as my profile says, im waiting to get into the air force
oct 1st
i plan on getting a daytona blue touring 350Z with frost interior

right now im driving a '99 sentra, which could be good if it would frikkin change gears w/o hanging around the top of the gear for so long (yes, its an auto)(*sigh* i... just... cant... drive... standard...)

is there anything i should know about the Z?
i immediately noticed its pillar created blind spot, and how the side mirrors do a pretty good job of keeping it visible

i imagine i will get a few replies that i should not even bother with an auto, but... so what?
(or wait... is the auto like horribly done or something? like my damn sentra?

i have heard the bose system in the touring model is pretty bad
how easy is it to change the system? would the smallness of the car get in the way and all?

i must admit, i am a computer geek, not a mechanic or real big ricer or anything

im going to try to get a test drive in a Z tomorrow, i have already worked out a nice payment plan on the nissandriven site to where i could drop a 15K down payment from my 8K signing bonus for the air force, plus a couple month's pay and my sentra's 5K trade in value
i will wind up with payments around 377 (heh, if i can find one at the msrp)
whats the insurance like on one of these babies?
i have a pretty clean record, and im 21 and going into the military (if that makes a difference)

i dont know... im just a bit confused
this is *my* first car to be buying all by myself, i love it and all, but damn, im lost

 

Responses;

Do not pay one thin dime over MSRP & you might be able to get 1000-2000 below.

Get a stick. If you can walk & chew gum at the same time, you can drive a stick & it is much more fun. I taught my 20 year old son ( who is kind of a geek) how to drive a stick on the Zzzz. Both he & the Zzz survived just fine. In fact, he took it out himself today. But if you insist on auto, it will be fine.

Payments of $377 are quite reasonable. Someone else needs to advise on insurance; I'm older (much) & the Zzzz is not a primary vehicle.

Visibility is fine.

Have you considered an Enthusiast or Performance model? Basically the same car & it will save you a few bucks. I don't have the Boise system but numerous people have said it sucks.

 

are the enthusiast and performance just basically the touring and track, respectively, but with a few extras tossed out?

if thats the case, and they are the same cars- just w/o the crappy bose system (i kinda need the good sound... being an audiophile is really a curse)

i really do think i should get a stick
i just dont want to mess up a brand spankin new Z while learning it

a friend of mine got a (vomit bags are located on the seatbacks in front of you) new beetle several years back
it was a standard, and he had no clue how to drive one
he told me you learn real quick if you have to

heh- i hope so
i want a standard, i just dont know if i can drive it

 

Zzzz?

huh?

 

My sister just buoght a WRX manual. She's never driven a manual before, and she learned pretty quick how to drive it. Wasn't more than a few days and she is decent. The first couple or days weren't great, many stalls.

I learned on my friends 240sx a couple years ago. Spent 2-3 hours praticing and by the end I was just fine. I only stalled twice, and both times when we were practicing taking off from a steep hill.

Also, I am going to go talk with the local Air Force recruiter tomorrow and check out info. I'm gonna see what that's all about. (Want to be a pilot - already have a private pilot's license) I'm 23 with a degree in Aerospace Engineering. I'll just check things out.

 

thats awesome

just so you dont get your hopes up and get a crushing dissapointment- to be a pilot in the air force, natural 20/20 vision is required
bastards...


i hope you really consider going in, and i wish you luck if you do
you probably wont be needing any luck with a deg in aerospace engineering
i really wish i had gotten a degree in anything before going in... well, i was going to a really bad college and i figured no college was better than SHSU

 

If I know my dad is calling me a geek on a public forum...

 

hey, dont worry
if you were a geek, you would know thats not a bad thing to be called

 

Between stick or auto, get what you'll be more comfortable driving. Most "stick" enthusiasts can be out accelerated by auto transmissions these days because they can't shift smoothly enough anyway. However, I prefer stick myself because of the feeling of control it gives over the car. If you can drive more confidently with an auto go for it.

As for the radio, yeah, the bose system isn't all that hot (certainly not worht the extra money) so don't buy a touring just for the radio. If you're an audio-head you'll replace any stock radio eventually anyway. The stock radio as very nice "highs" thanks to the tweeters, so-so midrange and so-so bass levels. As for the other touring options, if you like leather seats etc, it may be the car for you. Otherwise the best bang for your buck is probably an enthusiast (which comes with traction control and the must-have limited slip differential) or possibly the performance (to get the VDC for added safety in inclement weather).

Good luck!