Nissan 350Z Roadster (2005 – 2009) Review

Nissan 350Z Roadster (2005 – 2009) At A Glance

Proper sports car. Wonderful handling, performance and a very good drive. 300PS 350Zs from March 2006 get hit by high £505 annual VED.

Quite heavy on the fuel. Not much luggage space. Long stroke 310PS engine not as gutsy as previous 300PS engine.

Real MPG average for a Nissan 350Z Roadster (2005 – 2009)

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

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Satisfaction Index

Reviews for Nissan 350Z Roadster (2005 – 2009)'s top 3 rivals

Porsche Boxster

Enjoyable and easy to drive, wonderful engine sound, great performance, surprisingly practical for a...

BMW Z4

Better looking and a sportier drive than its Z3 predecessor.

Mercedes-Benz SLK

Georgeous jewel like looks reminiscent of a miniature McLaren SLR. Electric folding hard top. A much...

Ask Honest John

Could you suggest a relatively easy to maintain and economic to fix modern classic?

"Having sold my two classic Triumphs, I'm at the age where I'm having difficulty in doing full maintenance jobs but still appreciate driving and owning a classic car as my hobby. Is there a car that I could purchase that gives me the thrill of a "classic car feel" and turns heads but is (relatively) easy to maintain whilst, if needed, incur low(er) garage costs for those jobs I am unable to tackle? I have a car for everyday travel and not too keen on a Morgan due to its harsh ride, so could you another two-seater soft top? I have about £40,000 to spend."

It's going to be tricky to tick all these boxes. If you want something that turns heads, that normally means a premium model such as a Porsche. In which case, you'd be expected to have anything but the most basic oil and filter it serviced at a specialist. Plus, if you're after mod cons like power steering, air-con, decent stereo (and soundproofing) then you're looking at cars that are a bit more complicated. If you're after something that's easy to get in and out of and doesn't have harsh ride, then you may have to think outside the box. You could go for something traditional such as a Triumph Stag (assuming you want to keep it Triumph), which is still very much a classic two-seater with a great engine. Alternatively, look at 911 ownership for a bit of wow-factor, and a decent compromise between mod cons and specialist servicing... and don't discount the later Jaguar XJ-S. We know plenty of people who own Honda S2000s and are terrifically happy with them - stunning performance and reliability (see also Nissan 350Z). Sightly left of centre coupe options to consider - BMW 8-Series and Mazda RX-7 or RX-8 if you're feeling brave, Toyota Supra. We'd also have a look at hot hatches - cars like the Mk1 Golf GTi and Peugeot 205 GTI are excellent to drive, have reasonably mod cons, and can be maintained at home... they also have plenty of wow-factor. Perhaps something like a TVR Griffith would also suit you.

Answered by Keith Moody

What's the best, fun two-seater convertible or coupe?

"I have up to £7000 for a fun two-seater - ideally a convertible but a coupe would be fine. It will be used for a daily seven mile commute and at weekends. It needs to be reliable, handle well, be quick and fun. I also don't really want the worry of some known inherent problem which would involve significant expenditure. I was thinking of the Mazda MX-5 2.0 or MR2 (storage isn't a priority), but also noticed the Nissan 350Z, BMW Z4 and Porsche Boxster. What would you suggest or can you think of something else?"

You'll find the greatest choice among MX-5, but they need to be the 2.0 Sport 6-speed model and you need to be sure you can fit inside comfortably. Also be aware there is very little cabin space for bits and pieces. A 350Z is brilliant, especially the 300PS roadster of around 2006, but they gobble fuel, and clutches. A Boxster could mean scarily big bills. Z4 don't steer very well. MR2 are great fun and good late ones are now appreciating but, like the MX-5, not a lot of room inside and hardly any luggage space. Check out the entries in http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar

Answered by Honest John

Nice little yearner

"For years I've yearned a Porsche Boxster and have now reached a time in life when it becomes practical. I can't stretch to a brand new one so I'm looking at a 2 or 3 year-old version. The two options I'm looking at are the standard 2.9 or the 3.4 Boxster S. The prices are not radically different, nor the fuel economy so I wondered what tips would you give in making my choice? Or am I hankering after a long held desire and there are better all round alternative marques I should be considering? "

Purists prefer the Cayman with a Limited Slip Diff to the Boxster. I'm not that keen. I'd prefer an older 911 GT3 for the same sort of money. Cheaper and more fun than the Boxster: the Nissan 350Z 300PS roadster from around 2006. That was the subject of this test: www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/nissan/nissan-350z-roadster

Answered by Honest John

Best second hand Japanese convertible sport car?

