Tell me about 350z's....

Booner! · 30 Oct 2008 at 11:12

I am rapidly approaching the time to purchase a new car and have been doing insurance quotes on my favourites as I don't want to spend over £1800 on insurance if possible.

I was after a focused, fast, flashy (not a rep-mobile) and unsensible car which I would use on a daily commute round trip of 32 miles with mostly back roads or a choice of Dual carriageway. Plenty of places to overtake and fun roads. Budget has increased to £14000 for the car....which opens up a wide range of options from the Z4 to the Elise 111S (S2) to the 350z.

Tell me about 350z's? any owners on here? Worthy purchase for the budget? Bell quoted £1300 with mods fully comp, which is cheaper than the Elise 111S. I was looking at the 350z GT package.. preferably with a Nismo kit on it which I can pick up for about £13,500 and with the new tax in place will surely depreciate them down by the time I buy.

Cheers!

P.s. My shortlist in favourite first is:
Elise 111S
Integra DC5
Vx220 Turbo
Z4 3.0
330Ci convertable

350z needs to fit in there somewhere!

Andr3w · 30 Oct 2008 at 11:14

This isnt to do with the 350z, but since you mentioned an elise have a look at the VX220 turbo

edit: oi you added that list after my post

Booner! · 30 Oct 2008 at 11:18

Andr3w said:
This isnt to do with the 350z, but since you mentioned an elise have a look at the VX220 turbo

Yeah, I know pretty much everything about them (without owning one!) because originally I was obsessed with them and then they dropped in price and my budget went up.... I am trying to squeeze the best car out for the money. The Vx220 is still in my top list and insurable

Housey · 30 Oct 2008 at 11:21

986 Boxster S 3.2 ?

LiE · 30 Oct 2008 at 11:23

Z4 looks good for that money

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/552234.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/703207.htm

Puzzled · 30 Oct 2008 at 11:24

Really unsensible = Corvette C5
You will get one with the heads up display with that budget.

Booner! · 30 Oct 2008 at 11:25

Housey said:
986 Boxster S 3.2 ?

I wouldn't feel happy in it, looks a bit girly and doesn't really float my boat. The boxster S is very nice though I fear insurance would be too high.

Booner! · 30 Oct 2008 at 11:27

msm722 said:
Z4 looks good for that money

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/552234.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/703207.htm

The only thing that puts me off a Z4 is that they are relatively common and undistinct in the majority of colours. Very nice cars though and I would have to get a black one with the 3.0 engine if I did get one.

MonkeyMan said:
Really unsensible = Corvette C5
You will get one with the heads up display with that budget.

Just going to go check these out now.

Anybody got any info on the 350z though

[TW]Fox · 30 Oct 2008 at 11:27

Your list of cars is very odd and some of them are very different - a 330Ci is a world away from a VX220. Sure, the roof comes off, but using that to compare the two is like comparing an S Class with a Meriva becuase theyve both got 5 seats.

What do you want from a car - generally speaking a 330Ci fan is going to hate a VX220 Turbo and vice versa.

Booner! · 30 Oct 2008 at 11:30

[TW]Fox;12798838 said:
Your list of cars is very odd and some of them are very different - a 330Ci is a world away from a VX220. Sure, the roof comes off, but using that to compare the two is like comparing an S Class with a Meriva becuase theyve both got 5 seats.

What do you want from a car - generally speaking a 330Ci fan is going to hate a VX220 Turbo and vice versa.

I want something fast, fun, flashy and it can be unpractical. The 330Ci is only in there because I can't insure an M3...I still think they are nice cars, but I agree that it shouldn't really be in my top list with all the convertable 2 seaters and sportscars.

I would be comparing a 350z with a Elise 111s which I know are both different types of car....both have 2 seats, one has a roof that comes off in the sun, but the other has all the mod cons and a large grunt V6, but might not be as involving as the 350z.

Generally I wanted opinions on the 350z based on the budget and also is there anything wrong with them? Are they really worth the money? Reliable? Expensive to run? etc

merlin · 30 Oct 2008 at 11:33

The 330ci is not a sports car, the others are.

Also I agree, the list is full of chalk and cheese. Have you driven any of these cars?

[TW]Fox · 30 Oct 2008 at 11:34

Speak to Sam about his VX220 Turbo. He loves it but the impracticality is beginning to annoy him. Most people seem to think practical = more than 2 seats and impractical = 2 seats and thats it.

Not so. He has to fiddle under the dash to get his heater go give him the right amount of heat, for example..

It's a very hardcore experience and most people who run them as a daily car soon get fed up.

Personally out of your list I would (suprise suprise) have either the 330Ci or the Z4. I'd probably take the 330Ci if it was an only car but they do have the absolutely most chronic image problem in the whole world, ever. You think a Boxster is girly? I'd rather look like a girl than a dodgy geezer in a white vest with a beer belly and loads of gold chains. Shame, they are cracking cars but they are not sports cars, they are quick coupe/cabrios but not proper sports cars.

But then, neither is a Honda Integra.

GravyMonster · 30 Oct 2008 at 11:36

As Fox says your choices are all over the place. However, given your budget and 'focused/fast/flashy' it'd be worth considering an S2000 too.

Insurance may be a problem though

Booner! · 30 Oct 2008 at 11:37

merlin said:
The 330ci is not a sports car, the others are.

Also I agree, the list is full of chalk and cheese. Have you driven any of these cars?

I have tracked a 111S K series Elise, a Caterham 7 on the track, been passenger in an N/A Vx220 a few times (and driven one as the elise pretty much), but haven't been in any of the others....so trying to narrow it down as I doubt I will get a test drive offered due to my age.

Spunkey said:
As Fox says your choices are all over the place. However, given your budget and 'focused/fast/flashy' it'd be worth considering an S2000 too.

That's because I don't know what I want... I drive a golf for example and have only ever had a 318 beemer before that so let's just say I want to get something special and worth it for my next car.

The S2000 is too expensive to insure to justify.

[TW]Fox · 30 Oct 2008 at 11:38

You are going to have great fun insuring some of this stuff, the Z4 particularly is really rather daft in terms of its insurance - for some reason its Group 19.

Booner! · 30 Oct 2008 at 11:41

[TW]Fox;12798921 said:
You are going to have great fun insuring some of this stuff, the Z4 particularly is really rather daft in terms of its insurance - for some reason its Group 19.

Exactly, I need to find something that I can settle with based on the insurance. The quote is based on 21, 1 years ncb and actual value of car and correct miles, fully comp, everything declared and my mother on policy.

Z4 , 3.0lt SE =
Car premium: £1473.15
Your total price:

£1542.55 based from Bell.co.uk

merlin · 30 Oct 2008 at 11:41

If you can't afford S2000 insurance you can't afford DC5 insurance.

So the list shortens.

merlin · 30 Oct 2008 at 11:43

I think you should look at an S3.

a1ex2001 · 30 Oct 2008 at 11:44

If you really can't have the m3 get a 350z, elise/vx220 is to hardocre for everyday use if you ask me. I've always had a soft spot for the 350z since getting a student addiction for the need for speed underground demo and wasting hours trying to beat my mates times!

Booner! · 30 Oct 2008 at 11:44

merlin said:
If you can't afford S2000 insurance you can't afford DC5 insurance.

So the list shortens.

Bell say £1800 with no mods, but the car is about £1000 cheaper to buy so it's still worth considering I guess, just feel bad spending that much on insurance really