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Nissan 350Z

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Comments

  • jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    Use the mirrors, walter. Forget about direct eye contact. (I'm not being sarcastic.) Set the mirrors so you see everything behind your peripheral limit and you'll be set ... as much as you can be.

    Road and Track mentions it in their latest comparo. An article well worth reading! They compare the Z to the Z06, the 911 Targa, and the M3. The Z does very well. Well worth reading!!!

    JW
  • fotodadfotodad Member Posts: 10
    I've read with great interest the discussions regarding snowtires. I own a Touring 350 Z and love it...until it snows! I'd love to be able to buy a set of tires and wheels for winter then swap them for the factory set in summer, but I can't afford it. Nor can I afford a winter car. So, has anyone had any luck with an all season tire? Yes, I know the performance will suffer, but I'm hoping to accomplish two things: first, have a tire that will get me through a Wisconsin winter without breaking the bank; and secondly, smooth out the ride a bit. I know...it's a sportscar not a luxury car. The ride is suppose to be stiff. But I'm thinking about making a chiropractor appointment. My neck from the bouncing is killing me. If I do find an all-season tire, what's a fair price for trading in the factory tires?

    Thanks for any feedback!
    Michael
  • dklaneckydklanecky Member Posts: 559
    Check out the various 350z forums on the internet. You'll find many discussions about the Z and how relatively poor the factory tires are and about their short life span (<10,000 miles). I don' think you'll get much for them in re-sale.

    I know you say you can't afford it but have you checked out some of the online tire retailers? I think you can get a very serviceable set of snows on steel wheel for the winter (15" wheels for far less than you'd imagine.

    You'll save a lot of money in the long run on the relatively expensive summer tires or even high performance all season tires by putting 3-4-5 months on the snows and the ride is way softer as a bonus for looking at the ugly winter wheels for that long.

    I'm running (on a 00 Maxima SE) the Michelin Pilot A/S tires (225/50/17") which are a very nice all around compromise (but expensive).

    Even with the Michelins, I still switch off to the 15" snow tires and cheap wheels for the winter. (I also live in SE Wisconsin.)
  • philly2002philly2002 Member Posts: 41
    Does anyone have detailed information about the upcoming 350Z Roadster??
  • tnjrobi1tnjrobi1 Member Posts: 41
    There is a 1996 300ZX for $14,995 in my local paper. It normally list for $16,995 on the dealers internet site. I called and asked the dealer why it was cheaper in the paper. The salesperson (Susan) explained that it had been on the lot for a couple of weeks and it was just normal to lower the price to move it.

    I asked Susan who used to have the car and she told me it was a couple in their 40's and they had bought the car new in 96. They traded it for a 2003 350Z.

    Listed below are the details on the 300ZX:

    72,825 miles
    Non-Turbo
    2 seater
    perfect interior
    perfect exterior
    Black
    Black leather interior
    T-tops
    Power Drivers seat
    5-speed
    Compact disc Bose stereo system
    Auto climate control
    etc.

    Is this vehicle worth the $14,995?

    (I posted this in the 300ZX topic, but I didn't get any replies. I'm going to meet with the dealership on Saturday (About an hour away.) I would appreciate any advice from anyone.)

    If I like the car what should I offer for it?
  • jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    Value: I could look in the TMV column here at Edmund's for you, but you could do that yourself. My recommendation.

    This car: have you heard of Carfax? I'd suggest using it, and never EVER believe a car salesperson unless it's in writing with the SM or GM signature.

    JW
  • fotodadfotodad Member Posts: 10
    Thank you so much for the valuable feedback. I didn't know the factory tires were getting such bad reviews concerning wear. Good to know!

    I never thought about getting 15" wheels/tires. I thought I'd have to stick with the same size wheel/tire as what came with the car. I will definitely look into this option. I have checked tirerack.com for tire pricing, but their website doesn't give any suggestions...they say to give them a call. I just haven't had time to call them yet.

    I like your idea about getting different summer or all-season tires to help with the ride. How much of an improvement can I expect (20% better, 50% better, 100% better!) by going with, say, the Michelin Pilot A/S tires? Did you buy the Michelins on-line? What's a fair price? Since your Maxima is front wheel drive, did you still notice a big difference in the snow with the new Michelins? Thanks! Please email me direct:
    messlinger@new.rr.com (night)
    or
    messl@omro.k12.wi.us (day)
  • scantyscanty Member Posts: 164
    It seems like a reasonable price. KBB for that car is $16,300. Ask to see the service records. Make sure the timing belt replacement was done at 60,000 miles, along with the water pump and tensioner. That's a $1000 to $1200 service that must be done. My Z is a 1994, and it's still going strong at almost 120,000 miles.
  • aftyafty Member Posts: 499
    I don't think 15" wheels are going to clear the brakes on the 350Z. 17" should fit since they come as standard equipment on the Base and Enthusiast trim levels, and 16" might fit depending on the size of the brakes.
  • dklaneckydklanecky Member Posts: 559
    Afty makes a good point about the brake clearance with smaller than 17" wheels. That might be a deal breaker with using smaller 15" or even 16" wheels for snows tires on the 350Z.

    I would call TireRack and ask them about it. I've used them for 3 different sets of tires in the last couple of years (one with wheels) and been very pleased with their service and pricing overall.

    The difference in ride between 225/50/17" and 205/65/15" is significant, IMO.

    The 00 Maxima SE feels much more like a boulevard cruiser than a sport sedan when the 15" snows are on it. Of course it doesn't handle worth a d*** with the snows on and those 15" wheels are ugly.

    The Pilot A/S were about $200 each when I bought them. There weren't a lot of choices at the time in the same size. I think there are more available now.
  • philly2002philly2002 Member Posts: 41
    IS it possible to attach an aftermarket bike rack to the rear of the Z???
  • bikecitybikecity Member Posts: 1
    Upon reading a consumer rating write-up, I was surprised to see the comment from SFP4000 that indicated that the Z "track model needed more neutral handling".

    Frankly, in such a car, you would want as much non-neutral handling as possible. This is a sports model, right? and you would normally would want more on-line/straight line tracking - this is one of the supreme goals!!!!!. Forget Neutral. Most cars available in the mass market have this. Who wants it. I don't. If you want neutral, get a Camry.

    Good Luck.
  • markjennmarkjenn Member Posts: 1,142
    I think you're interpreting the term to indicate stability. It doesn't.

    "Neutral handling" refers to the car not understeering or oversteering. That is, when you are in a corner and near the limits of adhesion, the car doesn't tend lose traction on the front first (understeer) or lose traction on the rear first(oversteer).

    Most cars understeer, sometimes severly. It is considered a safety feature to have the front plow ahead at the limit rather than swapping ends. When the driver lifts the throttle, the nose tucks in and the cars continues around the corner. In a sports car, neutral or even a bit of oversteer is considered more fun to drive, but if the oversteer develops past the point of no return or you abruptly lift the throttle, you're going to spin the car.

    The 350Z has earned a reputation so far as understeering a little more than desirable for a sports car. That's the complaint of this reviewer and many others.

    - Mark
  • jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    [quote] The 350Z has earned a reputation so far as understeering a little more than desirable for a sports car. [quote]

    Just to add: most also indicate that oversteer can be induced with aggressive use of the throttle. But as you say, you're not going to be able to toss it around like, say, a Miata or a MR-2, nor will you lose it easily like the M or most older Porsches.

    JW
  • indydriverindydriver Member Posts: 620
    Well said, MarkJenn. There is nothing like the joy of tossing a RWD sports car into a corner KNOWING that the first evidence of loss of traction will be a four wheel drift. The handling characteristics of the Z were chosen purposefully. As usual, the lawyers trumped the engineers.
  • rickroverrickrover Member Posts: 601
    It's easy to get any car to oversteer - all you need is a slightly bigger rear sway bar. Some rear sway bars are adjustable so you can dial in oversteer / neutral or understeer characteristics into a particular car. I almost alwayst play with the factory suspension on my cars - with all the aftermarket support available these days you can easily tune a car to handle any way you want.
  • indydriverindydriver Member Posts: 620
    An easier and cheaper way to do the same thing (admittedly to a lesser degree) is through tire pressures. By inflating both rear tires slightly more than the fronts (try 2psi increments) you will change the spring rate and grip of one end of the vehicle which will dial in more or less oversteer. I don't know if you can take this inflation differential far enough in the Z to overcome its built-in understeer.
  • fotodadfotodad Member Posts: 10
    Has anyone taken off the worthless factory tires and installed a touring type tire, a tire not necessarily designed for performance but designed more for ride comfort? I know this is a performance sports car, and, yes, I did take the car out for a test drive. So I knew what kind of ride I was buying. But I MUST do something to smooth out this ride or I'll need to sell my Touring Z. If I were to put on a touring tire (tirerack.com recommended a Michelin touring tire) will I notice a substantially more comfortable ride? I understand the performance of the car will suffer, but I just drive from work to the video store and home...never will I be on a race track. I wish the factory tires would have been a performance option when buying the car because I NEVER would have purchased them.

    Thanks for any feedback. I appreciate your advice.
    -Michael
  • rickroverrickrover Member Posts: 601
    So many things are a compromise on new cars - especially the suspension specifications. It's not the manufacturers fault, they have to try to be all things to all people.

    I can relate to these recent posts about handling and tires on the Z. Rarely (as in almost never) does the factory tire/ suspension specification in any car I've owned meet my needs. One of the first things I do after I test drive something is hit the web to check the availability of after market parts for it. Usually it's springs, shocks, stress bar(s), sway bars and tires - usually in that order. I try to keep the standard tires until I wear them out, but sometimes I can't stand them to the point that I have to replace them after a few thousand miles.

    I like a very firm, controlled suspension with high performance tires that stick like glue. A factory "sport" suspension never comes close to the handling characteristics I'm looking for.

    I factor in the cost of fixing the car to my specification before I even sign on the dotted line.

    I don't see anything wrong with modifying a car to your own prefereces, whatever they may be.
  • jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    You might want to do some research on posters' impressions of the various tires applicable to your Z on TireRack.com, one of Edmund's sponsors. Or, go to freshalloy where there is a forum for tires and suspension changes alone. It is run by a TireRack advisor, Luke, who is very cooperative.

    JW
  • bigorange30bigorange30 Member Posts: 1,091
    http://www.infinitihelp.com/

    I Like it. I hope Infiniti is soon to follow with the G35. I like the G35 better and it doesn't cost much more either.
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    You may also want to post your message in our 350Z or Infiniti G35 discussion. Happy motoring!

    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
  • indydriverindydriver Member Posts: 620
    Who do you trust for a)guidance on the right parts to get the feel you're looking for, and b)the installation?
  • SPYDER98SPYDER98 Member Posts: 239
    driving by a napa autoparts store. It got me thinking about purchasing rotors for my car.
    So I decided to pull into a used car dealership which just happened to be next to a nissan dealer. I drove out back and did a U-turn and to my surprise...Saw at least..."10" 350z's stashed away behind a fence at the used car dealership. They all still had the original factory plastic coating stuck to them also.
    This nissan dealer has a pretty darn good size parking lot too, which could of easily accomodated the cars.
  • salooosalooo Member Posts: 6
    i just bought the 350z. i didnt get the GPS. but i love it. where can i get the GPS, aftermarket or should i just ask the nissan dealer. is it going to cost me more then the usual 2 grand?
  • salooosalooo Member Posts: 6
    are there any add ons, aftermarket that is, that i can put on the 350z? just interior add ons.
  • markjennmarkjenn Member Posts: 1,142
    There are aftermarket GPS's but they are portable units and will not be integrated with the car.

    Nissan lists the GPS as a "factory installed option". I don't know if they have a kit to retrofit later, but even it they did, I'd be nervous about having the yahoos at the dealership do it. I'd learn to live without it.

    - Mark
  • andrewsiandrewsi Member Posts: 7
    Hi, looking at a 350z touring edition w/ nav system here in upstate NY. Pricing some other vehicles as well (3-series, C-class, etc).

    My question is about the Nissan lease prices. I've estimated the lease rates on the BMW, Benz, and a few others and for a vehicle priced even higher then the 350z, the lease rates seem to be much lower then the ones generated on the Nissan web site. I was wondering if what lease rates ou guys were seeing say with around $2000 down....
    I priced the 350Z out at around $36000

    Thanks for the help!
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    While you're waiting here for feedback, you may want take some time to read some of the articles in our Leasing Section. It's important to understand how leasing works, before you start comparing rates you've seen in dealer ads... or at manufacturer websites.

    Also, be sure to check out the Lease Questions discussion on our Finance Board. Good luck.

    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
  • bwiabwia Member Posts: 2,913
    Last weekend I saw a young man (he looked about 27 years old) cleaning and washing his spanking brand new 350Z.

    Frankly, the guy just looked the part, he was tall and extremely handsome. If Nissan could have captured him on film I am sure that result in another 10,000 unit sales.

    He meticulously cleaned the interior and then hand-washed the car like it was a one-month old baby. I could not help myself so I went up to talk to him. He was grinning from ear to ear as he shared his driving an ownership experience.

    Nissan, please find that guy because he certainly made the Z look HOT. (And by the way I am not gay I am a father of three and old enough to be the guy&#146;s father)
  • gpwatfrdgpwatfrd Member Posts: 76
    Hello everyone,I was curious if anyone living in NJ who has a 350z would share their experiences when it comes to insuring this car. This happens to be one of the vehicles I just recently decided to consider.I also was considering a BMW 330i and when I recieved a quote from my insurance company on this vehicle I was suprised how much the insurance premium was. It was higher than my Mer. clk430(previous car) Any comments would be greatly appreciated
  • jratcliffejratcliffe Member Posts: 233
    Just saw a silver touring with the automatic sell on ebay for $29,400 - that's just $150 above invoice!

    Link's here, FYI: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&cate- gory=31864&item=2409755110&rd=1
  • jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    almost always depreciates the value of a sports model.

    JW
  • wikelwikel Member Posts: 5
    [Just saw a silver touring with the automatic sell on ebay for $29,400 - that's just $150 above invoice!]

    Information above is incorrect... How to you get $150 above invoice when the "invoice" on that model is $24,698!

    Looks more like $5,000 over invoice! Not including the holdback of $600.

    Some "real" info here, I have been hitting the Nissan dealers hard and have gotten them to $27,000 on a Ethus model locally. But I want it for $26,750, and am not buying until it hits that. Of course this is on a "ordered" car that they get full holdback on... $1200 bucks on the deal.

    Cheers
  • markjennmarkjenn Member Posts: 1,142
    I don't know where you're getting $24698 invoice for an auto-touring. Edmunds here is showing $29,258 invoice for this model with no other options.

    - Mark
  • carguy585carguy585 Member Posts: 4
    Going slightly off of the pricing topic here, but I was wondering if there was anyplaces in or near Orlando, Florida where 350Z's are available for rental. Maybe a dealership or some other car rental chain.

    Any help from Orlando peeps would be appreciated. :)
  • chesterzchesterz Member Posts: 11
    Just bought my Touring Automatic this past Saturday from my local dealer. Excellent experience, bought it for a fair price, and am glad we made the deal. Do not feel that I have a vehicle of less value by getting the automatic. There is a market out there for those of us who have "been there - done that" with manual transmissions and still enjoy the pleasure of a sports car without the hassle of shifting. I am also amused by people who will quibble over $250 for a vehicle as mentioned in an earlier posting. If $250 is that important, then you should not be looking at a $27K vehicle, the dealer does need to make a living also, they are not there just to move merchandise.
  • nismoguynismoguy Member Posts: 7
    I looked the car over on-line, its definitely a touring edition in auto. So it stands at $150 over invoice..... Great Deal!!!!!!!!!!
  • markjennmarkjenn Member Posts: 1,142
    Looking at saving $250 as "quibbling" is the wrong approach IMHO. It doesn't matter if you're saving $250 on a $500K house, a $30K car, or a $500 camcorder. If an hour of negotiation nets you $250, then you've just made $250/hour. That's the key thing: how much time/trouble it takes to negotiate the amount, not the percentage the amount is of the total.

