I'm impressed with 370Z after my first test drive. Coming from a 6.0litre V8 manual, I wasn't sure if the auto really could live up to the high praise. I've heard people talk about the cabin noise as well as quiet engine.
There is a 'hum' inside the cabin like any other moving car but nothing too loud. I could hold a conversation with the sales guy at a normal talking voice cruising at 70kms/h on a sealed road. It was not intrusive, and at no time, did I think, "gee, the cabin noise is too loud!" To me, the noise level was no more than inside a sedan.
As for the exhaust sound. None existent! There is no way anyone can buy this car as a "sports car" and not change the exhaust. Stock Holden VE SSV has more note. And that is saying something. BUT once you put your foot down, and the Z down shifts to an optimum gear, boy does the cabin fill with ROAR! Bordering on too loud. It is not a nice sound but it is not a bad sound. It is pure and simply described as ROAR!
Now to the all important 7 speed auto tranny. It is pretty good. Actually, very good. The demo car had 18" tyres so it might not be as grippy as 19" but it had no plates so I think the engine was still new and tight. If it was, I didn't feel that. Initially, I left the auto in full auto mode and drove. While cruising at 40kms/h, I put paddle to the metal and held it there for 2 full seconds. And guess what? Nothing happened! I kid you not! I thought that was odd. I tried again the second time. This time, gears kicked down and it took off with almighty roar. It felt fast! VDC kicked in as the car started to wheel spin as it accelerated. Nice!!
For the rest of the test drive, I had the car in manual mode and just used paddles behind the steering wheel. Unless you kick down couple of gears, the rev does not rise high enough and therefore I could not tell if the gear has changed. Once I started to down shift two gears and started to play, it was a different matter.
Upshifting with manual paddles, it shifted overtime as quickly as I expected. When downshifting, when I pull the 'down shift' paddle, I hear the engine rev up first instantly and but the actual shift does not occur for about 0.3 seconds from the moment you instructed Z to shift. I know, 0.3 sec does not sound like a long time but it sure isn't instant. Having said that, if driving a manual, I'm not sure if I could shift it quicker manually.
My wife and I are thinking of going to a single car family and auto is the tranny of choice for my wife. This test drive is to see if I can live with an auto. My veridic is still out. I'm just not 100% if I can live with an auto.
Stuff I noticed about the rest of the car is how flat the Z corners. Suspension felt firm but not rock solid (but I was in a car with 18" wheels).
I was able to take the car to the back streets and test out the cornering in the industrial estates. Nothing crazy! Just open 90 degree corners, one after the other and one dead-end court for a tight turn.
The Z stayed flat in every corner but I was disappointed with the grip of the Z (with 18" tyres). As I performed a U-turn at a reasonable speed, VDC kicked in to guide the car. Tyres obviously lost traction. Even with open 90 degree corners, VDC kicked in to save the day. I negotiated these corners as the speed I could take in my commodore with OEM tyres so I'm not sure what the deal was with those 18" tyres. I just expected Z to stick to the road better. Of course the road was dry and it was beautifully 22 degree day.
Conclusion. I like it, I want one. I'm just not sure if I can live with an auto but it is one of the better autos I have driven.
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