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Coupes & Convertibles Honda S2000 Honda S2000 vs. Nissan 350Z
183 messages, Last post on Sep 08, 2007 at 11:04 AM
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Replying to: habitat1 (Apr 26, 2007 5:52 pm) No question the Honda is smaller. If you think that's a good thing, then you'll be happy with it. If you want a little more interior room, the Z is better. Personally, I like the fact that the Z is a bit heavier and roomier. Where I live, I have to contend with 18-wheelers and other heavy traffic on the Beltway around Washington. When I test-drove smaller roadsters (like the Miata, for instance - comparable to the Honda) I felt buffeted and blown around. In the Z, I feel secure and sure-footed. If you can manage to drive only on twisty country roads, maybe a smaller car suits you better. For real-world driving, I want something a bit more substantial. But getting to the fun part - the Z has a 3 liter, 300 hp engine that is, year after year, named to Ward's best 10 list. The Honda has a 2.2L 237 hp. The Z is faster than the Honda in the 1/4 mile, in the time to 30 and in the time to 60. And in the all-important 60 to 0. The Honda's power band is higher than the Z's and some people complain it's buzzy. The Z gives you more low-end torque for faster take-offs. Both cars are arguably going after similar buyers, although the Honda is cheaper so perhaps might be more appealing to younger people on a budget. The only way to really know is test-drive them both.
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Replying to: biancar (Apr 27, 2007 10:56 am) "The Z is faster than the Honda in the 1/4 mile, in the time to 30 and in the time to 60. And in the all-important 60 to 0." If you are looking for a car that is fast and secure, have you checked out the Subaru Legacy GT and MazdaSpeed6? Both cars accelerate faster than the 350Z, and they have the bonus of a spacious 4 door cabin and large trunk. AWD guarantees that these sedans always feel surefooted too. http://www.caranddriver.com/features/12238/the-quickest-cars-of-2007-25000-to-30- 000.html Oh, and in a 2003 Car & Driver test of 5 convertible sports cars, the S2000 proved to be .1 sec faster than the 350Z to 60 MPH, .2 sec faster through the 1/4 mile, and pulled .04g better on the skidpad. http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/6846/the-blow-dryers.html So let's recap. The AWD sedans from Mazda and Subaru are faster and more surefooted than the 350Z, and the S2000 is faster and handles better with a lighter, more nimble platform. At least the 350Z is cool looking... |
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You're quoting from some pretty old stats there. But you're absolutely right about one thing, the 350Z is definitely cool-looking!  Look, if you like the Honda better, good for you. I'm trying to point out the differences between the two for people who are still shopping and still considering one over the other. It's not so much which is "better," because that's really subjective. It's more which is better for a given buyer, because while they're certainly comparable, there are differences that are going to be noticeable, depending on what a buyer is looking for. http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupe/112_0403_compact_sport_coupe_compariso- - n/2004- _nissan_350z.html In this comparo, the authors liked the Mazda RX-8 the best, 2nd place was the Nissan, last was the Honda. Some quotes: Re the Honda - "The S2000 still demands a certain buyer with very little luggage who values sport over everyday liveability. You don't so much drive the S2000 as wear it or ride it. It's the kind of car you'd love to find yourself in on California's coastal Highway 1 an hour before sunset with the guarantee of grippy, dry pavement and no highway patrolmen--but how often does that happen? If you currently own a motorcycle and are looking to come out of the cold, this is the perfect car." Re the Z - "If you consider the power-to-weight ratios, the Z still comes out ahead, as our acceleration times demonstrate. In fact, this is the quickest 350Z we've tested thus far...All this means a driver doesn't need to rev the Z's big 3.5-liter V-6 to 6000-plus rpm to find accelerative enjoyment. The Z is happy at just about any speed in just about any gear...In terms of around-town ride quality, we'd have to place this Nissan ahead of the go-kart-like Honda, but behind the magical Mazda. A close runner-up to number one, the 350Z Track Model is a heavy-handed, firm-riding musclecar among nimble middleweights... like Muhammad Ali, this big fella is surprisingly quick on his feet and packs a wallop." And one of the best comparos I've read: http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/convertibles/0308_roadsters/results_overvie- - - w.html Basically, if you want a car that excels at the track, that's light and tossable, and you're not too tall or too big or too muscular yourself, buy the Honda. If you want a car that excels more on the highway, has more interior room and is more of a muscle-car grand tourer, buy the Z. And if you've got more money, buy the Porsche or the BMW, but we won't get into that here! (By the way, interesting that you brought up the Subaru Legacy. That's what my husband would like to buy to replace our 2k Maxima, eventually.)
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Replying to: biancar (Apr 27, 2007 8:19 pm) The S2000 is one of the last serious, uncompromised "sports cars" you can buy new today - and it's no toy. It was built from the ground up to be one of the best sports cars on the road - period. I think the 350Z has a nice blend of performance and comfort, and can see why it's popular. But, if someone is looking for a "grand touring" car with a solid blend of sport and comfort, what does the 350Z have that the MazdaSpeed6 doesn't?
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Replying to: fedlawman (Apr 28, 2007 7:42 am) A convertible top.
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Replying to: fedlawman (Apr 28, 2007 7:42 am) Better yet, what does the 350Z have that the G35 and soon to be relaesed 330 hp G37 doesn't? Here's my point (again): The S2000 is truly a ground up lightweight high performance sportscar with as much innovative engineering as Acura put in the original NSX. The 350Z is, as even biancar points out, much more of a GT / Touring car in both weight, size and driving dynamics. I applaud Infiniti for the G35/G37. As a 4 passenger coupe, it has very competitive performance for the price. But the 350Z is not a visceral, tossable, outright hoot to drive sports car, IMO. As for "the convertible top" answer...well, that takes the 350Z even further away from the sports car category. If one wants a convertible 2 seater that weighs 700-800 lbs more than a Boxster or S2000 and only 500-600 lbs less than an Isuzu Trooper, that's certainly your perogative. But I think one is stretching the term beyond reason to call that a sports car/roadster. And in complete denial of the facts to call it "ground up". |
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Replying to: biancar (Apr 28, 2007 8:34 am) Maybe it's just me again, but when I've owned convertibles (an Alfa Romeo and a Miata), I can easily rest my elbow on the door sill, see all around outside the car, and feel the wind in my face and hair. I've noticed that when I see a 350Z convertible, all I can see is the drivers head peeking out from inside the cockpit. It's like they're sitting in a deep tub up to their chin, surrounded by windows (rolled up, of course) and a wind blocker - not exactly my idea of a convertible.
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Replying to: fedlawman (Apr 28, 2007 12:13 pm) Maybe that wouldn't be true of habitat cuz he says he's a short guy, but it's what I've seen. And even habitat switched out of his Honda after only 2 1/2 years to get a much more expensive car. FTR, I've only seen people in convertibles/roadsters (of any make) with the windows up and top down in the early spring and late fall, when I suspect they've got the seat heaters on as well, just trying to extend the season. God bless 'em. Personally I very rarely drive like that, but will admit to doing it sometimes. Anyway, I'm very happy with my Z, would recommend it to anyone who's looking for a fun to drive, reliable, very manueverable, roadster. And I'm sure Honda owners feel the same.
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Replying to: biancar (Apr 28, 2007 4:24 pm) Actually, I traded my s2000 on an Acura TL 6-speed in 2004 after my Maxima turned 150k miles. It wasn't until a year and a half later that I got the sports car bug again and had an opportunity to splurge. I was considering the Boxster S, but after several test drives, started convincing myself it wasn't worth $25k+ more than another S2000. Then I made the mistake of taking my wife and kids to check out the Boxster S "one last time". When I pulled back into the lot, they were all waiting for me in a 911 Cab. The rest is history. But I still recommend the S2000 over the base Boxster to those that ask. "Maybe that wouldn't be true of habitat cuz he says he's a short guy," Ouch. Did I say "short"? O.K., so I'm 5'7" / 160 +/- and the S2000 fit me like a glove. Care to share your dimensions?
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Replying to: habitat1 (Apr 30, 2007 4:36 pm) And I'm surrounded by brothers-in-law and my nephews who start at 6', and the tallest is 6'8". So I think of anything shorter than 5'10" as "short." My husband barely passes 5'10". I'm the shortest of the women in my family. We both feel like midgets when with my sisters and their families. Normal people probably do not feel this way. Interesting factoid: I was doing a little research on the J.D. Power site, and found that about a third of Z buyers are women. (The site doesn't break out demographics for roadsters vs. coupes, so this is all-inclusive.) About one-fourth of S2000 buyers are women. Now it's definitely true that the sides of the Z come up higher than they do on the S. You don't happen to like that; I do. I wonder if it's a female/male difference. Going out on a limb here, I think women in general look for safety and the feeling of being protected, perhaps consciously, perhaps just instinctively. In a roadster, obviously you're much more open to your surroundings, for good or for bad. And perhaps the higher sides just feel more protective? When I test drove the Miata, as a comparison, I felt very UN-protected, especially on the Beltway, and after that thought I would never want a roadster. But when I drove the Z for the first time (and I was comparing it with the then-brand new Volvo C70, which felt comfy but very staid), it felt fast, fun, sexy AND safe to me. Pretty much describes the ideal date, er, car, no?
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