For the daily driver Z's...
 

I've been thinking about getting a Z for a while, can't exactly afford two cars so If I got a Z it would be my only vehicle. Do they make alright daily drivers?

I have an '02 Eclipse right now.

Yes.... I'm 6ft, 230 lbs.. Comfy for me..

I use mine as a daily driver, but the gas mileage sucks because I use surface streets. It is a sports car though and I love it for my daily commute. Driving on the highway will get some decent mileage though. Plus, you can make it exciting once a week or so by opening it up on an Eclipse. :) Kidding!

If you're driving an 02 Eclipse right now, the Z will be just fine as a daily driver. I had a co-worker with that same car and he really enjoyed my car in comparison. You'll only have slightly less storage space (mostly because of the loss of the "backseat"...we were never actually able to fit a human in his Eclipse backseat). lol

It's great for me as a daily driver. Great amount of leg room and comfort for me. I have bad knees and a bad back and neck and the car causes no pain. It just makes my wallet a bit lighter :icon38:

:icon18: sounds like you should be driving a wheelchair instead of a Z

What do you intend to do when it snows?

Good point. It's critical to remember that the Z is a powerful RWD sportscar. In heavy snow or black ice (I know you get those kind of storms in St. Louis), it's NOT what you want to be driving around in. A set of snow tires will help during the winter months and I just posted on another thread about an all-season compromise:

https://my350z.com/forum/wheels-and-tires/240313-nitto-neo-gen-tire-review-from-the-big-chill.html

I live in OKC and our weather is very similar to st louis... we seem to get worse ice storms than anything... mine has been a daily driver for about 3 years now(absolutely love it, no regrets).... the eclipse will do better in bad weather but the Z more than makes up for that during the rest of the year.

plan of action:
1- save $1500
2- buy ford escort station wagon (or other pos of choice)
3- insure it to the minimum your state allows
4- get multiple car insurance discount!
5- put a cover on the z in bad weather and drive the wagon like i do!

or look at an awd g35x (maybe a used one to save a few $$)

Yeah. I feel like I should be in a home at times. Sports will kill you later in life and getting rear-ended does not help either. :cool:

mine is a daily driver. got it in feb 06. Incredible for the daily commute, lots of power and looks, even now 4 yrs or so later since its inception. I live in chicago so i know about bad winters. Ive been lucky this year since winter has been mild so far. the Z handles fine in the rain, but be careful when taking corners too fast or mashing the throttle during a turn in the rain because the Z will definatly slide and drift at time when you wont want it to. But you will LOVE this car. good luck

the z is good for daily driving as long as you respect the elements around you on the road when conditions aren't so good!

yaa i love the Z as my daily driver......im 6foot2 325...and i got pleanty of room in mine!!!!

its my daily drive ... right now as well.
its comfy as hell.... 5'11'' 155lbs

but im buying my friends 95 Eclipse GSX .... its modded and it will be my daily driver when i get it. its suppost to be pushing bout 400 wheel horse power.

Z is stock for now. but trying to keep the miles of it... I will start modding it as soon as i have more money and time...

My 04 ZR is currently my daily driver (22 miles one way to my office). I literally look forward to the commute each day because I have so much fun driving it. However, like many here, I would like to keep the miles on it to a minimum so I will start driving my son's 1991 Accord when he ships out (Air Force basic training) at the end of this month.

Definitely right about that. I live in Chicago too, this is my first winter here and my first winter with my Z. In the rain, the back end will get loose without much effort. With even a little snow/ice on the roads it takes lots of effort to keep the wheels from spinning. It's drivable without snow tires, which I'm doing and will continue to do, just be Very Very careful.

If you've always wanted a badass two seater with all the speed and style you could ask for, get it. You won't be disappointed. Although if I could do it over, I'd definitely step it up to the Touring Edition. I wish I had the nav, leather and bose stereo.

+1
the Z is the sh!t for the daily commute in nice weather, it made me a much happier person at work when it was my daily driver. plus you get to drive it again at the end of the day, its like an added bonus. im not the same with the wagon :icon22:

I also DD my 350z for the most part. I drive about 50 miles round trip daily.

I also have a Jeep Cherokee. But it is lifted and very modded for 4x4ing. It is not to friendly on the gas $$$$

Whoa I guess I am the first one to say the opposite.
Well don't get me wrong, it works great on stock trim.
But when I had to drive 80 miles a day to my new work it wasn't such a
good experience(ended up quitting that work, thank God)
I guess most of it had to do with my 19" rims with low-profile tires(I could feel every bump on the road)
and lowered stiffer springs.
Maybe my shocks are giving in also...the ride is HARSH.

Well my point was that if you plan to fix up your car it can be significantly less of a daily
driver than stock.

I actually bought a new 07 Elentra to use it as daily driver.
Time to go join the Elentra forum LOL