So after almost 5 months of ownership, I've hit 5000 miles last night when I parked at my crib coming home from DC. So...lets a review is in order for the 350Z.

Manual Transmission:
Man I still love MT. I rev-match 97% of the time when downshifting. Of that 97%, about 90% of them are perfect rev-matches (that is, the tac needle doesn't jump). I can still improve on this, but I don't consider myself a noob. My clutch still feels brand-new. I bearly have to push it before it is dis-engages the engine from the transmission. My shifts are good but I could still shift a little faster when I am just driving slowly. I find myself attempting to rev-match on rare occasions when upshifting


I rarely stall out now. I take that back...I stalled out last night when I was in the process of parking the car. Needless to say, I left the car as is since it was where I wanted it, just didn't shutdown in a friendly way.

Engine
Loud after 4k RPMS. Sounds great. Wish I knew what the sound was like from a third person's perspective.

Tires
Well, the other day I made a u-turn and I went very quickly for it in first gear only, and my back end came semi-loose. Easy correction, but that was fun as hell! haha...not sure if this belongs in the tire section, but whatever. Still stock tires aren't the greatest, but they aren't terrible at least for me. I don't have money for some performance tires right now.

Styling
Still sexy. mmmm. I don't see too many people looking at me now a days...well that might be because I dont' look at too many people to see if they are looking at me. haha..i was doing that all the time when I first got the Z.

Handling
Still amazing. The other day on one of the local roads, there was a branch in my lane. I saw it early with enough room in front of me to change lanes. Did I change lanes? Of course not. I waited on purpose When I was about 25 ft from it, I decided to cut right (don't worry, I made sure no cars were around when I decided to have this sort of fun).

Problems
Ran into my 1st offical set of problems a week ago. SES light came on and I took it to the dealer to check. Code indicated that it is the neutral switch assembly unit. Last night, I noticed my cruise control and reverse lights weren't working either. I was told this is also tied to the switch assembly unit. Sucks I am running into this problem early in the Z months, but the car drives just fine so its all good.


My Z grade:
A- (minus due to the problems)




OH yeah....this car could use more torque...that is for sure. Thats the only thing I have to say needs to be improved. I am waiting before I dive into the mod scene.

 

great review..I have the same car with 3300 mi. I feel pretty much the same.

 

Can't wait until I get another Z..

 

Just hit 10k myself. No problems.

 

+1...sometimes I feel like I want to set up a microphone in the back of my car just so I can hear it....I love it when I drive it for awhile, then stop at a store real quick, and when I get back out and start the car, I hear this loud GRRRRRRROWL that can be heard around the world..haha....

 

thanks for the review. Torque is a big upgrade compared to my old car (rsx)

 

Only 5000 miles? Get out and drive that thing! LOL Just kidding...I'm at 12,500 on my '06 Enthusiast that I've had for 6 months. Glad to hear you're enjoying your car. I'm on my 2nd 350Z, plus my hubby had one for a while, and I use to have an old 240Z.

 

That was beautiful man [wiping a tear from my eye].

 

A needed photo...


http://livingoutoftune.tripod.com/si...g.w300h247.jpg

 

You are giving me all the inspiration i need that getting the Enthusiast trim is okay as a starter, and that life is still good afterwards. And looking better with all the wonderful mods that are out there in all areas.

I was wondering whether you had gone through similar tradeoffs i'm going through between the Enthusiast and Track trims where, it's about ~$4,447 you save with the Enthusiast trim, but whether Track with following goodies is really a good bargan,

a) Brembo Big Brake Kit (front and rear),
b) RAYS super-lightweight 18" (front)/19" (rear) forged alloy wheels
c) front chin spoiler
d) rear underbody diffusers
e) rear spoiler
f) Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)

Thanks much!

 

haha, I feel ya, but its my weekend driver technically speaking. Even then, I feel I have more miles on it than I should! LOL...go figure.




Honestly, the best way for you to determine that is to test drive both cars and see/feel the difference. I can tell you that c, e, and maybe d are paractially "dress". I don't think they really add much performance in pure stock form especially that rear spoiler. In fact, the Z looks better without it in my opinion. There are better aftermarket spoilers out there. Heck, I'd take a nismo spoiler instead. VDC is good to have, but you got to determine how VDC works versus TCS then ask which would you rather have for the price. That leaves us with a and b. Bigger brakes are always better. Bembros are an excellent set of brakes. Now, you could probably just get good set of aftermarket brakes for a reasonable price. I don't know how much the Rays wheels weigh, but I can tell you they are sexy as hell. Again, you could get good set of rims that weigh less in the aftermarket world.

I can tell you why I got the Enthusiast.

1. I don't like leather. I don't want to maintain it.
2. I got a certain budget to work with.
3. 18" rims were more than enough for me (go 2006 versions!)
4. whatever extra stuff the higher trims had...I didn't care for it much. This is my first sports car so I wouldn't really notice all the extra stuff I don't think.
5. Did I mention I had a budget? hehe.



So the real question is...do you plan to modify your car? If you plan to keep pure stock form (Ie. rims, brakes, body kit, etc), then go for the Track edition. Take your time to decide, but when it comes down to it, go for the car you won't have any regrets. Good luck with the purchase and be sure to post some pics when you get the lady.

 

If you don't have enough torque, you're in the wrong gear.

Actually, I'm disappointed with low/mid range torque also. Nothin' happenin' bleow 4500! But downshifting really does fix that.

bill

 

70k on my 03 and the only complaint I have is that I've feathered 3 sets of tires... On OEM wheels, on aftermarket wheels, on OEM suspension, on Hotchkis suspension... Not sure why it can't be corrected but oh well. I've dealt for 70k and will for hopefully another 70k...

