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

Yes, yes - the dreaded comparisson. You've seen it a thousand times, yet.. not really - this isn't a simply "which is better?" post, but rather a mindful comparisson and a request for input on specifics. Not a generalization, not a "who will win?!" thread, but some honest to goodness investigative research from someone who likes both cars - a lot.

The Stang

Torque: The Mustang GT can pull on a 350z off the line when both cars are equally driven. They're right about the same weight, but the Stang has the torque advantage, allowing it to muscle ahead and stay ahead given the power curve on bone-stock comparissons. This is a small advantage only, mind you - with these two cars, it seems to be a true driver's race. You can easily bog down or spin off valuable time in the Stang with this advantage.

Modability: Aftermarket parts flow more readily and at less expense for the Stang, and tend to give more bang for the buck. Straight down the line, you gain more horsepower per dollar burned with the Mustang, which is an attractive option.

Sound: While the 350z sounds quite nice and respectable for an import tuner, which is a rare thing indeed - the Mustang has done a good job with their exhaust this time around, and the aftermarket options are widespread and varied in their tones and aggression. You can have a truly ungodly sounding beast with all 8 cylinders under the hood of the Stang.

Cost: This seems to be in the mustangs favor, however I am torn on this. The Stang has a cheaper sticker price, but insurance costs of a GT model will probably even that out and surpass the discount afforded at purchase time, over the first few years.

Practicality: The Stang has a backseat, and more trunkspace. Period. This one is a tough call - you can only have one person enjoy your car at a time in the Zed, and while I wouldn't call being stuffed into the back pocket of the Mustang's rear "enjoyable", you get the point.

The Zed

Interior: While both car interiors have their flaws, the feel of the 350z interior is simply better. This can be debated, but you feel like you're in a racecar the moment you slide into the hip-hugging, bow-shaped interior of the Zed. It's more like a cockpit than a car interior, with it's gauges, moving steering unit, wheel controls, and seat-back subwoofers. Plus, it looks less plain overall. The flow is gorgeous with the doorhandles melding into the doors, nearly invisible.. so on and so forth.

Handling: There is no debate to be had, here. The suspension work on the Zed is track-quality, and can have you dipping and slipping through corners like a madman, easily trumping the Mustang's handling outside of straight lines. However, the ride doesn't really feel any better. It just performs better.

System: The sound system in the Zed seems to perform better overall, and it's probably due to the speaker placements and overall design. The acoustic balancing seems to work fairly well, not to mention the fact that you can actually hear the music over the roar of the exhaust note compared to a Stang with a throaty aftermarket exhaust.

Exotic Appeal: Some of the aftermarket bodykit stylings available for the Zed are classy yet give off an extremely exotic appeal. While the Mustang can achieve that truly aggressive, powerful look, I feel that the exotic look is slightly more refined and interesting. Both are good, don't get me wrong - this is perhaps the most debatable part of the post.

Rarity: This varies from region to region, but where I live.. Mustangs are a dime a dozen. Everyone has one - there are three on my street alone, one right across from me (always sitting there in his open garage, visible each tiem I look out the damned window). There are far fewer 350z models, and thus they have that more rarified sportscar appeal. When you see one, it really pops out at you. While most of the Stangs here are bone stock, there are a ton of models with at least racing stripes thrown on.. which makes it really hard to really catch anyone's attention until you have really modified your appearance with a good amount of modifications.

Give me your own thoughts as to what the advantages and disadvantages are between the two cars. Try and keep things objective, and avoid dragging the thread down into a blind fanboy argument. I'm genuinely interested in some comparisons and opionions, here.

Thanks guys.

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.

My '06 is the 4th Mustang I've owned(all V8s). I love how they have progressed in both interior as well as the exterior styling. At the time('94-'96), my '92 LX 5.0 was fairly fast(only had Flowmaster mufflers, gutted factory H pipe and upgraded clutch), but the interior left a lot to be desired(was essentialy the same as the early '80s models-granted, so was the outside, but it worked). My '95 had a much nicer interior and updated exterior, but the lines seemed "soft" for a Mustang. Then the '00. It took a few months of seeing them for it to grow on me, but once it did, the outside looked tougher(the interior was carried over) and had an(much needed)increase in power. The '05+ Stangs, I just fell in love with the moment I saw one(pics of course). There is no other car on the road that looks like the Mustang, you either recognize it right away or you have no idea what it is(either too young or don't have cars where you're from ). You will never say, "Oh check out that Fairmont...OOPS, that's a...Mustang????" I can't say the same for when I see a...Cavalier, no it's a...Cobalt, nope a...Grand Prix...damn, it was a new GTO To me that is kind of where the Z falls. Never thought of it, but Lv51fer brought up the 911. A lot of those Japanese cars just get lost among themselves too easily. I have nothing against them, I just don't care for that styling. Eventhough those cars can/do pack some serious punch in them, the inner beauty alone is nowhere near enough for me
The question for you to answer is what do YOU like and are willing to make the payments on and still be happy 6 months and years down the road with. That was the same boat I was in last August when I went into the Ford dealer to buy a Five Hundred and left with the Mustang. The Five Hundred made perfect sense in the fact it was going to be very roomy and fairly comfortable for myself and 5 year old son and several others on trips. Very reasonable on insurance. Not really an aftermarket to sink $1000s into and still want more. I just could not see myself liking the car that much enough to make payments on even after a few months. With the 0/72 offer Ford had, I could get the Mustang for less than my cap for payments was That was the deal maker in my case. My son enjoys riding in the back(granted when I have an adult passenger things get cramped), but my g/f cringes at the fact of taking it on more than a couple hour ride to here and there so I sob and we take her minivan most of the time.

Look this is easy for me as I owned a modded 350z from 2003 through 2007.

THE GOOD:
The 350z is a much better handling car. A blast to drive.
The 350z has a much more well built and better looking interior
The 350z is a gorgeous car to look at. Inside and out.
The 350z six speed is a joy to run through.

THE BAD:
The 350z is no where near as much fun. In general
The 350z does nothing with mods unless you go FI. Everything else is a waste.
The 350z is slow, just feels slow no matter what.
The 350z has a decent heritage but is nothing compared to what the Mustangs have established.

I traded a 2006 Z in on my 2007 GT at the end of June. I really liked the Z but if I had to do it over again I would have bought the Mustang in the first place. The Z is very small inside and has no space for anything. I'd pick up a 12 pack and the only place it would fit was on the passenger seat! The Z also had MUCH more road noise from the tires. As for the insurance, mine went down $20 a month when I got the GT, there are a lot of Daddy's out there buying their 16 year old kid a Z and the first thing the kid does is wreck it! My GT was about $2k less than I paid for the Z. My GT is a premium and my Z was the base. A comparable Z (touring model) would be almost $5k more.

I had a Borla exhaust on my Z and it sounded sweet, but now that I have the Mustang when I turn the key and hear that V8 rumble to life the Z is a distant memory.

The Mustang has much more heritage than the Z does too. The entire time I had my Z (18 months), I had one guy at a gas station tell me how nice it was. Since I've had the Mustang (almost 2 months) people are always asking about it. At the gas station, the auto parts store or stopped at a red light people will give you a thumbs up or ask what mods you have or just stare as you go by.

I don't think you can go wrong with either car. In the end, it's just a matter of what YOU like best.

I just traded my 2005 G35 coupe for an 07 GT. So far I'm very happy. The GT is a very raw muscle car and it's a blast. I used to have a 98 SS with 320 hp and 330 ft-lbs to the wheels, and I have to say that I really missed the torque of a V8 when I had my G35. However, I will say that if you are planning on slapping a turbo on the Z it will be a FUN car. You can run a mild turbo setup on the VQ engine and have a great car.

I think it depends on your personal preferences. My G was of course much more luxurious than the GT, but I am so much happier with the V8. If you're into modding then I recommend the Mustang. I think you'll find more mods that add more power for your $. G/Z parts seemed to cost more and offer smaller gains than the mustang parts.

Good luck, you can't really go wrong with either.

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!!

I traded in an 06 touring 350z for my Mustang. They are two completely different monsters. The Z was more refined and had, in my opinion, a MUCH better interior. Everything seemed to fit and flow better, and was definitely smoother. The one thing about the Z that I just COULD NOT stand was the location of the power seat controls, they were basically on the seat, so you would be sitting on them. After long drives my right thigh would be sore. The Z just want my style. When I picked up the Mustang, I had found my match. Its just so raw and basic (to some, may not be a good thing), its just you and that rambunctious V8 engine. Its a little disheartening though that Ford needs a V8 to get the performance that Nissan can accomplish with a V6.

Yeah but with Fords V8 there is still a lot of power you can get out of it with bolt ons. From what I've gotten from people that have owned a Z they are pretty much maxed out from the factory so bolt ons don't do much for them.

I was very seriously considering a Z when I bought my Mustang too. It came down to a few reasons (most of which have already been stated) why I go the 'Stang instead of the Z: cheaper, exterior styling, more storage and people space, and V8 upgrade potential. Plus a V8 Mustang with a stick just seems so much more bad-ass then a revvy V6 sports car. Literally every day I catch people starting at my car, asking me questions about it, saying how nice it is, etc. and I don't even have any mods other than a Ford Racing axle back exhaust.

Well, they both get ~300 hp, and both have/offer a 3.55 rear end (3.54 for Nissan), the Mustang has 320 Ft-lbs to the Z's 270 Ft/lbs. The Nissan also requires Premium. 50 Ft-lbs of torque is pretty significant; the trade off is that the Nissan gets 2 mpg better mileage, along with its six speed trans. Different strokes for different folks.

Tom

Im not bashing Ford or anything, but what about Ford getting 210 hp out of a 4.0L V6, while Nissan achieves 330 hp out of a 3.7L V6 (G37).

What are the relative costs of the two cars and exactly why does it matter what the specific output of an engine is when all that matters is it being built to a price so people can afford to buy it.

You might like this little article about specific output contrasting a ferrari F430 to a 7.0 Z06:
http://www.auto-journals.com/blog/?p=189

These days, it seems you can get better gas mileage from bigger capacity engines being lazy and not highly stressed engines zizzing their tits off.

Yea Ford seems to have always been behind in the HP/litre wars. But at least they've come a long way.

I still remember the 93 5.0 GT with it's whopping 205 hp and the 4.0 OHV V-6 with a whopping 160 hp that they were still putting in the Rangers in 2000.

Of course you get what you pay for though, you can't expect a vehicle to have high HP/ low displacement ans still be afordable

Edited. Sorry, somehow popped a duplicate post.

Are we all sure the z's handling is better? I'm not convinced the z would trump a properly set up mustang thru the corners. Admittedly, my experience in a 350Z is limited to three laps around Hallet motor racing circuit, and that was in the passenger seat. That, and there's a difference between squirting around the street corner and powering out of turn six with the tires at seven degrees of slip. Still, I'd bet that on the same sticky tires and with the proper setup it would be a closer race in the twisties than some of you would think. Of course, I bought my car in 2004 the day after Christmas and by Valentines day it was modified past the point of being even remotely comparable to stock, so maybe I just don't remember how bad it was. In any case, I am sure that about 2 large will put a mustang way over the top and for me it's all about the car I end up with, not the one I drove off the lot day one.
I budget my car purchases so that I can play with them and that means mod it ,race it, mod it, race it, mod it, race it, and then swing by the car show on the way home. Maybe if I had to buy the car stock and agree to forever keep it that way then I'd consider a Z. But then, if I was in the market for a two seater that I wanted to have fun with but was never going to modify, I'd buy a Vette instead.

What are those two things sitting on top the Ferrari engine?

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.

It's different in the Uk as the math is different. We have to add 10% of the price in import dauty and then 17.5% sales tax on top. A Roush sells here for about £40k (currently about 80000 of your dollars) which is why it will never be a top seller. The GT is still a bargain though at $2 to the £ even with those taxes.

I considered a Z a few years ago, and the biggest thing that kept me away from it was rearward visibility. I felt like I was peeking through some blinds when looking out the rear window. I don't know if this has changed, or if the window is just different for the G35s, since I don't have this problem in the 2007 G35 coupe. But man, I just can't drive a car daily if I don't have good visibility.

As another note on the sound... To me, there isn't a V6 out there than can beat the sound of a V8 - especially with how great the new stangs sound stock. While the Porsche six cylinders do sound awesome, I still think I prefer the rumble of 8 cylinders.

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