i found an 03 350Z touring 6spd wit 90K for 11grand.
the plan was to get a "cheap" car so my girl can give her moms car back (07 RAV4 that she pays $500 note on!) and she would take me 02 RSX TypeS. So I was looking for a "cheap" car but then I ran into this Z. I have been a fan of the Z since they came out.
I was looking to spend about 10 grand on a car to lower our car note, but then iIfound this Z. I wouldn't mind paying 11 grand for this Z if its worth it...
what do you guys think?
Also, what does the trim touring mean?
I want a sports car back since I had an 03 EVO about 2 years ago but payments and insurance killed me and i had to let the car go after having it for 9 months, very painful day!!

I read up the guide to buying a used 350Z but it didnt explain the much on the differences in trims.

 

$11,000 is a bit much for 90,000 miles.

 

the 03's have fallen rather far out of favor in the z community due to the problems with an introductory year, and 11k is over priced for that expect 7500-8500 for anyone over 90k miles

 

ok thanks, thats what i wanted to know
what intro problems did they have? i know about the alingment...anything else?

 

Seriously, 350zs with 90k miles are going for 7500-8500 in your area? I still see most 03 350zs in my area with an asking price of $13k-$15k (many of which have at least 90-100k miles), which is in line with blue book value... but maybe the value is lower for you up North because the salt on the roads is harder on cars. I paid $11k for my 03 Enthusiast 350z w/ 67k miles (they were asking $13k) and it is running fine.

To Dcdenonda: Different years had different quirks to watch for, but if a given car checks out ok don't let it discourage you from buying it for the right price. 03s and early 04s have weaker synchros, 06s (and HR motors in general) tend to burn more oil than the earlier motors. However... if you goal is to have a car that is "cheap to own", the 350z should not be at the top of your list. It has a fairly thirsty motor, around 18mpg if you drive around town or fairly aggressively, and insurance is fairly steep for most folks. If you want cheap to own and maintain, a Honda may be more what you are looking for. You can google for information on the different trim levels. I definitely knew I did not want a base model because I want cruise control, limited slip, and traction control as I drive on the interstate a lot and the roads are often wet around here.

 

not that i'm looking for something cheap to maintain, (i understand that it has a bigger motor, i read on the premium gasoline and burning motor oil, same issues with me EVO and RSX) we NEED to lower the car note that my girlfriend has...she loves my rsx so i decided to start car shopping, i have the insurance under control....i was looking for a car around 10-11k and thats when I found the Z. i just did a quick search and the lowest that i found a z for is 10 k wit 125k miles on it, too many miles for me....

for example the Z that i found for 11 grand, i could finance for as low as $220 a month with some money down and the right APR. my girl is paying $489 for a RAV4.....that we need to give back to her mom, it was a loaner haha

 

While I agree with some of it, this bold part is utter garbage. first, out of all the people on this board there have been very few that have oil consumption problems, and those who did had their engine replaced without question because they had a faulty rev up motor. HR motors are far superior to the DE motors be it rev up or regular. They don't burn oil unless you're thrashing on them. Third, what 06 do you know that has an HR in it?

OP, 03 was the intro year and it is still a great car if it was well taken care of. Watch the transmission, take it for an extensive test drive, and if it doesn't grind, pop, whine or feel weird, then by all means get it. ms350z was correct though, this is not a cheap car to maintain. Tires don't last on it (whether you're roasting them or not, I can't seem to pull more than 25k miles out of a set of rears), gas mileage isn't great, and on a car with 90k on the clock some things are bound to be off unless you know its whole history. Just go with your gut, but make sure you drive it thoroughly before you make your decision. If anything at all is off, walk away. Too many people beat on these cars and then the next owner is left with a headache. caveat emptor

 

Join Date: May 2008


You have been a member for 19 months. Go get yourself a 350Z.

 

well back in may 08 i was looking for info on them cuz i had just sold my EVO, but know im very interested in gettin one again

 

Well you have a budget so that is smart. The 350Z does not go to the junkyard at 91,000 miles. It still has plenty of serviceable miles.

