2003 Nissan 350Z Enthusiast review from North America

Out of alignment destroyed front tires.

The car came from the factory out of alignment which caused the tires to have terrible "scalloping" on the inside and outside edges. Nissan realigned and replaced the front tires at no charge.

When I first saw this car advertised, I figured it would be another $75K, high-end sports car but when I saw that it went for around $30K, I jumped. I had a highly modified 1993 Mazda RX-7 Twin Turbo which I loved but I didn't love replacing engines anymore. Knowing that my third engine was close (disappearing coolant) I traded it in for the Enthusiast model. I can do the wheels/tires and four piston caliper brakes better on my own, if I feel I want that. This will be, after all, a street car. I choose the Enthusiast model because I wanted the limited-slip differential.

I come from a sports car background, racing in SCCA and IMSA for many years. From that background, I can tell you that I'm very impressed with this car. I'd love to wring it out on a nice road course.

From the Inside-out, the seats are about the best I've experienced in a car from the factory. It is a well designed interior with the exception of the lack of a power outlet anywhere near the dash. It's between and behind the seats. Not very convenient for a radar detector. Speaking of radar detectors, it might just be my particular Z but my Bel 980 constantly shows radar where I know none exists. Bel said that some high-output engines do emit signals that will set off radar detectors.

Engine performance is about perfect for a street car. It has all the power one would logically need for the street. For those who feel the need to race on streets, the Z already has plenty of upgrades on the aftermarket. On a road trip, averaging 80 mph, the fuel computer showed fuel consumption at an astounding 29 mpg! My city/highway is holding at 23.5 mpg. You will need a minimum of 89 octane and higher would be better.

The handling is as good as one would logically need for a street car, even with what I consider to be mediocre Bridgestones. A set of BFG G-Forces are standing by for this spring. I've read some say that the suspension could be stronger but that would be too jarring on New England roads. Still, I can have fun on exit ramps, doing 80 mph where it should be at 35 mph (when no one is around). In fact, one of the finest features of this car is how tight the entire car is. I hate rattles!

The stereo system is fine, but then, I'm not a "rocker." I would imagine that a subwoofer would bring the system up to reasonable levels.

Finally, I really love the automatic dimming rear view mirror that I also programmed to open my garage door opener.

The 350Z is the rebirth of the 240Z which was ground-breaking. A good car, reliable with outstanding performance at a reasonable price. Just don't buy a red one, I like to be unique!