I put close to 400 miles on our 2009 Nissan 370Z Touring over the weekend. Although it started with a few turns on Glendora Mountain Road
, the rest of it was nearly all freeway. After all that, I am in agreement with Ed
that the Z is pretty amazing through corners but not the most livable daily driver in this price range.
Ride quality is pretty good in the 370Z, even with the forged 19-inch RAYS wheels and Bridgestone Potenza RE050As (P245/40R19s in front and P275/35R19s in the back), but road noise is high. On several occasions, I instinctively reached for the volume dial when my boyfriend started to say something, only to realize that I was trying to turn the car down rather than the stereo.
Similarly, the seats are well-shaped for my 5-foot-10 frame and proved comfortable for 2-hour stints. Yet, there's no question that the 370Z's smaller size (compared to the 350Z) affects the seating position. The dash is right up in your face, and with no telescoping steering wheel, there's no escape.
Still, there are a number of details on the 2009 370Z that helped me overlook its compromises. For one, its size. At 167.1 inches long, it's almost 3 inches shorter than the 350Z. It feels compact from behind the wheel and it fits in small street parking spots. (Please note that I would never park it like this overnight -- just for 30 minutes while at the farmers market.)
Another touch I like are the shelves behind the seats. The 350Z had a small, closable cubby back here, but I never found it very useful. Not so with these shelves. They're lined in felt and have a raised lip around their perimeter, so you can actually place something here with some assurance that it will stay put around cloverleaf entrance ramps.
Naturally, I put my purse on the shelf behind the driver seat, but the other shelf kept these dim sum leftovers from liberating themselves in the footwells.
Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 2,731 miles
m_thrizzle says:
07:06 PM, 03/ 9/09
Dim sum leftovers? I didn't know those existed. Om nom nom nom. :)
firstwagon says:
08:02 PM, 03/ 9/09
Interesting that you mention how compact it is.
I was just thinking how big it looked (for a cramped 2 seater) next to the roomy Legacy wagon behind it.
stovt001 says:
08:23 PM, 03/ 9/09
I don't get the point of the rear quarter windows. Just seems like an unnecessary expense, given you can't actually see out of them.
tantan73 says:
09:47 PM, 03/ 9/09
stovt001;
It's design...it doesn't need a point....
billt9 says:
09:55 PM, 03/ 9/09
stovt001,
It lets sunlight in so you can see clearly and take your dim sum out of the car without accidentally sticking your hand through the box and squishing everything and now your car smells bad after sitting in the sun for a bit.
That's bad.
siarizona says:
03:47 AM, 03/10/09
The angle of the photo of the Z parked on the street (above) *kind of* reminds me of my '77 280Z... long nose and no rear end. Superior design for speeding & weaving in/out of slow traffic because you don't have to worry about your rear end... as soon as you're past someone in your peripheral vision, you can start merging because you are actually past them... no hatch or trunk to think about.
Just my .02.
zoomzoomn says:
07:45 AM, 03/10/09
I have yet to drive one, but wonder if it is at least more livable than the 350ZX was. I found that car to be a really rough partner to live with around town, yet acceptable if not a bit harsh at highway speeds and above. While the 370ZX is smaller, is it at least more comfortable or is it a draw?
blueguydotcom says:
09:27 AM, 03/10/09
What's wrong with that parking job?
eriches says:
10:49 AM, 03/10/09
"What's wrong with that parking job?"
Nothing per se, but I figured some might object to leaving a pretty Z car vulnerable on the street and perilously close to a driveway.
smokeynbandit says:
03:05 PM, 03/10/09
After two weeks of commuting in the new Z, we find it very livable, and of course a very fun drive.
The road noise is a little more than expected, but certainly not a problem. The features in the touring package, and the improved interior materials, certainly make it more comfortable than the 350. And it is absolutely driver-focused; it truly feels like a cockpit when you're behind the wheel.
And the shelves behind the seats are great! Perfect size for small items, or even a six-pack or two that you wouldn't want rolling around in the back.
eriches says:
03:26 PM, 03/10/09
So, smokey, unless I have totally good or totally bad things to say about a car, I should just keep silent? Any equivocation on my part is unacceptable? And if I'm unwilling to pan a high-performance car for having a lot of road noise, I should just stay off the blog. Check, check and check.
cwc1 says:
04:59 PM, 03/10/09
The practical aspects of living with a car every day are what help to separate the sheep from the goats, and this is why I like reading this blog. So Erin, :thumbsup
compliance says:
05:07 PM, 03/10/09
I'm not getting the hostility out of smokey's post that Erin must be. In fact I'm totally confused right now...
ace47 says:
12:35 AM, 03/11/09
^^Smokey just gave his opinion. Unless Iam misreading something, he in no way made any inappropriate comments or anything contradictary towards Ms Erin.
ace47 says:
12:54 AM, 03/11/09
I just realised that smokey might have made another post which has been edited/deleted. But if it was deleted, that still doesn't explain why Ms Erin made that comment after having deleted smokeys comment....
But I also don't think Ms Erin wrote anything that might have offended a 370Z owner like smokey causing him to write anything offensive that was deleted, which means nothing else was written or deleted.
Which still doesn't explain Ms Erins comment...
compliance- Iam now more confused than you are.
dougtheeng says:
06:10 AM, 03/11/09
I'm confused too. Reading the blog as it is, it sounds like Smokey owns a 370Z and has commuted in it?
Then again, ace47 could be right with the deleted posts. It'd be nice to put in a message saying "Content deleted" or something, to prevent confusion. I've noticed this in threads before.
kissel1 says:
10:15 AM, 03/11/09
Erin, great post! You definitely have a way with words!
My question: why does the 370Z come with that big red arrow in the back, and does it interfere with driving? When you brake, does it flop around a lot?
Other question: could you please fill this car with manure and measure the capacity in cubic feet? I'm still searching for my next garden hauler, and I bet this one can really "haul!"
Just "my two cents!" :-)
cwc1 says:
06:39 PM, 03/11/09
Smokey's comments appeared to be slightly mocking of the blog entry, repeating many of the same points in an abbreviated way.
bbechtel16 says:
12:12 PM, 03/12/09
I believe this thread has shifted the earth from its proper axis. So much confusion and resulting humor...