$35,000 Question

[cbr600]

I have $35,000 budget for a fun car. Daily transportation is not a consideration here. However, the car needs to be reliable. I don't want to be VIP at repair shop.

I am struggling between a brand new Nissan 350Z (pre-order) or an early year model NSX.

If it's your money, what would you do?

Any suggestion is appreciated.

 

[Nsxotic]

A nice, low mileage 91 NSX for 35k will be super reliable and sooooooooooo much more car than the new Nissan.

 

[humanoidtyphoon]

Well...it depends on many things, but first off...decide if a warranty is important to you. NSX are very reliable, but if something goes wrong...your paying for it. There are some extended warranty companies out there but they are kind of pricey for what they actually cover.

Having never driven a new Z, I only have what I have read to guide my opinion between the two cars, but I would say if you want a true "exotic," go with the NSX. From the performance numbers I have read, the Z will be nice but not on the same level of the NSX. However, I am sure the Z will have great potential for upgrades and the like if that is your cup of tea.

All in all, I say drive both before making your decision and don't listen to people's "opinions" about the cars....look at the numbers...costs of repairs, maintenance costs, insurance, warranty, etc.


[This message has been edited by humanoidtyphoon (edited 24 June 2002).]

 

[Tom Larkins]

Something in the back of your mind is telling you that you need to consider an NSX if you other alternative is a new Z. 35k for a low mi 91 thru 94 is reasonable as long as you know the history and plenty of people on this site use them as daily drivers dependent of the weather in you area. Only y can answer what you want. I don't use mine daily, but I did consider a Z along with several others (993Porsche,96-97Viper,Z06Vette). The Z will be mass produced with over 6,000 per orders taken already and expected units to be produced @ 20,000. If you want something totally unique by an NSX, it will still turn heads years from now if thats what your after and preform as well.

 

[NSXTC]

Hmmm..

well, I prefer the NSX, but of course, this is an NSX forum. If you want another opinion, try the Z-car forum.

 

[bboxer]

It's funny how some people express strong opinions when comparing the NSX to another car. It's much funnier when the other car happens to be still two months away from being introduced. I have an NSX, my son has an NSX and he happens to be the Product Planning guy at Nissan in charge of the new Z. Don't ask me if I've driven the Z but take it from an old hat, you'll be "nicely" surprised to see the Z steal customers away from eco-friendly-hybrid Honda, and I'm not just talking about the S2000 !

 

[hendu]

Well if you are looking for a fun car I would go test drive as many cars as you can and see which one puts the biggest smile on your face. I think the NSX is fun, but so are a lot of other cars. If you like convertables check out the s2000. If you like exotics check out a ferrari 308. Personally I would stay away from the Z for a couple reasons. First its going to be the first model year when you are looking to buy and that usually means a few annoying problems before the car gets sorted all the way out. The other thing is mark up. I don't know if the Z will sell for MSRP or if dealers will charge a premium because of demand like the Mini, but if they are charging above MSRP initially it really isn't worth buying, supply will catch up to demand and the resale on it will drop considerably. BTW this is also another benefit of buying a more exotic older car, the price has stabalized more, so if you decide in 6 months you want something different you won't lose money on the car (and you could make money if you get a good deal). Where if you buy a new car, you are kind of stuck with it unless you don't mind losing a lot of money on the resale. Just my $0.02. Good Luck and let us know what you end up with and what the "fun" factor is, hope you enjoy your new toy whatever it is.

-Mike

------------------
1994 Red/Black NSX #418
Forums Nazi Groupie

 

[181 st]

For the love of God by ilya's NSX! It is a perfect example and priced just right! I know I would!

 

[ilya]

Wow. Thanks for the endorsement.

Better move fast... quite a line is
forming.

 

[cbr600]

Thanks a lot for all your suggestions and opinions.

This is really a great site with a lot of nice people.

Thanks again

 

[nsxtasy]

If you buy an NSX, do it before November 6-10, 2002, so you can bring it to NSXPO 2002. Since it's in your 'hood and all.

 

[cbr600]

I just bought my first NSX five hours ago. A 92 with 31k miles, new clutch, tires, short gear, comtech header and exhaust. 30k maintenance done. The only problem is that AC is not working. IN texas, that's a BIG problem. I was told that it will cost me about 1k to fix it.

The owner only drove 7k miles in last three years and he really took good care of the car.

I am soooooo happy.

 

[Number9]

Excellent choice! Tough decision, fix the AC or toss it (along with the radio) and install a roll bar... If you lived in San Diego, you could probably get away with that!

BTW, the current Motorweek (PBS) has a short segment on the 350Z. It looks better in motion than I expected from the still photos - actually, kind of a Teutonic 911/TT look. Check your TV Guide, the segment is worth watching.

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by cbr600:
30k maintenance done.

What about all the other scheduled maintenance? (Click here for more info.)

Keep in mind that maintenance should be done based on mileage or time intervals. There are items in the service for 45K miles or 3 years (coolant), the service for 60K miles or 4 years (fuel filter, fuel hoses, spark plugs), and the service for 90K miles or 6 years (timing belt, water pump), and all should have been replaced by now.

 

[cbr600]

The owner told me that a few days ago the AC was still working. However, only the passenger side was cold. He suggest that I check the fuse first. So I read the manual, checked all related fuse. Found a fuse for power blower or something like that. The fuse does not seem to blow out but the color the was dark. I replaced the fuse and the AC is half working now. Hey, not bad for $3 investment. Sooner or later I will need to get it fixed but at least I will not sit in the oven anymore.

Thanks for the tips on maintenance, the previous owner had the NSX service only at Acura dealer since he owned it. I got all the receipts and records. For some reason, dealer did the 30k service only when the car was about 30k miles.

I guess that I will have to pay for the water pump and timing belt. I know those are not cheap. I am planning to keep this for a long time. So spending some money on maintenance is fine with me.

I think 350Z will be a really good car as well. I just don't want to wait six months to get a car. If I do decide to get a 350Z later, I can always sell my NSX and get a 350. NSX has always been one of my dream cars and I finally got one. I will keep it.

 

[Forums Nazi]

Originally posted by cbr600:
However, only the passenger side was cold.

Lud says here that means you are low on freon due to a leak in the climate control system.

 

[nsxman]

FN strikes again.

Low freon = compressor working too hard = blown fuse.