S2000 for 370Z ... opinions?
 

I am most likely trading in my 2007 S2000 for a 2012 370Z with sport package ... just waiting for the car to arrive at the dealer.

I am just a little apprehensive about letting go of my S2000 so I'm interested in an honest comparison of the two cars from anyone that's owned both. Pluses, minuses, any regrets (LOL)?

I know the obvious HP/speed difference. How is the handing and fun to drive factor in comparison? Test drove the Z twice but no real twisty roads to wring it out on.

How is maintenance, reliability, etc? Are the oil problems fixed on the '12's or do I need to worry about it? I don't track but I do a lot of spirited canyon drives ... is the Z going to withstand being pushed on mountain roads at 105 degrees in summer? Thanks.

i owned a 370z and test drove an s2000. just like you said, one of the biggest difference is linear acceleration. any s2000 without forced induction is quite "slow" by today's standards. the z will have much more power and torque, meaning you won't have to shift as much and floor the throttle as hard as with the s2000. it also means power oversteer is more likely so you have to be a bit more cautious in turns or slippery surfaces.

another thing you'll like is interior space. an s2000 is very cramped on the inside. the z has more overall space inside for the driver, passenger, and also more storage space in the glove box, center console, and rear hatch.

you will probably lose a little bit of the go kart feeling of the s2000 since you will sit a bit higher and the car is a bit heavier and bigger. but the bigger tires and stiffer chassis make up for that and gives you very good handling despite the size increase. and if you aren't satisfied with it, a set of coilovers and some sticky tires will make up any handling deficit the z has to the s2000.

you may find the shifter on the z a bit vague and rubbery relative to the s2000. a short shifter and shift knob may be a good idea if you find it too annoying.

there aren't any real reliability issues with the z. it's a very well built car. early 2009 models had some problems with oil consumption, prompting nissan to replace the shortblock on some cars. but i think this problem has been eliminated for 2010 and newer years. the other issue is oil overheating and limp mode. that's a very rare occurrence on the road, and should be even more rare with the 2012 since they have an oil to water cooler. of course, if you do plan actual track days, then an oil to air cooler is mandatory. recently, some 2009 models have had their steering lock module fail causing the car not to start. it's a common problem with the gtr and other nissans and now it's appearing in the 370z as well. however, it seems that nissan deleted that module completely for the 2012 model year so you probably won't have to worry about it.


and don't forget to keep the fuel tank at least 25-50% full. you can get fuel starvation on long right hand turns if the fuel is too low.

^ Very good summary of things.

I get about 18 city mpg and 24 highway mpg. I don't know about the s2000 though

I've owned both. Will get a write up in here this evening.


A lot of it comes down to what you appreciate in the s. if things like the balance and tossability are a big deal, the z might not quite do it for you. On the other hand, the z has a HUGE power advantage

s2k's are capable cars... but old. get the 370Z. :)

I just bought a 2005 S2000 over the weekend. If its your daily driver I would pick the 370Z over the S2K. It's faster, bigger, more comfortable, more practical... The S2K would be a hard car to live with day to day, IMO.

Considering he is in an s2k now, I imagine he knows what it's like day to day :p

I know, I was just saying that I think it's got to be tough every day. That opens it up for him to either confirm or deny.

Though I am going to DD mine all week. :p

I went from a 2007 S2000 to my Z and I'm happy with my choice. While the S was a fun car the Z is just as much fun. The extra power, room, and technology is an added bonus. I will always miss my S but don't regret my choice at all. There is another thread on here with the same discussion, search and you will find some good conversation about the topic.

OK, so I'm back with a real keyboard and some time.

Pharmacist's write up is pretty much spot on in terms of addressing the Z's oil/reliability, etc.

105* exterior temps on mountain roads will likely have you right around limp mode on a 09-11, you should be fine with a '12 though.


As far the fun to drive factor-- that is up to you. The Z and S feel like two totally different animals. The S is far more connected. It transmits a whole lot more detail about what it is doing.

Even with you owning the "softest" of the s2k's, I think you will find the Z is even softer. It rides much more like the GT car it is--relative to the S, it is very compliant and a comfortable cruiser. The Z is much more prone to understeer at the limit, and generally handles "safe," in contrast with the more natural handling of the S.

Things to think about when considering the trade:
Losing shifter smoothness
Rougher engine up top
Looser connection with the car
Loss of droptop (depending on whether you get ZR)
loss of a mechanical LSD (VLSD is :thumbsdown:)


It is really up to you whether you want to lose those things, in exchange for:
More comfort
roomier interior
notably more power
(arguably) better looks
and of course-- it's a new car:icon17:

Yeah it's my only car, daily driver but its purpose is fun in the canyons. I love the S2000 and love many of the things other people say are drawbacks ... I like keeping the car near redline, I like the noise it makes, I don't care about the lack of space (99% of the time anyway), and I love the way it handles. It is slow in a straight line but feels a lot faster than it is too. When the roads start bending it's very capable.

