370Z

[GaToR]

I was excited about this car. I really hoped it would instill the kind of excitement that some other reviewees have had recently.

Well, the new Z is a fun car.

I love the versatility in that engine. I drive a VQ in my Frontier. The engine entices you to rev it, but in this car its obviously a much stronger good kick to the neck. Steering response is snappy and direct. I think Nissan rivals Mazda in how quick their steering feels, and that is a very good thing. Probably the best feature of the Z.

The penalty: it was not comfortable by any stretch. Minor road imperfections are noticeable, major ones are painful. I like a stiff suspension, but I would probably rather take a road trip in an Impreza with a 1.5-2" drop, i.e. a track suspension. Yeah, it could be better IMO.

You don't really notice the odd dash instruments. They don't seem that much out of place, and the other upgrades more than make up for it. But visibility is a no-go. It felt much more chlostrophobic than necessary because of the lack of any line of sight out of the rear 3/4.

Drawing from an earlier experience in the G37S and G37X-AWD coupes, I'd take either of those any day. In my opinion the extra cost is worth it. They do manage to be just as much fun as the Z, but they work so much better as a daily driver. Its not just a lot of fun, its a great car.

Since cost of course matters, I'm now curious about the new Hyundai coupe. If it has all the benefits of the G, at the cost of the Z, it might be the better value, unless you're just looking for track-day speed.

[Mr Kleen]

did you drive one with the sincromesh 6 speed?

[GaToR]

Yes. But since I figured it was about the same as the Infiniti, I turned it off. Because when I drove the G37S, I instinctively was trying to match revs, and it was doing it for me, so it just resulted in revving it too high before each shift.

I figured I'd mess it up in the Z as well, so I reverted to manual operation. Too complicated for a like me.

I did like the down-shift rev-matching in the automatic G37X 7-speed. Didn't try the 370Z automatic.

Its another additional feature, IMO. Doesn't make or break either car for me.