I think the z has some of the best driving feel you will find under 35k. It's pretty transparent compared to most modern cars.
The tough thing is every couple years, standards for steering feel change. I remember people bitching about how the s2000 felt disconnected from the road--it's laughable now.
The only other inexpensive performance car I feel like has steering on par with the z is the wrx, and even then, it's a totally different experience. (not counting the miata here)
I think the z does frustrate some people (me included) when they made sacrifices like the rough engagement of the trans, clutch chatter, tons of tire noise, etc....while gearing most of the car for a luxury ride. It's a frustrating feeling for a car to feel so "raw", but have a silent exhaust, nose dive on 6k fronts, no oil cooler, severe understeer dialed into setup, fuel starve, etc.
I think nissan couldnt quite decide the target market for the car, and it showed. A little more dedication to the raw side, and we'd likely be seeing them all over the track.
If the steering feel, etc, in the z doesn't do it for you, I don't think anything new under 50k will. Time to shop for a miata or a Porsche.
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