Don't take offense to any of this, but if you're driving your dad's Versa, does that mean you're living at home w/ your parents? If so, it would be a terrible decision to buy a Z at this point. Think about when you move out and you're no longer saving money on rent, food, utilities, etc. And when you're no longer on their family auto insurance plan... You wouldn't be able to afford it any more unless your income literally doubled the same time you moved out.

My brand new Z costs significantly more to insure than my 08 Evo X. And that's even with my wife listed as the primary driver on it. That shows you just how expensive these cars are to insure versus another already-expensive-to-insure sports sedan.

But nobody should doubt or bash this guy. I bought a brand new Evo X with options right after I turned 21. Then a little more than a year later, I bought my new Z. Some people do very well when they're young! Just be careful stepping up to a powerful RWD car like the 370Z from a slow FWD car. It's all about discipline; have fun with the Z when it's safe (if you get it), but keep it safe otherwise. This will keep you from getting tempted to drive like a moron when it could get you hurt. After all, there's no reason to buy a sports coupe unless you're going to have a little fun w/ it! ;)

Thank you, this is unbelievably true
What you don't know is my dad bought me the versa as my first car, brand new at 17.. My dad got it because he wanted cheap, thinking i would wreck it

he still thinks im gonna wreck every car i touch - i guess he just doesn't think i have a brain? or something..
i no rite?
yes, exactly


I can afford the car, I pull about 3 grand a month, i have no responsibilities, and my living expenses are less than 1k/month. my current car has no payments, gas is like $30/2wks
and i do live on my own, i moved out of parents house a while back lol

like someone else said, ITT: old ppl mad that i can get the car sooner rather than later

Im buying a new car, im just making sure im going to be 100% satisfied with what i buy

Every car forum has a thread (or series of threads) where people try to convince other members that they're either too young or not financially stable enough to own the forum's target car. Why bother with this argument? It says far more about your opinion of yourself than how you feel about the car or the individual you're attempting to advise. The 370Z is far from an exclusive car so there will be plenty of people whom you don't want to be associated with that will purchase the car. One can only imagine what goes on on a Ferrari or Veyron forum.

"You're only a 25 year old millionaire? I'm a billionaire! Only billionaires over the age of 40 can buy this car..."

That said, the brakes issue rarely if ever manifests itself. The only reason why the brake fade became a forum meme is Car & Driver wrecked a Nismo 370Z due to brake fade. However, their post-crash analysis showed the Nismo 370Z has the same brake fade as a Nismo 350Z, which has a Brembo braking system. See the following articles.

Z Meets Wall: We Investigate Why the NISMO Z's Brakes Failed at Lightning Lap - Feature - Auto Reviews - Car and Driver
The Power to Stop - Tech Stuff - Auto Reviews - Car and Driver

The latter article shows the updated car fares little better than the old car, so I don't see why the idea of the brake fade limit on the 370Z being where it is is such a surprise. The takeaway is should you take your car onto the track be sure to upgrade your brake fluid and install a set of proper brake pads.

TheShoura, you may or may not be able to afford the car. I have no idea. But don't take the opinion of a bunch of assclowns on a message board (myself included). There are much better websites dedicated to helping you figure out how much you should spend on a vehicle for your particular situation.

Cheers.
http://www.the370z.com/members/frost...43t-cheers.gif

all the guys ragging on op for bein 20, im 20 as well. i make decent income, i can afford this car, end of story. for all you know hes doin pretty well financially and wants to get himself a nice ride.

about your questions, id say the oil temp thing and the brake thing is over hyped. normal people on normal roads will NOT require an oil temp, even on canyon runs (general info from being on this forum), if you go on a track however like you mentioned you WILL require an oil cooler because of the long periods of time at WOT and because ur pushing a car not built to drive on the track (pretty much most cars aren't built for this, not even like caymans so its reasonable). As for the brakes, i've only really heard braking problems from like very dedicated track racers (rcz, travisjb) although i would also recommend buying a pair of track pads (if you have the spare cash) and swapping them at the track. Its not recommended that you daily drive track pads, not to mention you're needlessly wearing them out.

Other than these two points nissan has done an admirable job with this sports car for the masses

As for synchro-rev, i find it incredibly useful. i only turn it off when i feel like practicing or doing heel-toe myself (to be more involved). but daily driving in traffic, its a very good tool, makes the drive much smoother and more enjoyable.

If it's too much for you... Why not get a used G or Z? There's a bunch of 350's and G35's... There's alot of options in terms of modding too :tup:

I don't care what age the op is. His asking legitimate questions, and deserve legitimate answer, Not a crucifixion because his 20.
I was 18 when I got my first Z it was used, I learned plenty on my own and thankfully I didn't get into any trouble. We need to lay off "The your to young to own this car crap".

Yeah, from the OP's initial post, it gave off the impression that the car was almost too expensive. I gave my opnion that maybe he should go with something cheaper yet still fun to drive in the meantime, as a sound financial decision.

If the OP came from an extremely wealthy family and got the 370Z as a present, more power to him. I will be the first one to congratulate him, no matter if he was 15 or 25. To be 20, and be stuck to a 40,000 car payment for the next 5 years or so + insurance, maintenance and fuel costs. I wouldn't want to be in that situation.

my biggest thing was making sure the 370z wasnt going to be a problematic car to own. That was my point of this thread

to make sure spending another 10 grand would be a good thing to make sure I'm happy with what I spend my money on

i can get the genesis for cheap, but i dont care for cheap if what i get is cheap and in the end spends more time in the shop... you guys understand now?

I want a car that will hold up and in the end, give me more time behind the wheel and less time repairing for failures I did not cause

Honestly, most new cars these days (from any manufacturer) will NOT spend much time, if any, in the shop. Hyundai and Nissan are both reliable brands that will give you many miles of trouble-free service if you take care of them..

Don't sweat them. You know what they say .....


http://memegenerator.net/Joseph-Ducr...Gonna-Hate.jpg

OP, did you get a chance to test drive one yet?:driving:

First off, I hope you can take some constructive criticism. You say you're pulling decent income and "your parents don't even want to help me buying something that expensive"... Why would you expect them to help you at all if "you're pulling decent income"? Also, 36k/yr is going to leave you with nothing once you have a car payment and insurance. Expect to live with mom and dad for a while unless you get some significant raises before your car is paid off. I know you might think you can afford the car, and you may very well be able to. I don't know you entire financial status but based on what you have said, it seems like you are spreading yourself thin. Part of growing up and being responsible is being able to take care of yourself and make smart decisions. Sure, we all make mistakes and learn from them too. I think perhaps you will see the reality of what I'm talking about once you apply for some loans and get insurance quotes.

I know you said you were asking about "the car" and not looking for these types of responses but based on the information you have provided, you're going to get these responses. Maybe if you didn't mention your age, financial status and such and just used the search you would have found your answer.

this thread makes me laugh, a bunch of old guys trying to lecture this guy on why he shouldnt get a z because it costs to much. When no one even knows how much he makes. People who work at Walmart live by themselves, living at home or with your parents is no sure fire way to figure out wealth.

If you read closely you would see he said he's making about 3k/mo. Don't know if that's before or after taxes but it doesn't matter.

Go for the 370 if you can afford it. I'm not an old guy either :nutswinger:

With 3K a month and living at home. He can afford it.

He should figure out the invoice prices and start dealing with dealerships. maybe search for any left over 09's in his area that he might like.

I think taking a crack at some members looking to make sure he would not get himself into financial problem, isn't a bad thing, Just goes to show that this forum isn't run by 18 yr olds..

you stole my user title man.... not cool :shakes head:


and OP, get a Z...lol.... no need to sit around a computer...

I was going to ask!! :bowrofl:

:icon08:

Father May I? :roflpuke2:

:tiphat: sure!

Thank you! Master.... :icon23:

I bought my 370z on my 18th birthday almost a year ago in August and insurance originally quoted me $8000 a year, i obviously didnt settle for that and pay a whole lot less now:tup:

$8000!!!.... damn... that would have been robbery...lol

:eek:

haha and i thot 4000 was bad xD

yeah i think it was Geico or Esurance that quoted me 8k, when i told them what car i had they didnt even know it was out yet

Exactly. Us "older" guys can provide some useful info you know.

brother join the 40th anniversary club!!!! hell ye~~~ah!

The car is fine. Just don't drive it like you stole it.
Oil temp and brakes are not a problem.

As far as insurance goes mine went down figure that out?
went from a 05 to a 09 and insurance went down something
about new car discount.

Maybe I should move back in with my parents so I can buy the 599GTO I'm lusting after :rofl2:

He said he lives by himself, no?

Most people think they are good drivers, but few really are, especially at 21 (no offense). The only way to be a good driver is with experience. Like motorcycles, you should work your way up and improve your skills before jumping into something this quick. If you grew up at a race track and took countless driving skill lessons, I would say go for it. Just know that if your personality is anything like most people who drive the Z, I doubt you wouldn't be tempted to gun in at stop lights. Every car has problems at some point, thats what warranties are for. Thankfully I havn't had any major problems so far other than the kicking the car into limp mode after some spirited driving (easily fixed with oil cooler). My front rotors warped slightly at around 11k miles, but they machined it for me under warranty.

