Well I have been looking for a new car for a couple months, and have narrowed it down to these two. To me it seems like they are both very similar, but both have their general differences. This car is going to be a daily driver so I want something comfortable that can get from point A to B quickly if need be. I like the fact that the S is a convertible which makes it fun for sunny so-cal, also the option of a hardtop, but it seems just a little too small. The Z on the other hand, has much more room on the inside, and you can get straight to the "trunk" without having to go to the back of the car which I personally find more convenient. Also, everyone and their mother's have Z's now adays, S's are a little more on the rare side. I plan on modding it first with the obvious: wheels, exhaust, intake, brakes, and suspension. If you didn't own either, and weren't biased towards either, and took both stock for stock, what would you choose, and why? Also, which of the two do you think would respond better to those couple of mods?

 

The S - I bought it after test driving, Z4, Boxster, 350Z, Alfa Spider, Lotus Exige & Elise

The S is the best daily drive all rounder option ( although the Porsche is up there also - but there are just so many of them )

The 350Z is bloated, yes it is big inside because it is big outside.
The S is small as it was designed to be small, nimble, and handle like a demon.

It is what it is.
If you want to buy a car for trunk access, the S isn't the car for you.

The S is already highly tuned, the best mod you can get for it is a proper geometry setup and pay for track lessons to learn how to drive it properly.
Good luck in choosing.
Best
Gaspode

 

If you like the driving feel of the S2000, you probably won't like the driving feel of the 350Z. The reverse is probably true too.

To me the 350Z feels like a Japanese muscle car. The S2000 is light, nimble, and a lot of fun.

 

I looked into both of these cars before making my decision (with my parents money ). I setled on the S, odviously, because it is a very uncommon sight. The Z, is not as reliable as the S2000. The S is in a small box, but will knock you out. The Z is very sleak in its design, but there are major flaws known to the US. During shipping to your dealership, I promis that the bottom of the frame is bent. This happens with all Zs made today, unless the dealership makes the cars. Atleast this is what my fathers friend found out after a month of ownership wich was in 2004. The Zs safty ratings are much lower than the S2000s also. The S2000s mods are very limited compared to the Z because of the exposure it gets on todays market. If you do go with an S2000, go with the AP1 to get what the S2000 is made for. It has broken all limits known to the Inline world. 9000 RPMs begging to be used by anyone who drives it, and VTEC that urges you to try out when the car is nice and warm. The S2000 does have a few flaws itself, such as not a lot of cargo space, so if you are going on a long trip, do pack lightly. The S2000 and the Z are both very un-cozy on long trips, for maybe three hours or more, when you get out you are very glad, but about 10 minutes later, you want more. Well, thats all from me, hope I helped your decision!
- Kyle

 

I think if i were concerned about space and comfort then i would get the 350z.

The S2000 is a drivers car, it small, loud, and not comfortable.
I currently commute 100 miles (roundtrip) and the s2000 is my daily driver. The car is loud but i like driving with the radio OFF and both hands the steering wheel (except when i shift).


>> if your looking for a comfortable, spacious car then get the Z.

>>The S2000 is a drivers car meant to be driven not ridden.

 

Ever driven a 350Z with no traction control in the rain? People who think AP1s are tail happy have no clue what a Z is like without TC turned on. Anyways, the 350Z is much bigger and heavier, very much like a Japanese GTO in my opinion. It does handle fairly well, but comparing the Zs handling to the S2k is like comparing an S2k to an Elise. It doesn't take many mods to make an S as fast as a 350Z in a straight line, the S is more fun to drive, and it's convertible. The transmission and clutch both feel better (to me). I would go with the S.

 

Thanks. Input has been great! More opinions would be greatly appreciated.

 

I wrench on 350Zs all day long at my job and I personally own an S2000. I have to say, the new 2007 350Z is a pretty nice car. If you want to go that route I suggest a base MT coupe. They can be had for as little as 27K. the new VQ35HR with 306 hp and dual throttlebodies is a pretty damn nice engine for what it is. Very torquey and revs out to 7500RPM, not too shabby for a big 3.5L V6. The 6 shifter in previous model year 350Zs left alot to be desired but Nissan did a good job addressing that in the 07. The VDC setup in the 350Z is terrible and the only way to get a Z without it is to purchase a base model. (Which is the best one anyway.) Even the base has Bi-Xenon headlights now. Don't sweat the lack of LSD too much because Viscous LSDs are terrible and barely lock anyway. An aftermarket piece is highly reccomended if you intend to track your Z. The Z is much more comfortable aswell on long trips.

All that said, I perfer the sharpness in the handling of my S2000, which is something a standard Z lacks. The S2000 with its superior double wishbone configureation is also worlds ahead of the 350Zs multi-link setup which lacks any sort of factory front camber adjustment.

I also enjoy the weight advantage the S has, lower polar moment, superior steering feedback, Torsen LSD (stock) and in my opinion better rearward visability even with the soft top up.

I drive and wrench on 350Zs all the time. They are great daily driveable sports cars, have decent interiors and some sex appeal if thats important to you. The also respond much better then an S to simple bolt-on engine modifications, perticularly the 07s where people have seen 35+ hp just from the usual intake, exhaust, cat delete.

I hope I helped you make a decision.

 

What a thorough and insightful review, Mines13. Great stuff.

 

I was in your predicament a few months ago. I ultimately went with an S2000 because I had heard the early year 350z's weren't too reliable (tranny issues?). I was going to get used either way, so that affected my decision. That, and after test driving the s2000, I just had to have one.

Obviously your personality/priorities are going to the most important. My friend got one as well, shortly after I did, and personally, I feel he would have been happier in a 350z. He's more of a cruiser/practical kind of guy, where music and comfort is important. Where the engine roar is music to my ears, its an annoyance to him.

Music, you're not going to hear very well in an S2000 without an audio upgrade, especially if you're driving it into vtec all the time (where well is compared to a sedan/coupe). Comfort, the stock suspension is pretty stiff. The cup holders are relative lightweights. And the trunk is minuscule.

If you're more of a performance fiend, you'll appreciate the transmission, the engine, and the handling, and you can look past those other things.
I love the transmission (one of the strongest points of the s2000), and for stock, I think the suspension is pretty awesome.

The new Z is faster stock (please don't flame me =p), and roomier. It's about 400 pounds heavier, though. And to me, the transmission is no where near as fun as the S2000's.