The recent adds I've seen revolve around a low 0.9 interest rate which is not offered for the Z. That's why it's not mentioned in the adds.

 

My dealer use to have his Z's out by the road where you could see them, now they are close to the show room and he never has more than 2 at one time. Use to have 4 or more. I don't know what this means maybe just not that many sold in the winter.

 

It could mean that he doesn't sell as many as other nearby dealers so Nissan has lowered his allocation or that he sells them almost as fast as he gets them. All the Z's sell, just maybe not through the dealer where you got yours.

 

All the sports cars have separate commercials. Except for the new one about the new model year, the Vette has it's own commercial apart from the rest of the line. The Viper has a separate one, so does the Z. You never see a commercial about the EVO 8 or about the Cobra. Commercials are not indicative of anything except what the manufacturer wants you to perceive. They want to keep these cars limited in the minds of the buyer. If you see them on TV all the time they lose the mystery and awe factor when you see it on the street.

 

Every single sports car mag I subscribe to has an ad for the Z every month. I receive about 11 per month, plus Autoweek. I don't think you can conclude its not being advertised by what you see on TV.

 

Same thing with the 'end of year deals'. Dealers are now trying hard to blow out remaining '03 stock, except for the 350Z, which will sell just fine on it's own, regardless of whether or not it's an '03 or an '04. Just saw a commercial which had every single Nissan vehicle save the Z reduced for end of year savings.

 

New Year's Resolution: I am keeping the Z and I'm through with posts blathering moral indignation about Nissan. It hasn't profited me a thing. I will seek any and every device to improve my car, period. If something comes from Nissan, so be it. I no longer care if it improves my car.

A word to the rest of you. Decide to keep or sell/trade, don't continue to vacilate, as I have, it brings nothing but frustration. Seek repairs from Nissan, if they are not enough, go with my blessing to rid yourself of the object that offends you, don't continue to *****, it is futile. You'll sleep better, I know I will.

Boomer--My opinion, use it or lose it, I don't care at all.

 

Boomer,
You're right. I got rid of my Z, and haven't regretted the decision for an instant. I do however miss the car. Which just means I'll wind up buying another one or something similar when the problems are resolved. For me, the cost of only keeping the car for a year and trading wasn't enough to offset the frustrations. I promise I'll quit aggravating you guys that are still suffering. It is true that fondness grows with absence - which is why I still bother to check this site. The Z is a potentially great car...It just sucks right now.

 

Your decision is a perfect illustration of what I meant. My wife gave me a reality check last night because I asked her for one. One question summed up our discussion for me. She asked, "Remember what you said about the MR2T a few months after you sold it?" Talk about buyer's remorse, I still wish I had it! So, my resolution was carefully considered and adopted. I no longer feel guilty about not driving it much on cold days this winter, but at least I can drive it and its warts don't seem so obtrusive, they will be solved eventually.

Thank you for your comments, smcgee, you made your decision, acted on it and no longer suffer over a car that didn't meet your expectations. I was in the same mode as you, but I have chosen to keep mine and change it to meet my expectations. I believe both of us acted correctly and thoughtfully. Others may wish to follow our path, or not. Only a suggestion, some may not agree and that is their right.

 

I hear you guys about the problems being frustrating. The mention of not buying a G35 for fear of owning another Nissan though needs to be put in perspective. Infinity has the highest customer satisfaction rating of any car manufacturer in North America.

 

So far I feel lucky after reading about all of these problems. I have not had any problems with my Z. Am I alone?

 

That would be me and my decision was made rationally ater I drove the new Acura TL. It has so much more equipment for a better price than the G35 does and Acura/Honda has an excellent record as well. I didn't buy the G35 because I wanted a different drivetrain also. They have the same drivetrain as the Z and, yes, I was unhappy with Nissan, but I researched the market very thoroughly before buying. I also don't mind that the TL is front wheel drive, its a luxury sports sedan with a 5AT and 270hp. The AT controls most of the torque steer and I've been buying Preludes and Maximas since 1984. Change is good sometimes and the TL handles very well, like my 84 and 88 Preludes did, and my 89, 92 and 99 Maximas as well.

I wouldn't want front drive on my Z, but I am keeping it, despite buying the TL.

 

I've owned nothing but New Toyotas, Nissans and now a second-hand Mazda Protege, as my puddle-jumper, for over twenty-two years.

When it was time to get another new Nissan in the fall of 2001, I dropped the Maxima SE, 6spd, LSD idea in a flash once I saw the details and pricing of the Z.

Overall there have been bumps along the Z road, but when we all get in and drive, it really doesn't seem so terrible these first year flaws [at least for me].

I also considered a WRX, my dealer sells both, but didn't trust the highly stressed turbo and I just couldn't live with the Impreza's bits and pieces interior. Damn thing does run with us for short bursts though!