Nissan 350z and something else??

Skinto_7

Hi all,

Looking at changing my car situation.

We are a 2 car family, my car is a diesel which cost roughly £15k when i bought it, the Mrs car is a smaller, less powerful petrol car which cost about £8k when she bought it.

As it stands the Mrs rarely uses her car, as she gets public transport to work, and the majority of the time at least one of the cars is in the drive (not always though)

My thoughts were when it comes to changing cars next time, that we would opt for a 5 door diesel car roughly about £10k mark which i would use to go to work, with the Mrs using it at night and weekends, and we would also get a nissan 350z for about £7-8k which wouldnt do many miles and i would use at weekends and nights.

I know the more financially sensible thing to do would be to go down to one car, however i love my cars and the thought of only having one sensible car doesnt fill me with joy, the proposal above would allow us to have a sensible efficient car for the major miles and i would still get to have my exciting toy, all of which would save us about £5-6k than our current situation (although appreciate the nissan running costs will be higher)

Anyone have any toughts of whether this seems like a good idea, or a disaster waiting to happen?

Sorry the post is so long!!

agrinnall

It doesn't sound like you have a non-sensible car at the moment, so I'm not sure why not having one in the future would be an issue for you. However, it's your money and you only live once, so if it's what you want to do then go for it.

Autotrader shows 72 350Zs for between £6K and £9K so there seems to be a reasonable choice if you're prepared to travel. I would worry about it having been thrashed and/or crashed so I'd be looking to buy on condition and history. The running costs are also going to be pretty high, tax alone is £475 a year, would you consider something with lower power but as much (or possibly more) fun, like a MX5?

Skinto_7

Cheers arginnall,

I currently have a special edition Alfa GT, so although its sensible in terms of MPG and Insurance, it is a 3 door coupe with not much room so not the most practicle.

Getting a more paracticle car aswell as a sports car would let me keep costs down for doing the boring work journeys but would give me something fun with to enjoy at the weekends while also allowing for any growths in family numbers.

I like the MX-5, only thing that puts me off is whether its a bit too "hairdressery" or not, no doubt its an excellent car to drive. also considered the honda s2000, to much to chose from :-)

DKLS

I bought my missis a 350Z a couple of years back, running costs arent that high although the way she drives she does go through a set of rear tyres every year !, she only does 6k a year, so we could justify something more fun than a diesel eurobox.

Check out a Z4 and S2000 as they are both very good cars and are in a similar price/running costs bracket, although the S2000 can get a tad lairy on a wet roundabout.

MX5 is a 2nd choice for me, great cars but could do with a bigger engine or a couple of turbos.

Lum

If it's just a fun weekend toy that doesn't really need to be mega reliable, why bother with something as new as a 350Z?

Get yourself a 90s Skyline or a 200SX for a lot less money and arguably more fun.

Weird_Nev

At that price range have a good look at Porsche Boxsters too. Great handling I like 350Z's though. Much better proposition than 200SX's which are now long in the tooth, crashed and chavvy sadly. 350Z's tend to have mature owners with the money to keep them running sweet. Check clutches work though!

Just work out exactly how much you will be spending, and likely maintenance costs for your estimated usage so you don't get any nasty surprises.

brg190_pete

Hi

Left field choice would be an Infiniti G37 saloon. A sports car (with a 3.7 engine) but in a more practical 4 door body.

If you wanted to move to 1 car, this could be the answer. Could act as the sports car at the weekend and the practical car during the week.

You'd have to cope with the low mpg and high road tax, but balance that off against the economy of having 1 car, not 2.

I have a G37 saloon myself and really like it. They also depreciate very quickly, as there is not much demand for them.

Dealership coverage is very patchy (I live near the Infiniti Reading centre).

Have a look on the Infiniti website, and also at the G37's available on Autotrader. If you want any more specific details, just let me know.

Peter

brg190_pete

Forgot to say that the reason I mentioned an Infiniti is because they are the premium Nissan brand (aka Lexus/Toyota), and there are similarities between the 350z and the G37 (eg. I think the engines are similar).

Peter

almillar

I'd love a 350z, and with the running costs, the used prices are finally being hit pretty hard. If you've done the maths, go for it. Also consider S2000, Boxster, MX5 as above, as well as Audi TT (nowhere near as good fun to drive) and of course my fave, RX8. They get a seriously hard time, but have 4 proper seats with easy access and a decent boot. You MUST know what you're looking for engine-wise but you can have a great one for £6000.

eschaton

At the age you are buying at, you could be hit with a few big bills for various wear and tear parts. It's not a road I would go down.

I had a 350Z roadster from new for just under 5 years and about 34k miles or so when I sold it. At that time, brake pads/discs were an advisory on the previous MOT and being brembo were not cheap. I don't think they would have got through the next MOT.

Mines was an 05 so lower tax, 06 (can't remember month) onwards attracted the new higher tax band.

Great car, very reliable but not a car I would be buying at the age you are looking for.

dbramley

I would be tempted to have one 'decent' car to use all the time. Get a newer sports car that is also practical.

£8000 on a second car would buy a heck of a lot of fuel, insurance and tyres for the one decent one you have.

What about spending £15k on a newer Focus ST 5 door - practical and sporty and using the other £3k towards the additional fuel costs.

Don't forget the fuel and serving is additional - so if you spent £1k a year in fuel already you are only looking at the extra...