    - Mark
  • chesterzchesterz Member Posts: 11
    I respect your point of view, but to me the bottom line is the relationship to the overall price of an item. To me it becomes a matter of how much my time is worth and the stress and aggrevation that is involved.

    Like I said, my experience was without hassle on Saturday, and maybe if I had come close to "stroking out" I may have saved another $200. I have done deals in the past, where it turned into an ugly experience to save a few bucks, but it is not personally worth it to me any more.
  • markjennmarkjenn Member Posts: 1,142
    and I think you just made my point. It is not the percentage, it is the hassle/aggravation (in your words "stroking out") for the absolute amount of money that is key.

    To carry it to the other extreme, I'm sure you could go in and talk many grocers into giving you a 20% discount on a banana. 20% is a large discount right? But we don't bother since it would take 10-minutes of our time to save $0.05 which is a wage of $0.25/hour, hardly worth it.

    This principle of thinking in terms of the absolute money saved vs. time instead of the percentage savings isn't just my idea - it is exposed in many books on business and negotiation.

    - Mark
  • jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
  • reclegal777reclegal777 Member Posts: 5
    A dealer has a 350Z touring model, chrome, charcoal leather, 6 speed manual. The car however is from a trade in and has 4100 miles. The dealer wants 32500.00 plus ttl...the invoice price is 30,338 (i excluded destination chg as they have been paid this when the car was first sold)...the car is too new to get a used car valuation i dont have info on the options yet...i think that 31,000 is a fair price...anybody got an opinion?
  • habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    You are buying a used car, period. Don't compare anything about the price to dealer invoice on a new car.

    Personally, I don't like the idea of buying a used sports car where break in is very important to the car's long term performance (i.e. S2000, M3, etc; probably not as big of a deal on the 350Z). However, how do you know the previous owner hasn't put 40k miles of wear andd tear on the clutch and now wants to dump the car?

    Consider this: Washington Post ad two weeks ago for a 2002 Boxster S loaded, 3,000 miles, perfect condition, $42,995 obo. That was a $60,000 car new.

    If you are going to buy a 350Z that someone else has driven for 4,100 miles, I be looking for a much better deal than $31k. Or just get a new one, since they are now going for $1,000 to $2,000 under list in the DC area.
  • dklaneckydklanecky Member Posts: 559
    I agree with habitat1, I wouldn't touch that "lightly used" 350Z unless maybe I had a chance to talk to (interview) the previous owner and see if I could get a feel for how he broke it in and how he maintains vehicles (and why he traded it in so quickly).

    For $34,200 you can easily pick up a new 350 Touring 6 speed.
  • reclegal777reclegal777 Member Posts: 5
    thanks for the input...ive never bought a used car before and im somwhat irritated that the dealer is asking only 1000.00 less than the cost of a new model..guess im gonna have to strighten him out...thanks agn
  • markjennmarkjenn Member Posts: 1,142
    Generally a car loses about 10%-15% of its value when its driven off the lot. Most folks would rather buy new than used if the price difference is only 10-15%.

    So I'd be looking for a much bigger discount. Of course, if the car is super clean and looks to be in great shape, then you have to make a decision for yourself. You do have the factory warranty as a safety net.

    - Mark
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  • jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    Of course the dealer is thinking, and he's probably right, that he can get that: if you really like the car, and he has its paper and/or can put you in touch with the owner, run a Carfax on it, then make him an offer, in writing, for 20% below the MSRP (as optioned).

    He probably won't accept it, but if he wants the sale he may surprise you, if not now then later in the month.

    JW
  • parametricparametric Member Posts: 1
    I have a 350z with about 5k miles and I have serious tire wear on the inside of my front two tires. I have been on other forums like my350z.com and many people seem to have the same problem. I was wondering if anyone here had it as well.
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