New to the forum. I have a 2002 C5 Corvette. I have always loved the 350Z, and am considering trading in my Vette for an '05 or '06 Z. The Vette is a cool car, and will really throw you back in your seat, and handle like a champ. I also have an '04 Murano, so I'm familiar with NISSAN's qaulity, style, and performance. I realize this is a stupid question, but does anybody have anything negative to say about the 350? I hear things like "new brakes and tires every 12K miles" - but I want to hear from the people who own these awesome cars. What is true and what isn't? Thanks!

 

new brakes and tires every 12k depends how you drive the car.....any car you'll have to replace them if you drive the car like you stole it everytime......06 Z's are known for burning oil quickly other then that i think the Z is an awesome car...i have a 03 Touring and dont regret getting this car.

 

keep the vette, or buy the 370z. At this point, the 350 is losing value because of the 370 launch. Vette will hold its own, and is a lot faster than the z.

 

If you're going to go Z buy an 07 or 08 with the HR motor.

 

the Z is going to feel pretty slow next to your vette.

Things i dont like about my 06 Z:
Tire roar
general interior quality (and i have an 06 which is an improvement over earlier years)
Engine not particularly torquey at low revs compared to other years.
Crap rear visibility/huge blind spots
not the MOST reliable car i've ever owned

The list of things i love about this car is way longer, but that's not what you asked. Also i'd HIGHLY suggest paying the extra cash and just getting an 07. Way better engine.

 

tire roar? that is a tire choice issue isn't it?

drive it and see if you like it. it's a low maintenance car, tires will last you 20k miles if not slightly more depending on what you get and how you drive, brakes do not go out that quick etc..

even a C5 vette is faster then a Z though.

 

I would keep the Vette too. It's simply an awesome car. They look great, go fast and handle well not to mention super reliable. At this point a 2002 isn't worth all that much so if you have had it for a few years there isn't much point to selling it really.

The 350Z is a great car and I love it but I would probably trade it for a Vette of similar value given the chance. Maybe thats because I have always like them and never owned one. I have owned a Porsche and a few other nice cars however. Don't get me wrong I love my 350Z and it gets looks and is plenty fast enough.

The 02 Vette has 350hp and the 350Z stock 287. You can upgrade the 350Z to 320-330BHP (not wheel hp obviously) without a whole lot of fuss, so you should be able to experience close to the same throw back power you are used to in the Corvette. The vette is about the same weight as the 350Z, but it will have way more torque with a 5.7L V8. So really you will feel some loss in straight line acceleration especially to a stock 350Z but a few light mods will help out in that area considerably. The vette is a muscle car and the 350Z a sports car...

If you are really effected by a cars straight line performance than you will be disappointed. If you are more of a sports car affectionado and enjoy a really well put together piece then the 350Z will impress you and be a pleasure to own.

 

if your going to get a 350, the 350 to buy is the HR equipped Z. My Z has allot of anoying interior rattles, other than that though, I love the car, The VQ can beating too. But honestly, if I was you, I would get the 370z. Better in everyway, looks subjective , of course....I think it looks sexy and aggresive TEHO

 

Lots of enthusiasts snicker about General Motors reliability, but the 2002 - 2004 Corvettes are some of the more reliable vehicles on the road. Its not until 2005 that Corvette goes downhill.

How does this compare to 350Z reliability? Check Consumer Reports.

 

ill trade you my Z for your vette...

 

If your looking for an out of the box race car the z isnt the first choice. Its fast to me but i went for 86 sentra to chevy cavalier to 300zx (na) to 350z so outa that line up its obvious wich would seem fast. If your looking for reliable, i havent had to change anything unless it was my fault. Id say a test drive is the way to go.

 

PM davidv, he swears by the RSX.. Maybe you should get VTEC..

 

rsx

 

I got 22k miles on my stock brakes and 25k miles on my stock protenzas. I drive like Gramps.

 

only thing i hate about my z is not being able to rely on it. 2 seater, but that can be a plus when u dont want to take friends everywhere

you are comming from a corvette, so i think you would know

i also didnt like the shift ****, so i got a CF nismo shift **** right away

 

The vette is a splendid car make no doubt. And I cannot disagree with much that is said from above. If out and out power is your target keep the vette. If handling is your key I truly can not tell you how close these two are as I have not taken a vette through the paces I have taken a Z. I will say that the driving experience in the ZR I have was simply more pleasureable than the vettes I drove at the time for equal money. Its not faster or even handle better, but it just feels so right IMO to drive. It was a hard to explain quality of the car when I bought it and its still there. Though they are known to burn more oil than other versions I actually like the power delivery better in the RevUp than I do the HR. Both my pre 06 coupe and the post 06 HRs I have driven both seem to be far rougher in character than the 06 again IMO. The pre 06has more tq than all the other VQs including the 370 at least as far as peak is concerned and the HR simply has more power than Rev-Up which can seem a little flat up to 2500 rpm but the power up top seems much smoother than any of the other VQs except possibly the VHR for which I have not driven. These are of course my opinions and yours may differ. The cars are plenty reliable and even my 06 has been awful reliable though i drive it like i stole it every time i get in the car. I just check the oil more because now i am now more sensitive to oil issues than I am in the 03. Drive the Z and see what you think. Its not a bad situation you are in to be choosing from keeping an 02 vette and buying a Z.

 

Thanks for your comments - good points. I can't really say anything bad about the Vette. It is a Chevy, but it's a "better Chevy". I've driven several 350s - handling is real close. I still think the Z wins on styling, and they turn my head every time. Gonna be a tough choice. BTW, I like the look of the 350 over the 370. Thanks again.

 

Have you seen the 370 in person? It looks alot better in person. I thought it looked like crap on the computer.

 

I didn't like the 370 at first but i think it has some potential.

 

Uhhh