Tesmond Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 Hi, I have recently been trying to choose my next car. I currently have an Audi A4 1.8T sport (193bhp), and I have been looking for a new car which must meet a few criteria. 1. It must be faster 2. It must be more fun (better handling + undefinable factors that make a car fun) 3. It must be around £15000 or less second hand 4. Reliability is a plus, but if the parts were cheap not the end of the world 5. I have to like the appearance of it One of these cars that meets this criteria is a 350Z. There are just a few "problems" with choosing this as my car and so I was hoping some owners might be able to advise me further so I can hopefully come to some sort of conclusion. The 350Z has the following positives + it is A LOT faster + it is more fun to drive + it is possibly the best looking new car under £60000 (well for me anyway) + research suggests that it is pretty reliable The 350Z has the following negatives: - 2 seats - heavy clutch - luggage space is even more limited than a Porsche Boxter. (I had a look at the convertible 350z and there is no chance of using it as your only car without a luggage rack or something!) The main problem I have stems from the fact that I do not think I can afford to run two cars, and if I find a way I want the 350z to be my main car. Obviously the 2 seats is the first problem, the second issue is at least 4 times a year (probably more if I have a really fun car) I drive 400+ miles in a day and the heavy clutch I believe would become a pain after a few hours of traffic. I think a large chunk of the problems would be removed with an automatic gearbox (although it would be sad not to be able to change gear I think the daily use pros outweigh the cons in this respect) So I have a couple of question about imports. 1. Is the automatic gearbox good / reliable? 2. A quick search on confused.com had a £300 pound difference between an auto import and a manual UK. Is this always going to be the case or are their any insurance companies who are more reasonable over the theoretically safer auto. 3. Servicing (are there any servicing issues/increased costs on imports, especially the automatics?) Other alternatives include: 1. RX-8 - ticks most of the boxes, I am worried by the build quality, but it is definitely a very fun car. 2. BMW ci330 - The 325 feels under-powered compared to my A4 so it has to be a 330 or M3. The sport leather seats are the best in any car I have ever sat in (with the possible exception of a Lamborghini Diablo, but that was too many years ago for me to remember clearly). The problem is I really would like to get something other than a BMW, but of my current list it is the sensible choice (unfortunately!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarnie Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 Not sure about your issue with the clutch to be honest. I've had two zeds and used to do about 2000 miles a month in them and never ever had a problem with the clutch. The MY06 onwards does have a lighter clutch but that does not make the previous one undriveable! Luggage space is limited but you would be suprised how much you can actually get in there! DON't buy a RX-8 DON't buy a 3 series instead of a zed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinmac Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 Hi bud, I regularily do a 350 mile commute to work in a roadter picking my mate up at the airport so so clutch issues and although we have to be a little carefule on what we carry, never been a great proble. Also carry a laptop in the boot. It is also possible to use the roof storage area for luggage with the roof up. Handy for occasional hols etc. I have driven autos for years and had there been a uk option with an auto would have gone down that route. Never regret the manual now, its great fun. Mine is a uk manual so cant comment on the auto JDM. Would rather decline to comment on the other contenders. I am familiar with them though. Best of luck with the search, think there are some in budget on here. Pros of buying on site, they will have been loved to death Cons, you will be taking away someones pride and joy. Anyway welcome to the site and good hunting And sorry bout the spelling, tired eyes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinbad Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 +1 on the clutch, never found it heavy at all. And luggage space in the convertable? Get a coupe!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 I can only really comment on the clutch out of all the issues covered. When I went for a test drive in my Zed I thought the clutch was unbeliebably heavy compared to my Leon (near as damn it an A3). The thing with Audi's is the clutches are always really light and anything feels heavier afterwards. Needless to say, it took me all of a day or two to get used to the Zed and now never have a problem. I have a 75mile round trip in the Zed every day to work and back and its not an issue at all after 6 months of driving it. Boot can fit more than you think if you are careful with your packing Just get the Zed and you'll be more than happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neo Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 mines a '54 Z coupe and the clutch as never felt heavy. surprising how much you can get in the zed boot, got 4 crates of 20x300 bottles of Bud in last weekend, with plenty of room to spare Welcome btw :bye: if you really really need 2 extra seats have you looked at a Nissan G35 (import only) same engine and chassis as a 350z not trying to put you off the 350Z it's just another option Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Ming Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 Buy a coupe. Enough space for an Asda shop. LOL If two seats is a genuine problem then its the wrong car!! I guess that as you are asking its not that big an issue. My Zed is my every day car and is regularly 'stolen' by the wife. Reliability is great and there is no problem with the clutch. It is not as light as the wife's Celica but she drives the zed for hours no problem. Ming the Daily Driver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tesmond Posted November 30, 2007 Author Share Posted November 30, 2007 I was interest about the clutch. You see I test drove 4 cars on the same day and the biting point of the clutch on the 350z was so much lower than any of the others it took a long time to get used to, also I did tense my leg on the clutch a lot more in traffic, because I was conscious that I was not able to get the biting point accurately and did not want to ram into anyone... I was wondering if this was the reason that it felt a bit tiring to drive. I test drove 4 cars on the same day 350z '05 325ci '03 RX-8 '06 A4 1.8T quattro S-line '03 If anyone is interested here are my views after spending 1 hour in each (well 2 hours in the 350z). 