Article Comments - 2009 Nissan 370Z vs. 2008 BMW 135i

39 messages, Last post on Oct 04, 2009 at 7:21 AM

You are in the Nissan 350Z/370Z Forum. Your Host is claires

What is this discussion about? Nissan 370Z, BMW 1 Series, Car Comparisons, Coupe

Comparison Test: 2009 Nissan 370Z vs. 2008 BMW 135i - The BMW 135i wasn't napping, though. On its second and fifth braking attempts, the Bavarian repeated silent and controlled stops from 60 mph of 108 feet. The Z-car has an advantage here in tire choice, but we also found that the BMW brake system makes it a little easier to jump on the pedal and still get response that is more linear and easier to modulate. (more)

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#1 of 39 Article Comments - 2009 Nissan 370Z vs. 2008 BMW 135i by KarenS HOST Dec 15, 2008 (12:04 pm)
What comes after Z?, we wondered when Nissan let the stage go black in 1996 and officially bid farewell to the Z-car at an event at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Sales of the twin-turbo 300ZX had been declining as fast as applications for library cards, so Nissan simply stopped selling the car in the U.S. It made us wonder where the Z fit in Nissan's future. Comparison Test: 2009 Nissan 370Z vs. 2008 BMW 135i
#2 of 39 4-seater vs 2-seater? by seth7 Dec 16, 2008 (1:10 am)
The elephant in the room is that the 4-seat BMW comes within a hair of the performance of the two-seater, losing only on the skidpad with admittedly inferior stock tires. That strikes me as a pretty incredible achievement. I wouldn't have thought a car with such a completely different design would come close to something built for a much narrower specialty. Other magazines have also tested the 135's 0-60 at 4.8 seconds. I just had my 135's software updated to 32.2 and it's much faster than it was when I got it. As for the styling, I get a lot of compliments on mine. Maybe it is a European sensibility. But I think it looks poised, crouched, cat-like, ready to spring. Go to the zoo and look at the the tigers sometime. Watch their supple, confident stride. Meanwhile, the 3-series is just another bland jellybean that looks like it could be made by Lexus or Mercedes as well as BMW, with some roundels stuck on. I remember how ugly I thought the Jaguar XJ6 was when it first came out. Clunky. Now I think it's one of the most beautiful sedans ever built. Just wait 10 years Chris, and people will be talking about the great lines of this car. It is very much its own design, looks like nothing else and yet is not flashy. Replies to this message: roadburner (Dec 16, 2008 6:27 am) 01wht35 (Jan 09, 2009 7:22 am)
#3 of 39 finally by huyracing Dec 16, 2008 (2:15 am)
a proper step forward for the Z in performance. the styling is better than the 350Z, but i just wish the lights were different. the red looks ok because the tail lights sort of blend in, but any other color is no good. if i bought one, i'd likely run off to a paint shop and have them color match the lights, so they form a more pleasing shape. and if there is an elephant in the room, i dont see, hear, nor smell it... 4 seats only count if they are useful. i don't have tiny kids or "little people" as friends, so that wouldn't be useful. as far as i'm concerned the 135i is a 2-seater w/ insurance premium reducers in the back. i really would like to see a cayman s in the mix to see how well Nissan really did at benchmarking it. by the numbers of other magazines, it seems the porsche may have a slight edge still.
#4 of 39 Re: 4-seater vs 2-seater? [seth7] by roadburner Dec 16, 2008 (6:27 am)
Replying to: seth7 (Dec 16, 2008 1:10 am) I don't think many people will be cross-shopping these two cars. In my case, I think I'd pick a CPO 2007 335i coupe with SP over a new 1er equipped to my specs. If I could fit a two-seater into my fleet right now I'd give the Nissan a serious consideration, although I'd probably end up with a nice 993 instead. Replies to this message: 01wht35 (Jan 09, 2009 7:22 am)
#5 of 39 135i is the better car by 4circledbeauty Dec 16, 2008 (10:38 am)
370Z seems to be a pretty remarkable track machine according to the comments made in the article. 135i seems to me as an all-rounder that would possibly beat the 370Z in every aspect had the tires used were comparable. Yes, 135i does not get points for styling and yes, it costs more but you get more luxury, better drive comfort and track-worthiness when needed.... I'd say 135i wins this one.... As a side note, the comparisons made with the 350Z tend to send a vibe that the comparison was not really between the 370Z and 135i but more like 370Z and 350Z... if this is the case... 370Z wins....
#6 of 39 Warranties mixed up by 1speedbike Dec 16, 2008 (10:59 am)
I know BMW offers 4 years / 50k miles of basic warranty with free maintenance, as well as 4 years / unlimited miles roadside assistance. Did Edmunds mix up the two warranty columns? I love the 370Z, though, it's beautiful and sporty. But, I must agree, why cross shop a 2-seater vs. 4-seater? 370Z is a sports car, 135i is a sporty passenger car, but wow, they're both monsters! It's a miracle of engineering that the bigger 135i can match the 370Z in performance and still offer luxury comforts. Replies to this message: giny1 (Jan 08, 2009 1:13 pm) claires (Jan 14, 2009 8:26 am)
#7 of 39 Nice by sjaieve Dec 17, 2008 (12:13 pm)
Why am I not surprised. Edmunds thinks outside the box and I have to respect them for this. You read other car magazines, and they just jump to conclude one car is better even thought the price premium is not justified by the difference in performance. The new Z has it all, the looks, powerful & fuel efficient V6, and of course as a Japanese make its loaded with tech. The bonus is the price you have to pay for it. I drive an 08 G35, but if I were ever looking for a coupe, I would not get the G coupe, the Z appears better to me. I also agree that the 135i looks are not as great as the 335i coupe, but again, the price premium on the 335i coupe over the Z or G37 coupe is not justified either. Replies to this message: habitat1 (Dec 27, 2008 9:54 am) roadburner (Dec 29, 2008 8:30 pm) habitat1 (Dec 30, 2008 8:51 am)
#8 of 39 Re: Nice [sjaieve] by habitat1 Dec 27, 2008 (9:54 am)
Replying to: sjaieve (Dec 17, 2008 12:13 pm) I drive an 08 G35, but if I were ever looking for a coupe, I would not get the G coupe, the Z appears better to me. And I think you are of the demographic / mindset that Nissan needs to attract. The probelm, in my opinion, is that they market the G37 as a coupe and the 350/370Z as sports cars. As a "coupe" the bloated curb weights of the Z cars would not be that much of an issue. But if you ever spend 10 minutes in a real sports car, whether its a Porsche Cayman on one side or a Honda S2000 on the other, the obesity of the 350Z is as apparant as a musk ox sitting in the passenger seat. Road tests aside, the difference driving dynamics is dramatic. The old Datsun 240Z was an impressive sports car in its day, but everything in the past 2+ decades have been 2 seater coupes, grand tourers or something other than sports cars. And Nissan's weakling attempt to trim down that excessive weight on the 370Z, only to pump it back up with techno-goodies (or so they use as an excuse) shows where their heads are. Funny, Porsche doesn't need to add 600 lbs to the Cayman to include power everything, navigation, bluetooth and do-dads out the wazoo. But they know their real mission. I suspect that a 370Z "coupe" will sell as good or better than a serious 2,800 lb 370Z "sports car" would have - especially in today's market. So maybe this isn't a mistake in business judgement for Nissan. But, frankly, when a 370Z is an ox-load closer to a G37 than a Cayman or S2000 in weight, it sure doesn't smell like anything that came from the old 240Z heritage. Hell, it's still got a large mule deer in the passenger seat compared to my 1995 Maxima. Note: I haven't yet driven the 370Z - or G37 coupe for that matter. So, true to my own standards - take everything I say with a grain of salt. On the other hand, I did get an A in college phyics, so my weight analysis ought to be close. Replies to this message: roadburner (Dec 29, 2008 8:30 pm) habitat1 (Dec 30, 2008 8:51 am)
#9 of 39 Re: Nice [habitat1] by roadburner Dec 29, 2008 (8:30 pm)
Replying to: habitat1 (Dec 27, 2008 9:54 am) I had a 1969 Datsun Fairlady: I wish Nissan still built cars so light and tossable... Replies to this message: habitat1 (Dec 30, 2008 8:51 am)
#10 of 39 Sport package by neokaitiger Dec 30, 2008 (12:30 am)
I drive an 08' 135i, and I agree with a lot of points in this review...but realize that these cars are extremely different. I remember driving a 350Z back in 06 and I wasn't really a fan. It seemed way too harsh for the amount of performance you actually got out of it. I didn't understand why a car that was meant to be driven on the street had to be so uncomfortable and aggressive. I can imagine the new Z isn't much different, as it is meant to be a sports car. On another note, in the review it says that there is no "sport" package on the 135i. This is false...my car has this as do lots of 135i on the road. They add better seats, M interior parts and stiffer suspension as well as better tires and larger wheels.