370z new owner
 

Actaully owned the car since January 19th, been looking for a place to post and share info about the car. Here is a little of what the last month has been like....
Got the car on a monday, took about 4 hours to get the car, I went from a 99 Yukon to this awesome Z, I did keep the Yukon as my daily driver, where I work I didn't want a new car getting dented by some idiot in a parking lot.

My take on this car, flat out fun to drive, from the moment I test drove it, and yes I did look and drive last years models before getting my 370z in Monterey blue, what sold me was I was sitting in a 350z waiting for the salesman to put the 370z and from across the parking lot I watched it back into a spot and that was it, I got out and bought it.

Driving is nothing short of hammer down, I opted for the Auto, yeah call me lazy but the paddles are cool and my left foot can brace. I average 24 mpg, have hit 140mph in the car and routinely do 90. The coolest thing I think about the car is, you can drive it normal, I have an 05 pathfinder and find myself breaking the speed limit without knowing, with the Z, I have to make an effort to go fast, the gas pedal for me for some reason, gives enough push back, that I can cruise all day at 55mph and be very comfortable.
longest trip yet was 8 hours to Raliegh NC and back and the car was very smooth with the cruise.

Cons. No room for a big hard suitcase, who cares, pack light and bag it I say. The only other con, Yeah I know it's not a supercar, garage queen, or porsche, but to a guy who can afford it, theres nothing wrong with making this your weekend have fun mid life crisis car...and garaging it....

Thanks for a great forum and sorry to be so long winded ask anything you lilke about the car and I will reply, been a great month of ownership, far as insurance I think it ended up costing us 600 a year added on. Far as price I paid, I got the 370z Touring in Monterey blue out the door for 37k. To much, to little, who cares, I got the car I wanted and was the first one in the seven cities area..

Thanks,
D

Pictures? :)

Hello, welcome to The370Z.com. I am very happy to know that you're enjoying your car. The new 7AT is very aggressive and those who want to relax a little (or deal with bad traffic), 7AT is a great option. I am very glad that Nissan included the paddle shifters on EVERY 7AT model - base and touring (it's not an additional option).

Feel free to share some pictures with us. You'll find many 370Z enthusiast owners just like you in the forums here. Feel free to ask any questions you have. Enjoy your stay here and drive safe. :tup:

Wow. Fantastic. 140, huh? LOL Just be safe! BTW, how'd 140 feel in that car?

Welcome to the forums. (And yeah, got some pics?)

140mph
 

I did read a review somewhere that said the car liked to hunt at 130mph and above and I will be honest I have done 120mph about a dozen times in the car and 140mph once, at 120 the car is rock solid, no drifting or moving around, at 140 the car is hunting, basically moving around a little to much, could have been the back road I was on, but the next time I will do it on a long highway we have out here called the 168 expressway. would love to hit 155 limit, soon.

For pictures, be honest I hate pics, but I will go out right now in the garage and take some for everyone...

D

Sweet. Thanks for the info. Again, be careful and safe with the triple digit speeds. I do it too, but in Los Angeles, it still makes me nervous. Though, I look forward to your next test.

Picture
 

Not a big fan of my own photo's as in I suck at it, but here is the car in my garage....

D

Very nice! Lucky guy!

Hey
 

Hey Crash,
I will tell you lucky, walked into the dealer at 11:30am on a monday was on my way to get parts for an atv, had to test drive a Z on the way, anyway, text the boss lady at 2pm saying hey, you got a new payment coming and when I got home she loved every bit of the car, she drives it more than me right now, which is good, always make it there idea and you win....

D

LOL! Smart! I don't have a wife, so my decisions are mine! You got out of the dealership fast! Every time I've bought a car from the dealer, it took 5 hours minimum... (Maybe GM dealerships are just slow. LOL) I think buying my 2002 Trans Am took the least amount of time... In at 5:30ish and left around 9.

I got some questions :)

How is the keyless system? Do you find yourself waiting at the door after you push the button on the handle/trunk/gas cap? Also, can you press and hold the start button rather than tapping it twice to start the car? The manual doesn't make any mention.

What do you think of the blue? I've resisted the urge to go to a dealer and see for fear of buying something I can't afford (yet). I've always preferred blue, but more of a navy, like the shades you find on Shelby Cobras. what do you think of the monterey?

Far as the keyless entry, it is one of those things that you don't even think about, I have the key in my pocket, I push unlock walk up to the car and open the door, I then put my foot on the Brake and just push the start button, you don't have to tap it twice. If you just want ACC then you don't push the brake pedal, just push start and just the radio will come on.

Far as the blue, I have always owned black vehicles, but this one stands out and frankly I hope not to many people order blue, the color changes as the day goes by from what looks really light blue to almost ocean blue at times..

The keyless entry and start is so natural, all cars should have it, feels like your stealing your own car...

D

Cheers. My family has had the gamut of colors over the years, and since I can't get a real British racing green, well, oh who am I kidding the Z wouldn't look good in a green that dark. I loved the color of the blue on the nissan sight, had really great refraction colors, but I saw the first shot of it in broad daylight on ebay and it was a different story. I'd love to see a picture of this ocean tone you're talking about though, might change my mind.

