Why RX8 and not 370Z - Convince Me...
02-07-2010, 07:25 PM
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02-07-2010, 07:44 PM
#54
Momentum Keeps Me Going
02-07-2010, 09:51 PM
#55
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First of all, if you know how to drive you do not have to go over 80 to play with the car! You can have endless games with the rx-8 at any speed! Second, cars for those who know things about them are not just a bling thing! Third, driving a Ferrari is not only for speed! Just ask your superiors to give you a ride...and listen to the music made by the engine, and exhausts! Oh and ask them to accelarate from 0 to 60 just to see how it feels like it.
Sorry for going out of theme but I could not ignore this post. I personally believe that the 8 looks better, has more space, it has unique engineering (not always a good thing but at least you can differentiate yourself), and it sounds way better than the 370z. For some reason I think that the 370z sounds like NISSAN forgot something
Sorry for going out of theme but I could not ignore this post. I personally believe that the 8 looks better, has more space, it has unique engineering (not always a good thing but at least you can differentiate yourself), and it sounds way better than the 370z. For some reason I think that the 370z sounds like NISSAN forgot something
Cars are cars, you can change the sound they make(ever heard of 180 degree headers? I bet not), you can change the way they drive and even how well they stop all with a few $. Finding power on the other hand is not a cheap easy fix, even more so when your talking about a RX8. Adjusting the looks is never a cheap option also.
If you notice after years of reading this forums, when people sell off the rx8, they A) get a fast car to replace it. B) get a family car to replace it.
I think most poeple get the RX8 and see at as a "best of both worlds" but sooner or later they decide they need one or the other more.
02-07-2010, 10:08 PM
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I'll add this, if you plan to use the back seats, sometimes it is a pain in the *** depending on where you live to open the rear doors in a parking lot. The trunk space is ok, but can be really limited with a spare. The back seats are not very good for big packages that don't fit in the trunk because of the center. If you got a freaky girl, the car is not at all ment to get freaky in.
My dad rode in my RX8 once and said he will never do it again. He didn't like how the seats are conformed and how low the car was for him to get in and out of. He did like the car, but as an older guy, he wants to get in and out of a nice soft seat easy
My dad rode in my RX8 once and said he will never do it again. He didn't like how the seats are conformed and how low the car was for him to get in and out of. He did like the car, but as an older guy, he wants to get in and out of a nice soft seat easy
Last edited by Trekk; 02-07-2010 at 10:14 PM.
02-07-2010, 10:13 PM
#57
^ hey hey i agree with EVERYTHING you said except for the last bit there ... TRUST me you can get freaky in the 8 it takes some work but its doable and im 6'2" tall ... also as far as looks are concerned its to each his own but IMO the z is butt ugly and no matter what you do you can make an ugly car look less ugly but takes ALOT to make it look good if you can lol ...
02-07-2010, 10:36 PM
#58
Stuck in a love triangle
Get the 370z. It looks better than the new RX-8s, it has far more horsepower, and I bet it handles pretty damn well too now.
Or you can save some money and just get a used older model RX-8 that has been well maintained, that way you can avoid the horrendous face lift they applied to the new models, and then if you need more horses you can always turbo it.
Or you can save some money and just get a used older model RX-8 that has been well maintained, that way you can avoid the horrendous face lift they applied to the new models, and then if you need more horses you can always turbo it.
02-08-2010, 11:24 AM
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I'd go with the 370. I'm looking to get rid of my '04 8, and I'm actually trying to convince myself to get the R3 over the Z but I don't think it's happening. While looks are a matter of opinion, the argument mainly comes down to do you need a back seat or not? The improvements to the 370 over the 350 now make the Z better then the 8 in pretty much every way.
02-08-2010, 11:40 AM
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370z is a MUCH better car in terms of performance and resale value (and gas mileage). the r3 looks better (which is subjective) and has 4 seats.
If i were you, i'd get an Evo X or a IX. or go german, and get an m3 =]
If i were you, i'd get an Evo X or a IX. or go german, and get an m3 =]
02-08-2010, 12:30 PM
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One other thing to consider, if you plan to track the car. The 2009 Z's don't have an oil cooler and tend to over heat the oil after a few laps. This causes the ecu to limit the revs lower and lower as the oil heats up thus making the car progressively slower. I've heard this can occur even under normal driving conditions in hot weather. Something to think about that might limit the "fun" of the Z.
02-08-2010, 01:23 PM
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I have an '07 RX-8 and an '09 370Z. Here are a few thoughts and impressions that may help you. Most are subjective, so take them for what they are worth. Nothing in here will “convince” you one way or another, but there may be something worth considering.
First the obvious. The Z has gobs of power and torque. Very little chance of getting embarrassed off the line, if that's important to you. Even if its not, the power’s there when you want/need it, and that’s not to be underestimated. Acceleration in the Z is effortless, and it does come in handy in passing situations. No need to downshift to get revs up; just step on the gas and the little old man in the Kia is a distant memory. Of course that can get you in trouble. More than once I've been on the highway and after a pass I've looked down and was shocked to see I was going much faster than I thought. That takes me to my next point.
The RX-8 communicates better. At least to me. It seems to more easily connect you to the road and let you know what's going on. That's not to say that the Z makes me feel at all disconnected; the RX just makes me feel more connected, if that makes sense. Put it this way, driving the Z is like using a fine tool to manipulate something. The RX is more like directly using your hand. In fairness, I've had the RX for nearly 3 years, and the Z for less than one.
From a handling perspective, the RX is lighter on its feet. That wrist flick that you use to toss your RX into the next lane doesn't work in the Z. The Z is, however, nimble as well. If you haven't owned an RX you'd consider the 370 very nimble. The Z "feels" like the bigger, heavier car when you're driving it. The RX seems to hold the road a bit better, inspire a bit more confidence and rear tires let go in more predictable fashion (though I suspect choice of tires has an awful lot to do with this - I’m still OEM with the Z and running Direzza Star Specs on the 8).
Visibility is significantly better in the RX. When you first get in a Z you feel a bit like you're driving it through a periscope. The C pillars are enormous and the rear window is a gun slit. Don’t even bother tossing a look over your shoulder. That said, you do get used to it and once you learn to properly set and trust your side mirrors it's perfectly fine.
The Z has a better interior, imho. Again, this is subjective, but you'd have to be blind not to see that that quality of the materials is more "upscale." The leather knee pads are a nice touch.
The Bose system in my RX sounds better than the Bose in my Z. I think Bose in general is crap, with a reputation built more out of gimmickry and brilliant marketing than solid audio performance, but it does sound better in the RX. This is probably because of the positioning of the rear speakers in the Z due to the lack of a rear deck lid.
From a practicality standpoint, the RX's advantages are obvious. The Z is not as entirely impractical as it might seem at first blush. The wife (who has never in her life “traveled light”) and I took a road trip to New England in the 370 and between the hatch area and the spaces behind the seats, we did fine. But you're going to bring a couple of soft sided overnight bags rather than an actual suit case. The rear hatch area is long and wide enough, but too shallow for an actual suitcase. That giant pack of paper towels you bought at Costco are going home in the passenger seat or not at all. The small storage areas behind the seats are pretty cool and reasonably practical.
The instrument clusters are a toss up. Like the RX, the Z has its large tach front and center. I prefer the RX's digital speedometer, since its much easier to read with a quick glance than the Z's, which is off center to the right and has its indicator lines smushed very close together in 5 mph intervals. But the Z gives actual engine and oil temp readings, instead of being idiot lights with needles. Using led light strips for the fuel and engine temp gauges was a bit goofy, and I'm not sure what they were thinking in wasting a gauge pod on a digital clock.
Hmmm, what else. The electronic nannies seem less intrusive in the RX. I have rarely noticed the DSC kick in with my RX in everyday driving, and when it does it seems to have quite a bit more tolerance for letting you play before it intrudes. The Z's system seems to hate even minimal wheel spin and has cut power on me a couple times when I've jumped on the accelerator to merge from a dead stop onto a busy street. Awkward with traffic bearing down on you. With the Z’s greater mass market appeal, it seems Nissan is anticipating a grater number of people who have absolutely no idea what they are doing will get behind the wheel of a Z. In fairness, though, I hate to think what would happen to a soccer mom (or dad) if she were to throw the Z, with its tons of torque, into oversteer on a winding off ramp. To avoid the nanny you have just be more subtle with the gas peddle, and be sure not to stomp on it like a teenager trying to do donuts in his '75 Camaro.
While the Z has the better quality interior, the paint job on my RX is easily superior. The paint job on the Z was my only frank disappointment, other than the lack of an oil cooler. I don’t want to say the paint job is dull, but it almost appears so parked next to the 8 in the garage. The absence of an oil cooler accounts for the potential to go into limp-mode on the track, which was mentioned above in another post.
The Z gets much better gas milage. I’ve gotten over 30 mpg on long highway trips. I’ve never done better than 23 with the RX-8. It also has a bigger fuel tank.
In sum, they are both a riot to drive. I do prefer the RX-8 because it better suits my driving style, and I will definitely buy the next generation when it comes, barring anything completely idiotic on the part of Mazda. But that doesn’t mean I don’t grab the keys to the 370 at least once or twice a week. I will say that Nissan seems to have been, if you judge by how vastly improved the 370 is over the 350, much better at listening to its loyal enthusiasts than Mazda has been with the RX-8.
Sorry for the long post.
First the obvious. The Z has gobs of power and torque. Very little chance of getting embarrassed off the line, if that's important to you. Even if its not, the power’s there when you want/need it, and that’s not to be underestimated. Acceleration in the Z is effortless, and it does come in handy in passing situations. No need to downshift to get revs up; just step on the gas and the little old man in the Kia is a distant memory. Of course that can get you in trouble. More than once I've been on the highway and after a pass I've looked down and was shocked to see I was going much faster than I thought. That takes me to my next point.
The RX-8 communicates better. At least to me. It seems to more easily connect you to the road and let you know what's going on. That's not to say that the Z makes me feel at all disconnected; the RX just makes me feel more connected, if that makes sense. Put it this way, driving the Z is like using a fine tool to manipulate something. The RX is more like directly using your hand. In fairness, I've had the RX for nearly 3 years, and the Z for less than one.
From a handling perspective, the RX is lighter on its feet. That wrist flick that you use to toss your RX into the next lane doesn't work in the Z. The Z is, however, nimble as well. If you haven't owned an RX you'd consider the 370 very nimble. The Z "feels" like the bigger, heavier car when you're driving it. The RX seems to hold the road a bit better, inspire a bit more confidence and rear tires let go in more predictable fashion (though I suspect choice of tires has an awful lot to do with this - I’m still OEM with the Z and running Direzza Star Specs on the 8).
Visibility is significantly better in the RX. When you first get in a Z you feel a bit like you're driving it through a periscope. The C pillars are enormous and the rear window is a gun slit. Don’t even bother tossing a look over your shoulder. That said, you do get used to it and once you learn to properly set and trust your side mirrors it's perfectly fine.
The Z has a better interior, imho. Again, this is subjective, but you'd have to be blind not to see that that quality of the materials is more "upscale." The leather knee pads are a nice touch.
The Bose system in my RX sounds better than the Bose in my Z. I think Bose in general is crap, with a reputation built more out of gimmickry and brilliant marketing than solid audio performance, but it does sound better in the RX. This is probably because of the positioning of the rear speakers in the Z due to the lack of a rear deck lid.
From a practicality standpoint, the RX's advantages are obvious. The Z is not as entirely impractical as it might seem at first blush. The wife (who has never in her life “traveled light”) and I took a road trip to New England in the 370 and between the hatch area and the spaces behind the seats, we did fine. But you're going to bring a couple of soft sided overnight bags rather than an actual suit case. The rear hatch area is long and wide enough, but too shallow for an actual suitcase. That giant pack of paper towels you bought at Costco are going home in the passenger seat or not at all. The small storage areas behind the seats are pretty cool and reasonably practical.
The instrument clusters are a toss up. Like the RX, the Z has its large tach front and center. I prefer the RX's digital speedometer, since its much easier to read with a quick glance than the Z's, which is off center to the right and has its indicator lines smushed very close together in 5 mph intervals. But the Z gives actual engine and oil temp readings, instead of being idiot lights with needles. Using led light strips for the fuel and engine temp gauges was a bit goofy, and I'm not sure what they were thinking in wasting a gauge pod on a digital clock.
Hmmm, what else. The electronic nannies seem less intrusive in the RX. I have rarely noticed the DSC kick in with my RX in everyday driving, and when it does it seems to have quite a bit more tolerance for letting you play before it intrudes. The Z's system seems to hate even minimal wheel spin and has cut power on me a couple times when I've jumped on the accelerator to merge from a dead stop onto a busy street. Awkward with traffic bearing down on you. With the Z’s greater mass market appeal, it seems Nissan is anticipating a grater number of people who have absolutely no idea what they are doing will get behind the wheel of a Z. In fairness, though, I hate to think what would happen to a soccer mom (or dad) if she were to throw the Z, with its tons of torque, into oversteer on a winding off ramp. To avoid the nanny you have just be more subtle with the gas peddle, and be sure not to stomp on it like a teenager trying to do donuts in his '75 Camaro.
While the Z has the better quality interior, the paint job on my RX is easily superior. The paint job on the Z was my only frank disappointment, other than the lack of an oil cooler. I don’t want to say the paint job is dull, but it almost appears so parked next to the 8 in the garage. The absence of an oil cooler accounts for the potential to go into limp-mode on the track, which was mentioned above in another post.
The Z gets much better gas milage. I’ve gotten over 30 mpg on long highway trips. I’ve never done better than 23 with the RX-8. It also has a bigger fuel tank.
In sum, they are both a riot to drive. I do prefer the RX-8 because it better suits my driving style, and I will definitely buy the next generation when it comes, barring anything completely idiotic on the part of Mazda. But that doesn’t mean I don’t grab the keys to the 370 at least once or twice a week. I will say that Nissan seems to have been, if you judge by how vastly improved the 370 is over the 350, much better at listening to its loyal enthusiasts than Mazda has been with the RX-8.
Sorry for the long post.
Last edited by Machiavelli; 02-08-2010 at 01:31 PM. Reason: typos
02-08-2010, 02:33 PM
#65
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I have an '07 RX-8 and an '09 370Z. Here are a few thoughts and impressions that may help you. Most are subjective, so take them for what they are worth. Nothing in here will “convince” you one way or another, but there may be something worth considering.
First the obvious. The Z has gobs of power and torque. Very little chance of getting embarrassed off the line, if that's important to you. Even if its not, the power’s there when you want/need it, and that’s not to be underestimated. Acceleration in the Z is effortless, and it does come in handy in passing situations. No need to downshift to get revs up; just step on the gas and the little old man in the Kia is a distant memory. Of course that can get you in trouble. More than once I've been on the highway and after a pass I've looked down and was shocked to see I was going much faster than I thought. That takes me to my next point.
The RX-8 communicates better. At least to me. It seems to more easily connect you to the road and let you know what's going on. That's not to say that the Z makes me feel at all disconnected; the RX just makes me feel more connected, if that makes sense. Put it this way, driving the Z is like using a fine tool to manipulate something. The RX is more like directly using your hand. In fairness, I've had the RX for nearly 3 years, and the Z for less than one.
From a handling perspective, the RX is lighter on its feet. That wrist flick that you use to toss your RX into the next lane doesn't work in the Z. The Z is, however, nimble as well. If you haven't owned an RX you'd consider the 370 very nimble. The Z "feels" like the bigger, heavier car when you're driving it. The RX seems to hold the road a bit better, inspire a bit more confidence and rear tires let go in more predictable fashion (though I suspect choice of tires has an awful lot to do with this - I’m still OEM with the Z and running Direzza Star Specs on the 8).
Visibility is significantly better in the RX. When you first get in a Z you feel a bit like you're driving it through a periscope. The C pillars are enormous and the rear window is a gun slit. Don’t even bother tossing a look over your shoulder. That said, you do get used to it and once you learn to properly set and trust your side mirrors it's perfectly fine.
The Z has a better interior, imho. Again, this is subjective, but you'd have to be blind not to see that that quality of the materials is more "upscale." The leather knee pads are a nice touch.
The Bose system in my RX sounds better than the Bose in my Z. I think Bose in general is crap, with a reputation built more out of gimmickry and brilliant marketing than solid audio performance, but it does sound better in the RX. This is probably because of the positioning of the rear speakers in the Z due to the lack of a rear deck lid.
From a practicality standpoint, the RX's advantages are obvious. The Z is not as entirely impractical as it might seem at first blush. The wife (who has never in her life “traveled light”) and I took a road trip to New England in the 370 and between the hatch area and the spaces behind the seats, we did fine. But you're going to bring a couple of soft sided overnight bags rather than an actual suit case. The rear hatch area is long and wide enough, but too shallow for an actual suitcase. That giant pack of paper towels you bought at Costco are going home in the passenger seat or not at all. The small storage areas behind the seats are pretty cool and reasonably practical.
The instrument clusters are a toss up. Like the RX, the Z has its large tach front and center. I prefer the RX's digital speedometer, since its much easier to read with a quick glance than the Z's, which is off center to the right and has its indicator lines smushed very close together in 5 mph intervals. But the Z gives actual engine and oil temp readings, instead of being idiot lights with needles. Using led light strips for the fuel and engine temp gauges was a bit goofy, and I'm not sure what they were thinking in wasting a gauge pod on a digital clock.
Hmmm, what else. The electronic nannies seem less intrusive in the RX. I have rarely noticed the DSC kick in with my RX in everyday driving, and when it does it seems to have quite a bit more tolerance for letting you play before it intrudes. The Z's system seems to hate even minimal wheel spin and has cut power on me a couple times when I've jumped on the accelerator to merge from a dead stop onto a busy street. Awkward with traffic bearing down on you. With the Z’s greater mass market appeal, it seems Nissan is anticipating a grater number of people who have absolutely no idea what they are doing will get behind the wheel of a Z. In fairness, though, I hate to think what would happen to a soccer mom (or dad) if she were to throw the Z, with its tons of torque, into oversteer on a winding off ramp. To avoid the nanny you have just be more subtle with the gas peddle, and be sure not to stomp on it like a teenager trying to do donuts in his '75 Camaro.
While the Z has the better quality interior, the paint job on my RX is easily superior. The paint job on the Z was my only frank disappointment, other than the lack of an oil cooler. I don’t want to say the paint job is dull, but it almost appears so parked next to the 8 in the garage. The absence of an oil cooler accounts for the potential to go into limp-mode on the track, which was mentioned above in another post.
The Z gets much better gas milage. I’ve gotten over 30 mpg on long highway trips. I’ve never done better than 23 with the RX-8. It also has a bigger fuel tank.
In sum, they are both a riot to drive. I do prefer the RX-8 because it better suits my driving style, and I will definitely buy the next generation when it comes, barring anything completely idiotic on the part of Mazda. But that doesn’t mean I don’t grab the keys to the 370 at least once or twice a week. I will say that Nissan seems to have been, if you judge by how vastly improved the 370 is over the 350, much better at listening to its loyal enthusiasts than Mazda has been with the RX-8.
Sorry for the long post.
First the obvious. The Z has gobs of power and torque. Very little chance of getting embarrassed off the line, if that's important to you. Even if its not, the power’s there when you want/need it, and that’s not to be underestimated. Acceleration in the Z is effortless, and it does come in handy in passing situations. No need to downshift to get revs up; just step on the gas and the little old man in the Kia is a distant memory. Of course that can get you in trouble. More than once I've been on the highway and after a pass I've looked down and was shocked to see I was going much faster than I thought. That takes me to my next point.
The RX-8 communicates better. At least to me. It seems to more easily connect you to the road and let you know what's going on. That's not to say that the Z makes me feel at all disconnected; the RX just makes me feel more connected, if that makes sense. Put it this way, driving the Z is like using a fine tool to manipulate something. The RX is more like directly using your hand. In fairness, I've had the RX for nearly 3 years, and the Z for less than one.
From a handling perspective, the RX is lighter on its feet. That wrist flick that you use to toss your RX into the next lane doesn't work in the Z. The Z is, however, nimble as well. If you haven't owned an RX you'd consider the 370 very nimble. The Z "feels" like the bigger, heavier car when you're driving it. The RX seems to hold the road a bit better, inspire a bit more confidence and rear tires let go in more predictable fashion (though I suspect choice of tires has an awful lot to do with this - I’m still OEM with the Z and running Direzza Star Specs on the 8).
Visibility is significantly better in the RX. When you first get in a Z you feel a bit like you're driving it through a periscope. The C pillars are enormous and the rear window is a gun slit. Don’t even bother tossing a look over your shoulder. That said, you do get used to it and once you learn to properly set and trust your side mirrors it's perfectly fine.
The Z has a better interior, imho. Again, this is subjective, but you'd have to be blind not to see that that quality of the materials is more "upscale." The leather knee pads are a nice touch.
The Bose system in my RX sounds better than the Bose in my Z. I think Bose in general is crap, with a reputation built more out of gimmickry and brilliant marketing than solid audio performance, but it does sound better in the RX. This is probably because of the positioning of the rear speakers in the Z due to the lack of a rear deck lid.
From a practicality standpoint, the RX's advantages are obvious. The Z is not as entirely impractical as it might seem at first blush. The wife (who has never in her life “traveled light”) and I took a road trip to New England in the 370 and between the hatch area and the spaces behind the seats, we did fine. But you're going to bring a couple of soft sided overnight bags rather than an actual suit case. The rear hatch area is long and wide enough, but too shallow for an actual suitcase. That giant pack of paper towels you bought at Costco are going home in the passenger seat or not at all. The small storage areas behind the seats are pretty cool and reasonably practical.
The instrument clusters are a toss up. Like the RX, the Z has its large tach front and center. I prefer the RX's digital speedometer, since its much easier to read with a quick glance than the Z's, which is off center to the right and has its indicator lines smushed very close together in 5 mph intervals. But the Z gives actual engine and oil temp readings, instead of being idiot lights with needles. Using led light strips for the fuel and engine temp gauges was a bit goofy, and I'm not sure what they were thinking in wasting a gauge pod on a digital clock.
Hmmm, what else. The electronic nannies seem less intrusive in the RX. I have rarely noticed the DSC kick in with my RX in everyday driving, and when it does it seems to have quite a bit more tolerance for letting you play before it intrudes. The Z's system seems to hate even minimal wheel spin and has cut power on me a couple times when I've jumped on the accelerator to merge from a dead stop onto a busy street. Awkward with traffic bearing down on you. With the Z’s greater mass market appeal, it seems Nissan is anticipating a grater number of people who have absolutely no idea what they are doing will get behind the wheel of a Z. In fairness, though, I hate to think what would happen to a soccer mom (or dad) if she were to throw the Z, with its tons of torque, into oversteer on a winding off ramp. To avoid the nanny you have just be more subtle with the gas peddle, and be sure not to stomp on it like a teenager trying to do donuts in his '75 Camaro.
