Red__Zed

In b4 tl;dr
in b4 nice book
in b4 Pulitzer prize

Reviews of Red Zed car thoughts:



Excerpts from the book:



Red Zed car thoughts....

OK, so I finally decided that rather than re-typing these up every time someone asks me about cars, I will toss some thoughts out there for reference.
This thread is NOT for flaming. I am going to speak pretty candidly about ALL the cars I've owned, Z included. If you can't handle that, I recommend against reading the thread. I loved the car, BUT, it does have plenty of flaws, just like any other car. If it seems like I pick on the Z more than other cars, it is just because it is a point of commonality between (almost) everyone on the forum-- it is an easy reference point, and we are all familiar with the oddities associated with the car.

My reviews are largely qualitative and represent my thoughts. You are entirely welcome to disagree, but keep it polite if you plan to do so in this thread, again, it is not for flaming, or arguing which car is better-- it is intended to let potential buyers know what they are in for, and to help perennial car addicts get another enthusiasts perspective.

Other disclaimers:

I hear every time I post complaining about understeer that it is "my fault because of how I drive." To be clear, one may encourage understeer with the way they drive (trailbraking, etc), but what I am referencing is STEADY STATE understeer, the inherent tendency of the car to understeer with no throttle or turning inputs. PLEASE be aware of the difference.

Also note that some understeer is GOOD and SAFE for a street car-- it is always a trade-off. Honda put out a relatively neutral car in the AP1, and was forced to dial in more understeer every couple of years until people stopped wrecking them.




2011 Subaru WRX:
This car is really funny. On paper, it makes absolutely no sense. It is slower than the Z, doesn't grip as well, and it is pretty ugly. The interior doesn't hold a candle to the Z, and while they sell for 24K or so in base trim, you may wonder why someone wouldn't just pony up the extra cash for the Z, or you might think that the only buyers would be the ones that require the 4 (or 5) doors and a back seat-- or those looking to drive their car year-round.

Getting behind the wheel will probably change your opinion.

It is a freaking BLAST to drive.

A lot of you guys come from different car backgrounds, so this may not make sense to you, but I think it will resonate with guys from a similar background. My second car was a 1996 Honda Civic EX coupe. It produced a whopping 127 hp through the weedeater SOHC D16 motor, but it was light and responsive, and FUN to drive. I helped my friend turbo his nearly identical car, and remember dreaming of swapping in an AWD system to help get the power to the ground. The Subaru is like the culmination of that teenage dream-- it's a turbocharged flat four that produces enough grins to feed a family of four. It ZIPS in and out of corners, and it feels fast in daily driving-- you have tons of power on tap once the turbo spools, and there's enough torque that you don't have to permanently attach your hand to the five speed transmission.

The shifter isn't terribly precise, but it gets the job done, especially for DD duties where the 5 speed is an absolute godsend. I love to row my own gears, but I hate having to shift every three seconds while commuting in light traffic. The power comes on with enough of a kick that you get the smile that comes with boost kicking in, but it is linear enough that the car doesn't get all herky-jerky if you get into boost mid-corner.

The interior is MUCH better than the older subaru's, but it still leaves a lot to be desired if you are into that stuff. I don't really mind it, but I probably wouldn't pick the car to pick up an important client in. The stereo gets pretty boomy if the bass is turned up, due to the cheap plastic on the interior door panels. Toss some dynamat on the back and it will tighten right up.

Paint is about the same as the Z, maybe slightly better.

If you line them up, the Z will easily walk away-- but just take a look at this year's ProSolo results to see how the WRX stacks up on a tight course--practically identical times, despite the WRX being forced to run substantially smaller tires, and being stuck with a stock rear sway (which means no chance to dial out the incredible understeer associated with the stock setup). Higher speed course will substantially favor the Z, though-- there's just no match for the extra horses packed under the hood.

The WRX though, has some great opportunities to pick up power, with huge gains coming from just a tune. Check out the Cobb AP-- gains are ridiculous, and honestly relatively safe.

