Nissan 350z

There is a lot that can be said about Nissan's Z Car lineup. The Z has always been a staple in the budget performance market, often unrivaled. Car and Driver said it best in reference to the 240z: "it drove so well and was built so well that it elevated consumers’ expectations for all sports cars. It was a better Datsun—and Nissan—that would eventually inspire better Porsches, better Corvettes, and better Jaguars." That same statement remains true throughout the Z car's lifespan, from the 240z, to the 300zx, all the way up to the most recent 370z.

The 350z was similar to earlier Z cars in that it offered excitement for the everyday driver. As a huge Corvette enthusiast, I always somewhat balked at people claiming the Corvette offered cheap performance. While it's relatively cheap compared to the performance you get, a new Corvette cost anywhere from $45,000 to $55,000 back in 2003, while the Nissan started at just $26,000. Sure, the Corvette offers more performance, but $20,000 is A LOT of price difference. Sure, there are many other new cars that can provide some fun for a similar price (the Focus and Fiesta ST, or the Golf GTI) but those aren't true rear wheel drive sports cars. That, is what give the Nissan the crown for king of the blue collar sports car performance.

From the outside, the Z is a true stunner. On more than one occasion people asked me if it was a Porsche, one even stating "That's the best looking Porsche I've ever seen!" The car grabs attention from everyone with its wide hips and smooth, rounded curves. One of the best features of the 350z is that there are no bad angles. The front, rear, and side profile are all aesthetically pleasing and well proportioned.

On the inside, the 350z has a very nice looking cockpit. The quality of material is, as to be expected for the price, questionable at best. Seats in the Z are very comfortable, and do a great job holding the driver tight during hard corners. The gauge layout is among the best in terms of practicality. In dead center lies the tachometer, which is very important considering how quickly the VQ35 can rev. More than once when I first got in the car I found myself bouncing off the limiter in first gear, because the car keeps pulling so quickly to redline. To the right of the tachometer is a speedometer, and to the left smaller gauges for fuel level and coolant temperature.

Perhaps the most useful set of gauges is the set in the center of the dash directly above the radio. These gauges had me spoiled after 5 minutes of driving. On the far right is a voltage gauge. Useful and neat, but not incredibly important to most people (hence most vehicles just come with a battery light, no gauge.) The center gauge shows a nice analog oil pressure readout. Given the performance oriented nature of the car, and the fact that many (read: all) early VQ35's had a slight oil consumption problem, this is a mandatory gauge. Sadly, the oil pressure sensor likes to fail, pegging the gauge on maximum, which will cause a mild panic attack the first time it happens. The final gauge is the most important. It's a digital multi-gauge which can display speed, temperature, tire pressure, shift-light settings, lap timer, and a couple fuel economy monitors. Virtually none of these are important besides the speed indicator, which displays the speed at a perfect height to be out of the way, but easy to see.

With 287 horsepower, the Z is no slouch. The VQ makes plenty of torque at all parts of the rev range, yet still manages to provide that nice high strung rev-happy feeling that a lot of modern V8's and turbo cars lack. The engine revs seriously quickly, a lazy shift will slam you up against the rev limiter so hard you feel like rear-ended the Mustang in front of you. It's not as quick revving as a motorcycle, but it sure feels close. This characteristic also makes the car feel a lot quicker than it actually is. Low 14/High 13 second 1/4 mile times aren't particularly impressive, but the uninformed driver would likely believe this car is quite a bit faster than it actually is.

The main problem with the Z is its handling. The Z is supposed to be a proper handling sports car, but in stock form it simply isn't. Sure, there's a fair amount of grip and a nice feeling turn in, but pushed even remotely hard it simply wants to under-steer and scrub off tons of speed. I've driven front wheel drive cars that felt more neutral at the limit. The result is generally either being in a gear much too high for accelerating out of the corner, or feeling like you need to approach each turn much slower than the turn in makes you feel like you can. For a car with such good turn in, the mushy under-steer ruins any sense of a proper handling car.

Overall, Nissan created yet another parts-bin performance machine. While I truly like the Z, and owned one for several years, its inevitable flaw is that it really is a compromised car. With suspension and tire modifications I have no doubt the car could be a world class performer, but in stock form it leaves too much out of the mix. There isn't enough power to be a straight-line monster, there interior isn't nice enough to be a luxury tourer, and the under-steer kills any sense of a car that can be tossed into corners.

By all means, the Z still fills a niche market in the performance world. It's a car that provides a lot of grins for the average person while stock, and has plenty of potential for aftermarket improvements. The handling characteristics below the limit are phenomenal: great turn in, excellent feedback, and an easy to use rev-range. The problem only presents itself when pushed close to the limit of grip, which is vastly exaggerated in wet weather, perhaps even more-so than its competitors. For the price, though, there isn't anything that provides a better daily-drivable fun car. Fuel economy and reliability are on par with most any other modern Nissan, considering they use many of the same parts from the Maxima, G35, and other less performance oriented cars. The 370Z takes the Z car evolution another step, fixing many of the handling quirks of the 350. Prices on new 370Z's still fall into that same niche the 350z did when new, but on the used market they're still a bit too high. This means that for the money, you can either have a 370Z, or a C5/C6 Corvette, which isn't even a fair competition. The auto market needs a real budget performance vehicle: long live the Z car!