Until a few days ago I thought it wouldn't be until April 23rd 2003 till I would get to drive the 350Z. Like many new products of the past, i.e. the 1998 New Beetle, the 2001 PT Cruiser, and Tickle Me Elmo, the 350Z is not exactly easy to find, at least not where I am from (Northwestern California). Being a huge fan of the 240Z, 280Z, and the 300ZX I was very impatient when it came to driving this car; admittedly one of my most sought after cars to drive this side of 1998.

For the 2003 model year the 350Z comes in one body style; a 2 door hatchback, and five trim levels; Base, Enthusiast, Performance, Touring (tester), and Track. 1 engine is available for all trim lines; Nissan's VQ 3.5 liter DOHC V6 engine that pumps out a healthy 287 horsepower (this engine can also be found in the Maxima/Altima/G35/Murano). This means no 350Z buyers will have to settle with less powerful/desirable engines. One of my biggest fears with this car before it came into production was that Nissan would equip the base trim levels with the 2.5 liter engine that Nissan uses in the base Altima/Sentra Spec V; didn't happen. Two transmissions are available, a 5-speed automatic with a manual shift mode, and a slick 6-speed manual (equipped in tester).

Note: With the Touring package there is a $1,100 charge for the 6-speed manual. The rest of the trim levels come standard with the 6-speed manual.

Driving Impressions:

Keeping with the tradition of the Nissan/Datson Z car, the 2003 350Z is extremely fast. Even though the 350Z does not boast a huge V8 or twin turbos to back up its V6, its naturally asperated 3.5 liter 6-cylinder offers more than enough giddy up to satisfy most speed freaks. A stab at the throttle on take off will definitely pin you back in Nissan's leather bucket seats. There is definitely no compromises in the acceleration department with this particular V6 (according to popular specs this car does 0-60 in around 5.4 seconds with the 6-speed manual). On take-off almost all drivers will appreciate the 350Z's racy exhaust sound effects. Nissan has done a great job making the 350Z sound and feel totally unique.

As expected the 350Z is RWD so you won't have to worry about severe torque steer when accelerating as you so often do with high powered FWD sport coupes. The 6-speed manual transmission is excellent; throws are very short, and shifts are very precise. The gears ratios are also very close. Under normal acceleration you can easily shift gears from 1-3-4-6 without lugging the engine. The positioning of the shifter is also excellent, this excellent positioning really comes in handy when shifting fast. I have relatively short arms, so this shifter being easy to reach was definitely a plus. Unlike my experience with the WRX (which has an excellent short throw 5-speed manual), the 350Z's 6-speed is very easy to get accustomed to; I was able to shift through the gears with no trouble from the get-go.

Note: Traction Control is standard with all trim levels except with Base.

The 350Z is not just all about head snapping acceleration, it also can claim to be one of the best handlers under 40 grand. The 350Z is a a joy to drive on twisty roads, and should accommodate the most demanding of drivers, that's including 300ZX owners. I found the steering to be extremely direct, and body lean/roll to be next to none. Oversteer is kept to a minimum as well, this could be a good or bad thing depending on the type of attitude you want from your car on twisty roads. The 350Z is a piece of cake to drive aggressively on those 20 MPH bends in the road. Even new drivers should be able to adapt very easily to the 350Z's character on these types of roads. Optional, wide, low profile P225/45WR18s front and P245/45WR18s rear help aid in the 350Z's ability to keep glued to the road.

On the freeway the 350Z does very well. Despite the 6-speed manual being close geared, Nissan has made 6th gear tall enough so that engine noise is not so prominent that you need to wear ear plugs. I do like the racy exhaust note on take-off, though I usually like my sports coupes to be a little more quiet when cruising. This is not a major gripe by any means, the 350Z is a great cruiser. Besides some slight engine noise, the 350Z's cabin is kept devoid of almost all other outside noises. Since the 350Z is not a car meant to haul around 6 executives, the ride is not pillowy soft. The 350Z's suspension is stiff, yet still allows for a comfortable ride. Driving over road reflectors/road imperfections can definitely be felt, though the car remains solid, never feeling like you are going to be jolted onto the passengers lap.

Like every Nissan product I have driven equipped with a version of the VQ V6, steep hills and quick passing maneuvers are easily accomplished. Even on 7% grades the 350Z showed no signs that the transmission needed to be down-shifted or any indications of powertrain stress. When slowing down on sharp turns when tackling some of these hills, the 350Z recovered its speed very quick without having to down-shift into 5th gear.

Braking is excellent. Standard with the Touring trim line comes 4-wheel disc brakes coupled with 4-wheel ABS. This set-up allows for very quick stopping power with no fade or vibration under heavy use whatsoever. If the braking set-up with the Touring trim is not good enough, Nissan offers an even more impressive set-up with the Track trim level.

Fuel Economy is about what you would expect from a sports car boasting this sort of horsepower. The EPA rates the 6-speed equipped 350Z at 20/26, this puts this car at about the same EPA category as the 5-speed equipped WRX, Mustang GT and 6-speed equipped Chevrolet Corvette.

Interior Accommodation:

On almost ever interior feature of the 350Z you'll find some sort of simulated titanium, from the steering wheel to the HVAC controls/vents to the strut support in the rear. I'm usually not a big fan of titanium accents, though Nissan has somehow made the interior look very handsome with this slight overdose of metal accents. Other than the cheap feeling steering wheel wands (where the windshield wipers, turn signal are located), I found the plastics throughout the cabin to be surprisingly solid. Unlike many other Nissan products, the 350Z's materials feel sturdy and made to last.

Ergonomics are my main qualm with this interior. The HVAC controls are far too low on the dash, making the driver reach around the manual shifter just to have access to them. There is a somewhat gimmicky storage area (where the Nav. system goes if ordered) directly above the CD changer, I feel this area would have been better left for the climate controls for those who do not want the $1,900 navigation option. Another problem is the3 gauges located on top of the center dash (tire pressure, oil pressure, and volt gauge). Even though these gauges face the driver, they force you to look off the road, and are not exactly easy to read. Nissan could/should have made some extra space on the main instrument cluster for these useful gauges. A cool feature is the tilt wheel. Instead of the wheel just tilting, the entire three point instrument cluster tilts with the wheel so you always have good visuals of both the instrument cluster and the road ahead of you.

Like the 300ZX, the 350Z makes no compromise when it comes to embellishments. The 350Z in Touring trim comes standard with a generous amount of amenities. Some noteworthy features include quad air bags; 2 side, 2 front, automatic climate controls, 3 cup holders, rear windshield wiper, trip computer, power everything, heated power seats, cruise control. Standard with the Touring trim is an extremely bassy 240 watt, 7-speaker, 6 disc in dash CD changer with cassette Bose sound system. For info on all standard and optional amenities, you can visit www.nissanmotors.com.

Seating is excellent with the Touring trim; the heated leather seats are both supportive and comfortable. The upper bolstering of the seats are prominent, yet not overly so, so they should accommodate both small and large drivers. The lower bolsters could be raised a bit for aggressive driving, though this is not a major complaint. Both driver and passenger seats are 4-way power with manual height adjustments offered for the driver only.

The 350Z is a two seater, so space is naturally going to be somewhat limited, although in the 350Z's case not so limited that you can't get comfortable. There should be plenty of head and leg room for drivers 6' . One of my major rants with storage is the lack of a front glove box. Instead of a glove housed under the right side of the dash as with most cars, Nissan has opted to put 2 small storage compartments in the rear almost right behind the passenger and drivers seat. The largest storage bin in the cabin is the small center console that doubles as an arm rest. The rear hatch offers decent storage, and would even offer more stowage if the rear was not divided by a strut tower which takes up a good percent of usable storage space.


Cool Feature: The windows slightly roll down when the doors are open and roll up when the door is shut. This feature is supposed to help with cabin air compression ( a great feature if you own an altimeter).

Additional Interior Gripes: There is no optional sunroof. A power sunroof, T-Top feature, or a convertible would be welcomed.

Exterior Innovation:

If you have seen a 350Z on the road and thought it was a Porsche, don't feel bad, I thought the same thing the first time I saw this car. Like a Porsche, the rear hatch slopes at about the same angle, the fender flairs are similar, and the butt of the 350Z also has a similar shape to many Porsches. The 350Z is definitely a looker, unique (besides looking like a G35 and sharing some lines with some much more expensive sports cars), and in my eyes the best looking car to come from Nissan's workshop since the 300ZX. Optional on my tester came very attractive 18" 6-spoke alloy rims. These wheels are standard on the Track trim level, though are only an option on other trims. If you want some really cool pics of the 350Z, www.nissanmotors.com has some great 360 degree exterior views of this car.

Exterior Gripes: No fog lamps! I was amazed that such a sporty looking car did not have a nice set of fog lamps integrated in the lower front bumper. I also noticed that the open mouthed portion of the front bumper is fitted with very cheap black plastic; good luck keeping these intact if you bottom out on a steep dip.

Pricing/Warranty

The Base trim line starts out at around $27,000, this is great for those who want the look of the 350Z and outright performance, but can't afford the Brembo brakes, many of the interior amenities, VDC system, etc. If you want the total package, going with the Track model is your best bet, this will run you about $35,000. I drove the Touring trim which ended up costing almost $1,000 more for what would have came standard on the Track (minus the Brembo brakes). Total cost came to almost $36,000 (without any dealer markup). If anything does happen to go wrong with your new 350Z, Nissan offers an adequate 3 year, 36,000 mile bumper-bumper warranty, and a 5 year, 60,000 mile powertrain warranty.

Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed my time with the 350Z. The 350Z offers excellent all around performance, style, and luxury at a great price. The 350Z is also a very easy car to drive, so my recommendations for this car go out to everyone who likes 2 seater sports coupes, not just hardcore driving enthusiasts. As with almost all cars I do have my gripes about the 350Z, i.e. it having no sunroof option or fog lamps, however even with these rants the 350Z came extremely close to receiving my 5-star rating, definitely the closest car to do this in a very long time.

Liked this review? You also might like to read my review on the 2003 Cadillac CTS


- Happy Car Shopping!


Amount Paid (US$): 34,500
Condition: New
Model and Options: 6-speed manual