Overview & Reviews

Of the millions of Japanese cars produced for North America in the past half-century, most are memorable only through their sheer numbers. A small group, however -- including the Nissan Z -- have achieved true icon status. Originally sold on our shores as a Datsun, the Z has offered a special mix of style, performance and value from the get-go. The Nissan 370Z, representing the Z's sixth generation, continues this tradition.

The 370Z stands out thanks to its thrilling performance, sculpted styling and surprisingly comfortable cabin. There are some downsides -- the engine is prone to unwelcome roughness at high rpm, there's an abundance of road noise and outward visibility is poor -- but the 370Z it is certainly one of the most exciting two-seat sports cars around and a fitting progression of the Z's heritage.

Current Nissan 370Z
The Nissan 370Z is available as a hatchback coupe or a roadster (convertible). The coupe offers three trims: base, Touring and Nismo. The roadster comes in base and Touring. Each comes with the most powerful standard Z-car engine ever, a 3.7-liter V6 that cranks out 332 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed automatic.

Base models feature 18-inch wheels, automatic climate control, keyless ignition/entry, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a CD stereo with steering wheel controls. Touring models add leather and faux suede upholstery, power heated seats, Bluetooth, and a Bose audio system with satellite radio. The Touring roadster is treated to heated and ventilated seats.

The track-focused 370Z Nismo includes a performance-tuned V6 (350 hp), 19-inch forged aluminum wheels and high-performance tires, a limited-slip differential, stiffer suspension tuning, upgraded brakes, unique front and rear fascias, a larger rear wing and special Nismo interior trim details. If that's too much, one could just opt for the available Sport package (also available on the roadster), which adds larger wheels and tires, spoilers, a limited-slip differential, upgraded brakes and a rev-matching "SynchroRev" feature for manual-transmission-equipped cars. An optional navigation system is also available on Touring models.

Once underway, it's easy to maximize the 370's sharp performance. The high-winding V6 is gutsy, though you'll know you're approaching the 7,500 rpm redline when the engine starts to sound and feel coarse. The 370's tenacious grip and sharp reflexes make it the best-handling Z yet, and its ride quality is also quite civilized. However, an extraordinary amount of road noise filters into the cabin, which can grow tiresome on long trips.

Enthusiasts and novice stick-shift drivers alike will appreciate the optional SynchroRev rev-matching feature, which ensures super-smooth downshifts by automatically matching engine speed to wheel speed. The quick-shifting seven-speed automatic will also likely impress buyers.

Despite its all-around competence and slew of strengths, the Nissan 370Z's less practical sports car attributes limit its daily usefulness. There's only room for two passengers, of course, and its cargo area design limits visibility and utility despite a space-saving rear strut brace. If you need more room for people and their stuff, other "2+2" sport coupes might serve you better. But for those who prize speed over space, it's hard to beat the performance heritage of the Nissan 370Z.

Used Nissan 370Z Models
The 370Z debuted for the 2009 model year and was only available as a coupe. The Nismo Z was a late model year addition, while the roadster arrived for 2010. Not much has changed on the 370Z otherwise. An upgraded navigation system with Bluetooth streaming audio was also introduced for 2010, as was a limited-production 40th Anniversary Edition Z package with unique exterior paint and badging. The navigation system picked up a rearview camera for 2011. The 2013 Z lineup was treated to revised front-end styling with LED running lights, and the Nismo model got a little more luxurious with some options from the Touring trim.

Shoppers interested in the previous-generation Z should read our Nissan 350Z review.

User Reviews:

• 

  Great car, but know your options - 2016 Nissan 370Z
  By uncle_ruckus - November 16 - 6:06 pm

  I wish Id done more research on this car before buying but.. Ride comfort and road noise is tolerable but dont be surprised if others complain about it. Unless youre pulling some Fast and Furious **** or tracking the car, the base model has ample power. This car is a serious looker and is a lot more uncommon than the new Mustangs, 5th gen Camaros or whatever other RWD 2 door sports coupe youre comparing it to. Just know that there are other options present/will be present, especially at similar and lower prices. The new Mustang has been out for a bit, the 6th gen Camaro is coming, there are rumors of a new Genesis Coupe and Dodge Challenger as well as a new 370z in the next few years.

• 

  Fun to drive! - 2009 Nissan 370Z
  By ohiodoug - November 11 - 4:41 pm

  I bought this car in the summer of 2009 kind of on a whim. I had been wanting a sports car and it was between this and a Dodge Challenger. Well, with Chrysler bankrupt and Challenger production on hold, I looked into the Z. (As it turns out the Challenger wouldnt have fit in the garage anyway). I have this with the 7 speed auto and paddle shifters, which is almost as fun as a manual. This car is straight out fast and the tires stick like glue! If you dont push it, it actually gets pretty darn good mileage, but its hard to refrain from excess speed. Love the control layout and info screen. Ive had one problem area (see below).

• 

  Fantastic - 2009 Nissan 370Z
  By rebe945 - November 6 - 4:43 am

  Im 55 and bought a black on black. Just awesome, under cover for Winter. Pull it out, run the engine. Just not enough. Need Spring. Ive never had so much anticipation to drive it again. Love the exterior. A head turner. Interior has a modern quality cockpit feel. Seat comfort good and grows on you to now it is just very comfortable, no problem. Performance is off the charts. Power, turning, braking and cruising excellent . I have 18inch wheels and never even thought about any road noise. I have the basic sound system and its very good. May upgrade though because I love my music.Not necessary though. Cant say enough> Ive never loved a car so much.

• 

  My first Z - 2010 Nissan 370Z
  By Wayne - September 25 - 12:36 pm

  I enjoyed it a lot and looking forward everyday to drive it. Very flashy and a head turner! Quick on the uptake and handles pretty well. Its a dream come true!

• 

  370z Review - 2011 Nissan 370Z
  By samyg - June 24 - 9:44 am

  370z Positive Review Driving down the street in a Nissan 370z is a joy. People glance at you and then double take. From the outside, the z car is sharp but with curves in all the right places. Even better than the view from the outside, is the sensation of being in the driver’s seat. It has performance that matches its looks and a price that fits a moderate budget. Whether it’s the car you take to the racetrack on the weekends or your daily driver, the z is a great ride. The 370z comes from a legacy of z cars, starting with the Datsun 240z, which came to the United States in 1970. After years of refinement, the current 370z car steps up to the competition as the best affordable sports car available. When you step into a 370z, there is a rush of emotion. I can best describe it as a mixture of excitement and respect for the power that is at under your foot. The modern, clear, yet aggressive gauges all move to their limits and back at the start of the car, just daring you to put your foot down. The exhaust note is low and ready. This is all a lot to handle for a sixteen-year-old boy, so I dealt with it by sitting in the garage with the car mentally preparing for a month or so before I could legally drive it. Once I pulled out of the garage and on to the road, I was able to appreciate the full ability of the 370z as a true drivers car. From a stand still, 0-60mph flies by in 4.7 seconds of mind-blowing acceleration. This matches the numbers of muscle cars such as the Mustang GT, and the Camaro SS, which are the main American competitors in the price range. You may say “So what if it ‘matches’ its competitors” and the answer to that is seen on the track. The z, being much lighter than the Camaro SS and the Mustang GT, can take corners without tilting dangerously due to its shorter wheelbase and wider axles. Some may point out that unlike its American counterparts, the z does not have a back seat, but my question is are we talking about a sports car or a family sedan? Another aspect that facilitates the 370z domination on the track is a first ever technology called syncro-rev match. When approaching a corner on the track (or on the road), you have to slow down in order to not fly off your course and downshift in order to stay in the cars optimum power band. To do this successfully on a manual transmission in a normal car, one has to heal and toe which means you have to engage the clutch and rev the throttle to the correct rpm to have a smooth downshift. Syncro-rev match does this for you, so all you have to do is down shift without blipping the throttle for a perfect transition of power. All this is to say that the 370z is performance without compromise, holding to the legacy of its predecessors while advancing with break through technology. Although it is performance without compromise, that is not to say that it lacks in comforts or gizmos on the inside. It is admittedly a little bit of a drop to get into the car since its only about six inches off the ground, but once your down there its like you’ve walked into a Best Buy department store. The gauges are crisp. The navigation system could direct you to your space-time location of choice. And all this can take place while you are talking with your friend through the hands free phone system incorporated on the steering wheel. Also, using the navigation touch screen, you can check the weather, check traffic conditions, and control the sound system. The sound system is one of my favorite features in the car. With the premium Bose sound package, the small cabin is infused with eight speakers plus two dual subwoofers. To use this incredible system there are six possible sources of sound; a six CD changer, a radio, an XM satellite radio, a USB iPod connection, a built in 9.3 GB music box, and a Bluetooth wireless audio system. And the music volume is speed sensitive, so as you speed up the music plays louder to equalize road noise. Additionally, if you just have to watch Finding Nemo one more time, the car has DVD playback capability, which can actually be good for entertaining kids. All of the electronics interfaces are calmed down by a sleek, white leather interior that gives you great lumbar support and holds you in your seat if you’re at the track. The seats can be adjusted electronically and have heaters built in to them for those cold mornings when you have to go to school even though you were planning on it being cancelled for “snow.” Once springtime roles around, the new problem is allergies. No fear! The car can fix it all with its in cabin air micro filter. The engineers at Nissan must have had themselves spinning backwards thinking of all these features, which brings me to the subject of putting the car in reverse. As soon as you click the gearshift into reverse, a real time camera pops up on the nav. screen, which is great for backing out of parking spaces and avoiding those crazy lower school moms. In reverse, the screen also shows the cars predicted course when you turn the steering wheel, so curved driveways are not a problem. You can still do it the old fashion way with the mirror, but even the simple mirror is more than it seems. For example, if you are driving down the road at night with the blinding lights of a tailgater reflecting in your eyes, the mirror will sense the intense light and dim it for you. But since most of your time will be spent driving the car rather than playing with all the features (hopefully or else you’ll end up against a tree), lets get back to drivability. I’ve talked a lot about the 370z’s performance on the racetrack, but chances are, most people will use it on public roads. One tiny complaint that some people have brought forth is that there is a bit of road noise on the highway and the engine is load at high rpm. The road noise is because the wheel wells are deep up into the curves of the car so that the car can sit lower to the ground and the engine is loud at high rpm (Figure 5) because it is simply powerful and I would be disappointed if my sports car softly whirred like a Toyota Prius. Speaking of environmentally friendly cars, the 370z does well on fuel economy getting 19mpg in the city and 26mpg on the highway in both the automatic and manual versions. CO2 emissions are also relatively low for a sports car of the 370z’s caliber and run at about 245g/km. One concern that prospective customers may have is whether or not the Nissan 370z is safe. Since the z is a small car, this is a valid concern, but Nissan has done a lot to protect its customers. On impact, the car basically turns into a raspberry of airbags (Figure 5). The z is equipped with dual stage supplemental front airbags, driver and passenger seat mounted side air bags, and roof mounted side impact airbags for head protection. Of course there are advanced seatbelts with pretension and load limiters, and in the event of a rear end collision, the Active Head Restraints push forward to prevent neck injuries. Structurally, the z is designed with crumple zones, an impact absorbing steering column, and a stabilizing bar behind the seats in case the car rolls over. Other features that the z has that prevent you from having an accident are Vehicle Dynamic Control with advanced Traction Control, tire pressure monitoring systems, and anti-lock brakes. In the car, regardless of road conditions, you feel locked down to the pavement with plenty of stopping power derived from the massive four-piston, fourteen-inch brakes. All of these features together create an incredible machine. Walking up to the car in the parking lot, you feel the way a proud owner should. The other day I came out of a movie at Amstar and there was a group of maybe 12 people that I have never seen before standing around it because they had never seen anything like it before. If I wanted to keep the exterior perfectly clean, I’d have to wash off all the handprints on a daily basis. In both looks and performance, the 370z even upstages cars like the Porsche Cayman even though the Cayman is almost double the price of the z. In terms of performance, drivability, efficiency, and looks you can’t find bettwe value for your money. For all it has to offer compared to cars in and above its class, the 370z is clearly the best affordable sports car available.

• 

  To Zee or not to Zee - 2014 Nissan 370Z
  By Al Rod - May 4 - 6:43 pm

• 

  My 3rd and BEST Z - 2010 Nissan 370Z
  By Z - April 9 - 9:10 am

  This is my 3rd Z and the BEST one. I had a 1991 and a 1994 300z but this is a awesome improvement. I look forward to driving it everyday. It is very fast and very good looking car. Handles well and it can move when you want to. I highly recomended it!

• 

  STAY AWAY!!! - 2012 Nissan 370Z
  By mikegt87 - March 8 - 9:06 am

  All I can say is do not buy a Nissan! At 7k miles my car suffered complete engine failure. Blown head gasket, engine coolant in the combustion chamber. How did Nissan react? They replaced the head gasket and not the motor. Well now 5k miles later the engine is starting to act up again. This goes with all the other problems the car has had. The AC has failed, the tpms system malfunctions. The manual tranny sounds horrible. All this at under 10k miles. Stay away!

• 

  Thrilling--- Even For An OldGuy - 2009 Nissan 370Z
  By OldGuy - February 28 - 4:00 am

  Bought this car for my 62nd birthday. For a true sportscar,it is reasonably easy for an "adult" to enter and exit. Surprisingly good fuel economy---28 highway mpg, before break-in, when I drove her home on the Interstate. Ive owned them all---from Cadillac to Miata---and I can say that this car is outstanding in all respects. Solid as a rock. Impressive interior quality. Breathtakingly beautiful exterior styling. Refined power and comfortable ride without compromising handling. Nissan stands for (and again delivers) excellent value and promises long-term trouble-free performance with minimal and afforable maintenance requirements. This car will age gracefully and depreciate well.

• 

  Worth the money - 2016 Nissan 370Z
  By Vijaiendran sv - January 17 - 11:56 pm

  If you are looking for performance at its best for the cheapest cost. This is your car. Dont expect to look for Porsche performance or bmw interiors or miata mileage. This has its own craze among people and Nissan provides the best in class for the bucks spent.