I want a 370Z

[jpkirk]

Originally Posted by Jordo!

This will inspire a few gasps of shock but, my humble advice is:

Test drive a FR-S first.

Here's why I say that; I previously owned a Celica GT-S (heavily modified to handle and also SC'd, FWIW), which is a close cousin to the RSX. My original plan was to get an FR-S -- a nimble, RWD car with potential for boost --when it was time for a tearful parting with the Celica, but the damn thing hadn't been released yet.

So, needing a new car and wanting a sportscar, I managed to make a deal work out for the 370Z, and 10 sec into my test drive I stopped missing the Celica.

That said, the Z will NOT feel as nimble as the RSX (or the FR-S or a MX-5). It will DECIMATE both in every metric (other than weight), but it will not feel the same way. I LOVE my Z, and have never looked back -- so much so, that when I wrecked the first one, the second the insurance check cleared, I went and got another one.

And yet, there is something to be said for a nimble little car... if I can swing it, the next car after the Z may very well be an Alpha 4C (the best of all worlds, minus, perhaps, reliability... we'll see...)

Again, the Z is a completely different class of car, so this is a matter of qualia. Performance metrics aside, the FR-S will feel nimble and the Z will feel powerful. If this is even a remote consideration for you, considering the prices on gently used versions of each will not be wildly different, I recommend test driving both.

This is, BTW, an ever so slightly different version of what I would recommend someone to think about who was, say, cross shopping between a Z and a Mustang. It's a similar set of trade-offs.

Yup, this is what car shopping is all about. Find the ride that fits what you want with the amenities you want in the price range that you can actually afford (to include service, insurance, and gas).

While I was shopping, many great deals were to be had on repos with uber low mileage. Some less than 3k miles. I was coming from a 4WD pickup back to a sports car (had an MGB in my youth) so I felt the Z was very nimble in comparison to the truck. Not as nimble as the MGB. What did for me over all else was the Sports Package manual transmission with the Syncro-Rev matching.