Should I trade in my 370z?

[Liquidsnake]

Originally Posted by jinrawke

My sixth sense tells me that you have already made up your mind and want to go from the Z to the BRZ/FRS. Here are my suggestions since I actually got rid of a car to get the BRZ.

1) Test drive one. and right after drive your Z for comparison.
2) Think of what you value more. Some may place a premium on power, acceleration, how much HP, passing speed on the highway. Others value agility, how connected you are with the road, or even simply how the car looks. Others may not even care about those and just want high quality interior and smooth ride.

My experience:
I had a 2009 IS 250 that I sold in order to get my BRZ. The comfort and luxury were nice but I never felt a connection with the car. The IS 250 was just a daily driver car and I never really felt like it was MY car, just a method of transportation. I appreciated it for what it did but never once did I say, damn I just feel like driving. I used to feel that way when I owned a CRX and later a Prelude (I just have a love for sports cars).
Many questioned my decision, including myself - why would you go from an 09 IS 250 to a sub 30k sports car without ever test driving it, let alone seeing it in person? it only has 200 hp, why dont you just get the new mustang. are you nuts?
Well... Yes
Once I saw all the reviews and also a few comparisons on how it handled like a CRX, I was sold. My CRX was the funnest car I owned. It was not fast (unless u dropped in an Integ engine in it), it was not luxurious, it was not roomy... yet that didn't matter much to me. I valued the driving experience and this is EXACTLY what I get with my BRZ and I could not have been happier. I expected to have some sort of remorse on my decision but thankfully that is not the case.

Good luck with whichever way you decide!

You summed up my feelings. All my friends and relatives told me I am going to regret selling the 370z. I swear I have not missed it or thought about it once.

[ZDan]

Originally Posted by ABQautoxer

While I think the Twins will be fun, I think you are not going to like the change. As someone who has similar previous cars to you and owned a few Miatas, NA MR2, etc - its hard to go back to something that feels so gutless.

For me, for daily driving, I don't have any issues going back to my gutless S2000 (never above ~5500rpm on the street, essentially a 150hp 2750 lb. car) after driving my 500+ hp 2825 lb. FD over the weekend.

I test-drove an FR-S Wednesday, and honestly in normal driving it feels very much like the S2000. I think a lot of people are needlessly worrying about whether 200hp is enough, when 99% of the time they're going to be using less than half that anyway.

The FR-S is a HOOT to drive, even at 2-3 tenths. It just FEELS a lot more like a sports car than bigger, heavier more powerful cars.

[Minovsky]

You really serious? ...sigh i think i dont want to slant into being a hater bu i cant help it...i for one could not afford a Z and i love that car.. and now you wish to sell the Z for an fr-s ...oh god this world ...."Want what you dont have"...why waste time and effort the Z is a great car -.-w

[fatoni]

Originally Posted by switchlanez;[URL="tel:259447"

259447[/URL]]Road -> tires -> suspension -> chassis -> interior -> driver is the connection chain. "Azz plantedness" is determined by tires -> suspension -> chassis and is finally communicated to the driver through the interior; it has everything to do with the connection between road -> driver.

The tires and suspension on the Z are great but they are imbalanced by its less great chassis (not that it isn't great). The twins do a remarkable job at balancing the entire chain. Unlike the Z, it eliminates the feel of weight shifting as you turn. All the hype inflated my expectations and when I finally got behind the wheel of one, I still was blown away. It feels like magic. When you're driving around town you wonder why you don't hear scraping because it feels like your cruising just fractions of an inch off the ground. Then when you step out, it's perplexing to see so much ground clearance... Mind=f*cked. No words can explain the experience better than actually experiencing it. It's quite indescribable.

i got confused when you said that the frs is more planted and it feels like you are hovering off of the ground in the same post and then act like bring up ground clearance for whatever reason

Originally Posted by Liquidsnake;[URL="tel:259857"

259857[/URL]]What I meant was it was very sloppy. The Z was very sloppy. The FRS is not.

i think that slop that youre feeling is a certain numbness at slow speeds. the z is meant to be driven faster and since it has roughly 75% more power, it makes sense. i still fail to see where people are saying planted somehow equals feel. im not going to argue that thte frs has more feel but i cant see it being more planted than the z. ive never so much as seen a review that said aything but the contrary to that

[n2oinferno]

The only reason I'd do it is if I needed more room or a back seat. And since I have a kid, I do need the back seat. If that weren't an issue, I'd keep the Z. Loved it when I test drove one last year.

[Turbowned]

Originally Posted by ABQautoxer

While I think the Twins will be fun, I think you are not going to like the change. As someone who has similar previous cars to you and owned a few Miatas, NA MR2, etc - its hard to go back to something that feels so gutless.

Originally Posted by ZDan

For me, for daily driving, I don't have any issues going back to my gutless S2000 (never above ~5500rpm on the street, essentially a 150hp 2750 lb. car) after driving my 500+ hp 2825 lb. FD over the weekend.

