mikebralley

I have been a Z fan since my youth and have personally owned 2. I have driven every model they have ever released and this new Z beats them all hands down. I have been following the making of this car from the concept stages to now. I have seen many pictures, read many good reviews and very few bad. I preordered a Chrome Silver 6sp Enthusiast model in May. Today I went to see my first 350Z. The dealership preordered it for direct sale to the first person interested. It was a fully loaded black 6sp. Touring model. I was the first customer to take a look at it. I checked the car out from top to bottom. It is absolutely beautiful! After scanning the whole car I took a look at some of the areas that have been criticized by both critics and owners. The gas fill lid was the first. It is definitely not a good fit with the contour of the body. To the average Joe it wouldnt even be noticed. But if you look close at the right side of the lid you will see that it actually lips up a bit higher than the body. Nothing major but could be a problem in the future. I then checked out the fit and trim of the interior. It wasnt nearly as bad as the critics made it out to be. I was impressed with the quality of the materials used and the fit was near perfect. Everything felt good and solid and didnt feel as if it would break if you applied accidental pressure. Overall the interior gets two thumbs up. I then checked out the Bose system, a common grip with owners. I can say that the Bose system in this car is definitely not up to par. Some stereo geeks say that speakers need to be broken in before they sound good. I sold Nissans from 95-98. I have never heard a Bose system sound this bad. It was muffled and boomy. Two thumbs down. One thing I did notice was that the speedometer in this touring model showcased kilometers instead of MPH. MPH was the small numbers in the center, like seen with kilometers in most American sold cars. Odd but different. Then came the fun part....."The Test Drive!" The sales person put the plate on the car and with the turn of the key I heard music to my ears. Not loud like a Vette or Stang but more like a Porshe like purr. I pushed in the clutch and ran through the gates of the shifter for feel and then I was off. This car is everything I expected it to be on the road. The clutch felt nice, acceleration was quick (under 4000 rpms) and the steering is precise and tight. I took a 360 degree on ramp at 65 and it felt as if I could have taken it at 80 with more to give. The ride is firm but forgiving. The shifter is really cool. I felt like I was in control of a true racing machine. The gates are close but very easy to find. If I would have had my way I would have opened it up down the highway at 100+ daring anyone to challenge me. I felt very confident with my driving experience and had a blast. The navigation system kicks *** but is an expensive option. It was a lot of fun looking at street signs and looking down and seeing their names on the screen. It is a fun toy but in my opinion it isnt worth the $2,000 you have to spend on it. I concidered buying the car but at $42,000 I decided to pass on it and wait for my $28,000 Enthusiast. After driving this car I am ready to build a raft and sail to Japan to pick up my car. I am certain I will drive my wife nuts in the mean time and assure that all of you Z enthusiasts waiting for your cars will be completely satisfied. Happy Driving!

jmark

iTrader: (1)

Excellent post. Can't wait for mine.

Todd

Huh?? Was this one destined for Canada or something? No pictures I've seen show this to be the case.

mikebralley

It is funny that you asked. I went back to the same dealership and they had to send the car back. It was in fact a canadian Z and could not be sold in the states due to void of warranty. I new something strange was going on.

TJZ

Great idea!