09' with 37k miles priced at 24k
 

I have been looking into a 370 for a while now, just graduated from college, got a good job yaddi yaddi yadda. I currently drive a 08 Honda Civic worth around 10-12k, will be trading in. I found a great looking 370 at a local dealer, premium graphite paint, sports package, HID lights, manual. just what I wanted. I'm worried because I have no idea what to look for when I test drive, not to mention I have little experience with a manual (drove my buddies STI a few times, as well as my other freinds supercharged mustang once). Is the mileage/price good? How long before these cars start needing repairs? It's near the end of it's basic warranty and I probably have the most reliable car ever right now. I don't want to be throwing myself into a money pit...

Thanks

is that price out the door?

Hard to say that has a lot of miles to me and im anal when it comes to condition. What are the rims like (no curb rash)? Whats the body in (door ding free)? Whats the front bumper in (scratch free)? The tires on this car are expensive so are the oil changes. Your civic is dirt cheap compaired to this car. Money pit what car isnt if your die hard enthusiast?

I got an 09 with sport and touring package and 9k miles for 25,500 about 4 months ago. Hard to say whether or not it's a good deal. I wouldn't say you're getting ripped, but it's not really a deal either. It depends on the condition of the car as 1st said. The tires are about $1600 so make sure they have brand new ones on for you, you're lucky if the tires last 15k-20k miles. Check for paint defects, Nissan's clear coat is very soft and if any bird crap was left on it for longer than a day or so, usually a mark appears from it starting to eat through the paint. Make sure the clutch engagement is good too.

No, just listed price. I would be try to get it down to somewhere in 22's of course though. As far as condition, I'll have to revisit and get a closer look. How much do 4 tires cost for this car? *^^^answered my question :)

As a heads up, make sure you realize that parts, maintainence and overall cost will be a lot more with the Z in the long run. Driving a manual Z is a bit tricky to observe anything wrong with the transmission. It makes a few noises that are normal, so you have to know what to really watch out for. The Syncro-Rev will probably make it a little easier to learn manual on this car, but even veterans of MT's say that the Z's clutch feel takes some practice. This was my first MT car and it took me about a week to learn...a few months to really get use to the car. The mileage is about right for a car that averages 10k miles a year. Because it's an older car, I would check and make sure the previous owner didn't abuse the car and all maintenace was done properly. Ask for records.

Maintenance:
The maintence is what a lot of people tend to forget in calculating the overall cost. Oil changes run about $100 if you go to the dealer, tires cost about $1200-1600 to replace all 4 (last about 15-20k miles) and other maintainace cost are usually a bit more than the Civic. Also, the fuel cost. It's almost double the fuel cost of your Civic. I have a '12 Civic I use as a DD and can get close to 40mpg on the highway. The Z only takes premium and gets around 20-24mpg of mix driving. I can get it around 28-30mpg highway if I drive conservative, but it kind of takes the fun out of owning a sports car. Be mindful that this car has some upcoming fluid maintance you might want the dealer to take care of before buying (Trans, diff, coolant, etc. etc..).

Issues:
-The biggest issue with the '09s is that a small number needed their short block replaced. The powertrain is covered for 5 years/60k miles though so I wouldn't worry too much if all the records show a well maintained car and no modifications to the engine.
-The steering lock issue that effected a small number of cars which caused the car not to start. No recall, but there are threads on here on what to watch out for and how to replace.
-Fuel Sender issue causes inaccurate guage reading. The dots don't light up all the way after filling up. Easy enough to tell when you fill up.

There are plenty of threads on this, but some basic things to know if you track or AutoX:
-You'll need to install an oil cooler or the car will hit limp mode if the oil temp passes 275 degrees. The '12s and newer come with a factory oil cooler. Not really required for street use unless you drive a lot on the "spirited" side.
-Upgrade Brake pads, brake fluid & possibly add a cooling kit.

Why is the sky blue?
I'm sorry, you have so many silly questions that it's impossible to answer them. I'll try with one.
Q- "what to look for when I test drive"?
A- see if you like it;)

wow great response Mike, thank you. Didn't realize maintenance was so pricey for the Z. and Premium gas will be a tough one for the wallet, although, I assumed thats what it used. My biggest fear is I don't know who owned it previously. I would be "spirited" as you said so I assume they were too. Why can't I just find a nice manual 370, owned by a 70 yr old grandma who used it to commute to her bridge club 4 times a week...a man can dream. I'll have to really think about this, going from no car payments and reliability/inexpensive to car payments and expenvice repairs/maintenance/gas would be a tough one. but damn, I miss having a sports car. RIP my turbo IS300

It's one of the reasons I chose the Z over a used M3 or a used Porsche. The price for parts & repair should something go wrong was beyond my budget for those cars. There's nothing wrong with the listed car except for too many unknowns. I keep a detailed record of everything for this very reason. If I were in your shoes, I'd save a little longer and buy a slightly newer one. There have been very few changes to the 370 over the years and for the most part hasn't really had any big issues that would make you want to stay away from it. There really isn't anything wrong with buying an '09 as long as you know what you're buying.

...and Yes, Premium fuel is required.

...the insurance on this is a bit high, so you should probably account for that also. I'm in NY, over 25, not married, clean history and pay over $1400 a year.

...and then comes the mods. Don't be surprised to see a CBE costing $1,200.

GL

That's overpriced. I got my '09 in 2011 with 7,200 miles (fully loaded touring) for 29K. 4K deducted for 30,000 miles more seems like a bit much, especially 3-4 years old. Hmm...

Touring? Nav? This isn't exactly the best car to learn how to drive manual on. If you're coming from a civic, expect gas to be a killer. Oil changes are $80+ (Nissan Ester oil). If you decide to mod the car, you have to get dual intakes, dual exhaust, wide wheels/tires. If you go full bolt-on, you won't make back in whp your money's worth since the engine is already very effiecient. In general, it's fairly costly to upkeep if it's your only car and you're just coming out of college (since there are many important things to save for in life). Really depends on how much your "good job" pays.

If it's going to be your only car, you'll also have to consider the daily compromises you'd have to make... you'll have to worry about scraping, parking away from people, LOUD tire noises, bumpy ride, lack of basic features (assuming '09 base+sport, there is no ipod integration, no heated mirrors, no bluetooth, no heated seats).

However, I do love the loudness, rawness, and sexiness of the car. The excitement I get every time I drive it is awesome. If you're willing to make the sacrifices and think this is a responsible financial decision, then you should get it (find a better deal though...).

I'd also like to recommend the GTI as it has more standard features, saves more gas, and is much more practical.

Good luck!

Edit: this is coming from someone who is one year from graduating college (got a job offer early, so already working full time), bought a new 370 at age 20 -> got into a accident (hit curb) -> leased GTI -> content with DD aspect of the car but is missing the z's stylish look and don't regret the decision since gas is so expensive nowadays.