The Good News:

- No major tranny issues
- No tire feathering
- No alignment issues
- No window grease issues

The Bad News:

- Seats horribly uncomfortable
- Seat material wearing out prematurely, like '03, and '04 models
- Front bumper prone to rock chips like it was a pebble magnet
- Minor squeaks and rattles
- Front visibility poor due to huge-@ss homelink rearview mirror
- Front cupholder is still flimsy, like '03, '04
- Wind noise from driver's side b-pillar deemed "normal"
- Emergency brake will need to be adjusted, will not keep vehicle secure on somewhat steep inclines, aka driveway.

The Ugly:

- Floormat has fist-size crater without carpet where the heel would be for throttle. Went to dealer, they declare it "normal wear and tear" and that they will replace it this time, however next time I am responsible. WTF? I have to replace floormats every 3 months?

Warranty Claims:

- Plastic fastners for front bumper, 4 missing from port or during PDI.
- Dead Pedal loose, replaced.
- Passenger-side seatbelt replaced twice.

 

I think the seats are very comfortable and hold you in quite well, I have sat in many sport compacts... IMO the Z seats are very good considering what they are supposed to be doing and I ain't no little guy

Now I can see where some ares the material is wearing out quickly, but same thing in my last car (2002 Honda Civic SI). Also my friend's Acura RSX Type-S leather sport buckets are also wearing (2003).

I expect the bumper to get a beating, and don't notice minor squeaks and rattles (once agian in many of the other cars I have driven, the Z is a luxury sports car LOL). Cupholder is flimsy, but I don't really use it. And I do not have those other two issues.

 

I also like the stock seats alot. You don't know uncomfortable till you have driven in racing seats for a year.

 

+1 on the seats being incredibly good. Maybe they suit certain frames better than others (I'm 6'4, 195lbs.) but they are 10X more comfortable than my Jeep Grand Cherokee's seats or my wife's Jetta's.

 

This happens with EVERY car, not just the Z. There isn't a car I know of that is immune to this.

 

I am a member of a Maxima and an EVO forum as well as this one, and all three of them complain about rock chips on their front bumpers. I think this has to do with the fact you're going to drive these types of cars fasters than you average minivan, truck or four door family hauler.

Also, not everybody's back is shaped the same way, so one seat will rarely satisfy everyone, especially in a sport compact where the seats are designed to support the drive during extreme cornering manuevers.

 

Hey, '05, white enthusiast (6mt) coupe, purchased in Nov '04, dealership in Sunnyvale, and I agree with all of the above, including floor mat, which began wearing out at around 2000 miles. Currently my Z has 4K and the seats are really bad news. Lower back discomfort at times. Seat adjustments don't seem to help any. My solution is to keep driving at break neck speeds, allowing the adrenaline to flow which acts as a pain killer.

The really good news is nothing else to report. At slow speeds, however, when I am looking at a fine woman or not paying attention, I experience the differential "clunking" somewhere around 1st & 2nd gear (6mt). But it is my fault. I let the revs to drop off, clutch is depressed and my speed is in between--do I go to 1st or 2nd?

Anyhow the car is a real tiger esp. w/ NISMO headers & exhaust. JWT "pop" intake is also included and all mods were done @ same time with odometer @ 3600. I hope this helps, rich

 

well my floormat has the hole,

I love my 03 touring seats - made a NJ to CA drive in 3 days and great comfort.

The cupholder may feel flimsy - but It works great! i use it ALL the time.

Dont complain...get entertained!

Great car for sure. Esp for the money considered.

Excellent all-around package.

 

IMO the recaro SRD's arent any better than the stock Z seats. If you have existing back pains then these seats will not help you, if you experience back pains then quit slouching.

 

Welcome to the world of lousy NISSAN service depts. My major complaints so far are :

1.the seats "click" sometimes after adjustment

2. engine seems to idle rough with AC turned off

Im sure the tire feathering "roaring" sound will rear ts ugly head in the future.

 

I have an 05 Enthusiast with 4,000 miles. Here are my experiences for comparison (in bold )

The Good News: SAME HERE!

- No major tranny issues
- No tire feathering
- No alignment issues
- No window grease issues

The Bad News:

- Seats horribly uncomfortable Very true. Lack of lumbar support is to blame. I fixed this with an inflatable bladder-type support inserted behind the fabric
- Seat material wearing out prematurely, like '03, and '04 models I don't see this (yet?)
- Front bumper prone to rock chips like it was a pebble magnet I was forewarned about the Z's poor paint and have changed my driving style because of it. I now allow plenty of space for the car in front of me and try not to be in the same lane as a semi. I do not have any chips in my bumper so far. Could also be that they improved the paint, or I'm just lucky. Who knows.
- Minor squeaks and rattles Yup. Started @ about 2K miles. Rear-view mirror and dash.
- Front visibility poor due to huge-@ss homelink rearview mirror. Yup
- Front cupholder is still flimsy, like '03, '04 Don't use it that much, but probably true.
- Wind noise from driver's side b-pillar deemed "normal" Don't really notice it.
- Emergency brake will need to be adjusted, will not keep vehicle secure on somewhat steep inclines, aka driveway.Yeah, you really got to crank it hard when you park on a hill.

The Ugly:

- Floormat has fist-size crater without carpet where the heel would be for throttle. Went to dealer, they declare it "normal wear and tear" and that they will replace it this time, however next time I am responsible. WTF? I have to replace floormats every 3 months? My floor mats seem okay

Warranty Claims: None so far

- Plastic fastners for front bumper, 4 missing from port or during PDI.
- Dead Pedal loose, replaced.
- Passenger-side seatbelt replaced twice.

 

Nice to hear observations from 05 owners.

It sounds like the same issues are still there for the most part. I had to have the parking brake adjusted on my 03 after around 8k miles.

 

Sears Horribly > I am very surprised!!!
Did Nissan redesigned the new seat for 2005 model?
They got to be kidding

 

No problems with my 05' I agree the cup holder leaves alot to be desired. Seats are awesome. I am by no means a small person either.... Maybe my opinion is clouded somewhat, I reminisce about my 71' 240Z the whole time I'm driving it! I will be on the lookout for those problems though.

 

2005 DB 350Z Base

Purchased 4 Jan 2005, currently has 2600 miles...

i love Nissan seats. from my 71 240Z, 89 180SX, 1990 Skyline GTS-t, 1996 Skyline GTS25t, and now my 05 Z, they all have nearly the same feel... i have horrible lower back problems, and my 4Runner destroys me after an hour of driving to the point my gf has to help me out of the car due to the horrendous spasms i get... the power lumbar support does nothing; it has a lot to do with the poor bottom cushion design Toyota uses in all their cars... it compresses my spine.

i like how the dash has carried over through the years... it screams NISSAN. the tucked cluster like the old Z, the swooped center stack and high center tunnel that supports the shifting arm (be it left or right ), the function controls on the sides of the cluster (though i wish it had all lighting controls on there instead of sticking the hazard button where they felt like it), proper pedal placement for even small feet to heel-toe, but not be so close as to step on your own feet when pedal dancing.

knee pads on the center stack. i guess this is new for 2004.5+? good idea, Nissan... i used to break out the Levi's when i drive a sports car. now i can be free to dress normally without fear of snagging on plastic trim while sideways at 60mph

shifter needs work. it's sloppy into the gates, but notchy when locking into a gear. i dont know how Nissan does it, but they really know how to fudge up shifters. a tad better than my Skyline though... which felt like i was stirring a straw in a milkshake. your guess was as good as mine as to what gear i was going to get into next. getting used to driving on the wrong side of the car for the first year didnt help much, either. my 180SX had by far the best shifter feel, and my friend's 97 GT-R's Getrag felt very positive. but like i said, it is getting better. just need to take out all the neutral slop.


i'll post more after my first oil change... if this thread dies, i'll post a new thread. this may prove helpful as some have already stated.

 

Yes, keep this thread going. I'm interested to see if the car, now in its what, third year, is getting over its initial issues.

 

I've got no floor mat issues that I'm aware of but I have cheap plastic mats on top of the stock ones.

Is your back pain just because of the seat's shape and support or because of rough roads?

I just moved back to the Bay Area from WA and had never driven the Z in the Bay Area till now. I have to say that some highways around here are REALLY rough for long stretches (compared to those in WA). 85 north AND south about 7-8 miles south of Mountain View is really harsh in the Z (too bad I have to take this as part of my daily commute). I once did a drive on 280 south back to SJ from Daly City. One part of the 280 was so bouncy for so long that my back started hurting. I'd NEVER encountered that on my Z (about 10K miles on my Z at the time) or any car before. Keep in mind, I've had a driver's license since 1991.

In WA, you'd never get anything as bad as the 85 segment I'm talking about for more than 0.5 mile.

My Maxima on the same 85 stretch isn't too bad.

 

2004 owner here. I agree with the seats being uncomfortable. I have large legs and the side subbort on the thighs was uncomfortable. The seats have since broken in and feel better. I added the inflatable labdder for lumbar support and it made a world of difference. That is the best mod for the $$ in my opinion. I actually like the seats now.

 

I second the recommendation of the inflatable bladder lumbar supports. Make it your first mod. Here's a linky:

Lumbar Support

- John

 

Maybe you all should get a G35 if its luxury you want !

Personally I am still getting use to the Z but I can tell you (former G owner) I like the ruggedness of the Z anyday - its a rough sports car people