Opinions
 

2007 350z AT with 105k miles or 2005 350z MT with 74k miles with the brembo breaks and all that good stuff? Only reason I'm having having trouble deciding is cause ones an hr and one isnt

M/T

If its a daily and you encounter a lot of traffic, then a manual can be a pain sometimes. I personally drive a DE and don't have any complaints about the engine.

Is the 05 an anniversary edition? My personal opinion, go with the M/T, I just couldn't see myself getting the same amount of Smiles Per Gallon in an A/T 350Z. Nothing wrong with the A/Ts, just a personal preference. The only gripe I have with 07-08 HR 350Z is the Concentric Clutch Slave Cylinder unit inside the trans bell housing (Assuming you find an M/T 07-08). These are prone to failure over time and are a chore to replace (requires the trans to be dropped). The issue is easily remedied with aftermarket heavy duty units, best to tackle this during a clutch replacement. At the end of the day, pick the car that best suits your driving habits and understand that these model Zs are getting on in their years giving you more negotiating power on the price. Do some research on prices in your area, only truly exceptional 350Zs sell for over 10K these days.
-Icer

HR should be a dead giveaway. When I was looking for a 350 it was a requirement to be an HR. Transmission didn't matter and unfortunately I've read awful things about the m/t in these cars have. What's your budget if I may ask and what's the options you want? Why not get a g37? Better car that can be had for cheap with better options and probably better mileage. I would say get what best suites you!

not to respectfully disagree with you 100% but I'm going to
I would find a good DE - it may be inferior in some ways to an HR bone stock to bone stock but I believe the DE has way more upgrade options and usually at a smaller price tag, way more replacement parts if you break something, and is a simpler engine overall (talk to a few guys that lost the clock spring in the exhaust timing cog and it grenade'd their engine). I also think the Z is better than the G - if you want a 'sports car' … not that the G is bad, it's just more luxury minded (which is perfectly ok - if that's what you want).

I definitely hear ya but the DE is just an outdated engine. (Most Nissan is outdated to a degree lol) I wouldn't expect anyone to pay premium pricetag for such an older car. Reason I compared the Z with the G was due to cost, me personally I'd rather have a VQ over DE/HR. Cost of repairs being higher should be expected lol.

Just to be the devil in the thread, don't forget to look at some 5th gen Corvettes. They are usually around the same price as a nice Z. Maybe a couple grand more, but it does come with more HP. So if you add up the parts you need on a Z for the HP it should be about the same.

Id agree with you that they are 'outdated' but one could say the same thing about an LS or a 2jz …in fact, with how engines are going to direct injection and how they are having catastrophic issues and expensive fuel upgrades, I'd don't know that I'd ever want a new 'modern' engine?

what do you mean by having a VQ over a DE/HR??

He's got plenty of fair priced options in all honesty...I would never rule out a vette! Prices are good, availability is plentiful and it's a solid performer.

I didn't clarify lol...sorry man so used to it being just called VQ with the 370 crowd. Even though they are all VQ...I meant to say 3.7 vhr over 3.5 de/hr/ no matter what iteration it is. Hence the reason I tossed the g37 in there. And as for older tech yes and no...really matters honestly. I would personally take a newer LS over an older. But it more or less depends on what he's looking for..

lol … I wasn't about to jump all over you - it's all good!

For sure (on engine technology) I think one of the better improvements has been cam timing and/or variable timing and I'm plenty happy with the DE's setup - maybe if I had exhaust timing I'd sing a different tune but play the hand you were dealt.

Man I love a good debate lol!! After I said that I'm like imma dumbass...my thing was I was stuck in a similar scenario when I was looking. I wanted an Uprev but heard awful things and the DE just didn't have the numbers I wanted....so I went with a 70 lol! For the price here (near stl) a newer 350 was close in cost to an older 370. Hell man the g37 is getting rock bottom prices.