The *REAL* official 370Z test drive thread

[JacksHereR]

can someone pretend they are putting a laptop behind the seat on their test drive> /grin

I hear theres a space but havent seen any photos

[FairmanZ]

OK, thought I’d add my test drive experience to the mix.

My background comes from lightweight sports cars (Miata, FD RX-7, E36 BMW M3) and mid sized luxury sports sedans (BMW 5 series, Mercedes E-class). I had read the rave reviews on the new Z, saw it in person in Tokyo, but never had a test drive until yesterday.

The car was a platinum graphite base with sport package and 6spd MT. Driving ergonomics seemed perfect, everything felt very driver oriented. The first thing I noticed though was the tiny rear view visibility. The rear window itself is huge, but the angle is so raked that the window opening looks like a little slit. Other than that, the cockpit was great, time to hit the road.

The biggest impression was how solid the car felt. Very old school Mercedes like in that it felt like one carved block of steel. The ride quality was similar to that of a BMW. In fact, it felt very similar ride wise to the 135i I test drove a few months ago. It also felt about as heavy as the 1 series BMW. In second gear, I punched it and the car rushed forward with a very linear feel. To be honest, the torque wasn’t as strong as I thought it might feel, but then I was being gentle as the car was brand new. The acceleration feeling from by butt dyno again felt similar to the 135i. I had driven an E46 M3 before and expected a similar feel from the new Z, but acceleration wise it felt more 135i than M3.

Next we hit a nice set of very tight curves, now the fun really began. Downshift from 3rd to 2nd, hear the engine roar as it blips the throttle, SynchroRev match in action. Way Cool!!! From that point on I kept downshifting just for the fun of it. The curves is where this car will pull away from the 135i IMHO. Where the BMW is setup as luxury sports coupe, the Z is pure sports car. The handling and grip felt outstanding, especially for a car of its weight. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to go on any rough roads. So I don’t know how harsh the ride will be on poor surfaces.

So far so good. Is it fast? Check. Handles great? Check.

The last thing I really wanted to check out was the exhaust note. I had heard both good and bad about the engine noises. My take, with the windows down the exhaust has a nice bark. It really starts to sing in the upper revs. With the windows closed, it’s one very quiet car. Although downshift with SynchroRev will produce music to my ears even with the windows closed.

After the test drive, I was sold. I love the looks and the way the profile harkens back to the original 240Z. Bang for ones buck, I don’t think I can find a better sports car. The one thing that was holding me back was the weight of this car. Coming from lightweight sports cars, I have been saving for a Cayman S. Although I have the money for the Porsche, don’t feel like spending it now given the crappy economy. Then along came the new Z, it seems almost perfect for me. The test drive even made me forget about the GT-R that was sitting in the showroom that almost stole my heart.

I now intend to buy this car one day. I'd like to wait for a 2010 model to make sure any bugs are worked out, but I don't know if I can wait that long. Bottom line, I think the new 370Z is a phenomenal sports car for its price.

[semtex]

Originally Posted by JacksHereR

can someone pretend they are putting a laptop behind the seat on their test drive> /grin

I hear theres a space but havent seen any photos

[chubbs]

Originally Posted by DIGItonium

...Perhaps it was the change to black cloth for the ceiling (love it)...

Do they all have black ceiling cloth? My God, I've been waiting for this for ages. I even thought of painting it black in both my Z's, because I hate that light grey.

Please tell me that black ceiling cloth is standard!

[s2kap2]

Just drove an auto/base model (the only one they had). I will be replacing my Honda S2000 so all comparisons will be with the Honda.

Here is my (long) review.

This is beginning to sound cliché but the car looks better in person. Looking at magazine as well as computer images, I found myself focused on the odd boomerang shaped headlight and taillights. In person, the whole design comes together, and you think to yourself, “ah, now I get it.” The base model wheels also look very nice in person. The way the spokes bend in towards the hub center is quite nice. Much better than the flat, one dimensional shape when viewed head-on.

Once inside, the seated position feels like I am sitting very low, with doors and dash looming large around me, likely exaggerated by the high sills. The seats are very supportive and for the most part comfortable. Just different from the excellent S2000 seats that I am used to. No better, no worse. I still don’t care for the 3- pimple gauges atop the dash but they are effective and easy to see. The speedo and tach look nice and I really like the new back lighting. Much better than the old orange look. The info center to the left is almost useless.

