The 370Z doesn't baby.

dP3NGU1N

Sounds like the wife is the problem is all of this. Have you reconsidered trading her in?

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35% Hooper Optik | Takeda Attack CAI | F.I. HFC | Hotchkis Sway Bar | Stillen 24row | OS Giken Super Lock LSD | TK Shift Knob | EVO-R Carbon Diffuser

kenchan

im my case i would keep the 370Z and get the STI as dd... dat was the original plan back 6yrs ago.

didnt work out due to steering column issue on the STI, and my G is still around. im glad i didnt trade her in or sell her permaturely.

RicerX

I guess I'm totally blind to the idea of getting something $5k or so that could be considered reliable and more importantly safe. I drive around in the land of bro-dozers daily and I could get something older, but I do have to keep safety in mind. The Subaru ticks the boxes of modern safety plus performance, which is probably why my thought process took me down the road of dumping the Z for something more accommodating and dual purpose.

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RicerX

I got PTSD from dealing with a VW Jetta Wolfsburg Edition around 11 years ago and I'm still not over it. That car cost me more to fix than my payments plus insurance over my ownership term. Complete piece of garbage inside and out.

The only part on that car that didn't break was the check engine light. I damn near replaced everything else.

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RicerX

Sadly, you'd never know that by looking at it. Blandest looking performance-oriented car on the market (I know looks are subjective, but that's how I see it).

I have no doubt it performs well, but with how GM has carried themselves over the last couple of years, I just don't want to give them my money at all.

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kenchan

yah, i checked that car out too a while back and it's definitely not a good candidate as dd with kids. that rear seat and foot well is tiny.

i can say from experience 2 door coupes are a pain too. nice and great on a sunny day, but introduce rain and storms + picking up a toddler from daycare is the biggest wtf when you have to buckle him in with the door open.

talk about water on the door panels and switch trim, etc. i quickly promoted my G35C back to weekend car status and bought a new '12 honda fit sport 5MT. paid cash.

TN.Z

If you go for the Subaru, give the regular ole WRX a chance. I think that the new engine will be a better platform for DD, it is easily tune able and check the dynos and you will see that the power and torque are in a more street friendly area than the STI, also better MPG

RicerX

I thought pretty heavily about that. You lose the stronger transmission, center diff control, and brembos that you get on the STI though. I may very well not miss them between the STI and WRX when you compare those two, but I think I'd definitely miss them stepping down from my Z. I definitely don't plan on staying stock with either car, and I guess I'm not as concerned with fuel economy as going to an STI from a 370 is pretty much a wash. The idea of being capable of 30mpg is a pretty nice thought though.

I'd have to have several test drives with the two. The FA20DIT is a nice motor, but the EJ257 is a pretty tried and true motor itself. I'll have to study the other differences pretty heavily, I suppose.

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Fuzzzy

Concurrent congratulations and condolences!

You'll figure it out, and it will work out.

Happy hunting!

MagmaRed370z

RicerX, Let me know how you like the STI when you test drive. First impressions and plus and minuses compared to the Z.

Z-Girl 12

STI is an amazing dd...I'm seriously considering that as a dd in a few months if I keep the Z. For 40k sedan nothing really beats it right now.

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2012 Z-SOLD
2014 Nismo #565 Fast Intentions CBE/HFC/Swift/SPC/RJM/H&R-15/20mm/Z1 CAI/Headers/Intake Manifold w/Uprev Tune 328.31whp/263.64tq

Red__Zed

They're big, but a surprisingly fun car to drive, especially with the mag-ride.

They look a lot like a Malibu - which is good or bad depending on what you are going for.

RicerX

I'll go ahead and post my mini review here.

What I drove: 2015 Subaru WRX STI Limited in HOLY CRAP IT'S BLINDINGLY RED (I don't know what their red is called, but it's super red.)

Initial impression at dealership upon startup: "I can see things around me!" "I'm sitting high."

The one I drove had everything in it. The keyfob (the equivalent to intelligent key for us to facilitate push button start and stuff) is the size of a brick. Probably the most disappointing part about the car is the fact that I would want a pair of cargo pants to carry around the key. I used to complain about having two Nissan key fobs on my ring... but now I know better.

Anyway - it's relatively quiet compared to the Z. There are really cool storage compartments and usable cupholders in the center. The infotainment clobbers the Z with navi, but that's not hard as it's 7 years newer in design, and I don't discredit the Z for that. Didn't get any time in with the Harmon Kardon audio, but the Nav was snappy and touch screen was pretty responsive. There's a bit more room for the driver as well, and the seat was adjusted a bit high in height and I didn't play with it.

Visibility is nicer than the Z simply because you're in a sedan and not a sports coupe. The biggest surprise was that the giant rear wing was not intrusive to rear visibility for me. There's a bump in the crossbar of the wing that basically keeps it slightly above the horizon line you see in the rear, and it's clear they engineered that so it wouldn't be intrusive.

Now the fun part - driving.

Steering is lighter than the Z. I found it to be the perfect blend of "connected" in feel, yet not too heavy. The wheel itself is very nice. Looks great and feels good. The suspension setup is pretty freakin awesome. The car is pretty well planted, has tons of grip, doesn't beat you around too much, but you know you're in the "nismo version" of the WRX. Took a couple onramps/offramps with it and there's a minimal amount of body roll in the corners. I expected to feel a bit with a car that is relatively taller than my Z, but not so much. I imagine I would grind some out on the track, but as it sat, it was a tighter car than my Z with my HKS Hipermax IV GT coilovers on it. (I don't like my coilovers for performance - but that's another thread).

Low end torque is nice, but the car is nothing like the Z past 5000 RPMs, and the Z is nothing like the STI below 4000 RPMs. It stops making power around 6k yet redlines around 7k. I have experienced how easily this is fixed via Cobb with a Stage 1+ tune (cobb intake plus their OTS map - makes the car completely different) and it doesn't deter me. I think many Z guys would jump into an STI if it was a Cobb Stage 1+ straight out of the factory - it's that much improved. However, from the factory, the power band leaves a little to be desired coming from a Z. If you want to keep the car bone stock, you might be disappointed, and you'll really appreciate just how good the VQ37 is at delivering power, and you'll appreciate a good NA car versus a good boosted car.

The location of the shifter is fantastic - I found the lever to be the perfect height and in the perfect location for my seating position, yet I experienced a bit of the slop in the factory shifter bushings the car is known for. The action of the shifter can be rectified with aftermarket parts (yep - Cobb), but stock for stock, the Z's shifter is far superior to the STI in every single way.

Clutch - a bit different story. The STI was easier to clutch and the clutch is probably less aggressive than the Z's setup. I really can't say which I prefer over the other and honestly need more time with the STI to make a decision. I can say there is significantly less travel in the clutch of the Subaru, which is cool, but you don't get the same feel for engagement that you do with the Z. At the same time, you don't get as much of a window for sloppy engagement with less travel. Maybe this is a case of apples and oranges.

Braking - the STI is equipped with Brembos like the Z is with Akebonos with the Sport Package (my car). On the street - I will take the Z all day. The Akebonos have significantly more bite - this STI had 250 miles on it, and my 23,000 mile-old pads and rotors (all stock with stock fluids) walked all over this car. I found the STI to have too much pedal travel before the brakes actually grabbed, so I researched it, and I drove my buddy's 2011 STI and found the exact same problem even with SS lines, carbotech pads, and motul RBF600 fluids. Apparently there is flex where the BMC mounts on the car, and Perrin makes a part to stiffen it, and subsequently reducing the extra "slop" in the brake pedal. This mod is essential coming from my Z, and the one area where I was almost irritated about the car. I didn't feel confident in the braking during the test drive at any point. If you have only ever driven one of the Subarus, you wouldn't know the difference.
It's not a matter of weight, because, surprisingly, there is a negligible difference in weight between the two cars if memory serves me correctly.

Despite some of the things I nitpicked up there, I found it to be a fantastic car overall. The interior is much improved over the previous generation. Visibility is great. The trunk has pretty decent room (doesn't have the hump in the rear that the outgoing gen has). Styling looks better in person than in pictures, especially on a dark blue or dark gray color. AWD is freakin awesome, and is definitely an upgrade from a Z for the winter months - I would be confident in this car during inclement weather conditions in a way that I'm not in the Z. It's a more well rounded car that offers similar performance to a Z. There are plenty of things the Z does better, but the tuning platform to the STI is a bit more cost effective (it's factory boosted and has great adoption in the aftermarket) and you can have a 400whp base STI for the price of a new Nismo Z fairly easily.

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Chuck33079

If you buy the STi, get a tune IMMEDIATELY. The factory tune on the EJ257 has a lean spot on spoolup and those motors lose ringlands very often.

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TerribleONE

Tried and true with ringland failure right?



I love STI's so I am not trying to hate, but almost EVERYONE I know who has one (stock, and modded) is on engine # 2 or 3. Subaru does seem to be pretty good about picking up the warranty claims but still would make me nervous to buy one since there is no way I could leave it stock.

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