Considering a 2011 370Z? Base with automatic
 

Hi All,

I'm pretty sure this have been discussed before (I tried searching and found some, but not all I was looking for) so if you can point me in the direction of a thread you don't need to repost. Sorry I just couldn't find what I needed when I searched.

Main questions are...

1. How reliable have these cars been?

2. Any common mechanical issues?

3. Do these have any tire feathering problems (I doubt it)?

4. Is the automatic transmission of good quality?

5. Reasonable MPG expectation and tire longevity (I know, subjective)?

I don't mind a couple trips to the dealer to work out minor bugs, but I did see a few posts here (when I searched) about common problems (paint & oil temperatures mostly) and it got me thinking a little.

Anyway, I would appreciate any help you could give. The car looks great and I love the way it drives. The price is right and I know it would make me happy, but coming from an S2000 (not a single thing broken other than the speed limit :tup:) I just want to make sure this is a good decision.

P.S. Yes, I know this is a group of Z owners who love their cars. :tiphat:

1. They've been pretty reliable for the most part.

2. Nothing major. I have one common issue where the trunk hatch doesn't open properly, but it's a TSB fix from the dealership so no worries there. The only major issue I think is the oil temperature one, but that only becomes a problem when you're tracking it. In that case, you would need to get an oil cooler.

4. The 7 Speed Auto is of really good quality. The Auto Z's have been proven to be a couple tenths of a second quicker on average than the manuals. I know this from experience :D

5. MPG expectations depend on where and how you drive. I drive around 70% highway and usually pretty calmly. I am currently averaging 23 mpg per tank.

Good luck and hope to see you in a Z soon! :tup:

other than the temp and hatch, the fuel sending unit goes also, i'm on my 3rd now, never got stuck, it just doesn't read right, dealer fixes so not a problem.

Oh and tires, very subjective, i've seen so far 11k to 25k for the rears.

theres a lot of road noise....

I have a manual 6spd trans. Base .

I haven't had much problems other than the trunk hatch problem that b1adesofchaos talked about. i have 12k on my Z and my tires are pretty good still. i'm guessing 60% of rubber left. And i've done a couple of burnouts here and there.

uh oh

:stirthepot:

Definitely louder than most cars but honestly it doesn't bug me all that much.

Ha, lol

Louder than my S2000? I certainly hope not. :ughdance:

1. I now own the Z for a year and about 3-4 months. so far no single problem.

2. none that I know.

3. don't even know what that is :roflpuke2:

4. the 7AT is awesome, pretty quick too. prepare for "LOL AT IS FOR WOMEN" posts.

5. the MPG is pretty good and I still have my original tires.

though PLEASE get the sport package. it looks way better + LSD, bigger brakes, bigger wheels(hooray rays), spoiler and so on.

though I would also get the touring. I love my nav and seats.

The doors are a bit weak but other than that, golden.

Yep. Theyre definitely not Miata doors.

I have a base automatic. I'm very pleased. Don't worry about the hatch issue and the oil cooler is irrelevant to anyone who doesn't take the car to the track. I've had no problems in over a year and not been back to the dealer about anything. However, the paint is crappy and it chips very easily. Get a ClearBra on the front bumper, nose and mirrors before you drive the car off the lot. Aftermarket leather seats are nice. I love mine.
The car is a bit noisy and if your roads are bumpy with expansion joints every 10 yards like mine, you'll gripe about harsh ride. So test drive the car where you'll be driving it as much as you can before purchase.
All in all, I consider my Z a very reliable Nissan that sounds and rides like a sports car. If that's what you're looking for, buy it. It's a lot of car for the money. Find a left over 2010. Same car as the 2011. Offer under invoice. I got my '09 for nearly $1,000 under invoice (cash deal, no trade) in December 2009. They often sell these cars cheap if you can keep the deal simple.

im in the same boat, im looking to buy a base Automatic Z, just do all your research before making your final decision on what it is you like

I bet they think Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati are for women too huh since most are sold as AT.

That's our usual response to the 7AT bashers. Vegitto like to pull out the Ronda R as the first example though ;)

Thanks folks. Wow...this is a cool forum. S2ki is good too but I'm getting much more relevant responses here. :)

I've searched and found .pdf files on this site for maintenance, but they basically just describe what each service entails and it looks generic for Nissan. What is the maintenance like?

For example, my S2000 requires new coolant and spark plugs at 105k miles. It requires an air filter at 30k miles. Valve adjustment at 105k miles. So for this major items like that, what is the service interval? How often does the diff and automatic transmission fluid need to be changed? Are there grease joints under the car or are all the joints sealed like my Honda?

Thanks!!

Is this a decent price or is the dealer walking away with too much $$?

2011 370Z Coupe Base (New of course)
Pearl White
7AT
Sport Package
Floor Mats, Trunk Mat, Splash Guards, Illuminated kick-plates

$33,500 plus TT&L

That is quite good for a 2011 and sport package. I would bite if you're interested in AT and sport package.

That and the quickest recorded times from an auto mag were with a 7AT base model! heh heh heh :happydance:

I beat those times, check out my sig. Hehehehehe ;)

automatic-are you sure?
 

coming from the s2k and you're not checking out the 6 speed? :driving:

can't wait to see your pics when you get your Z!

I wish I've gotten AT, but SyncRev match makes it so addicting and worth getting MT6! Plus MT6 is going to be classic soon coz I saw somewhere that OEMs will stop making MT6 around 2016 or 2017 or something (not sure but I know I read it somewhere).

Definitely go with the Sport Pkg, it will cost more and hassle trying to get it later. Only thing I wish I got on mine was the nav. Oh well...

Who says I'm getting rid of the S2000? :tiphat:

The 370Z will fill the role as my daily driver and may (I say may...quiet, the S2000 can hear me type) replace the S2000 in a year or two. I drive in too much commute traffic to deal with the S2000 and I was debating the 350Z when I got the Honda. Why not have both? :tup:

I just love everything about the 370Z...

1. Very reliable. Most issues are minor (exception, oil consumption... review the TSB's)

2. Fuel senders are a bit wonky (several threads on this) and I actually managed to break the auxillary port on the stereo somehow (replaced under waranty), otherwise, nothing major.

3. Tire feathering? :confused:

4. the 7AT is EXCELLENT! < .5 second shifts that are very crisp; no significant difference in drivetrain loss between 7AT and 6MT (we're talking like < 1%); road performance that is generally a bit superior to the 6MT (a few 10ths quicker in 0-60, 1/4 mile, etc); syncro rev match on downshifts (yep, we have it to!).

5. I see a ~21.5 MPG on the average.

There is no service interval for the 7AT trans as far as I know. There's definitely no service for the valve train -- it's a magic system that runs on unicorn blood :icon17:

Maybe I am the only one, but I was disappointed in the 7AT. The gear changes seem slow and even harsh at times, it is not very seamless either.

Wow... maybe prices are going way up. But you need to wheel and deal more. Granted mine is a 6MT, but my OTD price (including all features and add-ons you mentioned above) was WAYyyyy under that. Maybe you're just claiming sticker price above, and that you are still planning to wheel and deal.

The Base Z is really fine..I have one and am installing all of the important after market items (High Quality Leather Interior, Sound System, Wheels, etc) things that really make a difference.<O:p</O:p
<O:p
The AT is really great and I personally like it better than the Manual...some acceleration lag that drives me crazy….so I am installing the Sprint Booster unit this spring. Based on all the post, this should solve that problem. <O:p</O:p
<O:p
Good luck...It's a great vehicle for the price!

MSRP is $36,930 for this vehicle and invoice (edmunds.com) shows $34,307 so I would be about $750 under invoice.

