Which one, integra or 350Z
Discussion
Nissan 350Z or integra type R DC5, Just wandering what people would choose out of the two, you can pick up good examples for about the same money. they both look as good in my opinion, totally different prospects, just wondering out loud what the Ph collective would plump for. I would test drive them both but my licence is'nt mine again till november. Just like to know what your opinions are.
Edited by chrisxr2 on Friday 20th March 16:01
Chalk and cheese really...one is a V6 GT car with lots of torque and an exploitable RWD chassis, the other is a FWD screamer - depends on your driving style really. What would you be using it for? And don't forget insurance costs which are going to be high for you I would guess?
For what its worth, I've got a Celica at the moment (OK, maybe it can't be compared to the Integra but it's in the same ball park) which is great, but I'm looking to move into something like a 350Z because my driving style is a bit too laid back for the Celica most of the time - I find the need to rev the nuts off it to overtake anything frustrating.
For what its worth, I've got a Celica at the moment (OK, maybe it can't be compared to the Integra but it's in the same ball park) which is great, but I'm looking to move into something like a 350Z because my driving style is a bit too laid back for the Celica most of the time - I find the need to rev the nuts off it to overtake anything frustrating.
i have had predominantly revvy little hatches before, 106 gti, punto gt, Cinquecento 1242 turbo conversion, and a couple of turbo diesels, leon cupra FR TDI and an old school Mini cooper, I enjoy the instant overtaking power of the turbo cars, but also the need to work the box to get anything out of the 16v hatches. I have not heard one bad thing about anyone that has driven the teg, the 350z seems like such lot of car for so little money. As fo insurance it is surprisingly cheap and i am out of the country working offshore so will either go named driver with the wife as main or limited mileage making it even cheaper. Also due to me being away a lot it would be essentialy an extended weekend car as i would never spend enough time home in one go to get bored, i suspect the wife would want to drive whichever one at some point as well.
Edited by chrisxr2 on Friday 20th March 17:15
As mentioned above, they are a bit chalk and cheese.
I've got an EP3 Civic Type-R and a 350z and they are very different beasts. For the purpose of comparison, I'll substitute my experience with the Civic for the DC5, whilst appreciating that the Integra is the better, more exciting steer.
The Civic is noticably lighter on its feet and is a car that you can really grab by the scruff of the neck and drive hard quite easily. In the dry, it takes a fairly clumsy driving style to get it to understeer a huge amount. I've always loved the engine's power delivery which is fairly average below about 6,000 rpm, then really picks up and makes some fantastic noises through to the other side of 8,000 rpm. The suspension is quite hard and the ride around town where I live is pretty bad (although so are the roads!). Motorway cruising is a fairly noisy afair although not to the point that it's ever really bothered me that much.
From experience in the DC2, the LSD on the Integras makes a big difference on the twisties and I distinctly remember the feeling of the diff really pulling you round corners. If you're up for track and fast A/B road driving, I'm sure the Integra would be great fun.
However, for me, the 350z always feels a lot more special than the Civic. The driving position is much better and you sit a lot lower in the car. I've always felt like I'm sitting 'on' rather than 'in' the Civic. The DC2 was much better in this respect, as I would imagine, is the DC5. The power delivery is also very different. I rarely rev the 350z much over 5,000 rpm as it feels a bit strained towards the limiter and there is plenty of mid-range torque to play with. Progress never feels quite as quick as it actually is due to the very linear delivery (particularly compared to the very peaky Honda VTEC engines) but believe me, it's plenty fast enough. The gearbox on the 350z is also a long way off the slick precision of the Honda but feels 'right' for the overall old-school feel of the car.
And then there's the handling. The 350z is not what you would call polished or sophisticated in this department, but my God, it's fun. Oversteer is easily achievable in the right circumstances and it is progressive, well telegraphed and easily held or quelled. I personally find it more exciting than the Civic, which is basically a shopping trolley with a bigger engine and harder suspension.
Fuel economy is in the region of 30-40mpg for the Civic and 20-30mpg for the 350z. As already mentioned, insurance would probably be easier to find for the 350z since the DC5 is an import. Servicing costs are not bad for either although tyres and brakes are a fair bit more on the 350z. Oh, and the interior in my 2001 Civic, which has done nearly 100k miles, rattles less than on my 2004 35k 350z. But then if interior quality is your primary concern, probably best to leave both of these cars well alone!
