Nissan 350Z

indydriver · January 2003

after reading about the Magnum SRT-8 in this month's C&D. Unbelieveable. And, you can fit SEVERAL sets of golf clubs in the back.

jwilson1 · January 2003

A full-size wagon?!

JW

sphinx99 · January 2003

I saw a few 350Zs at a Nissan dealership in Troy this evening, while I was nearby getting my car's service done. They were lined up in an array in front of the dealership, and people were entering the lot just to circle this group of Zs. Silver, black and burnt orange, and all but one were 6-speeds. Performance and Touring models, all of them. Talked to the guy--he said they were all available at MSRP, not a dollar above or below. Said that they are selling like hotcakes but wouldn't say how long those have been out there and I can't say that I've seen many on the road. (So far, only two.)

They looked very, very nice. However the $32-33k stickers were a bit high. I sat in one--nice ergonomics, didn't feel all that cheap. However I noticed that body panels on the exterior weren't always aligned perfectly. This caught me off guard. They weren't allowing test drives. Their loss.

I still feel that there is a limited market for these cars at this price. There would have been nothing like it six or seven years ago, but today there is a glut of performance buys with good handling, good style and good performance. If manufacturing capacity goes up and retail price goes down, the 350Z could be a heck of a used car purchase. Or, at the very least, it might bring used Supra Turbo prices back down to earth. Either way, I think the 350Z is going to be good news for shoppers over the next few years.

cdnpinhead · January 2003

that the window sticker has the manufacturing date on it somewhere. Those of you wishing to bargain better could possibly use information of this sort to point out to the dealer that he has X vehicles on the lot that have been there a long time.

Or you could trust what he says.

socal007 · January 2003

Only after you pre-qualify & negotiate a price ??
Based on dealer added accessories like chromed wheels and a leather package. This increase of $4k is conveniently added to MSRP.
Oh yeah, color is also a $$ factor.
Think I'll wait......

sphinx99 · January 2003

Let's go into business, fellow non-Californians! For a fee of $1000, I will fly a Californian out to Detroit, where they can visit one of our many Hot Cars dealerships and buy their dream ride for MSRP or much less, then drive it home! Included in the fee are refreshments, soda to drink in your brand new sports car, road maps with clearly indicated directions back to California, and your choice of a free CD from my used CD collection.

Why pay MSCP (Manufacturer's Suggested California Price) when you can save thousands on a MSRP-priced Detroit vehicle!

blueguydotcom · January 2003

of pricing based on color. somebody is going to a ripoff dealership.

cdnpinhead · January 2003

is going to a ripoff dealership.

If you think the buying experience is fun, wait till you need it fixed, warranty or otherwise.

revka · January 2003

because it was off topic and disruptive in nature. For further clarification, please refer to our Town Hall Membership Agreement. Please email me if you have any questions or comments.

And let's get back to the subject of the Nissan 350Z. Thanks!

Revka
Host/Hatchbacks & Wagons

mahuja · January 2003

I went to a nissan dealership in austin and he wanted 42K for his automatic version of 350Z. He told me there was like a 4K markup after MSRP and thats after all the stuff that I don't need added in there. Wouldn't let me drive it too!

rickrover · January 2003

Closest Nissan dealer to me won't let you drive them unless you've gone through the entire purchase process up to the point of signing on the dotted line - then and only then can take one for a test spin. Totally pathetic considering I can go to the Mercedes/ Porsche store and drive anything on the lot and have - CLK 55 AMG, S Class, new E Class/ Boxter S, 911. I drove everything from an M3 to an M5, M Coupe and 7 Series at the BMW dealer when I bought my X5 - they had no idea what I could or couldn't afford when I tested those cars.

It was comical hearing the Nissan guy explain their Z test drive policy while I was looking at a base $26k Z acting like it was a $200k Ferrari or something. He was all serious and I couldn't stop laughing.

habitat1 · January 2003

In the Washington DC area is advertising "well below MSRP" on Murano's and 350Z's.

I bought my S2000 from their sister Honda dealership at $1k under MSRP at a time when everyone else was at or above MSRP.

For anyone that's shopping, I'd give them a call.

sphinx99 · January 2003

When the 350Z came out with a "base" starting price of $26k MSRP, I thought, "that's a great price for that engine." However, I've yet to see a base model on a dealership lot, except for the few selling on ebay for $30k, and everything that is on lots has a sticker in the low $30s and not much of a discount. Add sales tax and the Nissan 350Z is a $35,000 car.

As such, I take back everything I said a few months ago about this being a potential Mustang GT killer.

habitat1 · January 2003

I agree with you that the under $30k advertised pricing for the 350Z was a little deceptive.

But I think Nissan was/should have been aiming a lot higher than the Mustang GT anyway. To me, anything that doesn't rattle apart and look like it was painted and assembled in a third world country is already a Mustang GT killer. There was a time when I couldn't afford the equivalent of a mid $30's car. But there was never a time when I would have settled for low build quality just to get a lot of horsepower and torque under the hood at any price.

sphinx99 · January 2003

"But there was never a time when I would have settled for low build quality just to get a lot of horsepower and torque under the hood at any price."

Agreed, and that's why you and many others passed on the Camaro. The Mustang however does not rattle apart, and it has a far superior paint coat to virtually all import offerings in the U.S. (One thing Ford needn't answer to anyone on is paint--I can only hope my favorite Honda learns a thing or two from the domestics on how to create a paint that lasts.) And, it has an engine that IMO is pretty much bulletproof. It's a good, reasonably well-built, stylish, fast, fun, affordable car and that's why it sells like hotcakes while the much more powerful Camaro didn't. Lastly, the 350Z is here to stay, and the Mustang gets redesigned next year and will be (I feel) far superior, given the magic Ford has managed to work into the Mustang despite its dated platform. I had a hope that the 350Z would inject some competition into the "muscle car" world, because I happen to be as much a fan of that world as I am of the "finesse sports car" world, and I wanted to see the Z and Mustang (two of the few performance nameplates with decades of history underneath their belt) go head-to-head. It's disappointing to me that Nissan priced its U.S. "muscle car" as high as it did. I believe that competition is good, but with the price differential these two cars will never face each other.

The two cars are quite similar, and have been for the last decade or two. Heavy and powerful.

jwilson1 · January 2003

And I think the Z should have been priced higher, by maybe $2-$5000, fix up the interior and eliminate the 'questionable' parts. They would still have a tremendous advantage over the competition they crave: Porsche.

Speaking of muscle cars: did you see the Kendall-Barrett auction on Speed channel? It was great. I saw the Nash Bridges roadrunner (?) sell for $125000. Prices way up this year. One question that was asked by email: "When do you think the Japanese cars will start to make a dent as collectibles?" The announces (including Brock Yates) laughed outloud at that one, then explained that Japanese cars don't inspire passion.

Just not theirs, I guess.

Carroll Shelby had his 80th birthday at the auction to a big party and helped to auction a cloned 427 (! not 428) Cobra. REally pretty.

JW

spatulaman · January 2003

"The Mustang however does not rattle apart, and it has a far superior paint coat to virtually all import offerings in the U.S."

I think you need to go take a look at Toyota paint...espescially Camrys and Lexi...the best mass production paint in the world.

The 350Z is another matter entirely....ORANGE-PEEL.COM

blacktalon · January 2003

My guess is that the price (as well as the HP and build quality) for the GT will be heading north when the GT moves to the Thunderbird/LS/S-Type platform -- none of those cars are cheap...

After the initial rush wears off, I'm guessing you'll be able to pick up an Enthusiast or Performance 350Z for MSRP ($28-30K), and I'm also guessing that the GT will come in just slightly below this mark (maybe $26-28K).

759397 · January 2003

On the lot at the local Nissan dealer. I think they keep moving them around the lot to give the illusion they are new ones coming in or being sold. This single digit weather up here seems to be cooling the MSRP only claim. I would be very surpised if you were serious about buying if you didn't get under MSRP in New England.

greddygtr · January 2003

I noticed that the supply of 350Zs in general is fairly high, so you should at least be able to get a test drive now. However I was looking at Nissan's website to check the supply of Z's at dealers across much of across Southern California and it seems like just about all the Z's available are either track or touring models. There are very scant supplies of performance models and almost no base and enthusiast models. I feel that an entusiast model would be a good buy at about $28k, but for $34k the track and enthusiast models are packing too many features that I don't really want/need and charging too much for them.

eblum · January 2003

I pass 2 Nissan dealers on my way to work...saw several Z's outside with a big SALE sign on the windshield. This is in central NJ.

I wanted to stop and look but it's too freakin cold to get out of a warm car to deal with a salesperson. Maybe when it gets warmer.

fotodad · January 2003

If you live in Wisconsin, specifically near Milwaukee, don't pay anymore than $1,000.00 over invoice. And you might be able to do better than that depending on how patient you are! Edmund's "TMV" is extremely inflated. Start at invoice and go up. Don't start at MSRP and go down.

dklanecky · January 2003

Since I live in the Milwaukee area, can you point out which dealer is working from invoice and going up?

I've bought 2 Maximas from the same dealer (south part of town) over the years (and paid $500-$1,000 < invoice) on each but in "informal" discussions with the same salesman, I haven't been able to get more than $500 off MSRP on a Z.

They tell me they're content to wait for the spring rush and won't discount. (The same dealer is still willing to go <invoice on Maximas however.)

sidebottom · January 2003

Superball Sunday on the way to a party, My wife wanted to stop and test drive a 350z. Dealer had
sticker on it at $35,425 + $4,995 additional dealer markup for a total of $40,420. We told him we would think about it. My wife said she wanted it but didn't want to spend that much money. (it was a speed model). The next afternoon I walked into the dealer and asked him if he would like to have the car sold to make room for some less expensive models. He said yes. I said "I am willing to pay $33,000 for it today. He replied
your willing to write the check upon acceptance of the offer. I said yes I am. He called for the manager who said he could sell it for less than $33,216. I said then we have a deal I am not going to quible about a couple of hundred dollars.
We wrote up the papers (after a fruitless attempt by the manager to sell me an extended warranty).
I wrote the check. (after reading all the fine print and drove the car home with 2 sales people
following in my car and a car for them to return in. Seems like a better experience then most. My wife is happier than I have seen her in quite a few years. (we have been married 29 years)

gsxrter1994 · January 2003

Jack!!!!!!!!!

jwilson1 · January 2003

That's about $1500 better than any other story I've heard! Which model?

JW

revka · January 2003

Good story!

To sidebottom- Congrats on your new 350Z, and thanks for sharing your purchase experience. We look forward to hearing more.... Happy motoring!

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards

fotodad · January 2003

I just returned home (Neenah) in my new chrome silver touring Nissan 350Z. I can't contain my excitement. My wife thinks I just graduated from high school (I'm 45). What an incredible car, so far. I paid $1,000.00 over invoice. Yes, I shopped around for a good week. Talked to many salespeople many times both on the phone and in person. Two dealerships finally agreed to sell at 1K over invoice: Gordy Boucher Nissan and Rosen Nissan, both in the Milwaukee area. I think I could have gotten even a better deal, but I got tired of the process. Both dealerships treated me right. It boiled down to one having my color the other not. I visited other dealerships in the Milwaukee area who were certainly willing to deal. Typical starting point was 2.5% over invoice if the car was on the lot and 3.5% over if the car was a dealer trade. I didn't buy from one dealership because they tried to talk me into a lease, then tried to screw me! I feel I got a reasonable deal for a couple reasons. First, an extremely competitive market between dealers who had five, six, seven, even eight Zs on their lot; secondly, because it was toward the end of the month and toward the end of the winter. Dealers seem to want big allocations for the spring/summer months. I think you'd be taking a chance on pricing if you wait until the temp warms. I'm disappointed dealers in my immediate area were unwilling to deal. But I guess they have their reasons. Best of luck. I hope you get what you want at a price you feel is fair. The Z is a tremendous car. I am so pleased I purchased it over the Infiniti G35 coupe. If I can be of further assistance, please post a message. If I'm not out driving my Z, I'll do my best to respond.

- Michael

sidebottom · January 2003

It is a Track model, accessories included Floor mats, aluminum kick plates, side air bags & head curtains, and trunk mat. We had no need for a navigation system since I have a gps with computer connectivity and could purchase a pda or notebook computer with mapping software and feel that would be more versatile.

dklanecky · January 2003

Thanks for the comprehensive reply. Rosen is where I got both of my last two Maxima's and I was very happy with each deal at the time. I think I saw the Z you bought at Rosen a couple of weeks ago when I was there last for the free saturday car wash.

I understand about the "high school graduation" comment, I'm 47 and my wife is saying just about the same thing to me.

Enjoy your new Z and invest in a Valentine One radar detector (or comparable) before your insurance rates go through the roof:-)

I'll keep an eye out for you when the sun shines and temp rise to "performance tire tolerable" levels.

tnjrobi1 · January 2003

I test drove a touring Z with auto transmission yesterday. I'm not a huge fan of an automatic, but this thing really seemed to have legs. Does anyone know what the test times are for the automatic?

tnjrobi1 · January 2003

I wish they would offer the Z with the leather & heated seats for around $29,500. But if you want a Z with a stick & leather you have to dish out close to $34,000. I know the Z Touring model with a stick has the Performance options too, but I don't need the extra options that's included in the Performance package.

This is why I asked about times for the automatic.

jwilson1 · January 2003

Are you aware that aftermarket leather upholstery is available. Locally, in fact, you can get it through the Nissan dealer. You may want to check it out. The company I'm familiar with is Katzkin.com Check their website ... my understanding is that the leather covers are available for about 800-900 and they will also provide seat heaters if you wish. Just an idea.

JW

indydriver · February 2003

What do they do with that big bin on the dash if its not filled with the nav sys?

revka · February 2003

and thanks for sharing the details! We look forward to hearing more about your silver touring Nissan 350Z.... Happy motoring!

Revka
Hatchbacks & Wagons Host

salooo · February 2003

i am about to buy a 350z, touring. top of the line. i want to know is it worth buying in a place where out of 12 months there is snow and rain 4 to 5 months of the year. i live in bloomington IN. is it worth buying it?

jaquino · February 2003

"tnjrobi1: I test drove a touring Z with auto transmission yesterday. I'm not a huge fan of an automatic, but this thing really seemed to have legs. Does anyone know what the test times are for the automatic? "

A guy who goes by the name "350ZMotoring" has an automatic Touring. He timed his at 5.8/5.7 seconds 0-60mph and I believe he used "Torque Braking" to get that time. Without torque braking he got 6.0 secs 0-60. One time he even got a lucky run of 5.2 (although that might have just been a fluke).

jaquino · February 2003

"salooo: i am about to buy a 350z, touring. top of the line. i want to know is it worth buying in a place where out of 12 months there is snow and rain 4 to 5 months of the year. i live in bloomington IN. is it worth buying it?"

Will this be your only car saloo? A lot of people recommend not using the Z in the snow because of the low clearance and the fact that it comes with "summer" performance tires.

If you intend to drive the Z in the snow, do not, I repeat DO NOT drive with the tires that came with it! The factory tires are terrible in the snow and you will be sliding all over the place! Get some winter tires for the car pronto!

I have seen some pics of 350Zs in light snow, but I dont know if they are driveable in the deep stuff. I dont have a Z yet and its not snowing in Seattle right now. Sorry that I cant provide you with any more useful information. Good luck!

salooo · February 2003

this is going to be my only car. the only thing i am scared of is sliding everywhere in the snow. i dont want to be without a car for the 4 months there is snow here. i love the Z, but i dont want to sacrifice 4 months every year.

salooo · February 2003

because of the snow, should i just go for the bmw 325i? i am considering that as well. i dont like it as much, but hell.. i`ll be able to drive it throughout the year. what do you guys think?

habitat1 · February 2003

The 325i would have an advantage over the 350Z due to it's higher ride height and less agressive tires, but with RWD it's still not the ideal car for snow.

I am formerly from the "Snow Belt" of norhtwestern PA. Even in Washington DC, I would not have purchased a Honda S2000 as my only car, if we did not also have a FWD Nissan Maxima and SUV.

Until you get to the point where you can afford to have a winter car, I recommend you avoid going with a RWD sport coupe and definitely avoid a sports car like the 350Z. Besides not handling the snow well, it will take a beating and look bad after a few winters. I'm not a fan of Audi, but a used S4 with all season tires may be the best option if you are only going to have one car and want it to offer sporty performance.

jwilson1 · February 2003

If you're trying to economize and grow into a fast, capable car (along with a winter car) avoid an Audi, especially a used one ... the reliability cost would make it nearly possible to own the Z along with a 'winter beater.' I agree with habitat that the S4 is a very desirable car in nearly any trim, but not for purposes of getting financial flexibility in your life!

I'd suggest you might think in the other direction -- something like a WRX or a GTI. If you want the 325 it certainly will be better than the Z in snow, but you really should be looking at the 325xi.

Another possibility, though it's fwd, would be to get a used Acura TL or CL "S" -- I've seen these locally in the $25k range ... good in snow, reliable, fast, and would last long enough so you could save for whatever you want (maybe in combination with a cheap winter car).

Good luck.
JW

blacktalon · February 2003

People over at my350z.com seem to be having good experiences driving the Z on snow with Blizzaks. I agree that you wouldn't want to drive with the stock summer performance tires on snow or even in very cold weather...

While FWD is clearly superior to RWD on snow or ice, that doesn't mean that RWD is undriveable in winter weather. If you have your heart set on a Z, I'd say get a good set of snow tires (i.e. Blizzaks), and go for it.

sabre86 · February 2003

Salooo:

We are on the northside (SBN) of the state, and drive our Touring 350Z everyday to and from work. Either I take it on the Toll Road to South Bend, or the wife takes it around town and her short hop to work. In either case, it goes out in the elements. We made a small investment in Blizzak snowtires and wheels ($1600 total) from TireRack, just down the road. Have not missed a beat yet, and we have had some pretty nasty weather these past few weeks. In a few months we will swap out the snows with the stock tires, no fuss no muss, and very little down time. Those Blizzaks did the trick for us.

salooo · February 2003

thanks for your views. helped me a lot.
about the tires.. $1600.. isint that a little toooo mUch. considering my other cars new tires costed $400.

sabre86 · February 2003

salooo:

You get what you pay for! The wheels were 800.00 and the tires $800. I could have went cheaper on the wheels but I didn't want to spoil the great look. TireRack had THE best price on Blizzaks, which I found to be best snow tire overall (IMHO). I suppose you could go with any of a dozen all session radials available, but I chose a dedicated tire for snow operations, since I MUST have a dependable means of transportation, first time, everytime. A way to save 1/2 the cost is just to use your existing wheels and have the tires changed out, which exposes your high dollar wheels to potential damage if not changed out correctly, plus I believe it is rough on the tires after a few changeouts. There are various combinations of handling the snow issue, and I chose dedicated snows. I had thought of the additional car method, but not knowing how dependable it would be, the additional fuel purchases and insurance increase, etc., it was easier to bite the bullet and buy dedicated snows. We did the same thing on our son's SE-R Spec-V (same tire issues as the Z). Doing his car was cheaper since we went with a smaller Blizzak tire and steel wheels ($38 a piece). Has not had a bit of problem driving in all types of weather and I have yet to worry about him getting stuck somewhere.

Hope this helps.

snaphook · February 2003

If your car has traction control then driving a RWD on snow is no big deal. The tires on the other hand do have a big impact, but this is also true for FWD cars. So basically don't base your decision, FWD vs RWD, on the fact that you will have to occasionally drive on snow.

lukyme · February 2003

I had XM Satellite radio installed and the bin in the center console worked well for the controller. I keep the remote in there, and just open the bin when I want to change stations. They installed the receiver unit in the bottom section of the bin behind the passenger seat. Perfect location. The only drawback was the "mouse pad" looking antenna on the roof just in front of the rear glass.

jandu · February 2003

The car works great in snow, provided you have good snow tire. I got the LM22 tires on all corners and it works great in snow, ice and both. I am in Calgary, Alberta Canada. It snows a bit here.

walter99 · February 2003

Thinking of getting a 350Z and would like comments from people who have been driving one on a daily basis.

I checked one out at the dealer yesterday and the rear/side visibility seemed simply awful. (This from someone who owns/drives a 2002 Celica) In the real world of everyday driving, how does this work out? Can you compensate/ work around it. It's a wonderful car, but I'm not sure it would be safe to drive something with even worse blind spots than my Celica.

Nissan 350Z

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