Half your salary before taxes is a huge chunk and not something you should ignor if you plan on moving out of your parents in the next 3-5 years or even if you plan on doing some major mods. Insurance alone is about 2k a year and I have a clean record. I know this stuff is hard to hear, but unless you have unlimited funds, you should be carefull in making a decision this big.

In the end, its gonna be up to you and I doubt anyone here will change your mind. It seems like you've done your research pretty well, so I'm assuming all you really wanted was a push. Go for it if YOU really want it. It's your money and hard work!

1. You earn 3K a month (clear?). What do you do and how stable is the pay?

2. You claim that your expenses are ~1K a month... (really? That covers rent, utilities and food?) Okay, that leaves 2K x 12, meaning up to 24K a year... that does sound like a lot for someone in their 20's...

3. However, the car will cost you around 35-40K -- near as much or more than you earn. You can only just barely afford it... I'd look for something closer to 25K, which will still be a stretch, but at least if you lose your job you won't be sleeping in your new car.

This is some really good advice for the op. If I had created a thread about this before purchasing my 40th, I might have done it differently. I am still happy with my choice, but often times I think about the 300 extra dollars I am giving up every month to be in this car over my accord. If you can afford it comfortably I say do it, but otherwise I would really think it thoroughly before making the purchase. If you have a good size down payment that will also help out with minimizing your payments. You only live once though, and if you're gonna do it I say do it while you're young.

Also where do you work? For me, going to work and leaving the workplace makes me nervous. I am an accountant which is a pretty conservative field. Only two of my co workers know that I bought the Z. My partners and some of my co workers would probably label me as irresponsible and a bad decision maker based on impracticality alone. I am an entry level accountant. Just started with a CPA firm about 7 months ago and am also seeing about 3k each month after taxes. I don't pay rent but I do live on my own. I also pay about 1800 for insurance per year which is only about $150 more than my accord. I have $400 student loans that I am paying off monthly. Do your homework and shop around for a reasonable insurance quote. Before I took my insurance quote offer, every other insurance company was quoting me at above 6k per year.

Make a monthly budget and try to minimize some of your expenses if you. It's not fun to have to watch what you order when you go out for dinner and drinks, but those are some of the things you will have to give up if you spread yourself thin with your salary. Hopefully you have room for growth and will be making a lot more then that in the near future.

It's not what you drive that is slow and boring, that can only describe how you drive it. It's just your ego and image that suffer in mom and dad's car, rightfully so. I recently had a great time driving through Italy in a Opel Supra, and I used all 80hp, most of the time, and it was NOT slow. In fact it was at least 5 times faster than I could run, and it could go further too. Staying ahead of the double decker bus, i.e. not getting run over, on the single lane twisties was NOT boring, and quite a challenge. But nobody was impressed, and that's really the most important thing when you're 20.

I am 40 years old, make over $100k, and can barely afford a new 370Z..ok I can afford it, but should I? 40 thousand dollars for a car is really stupid money, if I bought a well diversified portfolio for dummies instead, I'd have a quarter million dollars in another 25 years, instead of a very old memory of a nice red sportscar I had in my youf, and just in time for retirement...I didn't do that because I expect to make a lot more money with a high level of certainty, and you're stuck working no matter what, so why not enjoy what you earn, now? And your expenses are nothing now..you probably live at home or share rent for nearly nothing, BUT you will want a family some day, that is the most expensive hobby you will ever have, and you don't want to start that hobby being car poor, believe me, or lacking anything less than a Masters degree. I would find a much better bang for buck option, something like a well used mustang or camaro, maybe a 5 year old 350Z, put some new shocks on it, good tires, and go bonkers....when you're not studying 12 hours a day for that Masters degree. And good things will come. Good luck.

Im 19 and pay 1200, 8k seems a tad bit high...

Not for nothing but I think the notion of investing into your education with the expectation of getting what you put in, back - is not guaranteed. Plenty of well educated, under-paid, unemployed people out there. And the diversified portfolio...Depends which theory of the US/Global financial outlook you subscribe to.

I have NO degree and I make more money than plenty of my coworkers who have BA/MS/Phd's. I know that I am not an example of the "norm" but more an example of being passionate, driven, and constantly striving higher.

I don't want to derail the thread so carry on!

The other way to look at it is you don't get a Z now, you go to go school, get a job, get a wife, make babies, get a minivan, pay for college tuitions, then you sit on your rocker on the porch and watch a new 2040 520Z go by and mumble to yourself "I shoulda got that Z when I had the chance."