Another "what to buy" question...
 

I'm in the process of selling my '94 RX-7 and am looking to replace it with possibly a used Z. FWIW, part of the reason I'm looking at the Z is that the other cars I considered have less torque and I'm used to a huge amount of kick-in-the-pants acceleration from 7.

For those of you have have driven and/or owned both, what pros/cons are there between the '07 and the earlier cars? From what I've learned, I think that I'd probably either want to go with an '05 or an '07. The '07s of course are a LOT more expensive and the '05s will have moved farther along the depreciation curve.

Second question. Are there any automatic owners out there? My first instinct was to get a MT but I'm wondering if maybe I'm being short sighted. I understand that the new ATs are pretty good with the rev matching etc... While my wife can drive a MT just fine, she prefers a AT. She wouldn't be driving it much but even so it might make her a bit happier. I'm looking for a car that I can DD some, auto-x, and just enjoy driving.

FWIW, the 3rd gen RX-7 is the most exciting car you could ever hope to drive, but I don't have enough headroom in it particularly with a helmet.

My suggestion would be to get a late 2004 or early 2005 Z, the trim model depending on your preference of course (the manufacture date is specified in the data plate along with the VIN, GVWR, etc). It's a fact that early Z33s had the tire feathering problem, but Nissan seemed to have eliminated the problem towards the end of the late 2004 models. I had a 2004 Base and it had zero problems, and was never in the dealership for any warranty work. The 2005 Rev-Up motor on the 35th Anniversary Edition were reported to have problems as well so keep that in mind. Though the VQ35DE motors of the earlier Z33s aren't as potent as the VQ35HRs of today, they still offer superb power delivery for any enthusiast to enjoy. Personally, I'd go with the manual transmission. I think sports cars shouldn't have torque converters, but that's just me. Good luck.

Thanks. That is the kind of feedback that I was looking for. I was think that a '04.5 or '05 would avoid the problems you mentioned, but it is easier when looking online to stick with the '05 than determine when an '04 was built. I have heard about possible issues with the Rev-Up motors of '06 but don't know how much of an issue that is.

Welcome to the forum. It doesn't matter which you buy, M or A, either is a good choice. It sounds like you'll both be driving, so best to both go for a test drive of the Z's you are looking at, then take it from there. :)

Check out the technical threads too, that will probably help the decision along as to which years you will consider. I think the old rule of thumb to go for the newest you can afford, with the least mileage if buying a pre-loved. Look at it this way, less miles it's been thrashed, unless you are lucky to find a garage queen. :)

actaully its not that hard to determine if the car is an 04 or 04.5, you just need the VIN

https://my350z.com/forum/350z/284962...makes-5-a.html

Thanks. That is just what I needed to know.

Dave