2004 Nissan 350Z 30,000 Mile Road Test

(Written on August 27, 2006)

Nothing portends the 30,000 mile road test like the swift kick to the pants pocket delivered by the local dealership service department for scheduled maintenance. We've had our 2004 Nissan 350Z Touring coupe for two and a half years now - just enough to rack up over 30,000 real world miles. While this stellar import delivers countless hours of driving satisfaction, like any car, it has its quirks.

The most publicized quirk, however, appears to have been resolved. That deafening tire growl which had 2003 and 2004 Z owners apologizing to their passengers for apparent long-winded flatulence was corrected with new Bridgestone Potenzas and a front wheel alignment adjustment which eliminates the uneven tire wear that was causing the ruckus. Nissan has extended the front wheel alignment warranty for owners who have exeperienced this problem. We've driven 19,000 miles since our realignment and the noise hasn't returned - although two other problems have.

The pesky fuel lid has failed to open more than once. Few things are more embarrassing than getting out of a flashy sports car to pump gas, only to find that there's nowhere to put it, and returning sheepishly to the driver's seat while the other paying customers wonder what strange force attracted you to the gas station if not the featured product. Luckily, one freakishly long finger nail can usually pop the lid open after the button inside the car has been pressed. The dealer has replaced the bumpers under the fuel lid twice under warranty.

When the 2006 Z was released, we were pleasantly surprised to see a new front grill design, redesigned headlights and LED taillights, not to mention more refined interior trim. One thing that didn't surprise us, however, was the absence of a motorized lid covering the navigation system. Our 2004 model has this cute feature to hide the screen and buttons when the system isn't in use. Great theft deterrent, right? So great that it doesn't necessarily open for the driver. The motor unit has been replaced three times throughout the car's short life. So far the third repair has done the trick.

Despite these gripes, the Z's driver-centric cockpit and performance continue to provide hours of entertainment. The Touring trim level has just enough luxury to survive a Chicago winter. Automatic climate control keeps the driver's hands off the console and on the wheel where they belong. If you frequently drive with a female passenger, however, you should strongly consider test driving the Z's chubbier and more refined cousin, the Infiniti G-35 Coupe, which comes with dual zone climate control (which can also be called, "whiny, cold passenger silencer"). The Z-Touring also comes with very effective seat heaters, but beware when you rest your arm below the gear shifter. One clumsy slip of the elbow may accidentally engage the seat-heater button, leaving you with that "Do I smell something burning?" feeling within minutes.

The Bose audio system is impressive and delivers powerful bass, although it's not the clearest car audio we've ever heard and an auxiliary input jack would be nice in the age of the mp3 player. Newer Nissan models have this feature. Nevertheless, the 6-disk changer performs respectably.

Two years of aggressive driving have taken their toll, as the occaisional mysterious rattle or shake can be heard inside the Z when hitting bumps in the road, but the look and comfort of the cabin overshadow those annoyances.

In the driving performance department, the Z has never been better. Solid steering feedback allows the driver to push the limits on those freeway entrance ramps much to the dismay of less eager passengers. City gas mileage has actually increased with the car's age by about half a gallon from 20.7 to 21.2. The Z's broad torque band makes acceleration from any gear respectable. The most satisfying acceleration though, comes from blowing a BMW 3-series off the stop line with ease and then asking how much he paid for that thing.

To a sports car aficionado, the Z's exhaust note is like a lullaby to a baby. Its consistent, deep rumble at low to mid RPMs warns bystanders that something powerful, though unseen lurks beneath the hood. Open the throttle and the Z's growls turn into full-on shouting. We're not talking about sweet sixteen slumber party shouting either. This is the kind of shouting you get when little Billy crosses his former military man father. It says, "Get scared and get the hell out of my way." We've taken this one step further, by adding a popcharger made by the experienced Nissan tuners at Jim Wolf Technology. This eliminates the stock air filter housing and replaces it with an open-air conical filter with a heat shield. The result is a downright uproar from 5500 RPMs to redline.

All this aside, there's one thing that separates the Z from all other high performance cars with comfortable cabins: stunning good looks. The uninformed gazers sometimes ask, "What is that? A Porsche?" while the neighborhood teenagers often yell "Nice car!" as it rolls by. While our 2004 350Z is showing the expected signs of age as a daily driver, it remains at the top of our most wanted list for bargain performance cars.