Wednesday 29th July 2015

Nissan 350Z: PH Buying Guide

A glorious 21st century return for the Nissan Z-car - fast, reliable, stylish and affordable

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The Nissan 350Z could not have arrived at a better time for the Japanese firm or European coupe fans. The Audi TT has proven there was a huge appetite for compact coupes and Nissan's mainstream line-up badly needed a bit of bright light from a halo model.

Wheels denote GT Pack; popular option here

However, we very nearly didn't see the 350Z in Europe as it was originally intended solely for Japan and the USA. Luckily, a late change of heart within Nissan saw a Europe-specific model developed and on sale in 2003.

Search for Nissan 350Zs here

While there are plenty of imported 350Zs, generally badged as 'Fairlady', these cars often miss the generous equipment spec of UK cars. They also tend to have softer suspension and handling and attract higher insurance rates, so be careful you are buying a UK car or know what you are getting for your money.

The original UK 350Z coupe arrived with a 280hp 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine and six-speed manual gearbox and this remained the only transmission combo Nissan offered over here. A £2,500 GT pack was available from the get-go and many owners found it too tempting to say no as it came with leather upholstery, electric seat adjustment, cruise control and improved Bose stereo. Satellite navigation was a further £1,200 option but it is not worth paying any extra for now as it was reckoned to be outdated even when new.

Roadster launched in 2005

In 2005, Nissan released 176 special edition GT4 350Zs, which came with the handsome Rays alloys as standard. The GT4 also had an uprated V6 engine that provided 300hp thanks to revised pistons, camshafts and valve timing. This engine then became standard across the range in 2006.

The Roadster arrived in 2005 and benefitted from the same engine upgrade in early 2006. This helped to some extent to counter the Roadster's addition 110kg weight penalty over the Coupe due to the electrically folding roof that operates from open to closed, or vice versa, in 20 seconds.

For 2007, Nissan gave the engine a major overhaul and 80 per cent of the motor was new. These models are often referred to as HR versions, which refers to 'High Revving' as the rev limit was raised from the 7000rpm of the original V6 to 7500rpm. With 313hp on tap, it nudged the 350Z Coupe's 0-62mph time from the early model's 5.9 seconds to 5.5.

No official 350 NISMOs in the UK, but many parts!

Nissan didn't offer the NIMSO-tuned version of the 350Z in the UK, though many owners upgraded their car with NISMO parts, and plenty from other tuning firms. As the 350Z is popular for modifying, it pays to check the quality of any work and ask to see invoices.

For a standard early 350Z Coupe, expect to pay from around £5,000 for a one in good condition and with reasonable miles. This rises to £13,000 for the last of the 313hp Coupes in immaculate, low mileage form. Expect to pay from £6,500 for one of the first Roadsters, but late model 350Z Roadsters command no premium over a similar Coupe.

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PHer's view:
"My car was the last run of 350Z Roadster with the 313hp engine which was great. It never felt slow in any company on public roads, but more importantly made me smile from ear to ear every time I drove it."
John Wood

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Buying Guide Contents:
Introduction
Powertrain
Rolling Chassis
Body
Interior

Search for Nissan 350Zs here

[JackReacher]

“One of the most boring cars ever” - if some on PH are to be believed

Very good cars as long as you are not expecting a lightweight sports car, which you shouldn’t be if you’ve read anything about them

I had a 2004 coupe in Azure Blue, only problems I encountered were faulty cam sensors and the common window motor failure. Both relatively cheap fixes. It’s not the most sorted sports coupe out there, but it is fun and has bags of character, something that is missing in so many modern cars.

Positives from my ownership period:-

Quick – not far off E46 M3 or 996 3.4 pace
Sounds great
Good steering and progressive handling with ability to provoke into controllable oversteer
Relatively cheap to run
Good GT car – covers big distances in comfort
Relatively rare and not a default German option
Boot is practical as long as you don’t want to transport one large item

Downsides:-

Weight - it cannot attack a good B road with the enthusiasm of a good hot hatch

[dukebox9reg]

I'm sure the first coupes came in before the tax change.

A lot of car mags write up the noise as dull from this V6 but I think they sound pretty nice as standard and the cheap option of the 'K1' exhaust does make them sound pretty fruity.

[court]

dukebox9reg said:

I'm sure the first coupes came in before the tax change.

Yep, all reg'd before 23rd March 2006 should be £290.

[hammo19]

Had 2004 model. Owned it for 18 months. Good fun car, comfortable on long journeys. No mechanical issues, stereo had to be replaced and body work crack above drivers window due to poor adjusted auto window mechanism when opening and shutting door. Would have another one.

[hammo19]

Had 2004 model. Owned it for 18 months. Good fun car, comfortable on long journeys. No mechanical issues, stereo had to be replaced and body work crack above drivers window due to poor adjusted auto window mechanism when opening and shutting door. Would have another one.

[alisdairsuttie]

I double-checked the VED costs with the DVLA website to make sure pre-2006 paid the lower rate. The DVLA website has been revised and the table now shows cars registered before 1 March 2006 are included in Band K, which is denoted by an asterisk, so 350Zs registered up to 1 March 2006 pay the lower £290 rate.

Apologies, my mistake and misreading of the DVLA website.

[StradoZ]

Brilliant. I bought one last weekend to be my daily! I had a look to see if PH had produced a buyers guide but it looks like you were waiting until after I'd taken the plunge!

[daveco]

One of the nicest sounding six cylinder engines out there (next to the Mark V R32 and M3 of same vintage).


I couldn't help but think if they had a different badge (and nicer interior) they'd be held in the same high esteem as the E46 M3.

[madmatteo]

I've always fancied one of these but it would need to be my daily and my annual mileage ended up putting me off. However, when I found this video and heard the exhaust note from one with the Nismo exhaust and intake I very nearly changed my mind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l615zcMUB4c

Maybe I should have swallowed the lower MPG for a while just for the noise alone!

[Al U]

I know this is totally subjective, but I think the 350Z is ugly from every angle. I think the styling of the car was probably trying to be quite masculine, but all it has achieved to me is looking heavy.

[cib24]

These cars are actually very good for the price. They are pretty quick out of the box, in particular the later models which were upgraded to over 300 bhp and with a lightened flywheel, upgraded suspension such as Ohlins coilovers (which ride very nicely on B roads and the track), sticky rubber and better brake pads they are much quicker than a lot of other things out there on the track.

[Alias218]

I currently own a 2007 HR and absoluty love it. It is very quick (I can corroborate the above above comment Re the E46 M3, my friend owns one and the difference is negligible), and the engine loves to rev. It just keeps going! I've covered nearly 20,000 miles in 15 months and nothing has gone wrong. An invoice from the previous owner also backs up the £1000 clutch and flywheel replacement cost. I manage 26.4mpg average, however I have a long stretch of 50mph average speed to help on my daily commute.

My only gripes with the car are the terrible coating Nissan used on the armrest plastics which peels off and scratches incredibly easily, and the bluetooth phone pairing. The voice controls are hilariously bad.

Other than that, a great car. If you can stretch to it, buy the HR engined cars. They have improved interiors, LED rear lights (although I belive they had that from 2006 - on) and of course that engine. No doubt residuals will prove to be better too.

[Rs2oo]

Had mine since 2012. I have added a stainless steel Y-back system and its awesome. Quiet at pottering speed then sounds fantastic when you open it up. Mine is a roadster and the weight difference is not noticeable from the tin-top. Gearbox can be a pig when cold and 2nd gear is one to look out for when buying. Very agile for its weight and you have the option of turning off the traction control. Insurance not bad and £290 years tax is just about acceptable.

[MDMetal]

Still have my 54 plate red coupe, simply can't find something else I want for a similar price! It's great fun, easy to work on and always makes me smile. You can upgrade most of the lights to LED for the difference in tax between the older and newer model. When I do eventually buy another car there's a high chance I'll be keeping my baby as well as I couldn't bare to let her go (and the missus has said she want's it as she loves driving it too) I've swapped the OEM exhaust out when it rusted for the Nvidia Gemini dual flow with HFC cats and it sounds beautiful! A few random bits of DIY to keep it fresh as well no major problems in 4-5 years and 35K miles!

[Viper]

Gave mine a rare run to work today, 57 plate azure blue (for the updates)
Had it about 4 years but it doesn't get much use, taxed for 6 months out of the year. It's a heavy car so doesn't seem that fast on the road a torque'y engine means you can cruise along quite nicely in top gear at low speeds

still fun to drive for me, and super reliable with no problems since owning it. Put in a new flywheel/clutch(£1000 fitted), some expensive sporty pads and sticky tyres when I first got it

Edited by Viper on Wednesday 29th July 13:07

[sidesauce]

Only annoying thing about them is I found the seats not supportive enough under the legs - long journeys were tiring...

[StradoZ]

I've just bought a 2004 model in grey, I was looking for a daily driver but something a bit different. I wanted RWD, preferably just 2 seats and the V6 is a bonus. Plus I was attracted to all the toys you get (particularly with the GT version): cruise control, electric seats, electric mirrors, heated leather bum-warmers, nav system, parking sensors.

I deliberately went for the pre-2006 model to keep the tax cost down and so I don't need to worry myself about putting miles on it to keep the residuals higher, (I already have a car that I don't want to put needless miles on).

The downside is I'm not likely to get the MTB on it.

I'm picking it up in a week or so when it's got new tyres, some bodywork repairs and the leather repaired on the drivers seat.

For the money it was this or a hot hatch, I wanted a change from FWD hatches.

[wolves_wanderer]

I have had the HR version for just over a year and 15,000 miles. I imagine I will need new droplinks soon as it tends to creak for the first 100 yards or so over bumps but apart from that I have had no issues. A previous owner spent £1000 on the clutch/flywheel, nearly £2500 on brakes and (unfortunately) a new exhaust, I say unfortunately as although it sounds good standard there are some incredible sounding after-market systems available.

Michelin Pilot Supersports seem to be the favoured choice for tyres. I have had some on for nearly 5k miles and they are wearing very well.

Having a quick look over the classifieds I doubt I would lose more than a few hundred quid if I sold it tomorrow.

[wolves_wanderer]

The Crack Fox said:

Very underrated. I took one round Spa some years ago and loved it. It felt robust, torquey, had good brakes and sounded nice. If only they made it as a 2+2 instead of that stupid boot shape with the brace in it.

That stupid boot dug me out of a hole recently when the MG lunched its clutch the day before I was going on holiday

[vtecyo]

Always wanted one, and could buy one now... but you can't get a downhill bike in / on it. So I can't have one.