the Z is the nicer car in general, more comfortable, cruises nicer.. I'm used to my talons so they feel a little bulky driving but i could get used to that real quick, not a big deal. They are much much much heavier and much much more expensive to work on and maintain though. also much much harder to work on. You can tear apart a talon and put it back together in no time. a TT Z is one of the most pain in the ass cars ever to work on. The Z can make plenty of power but if you're looking for a cheap fun factor i'd go with the talon. If you take care of it properly reliability is not an issue. They hold together fine when you take care of it as you should any car. It's when you neglect them or do stupid shit that they will break, just like any other car.