i still think the op should get the 2013 honda accord sedan in that 6MT sport trim. $25K or something new. looks good, sporty driving (per reviews), can handle people and some cargo. great for someone that's on a budget with only one car.

im sure swift will be releasing springs for it, get some 19's on there down the road, should look :tup: 370Z's are great for someone that already has another car or two, and some extra mula to spare. hardly a budget car even though it is sold that way... sort of.

We are not trying to scare him, just give him the heads up..

I grew up on rear wheel drive, no computer controlled , High Horse Power cars...

We just don't know his skills and want to let him know what to expect...Big difference with VDC on...The "nanny" does the driving for you..

Oh and this is what I have driven for 30 years...No computer and plenty of Posi drifts..

If you've got some time and not pressed to have a car very, very soon, then by all means take your time. Other than a house, a car is probably most people's biggest single purchase in their lives. And unlike the house, you can pretty much not expect to make any money back off of it.

I highly recommend looking up youtube vids of all three cars. Owners who talk about them are useful (probably more brz vids in that vein than z), but also car reviews and comparisons. This can let you see what the cars usually are compared against for other options.

If you can wait a bit, you might be happier with a brz/frs in convertible form, or with some upgraded power; even just 20-40hp should be a sweet spot. The convertible should age better and not look quite as readily like a kid's car (basically how I see every Civic or WRX these days...it makes me sad).

Also, be sure to ask questions of yourself like others have mentioned. Is this your daily driver? Do you need cargo space? Will you be driving it in the winter? Do you do stupid things while driving, or do your stupid things only very cautiously?

Welcome to the forums, btw. There really is no better Z resource on the web than browsing around the threads here. Take a few days to cruise around the stickies and such.

Never mind, you can delete this post.

Stick with a sedan. The A4 is nice but its a very bland design compared to the past. If you want an A5 wait and get one later. Do not buy the Z if you think the A4 is great car. Its pedestrian at best with a 2.0 Motor. The S4 is a better car but in a different league. The A4 is a boat.

Im an Audi guy and that is the worst car they make in terms of looks and I had one here in Germany. Nice solid very very boring car. The new S3 sedan will crucify it. Dont waste your money on a Z if you find the A4 that good. Buy it and hit up Audizine for all your needs.

:iagree:

Yeah, it's great. Other than that whole FWD thing.

I have Driven 2 of them
 

Alright I am going through the same issues. Only my three cars I am considering are the BRZ, 370z, and an E46 M3. Here's what i have learned about these cars from driving each.

M3 (like your A4)-Great engine and great fun. Has a good v6, though i think the 370's v6 is better. Has more luxary, but difficult to find a clean one. The downside of this car and your Audi will be the astronomical maintenance costs.

BRZ-This car is fun out of the box and can be tossed around corners. Severely under powered in my opinion, and where I am from there are not enough twisty roads to drive on to compensate for the lack of power on the straight roads.

370z-Wonderful engine and good cabin. I like the way the 370 looks and i like how much there is to do to the outside to make it my own. Not as great around corners as the BRZ, but still a great fun ride with a better engine.

Good luck man

:iagree:

Nope.

:iagree:

the g35 is the z.... so buy the z if you love the infiniti

Yep.

AutoSpeed - The BMW Six Cylinder Guide

..:: M3Addict.com :: e46 BMW M3 ::.. | M3Addict.com

Double check your engine layout.

You're right. I was thinking he was referring to it being 6 cylinders, didn't catch the V. :shakes head:

Thank you again guys for your time and input! I honestly appreciate each and every comment and review. I am going on vacation for a week and planned two stops that have a 370 and a BRZ/FR-S that I plan to test drive. If this thread is still alive when I get back next week I will gladly give my reviews and update you guys on which car is leading the race :)

As much as I love the S5 I am way happier that I bought the Z. Audi out of warranty is a nightmare. Probably worse than bimmer or even a Porsche according to some people I have talked to.

Brz might handle but has track numbers losing to a toyota camery. A WRX is on par with a 370z but can be loaded to kill almost anything due to the turbo. Get what you want with future plans in mind.

If you're buying a Subaru to mod, start with the 6 speed. Your wallet will thank you.

If you like the A4 but want two doors, why not an A5? Though I think the 370Z Touring has plenty of luxury, it isn't very quiet, and the ride is a sports car (not quite as sharp as I'm used to, but more than most).

OTOH, buying a used luxury (or sports car) like an Audi or Porsche doesn't reduce running costs, so make sure you are prepared or have plans (local mechanic versus dealer, extended warranty, savings, etc) for when you need expensive maintenance or repairs.

I got an extended warranty thrown in with my one year old 370Z because the engine technology was so new and high tech for Nissan, I didn't want any expense repairs catching me by surprise. Fortunately I seem to have one of the very well built engines.

Check my sig (now). The 09+'s have upgraded gears. The only way you will hurt a 5 speed now (which a friend did around VIR I believe and its always 3rd to lose teeth) is with a much larger turbo pushing close to 500awtq. Yes the 6 speed can handle about 600awtq but getting to 450awtq isn't easy or cheap! Plus the WRX is lighter, faster 0-60 and 1/4, and better for DD with the 5 speed ratio. With the 10k price difference a STI will never touch the WRX now a days in terms of cash. Both are equal in power and upgrading brakes, sways etc to aftermarket will kill the STI and make him upgrade too. In the end its still a 10k difference.

my bad... lol inline:confused:

M3 has a V6? And the Nissan 6-cyl, with all the vibration, is better? :icon14:

FYI if it wasn't said. Top Gear lap time, 370z 1:27.3, BRZ 1:31.3.

