High Miles Z a bad idea?
 

Hi everyone, I've been on the market for a Z for a long time and am finally close to making a purchase. I really want a 40th, but it's hard to find one for less than 28K

I'm a recent grad from Baylor (any Bears out there?) and I want to make sure I'm making a good decision financially. So the question is, do I buy a car for closer to $25-28k with low miles or one for a few thousand less with higher miles. Will I be paying a significantly more on services/maintenance on the high mile Z?

I've come across a couple some other Zs with really high miles at a cheap cost (makes sense).

One, for instance, is at 70,000 miles with sport and touring for less than 22K. I think it's a great deal but realistically, is it a smart buy? What sort of issues do the high mile Zs have? I'm only going to have the car for about 3 years and I don't put more than 10,000 miles on it per year.

First of all, buying a car is never a good financial decision. Cars are money pits.

Second, what Z's have you found that have 70k miles?? I didn't find a single 370z at that mileage, only 350's. There isn't a Z on earth with 70k miles I would pay $22k for.

When it comes to cars with high mileage, Nissans are pretty good. But any car at that mileage is going to require more maintenace. Are you doing the work yourself? I owned an '04 Z, and by the time it had 82k miles I had replaced an O2 sensor, the exhaust after the cats, replaced the rear calipers. This is in addition to oil changes, etc. Not the end of the world to me, I did it all myself. But that's the type of stuff you will need to be doing.

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...gIndex=1&Log=0

Here's the car I was looking at.

I'm planning on looking at it today. I know I should find out what's been replaced already. I also know KBB isn't the necessarily the final say-all in terms of a price, but this was about a grand under that at retail cost.

I guess the real question i"m trying to answer is that if I'm going to own the car for around 3 years, will it be more expensive for me to pay a couple extra grand up front, or buy a cheaper, higher mile car for less and then know that maintenance is going to be higher.

the price is right around clean retail for that with the miles and options. regardless thats getting up there and if you plan on re-selling it makes it more difficult.

i got my 2009 touring/sport/nav Z with 1800 miles on it for a really good price.

my advice shop around and look for a deal. i found one even though i had to fly to Louisiana for it.

Buying a sports car is an emotional purchase rather than just a rational one like buying a Sentra or something good on gas. So it only makes sense to buy the car that really speaks to you, and if that is a 40th, stick to them. I personally get hung up on the cosmetic issues that are inherent on almost all used cars as rack up miles. So I suspect most 70k mile cars will have lots of cosmetic issues that would really bug me. I would much rather spend the extra few thousand and get a nicer, lower mileage example.
Oh, we won't hold the Bear thing against you here. Gig'em :)

There is nothing wrong with buying a car with 70k miles. That's really not that high if the car hasn't been abused and was well maintained. This is why I keep a detailed record of any service I get done.

For a car driven in Texas where everything is like 100 miles away, the mileage isn't too bad if this was a daily driver. As long as you & your mechanic are thorough in checking the mechanicals, electronics, etc... You should be fine. The maintenance cost should be the same no matter which direction you go with. If the car is due for a tune-up, have the dealer cover the cost. Stuff like brakes, tires and other things that need replacement should be covered by the seller no matter which car you go with. If it's not done, negotiate a reduction in the asking price. The biggest issues are the unknowns with the used car you intend to buy. Your used car shouldn't require any maintence at the time you leave the lot. Be warned though, common maintenance cost for the Z is a bit more than your average car. Oil changes are about $70-$100 & new tires run about $1,000 and last about 15k miles.

With that said, it's always better to buy a well maintained lower mileage car over a well maintained higher mileage car because of the inherent wear & tear. These cars are built pretty well, but things will wear out eventually. It might be a "better" investment to buy a lower mileage car if you plan to keep the car for 5-10 years.

I wouldn't buy a 370Z with 70k miles...

You have a great group of people there in Dallas, go out to a meet and see what they say. Ask what problems they have had



EDIT: $22k for a 370Z with 69k miles, HELLLLL no... Too high IMO, even if it is sport touring

2 things i won't buy used, sports cars and motorcycles. that being said my Z has over 100k on it now and still going strong outside of the SLF. don't think i'm getting rid of mine, EVER

I'd buy it used, which I did... ONLY if it has a warranty...

