Mustang GT vs. 350z - Not one of those posts, I promise.

[jmanpatsfan]

The 4.0l in the mustang is an old 2V engine; The new Duratec 4V 3.5l V6 is rated 263 hp on regular gas. Certainly not a screamer, but 75hp/l. That 330hp Nissan engine is rated 270 ft-lbs, and Ford's Duratec is 250 ft-lbs.

The ultimate ends of this debate are the Honda 2.2l producing 240 hp, the BMW 3.0l producing 333hp, versus the... well, I was gonna say the Vette, but that's pretty good these days at 6.2l 430hp, 69 hp/l (2008).

Tom

I dont know if the BMW you are talking about is a past model, but their only current 3.0L engine making 300hp is twin-turbocharged. The Honda S2000 though is a good argument.

 

[stangdude2000]

I dont know if the BMW you are talking about is a past model, but their only current 3.0L engine making 300hp is twin-turbocharged. The Honda S2000 though is a good argument.

he means the last gen M3. Naturally aspirated making 333 hp.

 

[jlisle01]

The two things are plenums feeding the velocity trumpets. the other end will lead to the air filters.

JLisle01, if you read my post above, I've already made the point that the Roush suspended GT handles better than the 350Z (although it's still close according to the mag and both are shaded by a BMW M3CS) so it's still only a question of preference and cost.

You're missing my point. I KNOW 2 grand will put the stang over but I don't think it would take a Roush suspension kit to do it. Much of the Mustang's deficiencies can be attributed to the poor stock tires and the way Ford has the suspension tuned. I'm not willing to compare two cars in the handling department when so much depends on tire selection and one car is riding on a uni-directional summer only max performance tire (hey, isn't that Potenza the OEM tire on a Ferrari Enzo?) and the other is riding on an "all season performance" radial. (( SHAME ON YOU FORD!!))Put them on the same tire and with a little "free" tuning (ie. tire pressure, front camber) I'd bet the stang would give a Z a better run for it's money. It may not best it, but it wouldn't be the hands down loss everyone thinks it would be. Of course, if a Zed owner insists on you keeping the OEM tires for comparisons, we could always challenge them to some ice racing!?!?

 

[Bodhisattva]

Well, I went ahead and posted this over at My350z, here: http://my350z.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4280734&posted=1#post4280734 ... and got a lot of mixed responses. It's managing to avoid flame-war territory, and I've managed to get some good opinions to counter-balance those here.

Well, in the end, it seems to come down to the Mustang having more torque and affordability when it comes to modding, and the 350z has better handling and higher build quality overall.

Considering that I don't have a track to race on, do most of my "playing" at stoplights, the Mustang sounds to be the better choice.. but then again, they perform really closely, and I honestly don't think the straight-line performance gap is big enough for me to have it be the deciding factor on the car purchase.

I'm just going to have to rent them for a weekend each and see how I come away from the experience in the end. I just love both cars so much. Damnit.

 

[Alec]

I don't really think the Z is that great of a car actually. It rides rough its interior is cramped, the ride is rough and the interior is cheap and flimsy just like the Mustang. It does handle better and stops better but for the above basic trim levels you have to pay a small fortune. My vote goes to the Mustang as better bang for the buck, it's faster and even though the interior is plasticy and cheap it fits the retro theme of the car beautifully. Yea the factory suspension sucks but add an aftermarket kit and your still thousands cheaper then the Z, the Mustang is faster out of the box and responds better to mods. The 4.6L Ford motor can take a beating all day and not blow up the Nissan 3.5L v-6 isn't even a Nissan motor its a Puegot truck motor...a French truck motor in an American designed sports car for a Japanese car company...is anybody else's head spinning???

Hmmm...... the Renault/ Nissan group seems to have done something right 10 years in a row with that motor http://wardsauto.com/reports/2007/tenbest/
BTW look who else made it.

 

[Power4]

Hmmm...... the Renault/ Nissan group seems to have done something right 10 years in a row with that motor http://wardsauto.com/reports/2007/tenbest/
BTW look who else made it.

Woohoo, those're some nice engines. Gotta love both the Ford V8 and the Nissan V6.

 

[fox1x]

Hey, if the purchase is that important. You definitly need to drive a 'Stang and a 350 for a weekend. That's the only way to be sure.

 

[fox1x]

HA, They just locked the thread up at the 350 site!! Guess they couldn't avoid flaming!!

 

[Black Duck]

I don't really think the Z is that great of a car actually. It rides rough its interior is cramped, the ride is rough and the interior is cheap and flimsy just like the Mustang. It does handle better and stops better but for the above basic trim levels you have to pay a small fortune. My vote goes to the Mustang as better bang for the buck, it's faster and even though the interior is plasticy and cheap it fits the retro theme of the car beautifully. Yea the factory suspension sucks but add an aftermarket kit and your still thousands cheaper then the Z, the Mustang is faster out of the box and responds better to mods. The 4.6L Ford motor can take a beating all day and not blow up the Nissan 3.5L v-6 isn't even a Nissan motor its a Puegot truck motor...a French truck motor in an American designed sports car for a Japanese car company...is anybody else's head spinning???

I love cars. American, Japanese, European but in this case Mustang wins!!

Hmmm.....this is interesting.

The ride is rough on the Z? Do you mean that the suspension is firm maybe even from stock? If I wanted a soft ride I would buy a luxury sedan. The interior is definitely not cramped infact being over 6 ft the Z was one of the only 2 seaters I fitted in comfortably. I agree the plastics aren't that great.

The VQ engine is proven for reliability and has even won awards so not sure why you think it would blow up sooner than a Stang V8 unless you are referring to heavy modding which infact could ruin either engine. Both vehicles respond well to mods.

