Considering a 350Z! Need advice!

[ZnThUsIaSt]

Hey Everyone,

I'm Kevin, and I'm from the metro Detroit area. I've always been a Z fan and always wanted a Z.

I'm currently driving a Cobalt SS supercharged, and have owned all GM cars since, except my 1st car. A 1984 Celica GT.

My SS/SC's lease ends in less than 10 months, and I want to upgrade to something that's not wrong wheel drive (lol FWD) and is a little quicker, and still gets decent gas mileage. The 350Z looks like it could be the car for me. I do however have a few questions and would appreciate any advice anyone could give me.

I'd be looking into purchasing one probably sometimes between April and June of next year. I'm currently looking at a new base model, or a used 07-08 w a 6spd manual. I looked up the insurance and it's only about $120 more a year than what i'm paying for my SS/SC. For the most part it's going to be my daily driver, although I'll have access to a 2nd car if needed during the winter.

My first ? is if anyone here does drive their Z during the winter months, is it manageable? Do winter/all seasons help? studded or skinny tires? I'm not a stranger to driving RWD cars in the winter but I just want to know if anyone would have advice on that.

My 2nd ? is how much space is there in the rear hatch? I don't usually need to really carry anything, maybe some sports gear, clothes for a weekend trip, a few grocery bags, etc. Would stuff like that at least fit?

My 3rd ? is how does it do on gas? I read on Road & Track's Fast and Frugal article that for its size and power it gets pretty decent mileage. I know it has a 20gal tank, which is considerably more than my 12gallon tank. Does it require premium? Which I'm used to paying for premium with driving a F.I. car.

My 4th ? is how much am I looking to pay if I want to do some light mods to it. My next car I'll probably be doing some mods to. Probably light ones like Bolt-ons (cat-back, CAI, headers, etc). From what I've seen parts aren't cheap for the Z, especially the NISMO parts.

From what I've read a stock 07+ 350Z with the VQ35HR engine makes around 306hp (crank) & 280hp (wheels). I'd like to get wheel or at least crank hp somewhere in the mid to high 300's... Would I be able to achieve that with bolt-ons, tune, internals etc, or would I have to buy a turbo kit and convert to F.I.?

How is Nissan's 3 year 36k warranty? How reliable is the Nissan 350Z? These are just a few of many things that I'm trying to get a good idea about. I know I won't be able to make a final decision until I go and test drive one, but If you can give my any info in regards to the ?'s I have I'd be able to make an informed decision after I test drive it.

Thank you everyone. And maybe in a few months time I'll be able to be a fellow Z owner!

[DaVil03Z]

Originally Posted by ZnThUsIaSt

Hey Everyone,

I'm Kevin, and I'm from the metro Detroit area. I've always been a Z fan and always wanted a Z.

I'm currently driving a Cobalt SS supercharged, and have owned all GM cars since, except my 1st car. A 1984 Celica GT.

My SS/SC's lease ends in less than 10 months, and I want to upgrade to something that's not wrong wheel drive (lol FWD) and is a little quicker, and still gets decent gas mileage. The 350Z looks like it could be the car for me. I do however have a few questions and would appreciate any advice anyone could give me.

I'd be looking into purchasing one probably sometimes between April and June of next year. I'm currently looking at a new base model, or a used 07-08 w a 6spd manual. I looked up the insurance and it's only about $120 more a year than what i'm paying for my SS/SC. For the most part it's going to be my daily driver, although I'll have access to a 2nd car if needed during the winter.

My first ? is if anyone here does drive their Z during the winter months, is it manageable? Do winter/all seasons help? studded or skinny tires? I'm not a stranger to driving RWD cars in the winter but I just want to know if anyone would have advice on that.

My 2nd ? is how much space is there in the rear hatch? I don't usually need to really carry anything, maybe some sports gear, clothes for a weekend trip, a few grocery bags, etc. Would stuff like that at least fit?

My 3rd ? is how does it do on gas? I read on Road & Track's Fast and Frugal article that for its size and power it gets pretty decent mileage. I know it has a 20gal tank, which is considerably more than my 12gallon tank. Does it require premium? Which I'm used to paying for premium with driving a F.I. car.

My 4th ? is how much am I looking to pay if I want to do some light mods to it. My next car I'll probably be doing some mods to. Probably light ones like Bolt-ons (cat-back, CAI, headers, etc). From what I've seen parts aren't cheap for the Z, especially the NISMO parts.

From what I've read a stock 07+ 350Z with the VQ35HR engine makes around 306hp (crank) & 280hp (wheels). I'd like to get wheel or at least crank hp somewhere in the mid to high 300's... Would I be able to achieve that with bolt-ons, tune, internals etc, or would I have to buy a turbo kit and convert to F.I.?

How is Nissan's 3 year 36k warranty? How reliable is the Nissan 350Z? These are just a few of many things that I'm trying to get a good idea about. I know I won't be able to make a final decision until I go and test drive one, but If you can give my any info in regards to the ?'s I have I'd be able to make an informed decision after I test drive it.

Thank you everyone. And maybe in a few months time I'll be able to be a fellow Z owner!

Hey Kevin, welcome to the forum! My wife and I used to live in the metro detroit area also until we moved to Houston last year. Where abouts do you live?

To answer some of your questions:

The Z is driveable in the winter! I drove it for one winter with the stock summer tires, and as long as there's not a ton of snow on the ground, you can manage. However, once it gets over 2 or 3 inches, or if the snow is compacted on the ground like in subdivisions where it's been run over several times, then your car will not move! My buddy back in MI has a Z with all season tires and he has no problems.

There's not a whole lot of space in the back, but you can easily stick a cart full of groceries, or a medium sized luggage back there without too much difficulty.

As far as gas goes, it depends on how and where you drive. I do mostly highway driving, so I get about 25 mpg according to the gauge. but when i was living in Michigan, I did mostly city driving and got about 19-20mpg. And yes, the car only takes premium

In order to achieve your goal of mid to high 300 crank hp, you'd most likely have to get some sort of FI. Even if you got every bolt on (I/H/E, spacer, cams) you'll barely be getting 350 crank hp.

As for reliability, I'd say it gets a B+. I have an 03 which I picked up with 12k miles and I currently have 32k on it. So far, everything's been ok except I did have to change the passenger side window motor, which is a common problem.

If you do decide on the Z, I think you'll be more than happy with your purchase! Good Luck.

[DVan8504]

Welcome to the forum! The only thing I will add to what Davil already is if you are decided between a brand new base or a one year old enthusiast or higher trim, I'd go for the one year old car. Unless they have changed this since I last checked, base cars don't have cruise control or an LSD.

[ZnThUsIaSt]

Originally Posted by DaVil03Z

Hey Kevin, welcome to the forum! My wife and I used to live in the metro detroit area also until we moved to Houston last year. Where abouts do you live?

To answer some of your questions:

The Z is driveable in the winter! I drove it for one winter with the stock summer tires, and as long as there's not a ton of snow on the ground, you can manage. However, once it gets over 2 or 3 inches, or if the snow is compacted on the ground like in subdivisions where it's been run over several times, then your car will not move! My buddy back in MI has a Z with all season tires and he has no problems.

There's not a whole lot of space in the back, but you can easily stick a cart full of groceries, or a medium sized luggage back there without too much difficulty.

As far as gas goes, it depends on how and where you drive. I do mostly highway driving, so I get about 25 mpg according to the gauge. but when i was living in Michigan, I did mostly city driving and got about 19-20mpg. And yes, the car only takes premium

In order to achieve your goal of mid to high 300 crank hp, you'd most likely have to get some sort of FI. Even if you got every bolt on (I/H/E, spacer, cams) you'll barely be getting 350 crank hp.

As for reliability, I'd say it gets a B+. I have an 03 which I picked up with 12k miles and I currently have 32k on it. So far, everything's been ok except I did have to change the passenger side window motor, which is a common problem.

If you do decide on the Z, I think you'll be more than happy with your purchase! Good Luck.

Thanks DaVil03Z! I live in the Plymouth/Canton area just 20 minutes from Ann Arbor and about 30-40 minutes from Down Town Detroit. Doing the modding isn't actually my ultimate goal with the car, I just want to have something that I can have fun with, and do a little work with. Yeah as far as the tires go I'd probably equip it with all seasons. I'm rolling on all season Pirelli P Zero Nero's and boy do they make it easier in the winter vs summer performance tires. But yeah, sounded like going F.I. was the main way of getting the HP target I wanted. Well, I'll have a couple grand saved and available even after I make my purchase so I'll probably just save for a turbo kit. If I really had the cash I'd be going twin turbos all the way. Gas mileage sounds decent, unfort I do more city than highway but that's ok. Yeah I'm going to have to wait to test drive it before I can make my decision, but I'll probably be on here for a while and try and get the most information that I can. Thank you again.

Originally Posted by DVan8504

Welcome to the forum! The only thing I will add to what Davil already is if you are decided between a brand new base or a one year old enthusiast or higher trim, I'd go for the one year old car. Unless they have changed this since I last checked, base cars don't have cruise control or an LSD.

Yeah, it'd be nice to at least have cruise control and LSD. I'll look into some higher trims (I was looking more into the 1yr olds, but I just don't want to go before an 07 but I'll see.) Thanks for the advice!

[BonesZ33]

Originally Posted by ZnThUsIaSt

Hey Everyone,

I'm Kevin, and I'm from the metro Detroit area. I've always been a Z fan and always wanted a Z.

I'm currently driving a Cobalt SS supercharged, and have owned all GM cars since, except my 1st car. A 1984 Celica GT.

My SS/SC's lease ends in less than 10 months, and I want to upgrade to something that's not wrong wheel drive (lol FWD) and is a little quicker, and still gets decent gas mileage. The 350Z looks like it could be the car for me. I do however have a few questions and would appreciate any advice anyone could give me.

I'd be looking into purchasing one probably sometimes between April and June of next year. I'm currently looking at a new base model, or a used 07-08 w a 6spd manual. I looked up the insurance and it's only about $120 more a year than what i'm paying for my SS/SC. For the most part it's going to be my daily driver, although I'll have access to a 2nd car if needed during the winter.

My first ? is if anyone here does drive their Z during the winter months, is it manageable? Do winter/all seasons help? studded or skinny tires? I'm not a stranger to driving RWD cars in the winter but I just want to know if anyone would have advice on that.

My 2nd ? is how much space is there in the rear hatch? I don't usually need to really carry anything, maybe some sports gear, clothes for a weekend trip, a few grocery bags, etc. Would stuff like that at least fit?

My 3rd ? is how does it do on gas? I read on Road & Track's Fast and Frugal article that for its size and power it gets pretty decent mileage. I know it has a 20gal tank, which is considerably more than my 12gallon tank. Does it require premium? Which I'm used to paying for premium with driving a F.I. car.

My 4th ? is how much am I looking to pay if I want to do some light mods to it. My next car I'll probably be doing some mods to. Probably light ones like Bolt-ons (cat-back, CAI, headers, etc). From what I've seen parts aren't cheap for the Z, especially the NISMO parts.

From what I've read a stock 07+ 350Z with the VQ35HR engine makes around 306hp (crank) & 280hp (wheels). I'd like to get wheel or at least crank hp somewhere in the mid to high 300's... Would I be able to achieve that with bolt-ons, tune, internals etc, or would I have to buy a turbo kit and convert to F.I.?

How is Nissan's 3 year 36k warranty? How reliable is the Nissan 350Z? These are just a few of many things that I'm trying to get a good idea about. I know I won't be able to make a final decision until I go and test drive one, but If you can give my any info in regards to the ?'s I have I'd be able to make an informed decision after I test drive it.

Thank you everyone. And maybe in a few months time I'll be able to be a fellow Z owner!

hey kevin welcome man... you wont regret your choice of the Z i promise.. but here are some of my oppinions on your questions..

1st winter months?? haaa my car spins tires in 4th gear with VCS off in the rain.. i wounldn't even think about ice and snow (its a VERY bad idea , plus u don't wanna salt up your Z anyways get a 1000 dollar pos and suck it up)

2nd space in the hatch isn't very good... but i took out my spare and tools for weight reductions... although i can go grocerie shopping and pack clothes for a week vacation.. you woudln't really be able to fit THAT much in there... all the little cubbie holes behind the seats are awesome though.. but i do go food shopping with the Z

3rd gas is okay.. i went to nc and got 28 - 29 mph all highwayy miles... IF you can keep you foot off the gas you'll get decent city miles too.. haha good luck with that though... and you NEED 91 or 93 octane gas.. but it doesn't hurt filling it up because its for pleasure.. i somehow feel that filling up the z is less painfull than my other car since i drive it for fun.. i compare it to paying for a nights "outing" haha

4th the Z mods aint cheap.. its a pricey car with pricey mods.. don't expect to get too much hp with N/A MODS... TT you can make the Z super fast but your talking 5-6 thousand just for a turbo .. nevermind fuel pumps and ect ect..

5th with all the n/a bolt ons on the z market you'll end up paying 3000 dollars for 20 to 30 horsepower.. TT is the answer if your looking for extra power.. the 07s+ are already fast though.. have you test driven one? you might not even want more power haha

overall man you'll love the thing.. i was laughing the whole drive home when i bought mine.. shes like my daughter i never had.. welcome to the forum.. post pictures when you end up buying.. peace

[fletcher58]

The Nissan Z cars are so far ahead of GM it's not close. I have a convertible and still have my deceased wife's '02 Pathfinder that has no rattles nor noticeable faults, like new. GM cars I've had were not like this.

[BlueGixerR00]

I'm in Cleveland and use my Z as a daily driver all year around. I believe the Z is "undriveable" in the winter without snow tires. I throw on 4 Blizzak's, and don't have too many problems during the winter. Just take it easy....

Hatch space is minimal, but it's a sports car...You can barely fit a golf bag in the back.

Gas mileage isn't great, but not terrible for what kind of car you are getting.

I have found the Z very reliable, except for a bad tranny. However, Nissan took care of it all for me. I have been very happy with Nissan so far. I love my Z, and I would definetly buy another Nissan in the future....

[wallie004]

welcome to the forum. There isn't much more i can tell you that hasn't already been said. The Z is a great car! I think you will enjoy it much more than the colbalt!

[Tonyg89]

I am also looking at getting a 350z. I have found one close by where I live. Its a 2003 enthusiast model. One thing that is keeping me from making my final decision is that I have read a lot on that the front end alignment is off and eats up tires. I was wondering if this has happened to any of you?

[DVan8504]

Originally Posted by Tonyg89

I am also looking at getting a 350z. I have found one close by where I live. Its a 2003 enthusiast model. One thing that is keeping me from making my final decision is that I have read a lot on that the front end alignment is off and eats up tires. I was wondering if this has happened to any of you?

Welcome Tony. Yes, many people have been plagued by this problem. You should check the Z's service records to see if it has ever been taken in for front end alignment issues or excessive tire wear/noise. Do a search on this site for "tire feathering" and you should find quite a bit of information.

[David49586]

I get 26 MPG with my 2008 350Z, with about 1/3 city and 2/3 hiway driving. EPA ratings are 18 and 25.

There IS adequate room in back for 2 suitcases and miscellaneous. I think it is plenty of room. No problem for a week trip, say. Yesterday I fit some 4 foot fluorescent lamps in the back. They just make it.

I think the Z is a well made car. I have found NOTHING wrong with mine.

David 49586

[Overlord]

Originally Posted by David49586

I get 26 MPG with my 2008 350Z, with about 1/3 city and 2/3 hiway driving. EPA ratings are 18 and 25.

There IS adequate room in back for 2 suitcases and miscellaneous. I think it is plenty of room. No problem for a week trip, say. Yesterday I fit some 4 foot fluorescent lamps in the back. They just make it.

I think the Z is a well made car. I have found NOTHING wrong with mine.

David 49586

What up Lakewood? Thats where I live/grew up. I am at Sheriden and Hampton right now.

[ncarter124]

Best I got with my Z was 31mpg, but that was a strict 75mph roadtrip, no A/C, etc etc. You can effortlessly average 22-25 with them.

[Overlord]

I get 17mpg. And now with a radar detector I would imagine that dropping a bit.