One item that I was not expecting was the way the starter button works. In the S2000, the starter button activates only the starter motor. When cold, you might have to hold it a second longer or hit it again….just like a regular car. With the Z, you just hit the button and the brain takes care of everything else. I do absolutley love being able to keep the fob in my pocket.

When I fired the motor, I was expecting more. I drove a G37 coupe and the exhaust note at idle and under load, contrary to luxury sensibilities, seems louder and a little more aggressive???

Once underway, the engine is very willing. I wonder if the DBW has been adjusted to feel stronger that it really is on tip-in? Acceleration, even under light throttle is very effortless, as if the engine is yawning and saying, “can I go back to sleep? Wake me up when you need to actually do something.” The ride is firm but a little floaty compared to the S. The steering is also too over-boosted for my tastes. On the open road, the Z would clearly put some distance between itself and my S on a straight road. It makes lots of power and I was taking it easy. The numbers indicate more lateral road holding than the S but it simply is not as balanced or communicative as the S. These traits however are not always bad. The Honda is a fantastic car but too narrowly focused. A casual glance at the steering wheel puts it into another lane and you feel every rock on the road. The Z is the better long distance car.

I would describe the 2 cars like this; The S2000 is a lean Olympic sprinter, the Z is a stocky guy in a biker bar with a shaved head, who’s going to kick your a$$ if you look at him.

[par4bmw]

Originally Posted by s2kap2

I would describe the 2 cars like this; The S2000 is a lean Olympic sprinter, the Z is a stocky guy in a biker bar with a shaved head, who’s going to kick your a$$ if you look at him.

Cool review. I agree with the Z wanting to kick a$$. Can't wait to add another 20 or so whp and really have an attitude.

[CrookedTeeth]

Anyone whos test drove this car possibly driven an Evo X? I was interested in as to how the two compare

[Akirasoft]

Originally Posted by CrookedTeeth

Anyone whos test drove this car possibly driven an Evo X? I was interested in as to how the two compare

I'm not sure you can really compare the two directly... I recently test drove one and can compare it to the evo 8 I owned for 3 years and sold last year...

I was actually surprised the 370z was as twitchy as the evo was but with MORE steering effort (likely due to be larger wheels). Power delivery and the car felt plenty fast... Faster than my evo was stock but not as fast as my evo was after cams, boost control, exhaust, intake, bigger front mount etc etc etc. that is to be expected as approx 260whp won't be as quick as approx 350 or so whp.

Interior was the biggest surprise for me. Everything felt like it was in the right place and was of much higher quality than I expected from Nissan. Navigation system is significantly better than the one in my Acura RDX.

I had really meant to cross shop the 370z with some other options (genesis coupe, camaro, not really sure what else) but now I'm not sure that I will even bother. I know already that I don't like the look of the genesis coupe and don't think that the size of the domestic models (mustang/camaro) will appeal to me.

That being said I still haven't picked up a 370z but at this point I'm really just trying to pick a color. Either black or graphite but based on pics online black does not really seem to suit this car. that graphite color sure does look nice (and since my last 3 cars have been black, it will be a nice departure...)

[ENT-Z]

I finally got out there and drove one today. It was a very dreary and rainy day, but for some reason the dealerships were busy!

The first dealership I hit, the salespeople and sales managers are tools. They don't want you to test drive one unless you are really interested in buying that particular car. They want to "keep the miles off of it" but would be happy to order me one based on a refundable deposit in case I don't like the test-drive when it comes in. Sheesh! Good thing there is another Nissan dealer a few miles down the same street.

Second dealer is cool, my wife and I are off for a test-drive in a loaded $40K model, no questions asked. The ride was awesome, better than expected (coming from MB and Audi). Power was great, but maybe a little less than expected, but then again I kept it under 4K. Blind spots were not as bad as expected.

So I'm psyched to place an order for the exact specs I want b/c my internet search shows no such equipped cars in a 30 mile radius. Well, the salesman finds a car just how I want it at dealer a few hours away - he can have it here Monday!!! DAMN, I was trying to be responsible and wait a few months to scrap together some more cash. The guy is killing me. What to do, what to do??? Of course I can't get the damn car off my mind now that I've driven it.

My advice - if you are not 100% ready to buy now, do not go and test drive one -- it will be torture on you!

