370Z vs. 135i

[Temple]

Well Put...

I took an Amos Lee CD in and did adjust the Bose system. I am really into audio and that is a very important part of the car for me as I do not want to change the head unit or drivers. I have not played with the premium audio in the 135i enough to compare.

[m3bs]

Why choose?

I'm looking at the Z as a replacement for my aging M3 track car. I'll keep the One for my daily driver.

[bmw233]

Originally Posted by mbrunner

If you need 4 seats, 2 seats that fit REAL people and 2 seats that may be good for a baby then the 135i is your only option..

Technically, this is not quite correct. Today we drove with four adults (135i coupe), with the 2 males up front and 2 women in the back. Both ladies said they had plenty of leg room in the rear, and were quite comfortable for the couple of hours of driving. This is as REAL as it gets.

[m7ammed]

I'm not sure why people complaining about the 1er back seats (Coupe) , I have sat at the front and adjusted for my driving position (I'm 179 CM tall )and then sat in the back with no discomfort at all.

[mbrunner]

Originally Posted by bmw233

Technically, this is not quite correct. Today we drove with four adults (135i coupe), with the 2 males up front and 2 women in the back. Both ladies said they had plenty of leg room in the rear, and were quite comfortable for the couple of hours of driving. This is as REAL as it gets.

I do not have SHORT friends including some of the women I know

Being 6'2" I couldn't even get my back against the seat without hitting my head on the ceiling. This was true for my GF too who is 5'11" (didn't hit head but was cramped.

The leg room is NOT an issue, I thought there was sufficient leg room in the back, if you have small short people back there then it is FINE. But just because you had no problem, doesn't mean it is useable. It is not for me.

Again, it is not the leg room that is an issue, its the headroom if you are a taller person. But either way, 135i good DD, 370z good 2nd car

[bmw233]

Originally Posted by mbrunner

I do not have SHORT friends including some of the women I know

Being 6'2" I couldn't even get my back against the seat without hitting my head on the ceiling. This was true for my GF too who is 5'11" (didn't hit head but was cramped.

The leg room is NOT an issue, I thought there was sufficient leg room in the back, if you have small short people back there then it is FINE. But just because you had no problem, doesn't mean it is useable. It is not for me.

Again, it is not the leg room that is an issue, its the headroom if you are a taller person. But either way, 135i good DD, 370z good 2nd car

Who said anything about short??

[adrean8j]

Originally Posted by mbrunner

I do not have SHORT friends including some of the women I know

Being 6'2" I couldn't even get my back against the seat without hitting my head on the ceiling. This was true for my GF too who is 5'11" (didn't hit head but was cramped.

The leg room is NOT an issue, I thought there was sufficient leg room in the back, if you have small short people back there then it is FINE. But just because you had no problem, doesn't mean it is useable. It is not for me.

Again, it is not the leg room that is an issue, its the headroom if you are a taller person. But either way, 135i good DD, 370z good 2nd car

Isn't there more headroom in the back on a 135i than on the 3er coupe?

[bmw233]

Originally Posted by adrean8j

Isn't there more headroom in the back on a 135i than on the 3er coupe?

Yep, there is.

[mbrunner]

Originally Posted by bmw233

Yep, there is.

Originally Posted by bmw233

Who said anything about short??

Yup, I never claim to have fit in the 3 coupe either

You are also right, I didn't say anything about short until my last post

[JB135i]

Test drive report of a 370Z, touring, sport, manual, and navi.
This will be a comparo against my BMW 135i sport, premium, and manual.

Looks (very subjective of course)- The Z wins, by a good margin. It looks far better in person than it does in the photos. It’s very tough looking with good proportions all around.

Interior overall- BMW wins, better materials are the main reason here.

Interior, driving perspective- BMW wins, seats are more comfortable and more supportive. There are massive blind spots in the Z, the view out the rear window is a joke. Driving positions are similar but the BMW is a bit better. Reaches for the various controls are similar, the Z has a slight advantage here, but it’s close. The storage space in the Z is an insult. My S2000 had more usable space I think. Golfers need not apply, unless you are a mini-golfer! Take your helmet with you on your test drive!?!?!?! Headroom is…well, what headroom, and with no sunroof, it really makes no sense to have this little room. Why can’t car makers seem to make a good center console anymore, really, is it THAT friggin’ hard to give me an easy to reach cup holder and a place for my cell phone???? Both cars fail here.

Engine- Toss up here. BMW has the satisfying surge of the turbo’s, but the Z pulls hard as well. If forced, I would give the nod to the Z, because though some people don’t care for it, the Z’s engine sends a great feel through the whole car, letting you know what it’s doing.

Clutch- Z wins. The first time I pushed the clutch in on my test drive of the Z, I actually thought something was wrong with the car. The travel of the clutch pedal is SHORT. But as it turns out it’s very easy to modulate and has a nice feel to it.

Shifter- BMW wins, barely. The Z’s shifter is on the edge of crappy. But I do judge this coming from an S2000, arguably the best shifter ever.

Rev-match feature- BLECH, another feature like that of the BMW hill holder. Yet another techno-crap thing I don’t want or need. Hey Nissan, do I really need to rev-match when pulling into a parking spot? Answer…NO I DON’T. On the track this may be cool/better, but around town it’s distracting and annoying. YES, I know you can disable it….

Steering/handling/suspension- Big, big win for the Z. The steering has a similar feel to that of my old 2003 EVO8. It’s very tight, very sharp, a real joy. I wish I could have driven the Z on warm roads to see what it would really do. The Z felt “right”, sporty, yet doesn’t pummel you on real roads. Again without being on those summer tires in warm weather I couldn’t push the car real hard, but the car did corner flat, with a nice feel for what it was doing.

Brakes- Big win for the BMW. The Z’s brakes need something, stainless lines maybe? I was very surprised at how weak and mushy these felt. The aftermarket should start here for the 370Z.

Exhaust note- Z wins. It’s sportier and more aggressive stock for stock of course.

Overall I would say the 370Z is a more focused sports car than the BMW. If you lean toward a true/truer sports car, the 370Z is your car. If you have a longer commute and lean more toward the comfort side, the BMW is the car you will want. Unfortunately the lack of headroom (I am 5’10) and the joke of a trunk are preventing me from trading the BMW for the Z. I used my S2000 as a DD for 5-6 months a year and got by just fine with the room it provided. The usable space in the Z is not adequate for me, if that tells you anything.

[gatorfast]

You didnt like the synchro revmatch? That seems like one of the coolest features of the car. Every review I have read has stated that it works really well and is ultra smooth. Guess its not for everyone...good thing it can be disabled.

Im surprised you found the headroom inadequate. I sat in a 370Z at a local dealership and didnt feel cramped at all (im 6'1").


Great review though...sounds like the 135i has some competition!

[JB135i]

Originally Posted by gatorfast

You didnt like the synchro revmatch? That seems like one of the coolest features of the car. Every review I have read has stated that it works really well and is ultra smooth. Guess its not for everyone...good thing it can be disabled.

Im surprised you found the headroom inadequate. I sat in a 370Z at a local dealership and didnt feel cramped at all (im 6'1").


Great review though...sounds like the 135i has some competition!

Oh it works fine and is smooth. BUT in "normal driving" like pulling into a parking spot, or when you decide you are not going to downshift after all and just coast to the stop rather than downshift because the dork in front of you didn't have the guts to go through the yellow etc...the thing is always rev'ing. I think the engineers need to add another layer of calculations to it's implementation. They need to add MPH, RPM and throttle position in the number crunching. If MPH = <5, then revmatch = 0 / if RPM = 750 - 2000 then revmatch = 0 LOL. The feature works, but it works no matter what you are doing with the car, so it becomes annoying when just "travelling" instead of when you are "driving".

As for the room, I think I need to explain further. I must have a tallish torso compared to my arm and leg length. Therefore my seat position maybe needs to be farther forward in comparison? I don't really know LOL.

[blacknbean]

great review..as far as golf goes, you can fit two bags atleast lol

[BMW86]

I love the 135i but I have to say... I love the 370z too!