350zed Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Hi all iam thinking of trading my 04 zed for a 05 roadster but not sure,I fancy a cab for the summer and just fancy a change never had a cab before, Is it a wise decision or should i stick with a Coupe. Any feedback appriciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lomoto Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Hi all iam thinking of trading my 04 zed for a 05 roadster but not sure,I fancy a cab for the summer and just fancy a change never had a cab before, Is it a wise decision or should i stick with a Coupe. Any feedback appriciated Hi , only you can make that decision I would never have a soft top , personally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_b Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Welcome aboard, I am sure chesterfield will be along to explain why he went the other way, from R to coupe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flirt Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 you decide one you got cabby you never go back!! http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s237 ... 1176758185 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
350zed Posted April 16, 2007 Author Share Posted April 16, 2007 Nice cab flirt, whats road noise like with roof closed??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flirt Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Nice cab flirt, whats road noise like with roof closed??? dunno too busy listening to the exhaust or playing the music!! na it never bothers me to be honest.. and real fun in the snow with roof down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zzzz... Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 I can tell you road noise levels will be marginally better for two reasons: -Smaller cabin space ( you dont have a huge boot area where noise from road can resonate ) -The greater amount of metal below waistline to compensate for the lack of a proper roof...which should dampen road noise a bit better... As for wind noise probably worse but not sure how much more and at what speeds... I'm a metal roof man myself... based on past experiences I found them very usefull ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chesterfield Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Hmmm... you may want to get a cup of tea for this one... We have had a roadster for a number of years. An MX5. It was great summer fun, and I certainly would not strongly advise against a roadster at all. We swapped for the roadster Z in Dec 2005 after about 6 happy years with the MX5. The main reason we went for a convertible 350Z was because of how much we enjoyed the open top motoring in the summer. There really is nothing like having the top down and throwing the car round some country roads on a summers day. Absolutely brilliant. However, there are dissadvantages. The missus has to have something on hand to tie her hair back, otherwise after an afternoon with the roof down, its just a mess. Also more recently Tracy had become very susceptible (sp?) to burning in the sun, so after a couple of hours with the roof down, we found ourselves putting it up and turning the aircon on, which defeated the object of a convertible. You think a 350Z coupe get noticed? Drop the top on a convertible Z and drive though a town. It gets noticed every bit as much, and sometimes I think even more so, as in the summer people just look at every convertible - and when they see an "unusual" one, they just plain stare at them. With the roof down, you also feel exposed to all this attention. Which may or may not be to your liking. A reason we started to look at coupes, was not just because of Tracy burning easily, but also that although the convertible with its roof down looks gorgeous, with the roof up (which ours was most of the time) it just doesnt look the same to us. And if we are honest, it never did, we just never admitted to ourselves that we thought the coupe looked better for the majority of the year (the wet months). From a personal point of view as a bloke, I never really felt comfortable driving it with the top down. Although it was enjoyable and put a great big smile on my face, I always got the feeling that somehow it was a "girls" car. Maybe that was just me being self concious, and I dont mean to offend any blokes who own roadsters, but thats always how I felt when driving the car alone. With Tracy as a passenger it was slightly different as I assumed people would just think I was doing the kind deed and driving my missus around in "her" car. Performance wise I have certainly noticed the difference, or I beleive I have. The coupe feels more nimble somehow. But, I have moved from 280bhp and 1635kg, to 300bhp and 1535kg or thereabouts - which means a change from about 170bhp/ton to 195bhp/ton. The noise in the cabin of the coupe from the exhaust is substantially louder than that of the roadster - in the main this will be because of the exhaust fitted to our coupe, but not all of it can be attributed to that. As above, there is a lot more room for the sound to reverberate in on the coupe. As for wind noise with the roof up. Its no worse than my MK4 golf. You can easily have conversations just as easy in the roadster as the coupe at legal motorway speeds. Roof down, it gets a bit more noisy, but not as much as you would imagine, and its certainly better at deflecting the wind than older design