2005 Nissan 350Z Roadster

Looks good, goes fast, stops short... of greatness

I'm driving a 2005 Nissan 350Z Roadster Enthusiast, priced at $34,150. With optional floor mats ($80), side airbags ($250), automatic transmission ($1000) and destination charges ($540), total price is $36,020, including Nissan's 36 month/36,000 mile warranty and 5 year/60,000 mile powertrain coverage. The 2005 Nissan 350Z Roadster Enthusiast earns a $5,700 higher base price than its hardtop sibling, the 350Z Coupe. It's a flashy package that nearly earns the designation "sports car." Nearly...

First Glance

I love when a car looks like it's on its haunches, ready to pounce. Without the domed roof of the Coupe, the high beltline and pronounced rear of the 350Z Roadster brings back echoes of hot rod, a little bit retro in stance, but thoroughly modern in execution. This car turns heads. With the top up, the cabin felt a little close -- I have a hard time finding a car with sporting ambitions that doesn't feel close, though. The blind spots are major, but they evaporate when you drop the top. You'll attract some attention while the top stows, because it's quite a show. Hold down the lever, and the windows go down, the back edge of the top flips up and the tonneau cover raises. The front edge of the top leaps toward the sky, and disappears over your head. The tonneau cover flips back down, hiding all the gear and leaving a sleek "Speed Racer" cowl behind the seats. It's elegant, a little slow at 25 seconds, but well worth the wait. When the show is over, you're left with a completely different, sleeker, wide-open car. The air in the cabin is relatively still, even at freeway speeds. Your hair will move, but you can hear the radio and hold a conversation with your passenger without shouting. Don't forget sunscreen and some cool shades.

In the Driver's Seat

I'm not into yoga, but if I had to get into the Z with the top up every day, I'd be out shopping for a mat and some incense right now. Top down, it's easier to slide behind the wheel in a somewhat dignified fashion. The seating position is traditional sports car, with legs out in front and steering wheel close enough to allow for a good performance driving position. My big thighs had plenty of room side to side. The seats are firm and supportive. The gauges are classy and well-placed. Critical driver's gauges (speedometer, tachometer) are clustered above the steering wheel, and less crucial gauges (voltmeter, oil pressure) are in separate nacelles in the center of the dash angled toward the driver. It's a stylistic nod to the early Z cars, and a functional design that is true sports car. There's a big empty space right in the middle of the dashboard where a premium sound or navigation system would go. It's covered by a flimsy hinged plastic cover, an eyesore that hasn't got a prayer of outlasting the warranty period. Most of the plastic in the cabin is cheap, contrasting badly with the brushed aluminum highlights. The details betray the price-point mentality that has kept Japanese sports cars from being truly competitive.

On the Road

My Z had a 5-speed automatic transmission and the standard 287 horsepower V-6 engine. I would have preferred the 6-speed manual, but the automatic did a nice job of launching the car and keeping the motor in its power band. Acceleration is brisk off the line. There's a real sense of speed to the Z, and power is available whenever you push hard on the gas pedal. Handling is up to the task for spirited driving on the street, the ride firm but not rock-hard. Steering is responsive, not twitchy. The ABS vented disc brakes slow you down in a hurry with no sign of fade or chatter. The sound of the V-6 is great, throaty and muscular. It sings better the harder you push, and I'm a sucker for that song. On a long trip the tone might be fatiguing, but this Z is not designed for road trips. There's barely any storage or carrying capacity in the cabin. There's a phone book-sized locking compartment behind the passenger's seat and a Steven King paperback-sized box under the driver's right elbow. The trunk is so tight that there's a sticker with instructions for cramming a golf bag inside. It would be a tight squeeze. And the cupholders are awful - a flimsy one by the passenger's left knee and one inside the middle box. Why bother, Nissan?

Journey's End

I'm less than enthusiastic about the 2005 Nissan 350Z Roadster Enthusiast. I applaud Nissan's goal, to create an affordable sports car with a design that will stand the test of time. In some ways they've done well. The Z has a real sports car feel. Driving position, sound, gauge cluster and look all conspire to whisper "sports car." But the Z gives away performance to most of the competition in its class. Few aficionados would call it a true "sports car" in Enthusiast trim level. Compared to the rest of the class, the Z is competitively priced. The Audi TT Roadster, Porsche Boxster, Chrysler Crossfire Roadster and BMW Z3 are around the same price; the Honda S2000 is a little cheaper. Design-wise, it's a matter of taste. I think the styling will survive the test of time. If you think a 1970 Datsun 240-Z still looks cool today (I do), it's not hard to imagine admiring this 2004 350Z in the year 2038. There's much to love about this car. But corners have been cut that may make the car look very tired in a few years - not what you want to happen with your $36,000 investment. Maybe the 350Z Roadster will be a better buy in 2020 or so, just before the next wave of Z-anniversary madness hits. I'm saving up now, just in case.