I just deal with the loud ride as it is so worth it for the performance the car offers. Still pulling hard and handling like a charm after so many miles... Even better with my new 275/245 wide tire setup!!

GLad you're enjoying the ride!

 

i could not agree more. 19s= more money for tires. all that sn***y stuf is over kill, its a sports car, not an aston martin.


tommy

 

I couldn't word it better myself...those are the exact same reasons why I chose the enthusiast, rather then a touring or track. However I do like the oem spoiler...I think it adds more of a sportier/clean look to the Z. Now lets get to some of the good stuff...first theres vdc vs. tcs...I honestly don't know what the hell the difference is and I really don't care. I don't even think you would be able to tell the difference, might be wrong. Wheels...honestly I think the OEM 18"s on the 06's are hella bad *** compared to the previous years. I do like the Track wheels a bit more though, they just got that appeal to them...Now to brakes...I heard mixed reviews about the Brembo's...heard a few people have problems with them, heard a few don't. Heard their worth the extra $, heard their not...guess its all a preference, however I do know there are other big brake kits that possibly, might be better then brembo out there....just gotta do your homework. Interior...I personally wanted the heated leather seats, but was not willing to fork up $2000 for 2 seats that are made out of leather, ooOoO and their heated wow...I live in TEXAS...I don't think I would ever use the heater button. And there are shops around here that wrap your seats for maybe half the price and probably better quality. Now on to the radio...I personally don't have any issues with the stock radios, however if they made a harness for the 2006's I would soooooooooooooo go out and buy me a Alpine or Eclipse headunit and future plans are to put a alpine or eclipse screen in the little cubby and HAVE navigation!!! Oh and just FYI I drive a 2006 Enthusiast (bought in January) and right now shes at 4500 miles...Now thats what you call weekend driver =]

Sony a.K.a PonY_KiLLeR

 

Gee I never thought anyone would care about a review of a car that's been out of 4 years and reviewed by pros already, but considering the new model year I guess I should put in my 2cents.

I've had my 2006 SS since January 6th and I have 12,000mi on it as of July 9th. This is primarily a commuter car 60+mi per day. Only 2 day long trips through the infamous Ozark mountains. Everything from the factory has held up, I have changed the oil using Royal Purple and using K&N filters 3 times and I would suggest this to everyone as it helps, trust me. I have had my JWT popcharger for 11,000mi and recharged it with K&N air filter oil last month and is still superb. (GUYS PLEASE WASH YOUR POPCHARGERS REGULARLY!)

I have had minimal problems with traction with the stock Potenza tires, in fact you have to really try to break traction to the point that the car is uncontrollable. I do plan to keep my OEM 18" wheels and upgrade to BFG KDW2 tires by jan 2007. I currently have 70% treadlife left on the stockers.

Clutch and Transmission flawless, paint has minimal chips from highway blast, the windshield has the same wear from highway blast. Brakes are holding up superbly with no noticable wear, rotors are firm (highway mileage).

I do plan to upgrade to a StopTech Stage2 brake kit with slotted rotos in late 2007 when the product is available and the need exists.


The only problem I have with this car is the lack of a double din dash trim kit for an aftermarket radio, what a let down. Also, if you aren't driving with a radar detector as good as the Valentine V1, you aren't enjoying your car as much as you should.

 

Yep, you just reminded me of my only gripe with the '06 - no radio kit!! I had the Alpine w/iPod set up in my other Z, and now I'm stuck with the stupid stock radio until a kit comes out. Wish they'd hurry!!!

 

Don't know how you do it...

 

I got a 2000 Honda Civic Coupe as my "daily" driver...on the + side i can use regular gas and the gas mileage is dammmnnn good, cost me like $26 to fill her up...i remember the good old days when i used to pay $10 to fill up a tank. another one is that i can drive it whatever way i want since its not dropped anymore and its just a fun little car. the down side is the engine is a slow pos 4 banger. but other then that shes got 80k miles and still running strong...and paid off. im gonna drive that thing to 200k miles...just you watch

 

LOL - I purchased my Z on 4.27 and have ~4500 mile as of today. My first choice was the Track but given the exceptional deal on the GTC 5AT, I took it. The car had none of the extra options that I did not want and most everything I did want. It was going to be hard to wait 2-3+ months on a special order. Do I wish for the 6MT some days, sure. I just drive in the manual mode all the time and do not regret it. Why regret something when you can enjoy it to the max!

I am fine with everything about my GT.

• Bose is fine with some tweaking. MP3 CDs in it ROCKS - So many tracks, ~90+/disc, to choose from.
• Rays 18"/19" setup is candy sweet. Maybe upgrade tires to 255/275 when stocks are worn out.
• Brembos are mostly positive. They have excellent stopping power but grabs too hard initially.
• Vented leather with orange accent/stitching matches the Le Mans Sunset color well. I like leather.
• VDC saved me on a back road bend, darn small rocks/loose road debris, so it was worth it.
• 5AT works well once you learn its qualities. I am a noob with MT anyways having own 1 MT car out of 7 lifetime.

My daily is a paid for 99 Honda Accord EX-V6 sedan with HR springs, Eibach sways, 17" SSRs, Yokohamas, and 152K+ miles - still a blast and my all-weather friend. Meticulously maintained mechanically, she will see 200K and then some. Bet you pony_killer that I will make it there before you.

Btw - My commute is ~95 miles daily. I do not mind it at all when I am in the Z. In fact, I even take my time and granny drive some days.

rockinbboy - We should meet up since I am in the Frederick area also. The gauntlet is still out there - bet you I can make it to Frederick Nissan on Grove Road in about 6 minutes. I sure hope there are no cops along the way when I try. Cya at the Active Tunning meet on 7.29 ......