Nissan 350Z

cdnpinhead

The bulk of the buyers (and test drivers) of SUVs are fuddy-duddy types and fall into the older (with children) category.

Enough people who crave (only a few of whom can actually afford to buy) sports cars like the S2000 have been shown to be younger and less responsible.

Go figure.

snaphook

A golfing buddy of mine took delivery of his touring Z last Tuesday. I just saw it today. This is the first one that I have actually seen and I agree with those who say it looks better in person than in pictures. I asked him how he liked it and his response was. he liked it a lot while grinning from ear to ear. He previously drove a 90' 300Z that he put over 250k miles on and used to rave about how this was the best car he had ever owned. I am pretty much convinced that I need one. For $30k there is currently nothing that touches it.

Am I to understand that all the S2000 owners out there purchased without a test drive? Wow, talk about a leap of faith.

blueguydotcom

For $30k there is currently nothing that touches it.

G35c...does essentially the same things plus has a better warranty, better interior and far better exterior.

blueguydotcom

Snaphook is right... you gotta see the Z in person to appreciate it.

I see one daily at work. It's not that impressive. I see them on the roads and saw them at numerous auto shows since January. The Z's styling is anything but exciting.

bpraxis

Hello everyone and I hope that you are having a great day. I saw a new black Z at a Nissan dealership being preped for delivery and it was more attractive in person than in photos.

The photos do not capture how wide the fenders are and the exotic stance. IMO the back end of the car is the most original with the taillights breaking new ground. As for the front it is attractive but similar to the 2000 Toyota Celica.

All in all very exotic styling for a reasonable price.

I cant wait to see the Infiniti Coupe in person. What a great time to be an auto enthusiast.

Cheers

afty

I prefer the styling of the Z over the G35c. To me, the Z says "sports car" whereas the G35c says "sport-lux coupe." There's nothing inherently wrong with that, I just prefer the sports car in this case.

serpico1

hi everyone..now listen, i like the new 350z, no question..a very nice car..fast, great price, great engine, etc..but for god's sake..it isnt a Porsche Boxster S..sure th porsche is a lot more money, and the z is about as fast for 15,000 les..but people..this is a nissan for crying out loud..and it doesnt have the porsche nameplate or history etc..so when you think you have the most amazing car, think that you spend 31,000 and the guy with the porsche spent 50,000..this is no coincidence..

jwilson1

obiwankenobi1

I have seen the interior of the Z and the G35c, and have to admit I think the Z had the better interior. Of course, the Z was a production model and the G35c was a pre-production model, but still, I absolutely LOVE the interior setup of the Z!! It makes me want to get in and drive!! Too bad the Nissan dealer wouldn't even OPEN the car for me to see!!

Obi

revdrluv

The roof line of the 350Z looks very much like the roof line of the 911 coupe. The styling cues are distinctly different but the body has similar proportions as well. Not a bad place to draw inspiration from I say!

sphinx99

Agreed, the Z does have some Porsche Carrera styling cues. I've only seen one on the road. I had a mixed reaction. It was one of those burnt orange ones. I saw it (and did the pass/honk/wave thing) running around 70mph on a sunny day, on one of those days where the sun is so bright and the sky is so yellow that even an Aztek with wax streaks on its cladding and unbalanced rims looks kind of nice. So the Z looked magnificent. The rear seemed waaaaaaay too high. I liked how the rims fit into the wheel wells - hands down the best wheel-versus-chassis config I've seen in a production car so far. The front end was nice from the wide but up front it seemed to have too steep of an overhang. I like swooping cars, the Z is more like a bar of soap.

blacktalon

Yeah, buying an S2000 without a test drive is definitely a leap of faith. Then again, all of people who preordered Zs did so before anyone had tested the production version and before they even knew the final stats.

That, my friend, is a leap of faith.

And judging by the posts on my350z.com, they all seem to love their cars, so more power to them...

sphinx99

I bought a S2000 on what came close to a leap of faith. All I had was a ten minute test drive during which I really couldn't gun the car. I confidence came from a couple of places. One was faith in Honda, and experience with their performance vehicles from years of satisfying Prelude VTEC ownership. Another were the reviews I read. Third were my criteria - I was looking for a two-seat performance convertible around $35k or less. That pretty much limited my choices to the Miata, S2000 and MR2. I didn't like the styling of the MR2 so it was S2000 vs Miata, and the Miata was a little too small for me. Leg room, ultimately was the deciding factor, although I did "pretend" and test drive a variety of vehicles I couldn't afford (Boxster, Z3, SLK) that were far more expensive and yet much, much easier to score test drives on.

