Nissan 370z vs Lotus Elise - LotusTalk

xabre1200 · 10-15-2009, 03:16 PM

If you could have either a brand new Nissan 370z or a used Lotus Elise, which would you choose?

I'm looking to buy a car under $29,000-30,000 and I've narrowed it down to these 2 cars.

Pros of the 370z would be that it's new, bigger trunk, more comfortable
Cons would be the poor fuel economy

Pros the Elise would be the aggressive look, exotic car status, small/nimble
Cons would be the soft top not able to withstand rain, and it would be used

I was also thinking about a Mazda RX8, Mazda Speed3, or a Civic Si

Sleazy E · 10-15-2009, 03:26 PM

i wouldn't trade my elise for a brand new 370z even if you threw some money on top of it.

i used to own a 2007 350z. Totally different cars then the elise. the only thing similar is that they are two seaters and can store almost nothing in the boot

. I don't miss my Z at all, in fact I often forget I owned one.

kestrel74 · 10-15-2009, 03:29 PM

PhlypSide · 10-15-2009, 03:29 PM

You're on a Lotus board, wanna take odds that no one will vote for the 370Z?

370Z is a nice car for sure, but it's sooo OINKY compared to an Elise it's not even funny.

xabre1200 · 10-15-2009, 03:29 PM

hm, the only real reason I would get the 370z over the Elise is because its a little more practical and roomier.

I've heard complaints on the softtop the elise has. I live in norcal and it rains alot in February and other months. I don't know if I could park the Elise in a parking garage everywhere I went...

LotusLacer · 10-15-2009, 03:32 PM

So buy a hard top?

kwancho · 10-15-2009, 03:33 PM

Just test drove a 370Z
My response is in there. I haaaated the 370z. My decision's pretty clear.

PhlypSide · 10-15-2009, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xabre1200

hm, the only real reason I would get the 370z over the Elise is because its a little more practical and roomier.

I've heard complaints on the softtop the elise has. I live in norcal and it rains alot in February and other months. I don't know if I could park the Elise in a parking garage everywhere I went...

Test drive both and get back to us. If the test drive doesn't make you "get it" nothing will... then a 370Z is in your future

If you're that worried about practicality and comfort, you need to compare an Evora vs 370Z (but that would be ridiculous based upon price difference alone).

kestrel74 · 10-15-2009, 03:34 PM

Other Cars and Comparisons - LotusTalk - The Lotus Cars Community

zygotesoup · 10-15-2009, 03:35 PM

guys, i think he's joking

here is a picture of when i test drove a 370z and the dealer spent the whole time asking me about my car instead of trying to sell me his... you can see him in the background looking in my window

delise · 10-15-2009, 03:36 PM

Are you sure you can live with an Elise ? Judging by the cars you are comparing to it does not sound like you have had experience with one other than going by the looks. The Elise is often described as being one step away from riding a motorcycle. It was designed to be a road going track car. Meaning yeah , you can drive it on public roads, but it was designed to burn around the track, comfort was not in the equation. Read Elise as a daily driver thread before buying !

The official, ONE AND ONLY, Can This Lotus Be Used As A Daily Driver thread

Rent one if you can, you are talking about choosing between 2 entirely different vehicles. And if the car is to be your only vehicle meaning you don't have an SUV or practical car to fall back on, then I would say the Z or RX8 all the way. If the car you want to buy is meant to be a secondary fun or track car then Elise all the way

Jon J · 10-15-2009, 03:36 PM

I would first try to figure out if you want a front drive or rear drive vehicle. After that you should figure out if you need a back seat.

xabre1200 · 10-15-2009, 03:39 PM

The Elise will be my primary everyday driving car. That is why I'm worried about the practicality of it.

zygotesoup · 10-15-2009, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwancho

I haaaated the 370z.

+1000

im with ya there man. im 6'2" and had LESS head room in the 370... it didn't feel fast, i dont like the looks, i hate the clutch, seems very large and heavy... its like a boat compared to the lotus. it is much more luxurious inside... but if i wanted luxury, i would drive my bmw

xabre1200 · 10-15-2009, 03:44 PM

Also, how is the everyday driving experience of the Lotus Elise compared to the 370z. I hear that the Z is very loud and stiff. But it seems the Elise is just as noisy, and every stiffer of a ride then the Z. I will probably not be racing my car alot. I just have always wanted a sporty car of my own.

xabre1200 · 10-15-2009, 03:45 PM

Haha i love the responses I got from the 370z forum

"You can't compare a 370Z and a Lotus Elise. That's a daily driveable sports car vs a glorified go cart.

