damnit! so the euro 350z gets a new suspension, and so do the upcoming years of US and japan cars...how bout us? i really hate how bouncy my suspension is...on the 101 in the bay area, this **** bounces up and down so vigorously that i almost bang my head on the ceiling all day long.

can't we do something about this and get our suspensions replaced with the new kind? damnit, they can't just screw us over like this!

 

If it bugs you that much, go and get the NISMO suspension for about $1200 and get rid of the bounce and also understeer etc. The Z is not perfect but no sports car for 30K is. Bottom line, with my wheels and tires etc, the motorX Z in road and track was pushing .94 laterial G's while the beloved M3 is pulling under .9 g's. If you really want to complain, go buy one of those or a 911 and then have me beat your track time with a stock Z.

The Z is designed to be an aggresive sports car. When you get aggressive, ride quality tends to go out the window.

 

there is a difference between aggressive suspension and shitty suspension.

i've ridden plenty of times in my friends' supras, M3s, and 911s, but they all feel nicer and are equally if not better handling than the 350Z.

 

umm wrong

 

I and several others are waiting for Koni, Tokiko, etc. adjustable strut replacements which will be out soon. Expecting Nissan to replace the 2003 suspension for a 2004 has already been tried. NNA's reps say they won't because the 2003s are not flawed!

 

Yea the 2004's are just improved......Nothing wrong with the '03's. NNA that's BS and you know it. If the Koni's fix the bounce and still manage to improve the handling I'll be happy. Like the car otherwise.

 

zland i paid 42k cash for a lemon. i'm not about to pay another $1500 to fix a suspension that is a factory defect. not to mention the countless other problems with my PREPORDERED Z.

do a search with the keyword 'lemon'

 

This is a common complaint with the 2003s. My 91 Toyota MR2 Turbo with a 96" wheelbase, the Z's is 104.3"s, rode way better than my 2003 Touring. The problem, which is only a problem to others like you and me, is the setup is better for track or autox, not daily driving. If you still have the OE tires, lose them, buy Pilot Sports or 03's, anything rides better than the 040s. They handle well, but the **** poor ride isn't worth keeping and they may figure into the tire wear problems as well.

Harsh and brittle is how many reviewers of the 040s describe their ride characteristics. I read the same description in one car mag's review of the Lexus IS300 and elsewhere, too. The car rides like a slammed Civic with cut down springs on the roads where I live, crossroads of I35 and I40, Metro OKC South. The Konis should eliminate the rest of my problem when they are available. You may wish to avail yourself of the same remedy, don't expect Nissan to help you. They haven't helped us.

 

yes i hear you there. my dealer called today and said my new tires are in. I thought there was a major backoreder on the 040s. maybe this means i'm getting different tires...

 

I'm wondering why you bought the Z if you don't like the ride. Did you test drive your Z before you bought it?

 

For me, it was a given I would take the car. I preordered, never saw one in person, ordered from a tiny color swatch on Nissan's website and waited for 7 months and 26 days. I joined this site in June 2002, we had endless posts on the final specs, when would we get the car, what were all the features. Nissan kept dragging things out, whetting our appetite for the car. Most of us were so stoked, all we had to do was fit in the car and we would buy it.

At first, I was a little puzzled about the ride, I thought juggling tire pressures would smooth it out, the tires would wear in some and the ride would improve. It never happened for me and a lot of other preorders were also wondering what was so wrong. Finally, some of us started questioning the ride, while others said," its a sports car, get a sedan if you don't like the ride".

B.S. I've owned sports cars older than some of those posters and it isn't necessary to have a horrible ride to have great handling. BMW, Porsche, Acura/Honda, My 91 Toyota MR2 Turbo, My 72 240Z, and My 65 Triumph TR4 rode better! Others think the ride is just fine, but as a daily driver on my cratered roads, its nothing but torture and I don't suffer well. I've replaced the shitty OE tires and next will be Koni adjustable struts. I will probably send Nissan a bill for my struts, now that they have changed to the new, more supple Euro suspension. The new suspension will not be retro-fitted to answer our complaints, we've been told, so a lot of us will be doing replacements out of our pockets, just like I bought my own tires. Anything else?

 

when i test drove the car, i was in love with it...i didn't notice the horrible bounce until i started commuting on the 101 (bay area)...the stretch from menlo park to redwood city is just sometimes plain unbearable for me in the morning. i wish i had test driven on this stretch before i bought the Z, cuz i think that would've influenced my decision to get this car.

i do love my Z--don't get me wrong here. but i just wish Nissan would fix the suspension...it probably won't cost them THAT much, and i really am disappointed sometimes that the Z has so many damn problems.

 

no i had a PREORDERED Z as stated above. The ride is not the problem it is a suspension defect.