While the Z has the better quality interior, the paint job on my RX is easily superior. The paint job on the Z was my only frank disappointment, other than the lack of an oil cooler. I don’t want to say the paint job is dull, but it almost appears so parked next to the 8 in the garage. The absence of an oil cooler accounts for the potential to go into limp-mode on the track, which was mentioned above in another post.
The Z gets much better gas milage. I’ve gotten over 30 mpg on long highway trips. I’ve never done better than 23 with the RX-8. It also has a bigger fuel tank.
In sum, they are both a riot to drive. I do prefer the RX-8 because it better suits my driving style, and I will definitely buy the next generation when it comes, barring anything completely idiotic on the part of Mazda. But that doesn’t mean I don’t grab the keys to the 370 at least once or twice a week. I will say that Nissan seems to have been, if you judge by how vastly improved the 370 is over the 350, much better at listening to its loyal enthusiasts than Mazda has been with the RX-8.
Sorry for the long post.
02-08-2010, 02:57 PM
#66
I have an '07 RX-8 and an '09 370Z. Here are a few thoughts and impressions that may help you. Most are subjective, so take them for what they are worth. Nothing in here will “convince” you one way or another, but there may be something worth considering.
First the obvious. The Z has gobs of power and torque. Very little chance of getting embarrassed off the line, if that's important to you. Even if its not, the power’s there when you want/need it, and that’s not to be underestimated. Acceleration in the Z is effortless, and it does come in handy in passing situations. No need to downshift to get revs up; just step on the gas and the little old man in the Kia is a distant memory. Of course that can get you in trouble. More than once I've been on the highway and after a pass I've looked down and was shocked to see I was going much faster than I thought. That takes me to my next point.
The RX-8 communicates better. At least to me. It seems to more easily connect you to the road and let you know what's going on. That's not to say that the Z makes me feel at all disconnected; the RX just makes me feel more connected, if that makes sense. Put it this way, driving the Z is like using a fine tool to manipulate something. The RX is more like directly using your hand. In fairness, I've had the RX for nearly 3 years, and the Z for less than one.
From a handling perspective, the RX is lighter on its feet. That wrist flick that you use to toss your RX into the next lane doesn't work in the Z. The Z is, however, nimble as well. If you haven't owned an RX you'd consider the 370 very nimble. The Z "feels" like the bigger, heavier car when you're driving it. The RX seems to hold the road a bit better, inspire a bit more confidence and rear tires let go in more predictable fashion (though I suspect choice of tires has an awful lot to do with this - I’m still OEM with the Z and running Direzza Star Specs on the 8).
Visibility is significantly better in the RX. When you first get in a Z you feel a bit like you're driving it through a periscope. The C pillars are enormous and the rear window is a gun slit. Don’t even bother tossing a look over your shoulder. That said, you do get used to it and once you learn to properly set and trust your side mirrors it's perfectly fine.
The Z has a better interior, imho. Again, this is subjective, but you'd have to be blind not to see that that quality of the materials is more "upscale." The leather knee pads are a nice touch.
The Bose system in my RX sounds better than the Bose in my Z. I think Bose in general is crap, with a reputation built more out of gimmickry and brilliant marketing than solid audio performance, but it does sound better in the RX. This is probably because of the positioning of the rear speakers in the Z due to the lack of a rear deck lid.
From a practicality standpoint, the RX's advantages are obvious. The Z is not as entirely impractical as it might seem at first blush. The wife (who has never in her life “traveled light”) and I took a road trip to New England in the 370 and between the hatch area and the spaces behind the seats, we did fine. But you're going to bring a couple of soft sided overnight bags rather than an actual suit case. The rear hatch area is long and wide enough, but too shallow for an actual suitcase. That giant pack of paper towels you bought at Costco are going home in the passenger seat or not at all. The small storage areas behind the seats are pretty cool and reasonably practical.
The instrument clusters are a toss up. Like the RX, the Z has its large tach front and center. I prefer the RX's digital speedometer, since its much easier to read with a quick glance than the Z's, which is off center to the right and has its indicator lines smushed very close together in 5 mph intervals. But the Z gives actual engine and oil temp readings, instead of being idiot lights with needles. Using led light strips for the fuel and engine temp gauges was a bit goofy, and I'm not sure what they were thinking in wasting a gauge pod on a digital clock.
Hmmm, what else. The electronic nannies seem less intrusive in the RX. I have rarely noticed the DSC kick in with my RX in everyday driving, and when it does it seems to have quite a bit more tolerance for letting you play before it intrudes. The Z's system seems to hate even minimal wheel spin and has cut power on me a couple times when I've jumped on the accelerator to merge from a dead stop onto a busy street. Awkward with traffic bearing down on you. With the Z’s greater mass market appeal, it seems Nissan is anticipating a grater number of people who have absolutely no idea what they are doing will get behind the wheel of a Z. In fairness, though, I hate to think what would happen to a soccer mom (or dad) if she were to throw the Z, with its tons of torque, into oversteer on a winding off ramp. To avoid the nanny you have just be more subtle with the gas peddle, and be sure not to stomp on it like a teenager trying to do donuts in his '75 Camaro.
While the Z has the better quality interior, the paint job on my RX is easily superior. The paint job on the Z was my only frank disappointment, other than the lack of an oil cooler. I don’t want to say the paint job is dull, but it almost appears so parked next to the 8 in the garage. The absence of an oil cooler accounts for the potential to go into limp-mode on the track, which was mentioned above in another post.
The Z gets much better gas milage. I’ve gotten over 30 mpg on long highway trips. I’ve never done better than 23 with the RX-8. It also has a bigger fuel tank.
