentioned were available at the time. If I were to buy now, I'd still take the Z because none of the other cars come close as a total package. I'd consider the Cobra, but I can't handle the looks of the EVO or STI, or the 4 doors. I'm already faster than the Neon in the AutoX (well, the two that I've raced with), and it has the same door problem as the others. I really respect all the other cars, but they just aren't for me.

-D'oh!

mxpx_8

Here is another way to look at it.

When you walk out of a nice restarut and walk to the passengers side of your car to open it for your girlfriend/boyfriend think of how they will feel. Dont be so selfish hehe

Neon vs. Z

If you buy the Neon you can tell her/him. Hey baby/honey this car is almost a full second faster than that dumb Z car!

If you buy the Z you can say I know this car is alomost a second slower than the Neon, but hey its a Z.

Ok you get the idea I'm sure.

SInce it does sound like you are not sure what you want, I now say you should go with a street bike. Nothing faster right?! You can then take the Z, Neon, and every car out there!

PROBLEM SOLVED

failsafe

Go test drive them all and then make your decision.

rouxeny

If you're looking for straight line performance, the Z is not for you. As has been said by many people before me, the Z is a good all around performer. It does many things well, but is not really excellent at any of them. Well, I think that it's styling is pretty exceptional. However, you can say similar things about many other cars, including many of the Z's competitors, ie. the Boxster, S2000, TT, etc. Sports cars in this price range are essentially exercises in compromise. If you want all out unbeatable performance, spend the cash and get a Zonda. However, for 30K, the Z is a great car.

Personally, I think that the fact the Z shares an engine with many other cars is a plus. It's nice to have a hand built, race spec engine like say a NSX, but I'm sure it costs a lot more to develop, sell and fix. With the Z, any mechanic familiar with an Altima pretty much knows what's going on under the hood.

JFritz

I only offered the Neon as a performance comparison, not as an option to buy. like one of the other members said the other day, a turd is still a turd, no matter how much money you put in to it.

the 350z definitly has class.

i'm telling you, as much as I "dis" it, it's definitly in my top 2.

street bike? in az? haha, i want to live.

i always thought the 300Z had a better slalom time?

Conceyted

iTrader: (7)

But the neon is NOT a full second faster than the z. The z is actually equal or faster stock for stock.

bobbydoedoe

go test drive a 04 S2k and then decide of urself

VandyZ

iTrader: (2)

The Z is a ROAD RACER. Not a DRAG RACER. Infact, no Z car has ever been built to be a DRAG RACER. The fact that the Z does do the 0-60 in 5.5 and the 1/4 in high 13s to low 14's says that it is a great mix and very versatile. And your comment about it not being quick in the slalom, must I remind you that it bettered several sports cars like the Boxster, S2000, and yes the cobra and the past numbers for the T/A’s. As for lateral g’s, put some more aggressive rubber on the wheels and you are topping those cars again. You need to drive all the cars you have listed and pick your favorite. I don’t think (from seeing your past cars) you will like the Z. It is a powerful car, comparatively, but you wont get the same feeling as if you are in aforementioned muscle cars. Oh yeah, the neon srt stock will not out run a Z from a roll or a stop, street tested, owner approved! But with a $5 mod it can be a beast, as most turbo cars can be.

Yielar

I own a super black on charcol 03 350Z Performance Edition with a 6 spd manual transmition. I can't say enough good things about it but I'll say a few of the high lights that come to mind. The handling is very impressive. Lets just say that a friend of mine let me drive his c5 2000 Vet for a summer and compared the the 350Z it handles like a pregnant lady on roller skates ! The power is very linear unlike any other car I have driven. The amount of after market bolt on parts for the 350Z are simply insane which is one of the things I really enjoy. Do a search for some after market parts for the S2000, RX8 heck even the Z4 and see how many options there are? The amount of looks I get driving it are simply incredible and you would have to drive one to really see what I mean. I have been driving down the highway and had people pull up beside me, roll down there window, and tell me how much they love my car and I'm not making this up ! I've had people as old as 80 and young as 5 compliment me on the Z. It's unbelievable really. I get total strangers giving me the thumbs up as I drive by ! My girlfriend can't believe people love the car so much. The only thing that I am not looking forward to is parking her for the winter. I've put 13,000 Kms on since June 15....at least I won't be racking up the kms over the winter months....unless I get the urge to go for a spin weather permitting.

If you want a cheap car to burn around in get the Neon! If you want a car that looks like a beefed up Miata get the s2k. If you want a car that makes you want to go for drives to " nowhere " and sit in the garage and stare at it........get the Z.



Yielar