Test drive experiences today

dP3NGU1N

Spent the whole day test driving cars. Here are the verdicts.

Evo X: Dealer didn't let me drive so.... screw them.

Mustang 5.0: I was SOO surprised by how much I liked this car. Everything felt well put together. Of all the muscle cars I tested today this one beat them all from its smooth transmission to the power output through a 5.0L v8. Also one of the best and friendliest sales person I met today at Cerritos Auto. If I was ever going to buy a Ford, I would go with him first. Still not as grounded as I would have liked but it was much better than I thought it would be.

Camaro: Stuck with an automatic because they didn't have a v8 manual around. Interior felt huge, not exactly what I was looking for with a sports coupe. That being said all the American cars were rather huge for my tastes. Final thoughts on the Camaro was that it felt a bit like a boat. Suspension wasn't exactly soft but there was definitely disconnect with the road.

Challenger: Interesting shifter on this one. That's about it, everything else was pretty standard. What I couldn't get over was how terrible the ergonomics of this car was. This is the first manual car I've driven without a hand brake (It has the kick brake with the handle release on the bottom left from the steering wheel). The door handle position is also awkward (next to your left knee in the driving position). There were a couple of other small things that bothered me like why a 5.7L v8 was pushing out 300+ horsepower and change (This was according to the sales person and I haven't done any research on this car prior - I might look it up in a bit and find that I was completely wrong). I really wanted to like this car more than I did but just walked away with a bad taste in my mouth.

370Z: Still planning on getting this car. After spending the day with huge muscle cars I found the nimble Z to be incredibly refreshing. What I couldn't get over since my first test drive was that I've driven manual cars before and my test drive all day up to this point had been incredibly smooth, however, getting into the Z made me feel like a complete first timer again. The transmission in the 370 apparently doesn't work like a standard transmission. To transition smoothly from 1st to 2nd requires you to NOT gas in on clutch out (N to 1st is traditional clutch - gas in - feather clutch out) so essentially both feet are off the pedals. After this revelation from the salesrep I took the car out a second time and shifts were butter smooth. Maybe I just didn't know how to properly drive a standard transmission until now!

Still don't have any dealers with an FR-S and I don't know if it was just that Mitsu dealer that was stuck up or if they're all like that but I don't think I'll ever consider a Mitsu again.

280z/300zx

Try a different dealership for the Evo. The one I went to practically threw me the keys. Then again we did pull up in our C6 Vette so the probably didn't think cost was going to be an issue. Definitely a fun and fast car. Handles crazy good. Sticks really well. The seats are amazing. You just have to get past the rest of the crappy interior and the fact that it really needs a 6th gear for cruising.

Haven't driven the new Mustang or Challenger yet but we do own a Camaro 6-speed 2SS (my girlfriends car). Initally yes it does feel large and disconnected (actually the large feeling never goes away) but once you get used to it and trust the car it corners really well. It's not as nimble as the Z but it will still take a corner rather well. In auto-x the camaro's usually only come in 1-2 secs behind the Z.

UNKNOWN_370

On the EVO, they didn't let me test drive the new ones either, but they had a used 2010; they let me test drive. I like the seating position and ergonomics of the Z better. But the EVO is fkin nutz to drive. Its fun as hell. It truly was my biggest toss up on the Z. Not even the 135 and cayman were as much fun.

The Evo is shytty on the interior and mediocre on the exterior, NVH, is more noticeable in that car and suspension is rougher... but you will have a lot of fun in that car. Get the test drive... asap.

Ackrite

The Z trans does feel different than any other manual trans I've driven and the majority of cars I've driven have been stick. The only thing that I can compare it to is a Mendeola in a V8 sand-rail, feels and sounds almost identical.

edub370

Ya mitsu dealers and notrious for not letting people drive evos. which is just as well becuase it took me all of 5 sec of sitting in the evo (and 1 barf bag later) to decide i could NEVER live with that cheap of a quality of interior. unnacceptably cheap IMHO.

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dP3NGU1N

Whats interesting to me is that everyone complains about difficulty in the z to get it smoothly from 1st to 2nd. I had a hard time as well initially but it seems that if you simply let off the clutch gently without any throttle input then the shift from 1st to 2nd (as well as any subsequent gears) is completely smooth. I suggest everyone try it.

PapoZalsa

I never had a problem with the shifting of the 370, maybe because I was coming from a 350 and was used to it. :dunno:

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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

kenchan

search 'clutch helper spring.'

DarkJak

Sorry to hear they wouldn't let you test drive an Evo, but at least they had one. The Mitsu dealerships here don't even have Evos on the lot and I bet if they ever do, they'd never let anyone get behind the wheel.

Cool write-up. I wasn't aware that the Challenger has a foot parking brake.

kenchan

foot parking brake = lol

WAGAWAGA

I actually gas it a lil before letting go of the clutch. If u just clutch out takes too long.

kenchan

yah, you need to apply slight throttle before engaging the clutch... just like any MT car.

dP3NGU1N

That's just the thing. The sales person told me not to apply ANY throttle when I released the clutch when shifting into 2nd gear. This actually smoothed out the transition from 1st to 2nd. Now this is just my experience from a short test drive so it's a very preliminary opinion but when I was applying throttle like a "normal" manual car (the way I was driving the muscle cars all day) I couldn't get the car to shift smoothly.

Once again, not trying to sound like a know-it-all just telling you how it was for me and that's it.

andre12031948

How old are you? When are you planning to buy a car? Just curious....

kenchan

maybe you were applying too much trottle and the guy was telling you to lay off.

anyway, i need to apply slight throttle (just placing my foot gently on the throttle pedal is enough to keep the flywheels' momentum) otherwise the car will buck forward like all the other MT's ive driven. there's nothing special other than SRM.