[rreign]

On my way back from the Savannah airport the other day, I was passing the Nissan dealership and just couldn't resist anymore. Pulled in and what do I see? A freaking GT-R sitting out front, right next to 3 Z's. After checking out the GT-R and joking with the salesman about test driving it, I pointed at the white Touring Sport 370 and said, I want to drive it. He never saw it coming when we pulled out, haha! I mashed it out of 1st to second, by the time I was ready to shift into 3rd (about a second from when I was in 1st) I was at about 80 and had to ease back. With a scared look, the salesman said "she shifts pretty smooth, huh?" I was pretty sure I wanted this car by this point, but now I KNOW I WANT THIS CAR!

[FlashBazbo]

This won't hold any interest or relevance for most of you, but I enjoyed my first drive in a Z today and I learned a lot. Even after a number of weeks reading on this forum, there were some surprises for me.

First, of course, was the realization that a geezer test driving a 370Z Touring w/ Sport Package can very easily scare the crap out of a sales guy riding shotgun. Bwa-ha-ha-haaaaaa!

Now for the more pertinent observations for those who haven't yet driven a 370Z:

1. I found the ride and sound deadening to be very much on the luxury end of the scale for a sporty car. I was shocked. Very quiet. Some suspension jiggle, but not as bad as with a lot of less sporty cars. My 4cyl Honda Accord is much louder under acceleration (inside) than the Z. The quiet and smoothness muted the sensation of speed. I don't think I would like the added mutedness of a G37. Not knowing better, this is what I would have expected from a G37.

2. The gravel noise in the rear wheel wells is real, but it's not as bad as discussions on this forum had led me to believe. It only made itself known when we were driving across gravel patches in front of some intersections and driveways. I didn't find it that bad, at all. Of course, if I lived on a gravel road or drove a lot on roads with a lot of sand on them, my opinion would be different.

3. Rear visibility IS an issue. It is probably worse than you think it will be. You are essentially backing up in your mirrors. There is ZERO visibility directly out the rear quarter panels. You have the left and right side mirrors and the "mail slot" of a rear window. Backing out of a mall parking slot? Pray. A lot. And hope people are alert and charitable enough to slam on their brakes to miss you. You will be hard pressed to see them at the normal angle they would be coming from. When backing, the 370Z is the Mr. Magoo of the parking lot.

4. Speed. It's there. Acceleration. It's there. But you need the instruments to know it's there. The Z never appears to work for it (except for the burning smell when you park the car afterward). It seems to me that the car is so well put together that it masks what it's doing. No big shove in the back. No real jerk with gear changes. You hit 80 thinking you're doing around 40. Maybe I'm just too accustomed to the violent acceleration of my sportbike. I know the car is fast, but it was so effortless -- it seemed like a letdown.

Overall, I found the 370Z to be a highly-refined, fast car. It shares very little with a purpose-built, true race car. It lacks some of the visceral cues of the fast cars of the past -- the Gs to the back, the jerk of the shifts, the noise of the engine and transmission, the squeal of the brake pads -- but it's faster than all of them. I'm impressed. Maybe it's too civilized . . . or maybe not.

At any rate, my wife approved. If I want it, it's mine.

[Crash]

Damn it... So I wasn't going to buy a 370z and I was going to build up my 300zx. But today my mom asked me to go to the Nissan dealership because she doesn't know jack about cars and she needs to buy a new car. So I went...

Needless to say, I ended up test driving a new Z. They didn't have any manuals with the sports package so I tested an auto with the sports package...

First off, I don't get what's so bad about the gas gauge. Everyone made a big stink about it, but I think it's perfectly fine. Also, I did notice that there wasn't too much you can see out the back window, but the blind spots weren't that much worse than my Trans Am's so I know the fish-eye lenses will be just fine.

Anyway, on to the good stuff. I was EXTREMELY comfortable sitting in the driver's seat. I would even say it was far more comfy than any Porsche or Ferrari I've been in. The seats hugged my back well and didn't show any sign that I'd be holding on in hard turns because the seat didn't grip enough.

Acceleration was good. I see what you all mean about not feeling any torque, but once the car gets up in the RPMs it does feel like it pulls well. I assume that with the new special torque converter and it's variable lock up system that the car would likely start to pull at lower RPMs with a manual. We'll see.

