I purchased mine for the looks and reliability factors. I also dig the fact that is a manual. This is my first Honda, before this I drove a BMW M3 and Audi S4 which I adore both of those cars. I considered moving to a Porsche 911, but opted out due to living in Chicago and not being able to drive it all year round. My next choice was the Honda and so far I have really enjoyed driving it!

 

My gosh were do I start.. I test drove probably 18-20 different cars before deciding on the S. I was really trying to convince myself that the S was just too small for my use. The S was the only car out of many that I didn't drive before buying because of my past experience with early AP1's..

Vehicles test driven:
Maxima
Murano
ML55 amg 02
350z
g35c
g35 4dr
530i
330i
GTi
Passat
TL
A3
Magnum
Sport Trac
Mini S
C230 sport
IS350
LR3
FX35
GTO

Believe it or not I drove everyone of these cars and only one really stood out for me. It was the IS350, I loved everything about that car and it still has a special place in my heart . But in the end I got an S... I will probably end up getting an IS as well

 

Right now I'm torn between getting an S2k, or a 350z. The only requirements that my car must have include:

-Must be an Import (I will never drive a Domestic. )
-Must be RWD or AWD.. No more FWD for me.
-Must be newer than 03, or 04.
-Sporty.

The only cars I came up with are the S2k, 350z, Sti, and Evo. I quickly ruled out the Sti/Evo because they are sedans. Although they are boosted, and pretty quick, they are not really what I'm looking for.

That leaves me with the S2k and 350z. I CANNOT decide which one I want. I have test driven both, numerous times, and I like both equally. The s2k is much more fun, and agile. But, the Z has lots more power/torque.

Hmm, anyone have any deciding factors that may sway my opinion?

 

Yea, easy, community and rarity factor. I read somewhere they have sold something like over twice as many 350Zs as S2000s. They are a dime a dozen as they are offered with a slushbox and a range of trims.

350Z community sucks. I'd have to say 85% of the owners Ive met are asshats. The S2000 community is little different. Its seems more tight nit.

I used to be a "Z" guy - '89 Z31 turbo and '71 S30 turbo'ed. I still have the 240Z and like the Z community Pre-350 - but its just not for me anymore.

 

That car is gorgeous. Much nicer looking than a Ferrari 246.

 

I understand your dilemma. I'm not sure which trim level your looking at with the z but I found the z to be more comfortable and more user friendly then the S. Touring with sat nav is the one that I was considering only because of the heated seat option, nicer stereo and of course the nav. The interior was a little plasticy for my taste and I just didn't feel right in the car. Same goes for the G35c.

 

Yeah, I hear ya on the Z community. I don't have either car yet, but I do frequent both the Z forum (My350z.com) and the S2k forum daily (although I do not post much). I have noticed that when I'm on the Z forum, I get bored easily. It seems like everybody is so serious and it just doesn't seem like a fun community to be part of. On the other hand, I come on S2ki and I can just sit here and read threads for hours. Everyone seems more friendly and helpful.

Meh, I still have to decide on the S or the Z. I'm slowly starting to favor the S.

Did anyone else have a hard time choosing between the S or the Z?

 

A lot of interesting stories there.. I could imagine the excited you guys had when buying S.

For me, I was brainwashed the first time I saw S. Didn't test drive any other car. Fell in love with the look of s, and that's it lol. Now after reading all these test drives, maybe someday I need to go test drive other cars just for fun.

 

Had an RX8 that had become my second vehicle. Wanted my second vehicle to be convertible and more fun so I traded for the S.

 

I was considering either the Enthusiast or the Touring edition. I was trying to stay away from 03/04 since they have notorious tranny problems. The '05's however seem to be fine.