threefiftyz Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 been looking for a zed for a short while now and today i finally test drove one i love the 350 looks, ive been in my friends 350 and love the power ...however after the test drive i kinda felt disappointed, gear box not as smooth as my 2001 celica(100k+), ride felt harsh, cabin noise was more than i expected (not talking about the v6), the power didnt feel free, and to be honest it felt like the car had done many more miles than 47k - in fairness i should add the car is due a service and the dealer has just put on some brand new cheap crappy tyres on the front, worn bridgestones on the rear! I Hoping this motor is just abit of a dog, alternatively the truth maybe that the 350 just isnt for me (dreading the latter to be true!!!) what do you guys reckon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMR Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 Gear changes on the Z are heavy and take awhile to get used to if your not familiar with them, as for the other things give another one a test drive. The ride is in my opinion a touch too soft not harsh and the cabin noise is average for a coupe running on 18' wheels. Maybe it was just a dog, wouldn't rule them out based on one test drive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
as2bsc Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 I came from a celica 190 to the zed and as much as I loved the celica's manic engine the zed is on a completely different level to the celica in every way. I've had mine for about 12 months and love it more by the day. Also to be fair the car you drove sounds like a dog and mixing tyres on a zed isn't a good idea especially cheapos, keep looking and you will find the right one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 Reading that I was going to ask what tyres were on the car. I'd imagine that'd have a lot to do with it. Also the Zed box I find is good however I change fairly slowly to really get a smooth change. 1st to second can be notchy when cold and 5th to 6th can have syncro issues. The zed isn't for everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetSet Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 Before my Zed I had a 2003 Celica T-Sport from new, did 17k miles in it. They are more refined and smoother than a Zed, something I noticed straight away and the gear box is one of the best on the market for a car of that type. There's no doubt that the Zed's gearchange is not as good, 1st to 2nd is crunchy but the rest of the changes are reasonable. The ride is rougher too and cheapo tyres won't help either. 47k isn't a lot of miles for a Zed, but it depends how it's been driven. You should look out for one of the Zed's on sale right here, that way you'll get to know the history of the car and you can guarantee that it will have been looked after a lot better than an anonymous 47k model from a dealer. In any case, try a few more test drives, some of the guys on here drove loads of them before they found the one they wanted. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 sounds like a dog tbh with a crap box also. test another Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threefiftyz Posted October 24, 2010 Author Share Posted October 24, 2010 thanks some reassurance guys - especially from ex celica owners im gonna call my mate tomorrow and see if i can drive his to compare, also hoping to view another by the end of the week hopefully that will confirm the one i drove today was dodge I came from a celica 190 to the zed and as much as I loved the celica'smanic engine the zed is on a completely different level to the celica in every way. I've had mine for about 12 months and love it more by the day. Also to be fair the car you drove sounds like a dog and mixing tyres on a zed isn't a good idea especially cheapos, keep looking and you will find the right one. this is exactly what i wanted to hear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threefiftyz Posted October 24, 2010 Author Share Posted October 24, 2010 off topic - this site rocks compared to the celica one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 the geek virus made me cry as it passed through me there, i promise it wont happen again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaydnH Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 As above, mixing tyres will affect the handling quite a bit, also cheap tyres will make more noise - that seems to be 2 of the issues you've mentioned covered... try another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lrh Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 Some things to bear in mind: * The Z engine is almost twice the size of the Celica so it won't exactly zip up to the redline * The Z has twice the torque so the gearbox is built to handle it * The Z is 300 kg heavier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vik54 Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 the geek virus made me cry as it passed through me there, i promise it wont happen again ROFLMAO ...AAANND....back on topic It sounds like the one you frove is a bit rough around the edges - you'd prolly find i it had four decent tyres on it and had had a proper service you'd see a big difference. Gearbox can be rough and notchy when cold - you just have to be sympathetic and get used to the new biting point on your clutch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 I had similar thing mate.....in fact I only text drove dogs then bought the zed blind. Believe me the difference between a shed and a well looked after one is immense. Depends how you like your cars though......it free revving celica, rx8, vtec engines are your bag then it may not be for you....think carefully though because on day you'll be sat at the lights abd we'll all come along side you with the v6 and all those angry ponies growling away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren-B Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 test drive a few others, is you mate a member on here~? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren-B Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 Don`t know what your budget is but check this out a very nice well looked after zed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rancer Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Looks like a lot of Celica owners upgrading to a Zed! - im one of them too. I've only done 100 or so miles in the Zed so far and the changes are a bit harder but I think thats more down to me than the car. They keep getting better the more miles I do. The Zed is far more refined than the Celica (I had a 190 running closer to 200bhp) and by comparison the Celica is 'plasticky' and 'rattley' - still sad to see her go though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choptop Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Drive a few more cars and you will get a better picture of what the car should feel like. To be honest though, the gearbox and clutch tie up is dreadful. Don't think you will get a great gear change ever. The European Product Manager for the GTR said the gearbox/ clutch assembly was poor on the 350z when I visited the Geneva Motor Show a couple of years ago. Later models have improved a bit but the whole set up is a real let down...................still love the car though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincentt Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 have driven the 350z and its an amazing car, so much power under there. its unfortunate that you didnt enjoy the one you test drove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren-B Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Could get yourself a Celica vincentt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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