The OP is in TX, where the AC goes out all the time... It isn't exactly cheap to repair that... (That's why I suggest going out to a meet and asking what problems THEY have) I know one person's AC went out.

A used 2009 70k Z sounds like problems to me. No thanks!

Yeah, and OP, the KBB trade in value is $19.5k which mean the dealer lowballed to $17-18, if you're hell bent on a sport touring and that's all you can afford, (don't mean to say that in a prickish way) don't pay more than $19k

not sure how much $ you make (and dont want to know), but spending $25-28K on a used car only to keep for 3yrs where you dont put more than 10K miles on it out of college is not a very wise decision...

if you must get a different car, get something new and affordable, keep the car for at least 5yrs and save up the rest for your future car or house.

not sure if you have an accessible garage, but car hobby starts with a garage, if you want to do it right.

When I buy a car I keep it for life unless I trade it for a different car and I am not talking about Trade-in I mean strait up trade.

ya you can do better dont buy a car with 70k miles on it bro
when i got my 09 it had 23k on it and i paid 26k fully loaded in jan 2011
my car has 37k on it now

No matter what ever anyone tells you stay clear of any high mileage sports cars, at 65k + miles even on most babbied cars they will show some signs of wear and tear will need some attention. Now if the car is abused then who really knows how bad it is until something breaks.

The only way I would buy a high mileage car is if I bought it from a close friend or relative and knew how it was driven and if mileage was qiuck highway etc and I got the car for a song.

If you buy a used sports car try and get one with 10k - 19k on it, the best ones are the ones that ppl tired of or changed hands every 2 yrs, you really don't want something that was used as a daily driver.

Note there are a lot of ppl that will buy a sports car every 3-5 yrs and only put on 2k - 3k per year as it is only a recreational vehicle and it will have only 10-15k after 5 yrs, etc.

The main thing is to be patient and look around, great deals come around all the time and make sure there is absolutely no rust on the underside of the car.

i guarantee my 100k+ miles Z looks deceptively young. i'm very anal about my maintenance and cleaning of my vehicles.

Honestly I would just find out if the Slave Cylinder has been replace before, How is the Clutch, and If the car suffered from the Steering Lock. Those are the things I wish I have look at before buying my car, so thats my advice to you.

if it helps the OP there's a 40th with 5500 miles for sale by my house asking 33k lol

here's a 2009 lower miles and modded for more your price range you spoke of

Nissan : 370Z Base Coupe 2-Door in Nissan | eBay Motors

I really appreciate all the responses. I'm planning on checking out the high mile Z to see what sort of shape it's in today.

I've been test driving/ looking around for about 8 months and I think it's getting to the point where I need to either buy the car or don't. I check out the forums everyday. I feel like I practically own one already.

I know what questions to ask thanks to y'all on the forums. (Have to say, I feel pretty damn proud of myself when I can embarrass the salesmen at dealerships about different Z stats/issues/features and they look at me like "why do you know more about this car than me").

thats always a good feeling. i did that before summer ended when the local nissan dealer that my uncle works for got a 2013 GT-R. schooled them on all the specs and taught them what launch mode was....probably not my best idea haha

also i was checking my dealer auction sites and a couple 2012 370's went today for cheap. 2012 sport/touring/auto with 7900k miles went for 26,800

see you dont always gotta go high mileage for deals :tiphat:

I take it that these "dealer auctions" aren't open to the public?

no they are not. but i can see them :stirthepot: lol

my father is a dealer and I help him when i have time so i have access to all the accounts. i also have access to the insurance/repair auctions too.

just know what you're buying and what you are getting yourself into. no need to school anyone.

There was a Nismo 370z with 34k for $27k...

I think thats an awesome buy.

just wait and see what is out there, if you waited 8 months, what is a few more.
When I bought high mileage, low dollar cars (they were beaters to me) kept them for a couple of years and went and found another one. But one thing I did do was have a variable car payment, which is I put money in a fund to pay for anything that need fix/repaired/replaced. last beater was a 91 mustang GT that lasted 6 years. So if you are considering getting rid of it in 3 years, they are a lot of other fun cars for less and you just need a fund, in case of problems.

