Jon Seal
24-03-2007, 16:55:26
http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/8268/image267ke2.jpg
http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/5746/image265ik4.jpg
First up was the 350z. Was well looking forward to this as I quite like the shape and the fact they are v6, RWD etc. Jumped in the cabin first impressions pretty good you feel reasonably low down, demonstrator had the GT pack fitted so it had leather seats and bose stereo. It all looks ok but touch anything and you can tell where they have kept the costs down. Feels like renaults did before the 225.
Fired it up and the engine sounds well enough, probably sounds a lot better outside the car than it does in the cabin, set off and was instantly dissapointed. The steering feels really really heavy and you can really feel the weight of the car (1600kg I think). Started off on some fairly busy roads in Leeds where the car skitted and bump steered its way around. By this time I was ready for turning back around! Luckily the salesman was pretty cool so we took it up out of leeds and found some decent roads to stretch the legs a bit. I'm glad I did because the car changes completely when you transfer from pootling around town to thrashing it along a B road. The steering becomes lighter and more realistic and in gear you really get the benefit of the v6. Its not as fast as I was expecting though to be honest and doesnt feel anything like as fast as my 225 was.
All in all it got the thumbs down for me unfortunately. I was expecting to love it as it has all the right ingredients but somehow it just doesnt feel right. It was tiring to drive in town, the steering is so heavy that even making small corrections on a straight road takes effort. The run on the B roads kind of makes up for it but for me its too much of a comprimise. It would make sense as a 4 seater but as a 2 seater sports car it didnt add up for mer personally. So it was off to Honda............
http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/5730/image269fc8.jpg
The s2000 in a way had more to live up to as its fairer to compare this to the VX than it would be the 350z. That said I went into it with an open mind and not really expecting too much given the sometimes luke warm reviews it gets.
First impressions of this were good. The cabin is a lot smaller than the 350z and probably a lot smaller than most cars, but a lot bigger than the VX so all in all it was ok for me. The dash and console are basic but far higher quality than the 350z. The emphasis here is function over style (opposite to the 350) All the controls are clustered around the main clocks and steering wheel area so all the heater controls and stuff are right at your fingertips. Twisted the key and pressed the start button (whats the point in having both!!) Digital dash looks good in a kind of night rider way, the engine was ok nothing special at tickover.
Set off and straight away felt at home. Its quick to change direction and the steering which I was expecting to feel vague (according to some reviews) was actually pretty accurate and direct. Salesman again was pretty cool and told me off for changing gears too early lol. I've never driven a vtec before so holding off on your gearchanges for an extra 3k is strange to get used to. The best thing about the s2k has to be the gearchange and the way you punch through the gears. Its amazingly precise and the gearchange is sweet, easily the best I've ever experienced. Power delivery is instantaneous and the whole thing feels like a precision tool.
The s2k felt half the weight of the 350z although its still a bit porky which comes through when you gun into a corner. You certainly couldnt take as many liberties with it as you can in the VX. That said the fact I can even compare it to the VX is a good thing.
So overall its been an interesting day. I went out fully expecting to love the 350z and confirm for myself that the s2000 is just a posers car rather than a drivers car but really it turned out the other way around! The 350z is a good car it would be unfair to call that a posers car but its a long way off being a drivers car. It does well enough but for me I think there are a lot of other cars that do the same job better. I havent driven an r26 yet but I suspect that would be one of them. The s2000 isnt perfect either. The gearchange and the power delivery are really something special in this car though and I think really its only a set of coilovers away from being just as good as the VX is to drive. Plus the heaters work!
I think I know what I'm getting next anyway. All I will tell you is that its japanese ;)
http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/5746/image265ik4.jpg
First up was the 350z. Was well looking forward to this as I quite like the shape and the fact they are v6, RWD etc. Jumped in the cabin first impressions pretty good you feel reasonably low down, demonstrator had the GT pack fitted so it had leather seats and bose stereo. It all looks ok but touch anything and you can tell where they have kept the costs down. Feels like renaults did before the 225.
Fired it up and the engine sounds well enough, probably sounds a lot better outside the car than it does in the cabin, set off and was instantly dissapointed. The steering feels really really heavy and you can really feel the weight of the car (1600kg I think). Started off on some fairly busy roads in Leeds where the car skitted and bump steered its way around. By this time I was ready for turning back around! Luckily the salesman was pretty cool so we took it up out of leeds and found some decent roads to stretch the legs a bit. I'm glad I did because the car changes completely when you transfer from pootling around town to thrashing it along a B road. The steering becomes lighter and more realistic and in gear you really get the benefit of the v6. Its not as fast as I was expecting though to be honest and doesnt feel anything like as fast as my 225 was.
All in all it got the thumbs down for me unfortunately. I was expecting to love it as it has all the right ingredients but somehow it just doesnt feel right. It was tiring to drive in town, the steering is so heavy that even making small corrections on a straight road takes effort. The run on the B roads kind of makes up for it but for me its too much of a comprimise. It would make sense as a 4 seater but as a 2 seater sports car it didnt add up for mer personally. So it was off to Honda............
http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/5730/image269fc8.jpg
The s2000 in a way had more to live up to as its fairer to compare this to the VX than it would be the 350z. That said I went into it with an open mind and not really expecting too much given the sometimes luke warm reviews it gets.
First impressions of this were good. The cabin is a lot smaller than the 350z and probably a lot smaller than most cars, but a lot bigger than the VX so all in all it was ok for me. The dash and console are basic but far higher quality than the 350z. The emphasis here is function over style (opposite to the 350) All the controls are clustered around the main clocks and steering wheel area so all the heater controls and stuff are right at your fingertips. Twisted the key and pressed the start button (whats the point in having both!!) Digital dash looks good in a kind of night rider way, the engine was ok nothing special at tickover.
Set off and straight away felt at home. Its quick to change direction and the steering which I was expecting to feel vague (according to some reviews) was actually pretty accurate and direct. Salesman again was pretty cool and told me off for changing gears too early lol. I've never driven a vtec before so holding off on your gearchanges for an extra 3k is strange to get used to. The best thing about the s2k has to be the gearchange and the way you punch through the gears. Its amazingly precise and the gearchange is sweet, easily the best I've ever experienced. Power delivery is instantaneous and the whole thing feels like a precision tool.
The s2k felt half the weight of the 350z although its still a bit porky which comes through when you gun into a corner. You certainly couldnt take as many liberties with it as you can in the VX. That said the fact I can even compare it to the VX is a good thing.
So overall its been an interesting day. I went out fully expecting to love the 350z and confirm for myself that the s2000 is just a posers car rather than a drivers car but really it turned out the other way around! The 350z is a good car it would be unfair to call that a posers car but its a long way off being a drivers car. It does well enough but for me I think there are a lot of other cars that do the same job better. I havent driven an r26 yet but I suspect that would be one of them. The s2000 isnt perfect either. The gearchange and the power delivery are really something special in this car though and I think really its only a set of coilovers away from being just as good as the VX is to drive. Plus the heaters work!
I think I know what I'm getting next anyway. All I will tell you is that its japanese ;)