SpeedJunkyz
December 28th, 2007, 12:20 AM
There were those of us on staff who thought the Z-reincarnate — the 350Z — could very well come to be known as one of the best sports cars of all time. After all, look at what the 350Z Touring offers: a 287-bhp 3.5-liter V-6 with a healthy 274 lb.-ft. of torque, a 6-speed manual gearbox, rear-wheel drive, a limited-slip differential, 18-in. alloy wheels with staggered 225/45WR-18 front Bridgestone Potenza RE040 tires and 245/45WR-18s at the rear, vented disc brakes front and rear, and a not-that-hefty curb weight of 3247 lb. All this performance for just $34,288. Sounds like a pretty good recipe, doesn't it?
It is. The Z is quite the twisty-road companion. A few of us on staff took the Z on memorable back-road blitzes to Monterey and back (some of the best sports-car roads anywhere in the country), and always came away impressed with the car's predictable handling and plentiful power. While the VDC yaw control system is overly intrusive on the track (you can't fully turn it off), it's far less noticeable on the street, unless you are being absolutely silly. The Z also has one of the best exhaust notes around, that wonderfully smooth VQ V-6 and a precise (if a bit slow) gearbox.
The interior is properly sporting, our car featuring comfortable leather seats (the driver's seat formed slightly different from the passenger's, to better hold you during aggressive driving), drilled aluminum pedals placed ideally for heel and toeing, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, large gauges and a very handy programmable shift light.
Unfortunately, the quality of those materials left us wanting. The fit and finish are nowhere near that of the Honda S2000 or Mazda RX-8, for example, nor the Z's own brother, the Infiniti G35 Coupe. Many staffers also complained of excessive road noise from the low-profile 18-in. tires, gear whine and a general boominess to the interior. And the Bose audio system sounded muddy from the first day we got the car, though the clarity was improved quite a bit with a new amplifier, replaced under a recall campaign. The lack of usable luggage space — caused by the huge rear cross brace for stiffness — meant the Z was relegated to mostly short, one-person trips.
http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/image/522005111933.jpg
http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/image/522005111915.jpg
Senior Editor Andy Bornhop made two predictions after the Z had been with us a short time: First, he said the annoying-to-close center-console cubby cover "will break before our test ends," and "I wonder how long this gearbox will hold together? The synchros are already whiny...on upshifts!" He ended up going 1 for 2. The cubby cover never broke, but the transmission had to be replaced at 25,590 miles, when 5th gear started "crunching" with every shift. Nissan already knew the transmission was the weak link on first-year 350Zs, so it was replaced under warranty. But the dealer also noticed hot spots on the clutch (we verified this ourselves), necessitating a new clutch, pressure plate, throw-out bearing and flywheel ($1183). We weren't thrilled about having to replace these, but we're guessing we drive the car a bit harder day-in and day-out than the typical owner. But there's no excuse for the gearbox to go that early.
Other problems: the stoppers for both door windows left grease streaks on the glass. Later, both windows would roll up to the top, and then back down several inches on their own. A couple of plastic pieces on the driver's seat fell apart. And while the rear tires would last about 20,000 miles, we had a problem with premature inside wear on the fronts, which we corrected somewhat by fiddling with wheel alignment. We performed brake jobs at 26,000 and 46,000 miles, which is reasonable
The Z depreciated a little more than average for our long-term cars, but part of that is due to needing 790 days to complete 50,000 miles; compare that against our most recent long-term retiree, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, which only needed 578 days. At 42 cents per mile, the Z was a little cheaper to operate than the Evo, but a bit higher than average against the cars we've tested.
The 350Z isn't perfect. Honestly, an Evo or a Subaru Impreza WRX STi makes more sense, considering their higher performance, similar price and superior passenger and luggage capacity. Nissan has ground to make up on quality and interior design, though they did make several improvements to the 2004 car; for instance, the cubby cover was completely redesigned and is now simple to use.
Besides, who says every purchase has to make sense? The Z is an absolute blast to drive, its shape will remain sexy for years to come and it's still a relative sports-car bargain. Need proof? The following was one of the most common quotes in the logbook: "This is the first time I've driven the Z in awhile; I completely forgot how much fun it is." Enough said. We miss it.
http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/image/52200511194.jpg
The 350Z has reasonable luggage capacity, but the rear cross brace makes loading awkward.
At a Glance:
Nissan 350Z Touring PoorAverageExcellentTouring•Engine•Handling•Reliab ility•Fuel efficiency*•Ownership cost•Delivered price$34,288Resale value at end of test
(wholesale price from Kelley Blue Book)$24,350Deduction for mileage
(Kelley Blue Book)$3169Total resale value$21,181Total miles covered in test50,767Miles since last report492Average miles per gal.20.5Costs, Overall & Per MileDepreciation, 790 days$9938Mileage deduction$3169Gasoline2392 gal. @ $5212Oil1 qt. @ $4Routine maintenance$3010Overall cost for 50,767 miles$21,333Cost per mile42¢Average cost per mile
long-term test
(since March 1997)40¢Repairs and ReplacementsNormal/routineSix services and oil changes ($793), six Bridgestone Potenza RE040 tires ($1375), two front brake jobs and one rear brake job ($762), one front-end alignment ($80).Unforeseen eventsReplaced transmission (warranty); replaced clutch, pressure plate, throwout bearing and flywheel ($1183); replaced two front tires and performed alignment due to excessive inside tire wear ($538), reprogrammed window motor limits ($168), replaced driver’s seat recliner cover and finisher assembly, left valve cover gasket and window stoppers (warranty), Bose amplifier (recall campaign).Unforeseen eventsReplaced front bumper clip damaged by cinder block in road ($945), repaired chip in windshield ($65), replaced front bumper clip again, along with both inner fenders, lower center shield and repaired right front fender from numerous curb run-ins ($1741).*Road & Track's Fuel Economy RatingPoorless than 15 mpgAverage15 to 25 mpgExcellentmore than 25 mpg
This article was found and written by Road and Track magazine
It is. The Z is quite the twisty-road companion. A few of us on staff took the Z on memorable back-road blitzes to Monterey and back (some of the best sports-car roads anywhere in the country), and always came away impressed with the car's predictable handling and plentiful power. While the VDC yaw control system is overly intrusive on the track (you can't fully turn it off), it's far less noticeable on the street, unless you are being absolutely silly. The Z also has one of the best exhaust notes around, that wonderfully smooth VQ V-6 and a precise (if a bit slow) gearbox.
The interior is properly sporting, our car featuring comfortable leather seats (the driver's seat formed slightly different from the passenger's, to better hold you during aggressive driving), drilled aluminum pedals placed ideally for heel and toeing, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, large gauges and a very handy programmable shift light.
Unfortunately, the quality of those materials left us wanting. The fit and finish are nowhere near that of the Honda S2000 or Mazda RX-8, for example, nor the Z's own brother, the Infiniti G35 Coupe. Many staffers also complained of excessive road noise from the low-profile 18-in. tires, gear whine and a general boominess to the interior. And the Bose audio system sounded muddy from the first day we got the car, though the clarity was improved quite a bit with a new amplifier, replaced under a recall campaign. The lack of usable luggage space — caused by the huge rear cross brace for stiffness — meant the Z was relegated to mostly short, one-person trips.
http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/image/522005111933.jpg
http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/image/522005111915.jpg
Senior Editor Andy Bornhop made two predictions after the Z had been with us a short time: First, he said the annoying-to-close center-console cubby cover "will break before our test ends," and "I wonder how long this gearbox will hold together? The synchros are already whiny...on upshifts!" He ended up going 1 for 2. The cubby cover never broke, but the transmission had to be replaced at 25,590 miles, when 5th gear started "crunching" with every shift. Nissan already knew the transmission was the weak link on first-year 350Zs, so it was replaced under warranty. But the dealer also noticed hot spots on the clutch (we verified this ourselves), necessitating a new clutch, pressure plate, throw-out bearing and flywheel ($1183). We weren't thrilled about having to replace these, but we're guessing we drive the car a bit harder day-in and day-out than the typical owner. But there's no excuse for the gearbox to go that early.
Other problems: the stoppers for both door windows left grease streaks on the glass. Later, both windows would roll up to the top, and then back down several inches on their own. A couple of plastic pieces on the driver's seat fell apart. And while the rear tires would last about 20,000 miles, we had a problem with premature inside wear on the fronts, which we corrected somewhat by fiddling with wheel alignment. We performed brake jobs at 26,000 and 46,000 miles, which is reasonable
The Z depreciated a little more than average for our long-term cars, but part of that is due to needing 790 days to complete 50,000 miles; compare that against our most recent long-term retiree, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, which only needed 578 days. At 42 cents per mile, the Z was a little cheaper to operate than the Evo, but a bit higher than average against the cars we've tested.
The 350Z isn't perfect. Honestly, an Evo or a Subaru Impreza WRX STi makes more sense, considering their higher performance, similar price and superior passenger and luggage capacity. Nissan has ground to make up on quality and interior design, though they did make several improvements to the 2004 car; for instance, the cubby cover was completely redesigned and is now simple to use.
Besides, who says every purchase has to make sense? The Z is an absolute blast to drive, its shape will remain sexy for years to come and it's still a relative sports-car bargain. Need proof? The following was one of the most common quotes in the logbook: "This is the first time I've driven the Z in awhile; I completely forgot how much fun it is." Enough said. We miss it.
http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/image/52200511194.jpg
The 350Z has reasonable luggage capacity, but the rear cross brace makes loading awkward.
At a Glance:
Nissan 350Z Touring PoorAverageExcellentTouring•Engine•Handling•Reliab ility•Fuel efficiency*•Ownership cost•Delivered price$34,288Resale value at end of test
(wholesale price from Kelley Blue Book)$24,350Deduction for mileage
(Kelley Blue Book)$3169Total resale value$21,181Total miles covered in test50,767Miles since last report492Average miles per gal.20.5Costs, Overall & Per MileDepreciation, 790 days$9938Mileage deduction$3169Gasoline2392 gal. @ $5212Oil1 qt. @ $4Routine maintenance$3010Overall cost for 50,767 miles$21,333Cost per mile42¢Average cost per mile
long-term test
(since March 1997)40¢Repairs and ReplacementsNormal/routineSix services and oil changes ($793), six Bridgestone Potenza RE040 tires ($1375), two front brake jobs and one rear brake job ($762), one front-end alignment ($80).Unforeseen eventsReplaced transmission (warranty); replaced clutch, pressure plate, throwout bearing and flywheel ($1183); replaced two front tires and performed alignment due to excessive inside tire wear ($538), reprogrammed window motor limits ($168), replaced driver’s seat recliner cover and finisher assembly, left valve cover gasket and window stoppers (warranty), Bose amplifier (recall campaign).Unforeseen eventsReplaced front bumper clip damaged by cinder block in road ($945), repaired chip in windshield ($65), replaced front bumper clip again, along with both inner fenders, lower center shield and repaired right front fender from numerous curb run-ins ($1741).*Road & Track's Fuel Economy RatingPoorless than 15 mpgAverage15 to 25 mpgExcellentmore than 25 mpg
This article was found and written by Road and Track magazine