Nissan 350Z Review

Houston, Texas, April 2007

Little Wing: 350Z

Nissan 350Z coupe, the "poor man's Porsche", is the 5th generation of the Z-car.

Back in 2005 Nissan produced a 35th Anniversary edition of the racy looking car still quaintly marketed as the "Fairlady Z" in Japan.

The current 350-Z began production in late 2002 and was marketed as a "2003."

Bringing back the Z after a six-year absence was a clever marketing move for Carlos Ghosn and his Nissan turnaround plan. But this is not just a halo car, it is produced and sold as a mass market product. Nissan North America moved 2,561 Z-cars in March 2007, down from 3,014 a year earlier.

For 2007, its fourth season, the 350Z has a few changes; speed sensitive power steering, larger brake rotor size for standard (non-Brembo) brakes, and 18" cast alloy wheels now standard.

The big news is a revised engine: the 2006 VQ35DE V6 was replaced with a new 3.5 liter V6. "VQ35HR" makes 306 hp at 6800 rpm with 268 lb-ft torque at 4800 rpm. The front spoiler and headlamps were also revised to match the new aluminum hood.

The Z’s hood has bulged to fit a new dual intake system and to reflect the 2007's aggressive image. Three new paint colors, Solar Orange, San Marino Blue and Carbon Silver, are available in a ride that often delivers in black and white. Silver is still the most popular Z350 paint.

Four trim levels are offered; Base, Enthusiast, Touring, and Grand Touring.

Competition in the Compact Premium Sporty space includes; Infiniti G35 Coupe, Porsche Cayman Coupe, Hyundai Tibron, Mazda RX-8, Ford Mustang, and BMW Z4 Coupe.

At the track, the 350s perform with cars costing thousands more.

On the sales lot, the car sells as well as any sporty except Corvette.

But is this hot looking, quick car suitable as a practical daily driver?

Quality, Safety, Fuel

J.D. Power has not yet evaluated the 2007 Z, but the 2006 scored four stars for initial quality and 4.5 for appeal. 2007 350Zs are "recommended" in Consumer Reports (CR) 2007 Annual Auto Issue, which gave the 2006 model 15 out of 16 of those little dot-in-a circle thingeys that mean "much better than average."

Earlier model years were less reliable, per CR.

Gas mileage is exceptional for a car this quick, especially on the highway, due to the low coefficient of drag: .30cd.

EPA fuel economy ratings are 20 city/27 highway for manual shift, 19/26 automatic, on premium fuel.

Real world forum fuel reports are 20-24 combined, after the break-in period is over. Tank capacity is a generous 20 gallons, but users report typical "low fuel light on" refill at 15 gal.

The modern engine meets low emissions vehicle 2 standards (LEV2).

The 350 received NHTSA's highest (5-star) rating for side-impact crash test safety, but has not been tested for frontal impacts by NHTSA or IIHS.

Crumple zones, front and rear, help dissipate crash energy, as does the 350's energy-absorbing steering column.

Pipe-style steel side-impact beams reinforce doors against lateral impacts.

To keep the base coupe reasonably priced, many safety features are options. Front dual-stage air bags, CR points out, lack a passenger side shutoff switch. Optional seat-mounted side-impact supplemental air bags provide additional protection during lateral impacts.

Available roof-mounted curtain side-impact supplemental air bags drop down during side impacts.

VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control), an electronic stability system on the Touring and Grand Touring trims, applies individual brakes or reduces power when understeer/oversteer is sensed. To me, this feature belongs on soccer-mom minivans and SUV's, not sports cars, another reason to get the base trim.

Seat belt pretensioners tighten the belts if the front air bags deploy.

The coupe has very limited 45 degree rear visibility, due to the wide pillar. I find this blind spot very disconcerting in fast freeway traffic. In parking lot backing from between two inevitably taller parked cars you just inch out blind. After thousands of blind back-outs in 18-wheelers, this gives me an unacceptable sense of insecurity.

A caranddriver.com review noted the similarity to driving an 18-wheeler: constant reliance on mirror checks.

Some users report instability in wintry driving conditions.

Powertrain

The Nissan FM platform is a modern rear drive, but is not specifically designed for the Z350. This is one reason for the car's slightly higher weight. A special four-wheel independent lightweight aluminum suspension, unique to the Fairlady, is fitted to the shared platform.

The engine is mounted as far back as possible, creating a 53:47 weight distribution. In the trucking business they call this a "set forward axle."

Wheels are positioned as close to the corners as possible for better handling.

The redesigned engine is named "VQ35HR." That's Japanese for "306-hp screaming 3.5-liter V-6." The redesigned block has a higher deck height, which implies longer connecting rods, hence the bulging hood and redesigned strut-tower brace.

The VQ35HR sports a new dual-intake system, revised cylinder heads, continuously variable valve timing, and a 10.6:1 compression ratio. Additional enthusiast goodies are symmetrical piston skirts, iridium spark plugs, diamond-like carbon coated internals, and a stronger cast aluminum engine cover and oil pan.

This beast redlines at 7,500 rpm, there is no electronic speed limiter.

Assembled at Nissan's Iwaki Plant in Japan, the VQ series engines are perennials on Ward's Top 10 engines list.

A 6-speed close-ratio, short-throw manual transmission provides almost toggle switch gear changing. The tall overdrive 6th is the key ingredient for good highway fuel economy. A carbon-fiber composite drive shaft reduces rotational inertia at the clutch interface.

A 5-speed automatic transmission is available, and is very smooth. This engine is designed to pull smoothly over a broad rpm range. Coupling it to the automatic seems to reduce the low rpm punch. A suggestion: those who dislike shifting might be happier in the Infiniti G35 Coupe.

Four-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) are standard on all trims.

High performance Brembo® brakes are standard on the Grand Touring model.

The weak spot on early 350Zs was brakes.

Folks who are new to performance wheels often express disappointment with the fast tire and brake wear on their new sporty. To achieve performance, engineers use softer compounds which shed particles quicker, even under normal use.

Track-day guys have burned up lots of brake pads and rotors on these whiz carts, and a healthy aftermarket gladly lightens their wallets.

Drifter's Escape: 350Z Performance

This car is quick, 0-60 in 5.6 at caranddriver.com.

At the dragstrip, one quarter mile prints in the low 14 seconds and around 100 mph are typical for stock mills.

A top speed around 148 mph will outrun the majority of police chase helicopters (don't try this at home kids).

At 3400 pounds this car is a bit too heavy to snap necks, giving the impression of a slower vehicle during acceleration. The weight requires a stiff suspension and chassis to maintain handling. The combination works, providing extremely flat cornering.

After my first test drive, I exclaimed "skateboard!"

An extensive after market supplies turbochargers, body kits, exhaust upgrades, reprogrammed ECU's (engine control unit), and a myriad of other performance enhancements.

Inside Line

While exterior fit and finish are very good, some forum posts report minor paint chipping.

From the standpoint of eye appeal, the sporty Nissan's interior is its weakest link.

Interior plastics are well fitted, but design features like the door handle pulls, while solid, look failure prone to me.

The center console lid which covers the space not occupied by a navigation screen has that annoying press latch feature also found on Toyota sedans.

Z350 has the traditional sports car tradeoff of comfort for performance: with the stiff, flat cornering chassis, you will feel the road. This makes true touring a little less enjoyable.

Road and tire noise is noticeable, but the cabin is suitable for all but the biggest folks. Compare, for instance, the Saturn Sky, which seems built for four foot tall purple people from another dimension.

One interior feature draws numerous comments: the gauges pivot with the tilt wheel so drivers always have an unobstructed view of the speedo. After 40 years of intense annoyance with blind dashboards, I applaud Nissan for including this nicety.

The low end audio level has generated gripes in prior years. Six CD, seven speaker Bose audio comes with the Touring and GT trims, where XM Satellite Radio is a $350 option.

Options include Bluetooth® Handsfree Phone System and the not-so-user-friendly Nissan Navigation System. Apparently there is concern about legal liability where drivers can operate the nav controls on the fly: many manufacturers are forcing the car to stop before destination data may be entered.

Like other sportys, 350Z drivers are expected to travel light. There is no glove box and the two small storage bins behind the seats are difficult to reach.

Luggage capacity is about average for this class of car.

An Inconvenient Truth: Sports Car Costs

Edmund's True Cost to Own is $0.63 a mile, pretty high for a $30k car.

This car gets a lot of buyer burnout and turnover after the thrill is gone and the bills mount. There are jokes about the 350-Z curse: "Wife can't get pregnant? Just buy a z-car, works every time."

Used models with low mileage are very plentiful, undercutting dealer prices for new.

Edmunds.com estimates first-year depreciation at 23%, pretty high. Five-year residuals are around 46%, a serious bite. This will make the car expensive to lease.

Before buying this car, be sure to get a firm insurance quote. Under thirty males with a couple of moving violations may get a wake up call: insurance could be half a car payment.

Starting MSRP for the base 350Z Coupe with a close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission is $27,900.

Base invoice is around $26800, with some selling for under invoice.

Fast brake and tire wear will surprise first time sports car buyers, replacements won't be cheap.

Warranty is a relatively short 36-month/36,000-mile limited vehicle coverage with 5-year/60,000-mile limited powertrain coverage.

Most buyers in high snow areas have another car for winter use.

Happiness Is a Warm Z

In a world full of style without substance phonies, Nissan 350Z fulfills the promise of its aggressive posture.

In my always humble opinion, this is a very cool car, but is competitive only at lower prices and base trim levels.

Roadandtrack.com called the 350 Z the "best sports car under $30,000." Emphasis here is on the "under." When we talk $40k and up, finer cars are available. But there is no car anywhere with as much speed and handling capability for the dollar as the base level Nissan 350Z.

This is a sports car an enthusiast can live with every day.

Those who really don't hang out the corners that much could consider the more comfortable Infiniti G35 Coupe. Recent rounds of Houston dealerships found plenty of 350Zs in inventory and dealers ready to cut a deal on coupes.

Consumers interested in a used 350Z should generally try to purchase the newest year possible as Nissan has been making quality improvements each year.