Felt like I climbed Mt. Everest. Picked up my Z! Driving Her Home & First Impressions

[SavedByFaith_]

Nice! Huge Congrats and where the credit is due Great write-up, always appealing to me to pick up a car and make a road trip back, scenery plus learning about the car at the same time breaking it in. Always wanted to do that, in future planning. Even European delivery of some sort (not for the Z) where they lodge and dine you as a package deal.

Did you encounter icy roads? If so how did the Z manage traction control on those stock tires?

Love the kind words friend
Its was my first time doing such a trip where I pickup a new car and drive it quite the distance across nearly a handful of days.
It was pure bliss.

My wife and I did splurge, staying at upscale hotels and some fine dining where we could!
Was able to grab a beautiful steak dinner at a steakhouse along the water in Sault-Sainte Marie - the best meal!
Plus, going to fancier places, I felt safer from a parking perspective and boy oh boy did everyone hover around both me and the Car anywhere I went / stopped.

As for tires.
I was truly blessed with absolute clear blue skies, full Sun and extreme dry roads.
I only ever pushed the car in these conditions, warming the tires (driving around 50-75kms and some duration of time, building tire heat through very light pulls and swerves during this "warmup" time), and more on the straights - didn't want to risk too much spin/grip loss in corner outs (don't get me wrong, still did some pulls out of corners, but much more in a light spirited driving perspective)

Some section of the roads did have water streams running across the roads due to the snow banks melting off the shoulder.
In these case, just laid off the pedal and coasted through em.

I did do 3 "fresh" slides / drifts... what I mean is, not warming the tires, and basically peeling out of a driveway or out of 90 degree turn... I needed to understand what "bad grip" was.
Max G experienced here was around 0.3ish, never saw the G meter go over 0.4, obvs, feel max Gs in hammer down pulls.


So....
If you work the tires properly - they link up to the road and will carrying you into/through/out of sweeping corners with ease and confidence.
if you want to get rowdy, the tires will EASILY give that to you - if you're experienced, I wouldn't worry, you're going to have FUN and wont have to work to "get it to have fun".

I do advise caution though... the tires are on the "not best grip" side of things.
I've had the pleasure of experiencing pilot sports and the general feel people are reviewing seems to be correct - I just wouldn't call the tires garbage as many are seeming to say so.

 

[Supremekai]

Infotainment: 8/10
What can I say... i used Android Auto for most of the trip, like the interface there.
The OEM stuff is nice too... but can't really comment - does the job for me.
Touch sensitivity is a little low - but i think this is good as to not fat finger or brush the screen and have everything change. When driving and messing around, every 15-20 second it'll pause and say "safety break - pay attention to road" or something like that - annoying sure, but i get it, and not as bad as some other cars I've experienced.

Since we have 8" for the Performance, does it have built in Nav? Or is it really only the 9" has it?
And no wireless Carplay or Android Auto?

 

[SavedByFaith_]

Since we have 8" for the Performance, does it have built in Nav? Or is it really only the 9" has it?
And no wireless Carplay or Android Auto?

Can confirm it's 8in, no built-in navigation, no wireless Android Auto (not sure about CarPlay, was never an iOS guy)
To be honest, 8in is good - it's not in your face, the dash is in your face and I like that, especially in Sport mode.

I personally made the dash brighter then the infotainment sys to further emphasize the dash metrics when driving.

The size is good with the new AA update which allows you to view Google Maps in Fullscreen, plenty of space to see the route and fiddle around with the route settings, search, etc.

 

[Supremekai]

Can confirm it's 8in, no built-in navigation, no wireless Android Auto (not sure about CarPlay, was never an iOS guy)
To be honest, 8in is good - it's not in your face, the dash is in your face and I like that, especially in Sport mode.

I personally made the dash brighter then the infotainment sys to further emphasize the dash metrics when driving.

The size is good with the new AA update which allows you to view Google Maps in Fullscreen, plenty of space to see the route and fiddle around with the route settings, search, etc.

Sucks it doesn't have built in nav. When occasionally a road is closed off, one can check the built in nav quickly for an inner street routes without using the phone.

 

[SavedByFaith_]

Sucks it doesn't have built in nav. When occasionally a road is closed off, one can check the built in nav quickly for an inner street routes without using the phone.

Totally get that.

I was fine with AA and GMaps, on my trek I lost cell connection quite often through the extreme backwoods, but still the AA & GMaps app never crashed on the infotainment. Was able to move around and check roads and gas stops /restos easily.

