Educated opinions? Used 350z in the future..

[desantim]

So my story is such... My wife and I have a new 08' Nissan Altima SL. Fully loaded, love the car. We currently are in a live in situation where she works, so we haven't needed a second car. But in the next 4 months we are leaving our current place of employment, and will be in the need for a second automobile.

I have a Honda 1100xx motorcycle (big superbike), and will be getting rid of that for a mild down payment on a used 350z (learned my lesson on buying new and taking the huge hit for doing so).

I will be looking into buying an 04+ 350z, Manual, no GPS, stock. I've been looking in the northwest they are running 15k or so for a used with anywhere from 25k to 45k miles. Seems like a great deal to me...

I know the 03 models had some issues with reliability (or so I've read), and some fit and finish issues. If I decide on an 05+ model, what should I expect and look for. I plan on buying a car fax checked model, with no mods, one that obviously hasn't been driven to ****.

I am looking for an extremely reliable car as it will be a daily driver or sorts. I've had manuals as daily drivers, not an issue for me. Hell, I've been riding my bike before the winter as one. Not a big deal.

As we will have the new Altima as a fall back car if I need more room to carry stuff or travel, I am basically wondering...

1. the model years specified, reliable? Decent daily drivers if I don't mind the ride or manual issues?
2. gas mileage, we get 34+ on the highway, I know I should look for at least -10 or more in the Z. Is that true?
3. How many miles if I drive the car sanely, keep it stock, and keep the scheduled tune ups and oil changes in check should I expect before I should worry about reliability?

Any other thoughts? I know it's a sports car, and should expect it to cost more to drive than the Altima. Those aren't my issues, I just want to make sure I don't buy a POS that I will regret in the long haul. I don't want a ricer. I've test drove the Z, and love it. Selling my bike, I want a fun, reliable, daily driver that will get me from A to B without a hassle.

Thank you so much!
Mario

[ISMELLRICE]

z's are sweet rides...
there is an 06 in miami for payoff 15,200 with around 30k miles...
i saw it on craigslist...

[PbLead]

If your going after a standard trans, stay away from the 03s and 04s. The 1-3 gear synchros were bad about going out, for those that raced em anyways. Other than that, surprisingly few problems. I'd also stay away from the roadsters, the convertable tops tend to act up but then what convertable top doesnt. Any car not designed in the US tends to have a higher reliability rate than otherwise. Versa, 350/370Z, Murano have the best reliability, well maybe not the Murano. Murano was the first of it's kind so I would expect a few problems with it.

[IRONFOOT]

you say 350/370 i dont get it.

[nothix]

1. avoid 03 because of tranny/tire feathering. Avoid 06 because of oil consumption in the rev-up engines. Get the VQ35HR if you can 07+ for a little more power and a lot bigger FI threshold stock. I'd recommend any package above base for LSD (enthusiast, touring, track, grand touring). 06+ have bigger brakes
2. 25-27mpg highway
3. these cars aren't normally expensive to maintain, shouldn't be much different then the altima. Have quite a few running above 100k without any mechanical failure, but not many much higher then that currently, so hard to tell

just my opinions here~

[jcorvair]

Originally Posted by IRONFOOT

you say 350/370 i dont get it.

I believe he means the new 370 that replaces the 350.

great thread. I am in the same market, looking for a 350Z roadster for summer driving in Vancouver (Canada).

Good luck with the search. Sounds like an 05 is the way to go for my needs and longevity.

Cheers,

[rich2342]

im looking also but for 07 g35 for most of the reasons mentioned above. The HR motor especially

[ibralphers]

Hi mates, from down/under. I'm negotiating for an 05 Track Rdster. Anyone have any bad experiences with either the 05 or Rdster?