Discussion
I have previously owned five Supras, the last one I sold in September. I replaced it with a 2005 Lotus Elise which I sold today, couldnt live with it, amazing capabilities but not really for me. So what I want now is a modern Supra and the nearest thing to it is a 350Z.
I know the general stuff about them like spec and performance etc but would like to hear from owners of '04 and '05 cars, UK 6-speed and imported tip-tronic versions. Are there any nightmares, what do I look for when buying one, what goes wrong and how good are they etc etc. Any help or advice would be appreciated.
I know the general stuff about them like spec and performance etc but would like to hear from owners of '04 and '05 cars, UK 6-speed and imported tip-tronic versions. Are there any nightmares, what do I look for when buying one, what goes wrong and how good are they etc etc. Any help or advice would be appreciated.
www.350zukownersclub.com
Generally the cars are pretty solid & reliable. There have been a few minor problems with some cars (odd front tyre wear, "clicky" rear axles) but these will have mostly been sorted under warranty.
The biggest problem has been a (small?) number of the 296bhp engined cars suffered from excessive oil consumption - even Autocar's long term test 350Z had it's engine replaced.
Generally the cars are pretty solid & reliable. There have been a few minor problems with some cars (odd front tyre wear, "clicky" rear axles) but these will have mostly been sorted under warranty.
The biggest problem has been a (small?) number of the 296bhp engined cars suffered from excessive oil consumption - even Autocar's long term test 350Z had it's engine replaced.
Had a Mk1 Elise and like you couldn't live with it on a day to day basis. It was also a bit fragile and never cheap to run except for petrol.
Got a 350z new three years ago and it has been a joy. Great to drive, nothing gone wrong, peanuts to service but heavy on the gas. Probably the best all round car I have ever owned and a great GT
I do however have a big but, you never feel special in the car like you would in the lotus. I am now hankering for another lotus and wonder if the more modern Elises or Exiges make for more livable car.
Got a 350z new three years ago and it has been a joy. Great to drive, nothing gone wrong, peanuts to service but heavy on the gas. Probably the best all round car I have ever owned and a great GT
I do however have a big but, you never feel special in the car like you would in the lotus. I am now hankering for another lotus and wonder if the more modern Elises or Exiges make for more livable car.
I've a Z, great chassis, great for a random drifting session, lovely note to the engine though the power delivery is a bit flat.
My only gripe is the build quality inside, it's rubbish, but then you get what you pay for.
Really good all round car and very cheap to run if you ignore petrol. That said, I'm averaging 25mpg (actual, not indicated) so it's not bad for a 3.5 v6.
My only gripe is the build quality inside, it's rubbish, but then you get what you pay for.
Really good all round car and very cheap to run if you ignore petrol. That said, I'm averaging 25mpg (actual, not indicated) so it's not bad for a 3.5 v6.
Am on my second one now, absolutely love it and tbh it's the best thing I have owned (and I include my previous stable of bikes in that). Always brings a smile to my face when I get in it and drive and sounds lovely (although that's more to do with the induction kits and exhausts 
).
Definitely come over to the club, loads of information available and we are pretty friendly as well
).Definitely come over to the club, loads of information available and we are pretty friendly as well
I had one for a year until last month. I hated it 
Found it jumpy, slow and typically nissan. Had no problems with reliability but just never inspired me. It was a replacement for an e46 M3 coupe which was getting expensive so maybe the loss of power was too much for me to accept. It turned a few heads and sounded nice just did nothing for me.
Only problems I had was the strut brace across the engine sometimes vibrating on the engine cover when it got to 5500rpm I just stuck a wrench under it and bent it upwards a touch. Problem solved
The other issue is a very well known one. Get to about 55mph and the driver side window lets air in making an annoying noise. I took it back to the dealers several times to reset and reposition but they never got it completely right. Only a minor point but it annoyed the shit out of me. A decent dealer would probably sort it first time.
I know there are loads of Z fans out there but I was glad to see the back of it to be honest, which isnt like me at all with cars. Have an Evo X FQ360 on order now which should be much more fun!
Found it jumpy, slow and typically nissan. Had no problems with reliability but just never inspired me. It was a replacement for an e46 M3 coupe which was getting expensive so maybe the loss of power was too much for me to accept. It turned a few heads and sounded nice just did nothing for me.Only problems I had was the strut brace across the engine sometimes vibrating on the engine cover when it got to 5500rpm I just stuck a wrench under it and bent it upwards a touch. Problem solved
The other issue is a very well known one. Get to about 55mph and the driver side window lets air in making an annoying noise. I took it back to the dealers several times to reset and reposition but they never got it completely right. Only a minor point but it annoyed the shit out of me. A decent dealer would probably sort it first time.
I know there are loads of Z fans out there but I was glad to see the back of it to be honest, which isnt like me at all with cars. Have an Evo X FQ360 on order now which should be much more fun!
Gumbo said:
Only problems I had was the strut brace across the engine sometimes vibrating on the engine cover when it got to 5500rpm I just stuck a wrench under it and bent it upwards a touch. Problem solved
That annoys the crap out of me, thanks for the tip on how to fix I get the window whistling too, but at 85mph. Not bothered have a dealer look into it.
5upra said:
I have previously owned five Supras, the last one I sold in September. I replaced it with a 2005 Lotus Elise which I sold today, couldnt live with it, amazing capabilities but not really for me. So what I want now is a modern Supra and the nearest thing to it is a 350Z.
I know the general stuff about them like spec and performance etc but would like to hear from owners of '04 and '05 cars, UK 6-speed and imported tip-tronic versions. Are there any nightmares, what do I look for when buying one, what goes wrong and how good are they etc etc. Any help or advice would be appreciated.
I'd imagine you'd find them very slow compared to a Supra unless supercharged and then the number of broken engines i've heard of would put me off doing that without a forged rebuild.I know the general stuff about them like spec and performance etc but would like to hear from owners of '04 and '05 cars, UK 6-speed and imported tip-tronic versions. Are there any nightmares, what do I look for when buying one, what goes wrong and how good are they etc etc. Any help or advice would be appreciated.
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