New to forum - a Z in my future?

[KrisL]

Hello everyone.

My Dad has been on the hunt for a new car - and since he is getting close to retirement age, this car is going to need to be something that lasts. So, I've been going with him to test drive different cars (Accord, Passat, etc.) However, while we were at the Nissan dealership to test drive an Altima, I decided to hop into a 370Z and take it for a test drive myself.

And I absolutely loved it.

I currently drive a 2011 Infiniti G37x Sedan. I've never had a sports car before, but the Z has been keeping me up at night since I drove it. I found a nice 2014 Touring + Sport + Nav combo at a dealer not too far form me, and I'm planning to go see it in person weekend after next - and ideally drive it home as my new car.

Is there any reason why this would be a bad time to buy a Z? Like a new (better) version coming out next month or anything? I've not found anything like that by searching, but you guys know better.

[Solomatrix]

dont think there's any concrete evidence for a new one coming out any time soon but i could be wrong... there's some threads about it but tl;dr i stopped keeping up with them lol

[SouthArk370Z]

If you love the one you drove, then why worry if something "better" is on the horizon?

[KrisL]

Originally Posted by SouthArk370Z

If you love the one you drove, then why worry if something "better" is on the horizon?

A valid point!

[ElVee]

Just a few things since you've got some time:

1. The Z is a great little sports car with grand touring tendencies; it's very drivable. But keep in mind this is still essentially a car from 2009. When it came out, it outgunned the Mustangs/Camaros and gave Boxsters a run on the twisties. Since then, pretty much all of these cars have had major revisions and moved onward. The Z is still great, but keep that in mind.

2. Go out and test drive some more similar cars if you can, so you're not just being sucked into the popular dealer tactic of getting your butt in the car so you fall in love with it because said butt is not used to such a vehicle (let alone a brand new one where everything works).

Maybe see if you can check out:
Camaro v6 and v8
Mustang v6 and v8
FRS/BRZ (you'll find it underpowered, but maybe just as fun?)
Porsche Boxster (overpriced, but the butt feel might be nice, if they let you test it)
BMW M235i if they're out, otherwise 335i(x). (High price, but can seem similar)
WRX and/or WRX STI
Hyundai Genesis Coupe

Make a list of what you like about the Z and/or what you like about a car you drive, test drive alternatives that offer that, and there you go.

You'll probably come back to the Z, so...good luck!

[SouthArk370Z]

Personally, I think now would be a great time for someone to get a new Z. The 370-generation is "mature" and a lot of the bugs that my '09 has (steering lock, hatch springs, something weird about the Nav, &c) have been ironed out. Unless you are an early-adopter and really want the latest big thing, with the accompanying new-gadget-bugs, I'd say go for it. I haven't heard of any dramatic changes in the pipeline (but I don't pay a lot of attention) so, yeah, definitely pull the trigger if you liked what you saw.

[wanker]

The even money bet is that the new Z will only be a slight improvement over the current version, so go for it. It's just not in Nissan's business model for a significant improvement.

As for the claims that the current Z is "out gunned" is utter nonsense. I'm a new Z owner and I test drove nearly every comparable car out there (Thanks CarMax!). I can tell you that the Z is without question the best bang for the buck.

[KrisL]

Originally Posted by ElVee

Just a few things since you've got some time:

1. The Z is a great little sports car with grand touring tendencies; it's very drivable. But keep in mind this is still essentially a car from 2009. When it came out, it outgunned the Mustangs/Camaros and gave Boxsters a run on the twisties. Since then, pretty much all of these cars have had major revisions and moved onward. The Z is still great, but keep that in mind.

2. Go out and test drive some more similar cars if you can, so you're not just being sucked into the popular dealer tactic of getting your butt in the car so you fall in love with it because said butt is not used to such a vehicle (let alone a brand new one where everything works).

Maybe see if you can check out:
Camaro v6 and v8
Mustang v6 and v8
FRS/BRZ (you'll find it underpowered, but maybe just as fun?)
Porsche Boxster (overpriced, but the butt feel might be nice, if they let you test it)
BMW M235i if they're out, otherwise 335i(x). (High price, but can seem similar)
WRX and/or WRX STI
Hyundai Genesis Coupe

Make a list of what you like about the Z and/or what you like about a car you drive, test drive alternatives that offer that, and there you go.

You'll probably come back to the Z, so...good luck!

Great feedback, thanks.

As for other cars, I dislike the Camaro. The Porsche and BMW are out of my price range at the moment. I drove the BRZ and while I liked it, it didn't 'wow' me like the 370Z did (nor do I think it looks as good). I really like the STi, but they only make those in manual and sadly I'm an automatic guy. I'll have to check out the Genesis though. Many of my friends own Mustangs, so I'm familiar with how they ride. They're nice, but I prefer the look of the Z. I figure I can always do some upgrades to the Z down the road if I crave more power (something about the sound of the blow off valve from a turbo is music to my ears).

Thanks again to everyone for the helpful and welcoming comments. Hopefully I'll have more to add to this story in the near future.

[6MT]

Hi

[Z-Girl 12]

I came from a has sedan which I loved. But I was read after 4 something a bit more sporty. The z was a perfect. Fully loaded like my G it was an easy transition.

[KrisL]

Taking a trip to the dealership after work today. Hopefully driving home in a new Z. Wish me luck!

[JARblue]

Good luck!

[MacCool]

Originally Posted by KrisL

Is there any reason why this would be a bad time to buy a Z? Like a new (better) version coming out next month or anything? I've not found anything like that by searching, but you guys know better.

Seems to me that it's just the opposite. MSRP on the Z has never been lower. Demand is down with people anticipating an new model in the next year or two. The bugs appear to be pretty much worked out of the Z34. I believe there is even some recently announced zero-percent financing. It's a great car that's a blast to drive.

[dkznyc]

New nismo Z being unveiled tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[KrisL]

Looks like I may wait another day to see what happens then. If the rumors of an Automatic NISMO are true, then it might just be worth waiting for me.