I started out my search for a "sports car" with a list that included the Z, the MR2, the Honda S2000, and the MazdaSpeed Miata (not the Crossfire). I drove the MR2 and hated what a dog it was torque-wise, although I liked it a lot otherwise, except that it's even smaller inside than the Crossfire (I'm 6'1"). I didn't drive the S2000 after driving the MR2 because even though I love the looks and quality of that car, it is also (while very fast and nimble) a dog on torque. I just don't want to have to keep the RPM's above 4500 all the time to enjoy a car (I come from a '02 Maxima SE 6 spd that really cooks all across the torque band).
So having had good experience with Nissan (I've had 4 Maxima SE's), I intitially intended to get a Z. I drove it twice for medium long drives, mostly in low to medium speed areas.
I'm going to try to be objective about the Z in a comparison to the Crossfire I ended up buying: the Z is faster; has a better shifting system--especially for power downshifts--has a slightly bigger cockpit; definitely has better seats; handles a little rougher, but is a little tiny bit quicker in it's responses, too; costs less in the version I was buying as compared to the Z ($29, 800 vs $34,500), doesn't sound quite as nice; doesn't look quite as good as the Crossfire in as many colors; has a little bit better steering feel than the Crossfire; and, finally, it carries two golf bags while the Crossfire doesn't really even take one (don't laugh, driving a sports car into the parking lot at the golf course is one of the better narcissistic things about owning sports cars.
So it sounds like the Z should have been the car I should have bought, doesn't it?
Here's why I didn't:
-it's much heavier than the Crossfire, and feels it
-it's not a rolling work of art like the Crossfire is
-it's clutch is tiresome in traffic
-it's not as exclusive as the Crossfire
-it didn't have the INCREDIBLE deal (list $34500, $1,400 down, and $299 a month plus tax for the lease!) on it the Crossfire did that I very accidently saw a a dealership I never visit
-finally, the Z was about appreciation for a fine car; the Crossfire was about little boy excitement (I'm 61 this year).
I've had it for a week, and have loved every nanosecond of our "relationship."