Note: i did download sections of offline maps - not sure if this had any play, I'd imagine so.

I guess they need to cut costs somewhere given the CAD Price comparative to the USA Market

 

[Mardoc01]

Sure - I'm full black interior (I wanted blue, but now that I've lived in it, I think Black is the best!)
As you may recall from reviews - they claim it' very "Roomy / Spacious" - can easily confirm this.
Feels like there is a lot of room within the Cabin.
I'm 5'9, so can't speak for height, but looks like there's plenty of headroom.

The materials used are nice, fake leather sure, but feel nice with good cushioning.
I love the fake suede / Alcantara patch on the seat, feels nice to touch and works well with clothing and adds a slight level of stickiness against the fabrics that you're wearing.
The same Alcantara patch on the door is nice touch! When you brush against it, just nice feel.

Seats:
Driver Seat: 8/10
Buckets hold nice, manual lumber support and "thing portion" at the front - i don't mind that these are manual as for me it's set once and done.
Electric for back adjustment and "front/back" adjustment - i actually like that these are on the inside of the seat on rocker switches, as i found myself adjusting every few hours during my long trip

Passenger Seat: 6.5/10
There are no manual knobs to adjust the lumber and "thigh"; only the electric switches as described above.
My lower back hurt when i was sitting in the passenger when my Wife drove her stint.
(Note: this could just be my own fatigue from driving 5-7 hours per day, plus I've always had slight issues with my lower back and have not attended to it in some months as I typically do.)

"Trunk Space": 8/10
It suited my needs. was able to put a carry-on bag, two packed backpacks, a "small cooler" type box (note it's a soft bag, not hard shell) and finally a "normal" sized shopping bag with some things we bought at some boutique. Overall good space, need to play a little Tetris to pack it full - I'd be interested in getting the cargo net for when you just have a small item or two, as i can imagine it'll roll around.

Driver Dash: 9/10
Love it to death, sport mode is superior, normal mode id nice too. Not a fan of enhanced, but looks cool.
Things are easy to identify, some level of customization as to which "widgets" you want.

Infotainment: 8/10
What can I say... i used Android Auto for most of the trip, like the interface there.
The OEM stuff is nice too... but can't really comment - does the job for me.
Touch sensitivity is a little low - but i think this is good as to not fat finger or brush the screen and have everything change. When driving and messing around, every 15-20 second it'll pause and say "safety break - pay attention to road" or something like that - annoying sure, but i get it, and not as bad as some other cars I've experienced.


General Storage: 7/10
The pockets behind the seats are nice, was able to have a little bag of snacks behind driver which the passenger may easily access and grab things out of. I'm yet to leverage the little pocket to store documents - need to find a suitable "folder/binder and stack it in there.
Glove box is small.. probably around 66% of a "normal" sedan size.
Center glove box is very similar - shallow, I'm able to stack my sunglasses, a box of altoids, an extra wire and a microfiber cloth to clean the screen.
Cupholders are decent, good depth, decent circumferences probably stack any "normal" size drink (think S/M/L, probably not XL)
Side pockets are nice, I chuck my wallet in there and the cup holder there is okay - just need to be mindful of height with any liquids you'd store there.
Little pocket under the infotainment has enough space to fit my Google Pixel 6 and the key fob right beside all hooked with a short USB-C wire (and tucking the wire in to keep it looking clean).


Overall: 8/10
Suits my needs, living in the car for 10-11h per day during my trek - never once got annoyed with anything - this is a win in my books!

Thx for the review. How about specifically to the touch quality. I’ve heard comments regarding arm rest Hard plastic and buttons and handle like plastic Not liking that. Upgrade would be nice for 55 k ….

 

[trackratZ]

@SavedByFaith_ I'm still going through your detailed write-up and miles you put on driving it home. Great details. Couple more questions a) how is the clutch feel, take-up and engagement? Low, mid, high take-up and smooth not touchy? Reason I asked was my last gen G35S was frustrating, high and touchy take-up, hard to modulate leaving a stop, not intuitive. I also heel-n-toe regularly even in town, if pedals placement is good enough for that, b) you said around 4.5K when boost kicks in noticeably, is the lag noticeable under that when driving briskly? I wonder if it's factory tuned just like the Q50 Red Sport. Thanks!

 

[SavedByFaith_]

Thx for the review. How about specifically to the touch quality. I’ve heard comments regarding arm rest Hard plastic and buttons and handle like plastic Not liking that. Upgrade would be nice for 55 k ….

As mentioned, the fake Alcantara is really nice to touch (smooth and soft).
(Fake?) Leathers seats are decent too, nothing like European quality but it's comfortable and looks like it will hold it's integrity (given some minor detailing / protection here and there.)

The middle armrest is a plastic, that "soft plastic" you find nowadays, it's softer then it looks and you'd expect.
I'm a sucker for laying my elbow or back half of my arm on it.
I never felt it get sore, bruised, pressured, etc.
It held my arm resting on it for 60-75% of a trip going nearly 12h one day.

The heated seats are just rocker switches, Hi/Lo temp (feels cheap sure, but nice little feel/click to rock em back and forth)
The three Dials on the bottom for AirCon / Temps / Mode.
Just a dial that has min / max (does not infinite rotate/spin)
What can I say man... it's cheap... the outer rim is "grooved" so it's nice to touch and spin it.
The color is "darker" (almost like gunmetal) so it almost hides itself in a full black interior (love the fact that it's a near black headliner).

But it doesn't bother / phase me at all...
I barely touched it all in my 32+ hours of driving, like set it once and leave it type.
I'm not going to hassle quality like that for the price I paid, because the things which matter to me have far exceeded the expectation wherein pitfalls like these barely nudge my overall sentiment.

Hope this help!

 

[SavedByFaith_]

@SavedByFaith_ I'm still going through your detailed write-up and miles you put on driving it home. Great details. Couple more questions a) how is the clutch feel, take-up and engagement? Low, mid, high take-up and smooth not touchy? Reason I asked was my last gen G35S was frustrating, high and touchy take-up, hard to modulate leaving a stop, not intuitive. I also heel-n-toe regularly even in town, if pedals placement is good enough for that, b) you said around 4.5K when boost kicks in noticeably, is the lag noticeable under that when driving briskly? I wonder if it's factory tuned just like the Q50 Red Sport. Thanks!

Hey champ - I'll gladly answer any and all questions

Please note that I got an auto, so from a manual clutch & Heel/Toe - cannot comment.
I'll simply say this, the "sport mode" greatly increases all pedal response and engine reaction compared to Standard.

I wouldn't say night and day.
But like a sunrise / sunset.
It's something beautiful on it's own, you feel most of the car "behave as it's in standard", but it almost bring out the intended "sport" nature of the car.

a) Clutch feel, again I'm auto, so talking about the Single Clutch Tranny, in standard it's a little slow in gear switches, sport makes up for this - it aint no DCT, but feel nice, especially in manual paddle shift mode.

the engagement within a single gear is awesome.
Listen, if you're super light on the, it's snappy, won't pass 2-2.5k rpm, especially in low gears, it' engages and cycles through them (1-3, 2-4) real nice and smooth.
The harder you go on the pedal; it really feel linear!

There is this "2-stage" boost feel, almost like they simulate "low boost" on anything less then half strentgh on the pedal, and "high/full boost" through the full band of the gear with anything more then half pedal
It's precise and fine TrackRat, you will feel the variance and can really control the boost PSI and turbo speed solely through throttle pressure/feel.

Again, sport mode just tightens everything together (band in a single gear, shifts between gears, the "gap" between "low & high" boost.

Lastly, the recirculation valve for the turbo is a Godsend, really pushes though the gears and carries max boost and turbo speed - its makes everything "feel linear" but there is so much more science and magic happening that I cannot describe.

b) put short, yes there is lag in standard mode.... you can feel the turbo about to spool and build that boost.
I think in sport, this is better; not night and day but also not marginal.
For a stock OEM turbo and Tune - it's a solid 7.
(I think i covered the whole 4.5k RPM, feel big boost thing - but in short, it depends on the throttle / accely down you put into it. You will/can feel "full" boost before the 4.5RPM, i saying you feel it more from a GForce, head into the backrest feel, more then actual powerband and available WHP, WTorque)

you being a TrackRat - you may want a specific tune to really get it the way you want, but for street, daily, spirited driving - it's more then fine, it's great.

Really hope this helps, doing my best to explain the mechanics and feels.
Overall, the engine, turbo, throttle response, lag - I'd put at a solid 8.5/10.
It's a turnkey beast and if you're an experienced driver - it will work for you (even with the BS S007)

 

[trackratZ]

There is this "2-stage" boost feel, almost like they simulate "low boost" on anything less then half strentgh on the pedal, and "high/full boost" through the full band of the gear with anything more then half pedal
It's precise and fine TrackRat, you will feel the variance and can really control the boost PSI and turbo speed solely through throttle pressure/feel.