"I have recently moved to Italy and am in the last throes of my youth. I am interested in buying a second hand convertible but don't want anything too precious. I am thinking it makes sense to import from the US, would you agree? Any advice? Which is the easiest, most fun, sensible and economical car option? Obvious choices are 350z, S2000, MC-5 or RX8 (I know it's not a convertible). When I read comments about checking oil every week or not suitable for short trips I get worried because I know I will break these rules sooner or later. I will get rid of my current rhd car so the new one should be reasonably practical too (supermarket trip)."

The most powerful is obviously the 350Z. The best of these was the 300PS version with the uprated original engine rather than the longer stroke later engine. But most sensible is an MX-5 2.0i Sport, preferably the later version with the chain cam engine. S2000s need to be revved to give their best, and some of them lack steering feel, but the engines are tough. I can't help you with importing from then USA to Italy. The regulations on car registration in Italy are so complicated that even BCA has not opened an auction house there.

Answered by Honest John

More Questions

Inside of the Nissan 350Z Roadster (2005 – 2009)

• Boot space is 130 litres

Dropping the top is a fiddly old process. You have to unclip it at the centre of the screen rail, have the engine running, put your foot on the footbrake, then find a button hidden under the dash. But when it's down the car looks fantastic. Unlike many sportscars, the cabin is actually very spacious with plenty of useful places to stow or put things. You don't feel claustrophobic in as you can in an MX5. And when you adjust the steering wheel height the instruments go up and down with it, so you can always see them clearly.

Child seats that fit a Nissan 350Z Roadster (2005 – 2009)

Our unique Car Seat Chooser shows you which child car seats will fit this car and which seat positions that they will fit, so that you don't have to check every car seat manufacturer's website for compatibility.

Which car seat will suit you?

Driving Nissan 350Z Roadster (2005 – 2009)

• Readers report Real MPG to be between 18–29 mpg

The engine note is pure fruity, bellowing V6 sportscar. Not too loud. Just wonderfully sonorous. The gearshift is precise, yet pleasingly clanky and old fashioned. You feel like you are working a big, strong box, plenty man enough for the engine's substantial 353Nm torque. And you have to get clutch and revs right, which is as it should be. It's a powerful car. You have to think. You can't just get in and drive.

On paper, the performance is supposed to be near identical to the Mercedes SLK 280 I had last week. 0-60 in 5.9 seconds. Top speed limited to 155. But, being manual, the Nissan feels massively faster. Traction control switched off for the steep hill out of Broadway it simply stormed up in a succession of neatly contained drifts, leaving everything else in its wake.

Strangely enough, on our run through the Cotswolds, we kept seeing Austin Healeys. And I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Cotswold residents for continuing to be the most polite and generous motorists I have shared roads with in the UK.

On the way back to Surrey we got stuck in a traffic jam. Took more than an hour to cover a mile. Yet despite the fun in the Cotswolds and idling fuel away in the jam we still managed 23mpg, which is only 0.5mpg short of the official combined figure.

The pleasure continued with a sightseeing run into London on a sunny Sunday. Docile as an old dog in the inevitable nose-to-tailers. A surprisingly comfortable ride on the pockmarked, traffic harming streets of Mouth Ken despite 225/45 R18 fronts and 245/45 R18 rears. Much better than the SLK280 on 225/45 R17 fronts and 245/40 R17 rears.

I love this car. It's powerful enough without being silly powerful. It handles brilliantly with bags of feel. It isn't crazy money to buy. It's brutally ugly, like a squashed toad. But I like that too. Sure the boot is tiny, the roof mechanism isn't the best and you can't see much with the top up. I don't care. I much preferred it to the SLK280 and if I had the cash to spare I'd definitely buy one.

Nissan 350Z Roadster (2005 – 2009) Models and Specs

On sale until February 2009

On sale until October 2006

Good

Bad

What to watch out for

Model History

• October 2004
• March 2005
• January 2006
• July 2006
• May 2007