Used 2003-05 Nissan 350z or used 2005-07 MazdaSpeed3

[05GT Guru]

^<snort> correcting infamous1 on what fast is:p

 

Bac it is easier to launch a fwd - particularly set up for launching. I watch srt4 stage 2-3 mopar upgrades run mid 7s in the 8th ALL DAY LONG on slicks. Annoying but true. Racing from a dig matters at the dragstrip (hence - ON SLICKS) and the only time a AWD launches hard is when the owner decides to shave miles off his parts.

 

(I do like to go to the track!)

 

LOL shave miles off his parts.

[Infamous1]

I even got you sucked into my blackhole of a thread.. Can you use Opensource to tune a Speed3 with the tactrix 1.3 cable?

No, this was via Cobb ATR.

[Ridgeracer]

Are the tables similiar to RR or ATR for Subarus??

[BAC5.2]

^<snort> correcting infamous1 on what fast is:p

 

Bac it is easier to launch a fwd - particularly set up for launching. I watch srt4 stage 2-3 mopar upgrades run mid 7s in the 8th ALL DAY LONG on slicks. Annoying but true. Racing from a dig matters at the dragstrip (hence - ON SLICKS) and the only time a AWD launches hard is when the owner decides to shave miles off his parts.

 

(I do like to go to the track!)

 

Rain, snow, dry, gravel, dirt, salt, whatever. If you start putting conditions on "fast", then you are making excuses.

 

"Oh man, you would have been TOAST if we went from a roll"

 

It works the other way too. "If it were raining, we'd see just how fast that SRT4 really is."

 

I'm not saying that other cars aren't fast. MS3's certainly are, so are SRT4's. I'm just saying that, from a total performance standpoint, placing conditions on performance is nothing more than an excuse.

 

I'm also not saying it's a bad thing. No car is going to be the fastest in every situation. I'm just saying.

 

The original, stage 2 MS3 vs. stage 2 STi is a perfect example. The MS3 might be as quick, or quicker than the STi from a roll. But in any other situation, it won't be. Sure, I merge onto the highway from a roll. But I also accelerate in the rain, and merge in the snow. I just don't get the point of that argument. Maybe if it were faster in a FEW scenarios, I'd be more impressed. But as it stands, that actually sounds more impressive for the STi than the MS3.

 

And as for knowing what "fast" is. This isn't my first rodeo.

[Infamous1]

Are the tables similiar to RR or ATR for Subarus??

Somewhat, after looking at them awhile its starts coming together.

[fishbone]

BAC, IMHO if I'm going to line up from a dig, I am going to do it at a tree. And my Subie does better from a low roll anyway than a complete stop. Such is the nature of the autotragics (lest I want to brake boost it, which is simply not worth doing).

[RedHorizon]

I had an 03 350Z track and overall I was happy with it. Parts can be pricey, but only specific parts like the brembro calipers. I rebuilt one myself, but if I had to replace it the dealer wanted $2500 for just one including labor. Wider tires in the rear on the track and anniversary editions so no rotating. Fun car to drive, more fun than my LGT, but I'm happier with the GT.

[BL_Soldier]

My buddie had an MS3 and it was pretty quick against near anything. This girl with a stage 2 09 WRX wanted to run her mouth so they lined them up at the "track" and did from a stop. She got the launch but he ended up walking her pretty quick. They even did a roll from 30 and he still waxed her. 350's have a ton of after market support. And personally I love the VQ's exhaust note. If I hadn't picked up the leggy, I'd be rolling around in a G35 coupe wondering why everything walks me.

[OutbackXT05]

Have you considered the G35 over the 350z? My mom has one and she was deciding between the 350z and the g35. The infiniti won it out though. Tons more practical. Way more usable space and its luxury-ish. Nothing special as far as speed goes but it is just a smidge slower than the Z. And since its just going to be a daily driver it should be fairly good. And around where I live the infinity dealership is top notch for their customers. We brought the car in just to get a spare key and ended up getting new dash lights and new seat leather without even asking and for no charge because it was under warranty. And got a nice little 2010 G37 to play around in till our car was fixed. (5 day curtousy vehicle)

[LRegvall]

The 350Z is a nice sports car (and I thought about getting one), but I'd go with the MS3. The MS3 is a really nicely balanced handling car that is also very fast. The FWD is only a vice at the limit. It rotates well with a little lift throttle and doesn't understeer a lot. It's actually one of the nicest handling cars I've driven. However, if drag racing is what is needed from a daily driver, FWD is probably not the best choice. On the other hand, if you want to carve up some twisties, carry your crap with you, and be able to see what is around you (and coming up behind you), the MS3 is a nice choice. If you can ovecome the stigma of ... FWD. I wouldn't go with the G35 though (I also looked at the G35) which is heavier than the 350Z, only marginally more "convenient," and has an irritating, flatulent exhaust note.

[OutbackXT05]

All the v6 nissan motors basically have that exhaust note. I love it but we all have our different tastes. And overall ya the MS3 is the most usable of the 2 choices. I was looking into those before i bought my outback but it was just too small

[LRegvall]

All the v6 nissan motors basically have that exhaust note. I love it but we all have our different tastes. And overall ya the MS3 is the most usable of the 2 choices. I was looking into those before i bought my outback but it was just too small

 

It seems to me that the Infiniti versions of the VQ35 sound a little different. I almost bought the Altima SER (until I realized I needed a wagon and bought the LGT 5spd) and thought that it sounded a little deeper. But it could be just my recollection. I almost traded out my LGT wagon for the new MS3 last year but, like you say, it didn't have enough room. But for sweet handling, fast and practical, it's hard to beat.

[05GT Guru]

It seems to me that the Infiniti versions of the VQ35 sound a little different. I almost bought the Altima SER (until I realized I needed a wagon and bought the LGT 5spd) and thought that it sounded a little deeper. But it could be just my recollection. I almost traded out my LGT wagon for the new MS3 last year but, like you say, it didn't have enough room. But for sweet handling, fast and practical, it's hard to beat.

All the 3.5 and 3.7 vq cars sound the same. From the suvs to the altima, nissan or infiniti.

[fishbone]

It depends on the exhaust. In absolutely no way does a VQ Quest sound like the Z or G.

[LRegvall]

I read somewhere that the exhaust side is where Nissan was able to get very different horesepower ratings from the same engine in such different cars. My guess is that they have found a way to brand the Infiniti line with a really annoying sound.

[fishbone]

It is possible. The Altima dudes got the car from a 14.+ 1/4 time to a 13.0 with a new Y-pipe, intake and exhaust. That's a hell of a restrictive exhaust.

[Gire]

It likely sounds like a very noisy G35 coupe now too. Not a good thing.

 

But respect to it for being really quick.

[Ksusha]

Z hands-down.

[Ridgeracer]

Wow...alot of interest still in this thread....I think I'll hold off till next year but starting to lean towards the Speed3.

[joeleodee]

If I didn't know any better, I would think that there are some obscure references to street racing, but the fact that all drag strips sanction a straight line roll race competition tells me your experiences occurred under closed course conditions.

 

BTW, Even modded, 350Zs are slow, don't ask me how I know. MS3 would be my choice.

[BL_Soldier]

Street racing? Wha......I never.....preposterous! the z is definitely the choice if you have no real obligations other than getting to work and cruising. The MS3 I'd say if you wanna have a clean sleeper and have some utility. I'd suggest browsing both sides forums to see what owners have to say about their respective rides.

[matt]

The MS3 is a very good all-around car, but you'll have your LGT for bad weather, hauling stuff, and comfy road trips, so get something edgier than the MS3 as your second car. That means you should get the 350Z, right?

 

Well...no. You mentioned you want the 2nd car to be a daily driver, not just a weekend toy. IMO the 350Z is not very good for that:

 

1) Visibility in the 350Z is awful, at least comparing to the LGT and most other compact wagons/hatches/sedans. If you drive your LGT every day it's easy to forget how important visibility is in your daily grind, no matter how (un)aggressive and/or (un)safe a driver you are. Good rear visibility also makes parallel parking easier, if you need to do that often.

 

2) The ride quality in the 350Z is awful. Normally I like stiff suspensions. E.g. I think the Evo VIII/IX rides fine for the street. Same with the Elise. But not the base model/suspension 350Z I drove once. It was a while ago, and I forget if it felt oversprung, overdamped, or just way too stiff overall. But it stood out as the worst-riding car I drove or rode in for a long, long time.

 

3) The 350Z is hardly slow in a straight line, but by modern standards it's not particularly fast either, especially compared to a lightly modded factory turbo car like a stage 2 MS3.

 

4) The Nissan transmission woes that someone else mentioned already are real. There's someone at work who went through three 350Z transmissions IIRC, and since he traded that in for a GT-R he's had trouble with its transmission too, though it hasn't needed rebuilding/replacement yet. (Granted, since we went through three transmissions I have to suspect that his driving was partly at fault, but if his shifting was THAT bad I'm sure Nissan would've noticed and tried to deny coverage.)

 

 

 

So what car should you get? This is where it gets tricky. These three come to mind:

 

1) C6 Corvette: There are great deals to be had on used C6's, but a Vette may or may not be your cup of tea. They're WAY faster than the 350Z, and have much more cheap mod potential. They ride MUCH better, even the Z51 suspension. Visibility is still poor compared to an LGT, but IIRC it's somewhat better than in a 350Z. And while little things might break, the engine and transmission are very tough. The C6 feels less nimble than a 350Z, but the 350Z isn't stellar in that regard either.

 

2) Evolution VIII/IX, if you can find one that wasn't beat or modded to shit. I know you already have a turbo AWD sedan/wagon, but old Evos are seriously fun cars. Drive one if you never have. The steering, suspension, seats, shifter, etc all come together in a way that makes almost any kind of driving fun. They're plenty fast in a straight line with just a reflash/custom tune. They're not unreliable either iff you treat them well. I know they look like junk inside and out, and attack lots of bad attention, but if you can get over that they're tons of fun on any kind of road in any kind of weather.

 

It doesn't sound like you want a convertible, but I think this one is worth mentioning anyways for a daily driver...

 

3) Boxster S: If you can get over the bargain Porsche image and rattly interior they're actually very sweet driving cars. They ride better than the 350Z, and probably handle better too, though I've driven neither to the limit. I suspect the Boxster S also pulls about as quickly as a stage 2 LGT at high speeds, thanks to less weight and less drivetrain loss. I know nothing about how reliable they are though. And they're convertibles, with a plastic rear window in the older (i.e. more affordable) ones, so visibility with the top up is horrible.

 

 

 

There's two more cars that come to mind that I'm not very familiar with:

 

4) M coupe (the Z3-based boot): I've never driven one, but they ought to be a lot of fun. Even in 240hp form they're pretty fast thanks to low weight, and in 330hp form they ought to be faster than anything else on this list except the C6 vette. I've heard that those high-revving M engines tend not to age well though. And the M coupe is rare enough that they might be pricey for any given age+mileage.

 

5) RX8: Again, I've never driven one, so this is all heresy. If you can get over the slowness and lack of torque they're supposed to have exceptional handling, and ride well at the same time. They're probably not what you're looking for, but are worth mentioning.

[owenmaxx]

i would recommend the ms3 unless you decide to TT/SC the Z its not fun other than sliding around. lol

[Viber]

Ms3

[LRegvall]

A few years ago I picked up a used Z3 drop top as a second car. I've been very happy with it. I use it for some trips, groceries, visibility is good, it is fun to drive (especially top down) and it is reasonably quick (around 2,800 lbs). A convertible makes a nice second car whether a Z3 or something else.