Ford Mustang boasts quieter interior than Nissan 370Z

Q. Does the Ford Mustang or Nissan 370Z have a nicer interior?

A. We think the Mustang and 370Z are pretty equal in terms of interior quality, materials and design, but the Mustang does a better job of isolating occupants from road and wind noise.

If you're thinking of buying one or the other, the more important question is, which car do you think has the better interior because you're the one who will have to live with it. You should spend some time in each, get familiar with the look and feel of controls and experience what it?s like to occupy these cars on the road. Car salespeople may balk at an extended test drive, but you should take more than a quick spin around the block to find out what works for you.

Ford upgraded the Mustang's interior for 2010, when it installed more premium materials, including a soft-touch dashboard cover. However, some of the upper door panel materials look and feel cheap.

Nissan improved the interior quality on the Z when it restyled the coupe for 2009, though it still has a minimalist, functional appearance. The 370Z is quite noisy, however, with lots of road noise coming through the rear wheel wells, and the Mustang is superior in that regard.

Neither car comes with a telescoping feature for the steering column, so you should check out whether the tilt feature is sufficient for you to find a comfortable driving position.