Should I trade in my 370z?

[Fish]

I think the best thing to do is test drive the car and decide for yourself. In the end it's going to be your car. No one elses. I came from an Evo 8. I knew about the power difference. 200HP isn't a lot these days, but it also isn't actually as bad as it sounds. I think the BMW 128i has a similar 0-60 time for what it's worth.

Also, I'm pretty sure you meant E46 M3 right?

[frsinpa]

I think if straight-line speed is really important you probably want to keep the 370z.

In the end, cars are really subjective and it depends on what your needs are. So yeah, I would give it a test drive and just go from there.

[MVJ1975]

It's the result of insane Moar Powar horsepower inflation. Everything has to have 300+hp, a V6, and go 0-60 in less than 6 seconds or it's "underpowered" and will "have trouble merging onto the highway". This ridiculous trend has produced monstrosities like the current V6 Camry. With a few exceptions, these cars have no fun factor at all; they go in a straight line and have all of the feel of a minivan on novocaine.

Huge kudos to Toyota (and Mazda, who's been holding the line on this for a long time - see RX8 and MX5) for bucking the trend and going back to basics. This is the kind of car I've always loved.

[raphymartinez]

Originally Posted by Sigh-on-Rice

If I already had 370z before I bought FR-S, then I would just keep the Z.

I had a 2010 370Z and now have an FR-S and let me tell you... haven't been this happy with a car in long ass time.
The Z is awesome but it definitively is too heavy and for day to day use that 300+HP in the Z will do you no good. In the FR-S i can "push" it hard and still not feel like i'm driving like a maniac on the road. It adds to the fun of day to day driving. Now if you are more worried about track use and power drifts and such i'm sure the Z would be better. But just like the OP I can't own more than one car so the FR-S suits me much better.

[JohnnyR]

I'll never understand someone saying "working the car harder = more fun". When you're at a track, or driving spiritedly in a sensible location, you'll be working the 370Z just as much as the 86. Where the "nice" comes in is when you're just driving from point a to point b casually, and you have that extra power on tap for ease of overtaking and such without revving the hell out of the motor or throwing it down a gear or two.

And I'm just basing thing off of my own personal experience between just two of my many cars, a 2000 Celica GT-S (high revver where you have to "work it out") and my Evo.

And how can you not feel like you're driving like a maniac when your engine's screaming from "being able to drive it at the limit more often due to lack of power"? I know everyone else will think you're driving like a maniac.

Just IMHO. I'd keep the Z, unless you're looking for a "fun, everyday, more gas efficient" car. Especially if it's in that oh so sexy, reminds me a bit of "Bayside Blue Metallic" color.

[ZDan]

Originally Posted by TuxedoCartman

Keep the Z. The only real advantage I'd give to the FR-S/ BRZ is that it's about 10k cheaper than a Z

500-600 lb. lighter-weight = "real advantage" for a sports car. 370Z is a scrunched-down/stiffened G37...

Of course the 370Z is WAY faster, but I'd rather drive an FR-S/BRZ. Much more similar driving experience to my 240Z and S2000 than the 370.

[Turbowned]

Originally Posted by JohnnyR

I'll never understand someone saying "working the car harder = more fun". When you're at a track, or driving spiritedly in a sensible location, you'll be working the 370Z just as much as the 86. Where the "nice" comes in is when you're just driving from point a to point b casually, and you have that extra power on tap for ease of overtaking and such without revving the hell out of the motor or throwing it down a gear or two.

And I'm just basing thing off of my own personal experience between just two of my many cars, a 2000 Celica GT-S (high revver where you have to "work it out") and my Evo.

And how can you not feel like you're driving like a maniac when your engine's screaming from "being able to drive it at the limit more often due to lack of power"? I know everyone else will think you're driving like a maniac.

Just IMHO. I'd keep the Z, unless you're looking for a "fun, everyday, more gas efficient" car. Especially if it's in that oh so sexy, reminds me a bit of "Bayside Blue Metallic" color.

