2009 370 vs 2002 vette
 

Wanted to share this with anyone who cares thought you would get a kick out of it. I was driving by a local used car lot today and a yellow 02 corvette caught my eye. iv'e owned vette's before but it's been awhile. so i thought what the heck i know the owner of the lot so i asked for a test drive. over all the car had been well taken car of with only 72,000 on it.and it was fully loaded....

well it didn't take long to realize i hadn't been missing much. it felt strange sitting behind the wheel. like wearing someone else's shoes. it was an auto
4 speed. first it will not come close to the 370's AT. the vette felt like you had to punch it hard to feel any power. where the 370 feels like it pulls through all 7 speeds. i'm not saying the 370 is faster but imho it does feel quicker going through the gears. the vette is 7 years older but the ride quality compared to the 370 sucks. i'm not going to ramble the vette is faster but it's a brute, and they do look damn good and the exhaust had a good sound. which made me appreciate how quite the 370 is until you punch her. when i got back into my car it felt like it fit like a glove. the lesson i learned was the grass is not always greener on the other side. and the 370z is a DAMN fine sports car for the money.

If it was a C6 ok, but an 02', doesn't even compare to the Z. :tup:

Comparing cars 7 years apart? What's next, comparing it to a model T?

:iagree: but I still enjoyed the comparison, OP :tup:

Go test drive any new 2012 base corvette and you will see the vette is a vey nice car, with a lot of power. I almost bought a 2012 base vette with a manual and a few performance options back in febuary. But upon picking it up the car detailers ruined the clear coat on the car, and I cancelled the deal. I stopped at a nissan dealer across the street and test drove my 2012 Z manual sport and loved the car, also saved almost $18k over the vette.

The other thing is that most vettes develope a lot of problems after 30k miles, that is why you will see tons of used vettes that are only a 2-4 yrs. old on dealer lots

Test drove a new 2011 LT3 Vette with their (not sure if term is correct) sports package with an automatic, before test driving a 2012 6mt 370Z.

My impression was the Vette is an impressive car. V8 sound is great, visibilty towards the rear is better than Z, straight line acceleration is stronger and the interior cabin with their 2 tone leather is better than the Vette bashers want you to believe. Plus this being a 2011, the dealer was willing to go below invoice.

Reasons I decided on the 370Z. 1) The Vette is large, the Z would drive in parking lots and the tight roads here better. 2) The Z's handling of turns felt sharper with better feel (caveat, I currently drive a G35 coupe, so maybe I'm comfortable with the Nissan feel). 3) Over crappy roads, the Z felt more sophisticated, not implying the Vette was harsh, for me the Z just felt better (even better than my G, but it is an 04). 4) Down shift rev matching with the manual on the 370Z is great, I'm not an expert driver so this is a wonderful feature for me. 5) $$ Even below invoice the Vette was still going to be $15k+ higher.

all comments make a lot of good points.. i have no doubt the c6 corvette is
in most areas a overall better car than the c5 vette...

just as the 370 is overall a better car then the 350.....

i guess the point i was trying to make is imho i'll take a 370 over a c5
any day....................

+1....... :iagree:

The only C5 Vettes I like are the Z06s. The standard ones don't do much for me, granted I think they can look pretty nice. Smooth lines.

Did you guys really say the 370z rides better than the C6? The 370's ride is terrible, my C6 was quieter and way better riding

i don't know about riding better that a c6. but iv'e owned both a c5 and know a
370 and imo 370 hands down rides better than a c5.

Personally never seen a 370Z broke down on the side of the road.


Wish I had a nickel for every time I've seen a Vette broke down on the side of the road.

:shakes head:

You haven't seen one broken down on the side of the road because they usually fail to start in a driveway or parking lot... :p :p :p

Also, how do you know the Vette driver did not stop to pull over and pee since he doesn't have much in the way of bladder control anymore... :p

qft

See edit. ;)

Damn it. I'd love to disagree, if I could.

Version D :tup:

I love my '76 vette. It has power windows too!;)

I love that body style. I actually hope to own one some day as a weekender.

Maybe a magnetic ride control vette rides better than a Z but the base suspension???? Hahahaaaa... yeaaaahhh right. Sell that dream somewhere else...

ride is subjective... remember that.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Nope, I've had my *** calibrated.

To a degree yes but...

Just traded in my 09 Z06 Vette for a 12 370Z. I have had 5 Vette's (90, 95, 98, 07 & 09), some to over 100K, and have never had any mechanical issues. Agree the 98 C5 was a little harsh compared to 370Z but new C6's, especially with selective ride control, are much better than C5. 370Z still has a more plush feel. 09 Z06 with 7 liter was a race car for the road. Significantly more power and cornering grip than 370Z but also costs twice as much so it should be. Reason I traded was to cut payment in half and 370Z was the only vehicle that I liked enough to get rid of my Z06. I do miss my Vette but I also really like the new 370Z. Visibility and storage space is lacking but I like everything else. Still breaking the new car in but but really enjoying the change.

I'm very tempted by a newer Z06 with the fancy suspension, but this is a $100k+ car, otherwise the Z wins over any lesser vette, easy.

Have nothing but praise for the Z06, except for cost of tires ($2k) and oil changes (10.5 qts). But you have to pay to play. Biggest issue was that Z06 really shines at high speeds and I live in a congested area. Found that I would be really frustrated after a drive because I could never even get into 6th. Probably same frustration with 370Z but so far still excited about playing with all the electronics so don't mind sitting in traffic. Really wish 370Z had oil temp gauge though. Have always used this to know when I could start getting onto the gas pedal.

Really wish 370Z had oil temp gauge though. Have always used this to know when I could start getting onto the gas pedal.

umm.. it does have an oil temp gauge

Hahahahaaa... this thread is officually worthless. :bowrofl:

What? My c6 can easily outpace my 370.

The Vette Grand Sport is worth looking at.

If its not a vette GS @ minimum with LT4 and you can't get it less than $52k? It ain't worth it. A new vettee from the factory is a waste of cash. Buy a used one from a geezer and you're good to go.:tup:

:shakes head: :shakes head:

Sorry. Just went for a drive. Because the oil temps went up so much quicker than my last vette, thought it was the water temp. Guess it's going to take me a while to get used to the new ride.

ftfy

thanks for the comparo, OP!

What kinds of common mechanical problems do the Vetts suffer from after 30K miles? I've heard this more than once on this forum, but no one gets specific.

+1........ :iagree: I also heard it is kind of like a BMW & the Benz in a way that it can be a hit, or a miss. Once someone has already put 30-50k miles on it & warranty is up, then they get rid of it b/c it is expensive & a pain in the butt to fix.

I had an engine wiring short at 12K or something.

Rebuilt transmission and rear end at 16K..

Wheel bearings at 18K?

19K i traded it in for my Prius

Ride Quality
 

I always look forward to driving my Z and one reason is the superb ride feel. I have hankook 255/295s.

They are the haters and people who have never owned a vette. Then there are the people who love buying these 'lemons'. Look at how many are out there :driving: