1986 Nissan 300ZX review from North America

Oil pressure sender blew out.

Muffler fell off.

Tape deck broke.

I was a little leery about buying a Nissan, what with their spotty reliability record, but I've been very pleased with this car all-and-all.

First of all, this isn't a little rice-rocket, it's a solid little sports car with a lot of pick-up. I get a kick out of flying by bald-headed teenagers in Hondas that they've pumped $2000 into in my 16 year old car that requires no modification at all. I've gotten the Z up to 120 MPH, though admittedly, since it is such a low-slung car you feel every bump and crack in the road at those speeds, which just means you've got to know what you're doing if you want to push this car to its limit. Its very comfortable as well, with cushy seats complete with adjustable back-support.

This car is amazingly reliable. I haven't had one major problem since I bought it, outside the muffler (which can't really be blamed on the car, considering the poor conditions of the roads I'm forced to drive on), and after a long, hot day of driving the oil pressure sender blew out (not really a big deal). The main annoyance is the crummy stock stereo unit, which, as I understand, is a common problem with the entire line of Zs. This isn't too big a problem, except you have to (as I understand it) have some major re-wiring done to install a after-market head unit which is not cool. Beyond that the car has a tendency to get a bit hot on especially hot days, which is solved easily enough by using heavier motor oil, and the transmission is a bit on the clunky side, which, considering the age of the car, is to be expected.

Admittedly this isn't a road-trip car, I wouldn't expect this to last on a cross-country trip, but that's not the point, it's a fast and cheap little car with a lot of power that's also a lot of fun to drive and is perfect for somebody on a low-budget who doesn't want to be caught behind the wheel of a Civic or an Escort.