Why RX8 and not 370Z - Convince Me...
02-08-2010, 09:34 PM
#76
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Screw the 370Z, get a left-over or slightly used 2008-2009 Corvette for under $40K. Better resale, much better mpg, way faster, way better handling, quieter, cheaper insurance, etc. There is no comparison.
02-08-2010, 10:06 PM
#77
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Got the RX and a 335i coupe...both are excellent but in different ways. For power and effortless cruising, I'd take the 335 any day over the 370z.
However, nothing brings a smile to my face like a winding road and my 5 year old RX. That's the car that sits in the garage when the snow flies. It's the car you wan't to take out on a nice day and just drive.
Get a 335i and then find a nice used 2005-2006 RX8 for ~$15k.
But if I could only have one, it would be the 335 coupe (with a 6sp of course). I think it's the best all around performance/sporty car out there for under $50k.
However, nothing brings a smile to my face like a winding road and my 5 year old RX. That's the car that sits in the garage when the snow flies. It's the car you wan't to take out on a nice day and just drive.
Get a 335i and then find a nice used 2005-2006 RX8 for ~$15k.
But if I could only have one, it would be the 335 coupe (with a 6sp of course). I think it's the best all around performance/sporty car out there for under $50k.
02-08-2010, 10:16 PM
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I'm 6'4", and there's no way I could live in a Corvette (let along get into it), barely fit in the 370Z, but am perfectly comfortable in the RX-8. No brainer...
02-08-2010, 10:27 PM
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I went crazy about two years ago tossing up between an Rx8 and an Mx5. The pro's and con's did my head in. I asked a mate for advice and his comment wasn't expected but I had to appreciate it; "oh,... allow me to weep while you consider your next sports car!!" The point was either was going to be awesome, making a bad choice wasn't on the cards. So whatever you do will make you happy.
Enough people have already given you reasons for either, but I think the following two points should rate highly in your thinking:
1. You've already had an Rx8,
2. A new rotary will most likely appear on near horizon, hopefully sporting a 16X.
Why not try the Z now and await a new rotary?
Enough people have already given you reasons for either, but I think the following two points should rate highly in your thinking:
1. You've already had an Rx8,
2. A new rotary will most likely appear on near horizon, hopefully sporting a 16X.
Why not try the Z now and await a new rotary?
02-09-2010, 02:55 AM
#81
It's good we got a perspective from an owner of both with very good points.
I test drove the 370z a while back and personally would absolutely not hesitate to get one as my next car, aside from one issue. Space. People always talk about having fun while your young and go for the small sports car while you still can.... but I'm a college student and I honestly find myself wanting a tad more space at times. With trips back home over the breaks I occasionally end up with a lot to pack and space becomes a tad bit of an issue.
If it wasn't for space, the 370z would be my absolute hands down choice. I've found that I'm a bit picky about the overall feel of a car. I've driven some cars that are clearly better cars than the 8, but did not feel right. When I test drove a 350, I didn't like it at all. Something just didn't click with me. The 370 on the other hand, was quite enjoyable. After the test I kind of wanted to take it around the block again.
If you like the aesthetics of the 8, then you might want to consider the 8. If you need the space, then definitely consider the 8.
If you just want something for fun, then I'd say the z. The 8 is a lot of fun. I think in general, more people would enjoy the Z. It has a lot more power and pretty great handling and feeling. And as others have said, you've had an 8. It's always fun to give something else a try for a bit.
I test drove the 370z a while back and personally would absolutely not hesitate to get one as my next car, aside from one issue. Space. People always talk about having fun while your young and go for the small sports car while you still can.... but I'm a college student and I honestly find myself wanting a tad more space at times. With trips back home over the breaks I occasionally end up with a lot to pack and space becomes a tad bit of an issue.
If it wasn't for space, the 370z would be my absolute hands down choice. I've found that I'm a bit picky about the overall feel of a car. I've driven some cars that are clearly better cars than the 8, but did not feel right. When I test drove a 350, I didn't like it at all. Something just didn't click with me. The 370 on the other hand, was quite enjoyable. After the test I kind of wanted to take it around the block again.
If you like the aesthetics of the 8, then you might want to consider the 8. If you need the space, then definitely consider the 8.
If you just want something for fun, then I'd say the z. The 8 is a lot of fun. I think in general, more people would enjoy the Z. It has a lot more power and pretty great handling and feeling. And as others have said, you've had an 8. It's always fun to give something else a try for a bit.
02-09-2010, 04:18 AM
#82
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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.
03-02-2010, 11:57 PM
#83
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I have driven an RX-8 on our track and it is a great handling car. My experience with the 370Z is limited to a short test drive on public streets.
I like the RX-8's handling/ride, interior, and the novelty of the rotory.
The downsides from my limited perspective would be lack of low-end torque, and what I have read about engine reliability.
The 370z seems to be more capable in every aspect, (well it can't seat 4 like the RX-8) but it's not perfect either.
It costs more to buy, and if you want to track the car to take advantage of the extra performance, you really should consider the sport package. -and then it will cost much more to maintain than the RX-8. Brake jobs and tires will be serious $$$.
I would also make sure I had the right brake pads before tracking the 370Z. One of my car mags had a story where they wrecked the 370Z they were testing because of instant brake fade. (at a track) Nissan says they are offering better pads for the sport package that won't have this problem.
I like the RX-8's handling/ride, interior, and the novelty of the rotory.
The downsides from my limited perspective would be lack of low-end torque, and what I have read about engine reliability.
The 370z seems to be more capable in every aspect, (well it can't seat 4 like the RX-8) but it's not perfect either.
It costs more to buy, and if you want to track the car to take advantage of the extra performance, you really should consider the sport package. -and then it will cost much more to maintain than the RX-8. Brake jobs and tires will be serious $$$.
I would also make sure I had the right brake pads before tracking the 370Z. One of my car mags had a story where they wrecked the 370Z they were testing because of instant brake fade. (at a track) Nissan says they are offering better pads for the sport package that won't have this problem.
03-03-2010, 12:20 AM
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03-03-2010, 01:06 AM
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03-03-2010, 08:53 AM
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Originally Posted by jasonrxeight
also 370z uses a viscous LSD, better change the LSD fluid if you do track days a lot.
rx-8 however has no such problem
rx-8 however has no such problem
03-03-2010, 10:57 AM
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