Sad, Happy, Not sure how to Feel- Goodbye Z
 

I had mentioned in another thread last week that my H2 has been giving me nothing but problems over the last year. Spent $650 last month on air suspension and it STILL wasn't fixed. 120,000+ miles and just really not enjoyable anymore. I decided to get a new car...and about 2 weeks ago had decided on the Mercedes GL450. As much as I would have loved to have that GL and keep my Z on the side (a little bit of that have your cake and eat it too syndrome....hehe) I realized that it just wasn't cost effective to do so.

So..to make a long story short, I traded in both my vehicles this weekend for the new 2011 Mercedes GL350 Blue Tec. I should probably mention, it seats 7! :) It is their new quiet diesel, gets dang near 26mpg and quiet as can be (I was worried when my husband first said diesel. He has a Chevy Turbo diesel and I would never want to drive something that sounds like his truck!!). Has all the bells and whistles, it's the nicest vehicle I've ever owned (to date..lol). Also, after enduring quite a few stares for driving the gas guzzling Hummer, it is nice to know I won't have to worry about that anymore with my semi "hybrid" MBZ. :) I feel bad for whoever gets it, as it does have the high frequency issue going on as well as the latch (but that has a TSB on it.) At least I didn't have to go in and fight with the dealer about the HF noise. (but that isn't why I traded it in, by any means.)

I am a true Z-enthusiast and trading my PG 370 in was something that I only did after much consideration. I have 2 small children (8,10) and 1 high schooler (14) at home still, and I know I WILL have another Z. My 370Z was my 4th one, and I know there will be others when the "time is right." As much as it pains me to say it, right now just isn't the time. (A year ago, I think I just got caught up in the new 370Z and my love of the Z tradition!)

I sobbed as I cleaned everything out of my Z getting it ready to go down for the trade. They made sure to move my vehicles so when it was time for me to pull away in the new Mercedes, I didn't even have to see them.

I took a slight bath on the Z, obviously trading it in. Only made 11 payments but wasn't upside down in it. H2 was free and clear, but still, you never really come out ahead trading in a car after only owning it for 11 months. :eek: In the end, it just came down to being more practical and having only one car was the way I needed to go, after the H2 broke down again last week.

I hope I am still welcome here, I enjoy reading even though I don't post much and eventually I look forward to another Z. I would love to get a 300Z like my old 93 and I can't help but wonder what is ahead with a possible..390...400Z? Maybe by then, the rest of my chickens will be out of the coop and it will be more practical for me.

I hate to say goodbye!

P.S. My personalized plates are already on order....Hmmm..Betcha can't guess what they are this time ;)

I am sad now. :crying:

The Mercedes is such a "mom" car, LOL. It is practical though and the right car for the moment, good luck with it.

Hopefully your Z days will be back soon.

Lurk on. :) Enjoy the new ride! Just never know when the opportunity to get back in a Z may arise. We well be here when it does. :tup:

wow congrats and good bye to TamZ. :icon14:

yes you are welcome here... not that i own it or anything. :icon17:

It IS such a Mom car....you don't have to tell me that LOL!! You are SO right... (Thus, the sobbing when I was cleaning out my car...) But..I really am..just a Mom :) My oldest daughter reminds me all the time that I need to stop "trying" to act cool, I'm old. Sigh.. :) (I don't really believe I'm old.)

I AM enjoying the EASE of getting in and out of the GL. :icon17: I have NEVER had a vehicle that is "easy" to get in or out of. It's always something Tall or Low. I've been hopping UP into cars and "falling" down into cars my whole life. This might be sort of nice. :)

The GL is way nice...it helps ease the pain. I am now looking to see what kinds of wheels I want to put on it. What a chore. The 20" stock ones aren't bad but I think I will change them soon.

I'll still be around here!

GL is a beautiful SUV, one of my favs. I'm sure you're loving all the luxury comforts it has to offer. Good luck in the future, I'm sure there will be a Z refresh in the future that will tempt you to dive back in :)

Hope to see you back in a Z soon! Good luck with the Benz. :tup:

For sure...I've looked at quite a few SUV's, was considering the Denali and this thing..it really is sort of luxury defined. My father in law has the S550 and it has pretty much all the same goodies!

Right now, I just sit INSIDE the car and can't believe it's really mine. (Sort of the same way I would stare at the OUTSIDE of the Z when walking up to it and not believing it was really mine..) It's quite luxurious. Has the TV's, etc. The kids are in heaven. It has 2 sunroofs..lol..Kids love that too.

thanks!

Awww, sad to see you sell the Z, but you will return. :D
What custom plate are you going to get now?