roadster cars. Practicality. Not that much in it, but the coupe is easier to access. If you are aware of the roadsters "Tardis" feature, then you can almost double the boot space in the roadster, though Im fairly certain its not advised, and you can only drive with the roof up while utilising the "tardis". In short: Would I have a roadster again? Yes. Why did we swap the roadster for the coupe then? It just felt right for us - if I had the money I would have one of each ina heartbeat. Is the wind noise bad? No. Is it as practical? No. But its not a mile off. Whats visibility like? Out of the rear window its actually better, but you have no quarterlights. So checking blind spots requires more attention. My advice would be to try and get one on extended test drive and see how it feels for you - drive it for a day with the roof down and see if you can deal with how exposed you may feel. Then drive it with the roof up for a day and see if you are still as happy with the shape and the more enclosed feel in the cabin. Its all personal opinion and how you feel in the car, if you can find the right car at the right price, its not that much to swap, and if you dont like it come the winter, its not that much to swap back again next spring. Money doesnt grow on trees though, so I would try and get the drives and really see how you feel about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
350zed Posted April 17, 2007 Author Share Posted April 17, 2007 Thanks for the informative post chesterfield, The only thing iam concerned about is driving around with the roof down and been exposed if you will, never done this before. But as you say a convertible car is seen as more as a girls car( no offence intended). But my wife uses the car 90% of the time i just fancy it for weekend drives/ cruising. As you say i will take for and extended test drive and see. You write up is a lot better that i thought, i thought you would be slating the roader after going to a coupe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 Cabs are good. I looked at a few myself. I personnally think the coupe is a prettier car in Z form. I borrow my dads merc SL in summer sometimes as his baldy head can't take too much sun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chesterfield Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 No, wouldnt be slating it at all, the roadster was a brilliant car, and tremendous fun in the summer sun. We had one for well over a year, and experienced all seasons with it. It is/was Tracy's daily drive, and weekend/evening fun for me - so a very similar situation. Having had open top motoring for some time, it was a very dificult decision to move to a solid roof, but we just fancied a change and the lines of the coupe had won us over during the last 12 months. If you do seriously consider a convertible - check the allignment of the roof cover once the roof is down. Some can be a little out and only by maybe 5 or 6mm, doesnt affect any working, but its just one of those niggling little things that annoyed me, and I could see it in the wing mirror with the roof down. Should be a very easy fix for the dealer, but something to look for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoREoD Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 My tuppence-worth .... Had a Saab convertible prior to the Z. Loved it with the roof down, but with the roof up it didn't have the looks (true of the Z too I'm afraid)!! Also, the hood looked worn after 18months. If I wanted fresh air next time I'd probably look for a coupe cabriolet (e.g. SLK). A Z CC would be nice! JohnK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 A Z CC would be nice! JohnK And weigh about 2000kgs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 A Z CC would be nice! JohnK And weigh about 2000kgs! Carbon fibre roof (if money is no problem) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ir_fuel Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 A Z CC would be nice! JohnK And weigh about 2000kgs! Bah, bolt on a Turbo to compensate that. Works wonders on the Porsche Cayenne Turbo at 2400 kgs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave_McC Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 Chesterfield Would I guess rightly that the tardis feature is to open the roof only to the point the cover raises and then stow luggage where the roof would normally fold into? Hadn't thought of doing that - smart. I bought a roadster in November - can't compare to a coupe as I never drove one - I wanted a roadster (and I'm a bloke ). Agree it doesn't look nearly as good roof up, but you only need a nice day with the roof down to love it. Yes you get a lot of looks - which for me is a bit of a downside - but I love the feeling of the wind in the hair and in the Z the noise of the exhaust. I certainly don't regret my decision. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chesterfield Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 We didnt regret our decision to buy the roadster either, a fabulous car and a lot of fun with the roof down in the summer. Though as Tracy burns easy and we fancied a change to a coupe, the time was right to move on for us. Yes you are correct, that is the tardis feature. Just be very careful - only load soft stuff in there to be safe, and always get someone to watch as you lower the lid back down, or keep checking to make sure nothing fouls it. If you do break anything while using the tardis feature, Nissan Warranty will most deffinitley not cover it, but if you ever find yourself needing just that little bit extra space, you can use the tardis to get you out of a hole. It was certainly put to good use at last years JAE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
