ToffeeZ Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 I'm toying with the idea of buying a 350Z. Having owned two R33 Skylines i found the build quality OK. The window mechanism was a bit naff but overall i was happy because nothing seemed to wear out, which went against a lot of reviewers comments. I have not looked to deeply into the quality of the interior on the 350Z but a lot of reviews say its made of cheap plastics, the cabins are very dowdy and overall quality is not that good. How do you rate the Quality of the 350Z? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich5259 Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 when people say the plastics are cheap, it's usually in comparison to the soft-feel materials that Audi and BMW were usnig at the same time. If you don't like the plastics, most interior parts are now avaialble in carbon No rattles from mine, pleased with the overall quality Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digsy Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 The plastics are fairly cheap and hard and some of them scratch quite easily. However, nothing fell off or broke on either of my Zeds. My first one did rattle like a b4stard though.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 The plastics are fairly cheap and hard and some of them scratch quite easily. However, nothing fell off or broke on either of my Zeds. My first one did rattle like a b4stard though.... +1 - not so bad it will fall apart and break, but not on Audi levels of tactility and feel. Rattles are quite common but easily sorted with foam tape or silicone grease spray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 when taking the car apart you realise its pretty well put together some of the things that were initially a bit cheap were changed quite quickly, the cubby door springs to mind. then at 06MY the interior got a good rework and IMO it is really nice so if its that interior feel your looking for i'd say go for an 06MY onwards . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goatboy Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 The interior is pretty japanese, by that I mean functional but a little uninspiring. Its pretty well laid out, and you get all the toys and gauges you need. It is quite dark but the orange leather option brightens things up a bit a well worth a look if the black leather is not to your taste. Its not great compared to Audis but then not much is. Seems reasonably well put together and solid, can scratch easily in places, but minimal rattles in mine compared to every other car I've ever driven... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number86 Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 The 2006 + is ok. But unfortunately it's nowhere near as nice as something like a TT or a boxtser. I'm really not a fan of the dash "pod" on the 350z. It just looks very cheap and low rent. But still, if you don't want to compromise, pay the 50% extra and get a porsche Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yokomo Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 yeah the plastisc dont ahve the bmw etc feel but i tihnk the layout and generl build quality is pretty good. everything holds down . i do have a small dash rattle but it could easyily be fixed as above but like msot people it snothing a lead foot wont drown out. peronally id say unless your really tall (im 6'2 so over that) then its prety roomy and a good driving place and after all your meant to be looking at the road not the dash ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanski Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 The build quality on 350Z's is rock solid but I do get on my high horse about Jap interiors getting slated all the time. (sorry rant on its way!) People are still remembering them from the 80's and 90's when they were dull and made from rock hard plastic. Yes they scratch easily but in my car experience so do Audi's and everybody elses. My 2007 350 revision (like the MY06) was great inside but yes the door handles and surround scrached but so did my Audi A4 years earlier? Jap interiors are generally made to be long lasting and easy to clean, of course that means not as many fluffy fabics and soft touch materials like other cars but on the whole they have come along in leaps and bounds. Prior to selling the zeds we looked at a number of cars and well for brand new cars I think Seat should hang their head in shame - appalling fit , finish, quality and materials - the last time I saw plastics like that were made by Lego in 1979! The alfa range - in particular the Brera - the dash looks like its made from baking foil! The Mito inside was also a big let down - too fussy and laclustre colours. Merc E and A classes are the most boring and bland interiors I have ever seen - my 300C gets slated for the same reason - oh its typical cheap American interiors - nope its not and its pretty well screwed together too. Please show me an interesting BMW interior ? I have not seen one yet? Biggest surprise I found was the Toyota Avensis interior on the estate - wow fantastic colours materials and finish - puts a lot more so called up market cars to shame One last thing most interiors are actually manufactured by a handful of companies - Lear Corporation tend to have the market covered they just make the entire door trims dashboards etc already premoulded and assembled so its just a cost and design choice by the manufacturer in the end? Rant over ....sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roo Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 