Hey guys.. i am about to get a Z but im not sure of what kind of model to get. i was thinking of getting the base model because ill have more money to set up the car. but i was thinking of getting the enthusiast as well jsut for the xenon lights and the traction control. dont really know what to do. info and help would be great. thanks!

Jet

 

Enthusiast.

Best bang for the buck.

 

Performance model, better bang for the buck, VDC an all important safety feature and 18 inch wheels. Do your homework.

 

I disagree.

http://www.nissanusa.com/vehicles/Mo...120017,00.html
^go there and compare the different models for yourself, to see which you need. For people like me who drive 5AT, I obviously don`t need VDC, TCS is more than enough. Keep in mind this is a guy who wants to buy a base model, so I doubt he wants to pay 4k more for a performance. Do your homework.

 

yeah i compared actually all of the model. for sure im not thinking of getting the performance because i plan to buy brakes and rims separately. its just a hard choice coz of the traction control and the lights that comes with the enthusiast model. what i like about the enthusiast are the lights and the traction control.. are those things really worth it? for the price?

 

Enthu gives you cruise control....That was a biggie for me.

I just cant see paying over 25k for a car that doesnt have cruise...

 

HID's, TCS, LSD, and aluminum pedals too!

I agree. I can't believe they didn't include that.

 

To tell you the honest truth ... the HID lights can be added aftermarket for under $300 for a kit with a few tools and a free afternoon to install. The traction control limits the cars raw performance. It basically governs the engines output in an attempt to keep the tires from spinning (good for rainy weather) and as far as the cruise control = unless you are buying an automatic it is not the most practical on a 6 speed! I only say these things above to you due to the fact that you are looking to free up a few bucks for future mods = If the money is no object, I would say get the enthusiast!

 

Get the Enthusiuast; your analysis is correct. You also get Homelink & Cruise Control inaddition to HID, LSD, & TCS. A lot of "stuff" for extra 2 Gs.

 

Another vote for the enthusiast.

 

Def get the enthusiast. Got some cool options for a lil more.

 

alright, thanks guys for your input, i guess it time for me to try to sell my old car and get the Z hopefully by the end of april.. thanks your inputs!

 

GL, what color are you lookin to get, I waited like 6 months for my silver 6spd.

 

Well, I second the Performance model but I am in the minority it looks like. I wasn't willing to even consider a Z with 17's and no VDC. Personal preference I guess. *shrug* ...

 

VDC safety feature, haha. Raise your hand if you have never turned the VDC off. As for the 18" wheels, with the money saved by buying the Enthusiast you can probably put a set of 18" Volks on it.

 

well another question, would you keep an e46 m3, or get a Z that you can set up the car from the change?

 

Keep the E46. Or if it is a Laguna Seca blue manual coupe, you can trade it to me for my 350Z.

 

One thing I forgot to mention, the "bang for your buck" is only partially true. If you are purchasing the car, yes. If you are leasing, probably not. The Touring and the 35th had the highest residual values when I bought and will likely yield you a better deal on a lease vs a base, Perf or Enthusiast. This is due to the bells and whistles that bring greater resale value later. Even the Touring was quite a bit less residual than the 35th, which is why I have one. The Touring I wanted was ~$5000 cheaper and the payment was only $40/month less than the 35th. The ratio of payment vs how much car I was getting got worse for anything less than a Touring or even a Track. For me payment was of no concern so I went with the most car I could get at the best deal possible on a lease. Just food for thought, if you are buying the car then I agree with the Enthusiast being the best deal, although I'd still buy the Perf myself. Lease was ~$440 on a Touring, ~$480 on the 35th. I thought about that one for approximately 2 seconds.

 

Most of us don't buy cars as investments, so I wouldn't let that factor in to your decision. Pick the model that has what YOU want, not what a future buyer of your car might want. If I wanted a car for an investment, I would be going to the Barret Jackson in West Palm coming up.

 

How is a lease an investment? You are simply paying for the amount of car you are going to use. If you are leasing, you'd be silly to ignore residuals and pay more for less. Just MHO. If you are purchasing, I agree with you and I've done it numerous times as evidenced by my non-supercharged Xterra.