Nissan 370Z Forum - View Single Post - 2009 Nissan 370Z Long-Term Test

AK370Z · 03-30-2009, 01:12 AM

March 23, 2009
2009 Nissan 370Z: Facing Off Against the 2010 Mustang

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The Inside Line crew's 370Z vs. Mustang GT comparo gave the win to the Nissan, but the Edmunds.com editors performed their own brief evaluation in the spirit of a high school debate. Which middleweight triumphs? That's for you to decide. Check it out here.

In Face Off, we will pit cars against each other, but instead of the full-blown, highly scrutinized, professional comparison test, this is something different. One editor will defend the honor of one car, and make the case for why they would buy it -- and why the other guy is wrong. In the end, you can decide who wins.

While last week's undercard bout pitted the Range Rover Supercharged against the Mercedes-Benz G550, this week's main event is entirely different weight class: the 2010 Ford Mustang GT versus the 2009 Nissan 370Z. Both have trained hard in the off-season and undertaken some corrective cosmetic surgery. Think of this as a companion to the Inside Line brawl that gave the decision to the Z. Will the fans award a knockout this time? The fighters are entering the ring for this real-deal, rear-wheel automobile smackdown. Let's get ready to grumble!

Opening Arguments:

Mark Takahashi for the 2010 Ford Mustang GT
The new Mustang harkens back to a time before we obsessed over mutual funds, irritable bowel syndrome or which Disney star just imploded -- a time of Rock 'n' Roll, drag racing, denim and burgers with a generous serving of cool. This Mustang keeps that spirit alive and emerges with nothing but improvements over pony cars past: better handling dynamics, a quiet interior, a meaner nose, sculpted haunches, trick new taillights and a much improved interior. Now I'm not saying it's perfect, but I'll take edgy over clinical any day. And don't think that it's all sharp edges and bare metal, either. Nifty perks like Sync, customizable color lighting and a thumpin' sound system keep it well-rounded for daily use. Add in options like a glass roof, navigation and a rearview camera to watch your own burnout and you'll have a hard time wiping away my perma-grin.

Also, you just can't ignore the obvious practicality advantages the Mustang has over the Z -- the two additional seats and a trunk that can fit more than just Keira Knightley's swimsuit. You could take three friends to In 'n' Out Burgers or go on a cross-country road trip. Good luck in the Z. Plus, the 'Stang delivers something that the Zed can't, and never could. It's the bravado that comes with a big honkin' V8. There, I've said it -- I love displacement. If we lived in Canada, I'd marry it and make it mine.

James Riswick for the 2009 Nissan 370Z
You're right, the Mustang does harken back to an earlier time -- but so does my grandfather. It indeed boasts significant improvements over past pony cars, but that's a pretty low bar to hurdle. Wow, the solid rear axle is much better than the old solid rear axle. The steering has less Novocaine coursing through its pump than the old car. No thank you.

I'll take the Nissan 370Z, a thoroughly modern sports car designed in the here-and-now for people in the here-and-now. While the Mustang touts how it manages to mask its quaint underpinnings, the Z flaunts game-changing technology like the SynchroRev Match shifter. This is evolution of the species, the Mustang is Jurassic Park. If you look at simple track numbers, both cars are remarkably neck and neck. But in reality, they couldn't feel any different. There is a precision to the Nissan; a confident bond between Z and driver. It knows what I want and I know what the car is doing. Yet it's also reasonably refined for road trips and the daily slog.

I'll concede that the Z isn't very practical. No back seat and a tiny trunk could be a serious deal breaker for those who need it as their lone daily driver. But as long as the Z can haul Keira's swimsuit, that's good enough -- that just means she picked me and my Z rather than Grandpa Mark and his Mustang.

Rebuttals

Takahashi:
I admit, these middleweights are evenly matched ... on paper. Heck, I'll even give a nod to the Z's handling. But listen up my young Padawan, there is something so exquisite about wrestling a musclecar into shape (and performing REAL heel-toe downshifts). It's as rewarding as riding a racehorse or chasing kids off my lawn. The Mustang inspires me, while the Z is as soulless as Ben Stein reciting Piece of my Heart. In the Mustang, I'm Steve McQueen in Bullitt. In the Z I'm ummmm, geez, Bruce Willis in Blind Date? Puhleeeze. Bruce had it right in Pulp Fiction when he said, "Zed's dead, baby ... Zed's dead."

Riswick:
Didn't Bruce get with Kim Basinger in that movie? Who cares. If you take joy in wrestling a horse about, so be it, ride on cowboy. But allow me to switch gears (without heel-toeing) by bringing up the interior. While the Mustang's quality has improved dramatically from its wretched predecessor, it still feels bland and extremely dated. I find it depressing. The 370 is a big improvement from the 350, but its ambiance is borderline luxurious and conveys a distinct sporting intent. It inspires me to go fast for long periods of time. Sure, I can't see a bloody thing out the back, but the only thing I'm going to see back there is you power sliding into a Dutch Elm while I pull away, effortlessly cutting through Latigo Canyon Road with Keira Knightley cooing over my perfectly matched downshifts.

