Test Drive Friday - Part Two

So far, I hadn't driven any cars at all. And from looking closely at the Sky, I really didn't need to drive that one (or the Solstice). And, given the hoops to jump through just to look at an S2000 up close, I figured why bother with the Porsche? Who knows, maybe I'll change my mind at some point.

I arrived at Alta Nissan, and one of the first cars that I noticed on the lot was this one:



Yup, that's right. A 2004 Z with only 28,500 kms on it (I didn't know the mileage right away, but I got to finding out later).

In any case, being late morning on a Friday, the dealership was relatively empty. I walked over to the black coupe in the showroom, opened the passenger-side door, and started taking a look at the car. I took note of the sumptuous leather interior, the numerous storage compartments, the well-appointed interior pieces, and also took note of how the air duct connected with the passenger-side door. At this point, A salesman came up behind me and greeted me. I can't remember his exact first greeting (maybe "Good Morning", maybe "Hi"), but I distinctly remember his next phrase:

"How'd you get in there?"

"Uh, I opened the door and got in. Why, am I in trouble?" I joked.

"No, you're not in trouble, it's just that the car should have been locked."

Turns out, the battery was drained on the car, and as a result the doors weren't locked the night before. In any case, this set of a great long conversation with the salesman at Nissan. They didn't have too many Z's on the lot. They had 3, to be precise. One was the black one in the showroom that I broke into-er, um... sat in, another was a convertible which was also in the showroom... and the third was a blue convertible which was outside. I suppose we would have taken that one for a test drive.... if it weren't an automatic.

So, I ended up taking out the 2004. The 2006 has 300HP, whereas the 2004 has approximately 287HP. I don't think I'd have felt much difference... but I'm sure I would choose the 2006 with more power if given the option. :D

My first impression? The first thing I noticed is that the gauges all move with the steering wheel when you tilt it. Very cool. And possibly the first car I've driven that does this. The second thing I noticed? It's a bit cramped... or rather, it feels cramped. I think this has to do with the fact that I took out a roadster version with seriously tinted windows, so everything inside was very dark. The rear window of the roadster is much smaller than the coupe which adds to this, but also a bit closer to the driver. I think a week or two of driving this car, and you'd get used to it. Everything is very well laid-out, and it's a very comfortable interior to be in. I'd prefer the coupe version of this car. It's lighter, has more storage space, and better visibility. Of course, at this point, I haven't even driven the car yet.

After getting the car on the road, the perma-grin that was pasted on my face when I first bought the Miata came back. This car is a ton of fun. It pulls strongly throughout the power band. I think you'd have to hate driving to not have fun driving this car. And the SOUND! Surprisingly quiet inside despite being a ragtop, but just loud enough to hear that fantastic exhaust note. Don't get me wrong, it's no Ferrari... but I can still hear it in my head while sitting here typing.

The 350Z also has a limited-slip differential, just like my Miata. In the Miata, I really have to bang on the gas to engage it. It comes on even easier in the Z, most likely due it having more than twice the HP of the Miata (AND about 1000lbs more weight than the Miata). It does prove to be good fun, I have to admit! I think on a rainy day with little traffic around, this car could be a lot of fun.

Overall, I love this car. I started feeling guilty for liking it more than my '97 Miata. But, then I realized that it's in a different market segment: Starting price for this one is about $20,000 higher than the 2006 Miata. After taxes and other add-ons, I could almost have 2 Miatas for the price of this car.

After driving this car, I was off to test the 2006 Miata. Would it be as much fun as the 350Z?

*** UPDATE ***: I checked Alta Nissan's website this morning, and noticed that the price of this car has been dropped. Originally they were asking +/- $41K for it; the price is currently $39,888. If you're interested in it... it's a steal at that price.



(Here's an interesting bit of trivia: The photos of this car were taken at the Nissan Dealership on my 30th Birthday!)