You should be asking - should I buy a 370Z or an Elise for the track and a Honda beater to drive daily?"

delise · 10-15-2009, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xabre1200

The Elise will be my primary everyday driving car. That is why I'm worried about the practicality of it.

Will it be your only vehicle? If you want to go bicycle riding up in the mountains with 3 friends or pick up 2 kegs of beer, sorry not gonna happen. Go to a club or concert in a crappy part of town where the only parking is on a crowded street, go skiing, visit a friend who lives at the end of a long dirt road etc etc.
If you have a back up vehicle and the Elise will be your fun car then no worries.If it is your only vehicle then you will need to modify your life style or at least the way you do things, hunting for parking structures vs parking on the street, not going to certain places because you can't make it into the driveway without bottoming out or the road is really bumpy. Recently I was up in Central cali in my Elise and we found out dirt track racing was going on that night. It had just rained and the only entrance/parking to the track was down a muddy steep bumpy pothole filled dirt road. Could not go to the races, the only other parking was about 1/2 mile down the road , bummer

delise · 10-15-2009, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xabre1200

Also, how is the everyday driving experience of the Lotus Elise compared to the 370z. I hear that the Z is very loud and stiff. But it seems the Elise is just as noisy, and every stiffer of a ride then the Z. I will probably not be racing my car alot. I just have always wanted a sporty car of my own.

This question is asked about every 2 days, the Elise is way stiffer and louder than a Z, after a long trip your
ears will most likely be ringing a little

Click and read this : The official, ONE AND ONLY, Can This Lotus Be Used As A Daily Driver thread

You are up in No Cal keep an eye on the California region thread or GGLC , maybe you can talk somebody at one of the events into letting you ride along Golden Gate Lotus Club GGLC - LotusTalk - The Lotus Cars Community

rnr · 10-15-2009, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xabre1200

The Elise will be my primary everyday driving car. That is why I'm worried about the practicality of it.

Doable if you have safe and secure parking (not parallel) parking at both work and home. I have used my Elise as my only car for 4 years and 45k+ miles in both Oakland and Sunnyvale. Now that I have a Seven the Elise is my practical car.

rnr · 10-15-2009, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by delise

You are up in No Cal keep an eye on the California region thread or GGLC , maybe you can talk somebody at one of the events into letting you ride along Golden Gate Lotus Club GGLC - LotusTalk - The Lotus Cars Community

We have an autocross in Santa Clara on Saturday - you should come down and talk to some owners plus I'm sure people will be happy to give you rides.

10-15-2009, 03:16 PM	#1 (permalink)
xabre1200 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 6	Nissan 370z vs Lotus Elise If you could have either a brand new Nissan 370z or a used Lotus Elise, which would you choose? I'm looking to buy a car under $29,000-30,000 and I've narrowed it down to these 2 cars. Pros of the 370z would be that it's new, bigger trunk, more comfortable Cons would be the poor fuel economy Pros the Elise would be the aggressive look, exotic car status, small/nimble Cons would be the soft top not able to withstand rain, and it would be used I was also thinking about a Mazda RX8, Mazda Speed3, or a Civic Si

10-15-2009, 03:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
Sleazy E thats what she said... Join Date: May 2008 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 257	i wouldn't trade my elise for a brand new 370z even if you threw some money on top of it. i used to own a 2007 350z. Totally different cars then the elise. the only thing similar is that they are two seaters and can store almost nothing in the boot . I don't miss my Z at all, in fact I often forget I owned one. __________________ eric '06 Chrome Orange Lotus Elise Stage II exhaust \| Hardtop \| Black LSS Wheels \| Toyo R888's \| De-Snorkeled \| Green Filter \| Sector 111 Folding Tow Hook \| Exige Mesh \| Front Clam Seam Delete \| Sector 111 rear panel delete \| Black Pack Diffusor \| Chrome Orange Center Console

10-15-2009, 03:29 PM	#3 (permalink)
kestrel74 G-200 Driver Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: North of Detroit; Watkins Glen, NY Posts: 9,312	. Attached Images __________________ 74 Europa Zetec TC Special 3614R Elise #2292 / Chrome Orange !! / Starshield / Nitron Sport SA / RTDbrace / Uprights machined / Down Low rails / ChaseCam / V1 / SS lines w/ R4-S "My daily driver does .85 Mach" " I started flying when Sex was safe and Hang Gliding was dangerous " BUY My Europa ! http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f94/...pa-sale-43829/

