I do not get how your bad experience with your maxima is in any way related to Z ownership satisfaction even if both are made by Nissan.

It's one of those regret/ no regret threads.

Love it. 45k miles and running strong. no issues. I think the only thing I don't like about it is that when you spray the windshield at slow speeds, it drips into the car onto the window sill. :roflpuke2:

Hell yeah! I hate dat shat! Nothing worse than a wet patch on ones crotch when they leave the car .

Mine is a 09 original owner, love the car! Doesn't matter what the haters think. Best bang for the buck! ;)

Is my toy 12K original miles

I absolutely love the car. Love the way it looks, the way it sits and the way it accelerates.
I hate the nissan paint job, it chips super easy and it's more susceptible to bird crap etching. I had an old 94 integra that I drove the crap out of. I remember driving it one time on a road that was just stripped so they can repave it. The stripped road stretched out for 5 miles. I can hear tons of rocks hitting the bumper and fenders and just one small tiny dent... I mean tiny, smaller than a pea but the paint was fine. I bought mine used with 22K miles and parts of the front bumper have rock chips as well as the hood. They're small and you'd have to get real close to notice. I eventually want to fix the chips and respray the car.

lots, lots, lots of road noise and it rattles sometime. It has a lot of power but I wish they cranked it to 350 or 360hp stock. Would leave it around 290-300whp, after some bult-ons and a proper tune, you could get it up to over 330 without FI. The stock exhaust note is too quite in my opinion. I got passed by a fiat 500 abarth and that thing sounded a lot better than the nismo. Normally all sports cars have a really nice sounding exhaust, the stock one is kind of dull. Now with that being said, does that make me re-think about keeping the car? HELL NO. It's a sports car! it's supposed to be a loud ride, it's supposed to have some flaws, it's not a damn lambo or aston dbs

I assume you do not find the time drive it as often as you would like :roflpuke2:

I thought that too, but I also thought it'd be cool if a Panamera's WB could be shortened, made into either a 2+2 or 2-seater. I think that'd be awesome...It would be a 21st century Porsche 928 I think.

Most of the other members already touched on what I would say.

Zbrah
"Factory paint job is crappy, easily chipped so invest in a clear bra or choose your road wisely."

Tazicon
"The car was fast enough for me on the street. No it wasn't as fast as other cars but I knew that going into my purchase"

TheBoomSpoon
"Myself i prefer the 7at but yes sometimes automatic downshifts are clunky and trying to manual shift up in low speeds is often clunky too"

Wanker..
"Do your research and know what you're getting. A pure sports car at an affordable price. In that regard, the Z is a solid 8.5 out of 10.

All the criticisms of the Z are a result of Nissan trying to keep the cost down. Road noise; heavy weight; lack of rear visibility; no back seat; lack of oil cooler etc. are all cost related. Thus, in many aspects, the Z is a compromise.

In a year of ownership I have not had any mechanical issues. I am very happy with my purchase and have started to like enough things about the current Z that it got me interested in older Z's.

In addition to what has already been said - When it comes to the 370z have realistic expectations of the car. Don't expect to have a Corvette killer + family car + with German quality interior refinements for around 30k.

Also be aware that sports cars come with sports car costs. Your tires are going to cost more than your grocery getter, etc.

Aftermarket is more expensive than domestic.

Overall - I think it is a great value and enjoy the freedom of having aftermarket choices available. Plus I hear that the Z community is full of pretty cool folks.

You know, I read somewhere, I think on this site, about some guy who used to own (actually lease) a Ferrari F430 and downgraded to a 370Z. He admitted that he was living above his means e.g. $2,000/mo. lease, $1500 oil changes, tires going out easily, expensive insurance, etc. But he was saying that he had no regrets downgrading to a Z. He was very happy with it. Sometimes, in life...you eat steak...but one day, your fortune takes a turn...and you eat bologna. The Z is not bologna :) ...OK, that was my cheesy attempt at creating a cliché. But I was serious about this guy liking his Z despite him used to owning a Ferrari.

Interesting to hear different responses. I plan on getting a 370 around next year, I want something fast out of the box. Fast to me was sitting in the back seat while a friend in a e46 gunned down the 91. At the time I thought if I can have something that fast it would be all I need. Now I have a lancer so I don't have the luxuries of a nice interior, I have some road noise, not a fast car but the paint is pretty good imo. I love that the Z has 2 seats, In the 2.5 years i've owned my current car I never used any of the backseats..ever.. dont think oil temps would be a problem for me since I live in socal and dont track either. I can't think of a better sports car with the power it has and for the price..

It did make a spot on the fast Japanese cars to grace American shores:
10 of the Fastest Japanese Cars to Ever Grace America

My biggest issue originally was the road noise.

I replaced the stock tires with Michelin Pilot Super Sports and don't have that issue as much anymore.

My biggest complaint is just really gas.

Consumable maintenance items and gas are really the only things I DON'T like about the Z, but I won't be getting a different car for a while. It's just something to actually consider instead of being "ooh sports car"

After four years of ownership since June 2010 with ~75K+ miles, the only major part that failed was the OEM battery today. Otherwise, with regular fluid changes of almost every component, it has been reliable as hell. Would buy again.

I'm on my second 370, my 8th Z car over 44 years. My wife is on her 3rd Murano, my daughter has a Cube after driving an Altima for over 100,000 miles. I've never had a reason to dislike Nissan, although I admit I'm not crazy about the local dealer. Only problems we've had with all those vehicles has been a faulty TPMS on the last Murano and a problematic passenger air bag seat sensor on my 2011 Z that I never did bother to track down. I hear people bitch about the paint all the time. Not sure I completely understand what they're talking about, but I do have a clear bra on my 2014 Z and appreciate how the bugs just wipe off. Soft interior plastic? What? Oil cooler, I've not seen a need. It is noisy (road noise) but I find that to be a minor annoyance. No rattles or squeaks in my Z, or any of the other Nissan's we've had. My CSC's have been holding up fine. Gas mileage...I average 20mpg. Who buys a performance sports car and bitches about gas mileage? Talk about unrealistic expectations....

The Z is a blast to drive. I have no desire to take it to the track, no desire to mod it (I'm not a "tuner"). The Z is fast, quick, and reliable. I can afford a more expensive car, really don't have a great reason to get one, although I do contemplate that my next summer car might be a Corvette. I did test drive a 911 and a Cayman, was kind of underwhelmed and left the Porsche dealer unimpressed.

Before taking opinions expressed here on this forum too seriously (mine included), spend some time cruising this forum and get a general sense. Lots of "modderz" here (tuners) as you can maybe tell from the extraordinary number advertisers and aftermarket companies hawking body parts and "performance" doodads. Might tell you something about general mind set and expectations. Lots of complaints about being beat at stoplights by Mustangs and performance shortcoming tend to be measured by the cars that can beat the Z in a street race. In large part, this is the crowd that the Fast and Furious movie franchise was aimed at.



.

I haven't seen any of the Fast and Furious movies.

You're much better off not watching them.:icon18:

Every car forum I'm on complains about their crappy paint. It's not a problem limited to Nissan. You can blame the EPA and our government for that, not the car manufacturers.

I've had only one problem with my car so far. My convertible top was replaced. The top was replaced because whomever installed it at the factory cut two plastic wire tires at such an angle that it was like a knife edge cutting through my headliner.

:tup: :tiphat: :tup:

I am satisfied with my decision to purchase a 370z. I've only had it for about a month so far, so I haven't had time to form a complete opinion of my specific car yet.

I had a 2006 350z for 5 years (06 - 11) but had to take a break from the sports car when I needed to start driving my daughter around on occasion (the 06 z had no airbag switch). I thoroughly enjoyed that car and had no issues with it whatsoever. My interim car was an Altima that I enjoyed but I missed the Z every day. Now that my daughter is big enough for a booster seat for the occasional drive to daycare or a friend's house, and there is an airbag switch in the 370, I'm back.

Most of the things people are talking about with the 370 are similar to what was said about the 350 when I got that one (road noise, visibility, paint, etc.) but they never bothered me then, and don't bother me in my new car. I can see how some of those things can turn off some people, but for me they aren't an issue.

My general experience with Nissan cars (I've had 4 so far - '06 350z, '10 Rogue, '12 Altima and now the '14 370) is that they are generally well built and mine have all been low maintenance (just standard stuff, no issues).

I love my car, it has been nothing but a pleasure to own so far.

:tup:

I had a 1981 280ZX 2+2 and the back seats were useless! I absolutely LOVED the car though, and I have kicked myself in the *** every day since 1987 when I traded it in for a brand new Mustang 5.0. No more Mustangs for me! I'm a Z guy all the way!....:ughdance:

Anyone would complain when their car gets chipped, scratches, or what ever about the paint thickness, its only natural. And it;s not the EPA, because European cars have significantly more thickness in paint then asian mfgs. For example Nissan/Infiniti spec is minimum 3.5mils total (base, paint, and clear) BMW 5mils of just paint (which only needs about 3/4 of a gallon of paint) before then 1.5-2mils of clear coat, that's significant. Nissan isn't saving the environment by using a couple pounds of paint less, their saving $$.

Love mine...owner of an 09 sport pkg, manual for almost 2 years now.
no problems.
it has a clear bra so no problems for me and the thin paint. also has an aftermarket head unit so no problems for me with the crappy base stereo. Changed the battery from the stock version so no problem with the crappy stock battery. Pulled the steering wheel lock fuse so no problems with that!!!
only issue I have is that its a manual and im sick of shifting (my problem, not the Z's)..currently in the market to trade her in for an automatic.

Gosh, I did enjoy the back and forth on this one. Good and lame points both. I am a rookie here but so far what I like the most about my Z is DAT ASZZZZZ!
http://www.automoblog.net/wp-content..._Wallpaper.jpg
This is one sweet looking machine! I am a guy who loves power! Love the Coyote, love the LSx. Are these others faster off the line? Sure, but dat aszzz is not on every corner either! I will play a little with some mods but looks and handling are what this car is about! I am happy so far.
:happydance:

I'm a new owner and I love mine. It's the coolest car I have ever owned and the only car that I have ever owned that garners comments from people. Mustangs are a dime a dozen and don't turn heads. People see the Z and want to know what it is.

Yes its loud, yes it can be uncomfortable on rough roads, and all the other complaints listed here but I don't give a **** about that stuff.

Being a Z owner has rekindled my passion for cars, the last 20 years has been practical, compromises and just transportation. I'm having fun and loving it.

i don't know what's it like with other cars, but to be honest, our cars have very bad mood/weather swings.
depending on the weather conditions and etc, car sometimes feel very sluggish or very responsive.
it is deceptively fast, but doesn't feel THAT fast for 332/350HP

+1. I think that comes from being a bit too smooth/rev-happy for it's own good, with way more HP than torque. You can take off like a bat out of hell and be going 100+ before you realize it, all without feeling like you're being mashed into your seat. It's definitely more "sport" than "muscle" and requires lots of RPMs to really feel like anything's happening. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it can get you into trouble.

People can say what they will about American V8s, but you can have fun in any gear, at any speed when you have 350+ lbs of torque.:driving:

In short: http://www.the370z.com/2831859-post2.html

and very satisfied.

In my view, the sum of the pros far outweigh the sum of the cons.

Have you ever driven an 7AT Z? If not, I strongly suggest you go take one for a test drive. Be careful..................you will definitely want one. They are off the charts. You'll know what I mean after you DRIVE one....and I mean DRIVE one. :tup:

Then get yourself a sprint booster or a tune. Especially with an AT, the Sprint Booster gave my Z significantly more pep.

you're absolutely right on.
the question for myself is.. do i love my car enought to invest on force induction? or move on to bigger toys

yes sprint booster helped out with my throttle response. but i guess i'm just hungry for a little bit more torque.

I have had my Z over a year now and have had no issues other than tires needing replaced at 23k. This is normal by the way. Here are the things that I dont like about the Z.
1. Road noise (its a sports car so you have to accept that)
2. Radio is a joke (go aftermarket ASAP!)
3. Race the detroit muscle at the drag strip (You will beat most of them) you will get embarrassed on the street.
4. Blind spots (its a sports car so you have to accept that)
5. Everyone wants to race you (this could be good or bad)
6. Getting in and out of the car requires training. (Watch your head)
7. Luggage room (its a sports car so you have to accept that)
All in all I am very happy with my Z. It's one sexy machine and everyone around you will look at it and wish deep down inside that they had one.

Oh yea one more thing.... It will go 155MPH! (Its a sports car so you have to accept that)

unlock it and go 171MPH!

I recently sold mine after 2 years of ownership. It was an OK car. The electronics are now a generation behind everyone. It was never as fast or nimble as I wanted it to be. I owned a 2009 G37 previously and I would have rather kept that car. Nissan is dropping the ball on this and the G37/Q60 which need a refresh immediately.

I love my Z its tons of fun to drive when the road bends. It turns way more heads than any m3 or m5 or even corvette since they are so cliche and so many in my area. The only thing is the car needs to have more power overall to go with its looks and handling imho. Ive got mine up to over 300 whp but it sure can use 150-250 more:) Damn you forced induction!

love mine.

Went with 20'' wheels/tires.. now @ around 80mph the steering wheel starts to vibrate more than usual... going to put swift springs on it, see what that does.. otherwise when I get spare time, take it to my shop and make sure the tires are "balanced".

I just got rid of my Z for a 2015 STi. I bought the Z brand new in 2013, while trading in my 2010 wrx. I expected the Z to blow my wrx out of the water, but it didn't. the acceleration felt sluggish compared to my wrx, and it didn't really handle better than the wrx. There is no doubt that the Z is gorgeous and turns alot of heads, but it's just not for me. The blind spots are terrible, the stereo isn't great, it was terrible in the rain, and it scrapes everywhere (Sport Package spoiler). The Z also has a sporty suspension, but it's actually very nice for daily driving. The Z's interior is nicer than most sports cars in its price range, and feels very enclosed. Don't get me wrong, the Z is nice car, it's just not the performance machine I expected.

STi? Really apples and oranges, but you think an STi is a better performance machine than a Z? OK then...:roflpuke2: