An oldie...
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From: California
An oldie...
Well, since there are so many new people joining the board that might have missed older messages, and since I want to make a shameless attempt at increasing my "points" (the system of which is still a mystery), I am digging up an old post of mine. I wrote this the day after I picked up my car back on August 23, and it was fairly well received, so here's a re-run. It might be interesting to read this early first impression after so many have gotten their cars already. Hope you enjoy the review:
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Wow, wow, wow. Where to begin? First let's set the tone by saying I am a very happy man right now. Sure, it would be nice if I could be all hard-*** and objective and pick apart every detail of the car like an emotionless investigator, but let me admit right up front that I am seriously in love with this car. So for unbiased criticism, read elsewhere!
(But, after driving the car and falling in love with it, I noticed that the instrument panel dimming buttons are not up to par with the best that the German marques have to offer, so of course I immediately cancelled my order and demanded my deposit back.
KIDDING! Sorry, had to poke some fun at some of the recent posts on here.)
Seriously, the car exceeded all my expectations despite those expectations being set mighty high by all I've read and by my own best hopes. Part way into my drive on a beautiful road, with the sun setting, it hit me just how good it felt to drive this machine. At that moment -- and I would not admit this to anyone but the rest of you fanatics -- I actually shed a tear or two. That was weird.
The engine sound is a really throaty growl when you punch it, but doesn't intrude when taking it easy. Any thoughts of obeying the 4,000 RPM break-in guideline were dispelled from my mind once I felt the engine kick in above four grand. (That occurred about five seconds into my test drive, with the salesman present.) The sound is much better than I had expected, and it makes you want to kick the throttle just to hear it!
The power is really nice and torquey, but I must say it didn't have an enormous "kick" at any one point. I understand why the car has been described (by Motor Trend, I believe) as "deceptively fast". You feel a constant acceleration, and before you know it you look at the speedo (digital if you like) and Whoa! That's fast! I think it is a testament to the solidity and handling of the car that it feels like it could take a lot more power. That's not to say it's underpowered as it is, but it feels like it wouldn't go all squirrelly on you with say, another 50-75 hp.
(I have a feeling it will lunge a lot harder once it loosens up after a few K miles. Even after my 85-mile jaunt, it felt like first gear starts kicked me in the *** a lot more.)
The handling is really what did it for me. It feels so planted and corners so flat, but the ride is not painful in the least. It doesn't hammer you on ridges and small bumps like a Boxster or MR2. It just grabs the road and doesn't let go. The VDC kicked in once when I goosed it in a tight 2nd-gear corner, and it did so in an unobtrusive way without cutting power drastically. I think I actually like having it! (I wasn't sure I would.)
Speaking of gears, the shifter is magical. I heard people complain about the vibration. To me, that just means it feels like it's actually connected to something! It is very easy to find the gears, as the center position is firmly maintained. Pushing it from 2nd into 3rd drops it in so beautifully, it's a real joy to do.
While I'm raising subjects of controversy, what about the seating position? Did I feel like I was driving the world's fastest bathtub? In a word, no, but I understand the remark. This is a car you sit in, like --- well, like the serious sports cars! It doesn't have the sit-up, expansive greenhouse feel of, say, an Accord or my Honda mini-van. (That's a good thing, in my book.) I happen to like a car that I sit low in, it makes me feel like I'm seriously driving and not looking out at the scenery.
Visibility? No problems, again, compared to other sports cars.
Speaking of other cars, I should mention I am not gushing like this after driving shitbox Corollas all my life. My current car is a Mercedes SLK230 Kompressor, and I have had a first-gen RX7, a second-gen Scirocco (16V), and driven lots more. This car is so much more fun than anything I have driven.
Oh, the interior? Well, let me dispel some myths: the infamous "flimsy" nav door is only a problem if you don't know how to close it. Yes, I agree, you shouldn't need instruction to close a door, and shame on Nissan for not making its operation intuitive (wow, see that? A criticism!) But when you know how to close it, guess what? It closes! And of course it opens in a really cool way by pressing a button. (The funny thing is I think the last-minute "improvement" to the nav door was the application of a sticker saying how to close it!) I also have to admit that without the nav unit, the space there is kind of useless. Solution: don't use it. No problem!
The rest of the interior feels like a serious place to drive. And the seat is very comfortable and supportive. The stereo actually sounded better than I expected (but admittedly I wasn't expecting too much in this area after reading all the "Bose sucks" hype and realizing this is one step below the Bose.)
About 50 miles into my drive, I had the crazy thought that this one drive alone was worth the price!
Oh, I should add something about my dealer experience: these guys were great! (South County Nissan in Gilroy) They have a 350Z expert that actually knows all about the car (and is getting one for himself and his wife) -- he even showed me a few things I didn't know! No BS, and they know what they're doing.
So there you have it: The Greatest Car I Have Ever Owned. I am sorry, I don't mean to "rub it in" for those that are still waiting, but you should know that at least some people think that Nissan got everything exactly right.
-------------------------------
Wow, wow, wow. Where to begin? First let's set the tone by saying I am a very happy man right now. Sure, it would be nice if I could be all hard-*** and objective and pick apart every detail of the car like an emotionless investigator, but let me admit right up front that I am seriously in love with this car. So for unbiased criticism, read elsewhere!
(But, after driving the car and falling in love with it, I noticed that the instrument panel dimming buttons are not up to par with the best that the German marques have to offer, so of course I immediately cancelled my order and demanded my deposit back.
KIDDING! Sorry, had to poke some fun at some of the recent posts on here.)
Seriously, the car exceeded all my expectations despite those expectations being set mighty high by all I've read and by my own best hopes. Part way into my drive on a beautiful road, with the sun setting, it hit me just how good it felt to drive this machine. At that moment -- and I would not admit this to anyone but the rest of you fanatics -- I actually shed a tear or two. That was weird.
The engine sound is a really throaty growl when you punch it, but doesn't intrude when taking it easy. Any thoughts of obeying the 4,000 RPM break-in guideline were dispelled from my mind once I felt the engine kick in above four grand. (That occurred about five seconds into my test drive, with the salesman present.) The sound is much better than I had expected, and it makes you want to kick the throttle just to hear it!
The power is really nice and torquey, but I must say it didn't have an enormous "kick" at any one point. I understand why the car has been described (by Motor Trend, I believe) as "deceptively fast". You feel a constant acceleration, and before you know it you look at the speedo (digital if you like) and Whoa! That's fast! I think it is a testament to the solidity and handling of the car that it feels like it could take a lot more power. That's not to say it's underpowered as it is, but it feels like it wouldn't go all squirrelly on you with say, another 50-75 hp.
(I have a feeling it will lunge a lot harder once it loosens up after a few K miles. Even after my 85-mile jaunt, it felt like first gear starts kicked me in the *** a lot more.)
The handling is really what did it for me. It feels so planted and corners so flat, but the ride is not painful in the least. It doesn't hammer you on ridges and small bumps like a Boxster or MR2. It just grabs the road and doesn't let go. The VDC kicked in once when I goosed it in a tight 2nd-gear corner, and it did so in an unobtrusive way without cutting power drastically. I think I actually like having it! (I wasn't sure I would.)
Speaking of gears, the shifter is magical. I heard people complain about the vibration. To me, that just means it feels like it's actually connected to something! It is very easy to find the gears, as the center position is firmly maintained. Pushing it from 2nd into 3rd drops it in so beautifully, it's a real joy to do.
While I'm raising subjects of controversy, what about the seating position? Did I feel like I was driving the world's fastest bathtub? In a word, no, but I understand the remark. This is a car you sit in, like --- well, like the serious sports cars! It doesn't have the sit-up, expansive greenhouse feel of, say, an Accord or my Honda mini-van. (That's a good thing, in my book.) I happen to like a car that I sit low in, it makes me feel like I'm seriously driving and not looking out at the scenery.
Visibility? No problems, again, compared to other sports cars.
Speaking of other cars, I should mention I am not gushing like this after driving shitbox Corollas all my life. My current car is a Mercedes SLK230 Kompressor, and I have had a first-gen RX7, a second-gen Scirocco (16V), and driven lots more. This car is so much more fun than anything I have driven.
Oh, the interior? Well, let me dispel some myths: the infamous "flimsy" nav door is only a problem if you don't know how to close it. Yes, I agree, you shouldn't need instruction to close a door, and shame on Nissan for not making its operation intuitive (wow, see that? A criticism!) But when you know how to close it, guess what? It closes! And of course it opens in a really cool way by pressing a button. (The funny thing is I think the last-minute "improvement" to the nav door was the application of a sticker saying how to close it!) I also have to admit that without the nav unit, the space there is kind of useless. Solution: don't use it. No problem!
The rest of the interior feels like a serious place to drive. And the seat is very comfortable and supportive. The stereo actually sounded better than I expected (but admittedly I wasn't expecting too much in this area after reading all the "Bose sucks" hype and realizing this is one step below the Bose.)
About 50 miles into my drive, I had the crazy thought that this one drive alone was worth the price!
Oh, I should add something about my dealer experience: these guys were great! (South County Nissan in Gilroy) They have a 350Z expert that actually knows all about the car (and is getting one for himself and his wife) -- he even showed me a few things I didn't know! No BS, and they know what they're doing.
So there you have it: The Greatest Car I Have Ever Owned. I am sorry, I don't mean to "rub it in" for those that are still waiting, but you should know that at least some people think that Nissan got everything exactly right.
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Speaking of other cars, I should mention I am not gushing like this after driving shitbox Corollas all my life. My current car is a Mercedes SLK230 Kompressor, and I have had a first-gen RX7, a second-gen Scirocco (16V), and driven lots more. This car is so much more fun than anything I have driven.
good review, thanks.