I think if you're not married and no kids, the Z will be just fine. I've had my Z since March as my DD and only car. I lived by myself and never had an issue with the trunk size for everyday things.
The only issues I could see for you will be:
1. Winter time in NYC and if you park it on the street. You'll need a set of winter rims/tires. I used to live in NYC with a G35 and it was a pain in the *** to have 2 sets of rims/tires but it was a necessity.
2. You'll be spending a lot on gas, so make sure you can afford at least $250-$300 a month on gas if it's your DD. My commute to work sucks and if I do that without driving on the weekends I still basically fill up once a week.
3. Maintenance isn't bad, except for the tires but once you replace the OEMs with some cheaper or longer lasting tires, it'll be fine. Mine need replacing soon and I'm up to 20k miles.
4. There have been plenty of times where it would have been great to have back seats to fit 3 or 4 people. That's really the only thing I miss about a more practical car.
5. Insurance rates are pretty bad for this car so you'll need to shop around for insurance. You can probably get away with having it under your parents but it's still going to be more than an a normal sedan.
Overall the car is practical for everyday use as long as you can afford the extra costs. Your friends probably aren't car people or those types that think it's a waste of money. They'll never understand what it means to have a sports car, so just do what makes you happy man. Life is short, I rather live it now while I'm young than be the old man regretting I didn't do it when I was younger.
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SOLD 12/30/2011 2010 370Z Coupe Monterey Blue 6MT/Touring/Sport/Nav
F.I. CBE CF w/ 12" Res | V1 | SecondSkin | Stillen G3 | EVO-R CF B-Pillars | Volk GT-S Ti Gunmetal 19x9.5 +30 F, 19x10.5 +8 R | Swift Spec-R Springs
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