No it is not perfect but by far if you look at the average number of Z owners who had clutch,oil consuption,tranny problems,tire feathering etc it is far more pronounced in the Z community.

I had many issues with my MAF sensor. I know many people who replaced their tranny multiple times in a current year Z.

The clutches are known to be weak, they consume oil like its cool.

You cannot compare the two as far as reliability is concerned. Most of the major problems you see with the S is due to user error like an overrev, not changing their oil etc.

As far a DD ability hands down the Z is easier but its still not luxerious.
Also I had an enthu which had tcs and unless you were driving like a fool tcs never kicked in.

I would drive in the rain out in VA and although it felt slighly more secure mainly due to extra weight and being wider its really only a better DD because its quieter, has more creature comforts etc.

But if you're looking for a sports car that should be last on your list.

 

Its hit and miss.

On average most of them will refuse to admit that the S is a good car.
THey also will not admit that the Z is not the end all be all to sports cars
In a lot of ways they are like wealthier RSX owners lol.

I have a lot of friends over on my350 but there are way more fanboys than there are here.

Perfect example even on s2ki's street encounters thread its normally a pretty mature convo.

Bring up the Z vs anything and nothing beats the Z

 

I had own a RSX-S 350z G35 and now i have an 07 S2000.
S2000 tops 350z and G on my list. s2000 the best car i've own ever so far.
350z does not have the feel like an S2000 does. Meaning s2000 has better clutch and gearbox imo.
350z is quieter because its not a convertible. (just drive topless that should help a bit lol) but even then my 350z starting rattling too.
350z feels so heavy and big like a pig compared to s2000 lol
350z was a nice car but I upgraded to S2000

 

Leo,

You last few cars were close to mine.

06 RSX Type-S > 06 IS 250 > 06 350Z > 02 2000. Throw in a RX 330 for the wife. Couldn't agree more with your assessment between the Z and S. I would consider the Z more of a GT car.

 

350z is like 240sx...

Everyone buys one to get in the crowd.

Don't get me wrong, there are the great enthusiastic car lovers, but there are too many people trying to jump on the bandwagon.

 

My statement on reliability meant two different things. I completely agree with you that S2000's are more reliable as far as maintenance goes...but alot of problems that I hear about the 350Z were personal problems, and most of them were user errors also. I have two friends with 350Z's...one of them has had a clutch problem, and the other one hasn't had a problem for the 3 years of ownership. But all cars have problems here and there, and I think if you take care of the car, you'll be fine.

And what you said about the traction control, I have it on my G and it definitely kicks in. I don't drive like a fool, and every time I even approach the red-line and whine the gears, it always kicks in. Not to mention in the rain, it's been really good so far. And whether or not a 350Z is luxurious is honestly a matter of opinion. The ride isn't bad at all, it has a navigation option, heated seats, tons of legroom, and it's kind of nice that you're not touching a wall behind your seat like the S2000.

When it goes back to what you said, I would NEVER take a 350Z or G35 over an S2000 for a sunday car...but for a daily, there's no question that I would take the Nissan clan hands down.

 

Yeah S2Ki is alot more mature than the last forums I came from srtforums.com lol

 

I think a lot of people give the Z a lot of bad rap. The tire feathering issues that some experienced, the trans issues--all of those concerned the first year car--the 2003 model year. Later cars didn't have any of these issues.

For that matter, my 2003 G35 had the same manual trans as the Z--not a SINGLE problem with the trans or the clutch. My 2005 350Z--ok the clutch felt a little weird, but after I flushed it and put in some Valvoline synth fluid, all was well again.

And now, comparing my 07 S2K vs my 05 350Z... two totally different beasts. Perhaps I was more used to it, but the Z was much easier to drive quickly. It was very predictable--wanna hang the tail out? You could tell it how far, how long, and when to stop drifting. The G35 was scary to do that--kinduva tank-slapper. The S seems to require a bit more finesse and more patience. I haven't had it long, only 800mi on the odometer.

Long story short, to each his own. If I had to pick my car, I'd choose the G35 Coupe's styling & Brembo brakes, Z's handling & steering & rear differential, S2K's weight & powertrain & LSD portion of the rear diff.

 

I rented an '07 350z AT while I was on vacation in California.
I drove it all the way from San Diego to San Francisco and I gotta say, that car is pretty nice.
It is totally different from an S.
Yes, it does feel heavier but the torque was really nice.
And the exhaust note? wow.. slap an aftermarket exhaust, and it'll be sick!
We had 2 suit cases, a camera bag, a cooler and we still had enough room to put some shopping bags in.
The drive was more comfortable than I thought, and handling was pretty impressive too.
felt more stable than an S on higher speeds. it's more of a cruiser, IMO.
I wonder how a manual transmission feels like with that torquey engine.

350z seems to fit the "sporty daily driver" perfectly. probably the reason why they sell that many.

Dan

 

You know VSA is standard on the S2K from '06 on right?