n1kns Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Hi all! Greetings from vx220.org.uk! I currently have a 2.2 VX220 that i'm considering trading for a Z. I've never driven one before and only recently (last night) thought of buying one. I love my VX and have owned her for the last two years (and spent a shed load on it) but as i type this, she is tucked up in the garage and i am using my sisters old 1.0L Polo! The main reason for this is that last Saturday I was nearly stranded by flood water down a long country road that i use daily as i didn't want to risk going through it. I thought i would use a more practical car for a short while until the area clears up, and while driving the Polo at the weekend a 350Z passed me! I loved it! Up until now the VX has been my only car and i've loved every second, but my new daily driving route has now changed from great A roads, to dark, flooded, single lane, muddy country roads; so i can either keep the VX and use the Polo as a shed, or get rid of them both and get an all-round practical car! Here is my VX: After seeing the pics of my car, you can probably appriciate why its not much fun pulling over every day down a dark country lane trying to let a tractor or combine harvester get past! Anyway, i'm off to browse the Forum and hopefully get answers to some of my Z questions! Speak to you all soon! N1K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pingu2 Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M350ZB Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 welcome to the club bud, vx looks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S1 HNK Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 hi mate, my brother owned a vx 220 turbo for a couple of years and i used it more than him so i can make a pretty good comparison. First of all i would say they are totally different cars, the Vx was great for a summers day on a dry road but in anything other than that i found it very twitchy are quite frankly scary as hell!!! The zed is a much more relaxed car to drive (albeit a heavy one) although when you do push it, it can be very agile and is a fantastic drivers car. I would say definitely swap, as fun as the Vx was, its not in the same league as the Zed and to be honest i found the turbo version not as quick as id hoped. On the right road it was awesome but that only happened 5% of the time, the rest of the time the Zed was the quicker car. Anyway im sure you'll get lots of good advice, this is just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Alright Nik. well, only you can make the decision. The Zed is very usable everyday however quite a few (myself included) don't use the zed everyday due to lowering or just to keep stones off the soft paint. The zed is a great car but it really depends on your driving style whether you'll get on with it or not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n1kns Posted November 17, 2008 Author Share Posted November 17, 2008 Thanks for the quick replies guys! Any advice is all taken on board and greatly appriciated One quick question though - is there much (if any) of a difference in insurance costs for an import rather than a UK car? There seems to be quite a few tidy examples going for around the £9-10K mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Best thing to do though mate is have a drive. Have a look at the speedo too as the power is very linear and builds up quicker than you'd think. Torque is the order of the day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinmac Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Hi and welcome the the forum, on the subject of standing water, the zed is obviously higher anyway and I have had occasion, without an alternative, to take a flood which came halfway up my drivers door. The water stayed outside. As for insurance try Chris Knot or Sky on here, they will give you a definitive answer on the import question and pretty competative quotes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Nice VX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Hey Nik, don't think I ever spoke to you directly over on vx220.org but I recognise the car and username, I owned VXR number 20 for almost 2 years and spent many an hour on that forum. The 350Z is no less usable than the VX over here really, it was harder to get used to the VX than it was to go large to the Zed. It's a very different driving experience and whilst you'll never be as quick as the VX, I've found that the Zed does have a remarkable ability to give you an immense amount of feedback and it gives you confidence to push on where you might hold back in the VX, where the cost of a clam is never far from your mind... In all honesty, if I had the space on my drive I'd have kept my VXR and bought a shed so that's what I'd do in your position. Saying that, if you do decide that you want a change then you'll love the 350Z as it really is the perfect compromise and I don't regret swapping at all. Gimme a shout if you've got any specific questions about swapping over and I'll try to answer them for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M13KYF Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 to the club Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S1 