OCMusicJunkie

Hey everyone! First post here on the site.

Right now I drive an '03 Celica GT-S. I'm planning to put my Celi up for sale next week, then buy a "true" sports car. I'm looking at a few, but it would appear as if the Z best fits both my needs and price range. I test drove one this week and was thoroughly impressed. However, I've read some rather negative things about a couple aspects of the car. Hopefully I can get some feedback from everyone here, in regards to how significant these issues are.

First, I've read many articles about the tire wear/feathering, and how Nissan is yet to create a solid solution. Normally tire wear wouldn't be that big of issue for me... until I saw that there is an actual class-action suit. Do the '04 models still have these problems?

The other thing I've read about is transmission problems in the cars. Has anyone here experienced any trouble? I think it was Autoweek that did a survey of 72 owners... with five of them actually invoking the Lemon Law because of the tranny.

Beyond all of that, has anyone experienced any serious problems besides those two mentioned above? I really love the car, but many people are telling me it's high-maintance at best... and a nightmare at worst...

wanderlust

I actually went from an '02 Celica (GT) to a 350Z last week. WOW, what an upgrade!! The Celica can't even begin to compare...

I too was a little concerned about the "issues" with the Z, but I went ahead with it anyway. In all the research I've done (Z forums mainly), I've found that there isn't any substantial proof yet that the '04's have the feathering issue. So far, it's mostly the '03's. I'll be keeping a close eye on mine...

Don't know much about the transmission problem, but I actually think the 5 speed in my Celica is smoother than the 6 speed in the Z. The Z is a touch notchy.

But holy hell, the Z makes up for it in style, power, and balance. Go for it!

kcobean

iTrader: (2)

Hey,
Yes, some people with '04's have had feathering issues, though it's much more rare than with the '03's.

Yes, the tranny in SOME peoples cars has been problematic.

You're asking a forum of literally thousands of people to respond to questions that get asked almost daily. My point in saying that isn't to be a jerk, but to point out that using the search function will get you as much information on these topics as you can handle without everyone having to re-post the same info.

A search for any part of the car or particular issue will result in at least one post from someone who has "been there, done that".

Good luck, and happy car hunting.

OCMusicJunkie

Hey, thanks you two.

kcobean, I know this stuff has probably been asked before. I've done some browsing to find the info, but I'm also half looking for opinions on whether or not members here would get the car again if they were in my shoes. I know that if someone asked me about getting a Celi GT-S, I'd have a few pieces of advice to give them...

Thanks again for the replies. I spend a lot of time over at Ecelica, and I know how annoying n00b questions can be. I appreciate you guys being tolerant

kcobean

iTrader: (2)

No problem at all. Some people who aren't quite "forum-savvy" yet, don't ever look for a search function, you know how it goes.

Anyway, to answer the question of "would I buy this car all over again", I think I might potentially answer no, but not because I don't love the car. I paid about 35K for mine, and by the time I'm done putting all the mods into it that I have in mind, I'll have probably 50K invested altogether.

For that price, I could go buy a Vette or a nice M3 and get similar or better performance under warranty.

The catch is that this car is a hobby for me, and I enjoy modding it. It gets frustrating at times (like when I can't find a shop that can align my car because it's too low), but it's all worth it in the end.

The Z is a fun car, and the 04.5's and 05's are naturally going to be way more "stable" than the '03's and '04's.

I say, if you can, go for it. The Z is the best all-around car for the price you can find.

Happy hunting.

LanceG33

I am an 03 Celica driver myself and will be getting rid of it next month. Then, this spring I will order my 05 Touring Z and join the ranks of the real sports car owners. I like the Celica for what it is but it's too much show and not enough go.

NzZ

Honestly, I love the Z...but if these issues bother you please do not buy either the Z or the G35. Both continue to have tranny probs, even after revision 7 or whatever Nissan is on now. There's really no proof/evidence at all that Nissan has or will fix the tire issues either. The 05s may be better, but it's not worth taking a chance in a market with so many proven cars.

NzZ

The Brickyard Rat

iTrader: (1)

See my sig below for problems with the Brick.

I'd buy another Zzzz in a heartbeat.

CaptinB

There's always the automatic, but some will say that a sports car should nto have an auto tranny.

I love my auto, and I've not had to deal with any 2-3 gear issues and notchyness that the manuals seem to have.

CaptinB

tractng

iTrader: (9)

Guys,

Here is my opinion. Get the freaking car. I was like you guys about 5 months ago.

The more I read the more confused I was. If you look at any cars, you will find bad things to say. Its just how people are.

The Z is an awesome car!!! I never enjoy driving before. Now its a different story. I would get up 7 in the morning on the weekend and go for nice joy drive!


Tony

OCMusicJunkie

Man, this decision ins't an easy one. It's been five days since I test drove the car, and every day I want to get back into one more and more. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was behind the wheel of a serious enthusiast car. Some of the boards I've been on have discouraged my getting an obviously troubled car... and some say it's worth it for such a great driving machine. I can't quite decide which way I feel yet.

If I don't get the Z, my only other choice would probably be a Mazdaspeed Miata. Yes some people laugh at MX-5's, but the car has enormous potential. 178 HP running a very, very conservative boost and A/F ratio. Love the car... but it's still not the machine the Z is. And being in college still, my next choice (S2K) is seemingly just a bit out of my price range. Sigh. Why did Nissan have to build such an amazing car 95% correctly.

Chicken

iTrader: (3)

Two things... First, far as I'm aware, there is *not* "an actual class-action suit" *yet* -but there has been some discussion about one that may go forward. Second, I had feathering, took it to dealer, got alignment and new tires on Nissan. I wouldn't say don't worry about it, but from my experience they did handle the issue without any fuss. The uncertainty of course is for how long will they handle the issue, and also for us aftermarket wheel folks, if alignments and fixes don't cut it.
Although 72 owners is something to take note of, there's so many more here who post and who you can ask questions and discuss things with that I'd do some reading here before worrying too much about an article about 72 owners.

The Brickyard Rat

iTrader: (1)

Man, your way over thinking this thing & focusing on the negative. Check the MSN auto site; 183 reviews with acerage score of 9.4 (out of 10). Even Consumer Reports, which does like the Zzz, gives it a check rating.

Any car you buy can have problems.

Most of us here are real happy campers.

It just ain't that tough a decision if you like the car.