2006 Nissan 350Z Review

The Legend Lives

In short: A hot-looking, Japanese-bred muscle car.

There aren’t a lot of truly iconic Japanese cars trolling about America’s roads. Sure, the Toyota Corolla is the world’s best-selling car of all time and the Honda Accord has won more awards than Steven Spielberg, but one could hardly put them on a pedestal along with the legendary Mustang, Mercedes SL or Jaguar E-Type, just to name a global few. The exception is the Nissan Z (née Datsun) that first showed up on this side of the Pacific in 1969 as the 240Z, an otherworldly sports coupe with a long front end and short hatchback caboose. American customers gobbled it up, appreciating its mix of style, handling, power and a price that undercut other foreign sports cars.

Now in its fifth generation, the Z car still embodies these attributes and throws in a hearty dose of muscle car oomph for good measure. Although its proportions and hatchback are in keeping with the original 240Z, this is a thoroughly modern design that thankfully avoids the waning retro trend. It still looks great three years on, and although it received a slight front and rear end tweak for 2006, it’s next-to-impossible to notice. Our Grand Touring test car’s metallic Daytona Blue paint suits the car nicely, and its athletic alloy rims (18-inch front, 19-inch rear) fill out the chiseled wheel arches and look exceptional. If you feel the need to replace these dubs with something bigger or flashier, see a psychiatrist.

Underneath the hood is the pièce de résistance edition of Nissan’s ubiquitous 3.5-liter V6 that can be found in one form or another in everything from the Quest minivan to an Infiniti M35. Pumping out 300 horsepower and 260 pounds-feet of torque, the Z pins you back into your seat with authority, wanting to go fast whether you’re stuck in traffic or trying to set land speed records somewhere on I-10 near Quartzsite, Ariz. As if to hammer the point across, the dual exhausts poking out the back deliver a guttural, throaty note that’s reminiscent of big block American V8s, not lithe Japanese sport coupes. Thankfully, the exhaust has been tuned to be louder at lower rpms (1,000 to 3,500) and quieter when cruising so you can actually hear the radio, a passenger or the siren bolted to the Quartzsite P.D. Crown Vic that’s about to pull you over.

The Z isn’t just some straight-line-only drag strip artist, either, it welcomes being flogged about on mountain roads and being thrown into corners. The FM or Front-Midship platform places the engine behind the front axle, allowing a balanced nature that dictates into such precise handling. Its steering offers a nice combination of feel and effort that’s almost BMW-like in its communication with the driver. The huge wheels, particularly the larger rear rims, glue the Z further to the road, but naturally, they can be pretty crashy over rough pavement—something to consider if your daily commute includes the Moon-like pavement of a Michigan freeway or urban Los Angeles.

Shifting is done by way of a mechanically direct 6-speed manual with short throws (a 5-speed automatic is offered, but it lowers horsepower to 287). While the stick is a pleasant enough device to deal with, the clutch requires thunderous thigh muscles and when pressed, it feels like the pedal is trying to burrow its way through your shoe. It’s fine for performance driving, but can get tedious around town and is a major reason why the Z could be an iffy choice if your daily driving involves lots of stop-and-go traffic.

Even if it does, the Z’s cabin is a pleasant environment to inhabit as materials were noticeably improved for 2006. The seats are still oddly shaped, though, and could offer more thigh support since leg room is limited. Head room is ample, however, even for those more than six feet tall. Our tester was packed with creature comforts like power heated leather seats, navigation system, and a Bose stereo with six-CD changer and XM satellite radio. The latter could benefit from a larger display since it gets tedious to continually press the display button to view the individual channel name, artist, track and sports scores. Having redundant radio read-outs on the navigation screen like in the Acura TL would be a welcome addition given that it’s more frequently needed than the directions to Aunt Edna’s house.

At almost $40,000, our Z was just a wee bit expensive and only $300 less than its similarly equipped Infiniti G35 Coupe sister car, which sports nearly identical performance attributes while offering more room (seating for four) and luxury. Therefore, we’d probably stick to more basic Z varieties (the base price is $27,650) that only sacrifice the big wheels and limited slip differential of the Grand Touring model. For that lower price, it’s hard to beat the 350Z’s combination of ferocious power, handling, build quality and edgy looks. Oh, and who can forget that iconic Japanese heritage?

Read a review of the 2010 Nissan 370Z Coupe

Warranty/Service: Three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty; five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. QUICK SHEET Base Price: $27,650 / As tested: $39,115 Technical Specifications Vehicle type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 3-door coupe Engine: 3.5-liter V6 Horsepower: 300 bhp @ 6,400 rpm Torque: 260 lb-ft @ 4,800 rpm Transmission: 6-speed manual Curb weight: 3,602 lbs Wheelbase: 104.3 in Length/Width/Height: 169.8/71.5/52.5 in Turning circle: 35.4 ft Brakes: four-wheel disc with ABS and electronic brake assist Suspension: independent front and rear Traction: traction control, vehicle stability control, limited slip differential Safety: front airbags, optional side abdomen and curtain airbags, tire pressure monitor 0-60 mph: 5.8 seconds Top Speed: 155 mph (governed) EPA City: 19 mpg EPA Highway: 25 mpg Likes: superb handling; ferocious power; throaty exhaust note; edgy modern looks; improved interior; killer wheels Dislikes: stiff clutch; uncomfortable seats; heavy doors; difficult ingress; satellite radio display; Grand Touring model very pricy

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(Updated: 07/12/10 NW)