HNK Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Hey Nik, don't think I ever spoke to you directly over on vx220.org but I recognise the car and username, I owned VXR number 20 for almost 2 years and spent many an hour on that forum. The 350Z is no less usable than the VX over here really, it was harder to get used to the VX than it was to go large to the Zed. It's a very different driving experience and whilst you'll never be as quick as the VX, I've found that the Zed does have a remarkable ability to give you an immense amount of feedback and it gives you confidence to push on where you might hold back in the VX, where the cost of a clam is never far from your mind... In all honesty, if I had the space on my drive I'd have kept my VXR and bought a shed so that's what I'd do in your position. Saying that, if you do decide that you want a change then you'll love the 350Z as it really is the perfect compromise and I don't regret swapping at all. Gimme a shout if you've got any specific questions about swapping over and I'll try to answer them for you. The VXR is a totally different performance bracket from a 2.2 though. The 350z is a quicker car than a std 2.2 (not sure how many engine mods Nik has done) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beavis Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 to the forum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK350Z Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Onboard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilsheepshagga_turbo Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 i agree with ekona... i woulda kept my vx220 tubby if my circumstances would have allowed... the cars are completely different tbh... yes the vx220 is and was faster in all weather BUT the 350z is very capable..probably about 80% as fast but i dont feel i have to drive like the stig to extract every last ounce of performance out of it..some of the drives i had though are gonna be a death bed memory.... i kinda see the Z as a more grown up version of the tubby, its more comfotable, THE HEATERS ACTUALLY WORK and you can do 70 mph without the wind seeping through the gaps in the hood which was annoying... the thing is...im always gonna miss and love the vx220... it really is the biggest car love i think i will ever have but the Z i fear i wont get that. how about keep the vx220 and buy a zed for the crappy days??? its a win win... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev946 Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Well I've kinda gone the other way. I had a GT4 and now have an Exige S. As you say 2 totally different cars so you can't really compare them. My Exige is a little too foucssed to live with as an every day comute unless it's short distance, although a set of normal road tyres would probably fix that. Personally I couldn't get on with the handling of the Zed, it was too GT and not enough sportscar for me. I sold it after 1 year of ownership and not many miles. As a motorway cruiser Zed's are great though. So in summary it's horses for courses. One thing I do know is you will miss the VX once it's gone. The Exige is the first car I've owned which I'm not bored with after a year. I've now had it for just over a year and have no desire to sell it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 The VXR is a totally different performance bracket from a 2.2 though. The 350z is a quicker car than a std 2.2 (not sure how many engine mods Nik has done) Different yes, but not that much quicker really. Unless you're on a really straight road, the 2.2 will handle better than the tubby and much closer to the VXR. Again, in a straight line the Zed will pass the 2.2, but on the twisty stuff the VX will be more than a match for it. Then again, you'll be freezing your knackers off in the VX and constantly wondering what that new rattle is, whereas you'll be somewhat more relaxed in the 350 One of the best pax rides I've ever had was in a 2.2 with Nitrons and a set of throttle bodies round Bedford GT. Easily on a par with my stg2 VXR in terms of speed, both straight line and cornering. Truly an awesome car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev946 Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 The VXR is a totally different performance bracket from a 2.2 though. The 350z is a quicker car than a std 2.2 (not sure how many engine mods Nik has done) Different yes, but not that much quicker really. Unless you're on a really straight road, the 2.2 will handle better than the tubby and much closer to the VXR. Again, in a straight line the Zed will pass the 2.2, but on the twisty stuff the VX will be more than a match for it. Then again, you'll be freezing your knackers off in the VX and constantly wondering what that new rattle is, whereas you'll be somewhat more relaxed in the 350 One of the best pax rides I've ever had was in a 2.2 with Nitrons and a set of throttle bodies round Bedford GT. Easily on a par with my stg2 VXR in terms of speed, both straight line and cornering. Truly an awesome car. Sounds like you've nver been in a Lotus or VX. Cold never, in fact air conditioning in summer is almost a must. Exiges with no air con can't be shifted by the dealers. It's a small car, mid engine