last toy

Looking at a 350 Z for a daily driver for my GF (and me). pretty impressive car, always liked the current coupe design, although, I have to admit my 964 manual gear box with 60k miles seems much more smoother than the new 2006 Z we test drived. Any experience out there with the Z. The price was almost half that of a Cayman which I could not get her interested in.

CWay27

I would opt for a G35 coupe since it's 2+2 rather than 2+0. If you're really into a two seater, why not check out the new Saturn sky 260 HP. 2L turbo which pumps out 130Hp per liter. 0-60MPH in 5.5 sec and all that for 40K CAD.

Good luck

buellrunner

Hey Last Toy,

Not a bad machine. The VQ series motor that powers the Z is a solid reliable block. A lot of R&D has gone into that motor, as its their flagship block (powers almost all of their "powerful" vehicle". I have a friend with one that loves it. Good torque all around, realible and fun to driver. If she likes it, go for it! (Try to get her into a Porsche though.... )

wsybert

The Z is pretty balanced as far as handling goes. Very predictable.
Nice power, although little peaky.
All in all, a very fun car to drive.
I would agree with CWay27 somewhat, about the G35... but if a straight 2 seater is not an issue, go for it.
I love driving my friends.
Bill

Bill Wagner

I really don't like the 350Z because I don't like the way it looks, thus I wouldn't buy one. Please, no flames, that's just personal taste. With that said, I DO own a '96 300ZX that I use as my daily commuter. Excluding maintenance like pads, spark plugs, etc. and with over 110,000 miles on the car, here is a list of the repairs it's needed to date:

1. A hose came off the evap canister, so I put it back on (around 60K miles)
2. One of the fuel lines worked it's way slightly loose at about 105K miles, so I tightened it.

Total repair costs to date: $0.00

If the 350Z has ANYTHING CLOSE to the kind of reliabilty mine has had, then I'd say it should make a great daily driver. It's been the most reliable car I've ever owned in my life!!

Porsche_Red

Don't know if the Audi R8 has reached the States yet but it's already geeting good reviews in Europe. They say that it wil take sales away from Porsche and there is a long waiting list to get one so they may be right. Everyone wants a piece of Porsches action so there are others being planned to take on this very profitable market. One things for sure Porsche need to come up with a new body style if they are going to compete - imagine Porsche design and reliability in a stunning body shape!

Wikkid911

Whoever designed those door handles on the 350 needs a slap. I mean, they're like h-u-g-e and just stuck on the outside of the door. Just stupid if you ask me.

Wachuko

I would also go with the G35 Coupe... better interior... the new version (2008) really improves on the interior... nice exhaust note, pretty good engine... if you do not need the rear seats you can save a few$$ going with the Z.

300ZX... wow! I had a 300ZX-TT that I just loved. Wife made me sell it when I did a 360 with her while taking a U-turn... anyway, great memories... I still search autotrader from time to time on those...

R6XTERRA

I love the G35, definately my first choice. However, I think the 350Z is a great car. We are going to get rid of my wifes Audi TT quatro and pick her up a Z for daily driving.

Jeff

R6XTERRA

No comparison. GM is all I can say. And resale on a GM, don't get me started .

Mike Murphy

Everyone seems to miss those 300ZXs. They are considered a modern classic now and will probably be in demand in 10 years.

Wachuko

GM or not, they look really nice... I like them. The styling of Saturn more so than the Pontiac...

True on the depreciation comment...

R6XTERRA

^^^ I don't mind the styling, and yes I agree with you on the Sky. Everything else bothers me.

Mike Murphy

I feel the same way about GM, but I must say that Saturn is not a bad car. I know 3 people who have owned them and they just never break down or require any special maintenance.

I would have a really hard time buying from GM, but at least Saturn has been doing something right for the last 10 years. And that Ecotec engine was engineered by Americans and Germans and Italians. It is a solid engine.

Porschefile

A lot of people may complain about the 350z, usually in regards to the "cheap" interior, rattles, squeaks, etc. My friend has had one since he bought it new in '05. Honestly, that car never really squeaked or rattled like I've heard people complain about. On top of that, it's an extremely reliable car from a mechanical standpoint. His has seen about the hardest miles on it possible. With a twin turbo kit and 415whp later, even the stock clutch held up for an entire year of abuse! IMO, they are one of those cars that feel a bit more natural to drive and don't take getting used to like some cars do. My only complaints about the car were the ugly door panels, ghastly stock steering wheel, and the stock seats. The stock seats, although supportive, can get a bit uncomfortable on long trips IMO. Other than that, personally I don't really like the looks of them in stock form as they are a bit to short, bulbous, and round looking for me. All in all, they are great and reliable cars for the price.