I don't think I'd ever pre-order a car before the press has had a few whacks at evaluating it.

sphinx99

""Bar of Soap" ??"

Yeah. It's as though a New Beetle and a 911 Carrera got together and had a baby which, oblivious to its long-term interests, they overfed for three years, resulting in the large, bulgy, round, but fairly attractive lump that is the 350Z. I swear, this is a sports car whose trunk quite possibly sits higher than that of a 1970s Buick. Heck, even the Maybach's trunk may not reach that high up into the sky. And this seems to be the trend these days. What's going on? Whatever happened to the era of the low-slung sports car with a low trunk that sweeps back and down, giving the driver actual rear visibility? Where are the C3 Corvettes and Dodge Stealths? Has the "high performance, tiny trunk" school of thought disappeared forever?

locke2c

the last Z had crap for rear visibility too. they have a tradition to uphold, you know. ;-)

-Colin

snaphook

Yeah, I think the rear visibility might be lacking. But keep in mind that if you drive fast enough you really only have to look forwards.

afty

Has the "high performance, tiny trunk" school of thought disappeared forever?

Have you seen the inside of the trunk on a 350Z? I don't think this school of thought has gone anywhere.

759397

I will admit that it looks better in person than in pictures, however I still am wishy washy on the styling. Nice car, good performance, cheap price......silly frenzy. I agree with an earlier post, nice car, good performance, good price, but this ain't the be all end all of performance vehicles here. The dealers are treating this thing like the Acura dealers used to treat the NSX in the early 90's. There's a Z right down the street from work at a dealer, roped off....are you kidding me....wheres the prancing horse on the hood?

The fact that you can walk into a Porsche dealer and sit in a 911 and kick the tires or a BMW dealer and kick the tires of the 745i or M5, the M-B dealer will let you sit in and kcik the tires of SL500.....but the Nissans....oh God not the Z.

Cracks me up....there will be 60,000 of these things on the road by the end of 2004....they're gonna need a lot of ropes to rope them all off from people.

sailing216

There is a blue, white, and orange running in the area and it's a very good looking car and great value, but I agree with previous posts about how dealers roped the Z off. Give me a break. My money will probably go to a Z-Vert or G35C eventually, but in 2 years, it's not going to be turning heads like it is now. I'll be buying for the driving experience and will be looking at the RX8 and new Supra before my final decision. About that time wonder if a T-Turbo Z will be coming?
Any spy pics of the convertible out there? I've seen the photoshop versions.

jwilson1

There are at least two companies who have stated that they're working on turbo/super upgrades. But why would you want it? Unless you're going to race with the big bucks in the modified class? On the street it's more power than you can use, I think, and a strain on the systems to boot.

Go Bluejays.
Joe W.

snaphook

I'm starting to appreciate Nissan's wisdom in offering the Z and the G35 coupe. They realize that when trying to build a car that pleases everyone you end up pleasing no one. So they have a sportscar and a luxury coupe. One is not better than the other just different and will appeal to different tastes/priorities. Nissan will sell far more of these two models combined than they would have sold had they offered one choice that was a morphing of the two.

dallasz

Well the dealerships are at it again. Park Place LTD (Bellevue, WA) is trying to unload a silver 350Z for $45K. This is WAY above suggested MSRP for even a loaded Track model. This is the very reason the Z was pulled from production in the 90's.

Don't fall victim to these prices even though they are in high demand right now.

greddygtr

I think that car dealers unfairly get a bad rap. Of course they will try to sell their products for as much money as someone is willing to pay. The whole purpose of almost any business is to maximize profit. MSRP is just the SUGGESTED price from the manufacturer. Nobody criticizes, say jewelry stores, for putting ridiculous mark-ups on their jewelry.

bpraxis

Date: 10-20

Hello everyone and I hope that you are having a great weekend. The most important signal in the marketplace to consumers and producers is the price signal. If a product is bringing an above market price the manufacturer will increase supply to increase their profit.

If you had your house for sale in a sellers market would you turn down $20,000 above market value???

I am one very thankful that Nissan has produced such a desireable product in the Z that the demand is so high.

And of course we all know that sports cars are short lived fashion statements and in six months I would bet that you will be able to buy the Z for $1000 over invoice.

Most of the people in the chatrooms have said that they have purchased the car for MSRP so the $45,000 example that you mentioned is an aberation anyway.

Nissan is on a roll and even their new Quest minivan for 2003 is an exciting vehicle.

Waiting to drive the G35 coupe and Z

759397

The Z is nice, but not a $45k car by any stretch.

Snaphook that is a very valid point. Many car models have been destroyed by trying to please everyone and you end up pleasing no one.

Last week I mentioned that Z at the dealership down the street that was roped off, well it was delivered. Now it is back again almost 100% totaled. Someone made a mistake. The whole front is compressed into a space about half the size of the original.

Pretty sure they'll total it.

revdrluv

How did the cockpit seem to hold up from the crash?

759397

The windshield was gone but other than that just some body panel buckle. I got a decent look stuck at a light on the way home last night. It is gone today. Oh well.

Hope the owner was alright.

nippononly

in a car mag I read recently, that was reviewing the G35 coupe - that it will steal a lot of sales from Z, and is in fact kind of a mistake marketing-wise.

But it has 7 less hp, right? Whew! That Z must be the REAL sports car of the two!! LOL :-)

Nissan dealers are treating this as their halo car (roping it off, etc), which it is. Porsche and Ferrari dealers have only halo cars to offer! Let them have their fun.

snaphook

Have you ever gone to a Ferrari dealership and asked to take a test drive? I haven't but if I did I would be very surprised if the salesman just tossed me the keys and said "no problem".

I think the rational behind the way Nissan dealerships/salesmen are treating this car is not because they think it is so precious. Rather it is out of consideration to the future owner. Why let a bunch of window shoppers potentially abuse a car that someone else is going to own? Under normal conditions you have to do this to sell the car but right now it isn't necessary for the Z.

I saw on the financial news this morning that Nissan profits are up over 80% from last year. Obviously they are doing something right. This kind of success breeds imitation which is already apparent,eg 2003 Accord.

BTW, what defines a REAL sporstscar? Horsepower? My guess is that if the Z and the G35 coupe were pitted against each other on a track the difference would be greater than the hp numbers alone would account for.

lukyme

I have read some absurd dealer experiences here. I just thought I might add my $.02 worth. First of all, I will be taking delivery of a 350Z in November. Probably, based on all the performance drivers, this is an oddity. A Brickyard Enthusiast w/ Automatic...and by choice. I must be the only automatic buyer to post here.
Anyway, last month a local dealer had a Track model 6M come in, and not sold. The salesman had no problem letting me test drive the car. It already had 500+ miles on it, assuming from only test drives. What a way to break in the car ! I ended up not buying from that dealer, as they did not have the car I wanted coming in, and wanted $2K over MSRP. I can't fault any dealers for not allowing test drives in all the pre-sold cars. Believe me, I don't want anyone test driving my Z. Having no unsold cars to test drive..... Thats quite a delima for dealers, but roping them off...what a idiot! No problem getting a car at MSRP here, so basically, a good experience so far.
Also considered the G35 Coupe, but since the interior is virtually the same as the sedan..no thanks. The sedan drove nice, but I don't think the coupe will feel as sporty as I would hope, so a Z was for me. Besides, the G35 Coupe is just not as fun in appearance, luxury car like interior and those buttery leather seats with the controls on the top side, well I just could not get over that mess. I usually only keep this second car for a year or 2, so if priorities change, so will my 2nd car. I'm not an aggressive driver, so the automatic will be fine, plus my wife, and son will find it more palatable. OK..I'm open to bashing now.

jwilson1

Not a bash -- just interested in why you got the automatic?

I think there is another auto poster here -- shoes? -- and he was the first actual driver to post.

This morning we had our first snowfall. It's melting now but the roads got a little slick this morning, and when that happens I get off the x-way and use the 2-lanes. Saw 3 cars off the road in the 24 miles ... sure glad to be waiting till spring!

