fellow z enthusiasts- i have about 5000 miles on my 2003 350z touring model. i decided i wanted a sports car and basically bought the z over the phone without even seeing or driving it. i have had one accident with it- i ran off the road and had to get a suspension part replaced (the right rear tire was sitting crooked) and a new rear bumper (the mounting pins sheared). i checked out the nissan site and found it slow. people mentioned tire problems and Bose system problems. basically, i just want to know what everyone thinks of the car, what problems people are having, and how i can make my car look and perform better without voiding my warranty. also, i got the automatic- did i make a mistake? hope you guys will indulge me with these basic questions.
thanks,
mdrobe2
p.s.- i saw the coolest personalized plate on a z in my apartment complex today- 3fidddyz. i was bummed i didn't think of that- my plate says mdrobe2...

 

some people might argue that automatics don't belong in a 'real' sports car. For what it is worth, the paddle shifting equipped M3s are plenty fast and i am sure the 5AT Z's aren't far behind. i don't know why other manual Z drivers arrived at picking a MT. But for me, i enjoy the simple mechanics of the manual gear box and ability to let my left foot participate in the thrill of driving a z.

IMHO, Automatics are prone to problems because of it's inherent complexity(relative to a manual). Everyone else in my family drives auto and after 5~6 yr of car ownership, all their auto tranny have problems. Where as my cars have never had transmission problems (all 3 were MT)

but, drive what ever trim makes you happy.

 

thanks for the reply
mdrobe2

 

The two most serious problems I've heard about are frint tire feathering and manual transmission problems.

It seems like these occur most frequently on pre-order vehicles, either because the problems were fixed on later builds or because the pre-orders are the higher mileage ones.

I personally have not experienced either of those problems (17,500 miles so far), but have had a couple rattles, some grease streaks on the windows, and some play in the driver's seat. Out of those, it is really only the rattles that bug me.

I also personally prefer the MT, but I have nothing against an Auto. I like the rigidly connected feel between the engine and wheels in the MT, but the AT is probably easier to drive fast (at least in a straight line). Also, the ability to manually shift means that you probably won't loose much performace in the twisties either.

The real question is, "Are you happy with the AT?" Because if so, then you definitely did NOT make a mistake.

Have fun with the car!

-D'oh!

 

its just fun to row through the gears occasionally, conversely its not fun to go up and down through traffic. its the tradeoff you get.

performance differences are dependent on driver. a good-excellent driver in a manual will beat an automatic. they can do a jump down of gears quickly, shift faster, and they have 100% control over it, no chance of it not responding or anything. ect. also automatic gets higher drivetrain loss.

but the auto has ease of use and will win in the long run, an automatic can run consistant times forever, while a manual will have to worry about missing a shift or something of that nature.

obviously I think we all like the car overall, some have complaints and little problems, but all in all, its a great car for cheap.

 

seems like the people on this forum that has problem with tranny are the ones with MANUAL.

 

Seems like the people who have problem with tranny on this board are the ones with manual

Just my two cents.

 

>> Seems like the people who have problem with tranny on this board are the ones with manual

That may be because most people on this board have a manual! Look at it as a percentage of the transmission type after each car has hit 80 to 100k miles, and I bet you'll notice that almost all the AT people had to replace their transmissions. Also, since we're just looking at one particular car, there may be a defect in one or the other type of transmission that causes some problem.

 

mdrobe,
Where in Pensacola are you? Theres a good amount of Z's here, we should try to get a meet together sometime...

 

That's like saying anyone before age of 100 is affected with some kind of disease. We're talking about people who hasn't hit 5000 miles or 6 month yet.

I can recall 3 or 4 people with manual who needed a replacement. But not a single auto owner that needed. Then again the search function is down.

Madhax who has the fastest Z has an auto and his is running fine.

 

With most Japanese cars, autos are pretty reliable. My old car, a 91 Toyota Camry V6 hit almost the 11 year mark before I sold it. It never had any auto tranny probs. My mom's 96 Camry V6 auto is also fine. We've never owned any MT cars, but our American cars for the most part did have auto tranny probs.

A friend of mine w/a 98 or 99 Corolla w/>90K miles hasn't had any probs w/his car.

 

I don't agree at all about auto trannies requiring replacement at 80 to 100K. Most people I know have cars w/auto transmissions and I can only think of three people who've had their transmissons replaced (one has a Dodge Caravan w/the notoriously bad 4 speed Ultradrive).

 

See post below for overall opinion of Zzzz owners on here:

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....threadid=15500

Most folks are happy campers.

Quit worrying about 1 thing or another being a mistake. Z is a terrific vehicle; if your happy then there are no mistakes.

 

thanks to everyone who replied to my message. i have been unable to view the site for a while- bidness...

 

Those are not Automatics. It's a computer-controlled clutch, hence the name SMG (Sequential Manual Gearbox). Same type as the Z4 and the MR2 (as well as obviously ferarri). I actually drove the SMG 2.5L Z4, and wasn't too crazy about it (especially at $1500 - it's a $2400 option on the M3!!)

Not to be confused which electronically shiftable automatics (which are heavier and suck up more power than manuals, as well as usually having one or two less speeds). Between the weight and reduced efficiency, it's not uncommon for am automatic to be ~1 second slower 0-60. And they [usually] cost more, so it's no surprise most purists look down on them.

I've had both,a nd I'll never go back to an automatic on any car with less than 4 doors (even then... Gimme an S4 w/ a 6 sp please )

 

An automatic may be beneficial for 1/4 mile...but I like the manual as i feel it gives me a lot more control in real driving on a road. With an automatic...it's like being a passenger.

 

Huh? Beneficial? 1/4 mile times w/a good driver are always faster w/manuals. The driveline losses are lower. However, you can get more consistent times w/an auto.

That said, I can't drive stick worth beans. Oh well.

 

I've only ever had one auto in my life and for 2 years all i did was grope in mid air for the missing stickshift...the Z shifts real nice...got a decent clutch..it's VERY hilly where I live and even in traffic it seems effortless.