The SRT-4 is like a plague, challenging everyone to justify their price tags. Since the EVO had it's face off with the SRT-4 (and had to justify it's larger price tag), I think it's time for some other cars to justify their larger price tag over the SRT-4 (cars under $30,000). How does the 2004 Ford Mustang Mach 1 ($29,300) and 2004 Nissan 350Z Enthusiast Coupe ($28,400) compare to the ($20,500) 2004 Dodge Neon SRT-4? Do the Mach 1 and 350Z have better overall performance than the SRT-4 stock for stock? How about aftermarket potential?

Well if you want the car for a track, the 350Z would be the better option because of the RWD and the suspension advantage it has over the Mustang Mach 1, which is also RWD.

The Neon SRT-4 is faster in a straight line than a 350Z, ive seen it in person and in magazines. Talk about after market support, the stage 2 for the SRT-4s are puttin those bad boys in the 12s, on the quarter mile.

The Mustang Mach 1 has a pretty decent engine, and a V8 with higher displacement. Money wise, its hard to decide whats cheaper to modifiy to get straight line acceleration out of, the SRT or the Mustang.

Close call.

Id take the 350Z over them. Just a matter of choice.

Sigh, not ANOTHER SRT-4 thread. I'm not getting involved in this one. But I'd take the Mustang Mach 1 over either of them, for its sheer displacement and RWD setup.

350Z over both...better handling than both and decent power...add a supercharger...and bam! Instant goodness...

MACH1 baby! witnessed running very low 13's stock
thats muscle, and muslce owns the strip. the 350Z will outhandle them both, the interior in the 350Z is far better then both the srt-4 and the mach1. i'd say the sr-4 is in the middle of these cars because to me it doesn't win in any category exept price, though its faster than the 350Z and slower than the mach1.

Waht are the handling numbers on the 350Z... everyone always says it'll win on a track I've never seen anything to make me believe it is such a great handling/track car

you must not read much magazine's do you.
its like all over the place, the car handles like crazy.
i bet the AF 350Z is a hellava car.
not usre in the track numbers, i just know it beat a bunch of cars that i didn't think it could beat in handling competition

Waht are the handling numbers on the 350Z... everyone always says it'll win on a track I've never seen anything to make me believe it is such a great handling/track car

I think when you look at numbers, the 350Z is only slightly better, but it's overall handling abilities is better than both cars, such as far it can be taken to the limit and ease of control and feel, those factors cannot be measured, I think the 350Z would have a higher cornering speed than both the Mach 1 and SRT-4 on a race track. But if you just want numbers, I've seen the 350Z tested anywhere from .88g-91g on a skidpad, depending on the variables of the test.

Is it safe to say that the 350Z is the best handling car under 30K, or is the RX-8 better? BTW, I'm not counting the Evo, because I've never seen one go for less than 30K (although I'm sure it's happened).

Is it safe to say that the 350Z is the best handling car under 30K, or is the RX-8 better? BTW, I'm not counting the Evo, because I've never seen one go for less than 30K (although I'm sure it's happened).


EVO's go easily under 30K. You can get one for about 27K, dealers are having big troubles selling them.

Is it safe to say that the 350Z is the best handling car under 30K, or is the RX-8 better? BTW, I'm not counting the Evo, because I've never seen one go for less than 30K (although I'm sure it's happened).

Well I have seen a few new one's for sale for under 30K. Other than that the MazdaSpeed Miata is very good handling car too, just on handling the MR-2 Spyder handles very well also. But yeah the 350Z is definitly up there, and over here in California, many 350Zs brand new are hard to find for under $30K also.

If you wanted a track car the 350Z would be a much better choice.

If you wanted 1/4 mile car the MACH1 is the way to go especially with it's suspension set-up designed with 1/4 mile in mind.

350Z ... easy. there is a reason for all the excitement that was going on when this car came out.... the Z's of the 70s were absolute bargains for awesome performance they had, but then the 300ZX just sucked... not that they didnt sell, but their reliabilty, strength and dynamics are all substandard. so i guess nissan just tried to bring back some of the old Z magic... and it worked ... go the Z

I'll take the mach 1 over the 350Z or the SRT-4. The SRT-4 is butt-ugly and the 350Z is slower than the stang.

Thanks for answering my question... but i don't see why people say it is such an amazing track car... those skidpad numbers are only a little above my camaro which everyone seems to say has rather awful handling... I mean, if this was the case, the camaro is just as good as a track car, where it lacks in handling it makes up for in power.

That's because there is a common ricer myth that the Camaro handles like a boat. Anyone who's driven a Z28 at the track can't possibly say that with a straight face.

skidpad numbers are only a fraction of handling imo maybe 1/4th. so dont live by those numbers there's a lot more involved with handling then just skidpad numbers

Yes handling and skidpad are related but its stupid to say that a car with a better skipad rating is a better handler.

It is all in the balance of the car, weight distribution, center of gravity, how linear the car handles when the tires give up, how predictable the car is, body roll...etc...

So what does the 350Z have in these categories that make is sooo amazing... I'm just asking cause I don't know much about it yey I doubt it is as "amazing" as people say.

hehe i didn't want to beleive it at first either

So you're saying I should believe it

no, lol beleive what you want, i'm speaking from lots of mags that i've read not experience

srt=ugly factory ricer
srt owners= lazy ricers
people who want srt=maybe dad will get you one when you graduate junior high

I have come to the conclusion that skidpad numbers are not a very accurate measurement of a cars handling abilities and should be thrown out. I feel that the skidpad is more a measurement of tires grip than a cars overall handling abilities, am I correct in feeling this way? In the latest Road and Track issue an Infiniti G35 Coupe and Mazda RX-8 wre compared, the G35 Coupe pulled a .92g skidpad too the RX-8's .88g, yet Road and Track crowned the RX-8 the better handler due to it's better handling feel and control (also higher slalom numbers). Slalom numbers seem a better indication of a cars overall handling ability and control, and there must be a way to more accuratly measure a cars handling abilities besides the slalom.

Also going off this, to help Joseph1082 and his question of why the 350Z is such a better handler than the Camaro SS, the last 350Z Track Edition tested by Road and Track did the slalom in 67.3MPH compared to the last Camaro SS tested by Road and Track slalom number of 60.0MPH, that is a very big difference. Still the slalom isn't the end of all ends for handling testing, like I said another method of testing of a cars handling ability should be developed and used with slalom, and skipad testing should be thrown out?

on a flat surface, cars with solid rear axles will perform decently turning one direction, but when it comes to S curves, or slaloms, its weakness starts to show more. on a surface with bumps, independent suspensions are prefered, cause solid rear axles dont have wheels that move up and down independently. lets say you were turning one direction, and the inside wheel takes a bump, the outside wheel will lose some percentage of contact with the road, and might cause the car to hop. the body on solid rear axle cars will roll more too from taking a bump.

Does anyone have the weight distribution for a 350Z??

The bottom line is when a magazine says one car is a better track car the are encompassing there overall feel and control of the car when driving. But this does not mean that car will win on all road courses. Cause road tracks like cars come in many shape, sizes, configurations. One car can have better skidpads, slaloms, feel more balance and with equal drivers still lose on a certain road track to the lesser handling car.

all 3 candidates are good handlers, with the right driver. A guy driving muscle cars for YEARS on end will easily own with a mach 1, while a guy with experience in decades of FWD sport compact driving will own in an SRT 4, and the guy who is used to IRS feel will certainly appreciate the Z. Personal preference, but I would take the mach 1. 1/4s in low 13s(tested in RT mag), and it handles good too. then again, im a stang fan.