I've been seriously considering, trading in my wrx for an 05 350z, has anyone on here done that switch?

 

I work for Nissan and drive the Z everyday. I would never trade in my WRX in for a Z. A 2 seater first off, uncomfortable to drive everyday, drives like a tank, very cramped, can hardly see a thing out the back windows and you have to practically put down both windows and stick your head out to see. 2 wheel drive to AWD, WRX's are faster than Z's 0-60 and 1/4 mile, there is a way larger market for aftermarket parts for Subies and to top it off there is no community more knowledgable than this one. Plus WRX's just have a lot more potential than a Z. I see these cars all day in and out of the shop (and probably the most frequent out of any Nissan) and they have a lot of problems. Transmissions tear downs are like an everyday thing, a lot of motor swaps and a lot of 12 volt accessories that poop out and constantly need adjusting, windows, locks and other wiring issues. I have had my WRX for over 2 years and I haven't even brought it to a shop to get work done. Again, I would never buy a Z over a WRX.

 

If considering the Z....I'd go with the G35 coupe. Basically same car with 4 seats.

 

I drove the 350Z several times before. I was unimpressed by the car. It felt underpowered and slow. If you want a good FR 2 seater sports car, get an S2000 instead. I drove my cousin's '04 S2000, it felt ALOT better than the track model 350Z I drove before. It was faster and handled way better stock.

 

Hmm.. Maybe it felt slow because it has a flatter torque curve than the WRX or s2000? I thought my friends automatic 350z had quite a bit of power.

The real joy in the 350z is the handling... I was very surprised. In the dry, the 350z should be able to decimate a WRX stock for stock. With that said, there may be a better option for you in that price range.

 

I rode in my buddies Z (mt) and it felt faster than when I drive a WRX (mt).....

 

my buddy is selling his 03' (auto) with 6k miles for $26000... he had a baby

 

350z? no way jose

 

i would get one for my secondary ...well, no i wouldnt

 

A few weeks ago I had a bug up my *** about the 350Z, which was brought on by seeing one with the Stillen package, a nice ground effects package, and very nice deep dish wheels on it while I was at a gas station. In fact, I turned into the gas station just to check it out. It was beautiful.

So, I did what anyone would do that was on a "350Z kick" and checked one out at a local dealership. The seats were nice, and I liked it, but there was no trunk space. The car was totally impractical. The 350Z is definitely a weekend toy. I think you would be disappointed with a 350Z for this reason alone.

Fast forward to last week, as I was still "caught up on" the 350Z; that is until I ended up pulling up behind one on a back road with its shares of straights and curves.

The 350Z owner saw me lurking in the rearview, and decided he wanted to dance. I obliged. He nailed the gas and took off, at first what it seemed like "feeling out" my STi. After a few minutes, it was on, and we were off. On the straights he couldn't pull on me, and when corners came up they didn't help him either. He simply just could not shake me. I didn't even feel like it was hardly any effort to hang with him. The 350Z just didn't stack up to my STi in either of the most important "performance departments."

Well, to say the least, that was the end of my "350Z love." I still think it's a very nice car, but I no longer have the urge to own one.

For the record, this 350Z that I ran into seemed to be stock. I have nothing more than a Cobb AP Stage 1 program and a K&N filter. Everything else is stock, including my suspension and tires.

I think you should stick with your WRX. I think you'd be glad you did.