My key thoughts on the car boils down to mostly just being a whole lotta fun to drive. It may not win any spec races (though it may win some actual ones), but the feel behind the wheel is very pure. You feel in touch with the road, and in control of the car. It is very forgiving of mistakes, and will almost never get away from you. The steering feel is intense -- driving the subaru feels like playing whack-a-mole, whereas driving a Z feels like playing risk by comparison

AWD is a plus and a minus for me. There is a certain experience that it offers-- you can't very well run a RWD car through the situations you can run the subie, but the on-pavement feel of RWD is a lot of fun. There is no power-on oversteer to be had here...you just grip and go.


NISSAN 370Z:

Hands down the best looking car in the price range. If you are after horsepower and MUST have an import, this is the way to go. Precise chassis, gobs of power and reasonable amount of torque available straight to the rear wheels--this car is absolutely nasty. But, most of you own one, so you already know this and you don't need me to tell you, so I will try not to drone on.

The weak spots are known as well. The engine's song isn't the most pleasing when you are spinning roundabouts 7 grand. The shifter is....shall we say...imprecise (my s2k buddy describes it as feeling like 'a wet noodle,' but then again, S2K pilots are a bit spoiled in that respect). No real diff option (VLSD again, are you serious NISSAN?). Fuel starve, perennial understeer, whatever. Fact is, for most uses those things don't matter, and for the crew they matter to, there are fixes for much of them. I had bad luck with reliability, but I won't factor that in because I don't believe most of those issues to be typical, and besides, most of us sell cars long before warranty runs out

What really sold me on the Z was the chassis feel. You can really feel the stiffness of the chassis, and it helps make the car incredibly precise, but still totally comfortable on long drives. It is absolutely amazing that a 34xxlb car can feel as sporting as it does rocking 6k/8k springs, and a true testament to the efforts of the chassis designers, who have truly outdone themselves with this effort.

*Now of course, there is the issue of the rest of the car to deal with...

Interior: Quality is awesome. Absolutely love it. No complaints but the fuel gauge. I liked the seating position, tons of space inside the cabin, the hatch could swallow a horse. No complaints at all here.

Trans: Not my favorite. Not even on the top 5 list for cars I've owned, and that list isn't that long...I'm only 23. It's not bad, per se...it is just relatively imprecise and uninspiring relative to great transmissions like the S2000. I know this is a point of friction for many people, but I just have to say-- get behind the wheel of a Miata or an s2000, and let me know if you still think the Z has great shifting feel.

Engine: This is a mixed bag. I love the power. I love the torque. The car honestly has more than enough power for most use, and more power than most driver's can properly harness (go ahead, read that again, anyone that thought I swapped to the stang just for power is flat wrong). The car delivers gobs of power and the rear will step out on demand, but you never feel like you are overpowering the chassis (thank you again, chassis engineers). It's rough characteristic is annoying. Sometimes it bothers me more than others...sometimes I don't care. I do miss my f20 and my k20 every time I run it to redline though....

Overall, I felt such mixed emotions on the car. I love the chassis, loved the FEEL of the car in the twisties. It has a relaxed but accurate steering feel that inspires confidence-- in contrast, the Subaru seems like a neurotic mouse-- always communicating every pebble in the road. The Z transmits only the information you need-- it tells you exactly where the car is going, and it lets you know how your corrections are going. The rough nature of the powertrain was obnoxious though, and it really put me off to the car. I would have been fine with less power in exchange for a smoother delivery. On the other hand, I have to give Nissan props for innovating on top of the 350 when there was really no competition-- and make no mistake-- this car is VERY impressive for that. Compared to the EVO (which I think is the most common comparison made), the Z really puts a lot more emphasis on driving. For equal, average drivers, the EVO will probably be faster around a track...however, I think after 6 months of driving both, the Z driver will be a better for it-- learning proper car control, etc. The EVO tends to encourage bad habits and make up for driving skill, and while the Z does as well, it is not nearly on the same level.





2012 Mustang GT Premium + Brembo:

I'll hold off for now and see how mature we can be. I will write up the s2000 as well if there is interest.