hi guys.... ive been lurking the boards for quite sometime now because a Z is one of the cars im looking to purchase within a month or so. a buddy of mine always buys autotraders and while flipping through its pages i couldnt help but notice the amount of Zs i saw for sale week in and week out. im just curious as to why this is? the Z seems as though imo its a well built car yet one that has had its problems at the sametime. is it because of the problems people have had with teh Z the reason why they put it up for sale? also, is the Z an example of how the internet can blow things WAY out of proportion making just a few cases seem like 1000s?

 

Well it could be a lot of reason why. I don't think there are that many 350Z used for sale depends on your area. Anyway one reason a lot of 03 350Z are used for sale is because a lot of poeole over payed sticker price to be the first ones to have one or couldn't really afford a 350Z so traded them in for something else. I always say to people you really never know how much a car cost to own until you really own it for a while.

 

30,000 built a year, approaching 60k out there.

the bigger issue IMO. the Z is a great car, but its easily not the car for a specific person. even if they want the car, they dont really think about the sacrifices a 2 seater requires. plus with competitors like the evo and sti.

 

Sell a Z ???? BLASPHEMY!!!

 

Maybe because their money issues have changed. That seems to be one of the main issues, having kids can be a bi*ch.

 

If u are looking for a used Z, get 2004 model.

 

A lot of people buy sports cars and then realize that it really isn't the car for them.

The Z looks so damn nice that I'm sure a lot of people jumped on it without really considering what they were buying. This car is not a plush ride.

It's been a strong seller from the beginning, so you're gonna see more of them out there...much more than say, a new GTO or even a RX-8.

 

Is there such a thing as a 2 year lease? If so, maybe alot of people who leased their Z's are turning them in, maybe even for new Zs!!!

 

The Z is not exactly a car you can compromise with. Two seats, a firm ride, and not a whole lot of storage does not a long term vehicle make.


The initial novelty of owning the car was nice, but when day to day practicality set in, I would bet a lot of owners turned in their keys to the dealer.

 

For most people the Z is a 2nd car they have for non-essential purposes.

That means
1. It's the first car that goes when low on budget
2. After enjoying for a while, the kind of people who buys performance cars like to move on to other car. It's like climbing different mountains.

I don't think the numbers of used Zs on market is a worry as it has high satisfaction rating

 

why so many Z's for sale? Perhaps it's because even though the car is a performance bargain, the build quality is not so great, the interior is cheap cheap cheap, and Nissan threw together a crap suspension. And I'm saying this as a Z owner.

There's no excuse in this day and age for an automobile manufacturer to have a POS sticky Nav compartment door. It's embarrassing to have people asky why the compartment door feels like it's going to break when they try and close it. The rest of the interior is about as low in quality as a 1998 Honda Accord. And the ride.....? Let's talk about how the fricking thing bounces down the freeway, giving you blurrred vision. Let's talk about how the suspension is so harsh that owners have posted that the struts feel like they're going to come through the windshield.

I have to throw on Hotchkis springs and sways, and Koni shocks not just to get good handling, but to FIX THE DAMM RIDE!!!

Before anyone comments on how "this is a sports car - what do you expect?", I've owned Porsches and MBZ's and while yes, they are more expensive, they don't pound you to death on the road nor do they literally hop down the freeway.

Dealers gouge. That's a fact of life - especially on the newest hottest cars. I think people are getting fed up with the build quality and drivability issues. My prediction is that in a year, the ALG will show that the Z's resale values suck. I've seen low mileage cars change hands for the low 20's. That's not inspiring on a one year old car.

 

interior Ive heard.

definitly the first time Ive heard anyone put down the suspension; not for its handling anyway. ride quality maybe.

but as you said, its cheaper than the cars your comparing it to. you wont find another car at 30k that can handle as good as it; accelerate as fast, and have a smoother ride. the fancy shocks MB uses would be too pricey.

 

ahh ic ic....all valid points.

but going back to the issues/problems Z's have...is the internet blowing the number of people with problems on their Z out of proportion? ie. feathering, tranny, windows, etc. etc. just curious.

 

You left out look as good! YOur right the Z is one of the best bangs for your buck considering new cars on the market.

 

I think the internet can definitely skew someone's perception of a car or, for that matter, anything they are purchasing. Let's face it ... people will go way out of their way to voice their displeasure about something. But only the most devout of fans will go out of their way to voice/post good things about a product. It's much easier to enjoy your ride than go looking for forums to post about how much you love your car ... unlike us

 

The Z is just like any other car some people do short term leases and some people just like something new every now and then and some people end up not liking it. We must remember the 350 has been on the streets for 2 years now.

 

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but what is the reference to cheap interior all about? I have a new 2004 and it doesn't seem cheap. What is specifically cheap? Has it changed since the 2002/2003? Maybe thats it? I don't know. Can someone be specific.

 

There are a ton of every car up for sale. Look at people selling and buying in this forum. They change cars every couple of years on a whim. I looked up the Lexus 430SC and there are so many up for sale that its nuts and i haven't heard anything but good things about that car.

 

I have to say, I'm considering trading/selling my '03 Z. One reason alone for even giving such an idea a second thought 'tire feathering'.

 

my thoughts exactly!