350z - Your experiences driving And/Or owning one.

"DoubleDragon" (mitsubishi)
05/03/2014 at 10:27 • Filed to: None

I have driven a 350z to death, logging insane cockpit time in... Gran Turismo and numerous other video games.

I have looked into the windows gazing at the cockpit.

I might even test drive one for sale on the market one day, when I am serious about buying one, but not now as I would be wasting a genuine sellers valuable time.

So for those who have driven one, please share with us your experiences.

Also please tell us if you have driven the car hard, to its capabilities and how many times you have actually driven it. (one test drive, owning, multiple times driving a buddies 350)

Thanks!

DISCUSSION (6)

PardonMyFlemish16 > DoubleDragon
05/03/2014 at 11:15

I bought an 04 Touring 6MT last summer. Logged about 10K miles on it since then, which is weird because I work from home. In any case here are my impressions.

For day to day stuff, it's OK. Obviously, it's fast, and it has decent low to midrange pull. The controls are heavy... I would almost describe them as "chunky". But they don't feel fake or numb. Two big things I hate about this car though... the bar in the back makes the trunk pretty useless, and the rear tires make a lot of road noise. O yea, the Bose stereo sucks too. I almost wish I had a regular one so I could replace the speakers more easily. It also gets pretty rough over bad pavement. Definitely not a car I would recommend in a place with frost heaves. Ha, pretty bad on snow too, at least with all seasons.

I haven't tracked it but I have hit up back roads and I push it a little bit every now and then. It has a lot of mechanical grip, despite only having 225s in front and being pretty front heavy. It definitely prefers long sweepers and single direction turns to switchbacks and chicanes. It's not great at weight transfer. The brakes work pretty well and surprisingly haven't faded much on me, again despite the car being pretty heavy and underbraked. I would like a firmer pedal though. First inch or two are pretty squishy.

The centerpiece of the car is definitely the engine. Like I said, it's pretty quick, and from inside the car it makes a good noise IMO. My other ride is a motorcycle though so I can't say I'm blown away by the speed. My wife's Rabbit will cruise on the highway at 80-90 with not much more fuss and half the HP. But it has character and pulls nicely anywhere in the rev range. It is smoother than whipped yogurt. I get about 20 MPG with what I'm guessing is a 70/30 highway/city split. On road trips I'm happy to do 25 MPG. I think it's pretty bad on gas.

I like it though. It feels like a sports car. You sit low in it, and there is very little body roll, but enough to let you know how hard you are pushing. The most fun thing about it is powering out of turns... which is a real revelation for me after coming from nothing but FWD cars. When you get it just right it really blasts out of turns.

Would I recommend it? I don't know. When I was shopping for this, my first pick was an E36 M3/4/5. That car gives you the same performance with way more usability and refinement. Looks a little better too IMO. Costs the same as well. But overall I do like the Z. I don't know if I will keep it forever but I am enjoying it now. When you are ready test drive some good ones, and try and get into some later ones as they have much better engines and headlights. And if you live anywhere with frost heaves or bad roads just pass. Get a WRX or something.

CPT Speedbump > PardonMyFlemish16
05/03/2014 at 11:22

I agree with the E36 statement, it's what I was looking for as well, the E46 is about on par with the Z, the E36 is just plain better. The Z fell in my lap though in my case, lol

CPT Speedbump > DoubleDragon
05/03/2014 at 11:30

Im a Z owner, I love my Z, it's quick, but I'll be making it quicker as it is starting to feel not so quick to me..even though my other car is slow, lol. It is pretty awful in snow (I had to drive it in Colorado snow a few times this year, but I was on cheap summer tires..) It's heavy, and can have traction issues, so it's known to chew up tires pretty quick if you like spirited driving. The staggered tire models do have a bit of under steer, which is kind of a nice safety barrier, but can be changed to just over steer if you get a square set up. That's one thing I've found while pushing it on canyon runs, is under steer, but really only had a issue with it on wet and gravely patches of road. Was one point where I oversteered and got right up to the edge of the road and almost poo'd myself. If you get one and plan on making it a race car - get a base model without the 6 airbags. It will weight less, and all you need to buy to make it as good as the higher models is a LSD. If saftey is a concern, get the 6 airbags maybe though. I love my Z, but theres other cars I'd be willing to test drive and consider trading it for. E36 M3 probably being the first. Miat would be fun too, but I like something with some power. That said, Ill keep my Z and turn it into something I love more then I already do. Just test drive it and see how you like it. Just know, it's heavy for a sports car. The third major step in my 3 step pprogram for mine is add lightness. First things first - deal with handling, so coil over's, big brakes, wheels and tires. Then will come power, then as I said, lightness. Also, the car lacks any room for..anything, you can put a passenger in it..maybe a skateboard and your car cover in the back..or 2 golf bags in back according to the stick inside the hatch, lol.

CPT Speedbump > CPT Speedbump
05/03/2014 at 11:42

Also, the base model won't usually have T/C or Vehicle stability control. Better for a race car to not have really, but if you want something safe and not as bad for insurance, same as airbags, find one that has both. All models can have 2 or 6 airbags, base or not, but I think there weren't any base models with the T/C and VSC.

Lekker > DoubleDragon
05/03/2014 at 11:46

I had a 2004 350Z Base + Sports Package for around a year. Here is everything I thought/found about it:

As the other two have mentioned, it is a heavy car. Without snow shoes, don't consider driving safely in anything else other than dry pavement. I had a lot of fun when it rained, since it oversteered every time. In terms of reliability, I sold mine because its first owner never changed the oil so the engine got clunked up. Therefore I can only say make sure you get it checked at a Mechanic you trust, it is worth the money. The ride is comfortable enough, while the seats being bolstered really holds you on your place it isn't too much. Power? Eh. At around 265 you won't blow anything or anyone out of the water, but you sure will have a crap load of fun. It pulls good at almost any range, which is one of the reasons the engine is such a master piece. The true potential of the 350 is the unused power you can get out of the engine with simple breathing mods. And have you ever heard one with a good exhaust? Omg you will make a mess in your pants. They are useful little cars, if you have imagination you can store a lot more in it (or carry) than most ppl imagine.

Now, I will admit, I loved my 350z so much I bought a 370z nismo. That has been with me for almost 8 months now. Let's just say its an entire different story. I appreciate the softer suspension of the 350, but the interior of the 370 is miles ahead of the shitty feel the plastic has in the 350. Would I buy one again? Fuck yeah. Do I recommend it? Well depends on what you need. Me for example, is just me and my wife. And I have another car for her to use, and to carry our two huskies on. If you want a track monster go WRX/STI/Evo. If you want a lazy engine that bellows aggressively and nasty, get a muscle car (A nice used Mustang GT and some exhaust, hnggg). My point is, this car is in a VERY small group of cars. Like the Z4. It isn't meant to be comfortable, or super fast, or super efficient. It is a pure indulgence. THAT, is why I love it.

MasterK350Z > CPT Speedbump
05/07/2014 at 13:33

I have an 03 touring with the 5AT. Avoid the automatic. Even in "manual" mode, it is slow and frustrating. The car also likes to understeer. But it's a great platform for tuning. The chassis is stiff and the engine can take way more power if you want to go FI. Brakes definitely need upgraded for track use.

Mine has also been rock solid reliable. 125K and not a single problem (other than frying my brakes at the track). These days it's easy to find early ones for less than $10K, like mine. And in that price range it's tough to find anything else with that performance envelope.

I like it so much I'll be getting a 370 as soon as this stupid wedding business is over.