Take care.
Joe W.

greddygtr

Actually I don't think I've seen a single post from a m/t 350Z owner, which is kind of interesting. As far as the unsold 350Z with over 500 miles, that sounds really odd. I don't even think it could still be considered a new car at that point. Getting back to the topic at hand, I've noticed a few unsold Z's on lots here in San Diego. I think we have 4 or 5 Nissan dealers in the area for anyone in the market. From an enthusiast point of view I think it would be best to wait a year or so for a few things to happen before purchasing a 2003 Z: 1)the upcoming RX-8, 2)upcoming Impreza STI and Lancer Evo, 3)Nissan officials have hinted at a possible 300+ hp Z

snaphook

There's always going to be another, possibly better, car just over the horizon. The RX8 will compete more with the G35 coupe. Believe it or not, some people actually want 2 doors and no back seat.

bpraxis

Hello everyone and I hope that you are having a great day. The most recent articles have opined that the G outhandles the Z using different measures.

The G significantly outhandled the Z using skidpad numbers. This is quite a surprise given that most of us assumed that the G would be the less sporty of the two cars.

Looking forward to test driving both cars.

snaphook

>>The most recent articles have opined that the G outhandles the Z using different measures.

Can you name some of these sources? I seriously doubt that the G gets better skidpad numbers than the Z. Lateral acceleration is pretty much a function of the tires, vehicle weight and suspension. The Z's specs indicate that it should outperform the G in this regard, that's just laws of physics.

lukyme

I've had several manuals over the years. Most recent was a 01 MR2 Spyder. Don't mind a manual at all, but since I am not an aggressive driver, I have gotten spoiled by the automatic tranny. I have a 17 year old son who will sometimes get to drive the Z, and he has no interest in a manual. My wife will also take her turns at the wheel, and although she can drive both, she likes the auto also. I just like the style of the Z, and enjoy getting a cool new ride. I'm not that interested in just how fast I can get 0-100 mph, however, I like the power and handling for when I get the urge. I am not likely a typical 350Z buyer, I suppose, based on what I read here.
As a side note...I found many dealers in this area who have Z's coming in unsold in November and December, both 6 speed and auto's, but most are Track and Touring. Most are at MSRP.

blueguydotcom

If I recall Motor Trend had better handling numbers for the G35c, which they attributed to the wheelbase.

snaphook

When they(MT) said better handling was this an objective or subjective assessment. Did the G actually perform better in terms of slalom times and lateral g's.

habitat1

The article I saw gave the G35 better objective numbers. As I recall .92g vs. .89g and at leat 1+mph in the slalom. Neither of which are dramatic, but significant.

I too am anxious to drive each car myself. As I previously stated, my Nissan/BMW dealer claims the 350Z is not as good of a handler as the new Z4 which he drove in Spartansburg. He subjectively rates the Z4 as more competitive with the S2000 than the 350Z.

I have my reservations about the 350Z as a "sports" car. But from what I can tell, the G35c is a heck of a sports coupe. With a sports car, I am less inclined to accept excessive weight, shared components and other engineering and design compromises. With a sports coupe, one is already making compromises trading off "sport" for increased functionality. That the G35 matches or beats the 350Z in handling is a great tribute to the G35 (or kick in the teeth for the 350Z, depending upon your perspective).

snaphook

>>That the G35 matches or beats the 350Z in handling is a great tribute to the G35 (or kick in the teeth for the 350Z, depending upon your perspective).

I would say its more a kick in the teeth for the Z. The main justification for trading the utility of the coupe is to be rewarded with performance. To be quite honest this would be a slight point of embarassment for me if I were a Z owner. Just imagine being approached by a G35c owner who asks you if the reason you threw away the back seat is so that you could go slower.

blueguydotcom

When they(MT) said better handling was this an objective or subjective assessment. Did the G actually perform better in terms of slalom times and lateral g's.

The MT track times showed an advantage in both handling numbers.

habitat1

The Z is still a bit quicker than the G35 coupe, from what I recall. But you make a point, nonetheless.

lukyme

The Z Driver could also explain....I saved 4K over the G35 Coupe, besides, no one over 5'4" could set back there without thier head in the headliner anyway.

snaphook

Yeah, but they didn't spend that 4k on performance enhancements. I'm still not totally convinced by the Motor Trend results but if in fact the G35c outperforms the Z it was, IMO, a major blunder on Nissan's part. It would be comparable to the BMW's 3 series coupe besting the Z4.

indydriver

I'm interested but waiting for the dealers to establish some inventory so they aren't so greedy. I saw one up close and personal on display at the Rio Hotel casino in Vegas. I've seen one here on the streets of Indy. It looks tiny inside. I'd be interested in hearing from owners about the room on the driver's side (especially if you are over 6') as well as the "trunk". If you can't put a set of golf clubs in back, I won't buy it.

snaphook

I think the golf club test is something that all manufacturers are well aware of. I've seen the Z with a set of clubs in the back and I think you could probably fit two sets.

jwilson1

My own assessment will await the head-to-head between the two; how else can you really eliminate the variables? Different locations, weather, temps, and of course drivers.

