Test Drive 370.

[Marcus01]

Having had a 350z for a year now I have recently looked at a 370 to the point I booked myself a test drive yesterday.

The car was completely standard 2010 gt model. It was a 30 minute test on A roads in Norfolk.

I was disappointed with the car for the following reasons.

The car tramlined terribly pulling left then right depending on the road surface.

The car has no exhaust sound whatso ever.

The cabin felt dark due to the black headlining.

My questions are the tyres were well worn. Is that the reason it tramlined bad or is this normal.

Do all 370 have the black headlining in all cars.

What exhaust does the 370 need to get a similair tune to my 350 with a milltek and induction kit fitted.

Does the sound system have any speakers in the rear like the 350.

The syncro rev must be a better feature if you could here anysort of exhaust sound.

The torquey power was nice but the car felt like an unruly fast quiet armchair and not like a tunefull heavy go cart like the 350.

Are the 2 cars really that different.

[Paddy78]

My questions are the tyres were well worn. Is that the reason it tramlined bad or is this normal. - Probably tyres, but could also be tracking or pressure.

Do all 370 have the black headlining in all cars. - I think so, but you could change this.

What exhaust does the 370 need to get a similair tune to my 350 with a milltek and induction kit fitted. - Probably Miltek and Induction would do the trick!

Does the sound system have any speakers in the rear like the 350. - Not sure, but probably... The design hasn't changed that much.

The syncro rev must be a better feature if you could here anysort of exhaust sound. - Aftermarket exhaust all the way

The torquey power was nice but the car felt like an unruly fast quiet armchair and not like a tunefull heavy go cart like the 350. - Different cars... the 370 is pretty civilised compared to the more unruly 350z.

Are the 2 cars really that different. - Yes

[ioneabee]

tyres - probably the original Bridgestones - switch to the MPSS or similar - issue gone

exhaust - any aftermarket one is a 100% improvement

headliner - mines black - if you want a different colour - try a rag top - Will370z swears by 'em

350 comparison - never had one - can't comment - but loads of reviews on here

synchrorev - once you replace that zaust - you will never switch it off

speakers - there's one in the door and one in the side panel behind the seat - I find them fine (but I'm no connoisseur)

[Will370z]

I tried to sum up some of those points when we spoke at rts.

 

Stock exhaust on the 370 is dire, a decent exhaust like the stillen or invidia transforms it.

 

I'll be honest and say i did find the 370 tramlines more than the 350 which hardly ever did to my memory. But tyre pressures and the MPSS's sorted that and its miles better now.

 

Yes the synchro rev comes to life with a better sounding exhaust, you just want to keep downchanging.

 

It is not the raw driving experience that the 350 is. I think the 350 is more fun but the 370 is more refined and feels like it has more power.

 

As for the dark cabin, well i had one solution to that, lower the roof as i did this evening. Its great looking up at the stars

[sipar69]

As others have said, any decent after-market exhaust will transform the sound.

[robin c]

+1 on all of Will's comments apart from the fun bit. I had far more fun this year in the alps tour with the 370 than both my previous 350s. It inspires far more confidence when pushing on than the older models, just a bit more snappy when it does go, just got to be quicker on the lock than the 350, soon get used to that though.

 

 

 

[AJRFulton]

The tram lining is terrible with the standard tyres.

 

I never had too many issues when living in Wales, but since moving back home to Scotland, I am finding the inferior road surfaces hard to live with in the 370Z. It's hard to enjoy driving it on most B roads.

Edited August 11, 2013 by Badgeronimous

[The G Man]

Can't comment on the differences of the two, but if you bear in mind, it's essentially a Grand Tourer, more designed with open, Alpinesque type drive, but can do the trick on the twisty bits as well.

 

I believe from other 350 to 370 drivers that it's a more refined drive and, yes, an aftermarket will make all the difference, don't know a car that this is not true to be honest excepting exotics.

 

I've just returned mine to stock, from having a full Akrapovic Evo exhaust, HFC's, and UpRevved , also back on original springs from Eibach Pro's and I.m currently running Sessanta Ultracs, (good quality tyres IMO), and do you know what? I'm thoroughly enjoying the stock feel

 

While all the mods added to an experience over stock, the biggest improvement, to handling, was the Eibachs, totally transformed the feel and made it so flat in a bend.

 

But Badgeronimous is correct about our Scottish roads, very, very inferior, and in the end the Eibachs were getting a bit on my nerves, due to this.

 

The cabin has a black roof lining? I've had mine three years and couldn't have told you this . With the right aftermarket exhaust, the synchro rev is outstanding and really Nissan missed a trick here, or were very smart, throwing the aftermarket industry a nice earner

[AJRFulton]

Can't comment on the differences of the two, but if you bear in mind, it's essentially a Grand Tourer, more designed with open, Alpinesque type drive, but can do the trick on the twisty bits as well.

