The *REAL* official 370Z test drive thread

[dancetracks]

I went for a test drive today in a touring base model (no sports pkg). Here are some small observations from sitting in the showroom demo and driving the auto 7AT.

1-clutch feels a bit heavy to me (floor demo car was a touring + sport 6MT). Everyone has been saying its light. Maybe I need to work out my legs more...

2-shifter felt great. precise is how I would describe it. Can't comment on vibrations since it was the showroom demo.

3-Interior quality was acceptable for the cost of the base car at $30K. One you start adding touring to the car it becomes over priced, imo.

4-ride quality with the base 18-inch wheels is great for this type of car. BMW-like is how someone else described it in this thread. I'm a little worried about how the 19-inch rims might affect the comfort quality, then again this is a sports car afterall.

5-noise levels were acceptable to me as I've never owned a Lexus or BMW so dont know what it's like to have a quiet ride. it was no more louder than my girlfriend's highlander or my old 2002 Acura TL.

6-Rear view and blind sports didn't bother me too much. I can see moving the mirrors out a little to cover blind spots or getting a convex mirror.

7-acceleration was not as fast as i had hoped. everyone has said it was linear and I agree. because of that you don't get the head jerk acceleration like from turbo charged cars like the subarus or evos. I remember my friends old M3 was also like this.

8-the auto / manual mode seems to work as advertised. didn't really test it as the dealer was situated around a small town so I could not get up in speed to try more gears.

9-at 6K rpm the engine was rough. I was able to push the car once, from 20mph to 60mph and the engine revved to 6K rpm and i had to let go of the gas because it was a 50-mph zone and the engine baulked. the dealer said it would have shifted smoothly if I had continued to give it gas for it to pass 6K rpm but I didn't want to chance getting a ticket for a test drive. his theory was that it shifted down two gears because I let go of the gas, hence this engine braking. call it whatever you want but I think everyone has already read that this engine is rough at high rpms.

10-didn't test braking much as I could not go fast enough to really see how fast they would stop the car

11-didn't test the radio or gadgets since I was more concerned with the drive and feel.

12-rear view mirror is so big it takes up 20% of your front windshield visibility. No joke. Go to the dealership and get into one to see for yourselves.

In conclusion did i like this car? Yes. But I will have to test drive some others first. The main thing that stuck in my mind after the test drive was the high rev issue and somewhat heavy clutch (subjectively heavy) of the showroom model. Overall the car looks great, feels good on the road, is comfortable enough for daily drives, and can go pretty fast (although you wont feel it). I would go with the base 6MT, but the touring seems over priced.

just my 2 cents.

I'm going to try and test drive a 2009 Subaru WRX next. Priced between $25-31k, it may be the poor man's answer to cheap speed (assuming the engine doesn't blow up on you). I was also going to test drive a BMW 135i but rumors of fuel pumps going bad and poor product quality has me leaning towards the 370z even more. i just hope it doesn't start to develop the buzzing/whining or creaking problems that others have reported in other threads.

-H-

[k20z3]

I had a similiar test thread too now I have to wait forever

[shabarivas]

Originally Posted by CrookedTeeth

Anyone whos test drove this car possibly driven an Evo X? I was interested in as to how the two compare

I owned an X before I got my Z... With the X when you go around a turn fast - you get the feeling of - hey this car is smooth and i must be a smooth driver - wrong - the car is doing a million calculations for you to enable each and every turn be as smooth as possible. With the Z its just you, the tires and the steering wheel. Also the point of no return (oh **** moments) come linearly with the Z - that is when you are about to loose traction the car will give you signs all the way until the traction loss is not recoverable from. With the Evo x however you get this false sense of security backed by the AWD of always thinking you have a lot more room to go as far as pushing the car. Trust me on this one - I flipped mine over during a very very spirited run on some mountain roads.

Honestly it comes down to this- if you are getting the car for a pure driving feel perspective - get the Z ... if you want to become a better driver - get the Z. If you just want to go fast in a line or just drive on a track without really caring about much - get the X. Pretty simple really.

[OWSIU]

I got to check out the nismo 370z in person, I didn't get a chance to drive it since I was/still am here at the dealership pretty early getting my car serviced. I like how they left the showroom cars unlocked. I am totally blown away by the interior at first sight, it looks much better than I expected. It definitely doesn't look cheap, but some of the pieces felt a little cheap such as the leather wrapped cubby cover and the hard plastics, but if you never touched it you wouldn't know. Coming from driving nothing but sedans, I love the fitted feel of the interior...yes I did hit my head getting out of the car for first time .

Its the first 370z i've got a chance to sit in, but the base z's interior is no different. The have it right next to a GT-R and I spent maybe 2 mins looking at it and most of the time drooling over the nismo z. Automatic sports cars are not my kind of thing .

Can't wait to get a test drive of a 370z (base, not planning to get the nismo), the interior has got me sold.

[BillyGoatGag]

How exciting! I can't wait to pick one up.

-Clay

[VCuomo]

Originally Posted by OWSIU

I got to check out the nismo 370z in person, I didn't get a chance to drive it since I was/still am here at the dealership pretty early getting my car serviced. I like how they left the showroom cars unlocked. I am totally blown away by the interior at first sight, it looks much better than I expected. It definitely doesn't look cheap, but some of the pieces felt a little cheap such as the leather wrapped cubby cover and the hard plastics, but if you never touched it you wouldn't know. Coming from driving nothing but sedans, I love the fitted feel of the interior...yes I did hit my head getting out of the car for first time .

Its the first 370z i've got a chance to sit in, but the base z's interior is no different. The have it right next to a GT-R and I spent maybe 2 mins looking at it and most of the time drooling over the nismo z. Automatic sports cars are not my kind of thing .

Can't wait to get a test drive of a 370z (base, not planning to get the nismo), the interior has got me sold.

There's more than just the base and NISMO... Try a Touring, and I'd make sure to get the Sport package with either the base or Touring.

[6MT]

Finally picked up the Z today after a 90 day wait for the factory order. The weather wasn't cooperating though. It was windy and rainy when I pulled it out of the service bay at the dealership. (Now it's very dirty.)

The car is very tight. Very little body roll with the Stillen sway bar upgrade. The exhaust note is very noticable with the Stillen HFC's and CBE. We compared it to a sport model that was also being delivered today. Quite a difference. Sexy is the only way I can describe it. (If you do the upgrade or have done it, you'll know what I mean )

Although I kept the shift points at around 3K, the car has quite a bit of pull and loads of torque (even though it's at the low end of the scale until break-in is over). Because of the rain and very wet conditions, the 75 kilometer drive home was uneventful and rather boring. I did have a police vehicle come up behind me, then move to my left to pass and then slow down to come around the passenger side. My only guess is that he was having a good look. Also, lots of young males staring at it as they past me. (Believe me, with the attention that this car garnishes, no speed limits were broken.)

The car is very easy to get comfortable in. The gearbox and clutch were tight and responsive. The gas pedal felt a bit "splashy", but more on that in a few weeks after some serious kilometers and terrain. The seats are wonderful. My previous car was a 2008 Honda Accord coupe (V6). It took me months to feel comfortable with the seats and feel of the shifter and clutch. With the Z, it was almost immediate. After one seat adjustment and the mirrors, I felt really good behind the wheel of the Z. (Nice change.) Fit and finish are supurb and the interior is a nice change from the "cheap" look and feel of the 350z.

The tires really need scuffing though. They are very soft and "grab" every piece of road debri (rocks et al) and throw them about. I'm sure this will not be an issue once the tires begin to wear.

One thing that really surprised me was the road and engine/exhaust noise. It is LOUD! This is not a car that you should take any hard-of-hearing passenger into and try to have a conversation. The Bose does a nice job, albeit with gobs of volume, to drown out the harshness. I'm not sure why, but with the windows open, it seemed a wee bit better (?).

Now, a few more kilometers to get rid of that "burning metal" smell, and I'll be really happy.

So my first impression was .... WOW!! Cool car!! I can't wait to thrash it about in a few weeks after engine break-in. In fact, in two weeks, I'll be taking it on a road trip to the Canadian Rockies for a three day excursion. After that, and an oil change, we'll see what she can really do .

Sorry folks.... no pics yet. The weather really was bad today, and the ones that were taken are very poor. Just a few of me picking it up in the dealership service bay. When the sun shines again, and I can detail it again, I'll post a few.

[awesomez]

I have decided to write a review of my 370Z after seeing many posts asking to give pros and cons on the car. Hopefully it will either help turn you away from buying or it will encourage you to buy.

First of all I am reviewing a 370Z Touring with AT and every option available. Some things may or may not apply to even 6SP version with the same options. I have had it for 4 months and put on 8k miles which include long distance trips.

Cons first:
- Rear tires with sport package make a lot of road noise
- Huge blind spot on driver side
- Massive side mirrors to compensate for blind spot but create even more obstruction even for someone who is over 6’ tall
- It does not have 1 mph cruise control
- The speedometer will travel +/- 4mph while cruise control is engaged depending on terrain
- There is a major city in my state that voice recognition with navigation will not recognize no matter what (if there’s one, there must be more)
- No USB input on the deck, only compact flash card
- Stock exhaust should be a bit louder
- Remote key buttons are huge, plastic, not sufficiently indented and get pushed accidentally in my pocket all the time
- The gas pedal is too big (bus big)

Pros:
- Fun to drive
- It is fast and has a lot of grip
- The brakes with sport package are amazingly smooth and effective
- The manual mode of the AT works very well and has no slip from 2nd gear and up
- AT feels like manual but without the annoying clutch
- AT has rev match feature
- It has a luxurious feel for a change from 350Z
- The cabin actually eliminates a lot of outside noise (but not enough from rear tires)
- Gas pedal has been adjusted so that you can actually maintain speed, encourages gentle driving during low revs
- I’ve had better than advertised gas mileage when driving normally (3-5 mpg better than 350Z), during aggressive driving it’s much worse than 350Z
- Smoother ride than 350Z even with sport package
- I actually like the loud engine at high revs
- 19” Rays with sport package look great
- I like the rear wing with AD package
- Remote keys work from much greater distance than 350Z
- Leather seats are sticky so there is no slipping during cornering
- Leather seats will not make you sweat any more than cloth

Issues other reported but I haven’t experienced:
- Oil overheating - I have not ever reached 230 degrees even in 110 degree temperatures and 100% humidity
- I do not have any rattling noises so far
- I do not have an “oil consumption” problem so far
- No brake issues
- In fact there are no known problems so far

In conclusion, this car is either so beautiful that people can’t get enough or is so ugly that people can’t look away.

[Benibiker]

I decided to test drive some 370zs today, stopped by at King Windward Nissan, parked my Mini right in front of the lobby, went inside and went straight for a PG Touring w/sport package. Sat in the car, instantly felt comfortable in the seat. Played around with the shifter, it felt pretty good. Got out opened the hatch, plenty of room now that the brace is gone. Opened the hood, things looked pretty nice under there. Spent about 15 minutes in there and no one ever asked if I needed help or had any questions so I left and decided to go across town to Tony Nissan where I was instantly greeted. I went for a base GP manual, took it out for a spin on the highway and didn't like the feel of the transmission. As with my 02 and 05 350zs, the clutch would engage too high and you couldn't engage it smoothly. Either it wasn't engaged or suddenly it would engage, made shifting gears very jerky. At about 65 I felt a vibration up front somewhere, the whole steering wheel vibrated. Outward visibility sucks, you just have slits looking back, out the sides, and forward. The base model has too many empty buttons all over the place, makes the car look cheesy. The digital gas and temp gauge look out of place, hard to read in sunlight and again pretty cheesy. The car feels heavier and more planted than the 350z, definitely more civilized but not sure I like that. Wasn't impressed with fit and finish, front chin spoiler was hanging on one side, windshield strip was loose on one corner, door panel was loose on the driver's side, and one of the three stack gauges was loose. I could probably find more issues but didn't spend enough time in the car. Next I drove an auto MB base model, lots of the same fit and finish issues but the transmission was marvelous. The whole car felt more solid than the manual. The manual's drive-line just felt too loose and cheap. Next I drove a Black Touring auto w/sport package, the interior was much better, the leather was nice, no empty buttons. Again the auto is amazing, when I buy one it'll have to be an auto and black, black was the best color in my opinion. All in all, not sure I was as impressed as I thought I'd be, mostly disappointed with fit and finish. I'll wait for the 2010s to come out so the can fix their issues...

[m4a1mustang]

Could it be that both of those cars were dedicated test cars and rather beaten up?

[Benibiker]

They had between 30 and 50 miles on them, the paint looked like hell from being outside, not sure how long they've been on the lot but they're the last of the 09s.

[xetexuk]

Hi - from the UK here - just drove a 370z on Saturday and absolutely loved it, le mans blue with black interior, can't wait to order. Fantastic stuff!

[r1ng3r]

First post here, registered today to fill this out! Yes, it's a novel, sorry. I've hidden humor in it as an enticement?

I'm newly military, going to OCS in Ft. Benning (I leave for basic tomorrow night and will be doing OCS in January...oooooo excitement!). The pay is good and I've been shopping around comparing sporty cars before I leave so I can make a purchase as soon as I'm able.

First, my driving experience: I've been in sports cars since I was 15 and purchased an '89 IROC-Z Camaro. At 17 I'd saved up and bought a '95 Cobra. I knew I couldn't keep anything for too long so I made sure it was something that wasn't going to lose value so I could get the money back (which I did, every penny). After that I put myself in a '98 Eclipse (absolute piece of junk). I'm proud to say that my vehicles have all been mine. Nobody bought anything for me, though I have recieved help with insurance.

I kept the eclipse out of necessity for my first two years of college and then used the extra money that I saved from my loans to lease an '07 Suzuki SX4 AWD. It's an absolutely fantastic every day vehicle and I was sad when I turned it back in today. I have had zero trouble with it, the suspension is good for a little spirited driving, and it's great in snow. Suzuki's rally experience really shone through. It didn't have much engine (just under 150hp) but the suspension was taught, the steering was great, and it was impossible to screw up in. It handled better than the Eclipse by a wide margin. Anybody who wants a good everyday vehicle that can be an real hoot on a gravel road should look at the car, it's an absolute steal and extremely useful in all conditions. Better value than what subaru offers and just as much rally cred (unless you're talking WRX versions).

I've participated in as much motorsport as I've been able to, going to autocross events as much as possible. I've spent time learning to drive fast on gravel (illegal, yes, but always done in totally deserted areas and without incident...and it looked pretty cool in the videos I made for a class in college!) I'm pretty decent, can heel/toe, and have never crashed. I've been in 6 accidents, none my fault. I got my ribcage crushed in a t-bone accident by a grandma in an F-150...that was not too fun. 1 speeding ticket, ever, and it was in the Camaro, nearly 10 years ago. I never got a ticket in the Cobra...something that I think is quite the achievement for having been 17/18 at the time. I'm from South Dakota, so I've had my licence since I was 14.

Since I've had experience with sporty cars and the ins and outs of handling a vehicle, I'm really particular in what I want from a car, and I know what to look for when I test something. I'm buying a base 370z with sport package. I've compared it to other things in my price range (WRX, RX-8, used C6 Vette, '10 Mustang, '10 Camaro) and I think it's the best buy.

The first thing I noticed while driving the car:

This thing feels like it's made out of a single block of metal. No exaggeration...the chassis has absolutely NO flex or give, the doors and hatch shut like they're made of granite, the whole thing feels like one piece with no welds. I really don't want 6 broken ribs again, and this car feels like it would do as good a job as any protecting me. Naturally a viagra-stiff structure bodes well for handling and keeping interior rattles to a minimum as the vehicle ages too It feels MORE solid than the Mustang, which has about 300 extra pounds of structure. The only thing that compared structurally was the RX-8. No chassis flex in that either...but due to the suicide door layout, it really doesn't feel very strong when you shut the doors. If I can feel the doors flex inward when I shut them, that's probably not a good sign for crash tolerance.

The interior goodieness:

It's great. It doesn't feel "uplevel" by any means. It doesn't feel luxurious. If you want to see a luxurious feeling interior in a vehicle in the same price range, check out the '10 Mustang. THAT cabin is absolutely plush. I'll put it this way: The new mustang's interior is like a well made fancy leather boot, extremely comfortable and coddling. The 370's interior reminded me of an expensive running shoe by comparison. No, it's not plush, it's not lined with chrome, it's not "cushy." However...which would you rather spend a day walking around in, a boot or an athletic shoe? The Z's interior is purposeful. It feels expensive for a completely different reason than the Mustang's: it's designed to do something specific. The seats hug you, the dials are well shielded from light, easy to read, and look high-tech.
I LIKE the weirdo gas gauge. I've never been in a car where the gas gauge was accurate....the depletion of the gauge is never linear, and that friggin needle means next to nothing. Little red dots provide less information than an analog gauge, sure...but when that analog gauge isn't accurate in the first place, who gives a crap? Let the dots get down to one dot and then fill it up. Easy, simple, and every bit as easy to read and reliable as an analog gauge.
As far as comfort goes...I found the vehicle extremely comfortable. The seats, though well bolstered, do not impede your shoulder movement and they provide excellent lateral support in base trim, at least for skinny little me. The driving position makes it very easy to see out of the front of the vehicle, unlike some other low riding sports cars where all you can see is hood.
The shifter is great, very crisp, and the clutch, while it took some getting used to because the engagement was on a completely different part of the travel than I'm used to, is light and very grabby, excellent for driving like you're not an 85 year old grandma in an f-150. Which you should all be doing. *glares*
Oh, almost forgot. Holy trunk space batman! I bet I could put at least 3 dead hookers back there if I bent them right. Much more space than I was expecting from a sports car. And if you need extra storage space, the passenger side seat pulls forward and there is a spot there that could easily absorb another dead hooker if she were maybe dismembered a little. Or a smallish suitcase or a good sized duffel bag.

Downsides to the interior:

Ok...yeah you can't really see out of the sides if you take a quick look over your shoulder. Those quarter windows look great but are a joke as far as visibility goes. However, and this is a big however...the mirrors are sized and placed such on the vehicle that I was able to completely eliminate all blind spots. I had the dealer walk around the vehicle after I repositioned the mirrors to my liking, and at no point did I lose sight of him. If I can see a skinny little nissan salesman, you can see a car in your "blind spot." Back out of parking lot spaces slowly (or just park that pretty sports car in the back of the lot and walk a quarter block to the store!) and you will be fine. Yeah, the rear window is a slit from the drivers seat, but it's a very wide slit (quit snickering) and when I use my rearview mirror I'm not trying to see the sky..I'm trying to see the road.
Oh yeah. The base radio sucks. The sound is slightly muddled and you can't hear much bass once the vehicle is moving due to the only other issue with the interior...it's noisy. There's a lot of tire noise, though no wind noise that I could detect. The wind noise is even muted with the windows down.
And synchrorev match is going in the negative section, because it worked flawlessly every single shift, smoother than I could ever hope to heel and toe, and it made me feel like an idiot. I loved it.

Exterior goodieness:

Um...it's hot.

Downsides to the exterior:

You might wind up dating somebody who just wants to ride around in your OooOoooOshiny.

Handling

Ok, I'll admit, I scared the crap out of the dealer who rode with me. But it's ok, because when we got back, he started raving to some of the other employees like a 40 year old mangirl. I didn't hurt it either, so if you're in Sioux Falls and you see a yellow 370z on the dealer lot...I promise there's nothing wrong with it due to me. The car HANDLES. It's tuned for understeer at the limit, which is good in a production vehicle with limits this high. The last thing you want is snap oversteer when the shoulder consists of trees or angry cattle. Grip was astounding. It gripped better than the C6 Vette I drove. If you want a bit of a safety net, the stability control is tuned such that you can have a little bit of fun before it slaps you on the wrist and calls your parents. The steering is extremely accurate and turn in is nearly as crisp as the RX-8...but the steering wheel is much higher effort. So, feel free to drive it with a cold, you won't sneeze yourself off the road.
At parking lot speeds (in a parking lot, no less), the wheel is a touch lighter, so you're not going to look like you're wrestling a bear pulling out of your driveway.
Basically, I was just extremely impressed with the handling. On high-speed sweepers (offramps....) small corrections in course result in a tiny bit of stutter from the rear end as it goes over small bumps and comes back in line with the front, due to those big clomping tires and the short wheelbase...but it's a sports car and that's good feedback.