So, who wins?

2009 Nissan 370Z: All-Star Wheel and Tire Sizing

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You may not have noticed, but our sport-package-equipped 2009 Nissan 370Z has got some serious wheel and brake hardware. The forged alloy wheels measure 19x9 up front and 19x10 at the rear. The corresponding tire sizes are 245/40R19 and 275/35R19s. This is on a sub-3,400-pound car with 332 horsepower, mind you.

For comparison, BMW's expired Z4M coupe, a car with a similar size/weight/power, rolled on 18x8s up front, 18x9s in the rear and 225/45R18 tires up front and 255/40R18s in back. Even the base Corvette (18s up front and 19s in back) has 245-width tires in front and 285s in back.

The Z's braking performance during testing was a little controversial, but in terms of specs -- 14-inch rotors up front with four-piston calipers -- there's nothing to complain about.

When it's standing still, the 370Z really looks the part thanks to those 19s, big brakes and wide tires. And with an as-tested 70.4 mph slalom speed and 0.93 g on the skidpad, it's got the numbers to back it up.

Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor @ 4,186 miles

2009 Nissan 370Z: More Braces Than a Junior Prom

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I love the way our 2009 Nissan 370Z handles so crisply, yet its ride quality is still relatively supple. Credit is certainly due to the car's stiff body structure, which Nissan says allowed it to tune the suspension to be more compliant. Just about everywhere you look, our 370Z has bracing. Under the hood? There's a suspension tower brace that spans the engine bay width and connects to the firewall. Open a door and you'll see the thick beam behind the seats. Nissan wasn't messing around.

As you have perhaps noticed, the 370Z lacks the 350Z's infamous exposed rear structural brace. I remember reading that Nissan had "inverted" it. I was curious to see where it went, so I went looking.

I removed the rear carpet and cover. If there's an inverted structural crossmember here, I didn't see it. Perhaps it's considered the raised part of the body structure ahead of the spare tire that spans the width of the rear suspension towers?

By the way, you can see that this is where the spare tire is located. The subwoofer for the Bose audio system is also here, nestled into the wheel. I unscrewed the securing clamp and lifted the subwoofer; I'd guess it weighs about 10 to 15 pounds.

Compared to the 350Z, Nissan's 370Z press release claims that there's "a new front suspension cradle to reduce front body lateral bending," new "rear structural reinforcements" and "an underbody "V-bar" to help reduce rear lateral bending." I peeked underneath the rear of the car and did see what appears to be the additional structural bracing, including the "V-bar." It'd be interesting to get our car up on a lift at some point to see this stuff in more detail. Or maybe not, if standing underneath a car looking at nondescript metal bits isn't your thing.

Anyway, I'm continuing to enjoy the Jack-be-nimble handling characteristics of our 370Z.

Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor

2009 Nissan 370Z: Not Quite Awesome Enough

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Our 2009 Nissan 370Z has satellite radio, and when I'm driving I'll occasionally listen to radio Faction's afternoon DJ, Jason Ellis. Jason has this ongoing theme where callers recount their feats of awesomeness and he then judges them on whether or not they are admitted into a nirvana-like "awesome world."

I mention this because our Nissan 370Z would be an excellent candidate for Brent's Sports Car Awesome World. It's got tidy dimensions, great handling, a quality interior, impressive as-tested numbers and, to my eyes at least, a good-looking exterior. But there's one thing that's going to hold it back from gaining entry.

The not-so-awesome thing: the V6 engine. Now, this is a capable engine that's surprisingly torquey and tractable. And there's certainly nothing wrong with having 332 hp on tap nor a 0-60-mph time in the low 5-second range. But this latest 3.7-liter version makes the 370Z a Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz -- it has no heart.

The V6's coarseness and vibration at anything past 5,000 rpm are just plain bad. Really, when you're hard on it, that last 1,500 rpm to redline is not enjoyable all. (And this is the part that's supposed to be the most exhilarating for a small-displacement sports car!) Meanwhile, there's no aural passion whatsoever. Sadlier described as sounding like a bear -- err, OK, maybe. The engine note is OK when you fire it up but then it's all downhill from there. There's this distracting engine whine at lower rpm and none of the characteristic 350Z exhaust warble heard from either inside or outside the car.

I wish I had video for you, but I don't. But I found this video clip on YouTube of a 370Z with an aftermarket exhaust. There might be hope for disgruntled 370Z owners.

As it stands, though, the larger V6 is the one thing I think Nissan flubbed. Make the new Z's engine exciting to rev and listen to, and the car gets into Brent's Sports Car Awesome World.

Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor @ 4,532 miles