2004 Nissan 350Z Roadster 3.5 from North America

Summary:

This vehicle is a joy to drive

Faults:

So car nothing wrong with this automobile unless you consider an extremely fast vehicle to be a problem

General Comments:

This is the first Japanese vehicle I have ever owned and I really don't know why I waited so long.

This vehicle is an absolute pleasure to drive.

Even in Canada with a good set of snows this vehicle performs very nicely considering the rear wheel drive and the power of the engine. Of course I would not recommend going out if there is more than 4 inches of snow on the road.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 30th December, 2004

2004 Nissan 350Z GT 3.5 LITRE V6 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A bit of a beast

Faults:

NIL.

General Comments:

This is a seriously fast car - 3.5 litres V6 and 276 bhp. O-60 in under 6 seconds. All for 25 grand.

You can see the specification details in the manufacturers brochure - what I want to pass on is the driving experience. This is a low car - but once you're in (getting out is harder!) the electronically controlled leather seats are superb and the driving position excellent - although no rake in the steering wheel.

Once in situ you'll need to depress the clutch to start and then listen for the lovely rumble of the V6. Amazingly this is a very easy car to drive. Okay the clutch and steering may feel a little heavy (no surprise given the size of the tyres!) but this car will happily pull away in second and cruise around town... but out on the open road it's a beast!

Superb handling/roadholding and in the wet the rear wheel drive is tempered by all sorts of electronic stabilizers (of course you can switch these off!).That said pushing the car hard around corners in the wet can be a little scary - in the dry it's grip is awesome. The suspension is hard, but again not uncomfortably so.

The torque is incredible and 3rd gear sees you happily past the legal limit. At the same time it will idle along at 60 in sixth and return 35 mpg on a quiet run.

All in all this is an awesome car for the money.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 8th November, 2004

11th Nov 2004, 05:31

Do all the 350z's twin turbo' or did they break away from turbo and naturally aspirating the z's stock? Also wondering how this car compared to the vr4.

17th Dec 2004, 06:41

In response to the above.

The 350Z is NOT turbocharged, it is naturally aspirated.

The differences between the 350Z and the VR4 are comprehensive and comparison is meaningless.

The VR4 has a twin turbo 3.0 Litre V6 with 4 wheel drive and is much larger, heavier and older than the new 350Z which is rear-wheel-drive and naturally aspirated.

Whilst power figures are admittedly similar the 350Z is almost certainly faster due to being smaller and with an additional 10 years of chassis knowledge behind it.

I love the new 350Z and for the money it is a steal. Maybe my next car...

2004 Nissan 350Z Enthusiast 3.5L V6 from North America

Summary:

An inspirational vehicle at an affordable price (but nobody has to know that!)

Faults:

Nothing yet. Will update if this changes as I put more miles on the vehicle.

General Comments:

Don't believe some of the negative reviews out there - the 350Z is sports car perfection (if you want practicality, look elsewhere!).

I wouldn't change a thing about the vehicle. The engine makes wonderful sounds and pulls so strongly that it's mind boggling there's only a V6 under the hood.

The cloth seats are very comfortable - much more so than the leather in my opinion. The leather seats have a very flat bottom (probably to accommodate the power seat motors?).

I wouldn't recommend spending your money on the Touring edition to get the Bose stereo - it has less high frequency range than the standard system. Besides, the last thing you should be doing is listening to music in this car.

From a styling standpoint, expect a lot of attention! Of course, I think that the back-end looks much better w/o the optional spoiler (aerodynamics package).

The automatic climate control feature helps you focus on what's really important. It does a great job here in the Florida sun.

I'm not sure about tinting this vehicle with it's automatic window sealing feature. I suspect that you'll see your tint film peeling at the top of the windows in about a year. Besides, there's very limited visibility in the first place.

The HID lights will melt the paint off the car in front of you (sarcasm). Don't skip this option because fog lights aren't available.

Handling is perfect, the 17" wheels are more than adequate and come with aggressive summer tires (Bridgestone Potenza 225/50WR17 on the front and 235/50WR17 on the rear). Suspension is taut, but compliant over rough pavement. Wind noise is minimal, but expect to hear the road.

Paint quality seems good for this price range and the interior materials are tasteful. Nothing looks or feels cheap.

There is a power outlet and cup holder where you would usually find a glove box in other cars. This outlet is perfect for your radar detector as the cord will tuck away neatly (it also turns off with the ignition).

The 5 speed automatic transmission (which can also be shifted manually) delivers power in a very smooth and linear fashion. As with any automatic, I'm sure that there is a power loss, but it's barely noticeable . Oddly enough the manual transmission (6 speed) will cost you more.

In conclusion, I've seen a lot of these cars "riced out" but think that it comes from the factory just right.

So.. what are you waiting for? Gas prices aren't getting any cheaper and this thing supposedly gets 26mph on the highway. Enjoy it while you can!!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 23rd May, 2004

31st Mar 2005, 14:46

You obviously do not use the Web for much other than posting your "happiness" for others to read. Do a search on Yahoo for cupping nissan. See the problems everone else is having.

12th May 2005, 12:43

Obviously the person above has stated how much he/she loves the car and how great it has been to her/him. Don't bash the person on what they have and how much they love it. This person isn't forcing you to hate/love the car. Learn how to spell correctly as well, its *everyone* not everone. Keep your comments tasteful.