The interior is functional - i.e. it is designed for driving. Its not "pretty" but Ive seen worse. The important bits are all fine and you wont spend mutch time admiring the finish on the plastic so I wouldnt let it bother you too much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainSensible Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Build quality is top notch, there are very few posts on here about defects due to low quality componnets used. The only thing that's cr@p is the bose, but I really couldn't care less TBH. I have an 06 and I love the simplicity of the interior, it suits a no nonsense sports car like the Zed. It has everything you need in a functional environment, and doesn't waste time on anything which is purely for style purposes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number86 Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Excluding the title of the thread, I don't think anyone is arguing about the actual build quality and reliability of the Z. We know it's good. We know it's a good car. I like the interior on my 06, it's stylish and functional and fairly sturdy. But it is cheap. There's no arguing there. Especially when it's a 30k car new, which is shamed by the interior finish of a Golf. THIS is why people complain, and it's total valid complaint. It's not dreadful, but it's not up to car to the other marques in this bracket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanski Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Excluding the title of the thread, I don't think anyone is arguing about the actual build quality and reliability of the Z. We know it's good. We know it's a good car. I like the interior on my 06, it's stylish and functional and fairly sturdy. But it is cheap. There's no arguing there. Especially when it's a 30k car new, which is shamed by the interior finish of a Golf. THIS is why people complain, and it's total valid complaint. It's not dreadful, but it's not up to car to the other marques in this bracket. You are correct but if they spent the money on tarty interiors your into porker money and well that's the star in the Zed cap you get so much more value for money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinopy Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 I found the interior to be sturdy and well put together but unfortunately it looks and feels very cheap, even by jap standards it seems cheap but the gt pack gives it a bit more luxury and the parts can be trimmed. I suppose it depends on what you want from a car but I've just sold mine and tbh the interior was a big reason for me changing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToffeeZ Posted February 17, 2010 Author Share Posted February 17, 2010 From the varied replies it seems its all about opinions. I think I'm going to take a closer look before deciding. I have been in a 350Z , but that was on the track at Anglesey and I wasn't paying to much attention to the dash or its qualities Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sketch Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 overall everythings is very good, and all the mechanics are spot on, but yeah downside if some of the interior plastics, like the centre box lid near your elbow feels weak and cheap, but that can be topped by the built in satnav screen cover, that has the worst hinge ever made, and doesnt close very easily, but they really are very minir points to an overall very good car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK350Z Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 I'm not bothered about the interior one jot. The only major gripe for me was that the steering wheel doesn't adjust for reach! In a supposed sports car for gods sake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matth76 Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 Upon looking inside the cabin of a 350z (even early 350z which I have) it "looks" the part with silver trimmings. It is only really on very close inspection or touching the surfaces that you realise it is just made to look nice. It certainly looks much more inspiring (mainly due to the silver trim and unique centre dash/pods) than an E46 M3 which I was considering buying before getting my Z (the BMW dash may have been made of quality material but it just looked very bland). There is no question the "quality" of the materials is not on a par with German makes but it does "look" the part. Nissan clearly spent most of the money on the performance and engine, which is not far of mid-range performance of a Porsche 911. I (and am sure most others) have not bought the 350z for the interior, but more about how it drives and performs. To me as long as it "looks" nice inside the cabin that is all that matters. Every specialist/garage who I take my car to always say the 350z is always a rock solid car build-quality wise (which was one of your questions). I was planning on getting the updated interior model (06 onward) but after sitting in one and an early one I found there really was very little difference, other than a bit more silver trim (but still the same "plastic" silver trim, just more of it). I opted for a 55 plate to avoid the £400 tax and also to get the model which has the most torque out of all three 350z models. However if you have the budget I would go for a late 07 "HR" model (has the updated interior and better engine), or if money is not an object get the new 370z - they have added much more leather to the interior and it looks stunning inside and out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.