I'll be buying a car in the next 6-8 months and these are two cars which I'm seriously considering. I'm looking for a solid, reliable car which I could take to the strip, autocross and enjoy taking on Skyline Drive on Sunday afternoons.

The pros and cons

350Z
+ Naturally aspirated, torquey V6 power
+ Awesome exhaust sound!
+ Beautiful styling - timeless!
+ It's a Z!

- Only seats two
- Fastest 1/4 recorded by a mag has been 13.9 by MotorTrend
- Center console is just down-market cheap plastic.


Evolution
+ MotorTrend tested it at 13.1 in the 1/4
+ 0.99g on the skidpad and braking distances that are on par with the Z06.
+ In a famous Sport Compact Car comparo, the Evo put the 911 C4S, '04 Audi S4, and E46 M3 to shame.

- Cheap plastic is abundant
- No cruise control for long trips
- The turbo'd 4 banger just doesn't produce an inspiring exhaust note
- Styling is pretty ricey


Thanks for your replies!

 

I'd go for the 350Z..nice car..............just my opinion however ...JR

 

350Z! The Evo is great for driving at the limits; but, I wouldn't want to drive one everyday from stoplight to stoplight. You have to beat the hell out of it to get those kind of performance numbers, also.


Oh yeah..... The 350Z is dead sexy!

 

I was looking at both about 3 months ago. I have driven both and have always loved the Z-cars and Nissan's in general. But after a 100 mph test drive by the Mitsu salesman I was very impressed with the Evo. Unbelievable handling and braking and power. It is also a little more practical with 4 doors and AWD for winter. As much as I love Nissans, bang for the buck and practicality to boot goes to the Evo!

 

350..........

PEacE..............
Jim

 

EVO for the speed, but I've heard they have tranny problems.

 

Wouldn't you if someone dumped your clutch at 5k?

 

EVO

 

I'm not much of an import guy, but I have to say that the EVO and the new WRX STi have gotten my attention in terms of performance and handling per dollar. If I was in the market, that little EVO is a bad ***** scratcher. I'm not crazy about the wing, but the brakes are just kicka$$!

Don't get me wrong, the 350 is a sweet ride, but the EVO will wax its a$$! My vote goes to the EVO.

As far as the "ricer" look....it's a frickin' Mitsubishi fer cryin out loud. ...still gets my vote.

Later,
Rob

 

If I go with the 350Z, I'll only get the Track model with the upgraded Brembo brakes and Rays light weight wheels. The best stopping distances I'm seeing for the Track model Z are:

60mph - 0 in 113ft (Edmunds)
70mph - 0 in 162ft (Automobile Mag)
80mph - 0 in 205ft (Autoweek)

which are pretty darn close to the Evolution.

My biggest concern of going with the 350Z is that the car attracts attention and some kid in a pumped up ricer-mobile will hand me my ***.

With the Evo, I'm just not sure if the washboard firm ride, ricey rear wing and racing seats will get old after the first 100 miles. They are so many Evos that are for sale with just 100-500miles on the odo.

 

Ever driven a 350??? I have...you can't see out the rear....not that annoying at first...but drive it for a few weeks and you'll be ripping your hair out.. As for the Evo...everyone will think you're 19 years old....stick with an L or get a vette or something like that....

 

That's funny because there aren't that many even coming into the states (like 3000?). I have seen 1 Evo in town since they came out and no 350's (until recently). I must have seen 5 or 6 350's this past week running around town.

 

Exactly what he said.

 

evo

 

I haven't driven a 350Z yet, but my first car was a 1990 300ZX TT. That car also suffered from poor rear visibility, but I got accustomed to it pretty quickly and I've been accident free in my 8 years of driving (knock-on-wood).

If you check Autotrader or Ebay, you'll find a number of Evo's with very low mileage that are up for sale. I even knew a lady who owned a 3000GT VR4 for over 5 yrs, traded it in for a new Evo and sold the car a week later.