Overview:
This week I drove the wonderful 2004 Nissan 350 Z Roadster. For those who own one, I’m preaching to the choir. You know how great this car is. I happen to love the Porsche Boxster, but this is a hands down winner, especially for the dough.
Love is, in the final analysis, many things. It is giving a taking. But this Z gives much more than it takes. We all spend a lot of time in our automobiles and we, and our cars, are one with the road. We don’t care to share that road with so many other cars, and often we need to simply get away to be able to connect with the car and the road.
This Roadster is the kind of car you will bond with very quickly. This is perhaps the shortest review I’ve written because you can’t add much to perfection. Decent price in its class, decent fuel economy, great styling, comfortable seats that hug you.
General Info:
Parts –
Assembly – Los Angeles, USA
Class: – Sports Car
Cars: – 350 Z, Altima, Frontier, Maxima, Murano, Pathfinder, Pathfinder Armada, Quest and Sentra.
Handling & Performance:
Outstanding. Smooth faaaaaaaast and one fun car to drive
Styling:
Outstanding in my humble opinion.
Fit and Finish:
Very good.
Cost:
Good in the company it has chosen to keep. This is a hot car and that will keep the price up.
Consumer Recommendation:
Someone asked if I would buy this over the Boxster and I said, “If you are single, pre children or this is a second or third family car and are looking to put the starch back in your shorts you will enjoy this driving experience.” And I can find a lot to do with the left over $10,000. Perhaps buy gas at the current outrageous prices.
The Competition:
Nissan 350 Z Roadster $35,690, Mazda RX8 $25-27,000, BMW 3-Series $28-44,000, Chevrolet Corvette $44-52,000, Ford Mustang $18-39,000, Audi TT $33-43,000, Infiniti G35 $28-33,000, Toyota Celica $16-24,000, Acura RSX $20-23,000, BMW Z4 $34-41,000, Honda S2000 $32,800, Porsche Boxster $43-60,000, Mitsubishi Eclipse $18-29,000.
Good News:
Fast and furious… fun to drive, beautiful racy lines, decent fuel economy.
Bad News:
The trunk won’t accept a set of golf clubs – it is obvious the designers aren’t golfers, which is really hard to believe for the Japanese who love golf.
Standard Equipment:
3.5 liter 287 horsepower V6 engine, continual variable timing, electronic drive by wire throttle, 5-speed automatic trans, traction control, independent suspension, vented 4 wheel ABS disc brakes with power assist and brake force distribution, power soft top, rear wind deflector, 4-way power driver and passenger seats, power windows, locks and mirrors, climate control, audio system with CD player, tilt leather wrapped steering wheel, cruise control, security system with immobilizer, dual front and side air bags and remote keyless entry.
Gas Stats:
18 City and 25 Highway MPG.
Pricing:
MSRP $35,690.
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Photo by Patrick Blewett
