Used Nissan 350Z

best sports car for under $50k

By That Guy (Tustin,CA) on Saturday, January 26, 2008

"I did alot of research before purchasing my Z, not only what the manufacturers wanted me to know, but how the cars were actually performing. After searching online, magazines, and autocross events, the choice was clear. The Z is the best bang for your buck out of a stock vehicle. The 350 has plenty of cabin space for a sports car, although the rear strut tower brace minimizes the trunk, so if you are going to pick up granny from the airport, or parts for your hot rod project, you may want to consider borrowing a vehicle. I have not had any problems with my Z and have never been left stranded. The only time its up on a rack is for oil changes. The gas mileage is accurate to that on the window sticker, I get 21-22 avg. with a heavy foot. I have driven this car hard at the track and all i have had to replace are the tires. Alot of tires. The Z is an awesome vehicle and i would recommend it to everyone who are in the market for a sports car."

13 people out of 13 found this review helpful

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The 350Z is like an addiction.

By 01011010 (Seattle, WA) on Friday, July 16, 2010

"I went from a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse GTS to the 2008 350Z Touring, and performance-wise, the difference is night and day. Comfort-wise, the Eclipse was better, no question. However, once you get past the comfort issue and look at the merits of the Z, you'll be hard-pressed to ever find a sports car that gives you so much bang for your buck. The acceleration of the HR engine will take your breath away. Owners are reporting 0-60 times of 5.1 seconds and low-13 second quarter miles. This car will literally THROW you back into your seat when you launch it hard. I bought my '08 Touring in February 2009 for a hair over $26,000 and can't believe that I'm getting Porsche-like performance out of a car that's priced more like a pick-up truck. The handling is great, though I'm not too impressed with the stock tires. They don't grip well and are a bit squirrelly through chicanes. The amazingly precise steering and firm brakes make up for the deficiencies of the rubber. In my opinion, short of an Italian supercar that you're going to pay six figures for, there are no other cars that come close to the 350Z as far as exhaust note is concerned. The sound this car makes turns heads. When you really open the car up, it sounds downright musical. I almost expect to see a lederhosen-clad German blowing on an alpine horn in my rearview mirror every time I mash the throttle. One of the benefits of having the 6-speed manual is having total control of this beautiful sound. Now for the bad things: In the city (I live one where there are LOTS of hills) I'm averaging between 12 and 14 MPG when I drive the car conservatively. In comparison, my wife's 2009 Nissan Rogue is getting closer to 21 under the same driving conditions. On the highway, I'm getting closer to 28 MPG. Problem is, almost all of my driving is in the city. Bummer. Hope gas prices don't go back up to $4.50 anytime soon. The additional disadvantage of having to buy premium fuel makes this a fairly expensive car to get around in. The factory BOSE sound system is in a word, HORRIBLE. It sounds muddy, the bass is laughable, there is barely any high end and precious few options are available to control the equalization. After a month of living with this musical misery, I spent a bunch of money and purchased a JL Audio sound system and a JVC DVD head unit. Overkill? Maybe. But what useful purpose does this car have except to be something you can drive around in while listening to Weezer? You sure as heck can't haul anything with it. In my opinion, BOSE really blew it with this car. The speakers are laughably cheap but rediculusly overpriced. The only car I ever owned with a worse stereo than this was a 1979 Chevy Malibu station wagon with an AM radio and one speaker in the middle of the dashboard. The fit and finish of the interior garnish is great on the dashboard (soft, rubbery texture), but everything in the center armrest console and behind the seats is low-end cheap plastic that is VERY easily scratched. I guess for the price that Nissan is offering the car at, some corners had to be cut, so I'm willing to give them this concession. I compared the interior of the 2008 350Z to the interior of the 2009 370Z and found they were almost identical in terms of materials used, so if you believe the media hype about the vastly improved interior of the 370Z, you'll be sorely disappointed. The main difference is the new Z looks more ergonomic. That's about it. Overall, I'd have to say that this is a great, fun car. Sure the ride's a little harsh and the cabin noise is a bit loud, but good lord, this is a sports car in every sense of the term. It's pure, fun, adrenaline-inducing automotive Nirvana and I have no regrets about owning one."

11 people out of 11 found this review helpful

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The 350z nismo is best sports car value in a while

By rednismodriver (MIame, Florida) on Friday, August 29, 2008

"I've owned my 350z nismo for approximately 2 yrs ( ever since they came out) and i cant tell you how good this car drives. It has amazing handling, great looks, and it is surpisingly comfortably even for lengthy periods. This car is a great price for what you get. The 350z has good gas mileage, good insurance costs (surprisingly) and good resale value. The only negative i can find with this car is that the tires aren't made to drive for a long time. Tires will last only 30k miles if u drive softly but more like 25k miles. Also the 350z is amazing to drive but the handling in the snow is not exceptional it is still driveable but you will just have to be careful or else get specific snow tires. Granted its not great in the snow it is well in the rain with the stock nismo tires for some reason. Another great thing about the 350z is the reliability. I've had no problems at all since i've owned mine. Also the 350z doesn't need its "big" tune up for 105,000 miles. I would recommend a 350z for anyone thats looking for a great reliable new car that will perform on a daily basis. After having owned all the major sports cars porsche boxster, bmw 3 series, mazda rx-8, lexus is-f, and a honda s2000 i have to say the 350z nismo and any regular 350z is a better car for the price and everyday sports car driving. Btw for anyone that doesn't know about the nismo it is basically the high trim level of a regular 350z. And for what it comes with better suspension, upgraded cat-back exhaust, beautiful bodykit, upgraded tires and wheels, better brakes (definately worth the price) and only a limited number of them were made, i think its well worth the price. I do run my 350z hard because Im in the florida SCCA and many other clubs and my 350z still runs strong. The nismo is exceptional if you ever plan on doing anything in the way of autocross or any type of racing the nismo's brembo forged piston brakes help a ton so I would recommend upgrading your brakes if you plan on buying any other trim of the 350z besides the nismo. Overall the 350z is an amazing car especially for the price. What are you waiting for? go buy one if your in the automotive market."

9 people out of 9 found this review helpful

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