Chris Harris Drive: GT86 / FR-S vs 370z vs Cayman S

[fatoni]

Originally Posted by Tanuki

^says the guy with a miata. Ironic right?

thats actually the exact opposite of ironic

[armythug]

I like all of the cars Chris reviewed. But I dont know Chris lol. dont get me wrong I love the 86. I have placed an order for one. But I wouldnt compare it to either of those cars. I mean....A lot of people seem to enjoy talking down on the 370z for some reason. I just dont get it.

[Jordo!]

Originally Posted by armythug

I like all of the cars Chris reviewed. But I dont know Chris lol. dont get me wrong I love the 86. I have placed an order for one. But I wouldnt compare it to either of those cars. I mean....A lot of people seem to enjoy talking down on the 370z for some reason. I just dont get it.

I have to agree that the seating could be better (much preferred my 7th gen Celica's seating, which I'm sure is closer to the FR-S), but the car is hardly numb and unresponsive.

Actually, he mainly raved about how squirrelly the FR-S felt, whereas the more planted and surefooted (if numb, to him) Z and the grippier, more agile Cayman were somehow less engaging as a result.

I think "hooning potential" is high on his list of criteria... this is a guy who put spare tires on a big powerful saloon just to slide around, right?

[Spaceywilly]

Originally Posted by armythug

I like all of the cars Chris reviewed. But I dont know Chris lol. dont get me wrong I love the 86. I have placed an order for one. But I wouldnt compare it to either of those cars. I mean....A lot of people seem to enjoy talking down on the 370z for some reason. I just dont get it.

He made a point of saying in the video that he wasn't trying to badmouth the 370Z, just saying how it's different to the GT86. You could easily come away from that video thinking the 370Z is the better car. It just comes down to what you like.

[blu_]

Chris Harris is a communist.

[_hollywood]

Originally Posted by armythug

I like all of the cars Chris reviewed. But I dont know Chris lol. dont get me wrong I love the 86. I have placed an order for one. But I wouldnt compare it to either of those cars. I mean....A lot of people seem to enjoy talking down on the 370z for some reason. I just dont get it.

Because the 370z is the " IROC Z " of this generation, the owners are 99% of the time about as cocky as your typical mustang owner, and act accordingly.

[fatoni]

Originally Posted by _hollywood

Because the 370z is the " IROC Z " of this generation, the owners are 99% of the time about as cocky as your typical mustang owner, and act accordingly.

yeah lets all just go out and make blanket assumptions who we can only assume are out there making blanket assumptions about us.

[Jordo!]

Weird -- he REALLY hates the Miata...

http://community.evo.co.uk/users/Mon...is-pants-ducks

This is a bit like Clarkson's swooning over the FR-S... it's not that it's not a great car... it's just odd to see some fans rave about it who you'd think would not...

Sorcery.

Originally Posted by _hollywood

Because the 370z is the " IROC Z " of this generation, the owners are 99% of the time about as cocky as your typical mustang owner, and act accordingly.

Oh, now, now.

I've never met a car guy who wasn't cocky about his car.

You just see variance on what specific aspects the car they tend to brag most about (e.g., handling, raw power, luxury, etc.).

[quik1987]

The majority if not all of reviews that compare it to the 370Z have the BRZ/FR-S coming out on top.

They can't all be wrong can they?

[brewksy]

Originally Posted by fatoni

i just find it strange how someone who hates the miata and even says it isnt a sports car an it lacks power and then praises an frs because sports cars dont need power

He doesn't hate on the Miata just because it lacks power, he finds it slow, imprecise, unsatisfying, and as having a terrible driving position.

Obviously everyone has an opinion, just because someone likes a small, lightweight coupe doesn't mean they have to like every small, lightweight coupe. He often talks about the driving and wheel position of the cars he tests so he obviously puts a lot of emphasis on traits that you or I may not agree on. Doesn't mean he's prejudiced in any bad way (other than forming an opinion and keeping it).

Originally Posted by Chris Harris

I’ve always found the ‘ickle Mazda slow, imprecise and unsatisfying. Of course the principle behind the MX-5 is fantastic: affordable open-air fun in a cute little RWD package, but the reality on sticky modern rubber has never even approached delivering on that promise. And the driving position is terrible.

[jflogerzi]

Great review! I wish I had the chance to cross shop the 350Z/370Z. Though I did test drive a used 2008 in nearly mint shape and only 18K miles Infinity G37 which has the same engine. That thing had some pull!

[3essess]

One of the greatest video reviews of all time...

[alex86]

if i have the monnies. i'll go for porsche period.

[Frost]

Originally Posted by shadoquad

I have found this to be incredibly inconsistent across dealerships.

And even across different dealer lots within the same brand.

A Subaru dealer recently told me he would have to run a credit check to let me test drive a base WRX. I said, "When I show up in my 370z that I bought new, will you still subject me to the credit check?" He held firm.

Conversely, I test drove a used Corvette Z06 last weekend. I was greeted by the sales manager, who informed me that the salesmen I had spoken to on the phone was engaged with other customers. He handed me the keys and encouraged me to sit in it while I wait. As it dragged on and took longer, he came back, took my license, and said, "Why don't you take it for a drive? He'll probably be free when you get back." And just like that I got a free test run with no salesman in a 505-hp sports car.

Again, no rhyme or reason as far as I can tell, it just seems to be differing policies at different dealerships.

Agreed, I went to an Acura dealership and they treated me like a hostile creature when I wanted to test drive one of their stick shift TSX. I told them to come see my current car (also stick) and that I can drive around fine in a stick shift and they said "No, we will only let you test drive the automatic version" and I countered with "What if the clutch is not something I like?" (I've had odd encounters with Honda clutches - 2002 Accord V6 for example and the 2002 TSX) and they countered with "Well then the manual is not for you".

The test drive was still highly 'hostile' and they did not allow me to do anything remotely that would push the car (even the acceleration onto the highway merge which was empty for most part).

On the other hand, the Lexus dealer I went to initially took my liscence for insurance sake (I explicitly put a sticker on it saying - "Not for credit check" and they smiled about it and said they did no such thing as it is technically illegal to do so without my consent). The salesman then took me for a rather long drive (in an IS300 at the time) and purposely through the highway and some nice lower speed twisties and after 20-30 minutes, we went back and he said "Well, how about you take out for as long as you'd like and come back when you either love or hate the car? I'm going to go back in and catch up on some paperwork while I wait for you. It is a not a small purchase and I would hate for you to judge it based on 30 minutes with me next to you gushing about it - but please don't get any speeding tickets or any accidents." My jaw dropped - never has anyone let me do that EVER.

I was practically sold on that one.

Nonetheless, it'll be interesting to see what happens when I cross shop - will definitely post my experience here.