I just had my first test drive in a 370Z

Tazicon

I have never met one Z owner with the 7at that wished they went the other way.

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Porsche, it's a 2 syllable word

shadoquad

Talk to b1adesofcha0s.

I know a few others as well.

I'm not saying Auto is worse. I'm saying that people have differing opinions. I can accept yours.

Again, I'm trying to avoid a debate here. I don't want this thread devolving into another of the countless and futile arguments about which transmission is better.

I just think that prospective owners should test drive both and decide for themselves. Is that something you would seriously argue against?

A-Train

True dat. I've got a base model 7AT 2011. Test drove a manual, and coming from the silky smooth manual on my Bimmer, the Nissan wasn't nearly as good. The automatic, however, is way quicker off the line and with the paddle shifters I can still enjoy the thrill of shifting through the twisties. The two things that I will never regret are going with the automatic and the Solid Red A54 color. I get around five compliments a day when I drive my car. It makes Dudes jelly and chicks wet.

One caveat, though. If you're looking for a quiet car with uber luxury features and soft steering and practicality, then steer clear of the Z. Buy a Toyota Camry or Lexus instead.

OldGuy

I bought my '09 base new 2.5 years ago and love it. Reduced the cabin noise by repolacing stock tires with Continental Extreme Pro DWS. My 7 sp auto tranny is great and I'm pleased I got it. Get a ClearBra. Value in these cars will depreciate a good bit.
Nissan dealership service has been excellent for me---I've owned several. Haven't really needed it with the Z, as my car has been trouble free in three years. Many are.
Test drive the car a bit more before you decide.

SailFree

Howdy! Lizbet Salander might like the Z, but she'd probably add a supercharger and other go-fast stuff.

Seriously:

1) I have 2012 Sport/Touring 7AT and find it perfect for my driving, commuting to work in city traffic, and yet can switch to manual mode if I feel like it on occasion.
2) Performance on the OE tires on dry and wet roads is fine--haven't yet run into snow, and won't see much here in Virginia. If I lived in Sweden, I'd go for a set of snow tires.
3) Tires are relatively expensive compared to passenger car tires.
4) My prior auto was an Infiniti, relatively quiet, and the road noise was briefly annoying, but I've grown used to it and it hasn't made my ears ring any worse than they always do. Too many howitzers in Vietnam.
5) Bluetooth works well 90% of the time, but wife says occasional problem. I don't know why. No streaming audio feature, but I doubt I would ever use it anyway.
6) Essentially same engine in my Infiniti, though earlier version and less horsepower, but it ran perfectly with no maintenance for 8 years--and then I had to replace a throttle motor. $400 American.
7) Infinitis (basically same manufacturer, engine, etc.) have a good rep for low maintenance and good trade-in value. The 370Z seems less so, but whether due to the car or the drivers or the use is not clear to me.
8) I had a friend with the roadster, and it actually seemed LESS noisy to me, perhaps because the coupe directs the noise from the rear tires right into the driver's seat.
9) I suppose if I had plenty of money lying around, I might have gotten the GT-R, but then I would expect the maintenance to be a lot more expensive, not to mention the sadness of having no roads upon which to get anywhere near full potential. The Z acceleration, top speed, and handling are very good and to a greater degree usable compared to the GT-R. Wish I lived where there's an Autobahn or Autostrada. Though I think they set limits in Italy a while back, since I drove there. On good tires and a good surface, the Z will come very close to a 1G lateral acceleration, not significantly worse than the GT-R. Now if they just made an AWD Z!
10) Irrelevant to this, but have a friend who owns a GT-R--as well as a Lamborghini Gallardo and several other megabuck cars--and he prefers the GT-R to all the other much more expensive vehicles. Nissan and the auto/computer wizards have created an amazing vehicle for the price.