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Subaru WRX vs Nissan 350Z

29K views 22 replies 11 participants last post by  jk147 
#1 ·
WRX vs Z350

Well, here we go again... ;) I'm going to look @ both of these as my 97 GST will be sold (I want something new dammit!!!) Since I'm in New England area (MA), WRX with AWD is ideal, but the the Performance and higher versions of Z have Dynamic Vehicle Control as well as Traction control... Price-wize they're about 3-4G apart, but the interior and styling of Z justify that (IMHO). Performance... Z is faster stock, not as easy to mod however. What other factors other than reliability should I consider?

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#6 ·
I was going to hold off for the 350z as well, but my older car ran into some problems and i had to make a decision fast. But the decision came down to practicality. Any 2 door front engine RWD car is gonna have some problems when the road surface is slicker than dry. I remember almost wiping out in a '88 BMW 325 when i went over some wet leaves taking a corner in what i thought was a safe speed. AWD is definitely helpful in bad weather conditions as I have personally experienced driving back and forth to CT and NJ and hitting rain almost everytime (must be bad luck). 4 doors is nice when going out to lunch w/ coworkers or friends as there is no need to take 2 cars. the N/A 350z hauls and can wipe a wrx off the road im sure, but playing with the turbo is fun and there is nothing like the whine coming from under the hood. I have seen some bad winters in my time in the NE region and I have no doubt in my mind that the WRX is a better daily driver. Now if you already have another car, go 350z and enjoy tearing those roads up.

-c
 
#7 ·
The big factors are:

First year car - The typical consensus on most car boards is to avoid the first year. Good reasons behind this. Not a problem though, wait a bit and you'll save some money as well.

Modability (tm) - You've got quite a few options with the WRX, your not likely to see the same bang for the buck moding the 350. Mod prices are coming down on the WRX, the 350 prices are likely to be sky high during the introduction.

Base Options - The track model 350 has a nice set of options, you might not even need to upgrade the car at that point. (save for some sticky tires, etc).

Style - 350 is a sweeter car, no doubt about it.

Popularity - My guess is that in a year or two your going to see alot of these cars on the street, alot...

Traction control (various other acronyms) - This is a toss-up, some people like these things, others hate them. Looking back through history, these typically only benefit drivers that don't really know how to drive agressively. These are basically tools to help everyday drivers that push their car past their abilities (my own opinions here, feel free to flame me).

Offroad/Onroad - Depends, my wrx will never, ever, hit the dirt, so, it wouldn't even be a factor for me. Remember, the wrx is not a rally car, it was 'inspired' by a rally car (more flames from this).

Warranty - Who knows, anyone is probably better than subaru. But the general trend is to deny, so it basically comes down to what replacement engines and transmissions cost here. The wrx has already been proven to be a very inexpensive fix (as well as easy enough for a novice).

jb
 
#9 ·
AutoXJunkie said:
PlatinumWRX should be able to give you the low-down, as he has both a WRX and a 350Z...
It's Monday, 10:30am. I picked up my Z on Thursday 10:30pm. I have put 800 miles on it since. I LOVE IT. If you don't care about practicality of a vehicle and you have $40k, go get the "enthusiast package" Z. My company car is black with carbon interior and it is the most amazing vehicle I have ever driven.

I made it from Bensalem, PA to Port Jervis, NY is 3:30min (THE LONG WAY). Coming home, Fort Lee, NJ to Bensalem in 1:20! I averaged over 75mph and 23+mpg. The laws of physics don't seem to apply to this vehicle.

Alternatively, buy a base model WRX and sink the modified equivalent of $40k and the WRX will walk all over the Z. I love them both since they are so very different and have + and - 's all their own.

-Jim
 
#10 ·
I should add that Joe (NJSubietech) and I were cruising around Fort Lee in my Z, the 320th one made and everyone from Porsche, Audi, and BMW, and sportbikes JAWS drop when then see it. I almost broke four peoples' necks when they tried to manuever their heads to keep staring at me as I followed them down an exit ramp.

A Jetta 1.8T tried to roll with me and got smacked down. A Ducati 900 tried to roll with me, and got smacked down. A GSXR750 wanted a piece of me, but I was exiting the highway. He would've got the smack down too. This car is simply awe inspiring.

-Jim
 
#11 ·
Thanks Jim (and the rest of you)! You're not making it any easier on me!!! ;) I really like both cars... It's really a tough descision which way to go, but I'm sure that either car will be every bit as exciting as when I first got my GS-T :)

Anybody else?

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PlatinumWRX said:
I should add that Joe (NJSubietech) and I were cruising around Fort Lee in my Z, the 320th one made and everyone from Porsche, Audi, and BMW, and sportbikes JAWS drop when then see it. I almost broke four peoples' necks when they tried to manuever their heads to keep staring at me as I followed them down an exit ramp.

A Jetta 1.8T tried to roll with me and got smacked down. A Ducati 900 tried to roll with me, and got smacked down. A GSXR750 wanted a piece of me, but I was exiting the highway. He would've got the smack down too. This car is simply awe inspiring.

-Jim
 
#22 ·
Were you doing wheelies while 'smacking' them down? Gixxers run 11 second quarter miles, any 900 ducati isn't far behind. Both of those bikes can go upwards of 170, probably closer to 180. You'd need a porsche gt2 to keep up, let alone 'smack down'....

jb
 
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