Makes sense to me man. Lots of times we make decisions we think are right at the time but they turn out to be wrong after a while. Definitely better to change your mind about a car than it would be a marriage, that's for sure!

Amen to that. At least this is "just money" - it sucks, and I'm not happy about it, but it could certainly be worse.

I actually went from a 2009 370z, to a 2011 WRX hatchback. It was a great car, but in the end, I missed RWD and the feel of my Z.

Just to note, I had intake, DP and tune on the WRX and ran a 12.8 @ 106.5 mph. Pretty fun car and had enough room to move me from Massachusetts to Florida.

put some sound deadening in the trunk, and it sounds like you don't have the touring package? at 6'3 i'm extremely comfortable on long road trips.

Sound deadening won't do a thing for his other needs, though. Not to mention to be truly effective with deadening in a hatch-type vehicle you really need to do the entire hatch + cabin.

Yeah, even with a lot of deadener in the hatch, road noise is still fairly noticeable. If you did the whole car and got quieter tires, you could definitely make the car more liveable. It still wouldn't be quiet.

I guess no one told the OP that once you buy a z, you're not allowed to ever buy anything else. :rofl2:

Such is life here on the forum. :bowrofl:

And god forbid you come back and show off the replacement vehicle. No matter what you replace it with, some anus will tell you how its a complete pos and you should have kept the z. :rofl2:

Flash it with a tune before you leave the lot!! Not joking.

Crappy stock tune still breaking ringlands? Damn. You'd think they would have gotten that under control by now.

Running 14.5afr to 4500rpm under full boost since 3500rpm, what do you think? Haha.

Wow. That's really dumb.

i did a little bit of the hatch as well as the trunk with roofing material to sound deaden. i'm now able to use my bluetooth phone. well i was able to, before my exhaust mods.

just a little bit really quieted up the cabin. i hated hearing debris kicked up by the tires.

Correct, it's base/sport, which means no leather. My seats are crazy uncomfortable - I've actually had it to the dealer for an issue related the seat padding already, I'm still waiting on replacement parts.

To your other point, I've already installed some dynamat in the trunk, and did not notice a significant improvement in road noise. In fairness, I did most of the base of the trunk and "not" the fender wells (I ran out), so there's room for improvement.

As was mentioned, however, road noise is only one of my complaints.

I tried to encourage this to everyone I came across. It should be the first thing done for sure. The car drove so much better after the tune anyway.

Well, I had my appraisal done last night. I got a surprisingly reasonable deal:

They offered 28k on the trade, and I get roughly an additional $2200 in tax savings on the new vehicle. Add in the license credit, and a partial refund of my extended warranty, and I'm actually coming out slightly ahead on the deal.

Yup OP, you sound like a Imprezza WRX hatch guy all the way. With all your outdoor activities etc.

My wife also sounds like you in the sense that she thinks its better to have a nicer car all year instead of having my Z and then jumping into a 2000 Subaru Forester the rest of the time lol...which I kinda agree with, my heart breaks a little bit every time I could be driving the Z and I'm not. But I find with this car, sometimes a sacrifice is involved.

I love the Z as it gives me my selfish me time, away from my wife and 2 year old. So I guess I'm lucky to have it.

Definitely go for the WRX, you can have lots of fun with it, only downside on that car (to me) is that they are EVERYWHERE.

I would get some form of wagon if I had to go practical. A4 Wagon is looking pretty sweet these days.

Here in Tucson, I seem to see more Zs than WRXs. Plenty of Foresters and Outbacks, but not many WRX wagons.

Oh ya? Z's (370 Z's atleast) are like Unicorn's over here lol.

Might be also because here most guys drive Z's only for 8 months and its stored during winter. So not practical for most people.

Well good luck tracking down a WRX hatch/Wagon. not feeling the 2014's that are coming out so a 2012 or 13 should be perfect.

Was going to say, if your car has zero issues with only 5k miles, you can certainly (if you look enough) find someone to buy it for not much off a new car. This does mean you need to have no dog hair, debris, chips, etc in the car. You like the car, but it's just not for you, which is usually the story you *want* to hear from a seller. You just need to get away from the people who always read the car ads looking for good deals, and sell to a regular joe who is either looking for that particular car or whom you can convince in person to take it off your hands.

Did you jump on that offer from the dealer? Might be your best bet. Sooner the better so you depreciate even less.

GLWS and GL on the next ride. :) This lesson is a good lesson for your age and assumed financial status, and you'll probably not be out *too* much for the experience.

I believe for the effort involved and the total incentive available that the Subaru dealer is my best bet. I'm fairly satisfied with the offer, I'm glad they didn't lowball me too badly (I expected something around 23k). I've agreed to sign the papers today.

You're right, btw, this was valuable lesson. I learned a few things about myself in the last several months. A part of me will most likely always miss having the Z, but it's just not a good fit for every day.

You will miss the Z. I can guarantee that. Everytime Ive gotten away from a Z, Ive missed it.

You're right - I know I will. But I also know I'll appreciate having a more useful every day car. Somewhere down the road, when I've got more money and lots more free time, I'll probably end up with both a DD and a track car. I'm sure a Z will return to my life in the future :)

Make a vid doing donuts or something in the Z for memories. I mean your about to trade it in so...........

I had a 2010 wrx which is basically the same as the new ones except the cosmetic differences. I'm assuming you're getting the 2014 as the 15 won't hit lots until probably March or so. Anyway, I loved my wrx, the AWD, boost, etc... I traded for the z because of the cheapness and rattling of the subi. I saw you wanted a luxury car, but the subi is far from it. I had a limited model which had a "premium" stereo and crappy leather. Just thought I would let you know of the downfalls before you pull the trigger. The wrx is so practical though, and the boxer rumble is amazing. My subi was great, and despite a couple of flaws, it is an excellent car.

P.S. The sti is going to be released on the 14th, maybe try waiting for the new body style. If not, you'll probably be able to get a deal on a 14.

Here's the thread I made when I switched from my wrx.
http://www.the370z.com/introduction/...ner-wrx-z.html

I actually went ahead with the trade, I've had the WRX since last Thursday night. I'm extremely happy with the trade - I recognize what you're saying about the interior, and the lack of luxury, but those weren't deal breakers for me. You're right that I did originally want a luxury car, but after a great deal of internal debate (between myself and my fiancee), the features of the Subaru won out on priority.

I ended up with a 2014 base hatch - I had no desire for any of the premium/limited features (I actually prefer cloth upholstery in AZ, and I'm too tall to enjoy sunroofs). I really wanted a hatchback and they stopped making them for this year, so I took home one of the last ones they will likely make for a long time.

So far, I'm very happy with the choice. I have only a few very small complaints, but the list of Pros vs Cons is heavily weighted in my favor.

I love a happy ending!


... :wtf2:

Enjoy the WRX! :tup: