yeah hah, i know how 3rd gear works, i didnt mean for a quick pass i jest meant that when im in 5th or 6th on the highway that just trying to accelarate a little i didnt like the way that it felt. Ive owned a wrx and a 3 series beemer and neither felt like that. But dont get me wrong, I luuuuuuuv my 8.

 

My problem with the Z has always been how much it weighs. At 3300lbs or a bit more, it is about 300lbs too much.

 

As far as I'm concerned, the 350Z didn't even register when I was car shopping.

Why?

2 seats. End of story.

 

I don't see why you would ever need to use 6th gear at 40 mph. 4th gear is plenty high enough at that speed.

 

Fuel consumption, man... I'm in 6th at 42-45mph when I'm just cruising down the road.

 

you are in 6th gear at speeds of 42-45mph? /scratches head

 

Why not? If I need to slow down or accelerate I'll shift, but at a steady speed, why would I be in any other gear? It's not like it is lugging at that speed.

For "normal" driving I go straight from 2nd to 5th most of the time, and if I'm at a constant 45 or so, I'll slot into 6th. This is around-town driving, of course.

 

 

Scratch away. 42mph is the number in the manual for the 5-6 shift when "cruising". If I need any oomph or have to slow down, I am perfectly capable of downshifting... But I don't see the point in running around in lower gears when "cruising" at a constant speed.

 

i gotcha. Saving gas.... not like u would need to worry about gas in the 8...

 

Don't worry, she gets wound out to the beep (and beyond) every time I venture out. I've recently taken to a 1-6 shift at the last intersection before I get home.

 

we are scratching our heads not because you want to save gas, not because you do not need the power at the lvl for crusing. we are scratching our heads because you are in such a high gear for low mph. maybe you should research and see why you should not be in 6th gear for low mph. one carbon build up, amongst other things. but its not my 8 taht is running that low mph at 6th speed.

 

The whole which car performs better (is quicker) than the other is a joke when you can get a stock vehicle for 1/2 the price that runs low 9's.

 

Which car stock will run low 9's for 15k?

 

Z's look sharp with kits

 

I said Vehicle.. It seats 2 just like a Z

http://www.zx14ninja.com/

 

The Z is one of the cars that I looked at. I like the look of the 8 better and I am 6'2" so I fit in the 8 a lot better. I know the cars are pitted against each other, but the cars are very different in their natures. It is not like you are comparing an STI and EVO. Your choice between the 8 and Z are so personal.

As for the power band, I knew when I bought it that it needed constant attention. I do have to work pretty hard when I am playing around with other cars with more power. But, my things is that I am not into drag racing anyway. I like to play in the curves. After all, life is not a straight line and it is all about how you handle the curves.

 

then again 8 looks hot too..

 

What's your gas mileage?

 

When I was shopping for a car the last time round, I drove the 350Z for a half hour or so and the dealbreaker was that I could not see out of it. Especially to the back and to the rear quarters. Came close to hitting a few innocents in adjacent lanes to the rear. The G35 coupe was much better for this, but it had other problems. The RX8 was the best compromise in a rear wheel drive car. Despite all the recalls, I am still happy with mine.

 

I did do research. I read the 2005 Mazda RX-8 owner's manual, page 5-9.

 

Not very good around town. There's lots of stop-and-go for my local driving, the range of values is from a low of about 13.5 to a high of about 17 for tanks that see no highway driving.

This "driving at 45mph in 6th gear" thing rarely goes for more than about a minute before a turn, stop sign, traffic light, railroad crossing, or traffic interferes...

 

Try cruising over at least 2.4k RPMs and you'll get better.

 

The numbers for speeds-in-gear are supplied by the manufacturer in the manual are for optimum fuel economy... So if the manual sez 42mph for 6th gear "cruising", I'll take that number as being correct over your suggestion.

 

Oooh, hostile. I thought it was 47mph shifting into 6th in the manual. But okay, don't do something that wouldn't hurt to try, since you're getting terrible gas mileage as it is.