As far as ride...due to the extremely stiff structure of the vehicle, the engineers seem to have been able to work out a no-compromises suspension tune. Since there's no chassis flex, they were able to calibrate things based entirely on the suspension itself and the end result is a vehicle that smoothed out the frost-heaved roads of south dakota with easy while still cornering almost completely flat, with almost no rearing or diving under acceleration.

Engine

It's a good engine. There's a little bit of vibration that comes up the shifter and there's a little bit of harshness to the sound when you get close to redline, but the power delivery is seamless. It's definitely putting out the advertised power. I've read the other reviews on here, and seen that people are commenting that it doesn't FEEL as fast as some other things even though it is. I know why. The reason is that the VQ has a very linear torque curve, so power delivery isn't nearly as peaky as you might get in a turbo motor, or even the V8 in a mustang. That's why this engine wins awards. It's just so freaking linear. The other factor is something I just mentioned: there's almost no rearing or diving under acceleration or braking. We're all used to a car squatting on the rear tires and lifting the front a touch when you hit the fun pedal....this car doesn't do that. That's due to the suspension tuning and the short wheelbase to width ratio.
It's not exactly a great sounding engine. It seems to have a strange electric sort of pitch to it, like some strange metallic synthesizer. The engine revs cleanly and without drama and the intake sounded like something from a videogame. It sounded like somebody took a sample of the engine at a certain RPM and then used a computer to raise and lower the pitch as it revved through the range. I suspect I'll be putting on a new intake.
The exhaust sounded nice though...but obviously that'll get replaced too, especially after having read about the near 20hp gain that can be had there.
Does it FEEL as fast as a new Mustang? No, it doesn't. The torque never gets as high as that engine, though the horsepower and torque under the curve is better...so it IS the faster car and more powerful engine. It's just sneaky about it.

That's about it I guess. The car outhandled the trackpack equipped mustang I drove, and accelerated better (though not by TOO much...they did an extremely good job with the new stang). It handled equally to the RX-8 and made it look like a ninny in the power department. It's not as fast as the vette or new camaro...but vettes are expensive and the camaro feels like you're piloting a drunk linebacker by pulling on his ears. And the WRX, while impressive in handling, userfulness, and power, was slightly behind in all performance categories and looks way too tame for me.

Spring next year, I'll be in a 370z. Now I just have to decide on a color. Why oh why don't they offer a nice metallic green?! I mean, come on, they gave the friggin thing FANGS. At least let me order it in green.

[Matt]

I've done hours and hours of reading, across the [seemingly] entire Internet, trying to absorb every possible piece of information available about the 2009 370z. I actually think I got pretty close to getting it all...

I've read the bad reviews. You know, the ones where people can't stand the Z. Whether they be BMW lovers or Camaro drivers, they nitpick about every little detail and turn in negative. I've also read the euphoric reviews. You know, the ones where the driver is so excited to be driving a Z, he couldn't possibly notice anything wrong short of the steering wheel missing.

So here I go, my semi-lengthy review after driving the 370z Nismo for one day. I'll try not to make this too Nismo-specific. This will be more geared to the people that are considering buying a Z.

- The exterior is beautifully done by Nissan. While some hate the look of the Nismo body kit and spoiler combo, I absolutely love it. Pictures don't do it enough justice. You lose the fangs from the front end of the base/touring, and go more towards the 350z style (which I prefer...although I certainly like the "fangs" as well). The Nismo rear bumper is a thing of beauty. The #1 thing I've heard so far from my friends is, "I thought it would be smaller!". Love it.

- The exhaust is good, not great. Compared to the base/touring exhaust, it has a noticeable, aggressive rumble to it when you start it up, as well as in higher RPMs....however, it slower dissipates at idle and lower RPMs. It won't hold a candle to the likes of Stillen and F.I, however if you're like me and you do not want to break any noise ordinances and enjoy a [slightly] quiet cabin, the Nismo exhaust is near perfect. Loud when I want it to be, quiet when I want it to be. The tips look great as well.