350Z - cabin feels quite spacious for the 2 passengers. Lots of fun, and the engine sounds great and has plenty of acceleration. Everything appears to be made of good quality, I checkedout some 2003s at the dealer to see if the plastics looked damaged, which tends to happen to cheap materials, but that was not the case with the 350z. It is beautiful inside and out. The lack of more than 2 seats is the big draw back. (will need a second car or to sell it when I have kids , plus if I need to pick up 2 people at the airport I am a little stuffed with no alternative) 325ci - Interior *felt* a bit cramped compared to the rest, but there are seats for up to 5 people. Also the seats were easily the most comfortable, I know several people who have lots of driving experience and they all agree that the M sport leather seats are great. The arm rest was too high and too short, on a couple of occasions I hit my elbow on it changing gear and it felt uncomfortable to rest my arm on as it was too far back. This I know would annoy me if I owned it. It is the same speed as my current Audi, although the drive was more enjoyable with feedback through the steering rather than the seat, whereas my Audi gives a bit too much through the seat. I would prefer the BWM to my Audi in terms of drive, but I am not willing to spend that amount of money for no real performance difference. A4 - Well I currently drive an A4, but the quattro is significantly slower than the fwd also I think the extra weight adversely affects the handling. However of all the cars the interior instruments, dials and trim were the nicest, but the quality of the ride was below that of the BMW and the fact that it was slower than my current car ruled it out straight away - its only other plus point would be that in the snow it would be much better than any of the others tested... RX-8 - Is a lot more fun than the BMW, the 9000rpm rev limit is fun, I liked the speedo+rev meters white glow. The engine is interesting, I do prefer the sound of a 350Z, but if your sitting at 70mph on the motorwayin the RX-8 is it great how quiet the car is. The center console is a perfect arm rest, it is the right height and has plenty of room to rest your arm on it, I would think its one of the best interior features. Basically after driving this I did not feel I could choose a BMW unless it was maybe a 330 or M3 as the performance + 4 seats and much lower price of the RX-8 put the 325 out of the running. Although I don't like the appearance of the RX-8 too much (especially the rear lights). Also I looked at 2004 models and the plastics had a lot of scratches, it looks like they are a bit cheap and will get old fast. In reviewing forums of RX-8s there are a lot of rust based problems, door sills, alloys, oil coolers, etc. This rust problem unfortunately makes me think that the whole thing is liable to fall apart after 7 year... If the 350z had four seats (or even 3) then it would be an easy decision, however the practicality problems are making me think hard about this next car. This is kind of compounded by the fact my fiance does not have a UK license, just an international one...so I can't really persuade her to get a "practical" car for us for some time... The "dont buy and RX-8" comment I feel is a little harsh. It certainly appears to be a good car for the money, and objectively* appears to handle as well *On the Top gear test track the M3, RX8 and 350Z all have the same track times, this suggests that as both the 350Z and the M3 are significantly faster 0-60 the RX-8's handling must be as good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lomoto Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 The RX8 is sooo ugly and drinks oil like Oliver Reed drank beer Your other two choices are just humdrum rep cars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Ming Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 Hi I would say that the clutch on the car you test drove was either badly adjusted or badly worn as the biting point on my car is normal. Much higher that the Celica I also drive! Ming the curious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lomoto Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 HiI would say that the clutch on the car you test drove was either badly adjusted or badly worn as the biting point on my car is normal. Much higher that the Celica I also drive! Ming the curious +1 Ming There are a few lady member / drivers on here and they seem to have no probs, I would suggest another drive in a different car or perhaps a trip to the gym Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickya Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 Heavy clutch...you should try driving A TVR!! I think any clutch would feel heavy after comming from an Audi which has very very light clutch feel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarnie Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 I was interest about the clutch. You see I test drove 4 cars on the same day and the biting point of the clutch on the 350z was so much lower than any of the others it took a long time to get used to, also I did tense my leg on the clutch a lot more in traffic, because I was conscious that I was not able to get the biting point accurately and did not want to ram into anyone. I know that feeling!!! This is what happened on my test drive http://www.350z-uk.com/forum/viewtopic ... test+drive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmmackfc Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 I have to be honest the clutch is heavy in comparison to a lot of cars, however I would agree with the rest of the comments that it not really an issue when driving it. The RX-8 as Lomoto says loves oil and the MPG is terrible for the size of engine, christ I've got a 6.0L and I'm not a million miles off what it gets. I nearly went for a 335 BMW but then I thought .... totally soleless The only issue you'll have is 2 