whats the deal im new to this site, i'v recently been thinkin about purchasing a new car. i live in massachusetts the summers are real nice but the winters are mostly snowy and undrivable for a rear wheel drive car. i got a 97 awd astro so im good with that during inclimate conditions. but i have been lookin into gettin a z. my pops got the titan and the truck is beautiful, extremely tourqey, and loves to spin the tires. my x girl got the murano which is also a very nice car. so iv been readin about the z and comparinin it to other cars of its class, and to me it seems to be the best choice for what im lookin for. im lookin for a 03 or 04 i probally wanna spend no more than $23,000 and i dont wanna purchase it with more than 35-40,000 miles on it. i just wanna know if anybody has any advice on what to look for if im buyin a z of that year, price, and mileage........

 

With the exception of snow, the 350Z will handle all types of weather well. I happen to think that its the best performance bang for the buck also.

Of course you have looked online at CarMax for prices. What do you find?

 

I love my Z. The reason I bought mine was because, like David, I believe the Z is the best balance between performance, quality and price. The only thing I would have liked would have been AWD, and that's why I had also looked at the TT. Since it doesn't snow very often in S.E. VA and I have another AWD vehicle, it really wasn't an issue for me. If I lived in MA, I think I would have considered a used TT more.

 

of course iv been searching around but my main concern is if you guys think its better to get an 03 or 04 i have read the 04 is mechanically sounder but i wanna know of personal accounts of owners not some 3 star statistic....

 

Yes on 04...it will lower the probability of 1st year production problems related to 03 Zs. (Though I've had zippo on mine).

Yes, you should be able to get an 04 Entusiast model with less than 35,000 for around $23,000.

Be sure you know what model your buying.

Most of the guys in snow/ice country seem to recommend Blizzaks for winter use.

 

I have an '03, and have had minimal problems to include the feathering. However it has all been repaired promptly and for free under warranty. The feathering doesn't seem to have returned.

 

what exactly is featehering??

 

https://my350z.com/forum/search.php?searchid=865282

 

Get a post 2004.5 i think you can find one w/ 25Kish miels on it for 23-25k for a good model. But for 6K more u can get a brand spankin new 06 w/ the track engine enth :-D

 

I recommend that you shop by mileage not model year:

2003 with 20,000 miles
2004 with 40,000 miles

Take the 2003.