It's just time for a new car ... I've had it 5 years. I also recently had a spot of "sun damage" removed by my dermatologist so done with convertibles before I Darwin myself, LOL. Could supercharge it, could get a hardtop, but again it's 5 years old and time for something new.

Cool, I will look for it thanks. Yeah I know I will miss it, it's the best car I've ever owned. Had an '05 Evo VIII before the S and while it was much faster and had more grip ... it was not nearly as fun. I am sort of envisioning the Z as somewhere between S2000 and Evo.

Nice. Thanks for the info. Yes I'm going to hate giving up the feel of the S' handling but time for a new car I think. I've read a lot lately on the Z's and it's funny the things the reviews complain about like comfort, interior space, noise and visibility are all greatly improved over the S2000 (visibility with the top up on the S of course).

Well the dealer still has not called with my Z, so I have time to think about it ... I did warn them I may change my mind if the took too long, LOL.

Comfort, Noise, Interior and visibility are vastly better in the Z vs. S2K?

Of course this is a manner of opinion but I think most would agree the S2K's seats are far better than the seats in the Z and are very comfortable. Now if you're talking strictly long distance traveling I couldn't tell you because the longest I've driven either is less than about an hour.

Interior space? The S2K has plenty of "interior space" as far as most people are concerned I would guess. I don't see this being an issue at all unless your 250+lbs. As far as the interior in general I would say without question the S2K has a nicer interior.

Noise? Yes the S2K is pretty loud at high RPM but it sounds good at RPM unlike the Z which sounds / feels like its strained / going to blow up.

Visibility? Top down the visibility is the S2K isn't bad at all and top down its of course phenomenal. I found the visibility in the Z to be more troubling although not exactly terrible as long as you pay attention.

Overall if I had to choose I'd go with a CPO S2K because it's just a more fun / rewarding car to drive plus you can get a very low mileage CPO for 25K and lower which is a steal. I'm not sure if I'd rather go with an MX-5 though because the MX-5 is just as fun but not as rough around the edges so it probably makes for a better daily driver. The S2K is a bit too high strung at times and that may become a little annoying at times.

S2000 has a bit of a geeky feel to it at night with the digital instrument panel. Makes me want to drive around listening to the Tron soundtrack.

370 definitely has more space and comfort. And less noise.

I came from an 06 S2K, and I added bolt-ons and a tune while I owned it.

The 370Z is much more GT. I got the nismo version and, while the suspension is much firmer, the car overall is a lot more quiet and cush. The nismo has a lot better grip and good balance, but it doesn't feel nearly as connected. And the S2000 has very low rotational inertia, which is a lot of fun for canyon roads.

The Z is better as a daily commuter, and the car is less one dimensional. What I mean by that is, the S2000 was flat out crummy to drive in the winter. The Z is just not as fun in the winter. The S is great on canyons and road courses. The Z does that well enough and can also drift, drag, and it's much easier to correct if/when you screw up and get unexpectedly much oversteer. I thought the S2000 was more fun in the canyons, mostly due to the convertible factor, but also due to the lighter weight nimble nature. As an amateur, I'd say it's pretty close on the track as to which is more fun. To track, the Z needs an oil cooler whereas the S is good as is, but for canyon runs the Z would be fine unless you're extremely aggressive.

Relatively speaking, the Z feels like a brute whereas the S felt like it had more finesse. I miss the ragtop in the summer, but like the Z much better in the winter. I miss the nimble handling, but I have great grip, torque, and can slide around a bit without snapping back when the car catches, which can be quite fun.

If you're happy with the S, I would say save your money. If you're ready to move on, the 370Z (nismo at least) is a good option, albeit a slightly different type of car. If you want the same car as your S2000 but better, get a Cayman S or Boxster S.

I test drove a S2k a while back when I was back in the market for a car but really disliked the lack of torque. Unfortuately I wasn't able to take it up into the mountains or on any substantial turns, but I definitely got a feel for its toss ability. About 30min later I drove an '08 350z and the power difference was extremely noticeable, and convinced me to stay with a Z. A few months later I came across a 40th and pulled the trigger.

Having owned a 350z in the past, there is just so much the Z offers that will keep you a happy customer. Its sexy, its fast, it handles great (especially with some stiffer springs/coil overs), and is a more complete package in the sense it delivers fun and some practicality.

I'd wait till summer to test drive the FR-S/Brz as well as the Z to see which you prefer. The brz and frs might hit closer to home for you.

Dooooo it!

I've owned 2 S2000s (AP1 and AP2) before my Z. I do miss the short throws and precise handling of the S2K, but the Z is superior in pretty much everything else, except maybe the interior. Just my 2 cents.

The S2000 is a fairly focused car. I think it's absolutely fantastic as a second car... a fair weather fun machine. I would probably hate it if it was the only car I had.