But I'm not sure why we'd be surprised that they're similar, anyway. They're the same car, really. The coupe has a bit longer wheelbase and a little easier suspension but, for all intents and pursposes they're pretty much the same. It follows a long history of 2+2s. The XK-E, for example, came out as a roadster/fixed top, then a 2+2 -- today they still run the same times. It's true for many examples. Eventually, of course, they had to put in a V-12 to maintain performance but it wasn't because of the size, it was because of the new emissions laws in the '70s.

Another tradition: the back seats of a 2+2 never have enough room. There are genetic limitations in the breed as mom/dad are 2-seaters with kids who try to stretch and add a couple of inches. This time they're just being released at nearly the same time. The question is not which one is faster but if either is fast enough to be believable on the track. We'll see. Still waiting for the first SCCA results next spring.

Take care, Joe

sabre86

While we had to wait until one was available, my wife and I did our test drive of a Daytona Blue Touring Z last night at our friendly Nissan dealer in Matteson, IL. Got a message from our sales lady that they had one come in and to come over if possible (an hour and a half away). Drove over, unannounced to find it sitting nice and shiny in the showroom. We were not there 5 minutes, and they moved another car out of the way, pulled the Z out for us to test drive, EVEN WITHOUT ASKING!!! Thank goodness it didn't have much gas in it or we would have had it out for a while!!. This Z was an automatic, which is what the wife wants, although she is very proficient in driving a stick. She drove first (5'4") and is absolutely convinced that this is a great car. Yes, she can stick plastic bagged groceries in the back!!. The bigger concern (pardon the pun) was my ability to fit in that sucker. I am 6'4" and "full figured", and I am here to tell you, I fit with no problem and more than enough headroom, WITHOUT having to put the seatback tilted back. It had a nice cozy fit for me (drivers side), which I had been use to in my younger years with my MGBGT. Nice car. Fast and that automatic really gets with the program. We kept our two test drives, reasonable, but go it on "the step" and it Gooooooooooooooooes! We left our trade at home to keep us from doing something foolish. But today is a new day!!!! I don't have a problem with paying MSRP now or a year from now on this car. Good value for the money. All we need is getting our price on our trade and it will be a done deal. There are a few "convenience items that need a little refinement, such as the location of the dual coffee cup holders, well behind the seats, which make it very hard to retrieve while driving, and the loss of a glove box up front, so when you have to dig out the registration and insurance card for the nice officer, it is in a handy place. Lastly, we are really stuck on a silver color for this car, but that Daytona Blue really sets the car apart from the pack. Very nice. My understanding after looking at what can go under the hatch in the back is, yes, a set of clubs can go back there, but probably more efficiently if you take them out of the bag, then collapse the bag. And, in the "oh by the way" column, having purchased 5 cars from this dealership since February, probably had something to do with having that Z pulled out and given the keys without asking.

I'm sold, now all we have to do is the deal.
bbm

bpraxis

Date: 10-25

Hello everyone and I hope that you are having a nice day.

Generally if you price the G35 against the Z option for option the G35 is about $100 less expensive.

For example: The Enthusiast version of the Z with automatic transmision costs approximately $29,700 with destination.

The comprabably equiped G35 base version will cost approximately, $29,600 with automatic.

What a tremendous value and of course the Infiniti has a far superior warranty. And a much better dealer experience, better quality according to JD Powers, and a more upscale experience at the dealership. Nicer design and clientel, high achievers, etc.

The louder the car commercials the dumber the clientel generally speaking. And the Nissan ads are very loud. You dont hear Lexus, Infiniti or Mercedes screaming in their radio ads.

snaphook

Actually I have found the Nissan Z commercials to be almost too subdued.