135i or 370z

DooDooBrown

Posting this here would give you a bit of bias results, wouldn't you say?

Sardis

This comparison is dumb dumb dumb dumb

The 1 competes with the G really. Yes the 1 was supposed to be a more focused sports car, like the older 3 series were, but in actuality there is very little difference

If you can't tell the differences between a Z and 1 in terms of where each model is more focused on a simple test drive, you are going to be lost in stats and magazine reviews forever.

The Z is much more alive in terms of how the car feels. Everything in the 1 is smooth, where the Z is still much more rugged.

If you prefer the more raw sports car feel you buy the Z. If you want refinement from the engine to the cabin, you buy the Bimmer.


It is rumored there will be a much more focused 1 coming out with an M variant that will focus on light weight nimble sports car driving dynamics. Let's wait for that to compare the two.

This is like the Z vs EVO debate. It's so fing easy to tell the difference between these cars and it all comes down to what you prefer.

Until there is another 30k very focused two door sport coupe on the market, the Z is pretty much unrivaled. Sorry, the Genesis doesn't count.

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"Because in a split second, it's gone." - Ayrton Senna

Emac

Alas, I'm on this fence as well. My lease on my TSX is up soon and I'm looking at these two cars.

Had two Z's before (300zx and 350 - for too short of a time unforunately). Love the Z and definitely would like to go back, but also wouldn't mind trying something different. I've test-driven both cars once.

I like the idea of the 1. Cars have become so bloated. 3 series are the size of old 5 series. But as people pointed out, the 1 is still a heavy car. Really like the torque it has and it is definitely more comfortable than Z, less claustrophobic (I'm used to the TSX by now). And BMW's have a certain road feel, they're wonderful to drive.

However, the Z is definitely a sports car and it was a blast to drive too. That cockpit is great, and the car will likely prove more reliable (the fuel pump issue on the 135 concerns me). And where I live in LA, 370'z are less common so far than 135's (that may change).

I just wish both cars had a back-up camera. I think I'd enjoy both just as much for different reasons. Another test drive of each is need. It may come down to the deals I can get. If it's a 135, I'll likely lease, a Z would most certainly be a purchase.

Brandon26pdx

I was excited about the 135i leading up to it's debut. I thought for sure I would do what it took to get one, but now I'm glad I didn't go that way. Seems like the kind of car you'd be pretty bored with after a year, and the styling just never sold me...definitely not a stronger point of that car. M3 coupe is the only current offering from BMW I'd bother with (if I could afford one)

With the 370Z you would get a more exciting looking and handling car, but not a more comfortable or practical one. 135i is clearly a compromise between performance and practicality and is not an all-out performance car like a 370Z, Cayman or Vette.

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08 350Z-6spd-Magnetic Black

JoeD

You're a white kid from the suburbs. STFU.

JoeD

Doubtful. A grown man wouldn't have thrown a bitch-fit like you just did. You have a WU-TANG avatar, for chrissakes.

BTW, this one...

...made me LOL.

Go internet!

mrmixitup

I drove a 135i Coupe 6spd for about two weeks before I settled on my 370Z.

It's really a personal preference. The 135i is only barely quicker than a 370Z (I had a friend with a 370Z race me), but much slower when the turns come up.

The interior of the 135i is subpar, even for a BMW. It's bland and gets old quick. I'm still enjoying my 370Z interior.

If you plan on modding the 135i, the turbo, manifold and everything is all welded together in one piece. Really the only mods worth doing is a JuiceBox 3 ECU mod and FMIC. Anything else will cost you your warranty since BMW dealerships hate that.

I'm very happy I purchased my 370Z instead. It's really, really hard to find a 135i coupe with a manual and the options you want. They option up to $45,000, which makes them far overpriced in my opinion. It's a good deal at $35k, but any more money makes it overpriced. Hell, the 335i starts at $41k.

I paid just over $31k for my 370Z with sport package.

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2009 370Z Sport/6M

mrmixitup

The engines are fine. The Brembo calipers (yes, the actual calipers, not the rotors) are prone to crack in several places after just one hard track session.

If you do anything to the engine plan on losing the free maintenance service from BMW.

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2009 370Z Sport/6M

mdbrich

1

holen1ne

I have the same problem. For me, the comparison goes like this

370Z
Pros
Sports car look and feel
Price
More cheaply modified in every way.
Cons
2 seater
Not a BMW (I know this is stupid, but I just have a place in my heart for german engineering)

BMW
Pros
4 seats
Comfort
Driving (just felt more in tune shifting this car over the Z)
maintenance
Cons
Price (at that price I think it should perform like the m1 not an STI, EVO, and Z)
Its kinda fugly unless you go with the M1 (which you can't get)

11Thumper

Wow, almost two years to the date. Can't say I've never done that before though. lol

gurneyeagle

You have to ask this question first - can I really live with just two seats?

That answer, more than any other, will determine your choice. It doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but it is.

I've been out of school 30 years now, and have gone full circle car-wise. The wife and I went through a string of RX-7's and other sporty coupes just prior to little gurney arriving. That's when life as we knew it stopped.

SUV's, an Odyssey (probably one of he best vehicles I've ever owned - the shame), and four door cars ruled the day. Eventually a crack in the heavens opened, and two door coupes were acceptable and somewhat practical - Acura CL Type S and G37S.

Now that the little fella is away at college, and the wife is happy with her MDX, I pulled the trigger on my Z. I can't describe how the memories of my RX-7's are flashing back.

Point to this fillibuster is knowing what you need along with what you want. One may trump the other, but eventually it all comes back to the same place. It's the "circle of life".

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Waiting on the Z35! SOLD - 2011 Gun Metallic Touring 7AT w Sports Pkg & Nav, Nismo Bumper and Rims, RC Grille, RC Brake Ducts, H&R Spacers, Painted Door Hdls, GTR Start Button, Nav By-Pass, EVO R Fog Light, CF Ducktail, CF Interior Trim

2011 Nismo#91

PapoZalsa

^

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2009 370Z MB Base w/Sport Package 6MT
Modshack's Custom Air Intakes /3M Clear Bra/ Illuminated Kick Plates / F. I CBE w/12" resonators / EVO-R Front Lip / Rear Hatch Wing / Tein S-Tech Springs /Ilegal Tint in the Rep. of VA/4x20mm Z1 Spacers/ Vinyl Roof/Liquid Carbon Designs

Zaggeron

Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

poster opens old thread -- responders laugh and make joke posts

poster opens new thread on same subject as old thread: responders admonish poster for not using the search function and the end of the world gets just a little bit closer ...

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2010 Platinum Graphite 370z Roadster:Touring/Sport
2013 Subaru BRZ Limited