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: