Is the 350Z overrated?

[Porsche_Daddy]

The 350Z simply understeers too much and weighs far more than a 2 seat sports car with an aluminum 6 cylinder should. There are way to many asian cars that offer better performance at a similar price.

[VAD0R]

The 350Z has potential it is just that Nissan cheapened it up too much for people to notice. The thing is even though the 350Z was released in 2003 they were thinking in 02-01 terms and don't forget the 2001-02 US/CA market was devoid of the SRT-4 and STi with the EVO 7 despite the fact that it took the US market by surprise it was still being overpriced by dealers. Now the 350Z was set at a good value at the time when it contended with 2nd generation fox body Mustang GTs and any F bodies that were still on dealer lots, which are faster but not as plush and better handling. The only other true competitor the 350Z had at the time was the RX-8 with livelier handling but less grunt, unless you rev the hell out of it. Now though with the SRT-4s, STis and the new Mustang GT the 350Z doesn't have a sufficient bang for the buck stock. Now it has already proven that the 350Z has great potential with the 350Z Type S, Long Nose Z and other modified Zs such as these.

So what Nissan should do is stop making the Long Nose Z a 60k collector's car that is sold in Japan and start putting it into mass production as the 28-35k 350Z while keeping the base one as is or at least start tuning up the 350Z with some Type S parts. In other words they need to make the 350Z put out some slightly better numbers stock in order to justify its price.

[syr74]

The Z definately has stiffer competiton right now than it did at debut, but that is certainly to be expected. The real dissapointment for me is that Nissan really does not seem to be doing much about it.

People expect the Z to stack up to the competition well, and right now it is starting to fall down. And while the 300hp Track model is better than no response it is too much money for not enough improvement.

The new Mustang GT with a live axle offers noticeabley better thrust than does the standard Z-car, and offers handling that is much closer than anyone expected Ford to get with a live axle. With the 18" BF Goodrich wheel-tire package showing up nextt year smart money is on the mustang GT bettering standard 350Z handling...that will not be good.

Much, much faster Mustangs are on the horizon and Nissan is apparenrtly content to watch them develop while offering no real response. The 350Z has a lot of promise, but Nissan appears content with what the car delivers right now.

On top of the above you have a 400hp GTO for a bit less than Track Model money! The new Anniversary Z car is barely less than stock C6 money, and while I like the Z somebody in the halls at Nissan corporate is obviouslt smoking an illegal substance to think this passes the smell test with the power and handling the Z delivers relatice to the C6.

The Z car needs a twin turbo top of the line model or a 4.0L V-6 or something. But, it definately needs something because in the near future it is going to have even stouter versions of the Mustang to play with as well as other competition that looms on the horizon.

[nbw]

Originally Posted by kman10587

Actually, the main reason why I wouldn't buy a 350Z is that for that kind of money, I could get an absolutely perfect condition 300ZX Twin Turbo on the used market and have $10,000 to play with

I completely agree, the 300zx is a timeless car. After over 10 years it still looks like a modern exotic. And with the extra 10k I would probly get a nice rust free 240z and have some fun and have a nice vintage solo street/track car..

[kman10587]

Or turn that 300ZX Twin Turbo into a road racing god. The engine is very easy to get up to 400 hp; it's almost as if Nissan hampered it purposely. And with about 300 pounds of weight reduction, the handling goes from very good to excellent.

[shawnwilliams]

I have driven the z, rx-8 and the 300zx and i'd have to go with the rx-8, the 8 has better looks better interior, feels better and fun to drive. The only thing good about the z is that its quicker on the straight away, which there rarely is on roads unless your racing on the highway, but the rx-8 will prob beat it anyways b/c of its high rpms, unless you start not moving. I had the rx-8 doing 140kmh or around 90mph on a bend that is ssupposed to be doing 60kmh or like 25mph, and it felt like you were on a railroad track and you couldn't leave that postion. Oh ya the rx-8 is coming out with a supercharged model in 06, cobra's your going down!!!!! The 300zx doesn't compete stock. For the GTO i think its a grand prix with 400hp, i think its only power just like the Z but with alot more torque steer.

[Speedsteve]

Originally Posted by syr74

The new Mustang GT with a live axle offers noticeabley better thrust than does the standard Z-car, and offers handling that is much closer than anyone expected Ford to get with a live axle. With the 18" BF Goodrich wheel-tire package showing up nextt year smart money is on the mustang GT bettering standard 350Z handling...that will not be good.

The Z350 is a "5-Stars" car in Germany! Problems - small and unpractically trunk, strong oversteer with switched off ESP.

The new Mustang - not so cheap ( Price Germany = 35.900Euro or 48.000US $ / the Z350 costs 33.500Euro or 44.400US $ ), not so fast ( Topspeed only 134mph ), too much weight, too much consumption ( 15mpg, Minimum 23.5mpg and Maximum 8mpg ), small gasoline tank ( small Range ) and badly to fill, no ESP, Autotransmission not spontaneously enough, no Space on the Rear seats. Problems with the rear axle on bad roads. The basic tuning is too softly, Problems with cross-wind. In sharply driven curves the car pushes over the front wheels, not optimal handling.

Originally Posted by shawnwilliams

I have driven the z, rx-8 and the 300zx and i'd have to go with the rx-8, the 8 has better looks better interior, feels better and fun to drive.

The RX-8 loses in Germany every test against the Z350!

.

[TatII]

i absolutely hate the rx-8. that car has absolutely no balls at all. that car is sooo freaking slow, and mostly girls drive it. everytime i see a RX-8 on the highway i just want to dust it. however they never bite. anyways here in america, handling matters, but not as much because the roads here are much bigger, and the Z handles high speed sweepers, and highway offramps just fine. however the RX-8 is just soo weak. i mean its a freaking mid 14 second car. i've driven Twin turbo RX-7 FD's, and those cars are much better looking, and faster then the RX-8 in every conceivable way. the only problem is that the interior falls apart in every single one of them. but still the RX-8 is a disgrace to the RX marque i think.

[Twyzz]

Nissian definatly didn't put as much thought and care into the 350Z as they did with the 300ZX. First off, The engines... ones is a twin turbo beast of an engine and the other is an engine Nissian bought off of Renault....... Why didn't they come up with an engine on there own? I"ve never heard of any japanese compnay tkaing engine from any other country and putting them into there sports cars

[TatII]

it may be bought off from renault but its still a great engine, with good tq. also the next GT-R is goin to use it, and the last GT-R and the Z JGTC cars have been using boosted version of those VQ's with great results so that engine is by no means crappy, since it replaced the RB in the GT-R's in that series.

[BP2K2Max]

Originally Posted by Twyzz

Why didn't they come up with an engine on there own? I"ve never heard of any japanese compnay tkaing engine from any other country and putting them into there sports cars

the VQ series of motor has been in use since 1995. renault didn't take an interest in nissan until 1999, after the VQ had already been on wards best engines list 4 consecutive years. the 3.5 version is just an updated version of the 3.0 and has been used in the pathfinder since 2001, renault cannot take credit for it, Actually, Renault is using Nissans VQ35 in their car, the Renault Vel Satis since 2002. the only motors nissan uses from renault are the diesels. the primera offers a 1.9L diesel renault motor and the almera uses a 1.5L version of that motor.

check this out:
http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/DOCU.../ar2002_16.pdf
it's nissans annual report for 2002. on Pg 2 it refers to the vq35 as nissans engine being placed in the vel satis then goes on to refer to the 1.9L and 1.5L diesels as renaults designs being placed into nissans cars.