+1.

I have no problem going back and forth between a 300+awhp Audi to a gutless MR2 20v. Same deal; never above 5500rpm on the street, so it's probably like 100hp 2200lb car; the last 65hp only come after VVT kicks in. I still enjoy the $#!t out of my MR2!! My MR2 gets up and goes when I need to merge on the highway, and that's seriously the only time anyone needs good power on the street. My S4 just climbs to 120mph in the same time it takes the MR2 to go 80mph... No big deal.

[shadoquad]

Z owner here, figured I'd chime in.

side note, I wondered where you'd gone, Liquidsnake lol

I tested an FRS a week or two ago. Much like the overwhelming advice in this thread, I say go test the Scion to be sure. I had wanted to see what it was like from the moment they said they were producing them. I also have a background driving tossable lightweight cars like a Miata, a Z4, and a v6 Fiero. My first car was a Fiat Spider.

Anyway, after driving the FRS, I came away with the impression that I'm happier sticking with my Z than trading, but that the FRS is impressive for what it is. I still might personally want a Miata over an FRS at the price range, but it's really close.

What I liked:
FRS is just as pretty as the Z imo, which is to say it's gorgeous.
Clutch and shifting was pleasant and sporty.
Took a while, but revving past 5k was fun.
Engine bay is spacious, would be a fun car to turn wrenches on.

What I didn't:
Interior materials were a bit cheap, car didn't feel refined inside.
Was hoping for sharper turning response and tighter turn radius.
Engine was rough at idle (Subaru owner I know told me that this could be because the engine is new or was mistakenly filled with low-grade fuel)

I wish I'd had better roads to test the handling on, because I got the impression that the car would be screaming fun on twisty mountain roads. Again, I place it right with the Miata, so my personal buying decision between the two would rest on whether I wanted a drop top or back seats.

It's a nice, affordable sports car. I'm keeping my Z, though. I paid 30k for my Z, so it's not THAT much more pricey, but I feel it's more car.

[switchlanez]

Originally Posted by fatoni

i got confused when you said that the frs is more planted and it feels like you are hovering off of the ground in the same post and then act like bring up ground clearance for whatever reason

Simple. When the car feels planted, the center of gravity is low. When the center of gravity is low, the car feels very close to the ground. Distance between car and ground = ground clearance. Lastly, I said "cruising" not "hovering." Two completely different meanings. Need any other clarifications?

[Jordo!]

I own a 370Z, so listen to me very carefully.

No. Keep your Z. Unless you can't afford the payments, keep it and wait for either a boosted version of the FR-S/BRZ or whatever the next model Z will be.

Really, the only drawback on the Z is that it could be lighter. Well, spend some money improving the brakes (better pads, SS lines) and bracing the chassis and it will feel easily 200 lbs lighter.

The FR-S/BRZ is a great car, but in its present form, it can't hold a candle to the 370Z. It's a 2+2 MX5 -- add 50-75 whp/wtq and it will be a giant killer... but we're not there yet.

[GenkiElite]

No, you shouldn't.

[Juan@aePerformance]

we're returning our 370z and getting another FRS. The Z is a great platform and is great for the track. The blind spots are insane though. Can't see anything out of that car lol. The z has fuel starvation issues and oil temp issues. we resolved that on our car for the most part with AE brand oil cooler. But going into limp mode sucks.

I like them both, but i'll be getting an FRS or BRZ.

[Zoomie]

Absolutely not.

[Ericfrs]

Hi there,

I just sold my 2009 black 370z 6mt with spk to get a ultramarine 6auto FR-S.

I love my Z and its been a blast to drive, but I decided to sell my full paid Z because I only use it as a daily driver. Unlike you, I have never been to tracks and it is also my only car.
I haven't WOT in my frs yet Since it only has less than 200 miles on her. But what I can tell you is just how light the frs feels on its feet when compared to my Z.
I think the Z feels very secure and heavy when driving on the street like a train when compared to the frs gocart feel. I also love how the frs takes corners, its just feels effortless to turn even if on a steep hill. The Z was powerful on its right, but I had to generate much more noise to make her go if you know what I mean XD

All in all I think I made the right choice for a daily driver, and I just took two passengers with me around town yesterday！ amazing.

Hope you get a test drive of the frs soon！

Eric

[shadoquad]

Originally Posted by Juan@aePerformance

we're returning our 370z and getting another FRS. The Z is a great platform and is great for the track. The blind spots are insane though. Can't see anything out of that car lol. The z has fuel starvation issues and oil temp issues. we resolved that on our car for the most part with AE brand oil cooler. But going into limp mode sucks.

I like them both, but i'll be getting an FRS or BRZ.

The fuel starve issue is the only one that hasn't been solved, and it can be avoided if you keep a full tank before tracking.

The oil and brake cooling issues can be fixed for less than 1000 dollars.