mg350ZR

Its just you.

The pedal is not higher, you're just sitting lower in the Z. If you've never driven a sports car, you're probably not used to the low driving position (compared to a sedan).

SteveZ

iTrader: (3)

Yes, can't imagine not liking the pedals in the Z - its a great seating position - one thing I do not like with the G is the seat base ends up slightly higher compared to the Z. Pedals are same positions and I snagged my metal ones from the Z since I had replaced the rubber ones. Ironically the pedal covers for clutch and brake fit my 1995 Nissan Altima - perfect fit, classic Nissan economy of scale!

3 years ago took test drive in M3 was so much higher I felt like I was in a sedan (guess sort of true), made me dislike the position right away - could not wait to get back in the Z!

only bummer is kids cannot see anything buy sky from the pass side until they are about 5'5" LOL!

___DJK___

iTrader: (2)

Maybe thats why my wife never complains about my driving, she cant see that were about to die!

ilyaat

Oh, i'm sorry, i guess i should have been flooring it so it would be nice and low

Thats true. I never driven a sport car on LONG runs. But since I do take them once or so a month, it might be something i'd have to get used to.

I have one more comment about Z: Maxima has a really nice, soft clutch (and I love it). Tested 04Z MT, and after 10 min. i thought my leg will go numb. Is there a way to make clutch pedal 'softer'? << thats the reason i'm looking for AT and not MT Z. <3 mt but h8 the clutch

redlude97

iTrader: (11)

Why not get a g35 sedan? You get to keep your space etc, but upgrade to rwd and a little bit more class than the maxima. Its about as fast as a coupe/Z so it should still be just about as much fun.

mg350ZR

You are correct, the clutch on the Z is stiffer than on your Maxima (I know because I own both a '98 Maxima SE 5spd and an '04 350Z Roadster 6MT). There is a reason for that. Your Maxima makes only 190hp, while the Z puts out 287. You need more robust components to handle the additional power and increased torque.

As far as your leg hurting, not sure why this is even an issue , its not bad at all. I've had 2 knee surgeries on my left knee in the past 2 years , and I have no problem using the clutch on the Z (even in stop-and-go rush hour traffic). I suggest you join a gym and concentrate on leg exercises before buying a Z with MT. Some arm exercises will not hurt either , since power steering on a Z is also stiffer than on your Maxima.

ilyaat

on using :icons:

I know why they have a hard clutch, but IS there a way to make it 'softer'. Thats what i'm more interested in.
PS: as for stearing, i loved it

___DJK___

iTrader: (2)

His model year max actually makes 255hp at the crank, quite a bit more than the 4th gen maxis. The max and Z are actually fairly close in power output on the dyno (less drivetrain loss with fwd).

SteveZ

iTrader: (3)

Nope. But your position has a lot to do with how much force you perceive is needed to work the clutch. Work on your seat position for your next test drive. In the Max you are coming more down on the clutch from a leverage perspective. You won't make the Z or G clutch softer, at least not in a good way It will only get a little easier as it wears in, and may engage a little higher but not much. And if you try to feather it or do clutch slips you will become familiar with the smell of a really hot and burning clutch If you do a lot of stop and go traffic the clutch will not be your friend.

If the seat has base rise and or tilt try starting out with it a little higher, and be careful not to kick the base of the seat to high in front. A lot of the perceived effort is all about leverage. If you are too far back, it's harder. If the seat is too low for you or the base is tilted too high in front it will make it harder to use the clutch. I am a little over 5'10", I drop the seat as low as possible in my G, keep it pretty level, drop the wheel to max low tilt, have the seat close enough I can easily push the clutch clean to the floor without stretching or twisting. If you find yourself twisting at the hip when using the clutch you are too far back. Move the seat up closer at first then work your way back. Use the tilt wheel adjustments.

The new G sedan like the 2006 has memory for all the seat adjustments, the G has manual seat back angle. Once you get it right in the Z or the G you want to hang onto that adjustment. When I had the hardbar and harness in my Z my seat position was very fixed so I spent a lot of time getting it right. In the G I don't let passengers in from the driver's side!

If you don't need the rear seats, get the Z. Unless you need really big rear seats and 4 doors, get the G Coupe. If you do, then the $34k for a well-equipped new Max buys are really nice G35 Sedan - with a nice boost in power now and a lot better options. Much better resale if you plan to turn th car over instead of keeping it for 5+ years. Oddly enough same for the G coupe vs. the 350Z - I have almost 74% private party sales price for my used G at almost 3 years and 30k miles, that is unheard of. Excellent condition and a lot of options helps...

Plus the new 2007 G Sedan is the only really new model here - all the rest are 2-3+ years old, if you need all the things a sedan gets you, go there. Just don't expect the fun meter to peg every time you get in the car like the Z!

SteveZ

iTrader: (3)

Technically correct. Yeah, and Nissan claims 6.3s 0-60mph for the new Max, wooo woo in a straigth line. Less loss in the drivetrain, but lesser ability to lay the power down to the wheels on the road. Until you power slide a Z through a corner on a track at 70-90 mph and the thing stays flat as a pancake, you just can't appreciate what a great handling car it really is - you can instantly get comfortable with its handling, it tells you exactly what is going on, and you can confidently drive the Z at 5500-6000 rpm through corners with nice control and no sudden surprises (again on a track, public roads are always full of unpleasant surprises )

The Z and G Coupe lay the power down a lot better in far more driving situations than a front driver like the Max SE can ever hope to. Sure you can get some impressive straight line speed - but its suspension is primitive compared to the V33/V35 platforms and won't let you use that power nearly as much; even with the stiff springs and upgrades to sways, it still suffers from terminal understeer and being front-weight biased. The G Coupe isn't as stiff in the rear off the lot and on rough corners wallows just a bit - bigger rear away and some better dampers and slightly stiffer springs help.

I like Nissan's front drivers once the springs, dampening, chassis flex and sways are addressed, have an old one myself I love to drive. It's just the 350Z is instant fun - just about everywhere from day one

http://homepage.mac.com/stracy01/Auto/PhotoAlbum16.html
http://homepage.mac.com/stracy01/Aut...Theater21.html

ilyaat

No, i have 98 max., and it does have 190 HP. The person who made this thread has 02 Max, which comes with 3.5L and has 255 HP. Althought if you're interested, check out maxima forums where some people drop the 3.5 in 4th gen (95-99) and I hear its DAMN FAST. woot woot

charlie_rdstr_Z

iTrader: (2)

Get a Z enjoy the fun and realize it's not practical and get a Maxima.

Or get a Maxima and realize it isn't as fun and want a Z.

mg350ZR

I was replying to ilyaat, and he has a '98 Maxima as he mentioned in one of the posts above. The '98 Maxima (3rd generation) makes 190hp, and not 255.

SteveZ

iTrader: (3)

Well put, but you are far too grounded in "reality"...where is your sense of rationalization???

"Get a Z and rationalize how practical it is for such a fun car...or get a Maxima and realize it isn't as fun and want a Z."

SteveZ

iTrader: (3)

LOL! My wife took ONE ride in 2 years in my Z - "this is like being in a video game!" Guess she didn't need to see. Good thing it wasn't my only daily driver

Not that it was such a bad thing, my kids loved it day one

ZBigDog

Well I too was a lot like you before getting my 03 Touring 6spd Z this February. I had a 98 maxima se for 5 years (my brother has an 03 Max) andtoo had never driven a stick. but i wanted the look, fun and excitement of a Z so didnt even think twice about it. looking back 7 months after the purchase i am real happy and have no regrets at all, i do however, want the max for a daily driver again as i miss the cushiony ride.


space has never been an issue, i just ran into the first instance where i had to make two trips to help my roomate out and bring my girl home but it didnt matter cuz the damn thing is just so fun to drive, even in rush hour traffic working the stick. DO IT!!! but do your homework first and get one in great condition.

___DJK___

iTrader: (2)

My bad. Reading > me.