I drove many cars in 2010/2011 before getting my girl. One of those cars was an S5. Different from an A4 I know, but better IMO. I still went with the Z and no regrets. Love her as much today as day 1. One thing about the Z...it comes with 44 years of family. If you all you care about is a car, get any of them...if you care about community, get the Z. BR-Z/FRS/86 folks are building a nice community too...my boy 03Z33 on her has a nice BR-Z and has had a 370z so maybe talk to him. That car would be my 2nd choice out of all of these. Good luck.

Get a G37

Hey guys I know this is going to be long but thought I would give you an update after my test drives and let you know what car I picked.

The A5 and A4 are very nice! The reason I like them so much are the looks of the front/grill and headlights along with the running lights. Just looks spectacular from the front. I was turned off by the price of the A5 and the dealership and I were too far apart to make a deal even if I wanted the car. The A4 is nice but I'm looking for a 2 door while I'm still young and the front of the car is about the only thing that really turns me on about it. After driving all three it has a good amount of acceleration and enough horses to put you in the back of your seat but not as much as the others. It became a regular car to me over time and after hearing about how only Audi works on Audi cars and the "Audi Tax" it was pointless for me to buy an expensive car and pay ridiculous amounts for up keep to only like the front/grill and not get anything performance wise that the other two didn't offer. Final decision....Audi was not my car.

Next the BRZ. I finally found a dealership that had a couple in stock and went and gave them a look. First thing I noticed is that it looks even better in person as it does in pictures. I really liked the looks of the car. Next, the inside was extremely small. One thing I really like about the car was that it had four seats for a 'just in case I needed extra room I had it'. Wellllll no. They might as well not even have the back seats. I'm not kidding when I say this but the driver's/passengers seats was literally pressed against the back seats. If someone else tried to ride in the back they would have to lay down in the back seats. The test drive went well. I know what every one means now by the great handling. I have about the same review as everyone has had, it handles great and hugs the road like a champ but there is a noticeable lack of power especially on the top end. This may be far off but I felt the A4 had just as much power. After all was said and done (the price is nice, handles well, lacks power, no way more than two people can ride in the car, looks great) I felt as if I was closer to finding my car but this still wasn't it. Final decision....While close, BRZ is not my car.

Finally the 370. My first test drive I was in a '13 base SR 7AT one the dealer put me in. It looked extremely good and definitely felt great sitting in it. The test drive went well. I enjoyed the paddle shifters and the car felt great. I instantly started to fall in love. In my opinion the car handled great and had amazing power. Just felt right. The inside felt better than the BRZ. No pointless back seats and trim and looks were better than the BRZ. I showed my interest and the dealer showed me a touring sport model. Guys...this thing was amazing. The rims, the spoiler, the leather heated seats, the screen for navigation...I was sold. Only problem was that it wasn't close to my price range. Well I went home and searched autotrader, cars, etc. and finally came across an '11 SR T+S for a great deal and jumped all over it. Final decision...370 is my car!!!!! I'm in love with my Z. I know I said I didn't like the looks as much but man has my opinion changed. I think this is by far the most beautiful car there is and so glad I did my research cause this car fits me great.

Anyways, thank you guys for welcoming me and I think I have found a new home! I have been lurking on threads for days now and really enjoy my time here. See everyone around :)

congrats, trollride! :tup:

Grats and welcome! Glad you found what you wanted after some careful consideration, and look forward to having you around here! Thanks for the detailed update, too! :)

Congrats & Welcome to the club! By the way......we all knew you were going to get the Z :icon17:

Congrats on the new car and decision making :) Enjoy your Z

Congrats! Thanks for the update and for doing some research before deciding on the Z.

:worship:

and...


:worthless:

Thanks everybody and don't worry, I'm taking pics this coming weekend and will post them! While relatively standard I'm dying to show this bad boy off :)

so is this a MT or AT you bought?

he said he liked the paddle shifters so I assume the 7AT

Sorry, just updated the info under my name. It is a 7AT. I know some frown upon the 7AT, but I love mine. It fits me better. I like to just cruise but then if I want to turn it up I can put it in bump shift mode, use the paddle shifters, and go at it. :happydance:

Nice choice. Good luck with it.

BTW what are some quick must knows about the Z. After searching, the top things I see are fuel starvation (I'll try not to let my gas get below 4-5 dots) and the steering lock thing. I admitted in my OP that, while I am learning, I don't know a whole lot about cars so I'm just hoping that since it is an '11 the previous owner took advantage of the recall.

Some must know things

Change your headunit and speakers ASAP
Ride the piss out of the stock tires and buy Michelin pilot super sports or Bridgestone re11.
Get some swift springs
Also get a clear bra to protect the crappy paint
Stock exhaust is embarrassingly quiet , get a aftermarket cbe for a better sports car feel
Good choice on the auto! Congrats