Just signed up to the forum, in consideration of a 350Z.

I'm seriously thinking of dropping my current financing in favor of picking up a used Z.

92' 180SX -> 06' BMW 325i -> 03' 350Z???

I love the Bimmer for it's handling and comfort, but I miss the raw driving experience that the 180 was great at delivering. A 335i is not really in the realm of possibility right now, but I can hands down live with a 350Z.

Anyways, I have a few questions for you owners:

How reliable is the platform overall? Any common problems or issues on the 03' models?

Should I opt for a touring model against the track pack? As much as I want a pure performance machine I do a lot of driving where the touring pack might be a fair compromise on ride quality. I also need heated seats.

Winters? I would use the 180 as a winter beater but I refuse to drive anything without heated seats. These are Canadian winter's I'm talking about, how well can I expect to get around with a decent set of winter tires.
( The 180 was turbo'd probably running close to 250 ponies, but it was seriously the best winter car I've ever had... Might have had something to do with the turbo lag, it was very manageable during even the most adverse conditions)

I know there have been a few revisions to the engine over the years, is the 03' model lacking in any way? I thought the earlier models had higher rev limits which were decreased in newer models. Was this done to better utilize the power band or was it a reliability thing?

Thanks so much for your thoughts. I really welcome any feedback on my consideration as well.

 

Oh yeah, one last question. How bad is insurance and other overhead. I heard these things eat tires and gas lol... I turn 25 next year, golden ticket number since insurance seems to drop significantly at that time...

 

It's a sports car

 

Insurance for me is very low (im 37 with a clean driving record). I bought my Z about a year ago and one of the main reasons I bought it was the low cost of insurance. I shopped around doing the online quote thing, before buying my Z, and came across a number of companies that wanted insanely high rates (Progressive & Gieco-600+ for six months; Mica-1100 for six months!).

Long story short, a friend told me about Travelers, I checked them out and couldn't believe the quote. It was almost like a "sign" to buy the Z because the six month rate was an even 350 dollars for full coverage. It was so low compared to the other companies that I thought it was an error on my part. So I filled out Travelers form a second time and the quote was the same. I bought my Z four or five days later.

Its been eleven months since I bought my car and I can tell you it doesn't require alot of up keep compared to other well taken care of cars. Although, if you buy a Z near the 60k mile mark it will require some extra maintinence - if you wanta keep it running smooth that is. Keep the fluids clean and the tires aligned and it should treat you right.

Coming from a luxary car to a Z you will notice NOISE. 350z's have very little sound deading (which is good-keeps the weight down) but the one complaint about the car i've gotten from passengers is the noisiness of the ride, especially if your tires are worn or are feathered. New tires quieted mine down, but it really didnt bother me at all. Why? Because the thing is sooo much fun to drive. I still look forward to driving it everyday, even in traffic.

 

Welcome to the forum.

In 03's there have been a lot of transmission and tire feathering issues. I have one myself and I love it. I am going to tell you to search because there is information galore on 03 issues. Any particular reason you are set on 03? This will help you alot

https://my350z.com/forum/2003-2008-n...questions.html

Post some pics of your 180 I would love to see it. I had a 386hp SR 240 myself

 

Even though the '03-'05 DE non rev up engine did have the least amount of HP, I wouldn't call it lacking. The '07-'08 HR is the strongest of the different versions but if you are looking at an '03 then the HR might be more than you want to spend right now.


Rates on this, or any car, are going to vary greatly depending on the driver/policy. Just call your agent and have him/her give you a quote. The insurance on my Z is not much higher than on my wifes minivan. But I am 35 with a clean record and get a discount for having multiple policies with my agent.

 

Going from a BMW to a 350Z. I do not see this happening. If you wanted a 350Z you would have bought one.

 

I have an 03 and no problems so far with 40k miles. I average about 24mpg with a healthy mix of city and highway driving. Get an alignment once a year and you'll beat tire feathering. If you're worried about the power difference just do a few simple mods. My 03 with basic bolt-ons pulls my friend's stock 07 pretty good.

If you want heated seats, your only option is the Touring model. The only thing the Track model benefits from is Brembo brakes, which really don't do anything unless you're tracking the car and getting the brakes hot.