Edit: Just saw you edited your first post, TAM GL

Tams GL :) I am boring, but there seems to be a pattern. :)

Another ninja edit: I'm actually always shocked that I seem to be able to get all these license plates. Tams "whatever the current vehicle is". I always think they will be taken, yet with every car, I always luck out. Strange!

Nothing wrong with that.

TAMS WGN

:p

Traitor.

:P

Just don't run us over in the GL. :D

Cringe...I could never bring myself to call it a wagon..or a mini van. I always swore I'd have neither..lol.

Do you know, it took me a few days to even get on here and admit to you guys I sold the Z. LOL! I debated whether I should just go on and never say--nobody would have really known. LOL!

I feel a bit like a traitor, except I think my track record of owning 4 Z's (240, 280,300, 370..) shows that I really am a true enthusiast :) You know I love me some Zee's. :)

I feel so much lower than I did in the H2 actually--the GL doesn't SEEM very high. I'm not sure how it compares with the H2. I'll keep my eye out and make sure I don't run anyone over ;)

Interestingly, I NEVER really see too many Z's. Yesterday, a few days after selling mine, I see THREE Z's in the SAME parking lot. It made me sad. It will take awhile to not be always seeking them out on the road. :)

Seats 7? Is there family expansion in the works?

OH GOD NO...lol...

3 kids who have lots of friends. It seems as if I'm not only running my own kids to football, basketball and cheerleading..its all my kids AND all their friends.

No more kiddos for me!

Here's the new ride :

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l201/TamNChar/IMG_9929.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l201/TamNChar/IMG_9930.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l201/TamNChar/IMG_9931.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l201/TamNChar/IMG_9932.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Sweet ride. :tup:

It happens. There have been days when I have stared at a big truck or Suv or backseat and thought "I could really use that" No worries your still all Z to us

Yoooouuuu'll be back. :driving:

I have no doubt about that! I just keep wondering, Hmm....I wonder when! :)

nice lookin GL. What you should have done was just sell off the Hummer, keep the Z, and drive the RV around when you needed a larger car. That can fit way more than the 7 in the GL....

lol..I guess I could have done that ;) The turn around at the kid's school would have been a B%TCH tho. :icon17:

I am So a Z girl, still. Thanks! I hadn't really given a new car much thought until the H2 started acting up.

Now that I've traded it in, there is one thing I will admit now: that Z was a pain to get in and out of for my daily driver. LOL! (but would have never admitted it before, because it was worth it..lol)

:tup: Look'n good! Congrats!

Here's my little "goodbye" picture we took right before we left. My husband demanded that I let him include his old 60 Chevy (which I'm not really fond of myself.) This is my last picture of my Z and the Humma. :( Waa.

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l201/TamNChar/IMG_9890.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
P.S. We took the 20" wheels and tires off my Hummer and put the stock ones back on, so I have some great 20"KMC wheels and good tires for sale! LOL!

That is why my old lady has here SUV(family car), I have my 370Z plus a have a "huptie" for those days. All areas are covered. :tup:

No excuse to get rid of the Z unlesss I really want to.

I was lucky enough to have BOTH (SUV and a sports car) but my SUV died :icon14: I couldn't possibly justify the price of the GL while still keeping my Z.. my poor husband would have had a heart attack ;)

The BMW
 

You could of scored one of those X5s it would handle a little better and have so much more power. BMWs diesel makes 425lbs of torque.

Sucks you had to lose the Z, but that Mercedes is a pretty bitchin ride.

Thanks! We ordered my wheels and tires tonight. I will like it much better when I get those all done. :)

Your husband sounds like a prince. It was kind of you not to give him a heart attack. Of course anybody with Tam in their name has got to be alright.

I just did the opposite
 

A couple of weeks ago I lost patience with my 2010 Prius (loaded) that I bought in July 2009. I went to a local Nissan dealer to test drive the 370. I figured I would love the power, but hate it in some other way so I could rationalize keeping the Prius, which by now bored me to the point of asking my wife to drive me around.

I had owned a 240Z. Bought it new (serial number 11035). I loved that car! So 40 years later, I owed myself at least a test drive. Needless to say, it was love at first sight. I took delivery the same day (2 hours from test drive to leaving in the new Z).

I didn't do as badly on the trade as I had thought. I lost $7000 on the Prius (more than covered the amount due on the loan). I was lucky, Washington suspended sales tax for a while on cars getting 40+ mpg, so I didn't have to pay more than $3500 in sales tax. That helped the cost of trading.

We went in opposite directions. I hope you are as happy with your Benz as I am with my new toy.

Tams, don't worry. You'll be back to a Z or some other fun ride when your nest is empty. The Z wasn't even an option for me until my kids got their own cars (although I still have 2 cars - just nothing as substantial as the H2!).