Quote:
Originally Posted by travisjb
I've had that feeling before... I remember going from my first gen rx7 to second gen... it was a better car, but i was just USED TO the old one... give it time - what you're describing is more related to what you are used to... you might even want to go out and drive some radically different feeling cars like a corvette, 911, etc... will help you put it all in perspective
At the end of the day, remember that a bone stock 370 gets around a typical track many seconds faster than a bone stock 350. It IS a better performing car whether it feels that way to you or not.
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Begin rant.
When I first got the car it didn't seem quite right, but I attributed it to the point you make.... being so used to the 350 (had it for 5 years)... I thought I just needed time to adjust. But as time has gone by (7,000 miles on the 370), I feel more and more disconnected. I'm really trying to like it, and there are definitely a lot of things I DO like... it's just weird. I really should like this car more than I do.
Stock for stock it's no doubt faster in the twisties. I'm not seeing a huge difference in straight line acceleration though, not the kind I would like to see at least. The flat torque curve is pretty impressive, it's as flat as kansas, but it's a double edged sword. It doesn't feel fast. You never feel a peak or a surge. To top it off, it really isn't all that fast. My base DE stock ran a 14.1@99mph. This car ran a 14.0@101.5 with a better 60ft. I got about 20 passes in. I was getting perturbed I couldn't justify the helmet I was wearing, so I started power shifting instead of speed shifting to no avail. Despite the fact I am at 1054ft altitude, and the ambient conditions were fairly different, to me it's pretty disappointing. After I dropped about 150lbs from my DE(which was already ligher to begin with), spent less than $400 in breathing mods, I was running 13.7 @ 104. In a stright line I surprised a lot of people. Modded it felt faster, and it definitely was (DA conversions applied). I was a little relieved that my butt dyno wasn't lying to me. On the road courses I passed up the HR's in the straights and out-braked them at the end. In the twisties it was mostly even to a slight disadvantage because my open end differential didn't allow me to power around-out of turns and they all had the VLSD's. I have yet to track the 370, but I'm curious how it will stand up on the same tracks compared to my slightly modded 350.
Speaking of VLSD, that brings me to another point. When is nissan going to offer up a model with a REAL LSD? Even the Nismo 370 gets the same glorified open end. What gives? Personally I almost assume not have a LSD at all unless it's a mechanical/clutch type, but that's just me.
The side view mirrors are an absolute design flaw. They are designed to where you cannot see your blind spots, which is the entire point of having side view mirrors. I don't need 3 mirrors to see behind me, then again, the rear view is pretty horrid too.
The gas lid. I hate having to push on the paint to get to the filler. Granted the latch on my 350z stuck all the time and I would pop the hatch and pull the lever (real easy since it was gutted), I'd rather they just improve the existing design. The location of the filler is also in a really dumb position. A lot of pumps practically rest on the exterior of the car... too close for comfort. Every time I get gas I feel like doing a face palm.
Handling? This car definitely grips harder, as long as the surface is smooth. When you are cornering at decent speeds and hit a significant bump... you go sailing, and the recovery process is not always a pleasant one. My 350z stayed MUCH more composed in these situations. I'm not sure if this is because of the reworked suspension, more unsprung weight, wider tires, or all of the above, but I don't like it.
The buick/boat like front to back weight transfer is also weird. I'm sure they did that to make the car faster from a standing start, I just don't see it as being necessary for this kind of car. It loses that flat go-kart-like feeling. On the bright side brake dive seems a bit improved.
The car also doesn't like to rotate, mainly due to wider tires. Once it does decide to rotate though, it comes around a lot faster, due to the shorter wheelbase. Not necessarily a bad thing, just a difference I have noticed. I guess it's a little less fun if you are trying to have some fun without going balls out.
The gauges are pretty retarded. In some conditions the gas/water temp gauges are impossible to read, and the gauge that only functions as a clock is absolutely useless. I'd rather have a meaningful gauge.
The stereo - I deleted the stereo from my 350 after it ate a CD. I never missed it because I'm not much of an audiophile. But jeebus, I must say, this stereo system sucks pretty bad. Granted it is a base model, and nissan always skimps the stereos in base model anythings.... having 4 front speakers, pathetic ones at that, and a head unit that seems as if it was from the 80's seems a bit ridiculous to me.
Seats? These seats are more tailored to the typical american fat-*** / meat head. The 350s seats hugged me and did a good job and keeping me in my seat when at the limits. These seats are designed to be more comfortable for bigger people at the expense of normal sized people. I don't feel sucked in. (the fact the seat clicks and moves side to side is another thread)
Overall, to me it feels like less of a drivers car and more bland... tailored for the masses... despite the looks and numbers on paper.
I think I will have to get bit by the mod bug before this car is going to grow on me.