I agree with dwsq...we have a Murano and the keyless entry is great. The Murano offers two settings so all I have to do is hit 'my' button and the mirrors, seats, and, I believe, the radio station automatically adjust.

hi dwsq i had a quick question okay
i was wondering do you think this car will be okay for my son because me and his father told him if he get a scholarship i will get him one a he is a mature kid he is 16. but this will be his first actual car he drove my pt cruiser and i want to know do you think this car has too much power to handle for such a you person.
or is it okay
thank you

hey
im not dwsq but i own a 370z.
IMHO, no i dont think its the right decision.
especially because the car is powerful AND its a rear wheel drive.
without knowledge of having to control the car , say in wet weather,
its very easy to lose control of the car since its a rwd.
He should be ALOT better off with a FWD or even better yet AWD.
dont show this post to your son. he might start flaming on me :tup:

I agree. As a 22yr old out of college, high horse RWD can be a lot of car for a starting ride. Everyone will be very tempted to 'let her go' at some point, but a young driver won't have the experience to react properly. My grandfather use to take his girls to the snow-dump parking lot and make them drive through snow drifts so that they had experience with it. My dad took out to some roads by the lake and let me pound through the gears. He also use to tell me to do 'silly' stuff, like gun it from a light in wet weather so I would have experience with fish-tailing. He knew the circumstances and was making the decisions to be 'reckless' so that I didn't have to but would still experience a car on the edge of the performance envelope.

With a high performance car, and a young male driver, everything is a risk assessment. Age, experience, RWD, sportiness of car, safety features, these all go towards higher insurance premiums because there is a higher probability that the policy will have to pay out. They are price gouging you but the trend is none the less valid. That said, I took my test with 12hrs driving experience because my parents knew I was ready. My dad traded a boat sedan for a sport coupe with a manual because he knew I was ready.

The decision is yours. My recommendation would be to test drive the car, then think about the car, your son, and what the two together would mean. Then maybe I would see if you can get an overnight test drive, and take him for a test drive in it, and explain your concerns. Communication is key, right?

dwsq - Congrats on the new ride

I agree with the posts above....

IMO, your son may be mature,
but that has nothing to do with having the neccessary skills for a high performance car like this.

Sorry to be blunt, but if you value your sons life, buy something more conservative for him to learn on.

To much Car
 

The question is should a 16 Year old be allowed to drive one or own it. Well my take is heck yeah. If you have the means to buy your 16 year old a 370z then do it.
What would be the difference in buying them a ford focus or something else, the dumbest, fastest drivers on the road are the ones in the little ***t boxes we all see running around.
I am 42 and grew up with GTO's, Chevelles, Corvettes and I always got told to much power, etc... buy the 16 year old the car and get them some advanced driving lessons. Teach a young adult some responsibility, give it to them and see what happens, I have yet to read of an accident in my area with thousands of drivers daily with some young adult in a sports car, nope always the econo box loaded with friends and no appreciation for anything or anyone.
I plan on giving this car I just bought to my Daughter when she turns 16, she is 12 now, by then she will have grown up driving tractors, ATV's, heck she even drives my Yukon around the property now. She will have complete trust in me that I trust her judgement..

Last point, with the safety features in this car and only two seats they aren't going to be carting to many friends around. You give a 16 Year old a car like this and they will worship it, like we old guys would had our dads given us a Mustang or a Camaro back in the day..

Let the debate begin or not.

Thanks,
D

lol that sounds more like let him learn the hard way

Tell us if you still feel the same in 4 years. Imagine your daughter getting into a car with her jock boy friend who's parents just gave him a brand new 370z as his first car.

I'm 46 and have a teenage son who drives. While I do trust him and can afford to buy him a new car, I'm from the school of thought that any kid needs to earn his or her stripes. My first car was a 60's muscle car, but it was used piece of junk that I worked to buy with my own money.

16 and Sports Cars . . .
 

:confused: Wow - I just cannot wrap my head around a 16 year old being given a 330 hp+ sports car. The two main reasons being; at that age you simply do not have the requisite road experience inorder to handle a performance car. Two, there is something to be said, as alot of us "older guys" can attest to, for earning your own set of wheels. Especially something you will cherish like the Z. Academic accomplishment and emotional maturity do not equate to mature driving skills and a healthy appreciatiion for the machine you are piloting

I'm 35 now but had a 1980 Oldsmobile Cutlass that handled like a tank when I was 16 or so. Honestly, I'm sure I would of wrapped myself around a tree a couple of times if I had access to that kind of power and handling at that age. It does feel good to know that the 370Z I will soon be purchasing will be due to of my own success and acheivements, plus I probably won't wreck it in the first month.

Just my 2 cents. Cheers.

+1 - I couldn't say it better. I'm 47 and have 3 teenagers. My first car was a 1968 Chevelle (got it in '78 or '79 rust and all). I worked hard for it and it meant a ton to me to know that I bought it myself and fixed it up the best I could as a 16 / 17 year old.

Up hill Both ways
 

Yep heard it all before,
Kids today are smarter and more educated then we give them credit for, love the line of I had to earn mine, fix mine, buy mine, so what, your kid will look back and remember what? that you walked up the hill each way to school when you were young through six feet of snow barefoot. Teach em the right way and they will do right by you as parents, Far as my daughter getting in a car with a 16 year old boy with a new 370z, not likely as they in there minimum wage jobs couldn't earn it, fix it or be able to buy it...

D

^^^^ I don't get what you are trying to say

I'm unclear what your point is;however, I'm proud of my children and they do "right by me". I guess what I'm saying is I've spoiled them a bit...i.e., bought them cars. My hope is my kids will look back and appreciate hard work and what that can do for them and their future families.

Hey
 

Didn't really have a point, just speaking out loud, or should I say writing, I am pretty much a liberal guy and can't stand when adults say kids should earn everything. Because when it comes to cars, thats a hobby we should get all young adults into so they can save all these classic cars....from the scrap heap...

So no real point..

D