Hello everyone.

I am a newbie, and have finally made the conscious decision in my search for a car that the purchase WILL be a 350Z.

A bit about me: I am very much involved in the big diesel truck performance world..I have a Powerstroke that runs somewhere around 450+HP or so. That said, 8,000 lb beasts don't make the best commuter cars...

I have decided on a 350z for several reasons. 1) It'll get at least 10+ mpg over the beast and 2) it's fast and agile, great for both highway travel and congested city streets and 3) in my experience, they are extremely well made and reliable. I can't do a fuel-efficient cracker box hyundaisubadaewoo, after driving a 450 HP superbeast, jamming my foot through the floor of a 90HP hamster wheel will cause me to commit roadside suicide.

I am working with a local dealer looking at various Z's. I test drove a 2011 370Z and got a girl woody, but didn't like the price or the proposed payments, so I am willing to settle for an older 350z. I wanted to ask you guys, what year of the 350Z seems to be preferred, and why? Is there a year I should avoid? Also, is there a preference in performance packages or is this just a flavor for each person kind of deal?

Any tips and knowledge is definitely appreciated!

- Lisa

 

04, 05, 07, 08 are the only years i would look for. trim levels are persona preference, and they also depend on your budget. obviously a touring is usually going to cost more than a enthusiast, base, etc..

 

Take a look here first: https://my350z.com/forum/2003-2009-n...questions.html

 

Good advice here. If your looking to save money you can get some low mile 04-05's for fairly little as compared to an 07-08 HR.

 

What's the deal with the 06 models? Dealer wants to show me an 05 with 55,000 miles.

I did read through the sticky but having experience with diesel forums, I realize I'll get more direct answers from you guys, info that may not be in the sticky, including bad years, etc.

Appreciate your time.

 

some 06 models are okay.. but some of them have oil consumption problems, and its better to be safe than sorry.

 

10-4. I already have one oil burner, I don't need another

 

look for an 07-08. it has the hr motor has a little more power then the older model. so far no porblems with mine

 

You'll find an absolute abundance of detailed info with some creative searching, so I'll just list the cliff notes. Given the info that is out there, the decision is fairly straightforward and dependant only on how much you want to spend.

If it's in your budget/comfort level, get an 07-08 (HR motor, as mentioned) with as little miles as you can afford, and in the trim level that suits your needs. A trip to the Wiki page will break down all the options included with each trim level.

If the HR is still priced a bit too high, look for a late model year 04 (sometimes referred to as 04.5, telltale sign is the "kneepads" on the sides of the center console, on the sides of the HVAC controls) or an 05 that is NOT the 35th anniversary edition.

The 05 35th anniversary and 06 MT's contain what is referred to as the "Revup" engine that is much more susceptible to the dreaded oil consumption issues that you'll read a ton about in researching. Are they all bad? No, but avoiding them greatly reduces your chance of ending up with big engine problems. The 03 and early 04's had some typical early productions issues (tranny syncro issues, tire feathering due to suspension, etc.) that were addressed in the 04.5's. Not "end of the world" level problems, just issues that could add to cost of ownership to take care of.

Happy hunting.

 

The tire feathering issue should be resolved by now seeing as not many Z owners would live with the tire feathering issue for 8 years.

 

Very true, which is part of the reason why I said "had issues" and not "have issues." Also, at least speaking for myself, when I was shopping for my Z last year, I wanted to know about ALL potential issues, even ones that "should be resolved by now." When spending 8-15k, especially on a car that's 8 or 9 years old, one should arm themselves with all the info they can find. For me, about $10k is more than I'd be willing to gamble on something that is probably fixed by now. Armed with the knowledge of the issues occuring in the first place, OP can look for proof of those fixes in service records if considering cars in that year range. The same could be said of the revups and looking for records of warranty engine replacements for example.

 

EXACTLY. I am all about researching before I spend money, instead of spending money trying to fix that which I should have researched. Part of my miserly tendencies, maybe? The curse of being over 30..think before buying. Its not as exciting, but I do have more money these days...

In any case, thank you for the information. It at least gives me a starting point in my search for information, instead of "issues with the 350Z" which takes me to dark and scary places on the interwebs that may not be flush with trustworthy information.

I am a very mechanically-inclined person and definitely not new to the automotive performance world, but I have never owned a car such as this, and am slightly ignorant to the types of "fixes" and various mods people may subject them to through the course of ownership. I'll keep poking around and learning, and hopefully end up with a good egg once I finally pull the trigger.