Again, sport mode just tightens everything together (band in a single gear, shifts between gears, the "gap" between "low & high" boost.

Lastly, the recirculation valve for the turbo is a Godsend, really pushes though the gears and carries max boost and turbo speed - its makes everything "feel linear" but there is so much more science and magic happening that I cannot describe.

b) put short, yes there is lag in standard mode.... you can feel the turbo about to spool and build that boost.
I think in sport, this is better; not night and day but also not marginal.
For a stock OEM turbo and Tune - it's a solid 7.
(I think i covered the whole 4.5k RPM, feel big boost thing - but in short, it depends on the throttle / accely down you put into it. You will/can feel "full" boost before the 4.5RPM, i saying you feel it more from a GForce, head into the backrest feel, more then actual powerband and available WHP, WTorque)

you being a TrackRat - you may want a specific tune to really get it the way you want, but for street, daily, spirited driving - it's more then fine, it's great.

Really hope this helps, doing my best to explain the mechanics and feels.
Overall, the engine, turbo, throttle response, lag - I'd put at a solid 8.5/10.
It's a turnkey beast and if you're an experienced driver - it will work for you (even with the BS S007)

Yeah sounds like a nice tune for normal driving as delivered, good analysis, lag is not too much before boost. Give us more feedback as you put more miles in her

 

[Mardoc01]

As mentioned, the fake Alcantara is really nice to touch (smooth and soft).
(Fake?) Leathers seats are decent too, nothing like European quality but it's comfortable and looks like it will hold it's integrity (given some minor detailing / protection here and there.)

The middle armrest is a plastic, that "soft plastic" you find nowadays, it's softer then it looks and you'd expect.
I'm a sucker for laying my elbow or back half of my arm on it.
I never felt it get sore, bruised, pressured, etc.
It held my arm resting on it for 60-75% of a trip going nearly 12h one day.

The heated seats are just rocker switches, Hi/Lo temp (feels cheap sure, but nice little feel/click to rock em back and forth)
The three Dials on the bottom for AirCon / Temps / Mode.
Just a dial that has min / max (does not infinite rotate/spin)
What can I say man... it's cheap... the outer rim is "grooved" so it's nice to touch and spin it.
The color is "darker" (almost like gunmetal) so it almost hides itself in a full black interior (love the fact that it's a near black headliner).

But it doesn't bother / phase me at all...
I barely touched it all in my 32+ hours of driving, like set it once and leave it type.
I'm not going to hassle quality like that for the price I paid, because the things which matter to me have far exceeded the expectation wherein pitfalls like these barely nudge my overall sentiment.

Hope this help!

Thx

 

[SavedByFaith_]

Yeah sounds like a nice tune for normal driving as delivered, good analysis, lag is not too much before boost. Give us more feedback as you put more miles in her

Mr. TrackRat (@trackratZ) - hope you had a splendid weekend!

Was able to log an additional 150km / 90mi on her over this weekend.
The weather was fabulous up here in Canada, where I live - 25C weather with blue skies and the gleaming sun.

Took her on local streets, so no highway / freeway driving.
"Sort of back roads" (basically really sub-urban boroughs close to my location, light to medium traffic in many cases, narrow roads with small shoulders, decent elevation [like 20-40 feet throughout], great winds) lower speeds at around 30-50km / 20-30mi

Ran her in Sport mode throughout and was very tame (loads of cyclists, pedestrians sharing the roads as there are no dedicate sidewalks).
As you can imagine, i was very low throttle and the feedback was never twitchy.
You can hear the exhaust a little more compared to standard, but at these low speeds / low pedal pressure - sport & standard are very similiar.

When I did open her up, the lag was minimal on Sport mode when comparing back to Standard.
Still going with my initial comments around how "sport tightens everything up, smaller bands, quicker spool, etc."
Still holding my comment where Sport mode really only changes accelerator / pedals.
Absolute no change in suspension, breaking, etc.

Hope this provides some clarity on more local roads with more stop/start and not just freeway cruising

 

[SavedByFaith_]

Thought I'd add more pictures for y'all.

These photos are after I detailed the car with washless products (CarPRO) for my CQuartz Ceramic Coating.

 

[West Aussie]

Thought I'd add more pictures for y'all.

These photos are after I detailed the car with washless products (CarPRO) for my CQuartz Ceramic Coating.

Love the sparkle

 

[trackratZ]

Love the sparkle

You finally showed some ‘sparkle’ here in posts, NICE!!!