which means plenty of heat in the cab. As for quick, you are missing the point. The Lotus chassis is not about how quick in a straight line, it's more about driver feedback, handling and enjoyment. That's why I say it would be missed if sold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavey Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Different yes, but not that much quicker really. Unless you're on a really straight road, the 2.2 will handle better than the tubby and much closer to the VXR. Again, in a straight line the Zed will pass the 2.2, but on the twisty stuff the VX will be more than a match for it. Then again, you'll be freezing your knackers off in the VX and constantly wondering what that new rattle is, whereas you'll be somewhat more relaxed in the 350 One of the best pax rides I've ever had was in a 2.2 with Nitrons and a set of throttle bodies round Bedford GT. Easily on a par with my stg2 VXR in terms of speed, both straight line and cornering. Truly an awesome car. Sounds like you've nver been in a Lotus or VX. Cold never, in fact air conditioning in summer is almost a must. Exiges with no air con can't be shifted by the dealers. It's a small car, mid engine which means plenty of heat in the cab. As for quick, you are missing the point. The Lotus chassis is not about how quick in a straight line, it's more about driver feedback, handling and enjoyment. That's why I say it would be missed if sold. I owned a VXR220 (number 20 of 65) for almost 2 years, which was even more basic than your Exige Not an issue in the Exige, but in the Elise variants it's bloody cold with the roof off and the heater is more of a blower, but I'm sure you'd know that as well as anybody. I'm also going to assume your car must be garaged so you've never experienced the unbridled joy of ice forming INSIDE the windscreen when it's freezing outside, and it then takes aaaaaages to warm up. To say that a 116 N/A isn't as quick as a 350 is missing the point, and I did already mention that the Zed isn't as far behind the Elise chassis as you would imagine once you get used to the differing layout. Is it as pure? No, of course not, but it's warmer and comfier and far more fun that I expected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev946 Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Different yes, but not that much quicker really. Unless you're on a really straight road, the 2.2 will handle better than the tubby and much closer to the VXR. Again, in a straight line the Zed will pass the 2.2, but on the twisty stuff the VX will be more than a match for it. Then again, you'll be freezing your knackers off in the VX and constantly wondering what that new rattle is, whereas you'll be somewhat more relaxed in the 350 One of the best pax rides I've ever had was in a 2.2 with Nitrons and a set of throttle bodies round Bedford GT. Easily on a par with my stg2 VXR in terms of speed, both straight line and cornering. Truly an awesome car. Sounds like you've nver been in a Lotus or VX. Cold never, in fact air conditioning in summer is almost a must. Exiges with no air con can't be shifted by the dealers. It's a small car, mid engine which means plenty of heat in the cab. As for quick, you are missing the point. The Lotus chassis is not about how quick in a straight line, it's more about driver feedback, handling and enjoyment. That's why I say it would be missed if sold. I owned a VXR220 (number 20 of 65) for almost 2 years, which was even more basic than your Exige Not an issue in the Exige, but in the Elise variants it's bloody cold with the roof off and the heater is more of a blower, but I'm sure you'd know that as well as anybody. I'm also going to assume your car must be garaged so you've never experienced the unbridled joy of ice forming INSIDE the windscreen when it's freezing outside, and it then takes aaaaaages to warm up. To say that a 116 N/A isn't as quick as a 350 is missing the point, and I did already mention that the Zed isn't as far behind the Elise chassis as you would imagine once you get used to the differing layout. Is it as pure? No, of course not, but it's warmer and comfier and far more fun that I expected. Fair do's. But you can get an hard top for a VX if cold is an issue and yes mines garaged. I've had loads of cabrios, missus has a MGF at the moment, and the ice on the inside is a common thing with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Must admit I garaged mine after the first cold snap, did mean I had to spend a day cleaning the garage out but it was definitely worth it. Never had the ice thing on my mk3 MR2 though... So yeah, back on topic, I'd still keep the VX and the Polo rather than swap both for a Zed. Well, I might chop the Polo in for something a little more fun, but that'd be it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarnie Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xStric9x Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Welcome bud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronzee Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Welcome to the forum. Take a few for a blast, then see how you feel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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