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I can't find any reference in the 03 350Z owner's manual that says you can't use it. Where did you get the idea you shouldn't use it?
I would wait until about 10,000 miles, before I'd change over to full synthetic just to ensure the engine is completely broken in and ready to really run hard.
Some people think you can change earlier than that but I've had excellent results waiting until 10k to switch over. I then go with filter and oil change every 5,000 miles.
I recently bought a Pathfinder with the same engine and use synthetic in my other vehicle. If there's a real reason not to use synthetic in the PF, I'd like to hear it.
I ran a Datsun 240Z 224K miles on dino oil, so am perfectly happy to go either way.
Just seems the synthetic ought to give better protection.
My first mistake, I'm going to go kill myself.
I drove both an MGB and a Datsun 240Z in Edmonton, Alberta, through several winters and had no trouble. I'm sure the 350Z can do everything my 240 did, only better.
Don't believe everything the front-wheel drive and/or AWD people (I nearly wrote another word that starts with p and has a couple of s's later, but thought better of it) tell you.
People were driving RWD cars (some of which had a lot of power and none of the traction control or yaw control goodies) for decades before FWD was ever thought about.
Today's winter tires all around help a lot as well. The BMW troops do just fine in the winter, but universally recommend Alpins or the equivalent. Put four good winter tires on a set of dedicated steel wheels and you'll be all set.
Get the thing and enjoy it, but you gotta be careful in winter weather.
Duh.
If the snow gets so deep that it starts hanging up sports cars, it's probably a good day not to drive anyway, no matter what you have.
Many of us who are over 50 did very well thank you living in severe climates driving RWD cars, before FWD and AWD were popular. And with today's traction control and superior tires, I would think you'd even have it easier than we did.
But you gotta believe you can or you won't feel very comfortable.
P.S. I know the snow issue is silly to talk about in spring, but at least people are talking here again!
Nissan will be bringing it over in 2007, read article from MotorTrend:
http://www.motortrend.com/features/news/112_news5
The GT-R will be Nissan's Global SuperCar... it won't be much of a "global" supercar if the USA (the world's biggest car market) is excluded.
It will probably be marketed under the Infiniti brand name.
Sure, people are not going to fork over $50k-$60k for a Nissan, but they won't have a problem if it is an Infiniti.
The HP boost is welcome but practically isn't much to get excited about. It may be some added spice to bump up sagging sales a notch but, IMHO, the best way to do that is fix the nagging quality control problems the Z is experiencing.
As a company, Nissan's ranked slightly less than average by JD Edwards (based on surveys of 2001 models). The Z's quality thus far is sub-par even though the oldest ones on the road are about 2 years young.
Me, I'd try to haggle them down (everything's negotiable at a dealership). If they wouldn't give much or anything I'd probably take my chances and sweat it out after the standard 3-year warranty was over. But then I know a darn good mechanic. P^)
Is $1,360 exorbitant profit or a sign of lack of confidence on Nissan's part? Maybe a bit of each?
But there's a philosophical problem here. The 350Z was supposed to get back to the Z's roots. Any man's cheap thrill. The $26k sports car. True, the base coupe fulfills the promise. But for every base that shows up on a dealer's lot there's 5 or 6 $34-36k Track and Touring coupes. Add a supercharger (with whatever other options redefines the Z's high end) and the Z's marketing mix crosses well into the $40k range. Then it just becomes another high-priced sports coupe most of us can but drool over as they pass our commuter 'beaters' on the interstate. 8^)
I like the car so much that maybe I foolishly wished the problems away. Kind of like 'my experience will be different' syndrome.
As far as the warranty, you make a very good point. I can probably pick up an after-market warranty if I am still interested in owning the car 3 years from now.
Thanks for the feedback.
Paint is an issue for many manufacturers, since they have gone away from solvent-based paints to more environmentally friendly water-based paint.
- An adjustable lower control arm change (from fixed) for the front
suspension to fix the tire feathering;
- A new color: yellow;
- Front and rear driver seat raisers standard;
- Navigation option available only on the Touring model;
- Upgraded interior plastic bits (e.g., dash storage bin door);
- Heated side mirrors standard on all models.
Some plausible rumors I've heard:
- An upgrade in HP. This speculation is based upon the announcement
the G35 coupe gets boosted HP. Makes perfect sense but every dealer
preordering Zs claims this isn't mentioned among the listed changes;
- A mid-'05 anniversary Z based upon the NISMO S-Tune GT. It's rumored
to be 300 or more HP. This car will be made for the Japanese market
but no announcement regarding the US. I believe I read an article
which said Nissan would produce it for export BUT that could mean
Europe gets one while the US goes begging <sigh>;
- Euro-tuned suspension to quiet critics of harsh ride. Actually, I've
heard this was a "running" change for '04 that already has been
implemented in Japan. Tied to the adjustable control arm fix which
I understand may take a tad of the bite out of the Z's current
handling, especially at high speeds?
Other rumors float around but I wouldn't put much faith in them. The 350Z is only going into its 3rd production year. Too early for radical changes. But with sales off double-digit in '04 I have a feeling they'll have to do something by '06 to revitalize sales.
The interior in my '94 Z is almost perfect (no cupholders, tiny glovebox, quirky parking brake location, no steering wheel adjustments), which could have easily been addressed, but the new car's faults are glaring. I'd keep the seats and adjustable steering wheel/instrument cluster, throw out everything else, and start over.
I know they made changes to the 2004 interior in terms of materials. Do most of you who have issues with the interior own 2003 models?
It has a full instrument cluster which is more than can be said for, say, the Pontiac GTO. It has automatic climate control which I don't think is available in, say, the Honda S2000. The dash layout is neat, attractive, and simple. Better than, say, a Mustang GT (even the pictures I've seen of the upcoming '05) or much pricier Porsche Boxster (which suffers from being extremely dated).
Many complain about the lack of a dash glovebox. I'd agree, it's a problem. But you mention your '94 had a tiny one. And what makes up for the other 'quirks' your '94 Z has like no cupholders (that'd really suck in my book) and no steering wheel adjustments (unforgivable)?
The big complaint regarding the 350Z is lack of storage but that's almost universal for these budget sport coupes. Witness the small trunks of the S2000 or Chrysler Crossfire, for example. Of course, it's funny. Ever hear of someone gripe that a Ferrari can't carry a set of golf clubs? Like someone would care! 8^)
I've been reading forums on the S2000, RX8, Crossfire, and, of course, the Z. While not exactly cheap cars they are low-cost for sports cars. Every one of them has issues and compromises. Heck, even pricier cars like the Audi TT and Porsche Boxster have issues inside, outside, and performance-wise. You've just got to find the ones you can live with.
The old Zs of your vintage were fine cars. I've ridden in them and was impressed. But it's not really fair to compare to the current model because they grew expensive by comparison. The new Z is less pure (shares much from the Nissan parts bin) and scrimped on some things to save a buck but it has fulfilled the promise of the sub-$30,000 sports car. A base Z can had for thousands less than any of the aforementioned cars except the RX8.
If Nissan can fix their horrific tire feathering problem for '05 -- the deal killer for that car -- it's by far the best of the bunch, IMHO. What would you buy?
The steering wheel placement is absolutely perfect, so adjustments would have been superfluous.
The trunk on mine is quite large. It easily swallows my hockey bag, a full size cooler, and I've had three sets of golf clubs back there without having to remove the long clubs. The new roadster has a tiny trunk, which is a shame since it has a J-Lo butt.
I like the interior of the RX-8, but if anyone thinks they have trouble with blind spots in the Z, just wait until you try driving the RX. The side windows are so small that they can't even get a full window sticker in it. The B pillar is massive, since it's the anchor for the freestyle doors. It should have a hatch instead of a trunk, since the trunk is reasonably sized, but the opening is so small that you can't get anything big in there.
I think my dislike of the 350Z interior is due to the acres of dark plastic. Like almost all new cars, the beltline is very high, and the door panels really need something to break it up.
Do any current owners have problems with the left side bolster on the driver's seat showing premature wear? Almost every 300ZX I've seen has a wear spot or hole in the bolster.
I think the other cars on the FM platform (G35 sedan, coupe, and FX) benefit from the platform sharing, rather than the Z being hindered by it. Just think, they all get double wishbones all around, with cast and forged aluminum members. And a carbon fiber driveshaft? That's not cutting corners.
I have been thinking hard about purchasing a new Z with Nismo options- wheels, aero kit and exhaust. My questions are many but I will limit them to a few. First, does the Z on a set of 18s ride loud? Everything I read mentions that road noise becomes a pain in the a@@ after crusing for a while. Second, can anyone truly speak about the performance of this car? (i.e. acceleration, braking, etc.) Third, what had been paid for the Touring model with Nismo? Any Z lovers who can speak to this, I thank you in advance.
I would appreciate any info. thanks
Although I think the alignment is correct now, the rear tires still make an absurd amount of noise. So, I'll be getting rid of my beloved TT before I see the cords come through again.
I checked my front tires this morning and everything seems to be wearing normally. No tire growl/roaring at all.
Other 2004 owners have reported tire feathering beween 4k-8k miles. I had my alignment checked at my first oil change. Some people recommend that you have the alignment checked regularly. I will personally do this, as it is cheaper to have the alignment checked then to have to prematurely replace the tires.
I plan to replace the tires with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S (All-Seasons) when the OEM tires wear out. I have read that typically the OEM tires last on average about 15k miles.
By the way, I have 9000+ miles on my car.
In case you want to know, my last set was Bridgestone S-02s; the current set are Toyo T1/Ss.
But I agree there is a problem on the Nissan ... wear noise, for example, should not be so high, and the wear pattern I've seen in pictures of failed tires, looks like bad alignment or suspension design. Have any of you tried having a good shop design a suspension package for you: spring/struts & bars? No, you shouldn't have to ... but it could be that simple and it wouldn't cost much more than a couple of wasted sets of good tires.
By the way, Hoosiers for track use last much, much less than a thousand miles and are the most expensive tires sports car ownders buy generally.
Just a non-owner's .02 Good luck to all of you.
JW
So, I test drove the S2000, Boxster S, BMW Z4 and 350ZR. I compared all of them to my 01 Audi TT Roadster and the 04 Corvette. When I tallied the results, here's what I came up with:
S2000: great car if you don't mind revving the hell out of it--definitely not made for commuting.
Boxster S: too cramped, expensive and an ergonomic nightmare.
BMW Z4: Sorry, but nobody without a cape and little bat ears should be driving something that looks like that.
TT: I love this car but it's time for a change.
C5: awesome car, but I can't get past the tupperware interior (besides, my wife says I look like a "guido" driving it).
350ZR: great performance for the money--flexible, powerful engine and good handling. The funky ergonomics (power outlet, seat controls) were the biggest drawbacks.
So, if the dealer doesn't try to change the deal when I go to pick it up, I'll get my 350 next week.
Sorry for the rambling diatribe...
I've read (& written) rambling diatribes.
Your post was neither.
Thanks for the helpful comparo.