In sum, they are both a riot to drive. I do prefer the RX-8 because it better suits my driving style, and I will definitely buy the next generation when it comes, barring anything completely idiotic on the part of Mazda. But that doesn’t mean I don’t grab the keys to the 370 at least once or twice a week. I will say that Nissan seems to have been, if you judge by how vastly improved the 370 is over the 350, much better at listening to its loyal enthusiasts than Mazda has been with the RX-8.
Sorry for the long post.
First the obvious. The Z has gobs of power and torque. Very little chance of getting embarrassed off the line, if that's important to you. Even if its not, the power’s there when you want/need it, and that’s not to be underestimated. Acceleration in the Z is effortless, and it does come in handy in passing situations. No need to downshift to get revs up; just step on the gas and the little old man in the Kia is a distant memory. Of course that can get you in trouble. More than once I've been on the highway and after a pass I've looked down and was shocked to see I was going much faster than I thought. That takes me to my next point.
The RX-8 communicates better. At least to me. It seems to more easily connect you to the road and let you know what's going on. That's not to say that the Z makes me feel at all disconnected; the RX just makes me feel more connected, if that makes sense. Put it this way, driving the Z is like using a fine tool to manipulate something. The RX is more like directly using your hand. In fairness, I've had the RX for nearly 3 years, and the Z for less than one.
From a handling perspective, the RX is lighter on its feet. That wrist flick that you use to toss your RX into the next lane doesn't work in the Z. The Z is, however, nimble as well. If you haven't owned an RX you'd consider the 370 very nimble. The Z "feels" like the bigger, heavier car when you're driving it. The RX seems to hold the road a bit better, inspire a bit more confidence and rear tires let go in more predictable fashion (though I suspect choice of tires has an awful lot to do with this - I’m still OEM with the Z and running Direzza Star Specs on the 8).
Visibility is significantly better in the RX. When you first get in a Z you feel a bit like you're driving it through a periscope. The C pillars are enormous and the rear window is a gun slit. Don’t even bother tossing a look over your shoulder. That said, you do get used to it and once you learn to properly set and trust your side mirrors it's perfectly fine.
The Z has a better interior, imho. Again, this is subjective, but you'd have to be blind not to see that that quality of the materials is more "upscale." The leather knee pads are a nice touch.
The Bose system in my RX sounds better than the Bose in my Z. I think Bose in general is crap, with a reputation built more out of gimmickry and brilliant marketing than solid audio performance, but it does sound better in the RX. This is probably because of the positioning of the rear speakers in the Z due to the lack of a rear deck lid.
From a practicality standpoint, the RX's advantages are obvious. The Z is not as entirely impractical as it might seem at first blush. The wife (who has never in her life “traveled light”) and I took a road trip to New England in the 370 and between the hatch area and the spaces behind the seats, we did fine. But you're going to bring a couple of soft sided overnight bags rather than an actual suit case. The rear hatch area is long and wide enough, but too shallow for an actual suitcase. That giant pack of paper towels you bought at Costco are going home in the passenger seat or not at all. The small storage areas behind the seats are pretty cool and reasonably practical.
The instrument clusters are a toss up. Like the RX, the Z has its large tach front and center. I prefer the RX's digital speedometer, since its much easier to read with a quick glance than the Z's, which is off center to the right and has its indicator lines smushed very close together in 5 mph intervals. But the Z gives actual engine and oil temp readings, instead of being idiot lights with needles. Using led light strips for the fuel and engine temp gauges was a bit goofy, and I'm not sure what they were thinking in wasting a gauge pod on a digital clock.
Hmmm, what else. The electronic nannies seem less intrusive in the RX. I have rarely noticed the DSC kick in with my RX in everyday driving, and when it does it seems to have quite a bit more tolerance for letting you play before it intrudes. The Z's system seems to hate even minimal wheel spin and has cut power on me a couple times when I've jumped on the accelerator to merge from a dead stop onto a busy street. Awkward with traffic bearing down on you. With the Z’s greater mass market appeal, it seems Nissan is anticipating a grater number of people who have absolutely no idea what they are doing will get behind the wheel of a Z. In fairness, though, I hate to think what would happen to a soccer mom (or dad) if she were to throw the Z, with its tons of torque, into oversteer on a winding off ramp. To avoid the nanny you have just be more subtle with the gas peddle, and be sure not to stomp on it like a teenager trying to do donuts in his '75 Camaro.
While the Z has the better quality interior, the paint job on my RX is easily superior. The paint job on the Z was my only frank disappointment, other than the lack of an oil cooler. I don’t want to say the paint job is dull, but it almost appears so parked next to the 8 in the garage. The absence of an oil cooler accounts for the potential to go into limp-mode on the track, which was mentioned above in another post.
The Z gets much better gas milage. I’ve gotten over 30 mpg on long highway trips. I’ve never done better than 23 with the RX-8. It also has a bigger fuel tank.
In sum, they are both a riot to drive. I do prefer the RX-8 because it better suits my driving style, and I will definitely buy the next generation when it comes, barring anything completely idiotic on the part of Mazda. But that doesn’t mean I don’t grab the keys to the 370 at least once or twice a week. I will say that Nissan seems to have been, if you judge by how vastly improved the 370 is over the 350, much better at listening to its loyal enthusiasts than Mazda has been with the RX-8.
Sorry for the long post.
02-08-2010, 04:21 PM
#67
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In every day driving I think it's neither here nor there. I don't track the Z, and I think that's where it would really be worthwhile. I do track the 8 and am not yet very good at heel/toe. The Syncro Match would help a lot at the end of long straights when you have to haul the car way down before entering a turn. It'd be really nice to be able to just throw the shift and pop the clutch without having to worry about throwing the car's weight forward upsetting the balance. But on the street I think it's more of an interesting curiosity. I mean, it works - there's a half second delay during which you hear the engine rev itself - but really, how often do we feel the need to heel and toe on the street?
02-08-2010, 04:52 PM
#68
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if you have to be convinced then just get the Z, we dont need anymore threads on here about how poor the gas mileage is for the rx8 and how slow it is. People that drive these rotaries drive them because of true love for the car, we dont do things half assed around here so either all in or not in at all
02-08-2010, 05:19 PM
#70
幹他媽!
omg... if u look at the 370z and the RX-8 R3 side by side in person or in photos, and you still have doubts, then you don't deserve to be a rotary head... 
j/k, but umm.. sorta serious too... :P
j/k, but umm.. sorta serious too... :P
02-08-2010, 07:45 PM
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I have an '07 RX-8 and an '09 370Z. Here are a few thoughts and impressions that may help you. Most are subjective, so take them for what they are worth. Nothing in here will “convince” you one way or another, but there may be something worth considering.
First the obvious. The Z has gobs of power and torque. Very little chance of getting embarrassed off the line, if that's important to you. Even if its not, the power’s there when you want/need it, and that’s not to be underestimated. Acceleration in the Z is effortless, and it does come in handy in passing situations. No need to downshift to get revs up; just step on the gas and the little old man in the Kia is a distant memory. Of course that can get you in trouble. More than once I've been on the highway and after a pass I've looked down and was shocked to see I was going much faster than I thought. That takes me to my next point.
The RX-8 communicates better. At least to me. It seems to more easily connect you to the road and let you know what's going on. That's not to say that the Z makes me feel at all disconnected; the RX just makes me feel more connected, if that makes sense. Put it this way, driving the Z is like using a fine tool to manipulate something. The RX is more like directly using your hand. In fairness, I've had the RX for nearly 3 years, and the Z for less than one.
From a handling perspective, the RX is lighter on its feet. That wrist flick that you use to toss your RX into the next lane doesn't work in the Z. The Z is, however, nimble as well. If you haven't owned an RX you'd consider the 370 very nimble. The Z "feels" like the bigger, heavier car when you're driving it. The RX seems to hold the road a bit better, inspire a bit more confidence and rear tires let go in more predictable fashion (though I suspect choice of tires has an awful lot to do with this - I’m still OEM with the Z and running Direzza Star Specs on the 8).
Visibility is significantly better in the RX. When you first get in a Z you feel a bit like you're driving it through a periscope. The C pillars are enormous and the rear window is a gun slit. Don’t even bother tossing a look over your shoulder. That said, you do get used to it and once you learn to properly set and trust your side mirrors it's perfectly fine.
The Z has a better interior, imho. Again, this is subjective, but you'd have to be blind not to see that that quality of the materials is more "upscale." The leather knee pads are a nice touch.
The Bose system in my RX sounds better than the Bose in my Z. I think Bose in general is crap, with a reputation built more out of gimmickry and brilliant marketing than solid audio performance, but it does sound better in the RX. This is probably because of the positioning of the rear speakers in the Z due to the lack of a rear deck lid.
From a practicality standpoint, the RX's advantages are obvious. The Z is not as entirely impractical as it might seem at first blush. The wife (who has never in her life “traveled light”) and I took a road trip to New England in the 370 and between the hatch area and the spaces behind the seats, we did fine. But you're going to bring a couple of soft sided overnight bags rather than an actual suit case. The rear hatch area is long and wide enough, but too shallow for an actual suitcase. That giant pack of paper towels you bought at Costco are going home in the passenger seat or not at all. The small storage areas behind the seats are pretty cool and reasonably practical.
The instrument clusters are a toss up. Like the RX, the Z has its large tach front and center. I prefer the RX's digital speedometer, since its much easier to read with a quick glance than the Z's, which is off center to the right and has its indicator lines smushed very close together in 5 mph intervals. But the Z gives actual engine and oil temp readings, instead of being idiot lights with needles. Using led light strips for the fuel and engine temp gauges was a bit goofy, and I'm not sure what they were thinking in wasting a gauge pod on a digital clock.
Hmmm, what else. The electronic nannies seem less intrusive in the RX. I have rarely noticed the DSC kick in with my RX in everyday driving, and when it does it seems to have quite a bit more tolerance for letting you play before it intrudes. The Z's system seems to hate even minimal wheel spin and has cut power on me a couple times when I've jumped on the accelerator to merge from a dead stop onto a busy street. Awkward with traffic bearing down on you. With the Z’s greater mass market appeal, it seems Nissan is anticipating a grater number of people who have absolutely no idea what they are doing will get behind the wheel of a Z. In fairness, though, I hate to think what would happen to a soccer mom (or dad) if she were to throw the Z, with its tons of torque, into oversteer on a winding off ramp. To avoid the nanny you have just be more subtle with the gas peddle, and be sure not to stomp on it like a teenager trying to do donuts in his '75 Camaro.
While the Z has the better quality interior, the paint job on my RX is easily superior. The paint job on the Z was my only frank disappointment, other than the lack of an oil cooler. I don’t want to say the paint job is dull, but it almost appears so parked next to the 8 in the garage. The absence of an oil cooler accounts for the potential to go into limp-mode on the track, which was mentioned above in another post.
The Z gets much better gas milage. I’ve gotten over 30 mpg on long highway trips. I’ve never done better than 23 with the RX-8. It also has a bigger fuel tank.
In sum, they are both a riot to drive. I do prefer the RX-8 because it better suits my driving style, and I will definitely buy the next generation when it comes, barring anything completely idiotic on the part of Mazda. But that doesn’t mean I don’t grab the keys to the 370 at least once or twice a week. I will say that Nissan seems to have been, if you judge by how vastly improved the 370 is over the 350, much better at listening to its loyal enthusiasts than Mazda has been with the RX-8.
Sorry for the long post.