The point is that in order to really exploit the limits of a 300+hp car with big sticky tires on the street or the track, you pretty much have to be doing triple digit speeds to do so, whereas this car you can drive harder and enjoy the experience more at it's lower limits. This is why I'm giving up an Audi S4 with 300+whp, quattro AWD and 245-width Pilot Sports to get a little 200hp firecracker with skinny tires. I can actually put effort into driving rather than just point-and-shoot, where the blistering speed is cool and all but will likely get me in jail.

[Tbomb 25]

Originally Posted by Turbowned

The point is that in order to really exploit the limits of a 300+hp car with big sticky tires on the street or the track, you pretty much have to be doing triple digit speeds to do so, whereas this car you can drive harder and enjoy the experience more at it's lower limits. This is why I'm giving up an Audi S4 with 300+whp, quattro AWD and 245-width Pilot Sports to get a little 200hp firecracker with skinny tires. I can actually put effort into driving rather than just point-and-shoot, where the blistering speed is cool and all but will likely get me in jail.

This is just totally not true....just because you have more power and sticky tires does not mean less fun,torque is most definetly used for everyday driving as is grip...whether than someone reving the guts out of a torqueless car on the street for day to day driving making all kind of noise. Now im not saying its not fun but it certainly isnt practical,you have all wheel drive i can see why its not as fun as rwd or even fwd.

[TuxedoCartman]

Originally Posted by ZDan

500-600 lb. lighter-weight = "real advantage" for a sports car. 370Z is a scrunched-down/stiffened G37...

Of course the 370Z is WAY faster, but I'd rather drive an FR-S/BRZ. Much more similar driving experience to my 240Z and S2000 than the 370.

Fair enough: lighter is better. But I don't think of the FR-S as being a 'lightweight" sports-car, no more than I think of the 370Z as being a heavy one. While 500 lbs. isn't to be scoffed at, it's not exactly the difference between going from a GTR down to a Lotus Elise. And when you consider the Z has at least 130 more horses to haul around that 500 lbs., and a very well tuned suspension, well...

If the OP wants a genuinely lightweight car, then I'd direct him to a gently used Lotus, or to wait until the ND MX-5's come out next year. Rumor has it Mazda's got big plans for that little car, and are aiming to make it much lighter than it already is.

[eriktherod]

Tbomb, I'm going to assume you don't drive a FR-S/BRZ. This thing GOES even at low RPM, it's hardly like my Si was (that required 4-5k rpm to get moving). I still have the power to gain a good bit of speed in 6th gear at 2-3k rpm in the FR-S. So no, you don't have to "rev the guts out of it" to get it moving.

Honestly, this thing feels like it has the power of V6 at low rpm, it's quite fascinating really. Maybe not Z-style V6, but definitely doesn't feel like you need to spin it up good to gain momentum.

[DieDriving]

Another solution is sell the Z to me for cheap then buy the FRS....I'll personally drive to SF pay straight up $$$$$ for it....what yr, trans, and how much you want for it? You will get rape trade it in....

[Z.Tune]

Originally Posted by motofan

I drove both 350z and FR-s, a little bit. In my view, when you kick the gas in the FR-S for the first time, you will miss the power, or torque. After driving both for a while, I think they are what they are. I mean 350 feels more solid and powerful. FR-S feels more agile. So it's really your own decision. Sorry for not helping :p

Oh, u r helping! I ll keep ur words in mind

Originally Posted by Prava

or you could sell the Z and whatever profit you have left over after purchasing the FR-S you could use to mod it? just a thought...

Mod is a must do! :happy0180:

Originally Posted by abitolder

The less powerful car will be more fun as you will be revving the engine, working the transmission, and be more involved with the car. Think of driving in Europe where most cars are under 2 litres, but revving them all the time and shifting gears will bring a smile to your face. I just sold a newer Corvette with the manual trans, lots of power but you can seldom use it, rev it up in 1st or 2nd and you are in the speeding ticket category. The FRS should be cheaper to maintain also. Just my 2 cents

Good point, about the revving engine thing, I think its subjective.
I dun think we should argue with that, for example:
My mom yelps and smacks me when I push whatever car's engine over 4K rpm.
In the other hand, I love the sound of high rpm.

Originally Posted by Moto-P

If you long for a lightweight car that can put a smile on your face - YES.
If you are financially sensible, then I'd wait till you pay off the Nissan - No.

The Z is payed off.