10-15-2009, 03:33 PM	#7 (permalink)
kwancho Stormtrooper Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Los Altos Hills, CA Posts: 95	Just test drove a 370Z My response is in there. I haaaated the 370z. My decision's pretty clear. __________________ 2007 Aspen White Exige S Track, Touring, LSD Golden Gate Lotus Club #979 Larini SC Sport, R888, black badges, red folding tow hook

10-15-2009, 03:34 PM	#9 (permalink)
kestrel74 G-200 Driver Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: North of Detroit; Watkins Glen, NY Posts: 9,312	Other Cars and Comparisons - LotusTalk - The Lotus Cars Community __________________ 74 Europa Zetec TC Special 3614R Elise #2292 / Chrome Orange !! / Starshield / Nitron Sport SA / RTDbrace / Uprights machined / Down Low rails / ChaseCam / V1 / SS lines w/ R4-S "My daily driver does .85 Mach" " I started flying when Sex was safe and Hang Gliding was dangerous " BUY My Europa ! http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f94/...pa-sale-43829/

10-15-2009, 03:29 PM	#5 (permalink)
xabre1200 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 6	hm, the only real reason I would get the 370z over the Elise is because its a little more practical and roomier. I've heard complaints on the softtop the elise has. I live in norcal and it rains alot in February and other months. I don't know if I could park the Elise in a parking garage everywhere I went...

10-15-2009, 03:32 PM	#6 (permalink)
LotusLacer Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Nampa, Idaho Posts: 143	So buy a hard top?

10-15-2009, 03:35 PM	#10 (permalink)
zygotesoup Resident Drunk Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 1,225	guys, i think he's joking here is a picture of when i test drove a 370z and the dealer spent the whole time asking me about my car instead of trying to sell me his... you can see him in the background looking in my window __________________ 2005 BADA55 Lotus Elise 1993 Black BMW 325i 2000 Solar Yellow MR-S - SOLD 1987 White on White Porsche 944 Turbo - SOLD 1993 Maroon Lexus SC400 - SOLD

10-15-2009, 03:36 PM	#11 (permalink)
delise 2005 Ardent Red, Touring Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Beverly Hills Posts: 2,534	Are you sure you can live with an Elise ? Judging by the cars you are comparing to it does not sound like you have had experience with one other than going by the looks. The Elise is often described as being one step away from riding a motorcycle. It was designed to be a road going track car. Meaning yeah , you can drive it on public roads, but it was designed to burn around the track, comfort was not in the equation. Read Elise as a daily driver thread before buying ! The official, ONE AND ONLY, Can This Lotus Be Used As A Daily Driver thread Rent one if you can, you are talking about choosing between 2 entirely different vehicles. And if the car is to be your only vehicle meaning you don't have an SUV or practical car to fall back on, then I would say the Z or RX8 all the way. If the car you want to buy is meant to be a secondary fun or track car then Elise all the way __________________ "You can run over an insect and know just from the messages coming through the wheel how many legs it had. Was it a beetle? Was it a spider? Hang on......... spider." Jeremy Clarkson - Top Gear Last edited by delise : 10-15-2009 at 03:43 PM.

10-15-2009, 03:36 PM	#12 (permalink)
Jon J Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Keller, TX Posts: 47	I would first try to figure out if you want a front drive or rear drive vehicle. After that you should figure out if you need a back seat.

10-15-2009, 03:39 PM	#13 (permalink)
xabre1200 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 6	The Elise will be my primary everyday driving car. That is why I'm worried about the practicality of it.

10-15-2009, 03:44 PM	#15 (permalink)
xabre1200 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 6	Also, how is the everyday driving experience of the Lotus Elise compared to the 370z. I hear that the Z is very loud and stiff. But it seems the Elise is just as noisy, and every stiffer of a ride then the Z. I will probably not be racing my car alot. I just have always wanted a sporty car of my own.

10-15-2009, 03:45 PM	#16 (permalink)
xabre1200 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 6	Haha i love the responses I got from the 370z forum "You can't compare a 370Z and a Lotus Elise. That's a daily driveable sports car vs a glorified go cart. You should be asking - should I buy a 370Z or an Elise for the track and a Honda beater to drive daily?"

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