sellersrodshop

hey guys! been doing a lot of reading/research here the past few weeks since deciding I want a z car. i'm in the process of making "life changes" & selling off most of my old school hotrods & projects & purchase a z that I can drive more often & enjoy without having to work on/build for years before I can reap the benefits. I've narrowed my search down to 2 vehicles I keep comparing everything else to. first car is 05, either anniv. or GT as it has brembo's, leather, cruise 6mt & original mileage is a little over 40k. VERY clean car.

second is an 06 with cloth, cruise, 6mt & original miles a hair over 50K. this car is so clean that it looks brand new. other than a few scratches on the drivers side door pull it is perfection. owner says no issues with oil consumption.

question is, what are the chances that oil issues will arise later on with the 06? in my research I've never heard that it happens by "X" miles or was a problem from 0 miles in the cars it affected.

I like the 07-08 HR, but seems that all the ones that are 6mt for sale within a few hundred miles of me are base models. problem is, I really want cruise control for trips. I have back issues & tend to shift around a lot to stay comfortable on the longer ones. all the touring/gt models that have options seem to be way overpriced or automatic trans & I want a 6mt.

thanks in advance for any info on the 06/oil issues. I REALLY like this car, but don't want any headaches if they can be avoided.

Bmurray350z

iTrader: (34)

honestly kind of a tough choice. the anniv edition would hold value better down the road. and engine/power wise is the same exact thing as the 06.. plus you have leather/heated seats, etc.. but the 06 comes with the slightly upgraded interior, exterior, upgraded transmission (i believe), dual piston front brakes.

really tough choice... if it were me, i'd probably go with the 05 to be honest.

there's a deal everyday though. somewhere.. i say just wait a few weeks and you may see an HR w/ cruise pop up.

NoQuestionZ

iTrader: (93)

Base HR with cruise control addition. Unless you HAVE to have the Brembos, VDC, and VLSD


/thread

oldschool350z

iTrader: (1)

I wouldnt be concerned with resale value if you plan on keeping it.

Cruise control comes in handy and I've used it on a trip to Philly got about 30 mpg.

It comes down to what you want comfort (leather, cruise, heated seats) or just better motor (HR)

sellersrodshop

thanks for the responses. not concerned at all with resale values. with newer cars that depreciate, we have a household rule that you drive it until the wheels fall off. the mrs has an 02 Altima 3.5 that we've owned for almost 9 yrs now. 130K & not a single engine/drivetrain issue in that time, which is one reason I leaned towards a z for a toy. I can live without most of the bells & whistles but would like the cruise & LSD. i'm trying to keep my budget around $15-$17k (cash) which should put me into a clean, unmodified car with less than 50-60k miles.

on another note, I see almost as many base models listed as enthusiast as I do touring listed as GT....

oldschool350z

iTrader: (1)

I think with a lot of dealers they don't really know the actual trim of the z and guess. I've seen it happen many times by Toyota or Hyundai dealers for example. Just look out for the tell tale signs in it being a base.

I personally love the leather, adds a luxury feel to the z. And the heated seats and mirrors come in handy for fall up here. I don't use cruise control much but I do a lot of city driving.

Expect to replace rear tires a lot, it's a staggered setup and rwd plus depending on how you drive could be every 10-25k.

One thing that always scared me about the 2006 is oil consumption. It goes the same for Ann. Edition of the 2005.

Good luck! It took me 6 months to find a low mileage stock, non molested (30k) touring for $14,000.

quakerroatmeal

iTrader: (9)

I'd go for the 06 solely because of the upgraded headlights, tail lights, front bumper, and interior.