[Fooch]

I finally have the means to get a Z car. Been waiting since the release date to pick one of these up and now it's time. I am pricing around in the winter and getting a price, ordering, and picking up in April/May. Now I had orignally planned to grab a touring model. But I keep hearing from Touring owners that it is not worth it and that I should just get an Enthusiast Model and add in the differences aftermarket and will be much better off.

The question I have for you guys is what is EVERY big, small, minute, difference in these two models? I am talking all the way down to the placement of the speakers.

I built an Enthusiast car and a Touring car with about a $6,000 difference in pricing. I compared the two lists of standard options and the only differnce I saw was that the touring has leather, power seats, and heated seats. What else is different? Are the wheels both 18s(6-spd), both have wheel sensors, both have TCL and VDC(i think that is what it is called lol)?

The difference in the stereo...does the 160-watt one just lack the sub? Or are all the speakers different? Is the placement any different. Is the sub "position" open on the enthusiast model for you to put something in there?

Also, I plan on putting a Kenwood DDX-7015 deck in there and it has an option NAVI attatchment, how is this compared to the stock one? Because the MAIN reason I want a Touring is leather and NAVI.

For those of you that have put leather in their 350...how does it compare to stock leathe as far as look. Usually when I see aftermarket leather on a car is has that "loose" look to it.

Thanks in advance for anyone helping with these questions.

 

[toykilla]

if you plan on doing any stereo work, STAY AWAY FROM TOURING!.. It is a pain in the ass, and will cost you more in the long run to switch things out..

Check out leatherseats.com. they are one of our sponsors, and i know they everyone who has ordered from them have been impressed with the leather quality. including me!

 

[gOOters]

If you've been waiting over a year to buy, I would hope you would know that Touring has 18s and Enthu has 17s :headshake:

Also, Touring (and Performance) has VDC, Enthusiast does not.

Its an age old discussion if VDC is worth the money. And a personal decision.

I chose a Performance model when I bought. I didnt plan on modding much and I wanted the 18s. LOVE the way that car looks right outta the box. I wanted VDC as well, and I have to say, it worked like a charm in the rain. If you are new to driving sports cars, it makes a nice safety net.

If you plan on upgrading your stereo, I would debate between Enthu and Perf. If you plan on modding alot, rims, etc...I would go Enthu.

 

[Fooch]

Originally posted by gOOters@Oct 29 2004, 06:27 AM
If you've been waiting over a year to buy, I would hope you would know that Touring has 18s and Enthu has 17s  :headshake:

Also, Touring (and Performance) has VDC, Enthusiast does not.

Its an age old discussion if VDC is worth the money. And a personal decision.

I chose a Performance model when I bought. I didnt plan on modding much and I wanted the 18s. LOVE the way that car looks right outta the box. I wanted VDC as well, and I have to say, it worked like a charm in the rain. If you are new to driving sports cars, it makes a nice safety net.

If you plan on upgrading your stereo, I would debate between Enthu and Perf. If you plan on modding alot, rims, etc...I would go Enthu.

I remember there being a model that would give you 17s of you got auto and 18s if you got maunal. I thought enthusiast was it. I guess not.

Also:

I think I may go performance then, not sure though. This is what I looked at. The MSRPs for the Touring and the Performance I build were as follows:

Performance = $31,400
Touring = $36,200

Now I could get a performance and throw in a Kenwood DDX-7015 with navi option for ~$1,500. Then cover it in custom leather for ~$900-$1,000. So to make it just as good if not better than the touring it would cost me around $2,500 and there is still around a $2,500 difference there and $5,000 off the principle pertaining to my car payments which would help my mods come A LOT faster than they would financing $36,000+. I could care less about power driver seat or heated seats. It is only a summer car and once the seat is set...that is where it will always stay. In the eclipse I NEVER used the power seats.

That seem about right?

 

[hazade]

Originally posted by Fooch+Oct 29 2004, 09:33 AM-->

<!--QuoteBegin-gOOters

@Oct 29 2004, 06:27 AM
If you've been waiting over a year to buy, I would hope you would know that Touring has 18s and Enthu has 17s  :headshake:

Also, Touring (and Performance) has VDC, Enthusiast does not.

Its an age old discussion if VDC is worth the money. And a personal decision.

I chose a Performance model when I bought. I didnt plan on modding much and I wanted the 18s. LOVE the way that car looks right outta the box. I wanted VDC as well, and I have to say, it worked like a charm in the rain. If you are new to driving sports cars, it makes a nice safety net.

If you plan on upgrading your stereo, I would debate between Enthu and Perf. If you plan on modding alot, rims, etc...I would go Enthu.

I remember there being a model that would give you 17s of you got auto and 18s if you got maunal. I thought enthusiast was it. I guess not.

Also:

I think I may go performance then, not sure though. This is what I looked at. The MSRPs for the Touring and the Performance I build were as follows:

Performance = $31,400
Touring = $36,200

Now I could get a performance and throw in a Kenwood DDX-7015 with navi option for ~$1,500. Then cover it in custom leather for ~$900-$1,000. So to make it just as good if not better than the touring it would cost me around $2,500 and there is still around a $2,500 difference there and $5,000 off the principle pertaining to my car payments which would help my mods come A LOT faster than they would financing $36,000+. I could care less about power driver seat or heated seats. It is only a summer car and once the seat is set...that is where it will always stay. In the eclipse I NEVER used the power seats.

That seem about right?

sounds like a plan to me.

I went through the same process as you and ended up getting the performance trim. very happy with my decision. Leather seats werent a big thing for me and there really wasnt anything else in the touring that I wanted. I couldnt justify the price to step up to that model.

 

[Fooch]

I LOVE leather almost as much as your avitar :clap: lol. Ever since I got my Eclipse with leather. I will get leather in the Z wether it be from leatherseats.com or OEM lol. Also I want Navi. I take my cars to a lot of shows and i hate printing and using mapquest maps. Does anyone know if the DDX-7015 navi attatchment is as good as stock navi?

 

[cedusett]

I remember there being a model that would give you 17s of you got auto and 18s if you got maunal. I thought enthusiast was it. I guess not.

I think this is true of the CHROME wheels and the enthusiast. You can get the 18" chrome's if you get a manual, but otherwise you get the 17's. Anyone else know for sure?

 

[Fooch]

I will look in the brochure when I get home. I KNOW that there is a model that is 17s and 18s in a manual standard not chomre. And if Touring and Preformance come standard with 18s on both....I would only assume the Enthusiast is the one that woul dhave that. Unless it was a rhodster.

 

[DiRN]

The model with the different wheel sizes is the Touring. The manual comes with 18s and the automatic comes with 17s. And the manual has VDC and the auto doesn't. Also, the Performance is only available in manual

 

[Fooch]

thanks.

 

[seexeng]

Have you thought of the Track model?

I was in your shoe not too long ago. I got mine over Father's day weekend of this year.

How did I approach it? Start with listing my priorities and future plan for the Z. I knew that I don't want leather seats (adds weight-not pure sports car), VDC (again don't care for it...I love my 240Z and it got nothing-good engine+light+good looking), wheels- after market is cheaper and different and finally price. Couldn't affort track or touring. End up being really happy with Enth. model.

Now I am currently adding new 18 inche rims on it.

good luck!

 

[Fooch]

I was thinking of track but I like the 274 torque over the 260. I would rather have the power right off the bat then way up top and to help my top speed which I will never hit.

Anyone know if leatherseats.com or katzkin seats are better? I am trn between the two.

 

[hazade]

Originally posted by Fooch@Oct 29 2004, 10:21 AM
Also I want Navi. I take my cars to a lot of shows and i hate printing and using mapquest maps. Does anyone know if the DDX-7015 navi attatchment is as good as stock navi?

not sure about the DDX, but you can get the stock navi as an option with the performance :thumbsup:

i have it in mine, helps out a lot when you travel

 

[Fooch]

Not anymore you can't. It is only offered in the Touring now. They took it off of track and performance. It will also be in the 35th Anniversary car.

 

[jetpilot718]

One more point of advice, I dont know where your from but if your buying the Z anywhere that has a winter with snow, you should be able to get it for 500-1000 over Invoice, forget MSRP. Dont even talk MSRP with the dealer, walk out if they give you that line.

Invoice, for example, for my 04 Performance ed. was 28,000. I got the car for 28,500 out the door. Just gotta do your homework, and approach the dealer as a dealer - I pretty much told the guy I'd move one of his cars, give him 500 bux, and we'd both be happy.

It worked

 

[jetpilot718]

Ohh forgot to mention, I bought the car in mid January, with snow banks in the lot as I signed the papers lol

 

[Fooch]

I live in Northwestern PA by the Great Lakes so we have nasty winters. Car is usually in the garage 6 to 7 months out of the year. I am actually pricing in January. I plan to actually order it with a FIRM price in mid to late january so that it is here for spring. And I was just giving the MSRP as a basis to compare pricing. I am starting haggling at wholesale price(which is invoice - dealer holdback) and HE'LL have to get me to come up from there. I am not working from sticker down. That is what I did with my eclipse and I got it $128 over invoice brand new