Mike-350Z Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Hi all! I'm Mike and as the thread title states...I'm finally ready to take the plunge into Z ownership!! I've owned many, many cars even though I'm only 23...everything from a Golf MK4 GTI, Fiesta ST, Type R EP3, MR2 Roadster, BMW 320....you name it I've pretty much had it! I've always loved the 350Z and I'm now in a position financially where I can buy one and enjoy it. In no rush to buy, done that before and ended up with a rust bucket...my long list of cars has given me alot of experience with 'Greats' & 'Crates'. I now carry a paint thickness gauge, OBD diagnostics scanner and a keen set of eyes whenever I look at cars. Budget between £7500 & £8500 and hoping for an '05. Ideally would love a black 350z with blue coming close second however will settle with the more common silver/grey if in good condition. Willing to travel for the right car, done a 440 mile round trip to pick up my current MR2. Couple of questions, please be patient I'm still getting to know the forum.... > Is it worth paying the extra in tax for a newer model? > (regular question on all forums, I know)..I'm thinking around 23mpg average?, not a big issue just want to see the punch coming. > I'm hoping the 350 will live up to expectations and be fairly bulletproof as long as it is maintained? It will be my daily driver so would just like to know of anything major to look out for. Anyway, enough of my rambling! I Look forward to speaking to all you enthusiasts!! Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ioneabee Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 in respect of mpg - it will depend on your right foot and type of driving you do - but expect anywhere between 17-27mpg (on average) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhackyWill Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Welcome to the Forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveRS Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Welcome along Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MITZ@CougarStore Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Welcome to the forum... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KyleR Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 > Is it worth paying the extra in tax for a newer model? In my opinion, yes. I have the earlier model on cheaper tax and after about a year I started wishing I'd saved up a bit longer and bought an 06 or 07 HR. I'm still happy with the zed, very happy, although I've spent many monies to try to get my car on par with the later models. > (regular question on all forums, I know)..I'm thinking around 23mpg average?, not a big issue just want to see the punch coming. Town driving you can get 20 if you want, motorway near 30 easily on cruise control. So really depends on your driving style and situation. > I'm hoping the 350 will live up to expectations and be fairly bulletproof as long as it is maintained? It will be my daily driver so would just like to know of anything major to look out for. They're pretty good, no known massive failures if you keep an eye on the oil and follow the schedule. Good luck finding one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Personally I felt it was worth the extra and got the HR model. Only way you can tell really which you`d prefer is to test drive both. You have a good budget there, so whilst i havent checked prices over the last few months, you could probably squeeze an HR model into that budget with a bit of luck. Good luck with your searches! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delz0r Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 > Is it worth paying the extra in tax for a newer model? If you can wait then save up and try get a HR. I went from a GT4 Edition with the RevUP engine to a HR and there is a noticeable difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brillomaster Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Welcome! On the other hand to the views above, i dont think the newer car is worth the extra tax outlay - after all the increase in power is largely a result of a higher redline, but i rarely go above 5k anyways, soi wouldnt notice a difference. In fact, the older car has slightly more torque, so for cruising i think you're better off with an older one. If i was doing trackdays however, i'd want theextra power, so depends on usage! Generally if well maintained the cars should be pretty bulletproof - check oil levels regularly and be sure to use super unleaded, and you should have car good for 100,000 miles or more no problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 .. after all the increase in power is largely a result of a higher redline, but i rarely go above 5k anyways, soi wouldnt notice a difference. In fact, the older car has slightly more torque, so for cruising i think you're better off with an older one. If i was doing trackdays however, i'd want theextra power, so depends on usage! In actual fact the engine in the HR is 80% new over the old engines. Nissan took the old zed engine and basically tuned and improved it as much as they could. Its also got improved cooling, ram air and they even mounted it lower in the chassis to improve handling....... So it was much more than just increasing the Rev limit to 7500rpm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jp606 Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Definitely worth the extra for the reasons above, just think of it as the same cost as a couple of extra tanks of fuel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PMX Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Welcome to the Forum I've had my zed now for over 2 months, with general driving I am averaging 23mpg... Good luck in your search Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddcboyle Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 I tried driving like miss.daisy for past 2years and got average 26mpg, as i always come into motorways and street roads. On motorway i got around 32-34 driving miss daisy. For the past month, ive just been booting the car and messing around not caring about fuel, and im getting 22mpg average, includes motorway and street. So now, i dont care about looking at fuel gauge. for the sake of 2mpg, i cant floor it for 8hours straight so i take little notice of changing gear at correct moment now, unless im really not fussed about going fast. Me booting the car isnt redlining it though. Tend to change around 4k-4,5k revs and going from 2nd/3rd gear flooring. I wouldnt say you achieve much better mpg trying to drive sensible. But im sure others on the forum will disagree and either i suck at driving for good mpg, or i suck at flooring the car. Either way im happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hensh65 Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 judging that £8500 is the top end of your budget you will struggle to get an HR engine. I think the 05 would be fine but thats because I have a 55 and I am bias. £8500 would get you a 55 plate with very little mileage and in good nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exotic Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 .. after all the increase in power is largely a result of a higher redline, but i rarely go above 5k anyways, soi wouldnt notice a difference. In fact, the older car has slightly more torque, so for cruising i think you're better off with an older one. If i was doing trackdays however, i'd want theextra power, so depends on usage! In actual fact the engine in the HR is 80% new over the old engines. Nissan took the old zed engine and basically tuned and improved it as much as they could. Its also got improved cooling, ram air and they even mounted it lower in the chassis to improve handling....... So it was much more than just increasing the Rev limit to 7500rpm. But it lacked some torque the original DE engine had (people seem to forget that). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike-350Z Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 (edited) wow...thanks for the welcome guys, i would of replied earlier as I thought I had thread updates notified via email...can someone point me in the right direction to change the setting to allow this otherwise I'll never reply haha! Sorry to sound stupid but can someone define 'HR Engine'? If most of you guys can get 22-24mpg whilst having fun then I'm sold...more than I expected. I'm used to oil consumption from the Type R and MR2 so it has become a religious weekly check, it terms of general wear & tear what sort of damage could I expect from tyres, pads/discs? One other question...what is it like in the wet/snow? I would imagine being a RWD V6 it would be a completely different animal to what I've had previously Literally today been offered a new job offshore so the budget most probably will be stretched..however... I must obey the missus to some degree as we're also saving for a mortgage Edited January 20, 2014 by Mike-350Z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hensh65 Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Look for the bulge on the bonnet, the earlier models come with the 2 lines on the bonnet. The HR engine was taller thus required a bigger bonnet. It comes with 309 bhp standard, normal DE comes with 276 bhp. RWD in the rain and snow is tricky, but if you just don't drive like an idiot then you will be fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike-350Z Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 RWD in the rain and snow is tricky, but if you just don't drive like an idiot then you will be fine As long as it isnt too tail happy like the S2000 then shouldnt be a big problem, I've found an '05 at the Norwich Car Centre which is only 21 miles from me so might pop along at the weekend and see what it is like behind the wheel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbyheinz Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Hey mate, mine is for sale at the moment and well within your budget. A great deal to be had as I'm due to trade it in anyway in the next 2 weeks. If you have a moment check it out in the Zeds for sale section here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel Lynx Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Welcome to the forum Mike. Good luck with your search, you won't be sorry you got one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 .. after all the increase in power is largely a result of a higher redline, but i rarely go above 5k anyways, soi wouldnt notice a difference. In fact, the older car has slightly more torque, so for cruising i think you're better off with an older one. If i was doing trackdays however, i'd want theextra power, so depends on usage! In actual fact the engine in the HR is 80% new over the old engines. Nissan took the old zed engine and basically tuned and improved it as much as they could. Its also got improved cooling, ram air and they even mounted it lower in the chassis to improve handling....... So it was much more than just increasing the Rev limit to 7500rpm. But it lacked some torque the original DE engine had (people seem to forget that). The HR "lost" just 4 ft lb`s over the old DE engine but gained 33bhp on top of all the other improvements done to increase performance. I think at the end of the day people who go for the older DE ones tend to fit a pendulum mod, decats, a race exhaust, induction kit and then have it remapped and end up with maybe 300bhp. Whereas those people who bought the HR tend not to bother as it has more than that power as stock. So, I guess you either get the HR, or buy a DE and fork out a grand or whatever it costs to try and bring it up to HR power. For the OP - There are 3 power levels with the 350z. The early ones are: 276bhp and 268lb/ft then around 2006 there was the "revup" version which had 295bhp and 260lb/ft. Then, in mid 2007 Nissan overhauled the car and bought out the HR which had 309bhp and 264lb/ft. Most people agree that on a track or if your "making progress" then there isnt much between them, but most people also agree that the HR is the "better" car with the power delivery & the way it drives. Its all personal preference at the end of the day and noone is right or wrong. How to identify the HR is that the bonnet on these had a bulge in it - however a lot of people like these bonnets and retrospectively fit them to older cars. If you open the bonnet you can see its got duel air intakes instead of the single one. The HR came out about April 2007, so you can get some 2007 cars which are not HR. Likewise you can get 2008 and even 2009 registered cars which are the older revup version (nissan selling old stock), so watch out for them. There was also a face-lift late 2006 which gave the car dual xenon headlamps, different front bumper, improved looking interior with alloy trim on switches etc. etc. So, if you went for an HR car you`d get both the higher spec engine plus the facelift which is another plus point for getting a higher tax bracket car. However, the facelift wasnt timed with the HR release, so you can get non HR face lift cars. Whichever one you go for, you`ll have loads of fun. They are quite a heavy car and some people can be a bit disappointed as they arnt as quick as they might expect. But, they are a lot of fun and plenty quick enough once you get used to how they drive. Wet performance depends on tyres. I ran Falkens on mine (£650 a set) and once the car & tyres were warmed up, wet weather wasnt too much of a problem. Obviously you dont drive like a looney in the rain. When it snowed i didnt bother venturing out, but theres people on here who have fitted winter tyres and have no problem in the snow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddcboyle Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 wow...thanks for the welcome guys, i would of replied earlier as I thought I had thread updates notified via email...can someone point me in the right direction to change the setting to allow this otherwise I'll never reply haha! Sorry to sound stupid but can someone define 'HR Engine'? If most of you guys can get 22-24mpg whilst having fun then I'm sold...more than I expected. I'm used to oil consumption from the Type R and MR2 so it has become a religious weekly check, it terms of general wear & tear what sort of damage could I expect from tyres, pads/discs? One other question...what is it like in the wet/snow? I would imagine being a RWD V6 it would be a completely different animal to what I've had previously Literally today been offered a new job offshore so the budget most probably will be stretched..however... I must obey the missus to some degree as we're also saving for a mortgage DE Engine = <2006 HR Engine = >2006 More Bhp and a few interior changes, bulge in the bonnet, but you pay the higher tax bracket I've only recognised my oil consumption going down now after ive started to have fun. Its basically a weekly check for me now, if, you can read that stupid dipstick. nutcase whoever invented the zed dipstick, but yeah, just keep an eye on the psi dipping to 0. Tyre wise, it burns the rear quite fast, mines last roughly 10k miles, fronts are coming upto 18k and still tread left to go. In the snow, depending on tyres, its driveable, but dont expect to be going the same speed as some other cars. It loves to kick out randomly in the dry, nevermind wet and snow Alot of members will say not to drive your car at all, but if your not rich and dont have a second car, or refuse to/cant go on public transport, the zed is capable of driving in the snow. Your best bet is a set of snow tyres, set you back £400 but it really depends if your expecting to drive it much in the snow. This year has been easy and no issues, 2011 was a nightmare. In the rain, the back will kick out a fair bit, but it regains control very fast if you have the esp on. Once you take it off, as you know, your on your own and the car is quite easy to control but it is a slidey wee car. Running cost wise, theres no difference between the <2006 and >2006 other than tax. Obviously thats the thing that hits you randomly, so its worth looking into your budget to plan for the £480 or however much it is 2006>, maybe £35 a month put in diff account or something (not sure how good your new job is). Modification wise, its 2 air intakes, and from what i can gather (correct me if im wrong companies) the HR kit is a bit rarer and sometimes more expensive. But, you do have 2 cupholders, if you get a <2006 your missus isnt allowed to own a cup holder and must hold it in her hands as you drift and make her spill it all over your car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KyleR Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Close <2006 = DE 2006 - early 2007 = DE Revup >2007 = HR But as mentioned before, look for the bulge bonnet and dual air intakes to identify the HR engine due to late registered cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike-350Z Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 Great info really appreciated guys! I think i will definitely have a look at an 07+ model. Ddcboyle...you have got it all wrong, my missus isnt allowed near the car so spilling drinks wont be a problem haha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Welcome aboard Mike. I'd say 16mpg-24mpg when having fun is a more realistic set of figures, ...but that's a lot of fun. Love my Zed ~ came from an EP3 Type R myself before so I know what you mean about watching the oil level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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