Nismo vs. Sti
 

Kinda surprised at the outcome, most car rags arent very polite to the Z34.

Did I hear the guy right, he said 3.5 liter v6?

3.7 V6 RWD coupe vs 2.5L i4 AWD sedan - could not be more different platforms but they're sorta in same predicament - they're both kinda outdated

The Z34 is using the same VQ found in everything, with a dated chassis that is compromised by its dual-use in the G. Without the need for back seats I bet they coulda shrunk it down and shaved a couple hundred pounds, and then we're really cooking. But cost savings/parts sharing is where its at.

OTOH The STi is using the flawed 2.5L turbo thats around 10 years old and still has the same rod knock issue that it had when it came back. You basically need to budget in a rebuild if you're gonna mod it. The platform is also compromised by weight due to being a sedan and growing substantially from the GC8 over the generations.

Neither is really "bang for the buck" and you should be easily able to find good used versions of the same car for substantially less. I think you'd be an idiot to pay sticker on a new Z34 or Sti when you get save upwards of 10 grand for basically the same damn thing.

Factory turbo means you can add power cheaper on the Sti - to a point. With a full liter of displacement advantage the Z will always have more upside if you have the cash. And the chassis is better.

The driving experience - i got the Z because it isn't dependent on electronic AWD assistance and it would be a more raw experience. But if i wanted a second car lightly modded to bomb around in and handle wet conditions, i'd consider an STi.

random:

the STi trim adds way more to the base wrx than the nismo to the sport i think. Upgraded brakes, suspension, transmission, engine, wing. But the wrx might be a better value for certain intended uses. The Z always gonna be more limited b/c its coupe (although apparently some people want to turn it into a comfy DD SUV)

My brother recently purchased the new STi and the rod knock occurred after only 1,200 miles. Had the engine gutted and rebuilt.

Yeah Subaru has the FB20F (2.0 turbo in WRx) which is much newer than the STi engine.

Presumably that will yield the engine in the next generation STi

Seems like even less reason to buy the current Sti at new prices. It's about to be outdated. Buy a used one and rebuild the engine for durability, then go to town.

Z34's VQ37 is old but i don't see a Z35 on the horizon ($$$ reasons). They'd probably use the Q60 engine. It might lose a manual transmission, a deal breaker.

I have a SC Nismo 2012 and a 16 STI with a stage 3 Cobb

The Z is a blast to drive but on the track i feel more confident in the STI
I think this has to do in part with the STI being cheaper vs the amount of money i have spent on the Z

As a DD the STI wins hands down

All out fun in canyon it goes to the Z

said it twice ...

I paid $26k out the door for a brand new Z with 12 miles on the clock. I'd be an idiot to save $10k buying a used one full of headaches from the previous owner with no warranty.

And as for the VQ "found in everything"... Good! It's a proven design and a damn good engine. It also still competes well with current V8 models.

I'll buy new every time and deal with monthly payments rather than screw around with someone's old neglected beater with non-stop issues.

I'm buying a new Z... after years of owning used cars I didn't want to deal with other peoples problems anymore, especially in a car like this. Reason could be as simple as that for buying one new.

Wow those two are retarded. Neither of them know anything about either of these cars.
Did they get their info from cliffsnotes or something, so stupid.
CNET really needs to get it together or just stop reviewing cars if they can't get simple things like engine displacement correct.

Here's some valuable info:

Both test results are from Car and Driver

2016 WRX STI
Zero to 60 mph: 4.8 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 11.7 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 13.3 sec
Top speed: 159 mph



2015 (nothing changed for 2016) 370z Nismo
Zero to 60 mph: 4.6 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 11.3 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 13.1 sec
Top speed: 155 mph

These cars are pretty much the same performance wise.

The rest is all determined by how good of a driver you are and which driving style suits you.
Me, I like to tear it up carving corners and kicking the back end around while listening to that VQ exhaust blasting through straight pipes with the exhaust cracking with each up and downshift with RevMatch on.
I like the WRX's performace, but the 4 doors imply that passengers and or child seats are welcome in my car, and that's just a no go for me.

Thats really on you, i guess, for only looking at neglected beaters with non-stop issues.

Clean used versions are available, its up to the shopper to be patient and discerning.

Yeah it's really his fault that other people don't take care of their cars. People don't ever lie about condition when selling a used car. :rolleyes:

Thats what carfax and an inspection are for? Plus the warranty applies under $30k, so you can still go to your dealership

are you really trying to argue that buying new is better value than used? the only difference is effort, really

I mean, just look at the for sale section here and there are dozens of Z's available in various states of tune at various prices, and just a small snapshop of the market.

If you wanna be lazy and walk into the dealership and drive off, thats your money, its cool.

And back on topic, the STi is even more plentiful since the same drivetrain has been available since around 2004-ish The chassis hasn't changed that much. And you have a hatchback option too!

My point is the same, the used market for the Z and the STi offer a ton of options if you care to look there, you CAN come way ahead of paying for a new Z or Sti. Think about it, thats ******* $40k! Sorry if i'd like to get better value for my money, especially if a chunk of that $40K is going to a dealer.

Where did I say anything about value? Go back and re-read what I said. Some people simply are not hurting for money and want a brand new car, are you trying to argue they are wrong for wanting to buy new? Also Carfax and inspection are great tools for buying a used car but can't catch everything.
Not exactly sure why you are being combative and rude about this but the fact you imply people you don't even know are lazy for spending the money they earned shows how immature you are.