Augustus

Thanks for the welcome.

Mustang vs. Z, I know it's the age-old debate around here. I'll tread carefully....

There are a couple of reasons that I chose the Z over the Mustang.

Simply put, I enjoyed driving the Z more than the GT. There's no denying that the GT's 5.0 V8 is an incredible engine. It really is. Go drive one. But I was a bit let down with the overall driving experience of the GT. My understanding is that a GT weighs about 300 pounds more than a Z, and I could feel it. Just puttering around the city, while enormous thrust was readily available, it just felt like a heavier car. While the GT actually does corner well, it still seemed to require effort. Like an old-school muscle car that had been through years of intensive therapy to teach it that cornering is ok, but it's still a little bit trepidations. That live axle isn't doing it any favors.

The Z, in comparison, felt like I was driving a very comfortable go-kart, and cornering is absolutely effortless. Let's go over there. Done. The steering feeling in the Z is amazing. The Mustang's, just average.

I also preferred the Z because of general build quality. The Z is my first Nissan, so long-term-quality remains to be seen. But as far as immediate tactile quality, the Z just feels like it's in a different price bracket. A $37K Mustang feels like a $23K car with $14K worth of options. A $37K 370Z feels like a $33K car with $4K worth of options. There is a difference. From seat comfort, to the stitching on the shifter, to the feel of the window buttons , to the panel gaps, to the feel of the shifter sliding into gear, to the wiring under the hood, it just looks and feels like someone put an extra couple of bucks into design. I care about that. I've owned a couple of Audis recently, and the Z just feels more like something from Ingolstadt than from Flat Rock. Right or wrong, I just prefer it.

I also value uniqueness. Two favorite cars I've owned before the Z were an '05 WRX and an '07 Pontiac Solstice GXP. Neither were perfect, but I loved them both because they were unique and fun. And as everyone knows, there's a Mustang at every stoplight. There's a Camaro at every other stoplight.

And lastly. Have you really looked at a Z lately? It's a beautiful machine. The arc from the windshield down to the taillights. The rear fender bulges. The detail in the headlights. In the taillights. The classic long hood, short body, 2-seater proportions, not unlike a Jaguar E-Type. I know, it's the 240/280 lineage. The Mustang is a fine looking automobile, with equally important echoes to the past. But as a 2+2 "muscle car", it simply doesn't posses the same kind of design elements that the Z has. I prefer the Z. Others don't.

In the end, I enjoy unique, well-designed cars that are happiest when sizzling through corners on well-paved back-country roads. I could care less about 0-60 or quarter-mile times. The Z, with it's balance of handling & power, is more in line with my driving ideals than the Mustang.