2011 Nissan 370Z vs. 1990 Nissan 300ZX: Past Meets Present Page 3

Inside, the two cars couldn't be more different. The inside of the 300ZX feels special and unique, featuring a mix of tweed, vinyl, and plastic. The dashboard flows away from you and all of the controls are driver centric, with the climate controls, lights, and windshield wiper controls all in pods attached to the sides of the gauge cluster. The interior design of the 300ZX doesn't look dated (to my eye) and could easily pass for an interior in a new sports car.

The 370Z is a stark contrast to that of the 300ZX, with parts bin switch gear that can be found in anything from a new Nissan Murano to an Infiniti G37. The car's center stack isn't unique, making the interior of the newest Z feel anything but special.

I did like the three pod gauges sitting atop the center stack canted towards the driver, a clear nod towards the design of the 240Z. The gauge cluster in the 370Z has a large tachometer front and center with the speedometer pushed to the right. This puts the revs as your main priority when glancing at your gauges--never a bad thing.

One of my gripes with the gauge cluster deals with the small LCD trip computer display. This sits between little LEDs which act as the coolant and fuel gauge. While the funky LED gauge set-up in the 370Z is initially cool, it begins to feel almost tacky and impractical in daily usage. The sun makes the little lights hard to see, forcing you to use your hand to provide shade so you can tell how much fuel you have.

Sitting inside the 370Z you feel cramped. As noted before, the 300ZX is wider, and that instantly translates to a less claustrophobic experience inside the car. As noted before, the 370Z driven was a convertible. In 1990 the 300ZX came as a coupe with t-tops. This gave you the ability to have an open air driving experience, but the security and structure of a hard-top when necessary. The 300ZX has much better visibility than the 370Z with more glass around the cabin. However, it's hard to argue with the 370Z Roadster's visibility when the top is down.

Both cars feature what I would consider terrific seats, but the 370Z's do a better job of keeping you in place thanks to larger bolsters both on the sides and the bottoms. When you put your head on the headrests in the 370Z, the metal base pushes against the middle of your back through the seat back material. This made it quite uncomfortable to put your head on the headrest for more than a minute.