Surprise Z costs

Augustus

I don't know from direct experience about the oil changes on a Z. I've read around here that $100 is about average for what a dealer will charge if they're using the officially recommended Nissan ester oil. That oil itself is MSRP'd at $16/quart, and you're going to use 5+ on a change, so the dealer will want to charge $80 just in oil. ~$100, so long as it's that oil, isn't too unreasonable. That's not cheap, and you could do it yourself for much less, but that is what synthetic oil changes generally cost at a dealer, based on my experiences (Audi, Saab, Subaru). Of course, there are lively debates here regarding whether that oil is "worth it".

No need for surprised on the tires. Go to TireRack.com and punch in the 370Z, and you can see what tires would cost. They're 18" or 19" tires, so they're a bit more expensive than more pedestrian 16"-17" tires. The OEM's are expensive (my '11 Touring has 18" Advan's that are like $400 a pop), but other brands are less. Some are much less. You could put on some cheaper Kumho's for $140/each, for example.

The key though, of course, is wear. They're high-performance tires on a RWD high-performance car, and you can't rotate them because of the staggered sizes & directonality (I think, right?). It's inevitable that they're not going to have exceptional treadlife. I'll be happy if I get 20K out of them. We'll see... my Z only has 1,100 miles on it right now.

+1 on the insurance ideas. If you're a higher-risk driver (tickets, male, young), and cost is an issue, talk to your agent BEFORE you buy a Z. Have them run the VIN of the Z you want to buy against your policy to see what your rates will do. Be prepared; Z's can be exceptionally expensive cars to insure.

Not sure about maintenance. I'm interested to see what others say, as a new Z owner myself.