The sound (for a stock car) is great. It's better than my LS1 was and it's more crisp. From inside the cab, it was actually quite loud and I'm not sure if I'd like that on a long road trip, but it's no louder than my current Z. So I'm sure I'd be just fine.

I didn't play with the navi or the sound system that much, but when I heard the sound, (touring with navi obviously) it did sound like more than enough for me. The prior person that drove that car left on the station on some lame channel and I didn't feel like messing with the radio, so I shut it off.

The car was out of gas when we first left the dealership, so we stopped at a gas station. I'm used to the gas door being on the left, so pulling up to the pump and not knowing exactly how far the quarter-panel sticks out, I pulled a bit far away from the pump. LOL But that's OK. The stickers on the car showed people that I'm not retarded, just test driving.

All in all, I like the car a lot. So I told the salesman to find me a white manual z. Looks like I'm getting one. HAHA

[jakoye]

Originally Posted by Crash

I'm used to the gas door being on the left, so pulling up to the pump and not knowing exactly how far the quarter-panel sticks out, I pulled a bit far away from the pump. LOL But that's OK. The stickers on the car showed people that I'm not retarded, just test driving.

The gas door's on the RIGHT side of the car? What's the point of that?

Is this just a residue of a limited-production sports car that they don't bother to completely revamp for the American market (since the driver is on the right side in Japan, it makes sense for the gas door to also be on that side)?

[MutantChicken]

Alright, I finally got to test drive one today. A white ( not that the color matters ), auto, sport model w/o nav. Now just so everyone knows, I've been driving a truck for the last 20 years, I'm currently driving an 04 4X4 Ram. The last car I owned was a 1967 Firebird 400, so it's been a while since I've had a car as my daily driver .... lol. It's not to say that I haven't driven quite a few, I had a great job when I was younger working at a tire store and I was lucky enough to get to most of the delivery jobs, meaning I got to drop off a lot of really nice cars to either our clients or the dealerships, it was pretty cool for a 19 year old ...

But I digress ....

Today I got to drive the 370, the last Z I drove was a 300 ( yes, it's been a few years ) and I must say they have have come a long way. I was a bit disapointed as the car was both an automatic and almost completely out of gas, and the guy letting me drive it let me know that we would not be driving it long enough for that to be a problem. : (

As everyone else has mentioned , the visibilty stinks, but you get used to that pretty quick, I even got used to sitting on the ground pretty quick ( a stange sensation going from a 4X4 to the Z ! ). Quite frankly I don't understand what everyone is complaining about with the road noise .... the mud tires on my truck make more noise ... lol.

The power was a bit hard to gauge, I didn't feel like I was pushing it at all but I went from 0-80 in no time, and I was trying to be good, the salesman was kind of holding on to what ever he could ... the one thing I didn't care for was the transmission. I didn't really have much of a chance to play with it much, and the little I did, it seemed like it didn't want to down shift when I wanted it to, and then it would all of a sudden drop... I'm sure once you've had a chance to use it a bit it works great, but I would rather have a stick, I've been driving one of those for almost 30 years , I think I've got that down pat.

Overall the car was a dream to drive, I just wish I could have driven it a bit longer and taken a few more curves, I only really had one good one, but the car handled it great. I was already sold on the car, but now I know for sure.....

Red, Touring, Sport, Nav.

Gotta have one !

Oh, by the way, it's a good thing I was having trouble with the tranny.... while I was fussing with trying to get it to downshift ( after just having gone a bit too fast...) I had tested the brakes and was trying to get it to go again and could figure out the trans and was just sort of rolling... and there was Mr. Highway Patrol .... guess it's a good thing the dealer didn't have a manual for me to test drive ! : )

[stan618]

Originally Posted by hiz-n-herz

This is the same platform found in the G37 and Murano and FX Infinitis and other cars. They were able to shorten the length for the 370z, but they can't reduce the height and it's evident from inside. For the $$ this car is a steal and had I not bought an 07, I would buy this 370 hands-down, no question.

g37/FX/370z/M=nissan fm(front mi-ship, longitudinal engine behind front axle)rear wheel drive platform

altima, murano, maxima, quest=nissan D platform, front wheel drive transverse engine in front of front axle(not ideal weight distribution)

as far as height, a porsche caymen is 51.4" a 370z is 51.9 tall