First the obvious. The Z has gobs of power and torque. Very little chance of getting embarrassed off the line, if that's important to you. Even if its not, the power’s there when you want/need it, and that’s not to be underestimated. Acceleration in the Z is effortless, and it does come in handy in passing situations. No need to downshift to get revs up; just step on the gas and the little old man in the Kia is a distant memory. Of course that can get you in trouble. More than once I've been on the highway and after a pass I've looked down and was shocked to see I was going much faster than I thought. That takes me to my next point.
The RX-8 communicates better. At least to me. It seems to more easily connect you to the road and let you know what's going on. That's not to say that the Z makes me feel at all disconnected; the RX just makes me feel more connected, if that makes sense. Put it this way, driving the Z is like using a fine tool to manipulate something. The RX is more like directly using your hand. In fairness, I've had the RX for nearly 3 years, and the Z for less than one.
From a handling perspective, the RX is lighter on its feet. That wrist flick that you use to toss your RX into the next lane doesn't work in the Z. The Z is, however, nimble as well. If you haven't owned an RX you'd consider the 370 very nimble. The Z "feels" like the bigger, heavier car when you're driving it. The RX seems to hold the road a bit better, inspire a bit more confidence and rear tires let go in more predictable fashion (though I suspect choice of tires has an awful lot to do with this - I’m still OEM with the Z and running Direzza Star Specs on the 8).
Visibility is significantly better in the RX. When you first get in a Z you feel a bit like you're driving it through a periscope. The C pillars are enormous and the rear window is a gun slit. Don’t even bother tossing a look over your shoulder. That said, you do get used to it and once you learn to properly set and trust your side mirrors it's perfectly fine.
The Z has a better interior, imho. Again, this is subjective, but you'd have to be blind not to see that that quality of the materials is more "upscale." The leather knee pads are a nice touch.
The Bose system in my RX sounds better than the Bose in my Z. I think Bose in general is crap, with a reputation built more out of gimmickry and brilliant marketing than solid audio performance, but it does sound better in the RX. This is probably because of the positioning of the rear speakers in the Z due to the lack of a rear deck lid.
From a practicality standpoint, the RX's advantages are obvious. The Z is not as entirely impractical as it might seem at first blush. The wife (who has never in her life “traveled light”) and I took a road trip to New England in the 370 and between the hatch area and the spaces behind the seats, we did fine. But you're going to bring a couple of soft sided overnight bags rather than an actual suit case. The rear hatch area is long and wide enough, but too shallow for an actual suitcase. That giant pack of paper towels you bought at Costco are going home in the passenger seat or not at all. The small storage areas behind the seats are pretty cool and reasonably practical.
The instrument clusters are a toss up. Like the RX, the Z has its large tach front and center. I prefer the RX's digital speedometer, since its much easier to read with a quick glance than the Z's, which is off center to the right and has its indicator lines smushed very close together in 5 mph intervals. But the Z gives actual engine and oil temp readings, instead of being idiot lights with needles. Using led light strips for the fuel and engine temp gauges was a bit goofy, and I'm not sure what they were thinking in wasting a gauge pod on a digital clock.
Hmmm, what else. The electronic nannies seem less intrusive in the RX. I have rarely noticed the DSC kick in with my RX in everyday driving, and when it does it seems to have quite a bit more tolerance for letting you play before it intrudes. The Z's system seems to hate even minimal wheel spin and has cut power on me a couple times when I've jumped on the accelerator to merge from a dead stop onto a busy street. Awkward with traffic bearing down on you. With the Z’s greater mass market appeal, it seems Nissan is anticipating a grater number of people who have absolutely no idea what they are doing will get behind the wheel of a Z. In fairness, though, I hate to think what would happen to a soccer mom (or dad) if she were to throw the Z, with its tons of torque, into oversteer on a winding off ramp. To avoid the nanny you have just be more subtle with the gas peddle, and be sure not to stomp on it like a teenager trying to do donuts in his '75 Camaro.
While the Z has the better quality interior, the paint job on my RX is easily superior. The paint job on the Z was my only frank disappointment, other than the lack of an oil cooler. I don’t want to say the paint job is dull, but it almost appears so parked next to the 8 in the garage. The absence of an oil cooler accounts for the potential to go into limp-mode on the track, which was mentioned above in another post.
The Z gets much better gas milage. I’ve gotten over 30 mpg on long highway trips. I’ve never done better than 23 with the RX-8. It also has a bigger fuel tank.
In sum, they are both a riot to drive. I do prefer the RX-8 because it better suits my driving style, and I will definitely buy the next generation when it comes, barring anything completely idiotic on the part of Mazda. But that doesn’t mean I don’t grab the keys to the 370 at least once or twice a week. I will say that Nissan seems to have been, if you judge by how vastly improved the 370 is over the 350, much better at listening to its loyal enthusiasts than Mazda has been with the RX-8.
Sorry for the long post.
02-08-2010, 08:38 PM
#74
Ideally you would get both like an above poster has. I found the same argument when I had an 07 RX-8 GT, traded it in for something with more power and torque only to miss the feel of the road in my hands.
Bought a new Saturn Sky Turbo (love it on short trips for a simple cruise and some 0-60 stop and go's) only to then go back and also buy a new R3. The handling is simply amazing and it's the best car to drive when your pissed off. I give my car absolute hell and it loves me for it.
I test drove the 370 and found it to be almost the same feel as my Sky Turbo minus the wind in my hair so I went back to an RX-8 with the R3.
I think if you go either way you won't be dissapointed but if you have had an 8 and give it up you may find yourself wanting to go back.
Bought a new Saturn Sky Turbo (love it on short trips for a simple cruise and some 0-60 stop and go's) only to then go back and also buy a new R3. The handling is simply amazing and it's the best car to drive when your pissed off. I give my car absolute hell and it loves me for it.
I test drove the 370 and found it to be almost the same feel as my Sky Turbo minus the wind in my hair so I went back to an RX-8 with the R3.
I think if you go either way you won't be dissapointed but if you have had an 8 and give it up you may find yourself wanting to go back.