Scooby67 Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 I bought a new Nismo last november which to most people sounds crazy when i could have had something faster/better for the same money but i just couldnt' fall in love with any of its rivals so i just kept going back to the zed. The styling alone made me fall instantly in love with it, maybe one day i will go to something German but for now i will be sticking with the Nismo! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veilside z Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Buy the latest 350z available with the lowest mileage and modify the hell out of it. It will win hands down. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sipar69 Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 I bought a new Nismo last november which to most people sounds crazy when i could have had something faster/better for the same money but i just couldnt' fall in love with any of its rivals so i just kept going back to the zed. The styling alone made me fall instantly in love with it, maybe one day i will go to something German but for now i will be sticking with the Nismo! Same here. I don't for a minute think my Nismo is the "best" car available for what it cost, but I love it to bits, not least because of it has such a unique look and major presence. I love the way it drives and (sad though it may be) I love all the positive attention it gets. An M3 might be a "better" car mechanically, but it wouldn't be "better" for me because I'd be unhappy with the way it looks. No offence to people who like them, but looks do a play a part in what I consider when choosing a car. I'm sure Caymans are great, but again the look doesn't do it for me, except the GT4, which I can't afford! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy78 Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 I would say that the M3 has a very strong identity Really? I can barely tell them from any other 3 series these days. I keep thinking this until I actually drive past one. Maybe it needs to be a striking colour, rather than grey or black, but the 4 exhausts and bonnet bulge really make it look far more aggressive than a normal 3 series (E92 anyway). I saw a Dakar edition the other day in the light yellow and it really was eye catching and sounded immense. Also, the fact you can pick a decent one up now for under £25k makes them a bit of a bargain really. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoot Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Not sure I'd ever consider a car because of the owner's club though. Damn !! I only bought my 370z so i could post on here, 😆😆 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formatzero Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 I guess the O/P could have given a better idea of what he is after ,is it 2 seat 4 seat ,or is it purely power and handling.I like a car to be aestheticly pleasing and have a sense of drama,so the m3 brilliant car that it is ,is not for me.At the end of the day car choice is a very personal thing ,so try them all and please yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 TVR Tuscan! £18k upwards, 300hp, 1050kg, beautiful from every viewpoint, targa top, cheap to tax, has more boot space than a Zed and they have a lot of exhaust options ranging from subtle to mental. I was in one of these last weekend and the amount of attention they get is phenomenal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynamic Turtle Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 Yeah but that is a warm dry wknd car and a different maintainance proposition. The Evora probably falls into the same bucket. You're probs looking at a Cayman really. M3 will keep up but looks like a eurobox in a convoy of sports coupes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formatzero Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 Picked up an Auto Express mag this morning and there is a road test between 370z and 2.3 Mustang ! the Z loses .They also mention that the 370 is not as good as the 350 it replaced which is not the vibe i get from owners on here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The G Man Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 IMO, the 350 looks dated against a 370, although, apart from the Nismo versions, the 70 is starting to look a small, tiny bit dated. Been a few reports of the Eco Boost trouncing a 370, but I'd take that with a pinch of salt, it'll be close and a simple tune of the Eco Boost would edge it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoot Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 Picked up an Auto Express mag this morning and there is a road test between 370z and 2.3 Mustang ! the Z loses .They also mention that the 370 is not as good as the 350 it replaced which is not the vibe i get from owners on here. I'm not doubting the authenticity of an Auto Express test, and I've never driven a 2.3 Mustang or a 350Z BUT, When ever i watch or read these car tests and reviews there only giving their opinions, fill a room with 50 so called experts and you will get 50 different opinions. For me a 370z gives a big bang for a reasonable ammount of money, Yes there's faster and better but probably at alot more money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richf Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 Picked up an Auto Express mag this morning and there is a road test between 370z and 2.3 Mustang ! the Z loses .They also mention that the 370 is not as good as the 350 it replaced which is not the vibe i get from owners on here. I'm not doubting the authenticity of an Auto Express test, and I've never driven a 2.3 Mustang or a 350Z BUT, When ever i watch or read these car tests and reviews there only giving their opinions, fill a room with 50 so called experts and you will get 50 different opinions. For me a 370z gives a big bang for a reasonable ammount of money, Yes there's faster and better but probably at alot more money. Absolutely there is a good reason there are so many different makes and models of cars available, different people want different things There is a lot of stuff a lot cheaper than the 370s and 350s that is much quicker, you dont have to buy something significantly older either like the BM's mentioned and the Cayman, a 14' Golf R for example is cheaper than 14 plate 370z , even a mapped Golf GTI would walk all over a 370z . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpilot Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 (edited) Picked up an Auto Express mag this morning and there is a road test between 370z and 2.3 Mustang ! the Z loses .They also mention that the 370 is not as good as the 350 it replaced which is not the vibe i get from owners on here. As mentioned above, its just opinion from a journo and it would take a brave 370z owner to say he preferred his 350 when he has just spent twice as much "upgrading" Sales figures will suggest it wasnt as popular, but you could argue there are a number of factors that contributed to relatively low sales. Edited April 23, 2016 by Jetpilot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richf Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 Japanese manufacturers rarely do well in Auto Express I went from a 350 HR to the 370z , put it this way I wouldnt go back , not that I am blind to the 370's many flaws Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 (edited) I agree with the above. Mustang or Holden/vxr are the only alternative. They are both saloon cars, the only thing they share with a 370Z is being overweight. And explain to me how feeling heavy is a good thing, unless youre in a tank? Each to their own but a Holden is a Vauxhall Senator with a V8 engine, an M3 is somewhat more developed than that and it shows in the drive. And interior. And quality. And handling. etc. Anyone who describes M cars as "boring" clearly hasnt driven one, and E9* M3's are now similar money to a 370, same as a Cayman is. Oh, and the BMW and the Cayman will not depreciate as quickly so in effect you could spend more to start with anyway. Maybe Im some kind of weirdo but when I was last looking for a car I drove everything I listed as they were all roughly in the same ballpark pricewise, and like Ekona, I think there are better cars out there for the money. If youre looking at the very bottom end £12K cars then maybe not so much but from £16K upwards theres a load of stuff thats just ...... better. Where did I'd say that the 370z being heavier was a bonus you condescending clown? Ive said on here I prefer both the M3 and Cayman? Where the f**k did I say they were boring? There is no way I would personally buy a 370z. I don't like the lights or interior and it's not a big enough improvement over a 350z. There are many cars that I prefer for the money. However the op is obviously different. I was agreeing that the 350/370z is closer to a mustang or Monaro and nothing like a m3 or Cayman. Anyone who who buys a cheap e92 m3 is asking for trouble. It's not a simple car like a z. A Cayman or boxster pre 09 is even worse. They are badly flawed cars with serious inherent problems. I've driven the last 3 m3 models all of them are much better cars than a Z and should be for what they cost. I also had a boxster s PDK as a courtesy car......and it shits on the 350z and 370z from a great height. All this is common knowledge and doesn't help the op. Who says he likes the 370z and was looking for alternatives. I'm guessing someone who prefers the 370z over other cars would be looking for something that drives similar? The Monaro and mustang drive and sound more like a Z than a m3 does. Auto express obviously agree as I see above they have tested the mustang against the 370z. Maybe if they hadn't put the 370z in group tests with quicker, more agile cars like the boxster when it was released, it would have been such a flop? Edited April 23, 2016 by Kev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will370z Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 Watch the tone gents, keep this civil 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisday1990 Posted April 23, 2016 Author Share Posted April 23, 2016 I will now always go jap. Before getting my 370z having previously had a 350 and at the time owning an audi, i found the german cars well built but just bland and boring. Yes good engines but just lacked style and a bit of lairyness. Everything was well placed and worked, i hated ití ½í¸ˆ. That's just it you nailed it on the head, they are just boring cars the Germans unless you pay over the odds , yes the refinement is great but you have to pay for that, an m3 scares me if anything small goes wrong it's allot of cash, Nissan you can take to jap specialist and always willing to help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 You just need to find a BMW specialist! Part for part, service for service, the 350 cost me exactly the same to maintain as the 911. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leosille Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 M135, RS5, S4, TTRS German yes but easily tuned and i'm sure all are high quality. RS5 maybe not as easy to tune as n/a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynamic Turtle Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 I prefer my old 350 too, it just had more character (and flaws). The 370ZN is still a good car built down to a price, designed for the US market and compared to much more expensive germans loses out (shock horror) and is no faster than a 2l turbo these days. I have access to ferarris, pork GT3s, exiges, lambos, astons and know how good the competition is. I could have bought a used cayman S, M3, exige etc but i liked the rarity of the zed (billions of porsches in london) and that it would hopefully spend less time with mechanics than anything italian or english. Its a simple car, the only tech it has in my mind is some valve timing and synchrorev. It was basically ten years old when it was launched. Sort of thing you can really grab by the scruff of the neck, hammer, and not worry about, which is its best "feature" imho. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docwra Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 Where did I'd say that the 370z being heavier was a bonus you condescending clown? Errrr, here: Cayman and m3 aren't fair comparisons. They're very different. The Z is a mini muscle car. Feel very heavy compared to Cayman/boxster. Maybe I read that wrong but when you go on to say "the only thing that puts me off is the interior" that would suggest the weight isnt an issue for you. Ive said on here I prefer both the M3 and Cayman? Where the f**k did I say they were boring? Errr, you didnt, Chrislich did: i found the german cars well built but just bland and boring. I was agreeing that the 350/370z is closer to a mustang or Monaro and nothing like a m3 or Cayman. Its in exactly the same class as a Cayman but doesnt have very much to do with aforementioned Senator which is an ancient saloon car with a big V8. An M3 is very different prospect, admittedly, but its also one of the main alternatives people consider. A Cayman or boxster pre 09 is even worse. They are badly flawed cars with serious inherent problems. Apart from the Cayman's with the M97 engine, where they redeveloped the IMS so it became much, much more reliable. They also hold their money better. As for the rest of it, I cant be arsed to keep quoting but an E46 M3 is less than 370Z money and youve said its better yourself, the thread title gives a bit of a clue to what he was looking for (he says alternatives, not "alternatives that are similar to a 370Z") and they probably put the 370Z in tests with other cars that were around the same money, the fact its not as "quick or agile" is hardly the testers fault. Thanks for the insults but I stand by what I say. When I was looking at a 350Z I considered a Boxster or an M3 , when I was looking at a 370Z I considered an E92 M3, very nearly bought a Cayman and ended up with a 135i and Ive known a good few people do exactly the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobPhoboS Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 Where is the OP (chrisday1990) ? He never bloody answered my question !!!!! NEW OR USED 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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