[EDM92]

I'm not going to make a poll out of this, because I want opinions from people who actually know what they're talking about, rather than "OHH THE 5.0 IS SO FAST LET ME VOTE FOR THAT!!!"


I'm looking at getting out of my N54 before the warranty is up. Mine has proven to be fairly unreliable, and I have a year of CPO warranty left to figure out what I want out of my next car. I'm looking at spending 35k or less, used or new. I've narrowed my choices to the Evo X, the Mustang 5.0, and the 370z. Which would you choose, and most importantly WHY? If you have another car you would suggest, feel free, but keep in mind that I am looking for another car with warranty that is new or has less than 15k miles on it (and under $35,000). I want something that is fast but reliable with a decent interior, and of course cheap to maintain out of warranty.

These are the biggest pros and cons in my mind.
Evo X: TERMINATED
Pros- Easy to make fast, AWD.
Cons- Fairly ugly.

370Z:
Pros- GORGEOUS! Extremely reliable.
Cons- Slow.

Mustang 5.0:
Pros- Fast, cheap to maintain.
Cons- Horrid interior.

Thanks in advance for the help, and please for the love of God, let's keep the discussion civilized.

Edit: Forgot to add that my budget is $35,000 or less. And G37s are not an option because of how extremely ugly I think they are. Also, let's face it, Euro cars are not cheap to maintain after warranty. I should also add that my next car will be a manual transmission for sure, and I don't care at all for back seats.

Edit: I've elminated the Evo X from the equation. I don't want turbos any more. Turbos = problems. Between the 370Z and the Mustang 5.0 now. Going to test drive them soon.

[nichojo]

A4?

[mashimarho]

None of the above?

[trialskid]

Z06

[J3FF3RSON]

S4.

But from that list...

- Mustang GT 5.0

But if you are considering the 370z, also consider it's sibling the G37.

[Kolyan2k]

Not Mustang because i think its one of the ugliest cars inside and out.

370Z is very nice, but really have to drive it to figure out if its THE car for me. (Not G37 cause its simply a downgrade from 335i)

Evo is just a high tech performance machine, dual clutch tranny, torque vectoring awd system, etc....but also need to drive. Since you looking at EVO, STI is same class car with same high tech features.

But since you are in Florida and you do think that Evo is ugly, You cant go wrong with 370Z or S2000

[EDM92]

Originally Posted by mashimarho

None of the above?

Let's also keep responses from looking like this. If you have nothing useful to add then just don't say anything at all. I know some of you guys are obsessed with BMW, and that's cool, I used to be that way too (hence my username).

[rackley]

370z - I owned one for a little over a year before I had to sell it to get a BMW (the wife popped out a kid).

Pros:
- FEELS fast.
- Absolutely glued to the road
- Manual trans is incredible
- Hatchback has more room than you'd think
- HAWT car.
- Surprisingly comfortable and relaxing for medium-long drives for a sports car
- Well-designed interior (I think)

Cons:
- No back seat. Forget it if you have kids (what happened to me).
- Relatively frequent oil change intervals
- Engine is buzzy. Not "weeny" buzzy, but more like non-refined buzzy at higher RPMS - like things weren't quite balanced right when they were designed. It's not bad, but you notice it after a while.
- Not as refined as a 3-series BMW (but far more refined than your other two listed options IMHO)

Overall I LOVED the car. It is SO MUCH FUN to drive with a manual trans and those super wide rear tires that come with the sport package. And of course everyone looks at it as you drive by. I will always fondly remember that car. So much fun. Sigh.

[Zechariaha]

Easy for me Evo becasue of its potential to be very fast, take the wing off and its not so bad,
Mustang=Ford so thats an easy no plus like stated the interior is that of a little kids push car

370Z- sounds cool but if your making all that noise and have a slow car kinda lame IMO

[reddemon73]

I don't know about how the WRX drives but I love the exterior styling of the newer model.

[deadmn1337]

i would go for either the EVO or and STI because i like turbo'd cars otherwise i would like at an A4 or A5

[EDM92]

Originally Posted by nichojo

A4?

Originally Posted by deadmn1337

i would go for either the EVO or and STI because i like turbo'd cars otherwise i would like at an A4 or A5

Not interested in another German car, they cost too much to maintain after warranty is up.

Thanks for the info guys, keep it coming!

[iFRANChISe]

It depends what you are looking for. I would say the EvoX out of that list, it will take more mods to make it faster than the other 2, but should be the most reliable mechanically. I have a friend that owns an modded EvoX and a friend that owns a 5.0. The 5.0 is much faster, but i've heard they have reliability/warranty issues. The EvoX is the most practical as it has 4 doors, awd, etc..

Needless to say I've drug both cars. Have you considered a ls3 c6?

[SavvyByNature]

Give me the 370Z. Great interior with a good engine and handles. The others are good cars... but missing a few things to make it great. Evo X is a beast, but its an Mitsu (I had a 97 GST... engine is great but things began to fall apart). The Mustang has a great engine, but a cheap interior... and lets not forget about the live axle as well.

[Kolyan2k]

ps. 370z has RevMatching 6-speed which is cool

[Q4P]

I would keep the 3 or look into something else... I have driven every single one of those and none are really "viable alternatives". The Mustang is a rustang and has zero integrity or finish compared to the BMW... it also doesn't feel fast due to its weight, has a very disconnected steering feel and truly floats like a boat on the corners, massive body roll. The Evo is the worst daily driver of the above named, you said easy to make fast but that's not true...it takes quite a bit of money to make it truly fast, interior is also terrible, awd is not for everyone, will not have nearly the smoothness or instant TQ that the N54 can offer and is unbelievable uncomfortable. The 370Z is probably the worst of the group... an NA 6 will never satisfy you once you've driven an N54... the interior styling is terrible as well and the Nissan VQ engine sounds absolutely terrible. Honestly, for that price and the requirements that you have... I would strongly consider purchasing an extended warranty and keeping the 3 because if you are used to it... these others will disappoint you very quick.

Drive all of these before you even ask for advice - you may not even need it.

[GmoBmw]

Evo X If you were to choose any of the list. You will be happy with that.

[zerep1]

It's crazy how bad the vq37 sound like compared to the vq35 I would say evo if you do a lot of city driving and mustang if you do a lot of highway 370z are nice but the engine requires torque they bring back a 3 liter turbo z

[sdalpha]

Originally Posted by rackley

370z - I owned one for a little over a year before I had to sell it to get a BMW (the wife popped out a kid).

Pros:
- FEELS fast.
- Absolutely glued to the road
- Manual trans is incredible
- Hatchback has more room than you'd think
- HAWT car.
- Surprisingly comfortable and relaxing for medium-long drives for a sports car
- Well-designed interior (I think)

Cons:
- No back seat. Forget it if you have kids (what happened to me).
- Relatively frequent oil change intervals
- Engine is buzzy. Not "weeny" buzzy, but more like non-refined buzzy at higher RPMS - like things weren't quite balanced right when they were designed. It's not bad, but you notice it after a while.
- Not as refined as a 3-series BMW (but far more refined than your other two listed options IMHO)

Overall I LOVED the car. It is SO MUCH FUN to drive with a manual trans and those super wide rear tires that come with the sport package. And of course everyone looks at it as you drive by. I will always fondly remember that car. So much fun. Sigh.

Does the 370Z suffer from the same clutch issues as the 350Z? It's relatively minor, but it could be annoying to have to keep going to the dealer for a clutch buzz/crunch, especially if the car is purchased new.

I wasn't a big fan of the Evo X when I test drove it. The 370Z is a nice car, and it would be my choice over the Evo X and the Mustang. If you don't like the interior of the Mustang, then don't get it. You sit in the car everyday, you have to make sure that what you're looking at is something you are happy with.

The 370Z is a two seater, so that is something that you have to really think about if it fits your needs in a car. I have an s2000, and as fun as it is to drive, I realize that its not very practical. I can't drive more than one other friend, I can't fit a lot of things in the car, and insurance is a little higher than if it were a coupe. It's always interesting when you buy something in a store and then try and find a way to make it fit so you can take it home. But its a fantastic car to drive and puts a smile on my face whenever I do. I also have a daily, so its a car that I don't need for it to be practical.

There isn't much rear seat space in a Mustang either. It's there, yes; but it's really not a practical back seat.

Given that your three choices vary in passenger room and cargo space, it doesn't seem that practicality would be that big of a deal to you.

Have you considered the Hyundai Genesis coupe or the Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ (although, not out yet)?

[BEAR-AvHistory]

Corvette Grand Sport

[RoundelM3]

None of the above, because they all suck. If I switch cars, it'll be another BMW.

[lak3rs707]

370z nismo. honestly i test drove one and fell in love with it. found 2 at carmax of roseville, ca for 32k. awesome car if i didn't need to buy a car soon id save up for one and purchase it.