playdoh43

ohh and btw, the cheap paint problem is not that serious, all cars will chip. i guess its more noticible on a sports car. you can always get a clear bra

Mikelikes2drive

TRUNK SIZE! the 350z has none

they're both really good performance cars, and you cant go wrong with either one, but as you can see i went for the rx8 cuz the 350z just has an ugly interior and weird handles and NO TRUNK!

playdoh43

man the rx8''s trunk isnt much better... but i guess u can put stuff on the backseats. cant do that with the Z

Stilyle

Sold my 350z about three months ago. There were problems with the z that you should consider:

1. Tire feathering
2. Notchy tranny
3. Grease marks on the windows

The Z has no back seat of course which always poses a problem. Further to that, the trunk space is seriously hampered by a cross beam that blocks you from utilizing the space properly. Anything you put in the hatch will slide all over because the carpeting never firmly sits in place. Groceries, golf bags, whatever it is will smash up against the plastic causing a large amount of scratches to surface. Beyond that, you think the rotary sounds sweet? The Z has the sweetest sound of all for a car in this particular price bracket.

These are two different cars really, and for the money, I would purchase the rx-8 for practicality reasons. Never drove the Z in winter due to the fact that it has absolutely no traction in snow (so I've heard). The rx-8 seems like a better bet for the this climate provided the proper tires are on it.

The number 1 reason to buy an 8 would be storage. The Z has none to speak of really. And those doors on the 8 - how can you beat them? Spacious back seats too.

Redlinin 8

The RX-8 handles better....has more rpms to play with....interior design is wayyy better in my opinion...back seats....rotary engine....2 tone leather option...digital speedometer.....intake headers and exhaust add barely anything hp wise (from 1 of the magazines i forgot which 1)....rx8 looks better kitted out....looks better stock....better looking back end.....

MTLbroker

Z and g35 are too expensive for what you get. As good a job as Nissan did on those cars, they are essentially parts bin cars. That drivetrain is used in everything from altima to pathfinder. The chassis is used across several models as well. I'm no expert, just what I've read.

In that way, the 8 is unique in its powertrain and chassis. As far as I know they are unique to the 8. I think this allows a level of integration you can't get on the other cars. It's got some quirks but it is a result of the inherent characteristics of the unique components that go into the car and not really the result of compromising design for the sake of being able to share certain componentry. As one poster here put it, the 8 is better "knitted out".

The fact that the 8 comes in at a pricepoint below the g and the z makes me wonder about the corporate profit margins in nissan or if mazda cut corners to engineer the 8. In the numbers that Mazda will sell the 8, is it a moneymaker? Maybe.....

FWIW, I have an 8, we have a z in the family.

Logan072

I also had a protege5 / two rugerats and went with the practicalty of the rx-8 over the 350z.

cwerdna

The 3.5L ENGINE is used in many Nissans, yes from the Altima to Pathfinder, but not the drivetrain (I'd assume you meant powertrain meaning engine AND transmission). The Altima, Maxima, I35 and new Quest are FWD. You can't use a transmission from those in a RWD car. It's also trasnversely mounted in those cars and the Murano (which is FWD or AWD) so their transmission isn't usable either (CVT is also available on the Murano.

The Z, G35, FX35/45 do share the FM platform (but 45 has a V8), but AFAIK it's beefed up on the FX35 and FX45 since they're larger and heavier.

As for parts bin... well, besides the engine, the interior of the Z when it came out was totally different than any other Nissan. Driving it my Z vs. my Maxima is a TOTALLY different experience. The Max is much smoother and quieter. It's so different you can't even tell they have the same engine and the handling is like night and day (terrible on the Max in comparison)

I can't find a single interior piece or switch that's the same between the two. I've had 03 Altimas as rentals and loaners before, also totally different than the Z. The Z is still pretty darn different from many other Nissans (although the 05 Altima has a few similar interior bits now).

cwerdna

The feathering has been addressed (don't know if it's a real fix or just something to appease pissed off 03 owners) in a new TSB (alignment warranty extension and tire replacement if needed). They haven't done anything for 04s and the jury's out on whether it really is a problem on 04s (some 04s have experienced it, and some haven't, like mine so far).

The window grease is an 03 only problem.

Yeah, the exhaust note on the Z is great! :D

As for no traction in the snow w/stock tires, true from what everyone says. But don't some (or all?) RX-8s ship w/Bridgestone Potenza RE040s? That's what ALL Zs ship with. All RE040 equipped 8s should be just as screwed as Zs w/stock tires My friend's 8 came w/RE040s and he bought snow tires and wheels for the winter.

I will say that the 8 definitely has more practicality, a better quality interior, is quieter, has a smoother ride but is definitely slower by all accounts. I haven't driven one so I can't compare the handling.