- The rims and tires on all the versions of the 370z are awesome. While the non-sports version leaves a little to be desired in terms of styling, I think they all still look great. I'm not sure why some people go out and get new wheels as their first big "upgrade". I've had aftermarket rims on all my previous cars, and don't think I'd ever change these out.

- The "road noise" is the biggest load of crap I've ever heard. I've driven MANY cars and while it's not the quietest, it's extremely far from the loudest. I have a 1972 VW bug. I've driven "Humvees". Those are loud. I've also driven a G35 and a Lincoln Towncar....those are certainly quieter. But do you seriously want to get into a 370z and not hear anything? Didn't think so. There is no "road noise"....just "the sound of your 370z".

- Gadgets and such. The FOB is great. With controls on the doors (within 2-feet) unlocking/locking the doors, the FOB never leaves the safety of my pocket. The gauges are good, except for the far left display with mpg/mph, etc. It's a little too "1990's" for me. I would think they'd have something a little more modern, but I guess they reserve some of the niceties for the Navigation owners

- One of the concerns for many people looking at the Z as their daily driver is space. Let me tell you. I take frequent trips up the east coast with my girlfriend, and we carry a lot of **** with us. Guess what? I tried to fit it all last night....and it all fits. It sure as hell blocks my entire rear view, but it fits just fine. A friend asked me last night, "What about when you go grocery shopping?". Friends, if you're biggest worry is having enough room for your groceries, get a Murano.

- Blind spots. They are there, sure as ****. Are they bad? Not in my opinion. I don't need a special side view mirror or back up camera, even with my "obnoxiously large spoiler" (as one reviewer said of the Nismo spoiler). I can see just fine. I'm addicted to backing into parking spots, and even with my 1 day old car, I still do it with ease. Unless you're in a neck brace and your peripheral vision is horrible, you're not gonna have any issues.

- Performance. I've driven the 300z. I've never driven a Porsche. I've driven a Ferrari. The most hp I've ever had beneath my right foot is 162 (only counting my own cars). I'm not going to argue with people way smarter than me on performance, but I will say it's amazing. Linear acceleration from 10-20 or 70-80. When I push the pedal, the car responds generously and vigorously. And I haven't even hit 4800 RPMs yet (obeying break-in the best I can). The brakes blow away any brakes I've had before as well.

- Sync-rev is amazing. Heel-toe fanboys out there tell us they leave it turned off, but trust me....they leave it on!

- Suspension is weird in the Nismo. I'm no pro-tuner or track guru, but the Nismo is supposed to have it's own upgraded Suspension and dampers, yet it actually rides rougher than the base/touring. While it hits bumps and reacts firmly, it immediately stiffens back out. Not sure I'm explaining it well, but it certainly doesn't handle uneven pavement, bumps, low-quality roads with the most finesse.

- Nismo specific information now. I've read all over these forums, "Is the Nismo worth it?". The best answer I've read is "if you want the Nismo, then yes". Can you upgrade the base/sport/ to achieve better performance than the Nismo, with less money? Absolutely. Can you get all the luxuries of the Touring for nearly the same price? Absolutely. Does the Nismo have enough to warrant the price difference anyways? Yes! I won't go into full detail, but with all the extras in the Nismo, and no plan (or need) to do any additional performance upgrades, the Nismo is perfect for me.


When I got the Z, I was thinking I would drive it for 3-5 years until the "next best thing" came out. But as much fun as I've had in the past 36 hours driving the car, I hope this will have a permanent spot in my garage, regardless of what future cars I may purchase.

[370Zsteve]

Originally Posted by awesomez

Issues other reported but I haven’t experienced:
- Oil overheating - I have not ever reached 230 degrees even in 110 degree temperatures and 100% humidity
- I do not have any rattling noises so far
- I do not have an “oil consumption” problem so far
- No brake issues
- In fact there are no known problems so far

In conclusion, this car is either so beautiful that people can’t get enough or is so ugly that people can’t look away.

+1