Originally Posted by Gaiakai

+1 to what everyone else said - doesn't really make much sense to sell the Z now for one of the twins, unless you absolutely need the extra space. I'd suggest pay it off first/wait until a higher powered version of the twins come out.

Also, what's an E49 M3?

The Z is payed off. My bad, E46, lol, i dun even remember my ex wife's name!

Originally Posted by Turbowned

You should definitely drive both back-to-back and make your decision. A couple months ago, I test drove a 2010 370Z Sport 6MT and was very disappointed - I had wanted one since I saw the magazine ads in 2008 - the engine was incredibly coarse, the gearbox felt clunky, and the car overall felt too big and heavy. It didn't even feel that quick! The modern Z is no longer anything like it's 2300lb 240Z ancestor, and this made me rather sad. Just look at the two next to each other - it's like David and Goliath:



Then last week I drove an FR-S. The FR-S on the other hand was much more enjoyable to drive, in my opinion. Less interior refinement than the Z, and I can't really comment on the acceleration because it was an auto and I drove it on an auto-x course (shifted to second but should've stayed in first), but the balance and sheer enjoyment of tossing it through the corners and slaloms made me want to buy one immediately! It reminded me of my Datsun 240Z only a little heavier but more balanced. Since my 240Z has been sitting in my garage for the past few years with no sign of being completed soon, I decided that the FR-S or BRZ would be a worthy successor for the old girl.

Again, drive them back to back and make up your mind then! But I'm just sayin:

VERY VERY GOOD POINTS!! I seriously think the Z is over weighted! The gear box is ok, but the sound of the engine is a bit coarse. Yes u r right, I miss the 240z feeling. Test drive is the next thing I will do and I hope I will have a answer after that. (I think I will.) THANKS! :happy0180:

Originally Posted by Fish

I think the best thing to do is test drive the car and decide for yourself. In the end it's going to be your car. No one elses. I came from an Evo 8. I knew about the power difference. 200HP isn't a lot these days, but it also isn't actually as bad as it sounds. I think the BMW 128i has a similar 0-60 time for what it's worth.

Also, I'm pretty sure you meant E46 M3 right?

Yes, test drive is the next thing I ll do. I have never drove a EVO8, but I drove the 9 and 10. The EVO feels so easy to drive, just like others say, a mini GTR. 200 hp is fair, I can even enjoy the Mx5. But in the other hand, 200hp is not enough for I will do, so I will mod it if I bought it. Sorry about the E49, LOL!!

Originally Posted by MVJ1975

It's the result of insane Moar Powar horsepower inflation. Everything has to have 300+hp, a V6, and go 0-60 in less than 6 seconds or it's "underpowered" and will "have trouble merging onto the highway". This ridiculous trend has produced monstrosities like the current V6 Camry. With a few exceptions, these cars have no fun factor at all; they go in a straight line and have all of the feel of a minivan on novocaine.

Huge kudos to Toyota (and Mazda, who's been holding the line on this for a long time - see RX8 and MX5) for bucking the trend and going back to basics. This is the kind of car I've always loved.

I agree, there's no really underpower, just what it fits u or not. I love the Mx5 news u gave out, I ll keep a eye on it. Sadly is not happening soon.

Originally Posted by ZDan

500-600 lb. lighter-weight = "real advantage" for a sports car. 370Z is a scrunched-down/stiffened G37...

Of course the 370Z is WAY faster, but I'd rather drive an FR-S/BRZ. Much more similar driving experience to my 240Z and S2000 than the 370.

Originally Posted by DieDriving

Another solution is sell the Z to me for cheap then buy the FRS....I'll personally drive to SF pay straight up $$$$$ for it....what yr, trans, and how much you want for it? You will get rape trade it in....

2009, 6MT, touring with out NAVI, silver, 12K mile, LCD screen and Ipod mod from the 1st owner. I have all the parts that took off. I just change the oil last week.

[Turbowned]

12k? That thing must be cherry! Sell it and get all the moneys for it

[Liquidsnake]

Bro, I traded in my Z for the FRS two weeks ago. I have not thought about it once. Not once. I am so damn happy. The Z was fun and fast, but sloppy as hell. Her azz was all over the place.

I do not regret it one bit. I would do it 10/10 more times.