I looked up 2010 models and the same 370Z was $33,526 invoice so the 2011 is almost $800 more than comparable 2010 models.

It seems like some folks on here got their cars for $2k-$3k under invoice. How did that happen??

Wait until it's closer to the end of the model year... then they are hungry to get them off of the lot.

If you can find a low mileage 2010 it might be a better deal.

I don't mean any offense by what I'm about to say and do hope the best for all the ppl affected by the tragedy in Japan. There might be a possibility that dealerships aren't willing to go as low on the price due to the delayed shipment of new Z's.

Yes! I had a couple dealers tell me this. I work in manufacturing (executive side) and although I agree there may be some delays, it won't affect things this quickly. I just walked away from any dealer trying to exploit what people are going through in Japan right now.

Yeah, it was in fall of last year that I got it. I also got it from a volume dealer, and it was one of 4 remaining on their lots. That, and also was willing to walk away. That's the key. If they know you know what you're doing, and that you can see through all their B.S., that's pretty much it. State how much you're willing to pay, go in with facts and research on numbers, etc. Being an informed buyer is the dealer's worst nightmare :)

I think that offer you had was pretty good. If you know its what you want then go for it. I did the same this where I tried to wait and all the good ones I was looking at got sold. When I saw the next good deal I jumped on It. Good luck :tup:

I figured about $1200 under invoice here.

Well, the dealer doesn't have this vehicle in stock. He would be transporting it via truck to his dealership at a cost (according to him) of $400. He's thowing in wheel locks at no charge *yay*.

They came with all the cars...

I would do it before someone else takes up the same offer. You could wait for a better offer, but who knows how long that will be.

If you can wait though, you should wait until the details for the 2012 Z are released. If there are any significant changes, you don't wanna be the one kicking yourself in the pants for not waiting a couple months to get the updated one.

And if you don't like/need the changes, you can probably still find a 2011 on someone's lot for even less...

The car really has very few mechanical issues. The hatch issue (you might want to look up the penny fix), some ECUs whine, some 2009-early 2010 oil consumption issues (= new engine), some fuel gauge not showing full (seems to me just an annoyance but it hasn't happened to me) but it does have lots of complex systems, some of which are relatively new. That's why you see some discussion about gas pedal delay or non-linear response when starting off, slow throttle response issues, VDC/computer being weird in steady state cornering. Overall I think they are minor and not everyone experiences any of them.

The 7AT is a very good automatic (whereas the 6MT is considered an okay manual - generally failing in comparison to the S2000 or Honda in general) but its manual mode is a little slow to shift, and it only works smoothly when you are driving aggressively in manual mode.

If you check the Manual section here you can see PDFs for the owner's manual, and the maintenance schedule. The only surprise is if you decide to use the (recommended by) Nissan Ester oil, an oil change can be close to $100. Others are happy with regular oils.

I get about 16-18 MPG city, a bit less than I got with my NSX, and up to 28 MPG on the highway on long trips.

Overall I think it is one of the best GT cars available, and a pretty good sports car at the same time, depending on the model+options.

go for it its worth every penny. sports package is best add on for the money hands down on any model. its a sports car so it will have a little noise, but none thats not bearable .blame the tires. to me there is a big difference between
road noise or for that matter just being loud. in my experience this car is leaps
and bounds ahead of the 350. got 20,000 and only issue was a bad gas cap.
hell i'm still running the bridgestones.

oh and did i mention no rattles thats what will drive most guys nuts...
when was the last time someone started a forum griping about how the car
rattles everywhere. anyway sorry to ramble.

Ok, I ordered it. I'm scheduled to pick it up next week after they detail it (being delivered on a truck to the dealer - wasn't in stock). I don't think I got the best price (only ~$200 under invoice) but at least I'm getting the color combo I want. Another dealer offered a base auto (no sport package) for $29,850 and that was hard to pass up as it was a better deal, but I want the sport package.