JRock

Narrowed it down to one practical daily driver that has much more luxury and amenities and is tractable year-round, but costs a lot more, or a more fun and cheaper sports car.

Just drove the Z again today (drove one like six months ago but forgot what it was like) and loved it. Probably drive the A4 later this week.

Silverstone Z w/ Volk -37 rims:
http://www.my350z.com/albums/albup03/aaa.jpg
http://www.my350z.com/albums/albup03/aab.jpg
http://www.my350z.com/albums/albup03/aac.jpg

Silver A4 Ultra-Sport package:





I like both cars, I'd just like to hear some reasons why to go with one over the other. For price reference, the Z Enthusiast model is around $28-29k and the A4 3.0 w/ premium, cold, and ultrasport packages is around $37-38k. Might also consider the 1.8T with similar load-out for around $32k.

mclarenf3387

Depends where you live. If it snows by you, the A4 is a little more practical than the Z, but I'm not feelin the rear bumper on the A4. Plus it has the gigantic antanea on it which is fugly. I would go with the Z personally because I like the look a little better and Nissan quality is much better than Audi. Plus, having more power is always fun!

JRock

The shark fin only comes on A4s with the Bose/SatRadio package (Infotainment package) which I wouldn't get on mine since the stock system is a 6-disc in dash anyway and I don't care for satellite radio.

98CLChick

Go with the A4 1.8T and chip it. Doesn't the 1.8T have more mod potential than the 3.0 anyways?

Zapata

ya know my stance

cusdaddy

I'd say go with the Z.. I have the Enthusiast model and I love it. It's basically my daily driver and with Blizzak's, it was fine in the snow.

To all of those that say just chip the 1.8T, it really isn't that easy. You will risk damage to a brand new car, and take a chance at voiding your warranty. It's a risk I personally wouldn't take on a brand new $30k car. If I got a used 1.8T, I'd probably do it, but not to a brand new one.

Crazy Bimmer

just buy a fuckin car already

Crazy Bimmer

and the 3.0 audi is not worth 38k. I would rather get a 330i

1SICKLEX

If u like how the Z drives but need a more pratical car, that is what the G35 sedan or coupe is for.

dragon084

the audi is the toughest if you have the doe.

i'd get an acura- its probably your best bet

JRock

Correct, I wouldn't chip it and it's also kinda pathetic to get a 4cylinder on a $32k car, imho.

The biggest concern with the Z is the friggin issues it has being a Nissan. Some 04 owners still report synchro issues, tire wear issues, etc. =\

As far as a more practical Z, well it doesn't seem you can get the AWD G35 with a 6spd trans, and the sedan G35 is pretty ugly, imho.

Crazy Bimmer

yea all those 4banger turboed cars are pathetic. Evo, Sti, etc.... they all suck

Zapata

wow lol aside from AWD your engine and performance isn't anywhere near those 30k cars.

mantis23

^^^ But they are crazy fast & fun to drive

Crazy Bimmer

I know, my car is slow. I was just commenting on his statment he made about spending 32k on a 4-banger.

Zapata

church.....

Crazy Bimmer

If he wants a fast car then get the 350z.

The audi isnt the car for him if wont mod it.

Zapata

i think the a4 is what it is....it does it well and that's that. If you want a solid car built well, can stomach minor issues, lux etc., than the a4 is the car for you.

amir was here

1.8t

the chip voiding warranty is the biggest bullshit i've heard

we have thousands of 1.8t owners on the a4 site @audiworld....out of that, i think only TWO PEOPLE had problems, and BOTH OF THEIR PROBLEMS were NOT chip related, and BOTH of them were able to get warranty after a little work!

btw, the new chips are UNDETECTABLE

go with APR or REVO both are serial port programming and undetectable!

the 1.8t is an extremely good engine, thats why its used so much, and thats why its been used for so long, and isnt going away. It was rated one of the top ten engines ever made by certain sources.

it may look bad on paper, but if you drive it, it feels like a smaller v6

Mclaren, you stated "and Nissan quality is much better than Audi" i hope you meant reliability...cause nobody can touch audi quality. nobody. i've had my share of cars, as well as having a taste of the cars my parents/friends have owned,

Crazy Bimmer

Well the fact that he said its just a 4 banger seems to me that he cares more about performance.

amir was here

the tradeoff occurs @ getting luxury, and a well built german car, with imo very clean/slick styling.

so it makes sense.

Zapata

I agree with you 100%. a4 is hot. I love the new design and look. If it weren't for long term ownership issues etc., I'd get it in a heart beat.

mantis23

no argument there.

JRock

You guys are weird. I wouldn't buy a 32k luxury car and mod it to void a nice 4year/50k warranty with included service. I also wouldn't buy a 32k luxury car with a 4cylinder engine that puts out 170hp.
And what's so bad about the 3.0L for a daily driver?
If I was only interested in performance I'd already own an SVT Cobra because I test drove one and thought it was awesome but wanted something a bit more refined.
I wouldn't be getting the A4 with the goal of making it fast - that's entirely the wrong car to start with.


I think I'll just look into a G35 Coupe 6spd w/ Premium and be done with it...

when it gets an interior worthy if its price and AWD. =p

Crazy Bimmer

you will never be done with it. You will make a new thread about which car to buy in 3 weeks.


