STI or 370Z
 

I will be purchasing a new vec when in about 8-10 months. I am pretty set on getting a 370z nismo from what i have read, and researched on but I have also read about the sti's on here. I am wondering what you all think? What are the pros and cons when it comes to mods?:driving:

I have the new WRX as you might see on my thread. I don't know about the Nismo since I didn't have it. I understand it's no quicker than the base with sport package. Depends on what you're getting it for though. The STI mod wise has a lot more options and will be faster hands down. The Nismo is an overrated car from everything i've read. The Z overall is a great car, but there's not to many mods for an NA car unfortunately unless you go FI.

Honestly I would wait until much closer to your 8-10 months. Reason being is that the new WRX/STI redesign is already slotted for 2014 which means that come mid next year they will be on dealer lots. We should start seeing information on the new WRX/STI in the next 4-6mo. Basically, after the new BRZ/FR-S has already died down in hype. It's been known for a while now that the next gen WRX/STI will be completely separate from the Impreza line up. Said to be smaller and lighter while still retaining around 300hp.

Also the next gen Z isn't going to be too far behind either. Considering we are on our 5th year already it's plausible that we will see a new Z in the next 1-2 years.

That being said, between the current Nismo and STI, it's a hard choice. Both are awesome cars. The STI has far more mod potential but out of the box the Z is a better and faster car. Interior quality goes to the Z for sure. Reliability is about equal I'd say. Looks is subjective. Handling goes to the Z but for a novice the STI will be easier to approach the limits.

I love both. Currently have a Nismo but when I was shopping I did look at the 2011 sedan STI. I've been a Z lover and owner for 13 years. Owned a 06 WRX for a couple years and fell in love with Subys too. The deciding factor back when I was shopping was that in typical Suby fashion the dealer wouldn't even let me sit in the car, let alone drive one before buying it. Considering there is only one Suby dealer in all of Vegas I had no other option other than driving 300+ miles out of state. Wasn't about to do that. Having already had a 2009 touring sport 370z (totaled) I figured I would just get the Nismo and be done with it. I don't think you can go wrong with either one but they are two totally different cars in both design and feel.

I wouldn't say handling went to the z over an sti at all. Over the wrx yes... the sti would really depend on the driver. The subaru can correct mistakes the driver makes while the z will be turned around when it comes to a track.

Thanks guys! I will be driving in as a dd in the summer, year round while i live down south. I have driven a 2003 z and i love it to death. I have yet to drive a sti but i have heard that it the handling and overall performance is way better. so i agree with the correcting mistakes, i do like a challenge though and that puts the z up front. It isnt a car for moving stuff around either haha.

The Z is a GREAT handling car don't get me wrong... but the STI's and Evo's are a little bit ahead IMO. Both of my Evo's would outhandle my Z.... likely due to the AWD. Especially the X which can pretty much drive itself lol.

What do you want from the car? I have had both including a few other cars in between. For me, the STI was 4 door, great drivetrain from the factory, pretty good mod potential, easy to track although it does react like a fwd on the track.

370z, hardly any hp mod potential without going FI, but the driving experience, puts more of the challenge back into the drivers hands. Takes much more skill to push the Z, with an STI or EVO, just have the guts to push it and the car will take care of itself. Coming from 1 STI and 2 back to back EVO's, I found myself wanting a rwd, something to put the driving experience back into my own hands.

370z interior may not be the best, but it is definitely light years ahead of the EVO and still ahead of the STI. The styling of the 370z also won me over. The BMW 135i I had in between? That car was nice in a straight line but any slight power bump and you see the negative affects of an open diff, along with many daily inconveniences....I won't even go into why I will never own another BMW after owning one for 4 months lol.

Let us know which route you take.....

Bite your tongue child!
Top Gear Track lap records - FastestLaps.com
Use CTRL + F and type in STI or EVO X.

For the 370Z
Nissan 370Z lap times and specs - FastestLaps.com

The "slower than" section is a bit off though. The Mini Cooper S was placed in the wrong category. I have no idea how the 2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0 is faster than the 370Z, especially on the track (solid rear BLOWS CHUNKS)! Every 2011+ 5.0 in my area knows their place when they see me, eyes forward, both hands on the wheel, and let me pass! :stirthepot:

daily driver- STI
sports car- 370z

I have two very good friends, one has a fully built 20g sti (about 20+ grand under the hood) and another who has a 400whp AMS evo X, My NA 370z is as fast as BOTH (they both SLIGHTLY pull on my in an official race, but by the time we are 120mph+ they are only a cars lenght ahead)

so its pretty clear, these are two way different cars, dont compare them, compare what you need in a car.

I am planning on FI, I enjoy pushing the car, but again I do enjoy putting it in my hands. Also if I buy used would you recommend buying something that has mods on it already so that i have a baseline or is that just a dumb idea?

Thanks for the times. Glad i have 8 months to figure this out haha

Those are good times... however the STI is an 07... shouldn't we compare the same years? It's all done by the same driver as well, so technically another driver could get into the car and perform a better lap.

It's like trying to say the STI is better because the Tommy Mäkinen record lap set at the nurburgring means that it's better than the 370z when the STI had some mods done to it.

It really doesn't matter... both cars are pretty equal and it depends on what someone wants. I need AWD and 4 doors. Crusing in my 370 was a lot of fun and it's something i'll miss from time to time... until the snow comes and I can still go anywhere I want and feel perfectly safe... or until I go to the beach for the weekend and I have all the room I need for my stuff. It's all about what you want.

ok, the winter thing i understand seeing as I used to live in MN, but because of the amount of salt and other crap they put on the streets now a days i dont plan on driving in the winter. also dont have much stuff to move around if i do need to thats what i have my truck for. but are you basically saying that unless i need to move stuff around go for the Z

Here is what I gave you earlier and prices to compare (2012 MSRP) and Top Gear track times for the most CONSISTANT performance comparison.
-370Z $31,910 - $42,750 1:27.50
-Subaru Impreza WRX STI $25,595 - $37,445 1:28.20
-Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X $34,495 - $37,695 1:28.22

All very close in price range.
Here are some of the cars that are quicker than the 370Z

Aston Martin DB9 $189,915 - $211,821 (4/10ths of a second quicker at the Top Gear track)

Lexus IS F $61,300 (6/10ths of a second quicker at the Top Gear track)

Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class $71,300 - $94,900 (6/10ths of a second quicker at the Top Gear track)

Jaguar XFR $82,000 (8/10ths of a second quicker at the Top Gear track)

Porsche Cayman S $62,100 (8/10ths of a second quicker at the Top Gear track)

BMW M3 $60,100 - $68,750 (1 second quicker at the Top Gear track)

99% of the people that look at seriously buying a 370Z is doing it for a great looking car with awesome performance and value. Granted if you want utility to go along with your performance , sacrifices will have to be made.

Methodical4u: Researching, I have not found any significant changes to the STI to make a difference in performance. The time listed for the 370Z was from 2009 but the time will be the same today as there have been no significant changes. As far as the driver is concerned, I think we can all agree that the Stig is a worth while source of how well a car can perform. Also, having these times from the same driver skill level makes for great comparison.

Thanks!!! I am definitely going with the Z! although that was my main intent in the first place...just like to hear more experienced opinions. I like the NISMO addition...mostly for its looks and that they are a little more rare, especially in my area.

99% of the people that look at seriously buying a 370Z is doing it for a great looking car with awesome performance and value. Granted if you want utility to go along with your performance , sacrifices will have to be made.

I completly agree with this, and that is the reason i started looking at them so seriously, it wasnt till i saw posts on STIs, then i started look at both.

I agree if you are going to drive multiple cars to have the same driver do it. The Z is a great car... i'm not at all trying to put it down... i'm saying for me... I would maybe go with the STI... but i've always felt they were a bit expensive. I think my Z was 31,5... however my WRX was 24,7 and the performance is fairly close there with some sway bars a few mods and a tune it's a better deal IMO than the STI is.

You also have to keep in mind how VERY different the cars are. The STI is a rally bred car... people focus on what kind of 1/4 time it runs or whatever, but that's not it's purpose at all. It's a fast car out of the box that can cover pretty much any kind of terrain you put in front of it. The Z isn't that same type of car and was never meant to be. It's not really a 1/4 mile car either. It has a long legacy as simply a "sports" car. The new model happens to be the fastest Z yet... which in this day and age with cars one would expect anyway.

I'm not sure what Nissan has planned... I know Subaru will go to the 2.0 liter next year I believe, so it will run higher revs and put out maybe a bit more power from a few articles i've read... ALL cars however are going to become better on gas since they passed the law that all cars must get ... I don't remember, a certain amount mpg by like 2020 or something. Definitely expect changes to ALL cars pretty rapidly over the next few years IMO.

If you have the money with absolutely no worries, the Nismo is the way to go. But I couldn't justify $8,000 difference when buying mine to opt for it. An 18 HP difference (the body style and different rims were a moot point with me as I'm more function over fashion) just wasn't enough.

Same reason I would never go with the STI over the WRX... it used be a pretty big jump in performance a few years ago... but now.. no.

I think I read on some of the dyno charts only a 10 hp difference to the wheels on the STI vs the WRX because of the gearing. So you are paying the extra 10 grand for the brakes and suspension... things you can buy for how much aftermarket? If it's that important to you. For me... nope.

The car is for whatever you bought it for.

Chris Van Woensel - Nissan 370Z | Pure sound | [HD] by JM - YouTube

Money is not really a main concern, besides you will spend that much or more putting that onto a Z so why not just buy it that way, and then as you mod it more sell them aftermarket parts.

I "think" after you replace the exhaust you basically have a sports packaged 370Z that looks like a Nismo...

LMAO... that just looks all wrong... it's cool, but so weird.

I had the F.I. 18" res like you do and I really loved the tone... though I had the ART pipes with mine which kept it a bit more quiet... but the just the pipes really opened up the throttle response.

ya that was one of the plans along with FI. but i like the low miles and looks of them.

THAT SOUNDS AMAZING!! WHAT IS THAT!!:tup:

maybe an open exhaust lol

The fastest M3 time is actually 2+ secs faster than the 370 on that list. Just saying...

Get a Corvette.:happydance:

may as well buy an old man and a young girl with fake tits to go into it.

:|

I am not a mustang fan by any means... but I would stay away from those 5.0s.. :rolleyes:

+1, everyone needs to stay away from the stereotype of solid rear axles... The new'ish 5.0's are no joke. Get a 370z with all the bolt-ons in the world and go up against a new mustang and you will be humbled.

As far as should you buy a modded one, that is a risk you take, any used car is a risk but when it's modded, theres "usually" a little more risk. I would never buy a used EVO or STI but the 370z is a slightly different market.

Buying any car with mods has it's advantages of saving you money on buying those specific parts, but then again, it "could" cost you in the long run depending on how maintained the car was and how it was driven on a daily basis.

on the STI vs 370Z side of things... Every person I know with a subie has had nothing but problems, broken axles, blown diffs, motors going... I have driven them many times and while they are a blast to drive I personally prefer RWD. Go test drive both and see what you feel... Remember that the STI feels faster than it really is due to the turbo... AWD is great until you get addicted to axis spins and go through tires like crazy! I would personally rather have the Z as I feel the car is more fun to drive and if you like spirited driving I feel the Z is safer despite what people say.. AWD is awesome until it lets go and many people seem to over correct due to the front wheels pulling you away from the slide.. just my .02 cents

lol

Soooooooooo whats everyone doing in here? :wtf2:

:iagree:



If I were going AWD? My pick would be the EVO hands down. Though it takes a step down in interior quality. Mitsu turbos are some of the most efficient turbos out there for the money. Those lil 2.0's are so well built they can handle 700hp easily. I like the STi as a stock daily driver and for spirited runs. But if you are going beyond the standard intake/exhaust on an STi? You better be prepared to put 7 grand in engine prep alone. Its not worth the headache. Sadly, there's no mod potential argument on an STI. What it costs to boost a Z is what it will cost to make an STi 700hp capble with no High End power.

So mod potential is a bad case for the STi. If you were going to mod heavily??? The Evo shoulda been your car. :ugh2:

having a good discussion. you?

really? all of my subie friends are all okay. i know people who have everything from the gc8 until the latest grb / gh8, and they're fine. everybody freaked out over the 2008 ringland issue, but that was for the most part resolved. the people i know who have issues are the ones who messed with their engines without ever learning what "leaning out" means. be prepared for a strange world where everybody <3s exhausts and free HP...but anything more will rip a humongous hole in your wallet.

as a lucky owner i have both a wrx and a z. yes, not an STi, but as mentioned previously, it's not like the difference is that big. yes, the transmission is different and the WRX obviously gets the short end of the stick in that department, but aside from the transmission there really isn't much different. even the body panels are the same. and personally, i drive the subaru EVERYWHERE. even to z meets :rofl2: don't get me wrong the Z is a fun car but it's exactly that...a fun car. weekend warrior to me. if you want something more practical, the hatch WRX / STi is a good car.

and can't compare the z cars being more safe because AWD lets go, this and that happens. that's just people needing to learn more about their cars. driver knowledge goes a long way.