Bought my '09 with 51K miles on it for 22k last week. Luckily for me I have a GF who is a certified ASE mechanic so she checked it all out for me before I bought it.

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Don't know how those turned out...

I'm at the dealership now. Car looks like it might have 20,000 miles. It was obviously babied. Looks so much better than a Z I test drove a few days ago with 30,000 miles.

Best price they would do was 21,300

$21.3 is a rip off

Ok. So...

That car was incredibly clean. Inside and Out. Almost no wear and tear (at least cosmetically) other than a few tiny paint chips on the front bumper from rocks and a little rubbing on the side where your left arm rests. If you were told this car had 70K miles on it, I don't know if you'd believe it.

With that being said...

Almost everyone here has told me to stay clear of this. I haven't really seen any reasons other than resale value, possible AC issues (which my AC did brake in my Civic which has turned out to be a piece...) I know what to look for in terms of the steering lock. Unfortunately, they are an audi dealership so I doubt they'd be able to tell if it's been replaced.

I really wanted a manual, but all I do is city driving so it doesn't really make much sense to me. Has anyone had issues down the line with an AT?

Sorry guys but Nissan isn't as reliable as Honda or Toyota, do not get a high mileage Nissan ever

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

If you don't go forced induction... I think the 7AT has less problems overall

I'd have to disagree, especially with such a extreme as "ever". You don't think Nissan is reliable? I'm pretty sure the Z can easily double the mileage that is already on the car he's looking at, especially if it has been well cared for. OP, honestly don't scare away from the car just because it has 70k miles, which IMO isn't even that high, maybe for the year it is though. You stated you looked at it and everything on the car seems solid. Get it inspected by one of the certified techs if it hasn't already been and try to talk them down in price, which you should be able to fairly easily since it has higher than average mileage for the year. Being a automatic would be a deal breaker right away for me, but that's me.

Ya like I said Nissan is a joke compared to Nissan and Toyota when it comes to reliability and bs issues. Nissan is the best bang for your buck but they cheap out in so many ways why do you think the resale value on all toyotas and Hondas is almost always better than Nissan.

And lets not ever forget what a pain in the butt the dam 300zx was to work on with cramped engine bays galore

What, would you rather have a car that accelerates on it's own? cough toyota cough

Hey, that wasn't Toyota's problem, that was the pedal manufacturers problem...
Pontiac had the same issue too

And the guy who had the prius that stated that whole thing was lying



Oh, and I BET the ENGINE on the 370Z the OP was talking about will last to double to 140k, but I bet not a damn think else will without giving some sort of headache...
I don't know a hell of a lot about Hondas from first hand experience... I know my dad had one that he sold to a family friend and it's at 300,000kms with no oil changes, lol (the guy just adds oil)

But I can't find anything wrong with any of our JAPANESE MADE Toyotas... My 370Z... Going in for another smattering of problems (I will admit, MOST are bullshít panel squeaks and buttons on the radio not working and such, but the transmission is acting up)

Pretty sure it became their problem when they had to recall thousands of cars and lost millions of dollars on it. Regardless, I think Nissan's are more reliable then you give them credit for. Would you not agree they are more reliable than the average domestic car or Kia? And you want to talk about cars with reliability issues, try owning any VW/Audi. I love those cars to death, but not enough to pay for labor costs and deal with shi*t breaking everywhere.

Fair enough, I think the Nazi sleds are GARBAGE too, don't get me wrong. But in terms or Japanese reliability it's Lexus, Toyota, Acura, Honda, I'd give the next few to Subaru then Mitsubishi, THEN Nissan...

I've had sports cars with 150K+ miles on them have more issues than sports cars with 75K miles on them. I used to never buy new cars, so I have some experience with it, and basically, it comes down to this: How was it treated, and more importantly...are you lucky? Some cars just break, while the next one down the assy. like will never need anything but tires and a new battery.