 

I believe from other 350 to 370 drivers that it's a more refined drive and, yes, an aftermarket will make all the difference, don't know a car that this is not true to be honest excepting exotics.

 

I've just returned mine to stock, from having a full Akrapovic Evo exhaust, HFC's, and UpRevved , also back on original springs from Eibach Pro's and I.m currently running Sessanta Ultracs, (good quality tyres IMO), and do you know what? I'm thoroughly enjoying the stock feel

 

While all the mods added to an experience over stock, the biggest improvement, to handling, was the Eibachs, totally transformed the feel and made it so flat in a bend.

 

But Badgeronimous is correct about our Scottish roads, very, very inferior, and in the end the Eibachs were getting a bit on my nerves, due to this.

 

The cabin has a black roof lining? I've had mine three years and couldn't have told you this . With the right aftermarket exhaust, the synchro rev is outstanding and really Nissan missed a trick here, or were very smart, throwing the aftermarket industry a nice earner

 

I travel about a fair bit, and the general standard of roads in the west of Scotland are IMO up there with the very worst in Western Europe that I've experienced.

 

The Z isn't a nice car to drive on poor roads, and it is a problem that is starting to get me considering if I want to keep the car, given I do 70% of my motoring in the West of Scotland. I don't like my traction control flashing whilst driving normally. It was a brilliant car to drive on the good tarmac, and sweeping A roads of North Wales.

Edited August 11, 2013 by Badgeronimous

[The G Man]

Couldn't agree more re roads in Scotland, but stock, the 370 is probably no worse than any other powerful GT. Maybe you should move to saloon/hatchback territory

 

But I find a stock 370 not that much of a problem really. I toured the Outer Hebrides in her a couple of years back and it was not pleasant with the Eibachs fitted.

 

As I say, anything with a modicum of "sportiness", would be no worse than a 370

[Dblock]

Can't comment on the differences of the two, but if you bear in mind, it's essentially a Grand Tourer, more designed with open, Alpinesque type drive, but can do the trick on the twisty bits as well.

 

I believe from other 350 to 370 drivers that it's a more refined drive and, yes, an aftermarket will make all the difference, don't know a car that this is not true to be honest excepting exotics.

 

I've just returned mine to stock, from having a full Akrapovic Evo exhaust, HFC's, and UpRevved , also back on original springs from Eibach Pro's and I.m currently running Sessanta Ultracs, (good quality tyres IMO), and do you know what? I'm thoroughly enjoying the stock feel

 

While all the mods added to an experience over stock, the biggest improvement, to handling, was the Eibachs, totally transformed the feel and made it so flat in a bend.

 

But Badgeronimous is correct about our Scottish roads, very, very inferior, and in the end the Eibachs were getting a bit on my nerves, due to this.

 

The cabin has a black roof lining? I've had mine three years and couldn't have told you this . With the right aftermarket exhaust, the synchro rev is outstanding and really Nissan missed a trick here, or were very smart, throwing the aftermarket industry a nice earner

 

I travel about a fair bit, and the general standard of roads in the west of Scotland are IMO up there with the very worst in Western Europe that I've experienced.

 

The Z isn't a nice car to drive on poor roads, and it is a problem that is starting to get me considering if I want to keep the car, given I do 70% of my motoring in the West of Scotland. I don't like my traction control flashing whilst driving normally. It was a brilliant car to drive on the good tarmac, and sweeping A roads of North Wales.

 

If you have the chance maybe try going out in someone who has a 370 with coilovers, not overly lowered and a soft damper setting?

[spursmaddave]

I had exactly the same experience when I test drive a 370z, much preffered the handling and feel of my 350z

[Marcus01]

Thanks guys. I only get to drive my car occasionally for drives upto 100 miles, with a fair amount of A roads. I now know I need to budget for extras just to get the car more suitable for me to enjoy or look elsewhere.

[maxi-glasgow]

I never experienced tramlining on my 370 once. And that was even with me having done 30k, and still having the original bridgestones on the front and Falkens on the rear when they needed replacing about 15k mark.

 

Never experienced any kind of movement no matter how hard I drove it, and I was doing a 115 mile round trip commute every day with half that trip on a twisty A road which was a dream for the 370.

 

Exhaust is pathetic on the standard car, whatever were Nissan thinking. I had a custom made exhaust put on for £400 and would put a smile on your face every time you used that right foot, never had Syncrorev disabled because of it

 

I am now back in a 350 roadster, only for weekend use and the difference is like night and day, the 350 is completely raw in feel and sound, although mines has a great HKS exhaust which really growls. Clyde tunnel is almost worn out with me going back and forward

 

But the 370 is a million times better in every department, from cockpit, to handling. Only area it gets let down is the exhaust from standard, as even the 350 standard is good sounding.