350zed Posted April 18, 2007 Author Share Posted April 18, 2007 Update test drove the roadster last night was very impressed thought it was quiter that the coupe and looks much nicer than the coupe with the roof down also looks good up, Well impressed. Pick it up on Saturday Its an 05 plate GTR with 8000miles in black. Also has pioneer sat nav with dvd player,reverse camera and freeview TV professinally installed with a £3000 bill Oh well roll on Saturday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarnie Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 Update test drove the roadster last night was very impressed thought it was quiter that the coupe and looks much nicer than the coupe with the roof down also looks good up, Well impressed. Pick it up on Saturday Its an 05 plate GTR with 8000miles in black. Also has pioneer sat nav with dvd player,reverse camera and freeview TV professinally installed with a £3000 bill Oh well roll on Saturday Well done mate However I don't think i can agree that the roadster with the roof down looks much nicer than the coupe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwissZ Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 Update test drove the roadster last night was very impressed thought it was quiter that the coupe and looks much nicer than the coupe with the roof down also looks good up, Well impressed. Pick it up on Saturday Its an 05 plate GTR with 8000miles in black. Also has pioneer sat nav with dvd player,reverse camera and freeview TV professinally installed with a £3000 bill Oh well roll on Saturday Well done mate However I don't think i can agree that the roadster with the roof down looks much nicer than the coupe Yeah, it does Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarnie Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 Update test drove the roadster last night was very impressed thought it was quiter that the coupe and looks much nicer than the coupe with the roof down also looks good up, Well impressed. Pick it up on Saturday Its an 05 plate GTR with 8000miles in black. Also has pioneer sat nav with dvd player,reverse camera and freeview TV professinally installed with a £3000 bill Oh well roll on Saturday Well done mate However I don't think i can agree that the roadster with the roof down looks much nicer than the coupe Yeah, it does No it doesn't Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lomoto Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 Update test drove the roadster last night was very impressed thought it was quiter that the coupe and looks much nicer than the coupe with the roof down also looks good up, Well impressed. Pick it up on Saturday Its an 05 plate GTR with 8000miles in black. Also has pioneer sat nav with dvd player,reverse camera and freeview TV professinally installed with a £3000 bill Oh well roll on Saturday Well done mate However I don't think i can agree that the roadster with the roof down looks much nicer than the coupe Yeah, it does No it doesn't Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarnie Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 Update test drove the roadster last night was very impressed thought it was quiter that the coupe and looks much nicer than the coupe with the roof down also looks good up, Well impressed. Pick it up on Saturday Its an 05 plate GTR with 8000miles in black. Also has pioneer sat nav with dvd player,reverse camera and freeview TV professinally installed with a £3000 bill Oh well roll on Saturday Well done mate However I don't think i can agree that the roadster with the roof down looks much nicer than the coupe Yeah, it does No it doesn't It could be a long one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lomoto Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 Update test drove the roadster last night was very impressed thought it was quiter that the coupe and looks much nicer than the coupe with the roof down also looks good up, Well impressed. Pick it up on Saturday Its an 05 plate GTR with 8000miles in black. Also has pioneer sat nav with dvd player,reverse camera and freeview TV professinally installed with a £3000 bill Oh well roll on Saturday Well done mate However I don't think i can agree that the roadster with the roof down looks much nicer than the coupe Yeah, it does No it doesn't It could be a long one Same as my aerial then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ir_fuel Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 Update test drove the roadster last night was very impressed thought it was quiter that the coupe and looks much nicer than the coupe with the roof down also looks good up, Well impressed. Pick it up on Saturday Its an 05 plate GTR with 8000miles in black. Also has pioneer sat nav with dvd player,reverse camera and freeview TV professinally installed with a £3000 bill Oh well roll on Saturday Well done mate However I don't think i can agree that the roadster with the roof down looks much nicer than the coupe Yeah, it does No it doesn't Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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