first post..

im considering getting a used 350z. ive done a lot of reading here and between the '03 general problems 03/04 tire feathering/transmissions, and the '06 oil consumption issues, it seems that i am limited to 2004.5 and 05 cars. is this pretty much the general consensus? an 07 is out of the question because of price. i dont think i can go over 23000 sticker

but if i WERE to get say an '04, or '06, is that the kiss of death? how common are the problems, mainly the 06 oil consumption problem? after reading posts it seems like it probably plagues every single '06 model, but i would doubt this is the case

also is there any difference in the '04.5 models with the vin ending in T16xxxxxx and Mxxxxxx ? and is there any notable difference in even the '04.5 and '05?

thanks

 

Yes the 2005 is the one with virtually no problems.

My suggestion is to just wait another year and get a used 2007. The car is depreciating pretty fast and at the same time you are saving more money. Definitely worth the wait because of the warranty, the new engine, better gas mileage, and the bump on the hood looks sooo damn good

In my area, I see over thirty 2006 Z's on sale. I guess all the owners were fed up with the oil consumption so they rather pay like $5000 more to trade in for the new 2007 (or because winter is coming)

 

I personally don't have any oil consumption on my 2006 z. I think it all depends how you break in the motor. Mine was driven for 12,000 miles under 70mph (previous owner was a 58 year old lady) and she never revved the engine over 3,000 because the dealer never changed the rev light and she was afraid to go over it.

 

You are very very lucky to find a car like that. In my area, I doubt any of our idiot Canadian drivers even know anything about the engine break-in period.

 

well since i wont be able to buy an 06 thats still in the break in phase, i wont have any way to be sure how it was driven.

as far as waiting for the 07s to come down in about 1 year, that could be an option maybe.. but do you think the base model would come all the way down to 22k or so? VERY few 06 models currently are. so i'd probably have to wait longer. so theres a better engine in the '07? is that and the gas mileage important enough to wait 18 months for? wont be in my price range until then..

im pretty happy with my 2006 scion tc though. im not near 100% sure im ready to make a change to the nissan, but i really like the look and specs of the 350z.. need to test drive one though and do some more research.

 

don't test drive one till you are ready to buy because the bug will hit you hard. 350z are a heck of a lot of fun to drive.

Not sure they will get down to the 22k range in a year, but you have a year to save so a couple thousand shouldn't be an issue for you, if it is maybe you need to rethink car choices as these cars can suck some money out of a budget. Tires, insurance, and upgrades are expensive.

The 2007 got a new engine (thats the reason for the new hood)

Honestly if you have a 2006 scion right now you might as well save up some. You would take a heck of a hit trading that in.

 

No problems with my 06. Its been 1 1/2 yrs.

 

i put down 5k when i bought the scion, and did some audio upgrages (carpc) so i think i can get about 3k out of it if i traded it in. plus i can put down 1 or 2k cash, so thats 5k down total. i think i can get my car payments to around 300 to 320

the reality is, in a year i may not want a 350z. i may think "well i wanted one a year ago, i dont NEED one, and i was able to wait this long so why bother", which in the long run may be even be a good thing since i'd be saving about 60 bucks a month in car payments (i pay 250/month right now) . but i dont want to hear that right now because i really want one

 

Get an '05 and sleep better a night. Also, the '05 has the highest torque/weight ratio of any 350Z ever built.

 

Well, i've got a couple of decent leads on some 04.5's is the torque/weight ratio difference very large? im honestly not very familar with a specifics of the terms and standards. i dont plan on upgrading the car or anything

 

For subjective reliability data check…

Never mind. I said that a hundred times.

 

huh?

 

My 06 has about 27k with no problems so far *knocks on wood*

 

NO NO NO. ALL '06s, or even MOST '06s do not have an oil consumption issue. I am tired of people spreading this around. Mine has had zero issues, and I have watched the oil levels very closely due to the amount of complaints of others on this issue.

 

Exactly. My dealer said they had one issue, same car, same driver, twice. It was owned by a girl, when her husband drove, no issues, when she drove, no oil. The only difference was how hard she drove it, and that he warmed the car up a lot longer (and didn't drive it hard initially). They also replaced the motor twice and then bought the car back as a good gesture (traded on a 2007, but knowing the dealer it was actually fair).

The 07 doesn't get better gas mileage, I get crappy mileage just like everyone else, the 07 however is a lot faster, which may or may not be worth it to you. Wait a year or so, there is no "real" information on what the future of the Z is and it could be a bad time to dive into one when you would be financing it so heavily.

 

I think buying a used sports car is a big gamble. What else is there to say? Better to buy a cheaper new car.

 

Mine is a 2003 with 65k on the odometer. Factory took care of all the problems under warrenty and has been maintance-free except for normal wear and tear. I suggest going to a reputable dealership and have them do a thorough inspection before purchase. Don't let the horror stories scare you away. The Z is a very well-made fun machine.

 

06 here and no problem

 

06 here and no problem. You don't mention if you are interested in an MT or AT. I gather that the problem with oil consumption is confined to the MT. Also, please remember you are reading a biased sample of people who have oil consumption problems. Your not going to get the same type of heavy response from people without problems. Consumers Reports rates engine reliability of the 06 as well above average. No mention or indication of a major oil consumption problem.

 

06 6MT here. 22K miles on the odometer, NO Problems, whatsoever. Bought new, 10 months ago.