seats, seriously think about that and if you can live with it. That is the reason I had to part with mine as I couldn't take our niece out anywhere. If you decide to get one I've got a lovely set of 19s for sale good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pingu2 Posted December 1, 2007 Share Posted December 1, 2007 yes the clutch IS heavy compared to many modern cars - although the biting point shouldnt feel particularly low in my xp. ive driven 800 miles in a weekend and had no problem with the clutch.. up to you to decide if you can live with 2 seater though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H5 Posted December 1, 2007 Share Posted December 1, 2007 Not sure about your issue with the clutch to be honest. I've had two zeds and used to do about 2000 miles a month in them and never ever had a problem with the clutch. The MY06 onwards does have a lighter clutch but that does not make the previous one undriveable! Luggage space is limited but you would be suprised how much you can actually get in there! DON't buy a RX-8 DON't buy a 3 series instead of a zed + 1 - except the two Zeds bit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim Posted December 1, 2007 Share Posted December 1, 2007 Hi, So I have a couple of question about imports. 1. Is the automatic gearbox good / reliable? Yes - very smooth changes and the tiptronic works really well. 2. A quick search on confused.com had a £300 pound difference between an auto import and a manual UK. Is this always going to be the case or are their any insurance companies who are more reasonable over the theoretically safer auto. I'm insured with Admiral for £280 3. Servicing (are there any servicing issues/increased costs on imports, especially the automatics?) I get mine serviced at a local non-franchised garage that I trust - no problems in 18 months of ownership. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbs Posted December 1, 2007 Share Posted December 1, 2007 mines a '54 Z coupe and the clutch as never felt heavy. surprising how much you can get in the zed boot, got 4 crates of 20x300 bottles of Bud in last weekend, with plenty of room to spare Welcome btw :bye: if you really really need 2 extra seats have you looked at a Nissan G35 (import only) same engine and chassis as a 350z not trying to put you off the 350Z it's just another option Are these only for US market or can you get them RHD? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinmac Posted December 1, 2007 Share Posted December 1, 2007 http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews ... g35_s.html http://www.channel4.com/4car/rt/infiniti/g35/1702/2 http://www.neweraimports.com/soldcarDet ... ?carId=182 A bit of light reading bud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
u2---- Posted December 1, 2007 Share Posted December 1, 2007 The RX8 is sooo ugly and drinks oil like Oliver Reed drank beer It drinks 1 Litre every 2000 miles and is designed to do so btw. Not quite liver transplant Ollie Reed figures! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chesterfield Posted December 1, 2007 Share Posted December 1, 2007 Hi and welcome to the site Hope you enjoy it - luggage space is even more limited than a Porsche Boxter. (I had a look at the convertible 350z and there is no chance of using it as your only car without a luggage rack or something!) We used to have a roadster, and we found the space more than ample. Granted you couldnt do a family shop in it, but it does have a tardis when you are in desperate need of space. At a JAE meet we managed to get in ours: 2x folding chairs 1x folding Table 2x sleeping bags 2x days food 2x fleeces 2x changes of clothes 1x 5 berth full height tent 1x 3m x3m gazebo 1x folder of club paraphenalia 1x paper guillotene 1x Disclock steering wheel lock 1x 3m club banner and poles and other various items such as cameras, bags, shoes etc.. It is surprising, but you wouldnt want to rely on it for transporting many large/bulky items if it was your only car. The above was possible using the tardis. Thats where you press the button to retract the roof, stop halfway where you can access the void (where the roof is about to go), stuff it full of soft squashy items (fleeces/tents/sleeping bags) and then put the roof back up. I would very much be of the opinion that this will void the warranty if you bugger the roof up doing that, and it certainly isnt in the manual, but when needs must - it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lomoto Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 The RX8 is sooo ugly and drinks oil like Oliver Reed drank beer It drinks 1 Litre every 2000 miles and is designed to do so btw. Not quite liver transplant Ollie Reed figures! still ugly though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neo Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/204333/infiniti_g35_s.html http://www.channel4.com/4car/rt/infiniti/g35/1702/2 http://www.neweraimports.com/soldcarDet ... ?carId=182 A bit of light reading bud thx for supplying the links although some of those are the saloon version Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nixy Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 I don't really understand what you lot mean by heavy clutch but then I've had so many cars I just get used to driving whatever I've got but certainly don't find it a problem and I sit in lots of traffic on my way to work. I saw a skyline 350 at Trax this year, is this a different car to the one you guys are talking about? Was just like a Z but with back seats, same engine etc according to the guy who owned it. It's in this link fifth car down. http://www.350z-uk.com/forum/viewtopic ... kyline+350 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebized Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 The only issue you'll have is 2 seats, seriously think about that and if you can live with it. That is the reason I had to part with mine as I couldn't take our niece out anywhere. good luck As the need for more than two seats is a big issue, but heavy MPG ain't , then do what rmmackfc has done and buy a Monaro - far better than the other options you have tried - the noise they make is just awesome and a great wolf in sheeps clothing meaning you don't get the wrong attention, until you put the peddle to the metal that is... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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