Quote:
Originally Posted by Spec
Future reference I own a 2006 350Z.
I don't understand what's going on here. The majority of the people in this thread are previous owners of 350Z's making biased decisions based upon the looks of the 370Z and Cayman, or magazine testing. Honestly MotorTrend believe it or not, are BMW nuthuggers, and are as biased when it comes to German cars. I wouldn't trust anything they have to say. The last motor trend mag I bought was the America vs the world. In that comparison they ranked the GTR higher than the GT2 because it had more rear seat room and was slightly faster, whereas the Viper ACR had dominated in every way possible on their test but showed up in 3rd.
Now I've never driven a Cayman. But I can tell you this that the Cayman is a gorgeous car. No matter what wheels, options, or package you buy the car is simply stunning.
But the problem with the Cayman is that, my 350Z will easily walk all day long over the Cayman. So the base model lacks the power of the Z's. 350 and 370. But you're not buying the Cayman for power. You buy the Cayman S for that. But you have to pay to play.
Now, maint. cost. I don't know if anyone realizes this but most new cars don't require much maint. If they do it's usually covered under warranty. Take this into account. My 06 has 30k miles on it. My 30k service was $300. Well the Cayman has different intervals. A $600 oil change interval at 20k miles. A Z requires oil change every 3k miles so. $60 is what an oil change costs. So 6 times 60 is $360 for every 20k miles.
Now I've driven a 370Z. IMHO the 370Z is the biggest step up since the 930 to the 997 911. It really is that much of a difference. The power difference, the lighter internals, the bigger internals. That car is a monster. Plus with bolt ons there's a guy on my350Z.com with 3 bolt ons and making 321 whp. That's power. More power than the Cayman and S.
You also have refinement in the interior. The interior renovations in the 370Z are amazing. The leather upholstery the suede door, the feel of every aspect of that car is confident and perfect. Everything is sealed just right and open and closes without that cheap american feeling. I'm not going to lie. My 350Z interior sucks. Already needs refurbishing not from abuse from me but from the cheap quality. Similar to the early 996's.
To me you have to drive both cars to be able to say which one suits your needs more. The Cayman is a Porsche and the Z a Nissan. Most people on here are too ashamed because they paid so much for the Cayman knowing the 370Z out performs it in standing line test but in braking and handling is on par for a much cheaper price. IMHO this a buyers market. The Cayman's are cheap the Z's are brand new and only going to get more expensive. Figure in a few years there will be DI models rolling in so your resale value will take a hit. The same way the 350Z's did.
I love both cars. But it's your choice. My next car is going to be... I don't know something nice but a drivers car. So I am not biased towards either car. I hate Nissan and Love Porsche. I hate 996's but love 350Zs. Find the right balance where you fit in.
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Ok, where to start. I'm with you about MotorTrend. Morons. I did however read that test and the ACR Viper while faster, was not the best car of the bunch imho. It is a race car for the street which is awesome, but MotorTrend doesnt test race cars for the street, they test street cars for the street. Now I understand that the ACR Viper is infact street legal, but so is an Aerial Atom. I would not drive that every day to work. You get the point? Also, though the GT2 (I'll preference this with the 997 GT2 is my favorite car money can buy) did out perform the GTR in their tests, other tests have shown the GTR to out perform the GT2. Depends on a lot of variables as to which will win.
Second thing here is maintenance costs. If you look, I've been quoted mulitiple times that Z's get expensive. I personally have a Z32, not a 350Z. I can however throw into the mix that I am a Service Writer at an automotive facility so I
KNOW how costly this stuff gets. I can also tell you that a TRUE 30k service on a 350Z is more then $300.00. Now dependant on the state you live in and what the dealer is doing, but most 30k services we do on vehicles of this type run closer to $600.00-$800.00 depending on certain fluids and such. I have also been quoted in this thread about asking how many people have owned a Z for over say 90k miles. Timing belt jobs are not cheap. In the long run, the Porsche will be more expensive to maintain, but the Z is costly, your right on there.
Third and final thing. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion on things. First part I disagree with your opinion on is that you say your 350Z will walk all over a Cayman. Maybe you are accurate, but I have driven many 350Z's and the stock Z32 walks all over the 350Z. Also, the OP is talking about a Cayman S. Big difference performance wise. I have track raced my Z for approx 4 years now and I personally have been pwned in the face by a Cayman S owner on Infinion Raceway. Do I know how to drive my car? Enough to win some races. Does he have more power then me? Not unless he is making over 480hp to the wheels. You can never underestimate power numbers on any car. Being in the tuner/import world, you should know about this when it comes to the RX-7. A 400hp 1.3L Rotary engine will walk all over a 1000hp Supra almost anyday of the week. Not only are the numbers deceiving, but you also have to calculate in weight. The Z's are pigs. Porsches are not. The biggest part of your post that I personally disagree with is the fit and finish of the cars you are comparing. I have been in both. The Porsche is much nicer. The new interior on the 370Z is almost a throw back to the Z32 with the suede and leather. Believe me, I have it in my car. With that said, the interior of the Porsche is so much more refinded. Once again, you have your opinion, I have mine.
To the OP:
Get which ever car you like the most. We all can debate this til we are blue in the face. Go drive all of them, see which you prefer and go with it. Don't second guess it, don't regret it. Get it and love it. Oh ya, and post Pics.