I am curious as to where you get the information regarding the VQ in a Peugeot truck engine?

At the end of the day neither car "wins". It all depends on what you are looking for and everyones idea of a great car is different. I like both vehicles but at the end of the day I bought a Z. There is no doubt the Mustang is a great car.

Posted on my350z.....

http://www.my350z.com/forum/showthread.php?t=297781

 

[Black Duck]

I can give you a different perspective from the UK.

First off, I agree with most of your points but for me it starts and finishes at the styling. I don't dislike the styling of the 350Z but it's a bit of a boiled sweet design and lacks the classicism of the 911, for example, which it plainly tries to emulate. The doorhandles are quite disgusting, another no-no for me. Plus here in the UK, we have the opposite problem - the Mustang is a glamour model with peole following you to photograph it and 350Zs are a dime a dozen.

The two cars are about even on power especialy with the upgraded 2008 engine on the 350Z. Stock, the 350Z handles far better but the Mustang is not only it's equal, it's better if you put on Roush suspension and some decent tyres. In fact, here in the UK in a driver's car test, the Roush Mustang pushed the 350Z into 3rd place.

The driving position you are right about but then you can get that in an LS1 Camaro.

For me, I respect the 350Z and would never under-estimate it but when it comes to modding the Mustang has it beaten hollow in looks and performance. The difficulty you have in the US is that familiarity breeds contempt and you should not be blind to the incredibly good styling that Ford have produced. It's not perfect but like the 911, the 60s Mustang design has always been a classic and had Ford pursued an evolution rather than a retro look, I'm sure it would be moulded more along smoother 350Z lines (itself re-inventing rather than retro-mimicikng the 240Z/Fairlady).

For many, the quest to drive something "different" will always be the deciding factor. In this case, neither car will leave you feeling short-changed but the choice may depend on which side of the Atlantic you're sitting. I would check the Nissan price though as here in the UK, the options can soon turn the car into Boxster competition - it's a lot extra for the orange paint and upgrades.

I also prefer a V8 to a V6 - end of. Also being a 2 seater, I'd be looking at used Corvettes as competition for the Zee.

I am British and left Blighty 3 years ago. I can totally see why the Mustang would attract people in the UK. However I cannot say when I was there that the market was saturated with 350Z's but maybe things have changed.

I agree the Mustang is a great looking car. When you refer to modding are you talking about he cost being cheaper on the Mustang or performance. There are plenty of 600+ rwhp 350z's around.

If I had to take one of these vehicles on the track in stock form there is no question which is better.

An old video but still great to watch. Stock 350Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41GWmcMK7jc

Stock Stang

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIz79hzqKXs

Although not everyone likes the 350z.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGVYgfOV_fA

 

[TheVin]

It took me a long time to decide if I wanted the Z or the Mustang. Here are my impressions.

First off, I test drove a Z about 2 years ago- Top of the line model. It was obscenely fun- no denying that. Possibly more fun than the mustang (not over all, but on the short haul) and here is why-

The Shifter was beautiful- some engineer spent his lunch breaks and late hours quietly perfecting that thing. I've never felt a shifter that nice. All I had to do was tap that thing at high revs and it would slam into gear with a satisfying sound and affirmative feel. The Engine was surprisingly strong at the low end, and surprisingly compliant to high revs. The seating position was exactly what you want for whipping around corners. The suspension, as long as you were driving it hard, was excellent for flicking through corners.

Here is what wasn't fun: I'm built like a barn door- broad shoulders, a bit above average height. I'm fairly young (33) and not arthritic or anything... That car *hurts* me. The bucket seats assume some little mens-express lettuce munching cries-in-the-theater little man-boy with the shoulders of a cheer-leader, and the darn seat pushed on my shoulder capsule every time I reached for a gear.

A quality sports car gets good road feel and poise *without* screaming bloody murder every time you hit a notch or a groove. Sit in a euro sports car- those folks know how to set up a cars 'interface' to integrate your behind with a machine. Kudos to them. Granted, the Mustang can be a little sedan-like when driving around town, but when I put the *stock* suspension under lateral load, it firms up nicely and compliantly. While the mustang would probably wallow a bit on the track (have not been to one yet, just got the car!)- I don't buy a car *just* to go to the track.

The Z feels like it carries a steroid-laden dwarf in each wheel well, banging on the suspension with sledge hammers every time it passes over a flaw or a bump. Driving it every day would drive me insane, no matter how much fun I had when I got on it.

The Z is beautiful if you drive it hard and want to cultivate a 6th-sense for figuring out where the cop might be parked, and if you fit the seats, and...and..and...

The Mustang is really fun (stock) but in a different way- Ford really recaptured the feel of the old muscle cars. It corners well enough, it accelerates beautifully. Its cheaper than the Z, and for about 2.5K for a suspension kit, a STB and a short throw shifter, its performance in all-things-feel-and-handling will meet or exceed the Z. and then there are the drivetrain/power enhancements if you want even more grunt.

And, its comfortable. I just went for a two hour joy-ride around back streets- didn't even really push it hard. Not a single thing bugged me about visability, ride comfort, seating position, stereo (shaker 1000) etc etc etc. I could drive that car all day and not feel dead-beat... But a couple of hours in a Z and I'd be dying to get out and roll my shoulders and stretch my legs.

And, I get two back seats that are reasonably comfortable, and a decent trunk, and an engine bay that does not intimidate the hell out of me.

So, there you have it. For about the price of a top notch laden Z, you can get a top notch laden mustang and drop some mods in it that will retain its comfort, but match or exceed the Z.

Vin