Totally Honest Opinion of Your Satisfaction With Your 370
 

It's kind of a basic question, but I'd really like owner's opinions of how genuinely happy they've been with their 370. The reason I'm asking is that I just got rid of my 2010 Maxima SV (see its sorry picture as my avatar), and was extremely disappointed in the car. It was terrible in the rain, it would intermittently turn the traction control off by itself, and the quality was simply far less than what I expected from a car with its price tag. It supposedly had 290 hp, but it was a slug off the line. A four door sports car it aint! My wife backed into it coming out of our garage, there was $1700 damage to the Maxima and her Mercedes had a small scratch that I literally buffed out and you can't see it. I've owned over 20 cars and it was far and away my least favorite. I couldn't get rid of it soon enough. I absolutely hated that car. FYI, I traded it in on an SUV.

Now I'm looking for a fun sports car. I love the Z, but this Maxima experience has left me wondering if I'm an idiot to buy another Nissan.

Thanks.

im satified with mine. im the original owner since 09. get the sport package for sure. GL with ur decision.

Love my Z. Had a 350z now with the 370z will stay with nissan to get a used GT-R or the next gen Z

Lots of people see that as a good thing. It's a sign telling you it has to be off to fully enjoy the car. :ugh2:

With that being said, am I satisfied with the Z? No I am not. Once I get some forced induction, then yes.

I feel like it's fine for a while but then you're going to want FI to keep up with the 5.0 Mustangs and whatnot. Unfortunately if the Z came with twin turbo, nobody would buy a GTR... so that's not gonna happen. With 0-60 happening in about 5 seconds it's still faster than most everything else you can buy for under $50k though, so I definitely wouldn't call it "slow."

I love the looks, brakes, rev-match transmission, and handling of my Nismo, but the paint quality (like any Nissan, GTR included) blows dead rats.

So far I like mine, but you will always find pros and cons with everything. It comes down to what you really like and prefer. Also, with how much you can put up with, without going crazy. It does suck that a 5.0 kills us, but to me the 370z look a whole lot better. So like I said, pros and cons with everything. Maybe try finding a place that will rent one and drive it for a week or something and see how you like it?

Another original owner since '09 here. Absolutely love my 370Z (it's my DD)! Most reliable and fun car I've ever owned (and, since I'm and old fart, I've owned quite a few).

Ironically, at this point I'm considering trading it in on a CUV so that I can consolidate from 2 vehicles down to 1. Except every time I get in my Z and drive it I talk myself out of selling it!

Since you mentioned the Maxima's handling in the rain, I will say that my experience with the OEM tires in the rain (in fact, my experience with them in general) was less than satisfactory. That was cured when I replaced the OEM set.

Go test drive a Z and see what you think - it doesn't really matter what we think!

Here's my honest take on the Z

Factory paint job is crappy, easily chipped so invest in a clear bra or choose your road wisely.
The soft plastic/resin or whatever used in the interior is so soft, it is very easy to get gouged and scuffed up.
Front and rear bumpers are made from the same plastic/resin material used on your previous Maxima, so don't expect better quality here.
This car is noisy, ie. road noise, creeks and rattles coming from different corners of the car, the noise come and go however, weather related? I don't know lol. It's a economy sport car so you learn to deal with it. Larger tires and a nice sounding exhaust will help you forget the unwanted noise.

Other than that, I love my 370Z!

I LOVE MY Z but hate the Terrible Paint, Terrible MPG, And interior is just whatever. With that being said i would still take the Z over an Sti/Evo any day

The Z can be made 2 b fun...but it'll COST ya! At least another $3k+ on top of what ever u purchase the Z34 for.
You're gonna need an oil cooler, oil pressure gauge, rear LSD, metal CSC, flywheel changed to single mass, prob sticky tires...
4.08 or 4.36 gears will keep u = if not in front of 5.slows that are stock...Not for sure how much time and $$$$$ you're willing to invest in a POS nIssan:confused:
Paint is shi++y on any MAKE...MPG can be tuned to be better....

Since I have moved on I will give you my honest opinions on the Z.

I will start off by telling you I loved the car over-all but it did have short comings. Would I buy another one? That answer would still be yes, although I am currently not in the market.

1) The sport package was a good set up, except for the breaks. You are better off buying an after market brake package than going with the sport package brakes.

2) The rear spoiler on the sport package is a must. The 370z doesn't look right with out it at a minimum.

3) First thing I did was get an aftermarket exhaust. The tin can sound of the Z is terrible. My G had a much better exhaust note.

4) The base stereo was crap and I replaced with in the frist 2 weeks of owning the Z. I had the Bose with NAV in my G, I would not pay for it in the Z as after market systems work far better and are more user friendly.

5) 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. They are plenty fast enough to get you into trouble or kill yourself. Before you think you need to make a jump into more power make sure you have learned how to drive your car to the limit on the track and take DE classes. I have seen non-FI cars tear up FI cars due to drivers knowing how to handle their vehicles and having them properly set up. Z's handle very well.

6) I had heard about fuel starvation, the steering lock etc although I personally never had an issue with those items. These you should definately research. I did however get an oil cooler with in the frist few months of ownership. The oil temps are definately a problem but taken care of on newer units? 2013+ maybe? I have heard conflicting reports on that one.

I am being as honest as I can, not trying to bash as I said I would buy another one if I was in the market. The bang for your buck with a Z is very good. I was recently on a trip and every other car I saw seemed like it was a Mustang, Camero, Vette or Challenger. I like to have a good looking car, with a good sound that not everyone out there has. The Z was a very good fit. I had a 2011 370Z with the Sport Package. I few after market goodies. I also owned a 2011 G37 IPL which I loved everything about except for the Malbec Black color. It was impossible to keep nice looking and I would imagine the same for the Black Cherry Z's. Just know I change cars I drive A LOT. The only vehicles I seem to keep for any amount of time are my Jeeps.

I like my Z, and the only reason I'd sell it is to take a break from the hobby to focus on more important matters.

Other than that, it's a money pit :P

I've only had the car for 4 months. But from the time since I bought it has been awesome. Besides for some blind spots and a few things they could have done better such as mpg + power ratio, for a $28k sports car, I suppose they figured out something within that budget to make an affordable mid range sports car.

The only real big problem I have with ownership is Criticism. Too many mofo's worried about something that ain't theirs. It's not like I bought a Lamborghini or Corvette. I'll drive my car like a grandma, or I'll beast it whenever I want to, that's for me to decide. I prefer babying my car in general but especially on the public streets. Why do you buy a sports car if you are not gonna use it? Well obviously I'd take it to the track first, and although the oem parts won't fail in the beginning, I prefer modding the car to peak performance assuring I won't F something up. So right now, this Z is a Fairlady. When I get it prepped for track, then it will be a Z.

I've had mine for over a year, and let me tell you it looks much better than it is. My only problem with the car is the drivetrain. I've driven tractors with better/smoother shifting. But I love the car in general and I've learned to live with the drive train shortcomings. Would I buy another one if this was totaled out.....not sure.

I love mine

2010, purchased in 2011 so been driving it a few years.

In my opinion, bang for the buck its very worth it. I have a car in the 30K range that is not all over the place (unlike Mustang's, Camaro and Porsches) at least in my neck of the woods that also gets more looks and appreciation than Porsches.

Performance is acceptable and adding mods here and there do fill my needs, sure FI would be the ultimate but adding Test pipes here, exhaust and tune there have been ok with me.

This car is about handling, not straight line performance.

The value is big to me, the performance is great, I do like the interior, the cockpit is definitely driver focused and the car comes with a nice heritage.

Things to complain about, yes, the road noise can be annoying but I got used to it or i listed to the music of my Fast Intentions exhaust (or actual music)

Put it this way, I put my car up for sale but I've been fighting it big time, even with a 2 year old kid and I know I should buy something more practical instead of juggling 2 cars for myself.

Thats how much I enjoy my Z.

I love my Z's and have owned more than 16 of them over the past 30 plus years, not counting parts cars. Why? It is unexplainable.

I love my wife too, but we have a deal -- she hits any of my cars and she is history. :icon17:

Will never own another Nissan again. Owned 2 Maximas and 1 370Z. Build quality in any component ain't there. Is my 370 fun to drive? Yes. Has it been more than a pain to live with? Without a doubt.
My first Maxima had more repairs than my current one, but I was more happy with that one too.

Oh yeah, dealers are sucking more and more áss because they're afraid of covering stuff under warranty because Nissan corporate is smashing dealers for unnecessary claims

Owner of 370z since 2009. I came from owning camaro and just wanted something nice looking, nice interior and pretty fast. Any car low 13s qtr mile stock is damn fast. Stop light to stop light the 370z can keep up and beat almost anything even bone stock. Highway rolls above 50mph u need fi or a different car if thats the most important.

Road noise, yep, doesn't bother me. Stock stereo, its ok, most replace. If you buy a non sport buy an aftermarket lsd, one tire fryer makes you look homeless.

Handling great. Rides surprisingly comfortable unless you got a nismo.

Be aware though after driving this years ppl are either uninformed or stupid as the 370z gets no respect. I get challenged by every slower car on a daily basis at red lights where fools will jump in the right lane that must merge, those jack holes get me beating their butt because they deserve it but scion frs, subalosers, every bmw, every non amg mercedes, ford fusion, taurus, big suv seems like everything gets butt hurt in the presence of z style. Lets not forget every challenger rt. If you must race something like the new 5.0 do it 0-60. Thats a close race actually.

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.

Track days are awesome when your z is beating the gt500 and his 650hp. Ive yet to see one of those do well at a trackday, so improve your driving and take your z to the track snd kick ***. It does that well.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk

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.

With that said, a Z can out perform 98% of all cars on the road, and can go toe to toe with a Porsche 911 or Cayman S for 1/3 the price. A lightly used Z still under warranty can be had for the mid-$20K. That is an astonishing deal.

Plus with the money you save, it's provides a great opportunity to mod your Z which is part of it's appeal. Sure having a 2 seater is sometimes impractical, but I haven't regretted my purchase for a minute.

lol, if my Z had rear seats i would definitely not get this car. :D haha

The Z (Nissan) has, along with many other Asian manufacturers, extremely thin paint. This is IMO the only fatal flaw with the car. Every other issue can be worked around with out too much cost or hassle.

Cars are like tools and just like tools, I have more than one.

I bought my Nismo used in 2010 with 3500 miles on it and it was perfect condition when I picked it up. I've add the standard bolt on stuff to it including the 4.10:1 gears which I really like.

This car is my daily driver. Gets 20 MPG combined and is entertaining enough nof my slog through traffic on the tollway back and forth to work.

Looks good, runs good, and I cheap enough that if some douche whacks it I'm noting going to be heartbroken.

Tick

Owner of an 04 G35 Coupe (8 years) and 13Z (2 yrs, picked up in summer of 12). Absolutely 0 issues for both cars other than routine maintenace. My 11 GTI has been at the dealer 5 times (minor stuff) for warranty repairs (only 11k miles on it). So do I hate Volkswagen, no. Let's just be real here, most car manufacturers today have a fairly high reliabilty factor, so it's just the luck of the draw sometimes.

Regarding your bumper damage, it depends on the angle of the bumper contact. It's not uncommon for any two cars to collide and one have severe damage as opposed to the other.

Most of the common 370Z issues mentioned in this forum can be taken care of fairly simply and inexpensively by researching this forum. One last thing, G's, Z's & GTR's are made in Japan (not Maxima's) so percentage wise, your chance of getting a reliable car is definitely higher in my opinion. So I have no hesitation in telling you to get a Z from a reliability stand point.

I purchased mine new in Apr '09; I sold it in Nov 2012.

Bad: blind spots; since you're in Texas and the weather is HOT, oil cooling issues may arise even with the 2010 OEM larger oil cooler. But you should ask Texas owners their take.

Reliability problems: the OEM battery went out on mine after 1 yr. of ownership, but Nissan took care of it for me; I paid at Nissan dealer, then they reimbursed me with a check a couple months later.

Good: looks more expensive than it really is imo; it looks like a $60k+ car when it's around 1/2 that much, if you get the sport package. Oh yeah, last week I was behind a Nismo on the 110, and it's *** end was so beautiful! I love how the 370's got that nice, wide, squat ***. It looks voluptuous, especially with its rear flared fenders; the 350 didn't have no *** ;)

I drove mine like a granny, because I knew I'd eventually sell it. I got on it literally twice, taking it right under 100 mph on 405 (big freeway here in LA), but I didn't mash through the gears. I sold mine not because I disliked it, but there were other personal issues that were more important than me owning the 370...

I used to own a 300z, then a 350z, then once we had our first kid I bought a new WRX. Kept it for less than 2 years, fun car but I hated how cheap it was put together. Got a used camry to drive daily and for trips with the kid, then got a new 370z with sports package.

To me this is the ideal set up, I would not like beating on the Z every day, but you could drive it daily and have a blast every day, I am a bit more OCD. While I don't have enough experience with the 370z to tell you about reliability, we owned the two Z's I mentioned above, and a G35S, and they've been BY FAR the most reliable cars we've owned. Paint quality is not great, yep, but you can put a clear bra on the front, and if you think Z's have bad paint, go look at a WRX with 300 miles on the clock, way worse... Same for the interior, if you think a base Z has poor interior drive some other 30k cars, I think you will realize the Z is better than most.

2+2 Z32's and prior. Ughhh, elongated wheelbase = limou-Zine.

This is true; I'm going for specialty-z flywheel/clutch (comes with metal CSC) as the next upgrade. Then the wheels & tires (and probably breaks at the same time).

I find it curious how people complain about Nissan's paint. I'd put Nissan in the middle of the road. I drove a BMW for years and it was astonishing how pitifully crappy the paint was on a $50K car -- I could scratch it with my thumb nail. On the other hand, my wife has a back Cady and the GM paint is amazing. Nearly forty thousand miles and not a scratch.

Been 3 years and I still like my Z. Sure, it could use more power, but you'll say that about almost anything you drive once you get used to the power that you do have. There'll always be something faster. I do agree that some basic mods are a must though. I haven't had any problems with the car though I do get an odd rattle once in a while and my rear bumper squeaks when you lean on it. I had a 3.5 Altima before this and it had no problems. My sister's accord which she bought around the same time had more issues so I have no bad experiences with Nissan in terms of quality/reliability.

Yep, kinda like a Panamera :barf:

I have owned an 09 Touring/Sport package since Sept. 09 and it is a daily driver. About 44,000 miles so far. It is a lot of fun, plenty of power, very nimble and with good brakes. I don't track it. No problems at all to date, just routine maintenance. It is comfortable to drive for long trips but I find the road noise to be so excessive that it really takes away the fun of going for a fast cruise and enjoying some music. Forget about a conversation with a passenger and even with the Bluetooth people on the other end can barely hear you unless you shout. Nissan should have added some soundproofing and all leather interior instead of those cheezy Alcantara inserts.
I may have Dynamat installed and have it reupholstered if I decide to keep it much longer. But I do miss the luxury of my previous G35 coupe, the sunroof and a usable trunk. Depending on what the next gen Z and next gen Infiniti G coupe are like I will probably sell my 370 and go with one of those. The Z's shortcomings could be easily solved at the factory level without adding substantially to the cost.

When you drive another car (like my mom's Camry, wive's civic, jeep o rogue rental in hawaii) and hop back into your z, you remember why you loved it to begin with.

Love mine!

L0L! Well F0unTainHed...seems like u need 2 go over ur DriveTr4in....
Nstall: single mass flywheel, Xedy clutch, PP, fluid restrictor removed, DOT 4 fluid, metal CSC, maybe even ARP fast3nerz...clutch feels good....no complaintz!

I would go as far to say that most of us are NOT 100% satisfied with the car. It does have it's issues. This is why we mod and try to improve everything from power to appearance.

For me personally, I wish I had more power. Even after putting a turbo in, I am still not satisfied and want more.

This.......to me this is a must not a compromise.

I had one back in the early 90's. 280ZX 2+2. It was a blast to drive yet I could take the kids to the baby sitter. At the time it was prefect for me. The highest speeding ticket I ever got was in that car. It was a bit on the ugly side but it was a good car handled great and had enough giddy up to get me into trouble thats for sure.

+

= :iagree: :barf:

:tup:

i mean i have a G35C for that. i luv my G for wat she is, but my Z is my sports car. :D

I have only owned one car in the past that I truly enjoyed driving for no apparant reason, just wanted to drive it for the sake of it. This was my beloved e36 euro spec M3 from way back when I was I living in England.

I find the Z nearly almost as fun to drive as my M3, I guess I state almost as my Z is a 7AT and my M was 6speed manual perhaps that could be the reason.