Overall, both the Integra and the 350z are great performance cars but very different in what they offer, so it's very much a matter of personal taste. For what it's worth though, if it was my money, I'd go for the 350z. Especially as prices will probably take a dip soon when the 370z hits the showrooms...
I've got an EP3 Civic Type-R and a 350z and they are very different beasts. For the purpose of comparison, I'll substitute my experience with the Civic for the DC5, whilst appreciating that the Integra is the better, more exciting steer.
The Civic is noticably lighter on its feet and is a car that you can really grab by the scruff of the neck and drive hard quite easily. In the dry, it takes a fairly clumsy driving style to get it to understeer a huge amount. I've always loved the engine's power delivery which is fairly average below about 6,000 rpm, then really picks up and makes some fantastic noises through to the other side of 8,000 rpm. The suspension is quite hard and the ride around town where I live is pretty bad (although so are the roads!). Motorway cruising is a fairly noisy afair although not to the point that it's ever really bothered me that much.
From experience in the DC2, the LSD on the Integras makes a big difference on the twisties and I distinctly remember the feeling of the diff really pulling you round corners. If you're up for track and fast A/B road driving, I'm sure the Integra would be great fun.
However, for me, the 350z always feels a lot more special than the Civic. The driving position is much better and you sit a lot lower in the car. I've always felt like I'm sitting 'on' rather than 'in' the Civic. The DC2 was much better in this respect, as I would imagine, is the DC5. The power delivery is also very different. I rarely rev the 350z much over 5,000 rpm as it feels a bit strained towards the limiter and there is plenty of mid-range torque to play with. Progress never feels quite as quick as it actually is due to the very linear delivery (particularly compared to the very peaky Honda VTEC engines) but believe me, it's plenty fast enough. The gearbox on the 350z is also a long way off the slick precision of the Honda but feels 'right' for the overall old-school feel of the car.
And then there's the handling. The 350z is not what you would call polished or sophisticated in this department, but my God, it's fun. Oversteer is easily achievable in the right circumstances and it is progressive, well telegraphed and easily held or quelled. I personally find it more exciting than the Civic, which is basically a shopping trolley with a bigger engine and harder suspension.
Fuel economy is in the region of 30-40mpg for the Civic and 20-30mpg for the 350z. As already mentioned, insurance would probably be easier to find for the 350z since the DC5 is an import. Servicing costs are not bad for either although tyres and brakes are a fair bit more on the 350z. Oh, and the interior in my 2001 Civic, which has done nearly 100k miles, rattles less than on my 2004 35k 350z. But then if interior quality is your primary concern, probably best to leave both of these cars well alone!
Overall, both the Integra and the 350z are great performance cars but very different in what they offer, so it's very much a matter of personal taste. For what it's worth though, if it was my money, I'd go for the 350z. Especially as prices will probably take a dip soon when the 370z hits the showrooms...
I'm not so keen on the looks of the DC5, much prefer the earlier ITR. Having said that IMO the 350z is much more of a car. Not meant in a bad way, just much more substantial and a better performance platform, it also looks way better and will offer a better sense of occasion.
There are other cars for similar money that offer a different, but equally good thrill, however they come from the other side of the Paccific.
There are other cars for similar money that offer a different, but equally good thrill, however they come from the other side of the Paccific.
chrisxr2 said:
Thanks lauda, a well balanced appraisal. I definately think i will plump for the Integra, if i do enough time between now and November offshore i maybe could afford both which would be nice, Just out of interest did you not fancy a Teg over a Civic??
Absolutely. I was on the hunt for a DC2 at the time that I ended up getting the Civic. A combination of the fact that I was struggling to find a Teg that matched my requirements and budget (I wanted a white, totally original one with air-con)and the fact that my brother-in-law had a Civic that he was desperate to get rid of and therefore let me have for a bit of a steal meant that the head won over the heart.I still regret getting the Civic a little bit and always keep an eye on the DC2s in the classifieds just in case the right one crops up locally! Either that or I might just get a JDM Civic Type-R when the values soften a bit in the next couple of years.
Good luck with the hunt for the Teg though. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Just make sure you get it in white!
Gassing Station | Japanese Chat | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff