I'm shopping for a Z and I just got back from a Chevy dealer here in Atlanta GA. They have a 03 BrickYard 350Z Enthusiast with 15K miles..I tried to get them down to $18500 but was not successful... They came back with $20K offer and I turned it down. The reason I did is because I can get a 03 Touring in black w/9K miles from a private owner for $22K....Both are 6 MT. ...I don't know what to do!....Should I just wait for a used/new 05 when the 06's start comming out by the end of the year..or should I jump on either these two deals....thanks Ernesto

 

I usually look at KBB trade in values and figure thats about much the delership paid to get that car. I would guess the dealer paid $17-18k for it so 20k is not a bad deal you may be able to get $500 more. They only made the BrickYards in 2003 so If you love that color this may be your only chance.

If you are going to be financing the car you can usually get better interest rates from buying off a dealer than when you buy from a private party. If this is the case you should take that into consideration when you pick dealer vs private party.

 

man or auto

 

orig post says both are 6mt

 

Yeah, it's worth 20k easy. I would've killed for that deal 4 months ago. Jump on it, but check carfax.com first.

 

check vehicle history first then get car immediately !!!

 

Thanks all for your quick replies!...very much appriciate it.....So, $20K is not bad then?...I love the color(Brickyard)... but the color is not too important vs how much $$$ I will spend.....I am going to pay cash, so I wont' be financing, the reason I'm trying to get the best deal I can...Man, these cars are sweet to drive!...I have already test drove a few Z's and I want one so bad!!..thanks again!..Ernesto

 

I would wait for a new 05 when the 06's come out...
if paying cash, I would want a cherry car with full warranty...
(or pay mostly cash, finace balance for 12 mos/ 3%)
I would go to Gwinnett Nissan at the end of each month...

Good luck and welcome!

 

Bargain for $19k and see what happens. they may over $19.5k, and if you are willing take it. I'd go Brickyard easily.

-Anish

 

Let it rest for a day or two and see if the dealer calls you back...they may make another counter offer!

 

As said before on this forum, I would try to avoid 03 models because of the first year models and problems associated with it. I would spend a little more and get a brand new 05, but thats me.

Good Luck.

 

Yah I have to agree...that is the mistake I did with my car

 

if you really want the brick, just walk in and tell them 18,500 cash. after previously working for a dealership, i can tell you now they have no more than 15-16K in that car. you can get this car for 18.5 OTD. trust me my friend, car dealers are so very crooked, ALL of them. they make all their money off used cars and dealer incentives for new ones.

 

Have you gone over the car with a critical eye yet? Since its an '03 with 15k miles then most likely any problems will have surfaced. Look for uneven tire wear, tranny grinding (try to get on the car a little, you're looking for a 1-2 or 2-3 gear grind), listen for any clicking from the half-shafts in the rear, driver seat movement, clucking from the front end, etc. Problems with this year are very well documented on this forum.

I've addressed all of the problems above on my '03, and am still dealing with the tire wear issue. That said, I love the car and have no intentions of getting rid of it. On a more optimistic note :-), a buddy of mine has an '03 with only the tire wear issue. And I know of others on this forum that have had no problems.

Bottom line, be informed.

Good luck!
|dave

 

Hi Dave, Yes, I was checking for those issues when I did the test drive.( this is a great forum , I'm lucky I found it!!, you guys are a great help and a good source of information) I've been lurking at other post as well. As far as the tires, they seemd to look good, and looks like they are the original tires. The 6 speed manual transmission was smooth and I had no problems. I didn't notice any griding at all shfiting from 1st-2nd or 2nd-3rd. The car looks to be in great shape...The mgr. said it was a one owner car (female) traded in for an Chevy SUV. He might be just saying that! I double checked carfax and the report came back as a sole owner. I think it does have about another 6 or 8 months of warranty left...If I do get the car, and if offered, is it worth getting an extended warranty? I would think so no?.with all the problems...Also, This is the Enthusiast model. Where is the cruise control or the traction control(TC) buttons. Does the TC have a on /off switch? I know it doesn't have the VCD...

By the way, the Black touring I was looking at for 22K had 4 owners according to Carfax...four owners and only 9K miles?..doesn't seem normal unless it was bounced around dealer to to dealer..I don't know.

Again. thanks for all the feedback you guy are giving me....I really do much appriciate it. I let you guys know what I decide to do...I even order a 1yr subscribtion to the Z magazine!!....Regards Ernesto

 

If it's the Enthusiast, you'll see the Cruise control buttons on the steering wheel, and the TCS button beneath the steering wheel on the left side. It will also have Xenon headlights which look pretty obvious at night.

The warranty is not a bad idea, but you have lots of choices, outside the dealerhip. I believe the drivetrain warranty is 60k miles or so. That's the most important one. The three year part of the warranty is for all the stuff that is not drivetrain. Check out the nissanusa.com web site for details.

 

Hi Rosko, They are selling this car as the Enthusiast and it is not then..it is the Base Model, there is nothing on the steering wheel, and I don't see the TCS button on the left side. I see the two plastice thingy where it should be but there is nothing. Is there a way to tell by the VIN# if this is BASE, or Enthusiast?...CarFax doesn't indicate what model it is...humm.....good thing I asked...now this changes things...it's not such a good deal afterall...oh well, back to square one!...I'm going to a Nissan dealer and check a Enthusiast...Didthe 05's Enth change much from 03's?.....thanks again!!..Ernesto

 

That sucks. No, you can't tell by the VIN. Apart from straightening out the known issues with the '03, I think the '05 Enthusiast is the same - just different color choices. Good luck.

 

If nothing on the steering wheel, it is a Base.

 

Besides Liquid Aluminum, Brickyard is the rarest color. If that makes a difference, then get it. The base model is great if you plan on transforming it into an AutoXer but if you just want a nice car to drive everyday then I would hold out for at least an enthusiast. The TC has saved me a few times and the upgraded headlights just increase the lux of the car.