Hi new to the z scene!

[Ad350z]

I'm currently looking in to purchasing a 350z however I'm not sure which model to go for the original de the rev up or the hr engine, I know they are all similar performance but which would be the better one to go for?

[Davectr]

Hi and welcome. Which is better, . . . . . . a 370z , but would say that as I have one. 
 

I’m sure there’ll be some more sensible answers soon 

[GranTurismoEra]

350 HR is more refined but a higher Road Tax similar to the 370Z. I liked the DE because it had lots of Torque although nowadays it may struggle against the typical 300HP hatchback. I got eaten alive by a remapped GTi. The DE has a nice acceleration. The HR is revvier and revs higher, delivers power smoother and is slightly quicker. REV up is known for consuming oil, which apparently is fixable and came with slightly more power

 

Personally Id go for the HR. But if budget was tight Id settle for DE as they are cheaper to buy but also come with their own issues being older. Some are starting to rust now. Although my brothers one he sold was in good condition as spent most of its life in a garage.

 

Another advantage over the 370Z is that the 350Z doesn't attract as much attention and the dimensions of the car are perfect. Not oversized and bulky like the 370Z. Retains a muscular sports car look. The 370Z someone said reminds them of a poor mans Ferrari 599 . Ill take that as I'm a big fan of the Ferrari 250 GTO, 599 and 612 Sessanta.

Edited March 9, 2020 by GranTurismoEra

[Andy_Muxlow]

Hi and welcome along buddy. It all depends on budget really. 

[Ebized]

Given you have said it is a 350 you are looking for but you have said your budget, in my experience I'd forget the rev-up and if money is limited look out for a well looked after DE or if you have a few more thousand to spend then a HR would be my 350 of choice.

[Ad350z]

Thank you for all the information I haven't really thought about a budget as such but I would say around 6500 I'd like to spend which I know is out of reach for the hr however would that get me in to a decent de or rev up?, I'm patient so I'll wait for a decent one to turn up , I just love how these cars look there unique with a great sound 

[GranTurismoEra]

Yes a middle mileage DE,  prices have started creeping up as summers approaching

[Bunning]

Welcome!

 

I recently purchased a 370Z having owned a 350Z DE for 5 years, mine was 05 plate so one of the later DEs and was on 93K when I sold her but still was running and looked great no rust at all. I can’t comment on Rev-Up or HR but comparing to 370 still a great car. Major advantage was cheaper tax.

 

Not sure that helps much but my 2ps worth
 

B

[Ad350z]

Well hopefully around 6500 will get me in to a nice de , I'd be looking at purchasing one off the forum if one comes up so I know it's been enthusiast owned and well looked after , and maybe a few mods in the future, I do like the 370z however I do actually prefer the look of the 350z both stunning cars though 

[MONKEYSOCKS]

I've got the 350z gt4, (revup) only done 40k. Only 32.5k on it when I got it two years ago. Cheaper tax if you can get one, with more power than de. Have had no issues with oil consumption at all. Having said all this, if I had known more about the 350's when I bought mine, I would have just gone with a decent 350z HR 313bhp. But ultimately, as long as the one you choose has been well looked after that's the main thing.

[coldel]

As I understand it, the rev-up has marginally more power but also marginally less torque. Performance wise no noticeable difference between the two. I think you are better off buying a good DE car rather than stretching and buying a dog HR and make sure you have some budget left over to spend on stuff, these cars don't sound great stock, most you may have heard have had full exhaust changes along with decats or sports cats - anything stock is very quiet. 

[Ebized]

41 minutes ago, MONKEYSOCKS said:

I've got the 350z gt4, (revup) only done 40k. Only 32.5k on it when I got it two years ago. Cheaper tax if you can get one, with more power than de. Have had no issues with oil consumption at all.

Good choice   From what we heard the GT4 engines were built to better tolerances and in a different engine shop than those fitted to the 2006 Rev-up engines in much greater numbers.  I was once told by 350 engine specialist that the expression "round pistons and oval bores" in the Rev-ups was evident from his findings.  And if 98ron fuel was not used and the engine was regularly revved to the max on 95ron that did not help longevity. 

 

That said, feedback has shown some owners who chose to only use 95ron (in both DE and Rev-up variants) have said they had no issues, but sadly it became apparent that what appears to be a disproportionate number of owners of the Rev-ups have had what appears to be more than their fair share of engine issues - mainly high oil consumption.  

 

But then, forums like this will hear about the downsides more that the vast majority who have enjoyed their Zeds without engine issues.   

[BobbyZ]

Hi, and welcome. Buy what you can afford - you don't want to stretch to a ropey HR only for something to go wrong that you can't afford to fix. They're pretty reliable cars but nothing's 100% bulletproof.

 

Also consider how much you want to modify it. I don't think there's much point getting an HR if you're planning to go forced induction for example. Good luck with the search!

[Ad350z]

I think I'd get a decent de for my money like others have said I'd rather have a well maintained and looked after de than a ropey hr also I am looking to modify it and possibly forced induction in my future plans but I want to enjoy it n/a first with simple bolt ons itll only be my toy for the weekends , I wouldn't expect much power gains from bolt ons on a n/a engine however I have read that near 300bhp is possible on a de wether that is true or not I dont know , I think a stainless exhaust and a nice set of wheels and lowered slightly would look excellent on the 350z as they look so good as standard anyway , how are they with mileage ? I'd try and get the lowest mileage I can with a full documented service history but is there anything to be put off by higher mileage examples? 

[MONKEYSOCKS]

1 hour ago, Ebized said:

Good choice   From what we heard the GT4 engines were built to better tolerances and in a different engine shop than those fitted to the 2006 Rev-up engines in much greater numbers.  

Didn't know that about the gt4 version. Made me happier with my pick, thanks.

[GranTurismoEra]

21 hours ago, Ad350z said:

Well hopefully around 6500 will get me in to a nice de , I'd be looking at purchasing one off the forum if one comes up so I know it's been enthusiast owned and well looked after , and maybe a few mods in the future, I do like the 370z however I do actually prefer the look of the 350z both stunning cars though 

Recently sold a 350Z 2004 DE with 37,000 miles for £6500...Thats a rare price. But you should get a 50-60k miler at that price tbh. More or less youd get a 60-80k miler for that price in summer

[Lee370Z]

22 hours ago, coldel said:

 these cars don't sound great stock, most you may have heard have had full exhaust changes along with decats or sports cats - anything stock is very quiet. 

Agree with this too and they really benefit from the improvements you mention. 

[Bunning]

5 hours ago, GranTurismoEra said:

Recently sold a 350Z 2004 DE with 37,000 miles for £6500...Thats a rare price. But you should get a 50-60k miler at that price tbh. More or less youd get a 60-80k miler for that price in summer

Just to put that in context I traded my 2005 DE with 93k on it in for £4K in September last year to a dealer where I bought my 370. I probably could have got £5 to £5.5 for it privately if I’d been patient but I didn’t want to miss the car I bought.
 

Strangely I saw it appear on eBay shortly after for £5.5k and then on Facebook for £4K 

[Samoht]

I bought my HR for £7.5k in Oct, and looking on AT now I reckon that'd be a bare minimum to hope to get a good car, with a bit of patience & haggling.  There are a lot of rusty, stone-chipped, dented Zs around, plus low warm idle oil pressure issue on the HR, so you don't want to end up with a ropey one.

 

Overall I think the DE is the sensible value-for-money choice, the HR is a chunk more to buy and tax so you're paying 30% more for perhaps a 10% better car?

 

For £6.5k you really should have your pick of the DEs I reckon, just find one first registered before 23rd March 2006 for the lower tax.  If you find a GT4 special edition in budget then that would be ideal https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202003037953394

but they're rare and often carry a high price.  

 

Personally I ruled out the regular RevUps as you're paying the same high tax as the HR without getting all the benefits.

 

In terms of mileage, they're fairly mechanically robust I think, the interior can get scratched up but not a huge problem.  Higher mileage is ok, just check the condition inside, outside and underneath as best you can and buy on that.

[GranTurismoEra]

16 hours ago, Bunning said:

Just to put that in context I traded my 2005 DE with 93k on it in for £4K in September last year to a dealer where I bought my 370. I probably could have got £5 to £5.5 for it privately if I’d been patient but I didn’t want to miss the car I bought.
 

Strangely I saw it appear on eBay shortly after for £5.5k and then on Facebook for £4K 

Very slow sellers. So had to drop the price. I remember dropping mine to 4k 4 years ago still had timewasters.

[coldel]

Personally, considering the amount of money you spend on fuel, insurance, VED, maintenance, modifications the extra 200 quid tax on an HR if its the right car should never be a deal breaker. 

[Lee370Z]

1 hour ago, coldel said:

Personally, considering the amount of money you spend on fuel, insurance, VED, maintenance, modifications the extra 200 quid tax on an HR if its the right car should never be a deal breaker. 

I think a lot of it is psychological...and the £570 on tax I pay on my 370Z just puts me in a mood when I think about it for some reason! 

 

Plus knowing that you could also have a bigger engine and more cylinders for the same £570 tax doesn't help either. 

 

I do agree with what you say though and it shouldn't be a deal breaker when you consider what you spend on the car in other areas. 

[Wayne370Z]

1 hour ago, Lee370Z said:

I think a lot of it is psychological...and the £570 on tax I pay on my 370Z just puts me in a mood when I think about it for some reason! 

 

Plus knowing that you could also have a bigger engine and more cylinders for the same £570 tax doesn't help either. 

 

I do agree with what you say though and it shouldn't be a deal breaker when you consider what you spend on the car in other areas. 

Totally agree. I spend very little each month on fuel, even though it doesn`t go very far at all on a tenner, because I hardly use it. Insurance for some reason is dirt cheap, less than £200, must be age and location, but it`s really depressing when I think it`s costing me virtually £50 ever month now even if it never moves off the drive and I could probably change it for something with better performance and a lot less on VED. Doubt I ever will though!

[davey_83]

I personally view the extra paid on road tax for a 370z worth it, for a RevUp or HR not worth it compared to a DE. I refuse to pay more in road tax than insurance.

 

All the best with the 350z car search, plenty out there to choose from.

[coldel]

I guess if you are spending almost nothing on the car in fuel I would be asking why have it? To be honest I would be more concerned about potential depreciation you incur than the circa £200 a year/£16 a month extra on the VED.