S2000 Vs. 350Z

[surfdragon]

Hey folks - I am an S2K enthusiest -

My best friend just got a 350Z and is in love with it. I am trying to decide what I want to get. I am leaning toward the S2K but he is tryin to sell me on getting a 350Z and doing a good job.

Can ya help me out?

[gomarlins3]

The 350Z is a nice car, go for it.

[Kick it down a gear]

From what i understand the S2K will make the 350Z feel a little lazy. The 350Z is a good car but it wont handle the same way that a S2K will.

[surfdragon]

s2k + supercharger, breaks, body kit, hard top, wheels > everything else on the road

[s2000isu]

lol at gomarlins. I think the s2000 feels like more of a sports car. Personally i think the s2000 is a classier car that holds value better plus there are a million of them around. But drive both and decide for yourself

[gomarlins3]

Originally Posted by surfdragon

s2k + supercharger, breaks, body kit, hard top, wheels > everything else on the road

Not quite. Nice, but not better than everything else on the road.

[bjurasz]

I own a S2000 and I gave a 350Z a good test drive. They drive very differently. The 350Z definitely feels bigger and heavier, which it is. I found both cars to have a tendancy to oversteer. The Nissan motor is rather nice, having a big supply of usable torque and good horsepower, being very nice at lower revs and part throttle. Personally I prefer the small, light, nimble feel of the S2000.

[J.Tan]

It's 2 different car, V6 & S4. Both has its own character. For expressway pleasure, I will go for the V6. Touge, Autokhana, Autocross & Gymkhana, I prefer the S4.

[karnito]

How much are you going to pay for the 350Z, and how much are you willing to pay for the s2k? Is there an 2sk that you are interested of buying?

[Java Junky]

First things first: I haven't driven 350Zs for more than a test drive.
That said, I think that all the minor (to me anyway) differences aside, the one difference that would mean the most would be the road manners of each.
While the 350Z isn't quite in Mustang territory, it has the ample power, from down low on up, to allow you considerable tail-out, controllable oversteer slides in the corners. "Steerin' with the go pedal". A style of driving that some are comfortable with n' some jus' ain't.
Stewie doesn't have that low end (n' from what I'm gatherin' not even when SCed r' turboed) n' it's power, akin to the bike engines that it's engine is similar to, is up top, n' when it comes on, comes on like gangbusters. Not the kind of power that is somethin' that can always be played with predictably in a corner. The drivin' style requires more restraint n' finesse, n' if you prefer to motor past the roadside scenery rather than become part of it, a real concentrated effort on jus' where you are in regard to the throes of VTEC n' Stewie's traction/point-of-no-return edge.
What's your style? Choose accordingly.
Be well . . n' like the old knight said . . .
Java

[surfdragon]

well put!!! thank you Java!

[J.Tan]

Went for hilldrive with my S2000 today. I somehow feel that the car has lots of unwanted movement at the rear. I guess probably due to its stock suspension..please comment.
I own a MRS too. I somehow feel more confident with MRS went come to enter & exit corner.
Comment welcome..

[Kick it down a gear]

The AP1 tends to have a twitchy tail. From what i have felt driving the car, as long as you know what you are doing you shouldnt have much of a problem. I have had the tail come out on me, it happens fast but its pretty easy to get back in line. Its not a car you disrespect becasue it will come back at you.

Personnally I get a lot of entertainment out of pushing the car and working to keep it pointing forward. You really have to drive the car. Having a car that is easy to drive fast isnt nearly as rewarding as having a car that you really have to drive.

I havent driven an AP2 but from what i have heard the revised suspension really helped keep the tail planted.

[bjurasz]

I'm pretty new to the S2K crowd (2006 model, 3 months old) but I have noticed the back is a bit twitchy. I had a friend about 8 years ago with an Acura NS-X. I do know that Acura had to put a lot of negative rear camber to keep the rear planted, and my friend complained that the car tended to over-steer and that it chewed through rear tires. I heard similar tales about first-gen S2K. The reason I heard was Honda/Acura's lack of experience with rear-drive. Dunno. I should have my car on Hallett early next year so I should get some first-hand experience with how the car behaves. My last serious sports car was a C4 Corvette. For all its short-comings that car loved to be under power on corner exit.

[Halo]

The 350s chew through rear tires faster than any S. There are stickied threads about this on various 350 boards,

[s2000isu]

I do not think the s has issues with oversteer at all. I think some of us have a right foot issue hehe.

[bjurasz]

Funny s2000isu. But in all seriousness, if there is no way for the S to power out of a corner under full throttle then that is indeed a problem. My 92 Corvette could certainly be induced into oversteer with the throttle. But setup and enter a corner properly and you could make use of full throttle upon exit with the car very well planted. As poor as that car was in daily street driving I was very surprised with how very well it did on the track. I'm hoping my S can come close to that.

[s2000isu]

I slapped some 245 tires on the back which I will add arent the best tires in the world and mine sticks pretty darn well. Lets face it some turns unless you drive a car set up for the track youre gbacks gonna kick out full throttle coming outa a turn. Ive driven your body style vette and ive driven the s and personally I like how the S feels alot more its flatter around the turn and has better feel. Theyre actually kinda close in speed too. I dunno when I first got the car it had very worn 225 noname tires on it and I could not put it into a turn at all and when those tires broke loose they really broke loose. Now that I have the 245's you can feel when it wants to go and its very easy to control. All in all I love how the car feels and holds the road. How long have you owned the car now?

[bjurasz]

That's very encouraging to know your comparsion between the two. I've had the S for only 3 months.

[s2000isu]

lol you beat me by a month haha. Luckily I worked at a chevy and cadillac dealership and I drove everything. Porches, cadillac xlr's supposed to be on a vette platform doesnt feel like one ride like one and has garbage tires, cts-v awesome car, vettes from early 90's to 2007 z06's included no not the 06 z06. I spent alot of time in vettes though I admit the new ones do out handle the S and do stick better getting on it around turns. I guess thats the 20 thousand dollar difference at work. Evo's and sti's evos are the easiest to drive i think cobalt ss blah to that car. I dunno it took me about a month to really get the feel of the s where i felt comfortable pushing it. I am normally the guy that can hop in any car and feel real comfortable pushing it but the s takes some getting used to and I still have a ways to go. But after all my rambling is said and done I see no reason why stock vs stock the s will go around a turn just as fast as that 92

[Java Junky]

"but the s takes some getting used to and I still have a ways to go."
So sayeth s2.
Thanks s2. It's refreshin' to have somebody acknowledge that you jus' don't jump into Stewie n' drive it the same way you were drivin' your XTerra. Samey-same about it takin' time learnin' to properly drive Stewie.
As for expectin' Stewie to compare well to the strong points of a '92 'Vette . . apples n' oranges guys.
Jus' because the little feller ain't exitin' the corner like your 'Vette did when you drive it like you did your 'Vette, don't blame Stewie. If there's a problem, it doesn't appear to be affectin' the folks that'r autocrossin' n' racin' Stewie. They're exitin' corners at full song, n' if that were the kind'a exit strategy that you're experiencin' bj, I don't think you'd be complainin'.
Don't let the roadster "motif" fool you. Simply put: they're entirely different vehicles requirin' entirely different drivin' styles to get the most out of 'em.
I'd venture a guess n' say that a problem involvin' Stewie exitin' a corner without gusto lies with the steerin' wheel/shifter/gas pedal nut. Proper adjustment of that nut, in most cases, will yield much better results.
Be well.
Java (An elderly, bearded, baldin' steerin' wheel/shifter/gas pedal nut)

[s2000isu]

Ive noticed when I get excited about things my typing grammar and so on goes way down hill.

[Java Junky]

Well, if there were any grammatical (grammarical?) errors: 1) I sure's hell didn't pick up on 'em, n' 2) I sure's hell didn't care.
I was jus' glad to read your response.
I mean . . come on s2. The garbage I put out . . . you think I'm gonna point a finger?
Be well.
Java

[J.Tan]

Thanks for the input.."Kick It Down A Gear"

[Kitikithakis]

Ok , not that I'm any kind of expert by any means, but I saw this post and decided to go to my local Nissan House and give one a test drive. This is my take on the 350Z: Its a really nice car inside. There's enough room to sit comfortably and drive it well and all the dash components are easy to see and reach. To me the seats are too squishy though (for lack of a better term here). I like my seat stiff so I can feel the road. I didnt like the steering wheel angle either. Ok, so started it up....wow. Nice sound and feel. Found reverse and headed to the street with the sales guy pointing me to a nice strip behind the dealership. He told me "ok, put your foot in it".....That was his first mistake. When I tromped it it leaped. Good sign. The thing has really nice power but the gearing felt like it was a tad off between 3rd and 4th. We came to an "s" turn so I eased into it just to see how the car rolled. It was pretty steady but not as good as the S2000. It felt like the back wanted to come around. BTW, the turn was a sweeping S so it was fairly easy to hit at 60. I came to the end of the road and turned it around and the sales guy said "Now that you're done playing, REALLY take those turns." That was his second mistake. I hit the first turn at 70 and gassed it at the apex, the car rolled a bit and I gassed it for the second part. The car leaned like a champ and I hit the second part at almost 90. I was VERY impressed. SO back to the yard we went. After some chat about horse power, and his brother wreckin his 350, we got to price....The one I was driving was 42K. And that was the last mistake. My jaw hit the floor. He said this one wasnt even "loaded". So , in a nutshell, I really liked the overall performance of the car. I felt uncomfortable taking the "s" turns at high speed though. I felt like I was going to come outta the seat. The shifting was nice but I felt a slight grind between 2nd and 3rd at times (might have been me. I like to speed shift). It didnt roll as much as I thought it would and the there wasnt the rough "road feel" like the s2000 has. I prefer to feel the road in this case. I can tell that nissan mixed sport and comfort into this though. Personally I'll take the S2000 mainly for price, size and the "racey" feeling I get when I drive it. Hope this helps but my suggestion is to test em both and go from there. Its definitely your driving style that will decide it for you.

[Halo]

42k? is that in Canada? Seems high.

[s2000isu]

lol thats the first thing I thought too then I looked as saw he was from Tx. I would not pay 42k for a 350z the car is just not worth it. For a few grand more you could have a new vette or a cts-v.

[gomarlins3]

$42,000 is too rich for my pocket book.

[Halo]

Originally Posted by s2000isu