I would rather drive a well maintained car with 90,000 miles than one with 45,000 miles and poorly maintained.

 

I just bought my 03' Enthusiast for $15k w/38k miles.. $11k seems a bit high for that amount..
Try and talk 'em down, because there might be some gremlins waiting for you after/if you get it that you'll have to have some cash for if repairs are needed.

 

I stand corrected on the HR terminology, but I have seen mention many times on this board of having the highest chance of excess oil consumption with the 06 motors... so this bit of information could be useful to the OP. I didn't mean to imply that all of them have such issues.

 

if u don't mind me asking, where do you search for cars? cars.com, autotrader.com is what i have been using, is there any other website i should know about. yea 15k for 38k miles is a great deal...hope i will find one like that

as of now im going tomorrow morning to take a drive to the dealership to check the car out, of course imma test drive it, i should feel the gears, they need to be smooth, the clutch "not mushy"? correct? any ideas how i can tell if the previous owner used premium gasoline? i guess check the exhaust for any excess carbon residue....what else should i check???

 

Craigslist.com is another place to check, just be wary of scammers. People also list cars on Ebay, but if you go that route check out the car in person before bidding. Also the used inventory of cars for many local dealerships will be listed on their website, so you may want to check that.
Problems with synchros tend to show up when shifting at high rpms, so you will need to shift close to redline at least up to 3rd gear to verify if the synchros are in good shape... of course if the salesperson goes on the test drive with you they may whine about you driving the car too hard. Also look for bad signs like smoke from the exhaust after it has warmed up (some white smoke on cold start up is normal) and ask for a car history report to reduce the chance that the car has been in a serious accident.

 

Yeah, most salespeople won't let you push it. If you can, just tell him why you need to redline it a few times (do it after you've gotten used to driving it, or else you will just look dumb not knowing how to shift it). Make sure you check that all body panels line up (lots of car crashes aren't reported to insurance, so it won't show on Carfax). Check the tires for irregular wear. Take it on the freeway or at high speeds and make sure it doesn't make any weird vibrations or jerk to either side. DON'T let the salesman turn on the A/C while you drive, often times they do that to cover up weird noises that the car may make while driving. Roll the windows down and listen to it while driving (while going slow and fast, while turning and driving straight). Good luck!

Edit: Also check Craigslist and Autotrader. Often times dealers know nothing of the car's history other than what it says on Carfax (which generally is nothing more registrations, odometer reading, and maintenance only if it was done at the dealer). When buying private party, you can generally get an idea of what kind of person they are and how they took care of it. A 21 year old who can't afford payments on it anymore probably didn't take as good care of it as a 45 year old father of two. And if they can't even spell right on their ad and can't write a complete sentence. Can't tell you how many "350z. Verry Fst. Cler title. New tiyres. Godd threds. I scku at spking Englsh." I've seen.

 

i dont know why but when ive taken a few cars out for a test drive in the past, ive been able to take it out on my own....im hoping this is the case this time around

 

haha never seen that before...but ill look out for it when i go check out the car tomorrow....thanks for the advice

 

Just a generalization:
If you are going for a 2003-2004 touring trim, these are the numbers I would buy the car for:
~13.5K and above for low mileage (<40K) car.
~12-13K for (40-60k Miles)
~<11K for (70K Miles)

These are the generally values that I created while car shopping in Fall 2009, east coast.

Also if I had a choice between a Touring vs. Track, I'd get the track edition. You're only missing the heated leather seats and the crappy bose system. If you don't care about the extras (rays wheels($800-900), brembo brakes (+900)) on the track edition, get it anyway and sell them for a good price.

 

If your insurance was high on the Evo, I doubt you will like the insurance cost on a Z. Get a quote from your insurance company..

 

These prices seem much more realistic than the $7,500-8,500 figure previously mentioned... still a little low compared to the prices I see around here, but I'm sure it varies some by region.