Also i just think the 3.0 isnt worth the price, i would rather get a 330i as stated before.

Chiping and warrenty is the worse excuse. You really think all these 1.8t owners buy the car for stock performance? If warrenty were being voided that much, ya think people would still buy the car? Like Amir said, its VERY common to chip the 1.8t and still have the warrenty. I know my dealer doesnt mind it.

Also there is direct programing for the software now, if your dealer does give you a hard time then you just flash the ecu back to stock, all without opening the ECU.

JRock

Stop being jesalous of my threads.
I don't have the money to throw around to own an Acura and an Audi and a BMW like crazy oil sheiks have, so I need to put more research and time into my purchases. :P

Crazy Bimmer

Posting thread like these on a acura forum isnt doing research.

JRock

This thread isn't research, this thread is simply asking which makes more sense for a daily driver, as everyone else has figured out.

GreenMonster

Get the fun car (or at least that's how I voted).

It really doesn't matter how people vote here in this poll, vote with your heart. Deep down (at some level) you already know the answer to your question.

There's enough time in life to own a practical car. You won't hear old guys tell stories about their 4 door sedan, but they will go on forever about their "fun cars".

Harley Davidson commercial:
Grandpa and grandkids on the front portch waxing eloquent on this motorcycle, the grandkids ask “Grandpa, you had a motorcycle?” Seems he was telling them about the bike he didn't buy, but spent the money on vinyl siding for the house. The grand kids that were hangin' on every word get up and leave.

cusdaddy

Here is my experience with the Z as a daily driver:

Pluses:
- It's a blast to drive with the torquey engine, great steering feel and nice shifter. I really look forward to driving it every time I get behind the wheel, even if I'm just going to work. It's been over a year of ownership, and I'm still in love with the car.
- Torque: I mentioned it before, but it's so easy and pleasant to drive around town as you can be in almost any gear and still move out quite well.
- Design: It's not really related to daily driving, but I really love the look of the car, and it's a car that I feel good about driving around town.

Minuses:
- Rough ride: It doesn't bother me most of the time, but it can get annoying if the roads are really rough or full of pot holes. On a fairly smooth road, it's not a problem at all though.
- 2 seats: Can be a + also if you don't like driving people around, but at times can be an inconvenience.
- Clutch: It's fairly firm, so it can get annoying if you are stuck in a ton of traffic. My leg has built up strength over time so it's not a huge issue anymore
- Storage Space: It has the space, but things like the strut bar make it less useful.


In regards to reliability, I haven't had a single problem. No tire or transmission issues. Overall, Nissan is very reliable. If you read any automotive message boards regardless of make, you can get the impression that the car is a POS, because most only write in when they have problems, not when everything is going well.

Go with whatever makes you happy. I just thought I'd share my experiences with my car.

Chaptorial

Just get the Z and be done with it.

Zapata

only beef with the a4.....no navigation :thumbsdn:

JRock

I don't want navi just like I don't want sat radio. I can navigate well enough on my own and I burn or buy my own music to play in the car.

edit - and you can get navi on the 3.0

darrinb

that silver a4 looks hor...

but i'd go with a black 350 or a 6 speed tl

Zapata

it sux...i want acura navi..... booooooooooo

30k better damn well have kick ass navi....IMHO


i can get navi in a 20k mazda 3....the audi better have it as an option.

JRock

Acura's always been the leader in DVD-based OEM navigation systems. I doubt that will change anytime soon since their development cycle is so many years beyond any of these other brands that have only recently gotten on board the whole "omg you mean we can mount a separate DVD player somewhere unobtrusive and have all the data for the navi stored there?" discovery.

I still laugh when I hear some navis actually require(d) that you pop CDs into the head unit to use it!
Others are so kludgey to use they're almost more trouble than they're worth.

I think if I buy any Acuras in the future I'd have to get the navi just out of respect for its abilities.

JZ

Well, if I were you I might buy a slightly used 350 (there seem to be a lot on the lots) and drive it for as long as you wish and then get rid of it.

The great thing about the 350 is that it holds its resale value strong! You could have it for a year or two and then dump it for a good price.

Personally, after driving the 350, it made me realize how much I love my CL. The Cl is so much smoother, more comfy and practical. That's why I have dug this car for so long---

Two people can pack up the CL, comfortably drive 5 hours to the beach with a full load of supplies for a week, unload the car, give her a quick wash and you also have a nice sports coupe.

Ah, works for me.

Bluto

I would go A4, give AWD a try. How close is an Audi dealer to you? I looked at the A4 when I bought my car, but at the time the closest dealer was over 45 minutes away.


What do the insurance gods think?

JRock

Used Zs are asking for trouble because the '03s had so many problems. Resale really isn't very strong on them unless you find a buyer who's unaware of the issues.

Insurance is fine. The Z is the same as a '95 M3 would be for me - around $1300/year. The A4 w/ 3.0 is like $1400/year. An '02 S4 would be around $1460/year. An '03/4 SVT Cobra is around $2250/year

Btw, these are all with 100/250 deductibles, towing, rental, etc.

There's an Audi dealer right down in Rockville and a couple others in NoVA. The one right here already offered me $500 over invoice on the A4 in general when I sent in an email inquiry.

phil2

How about a........GTO