ACATT Drives the 2006 Nissan 350Z

This weekend I had the chance to rent a 350Z from Hertz. No drama this time at the rental counter, the car was waiting for me in space 95.

I cam away very impressed with the car. When nailing the throttle, the Z’s torquey V6 provided a great soundtrack. The Z’s steering is weighted for just the right amount of steering effort. The handling? Superb! The Z tracked exactly the line I wanted and with minimal body roll. The ride on this particular edition was firm, but not punishing. I couldn’t imagine living with the more firmly sprung “track” model on a day to day basis.

Quibbles? The seat recline and for/aft adjustment for the driver are on the right side of the cushion, but the seat bottom is adjusted by wheels on the left side. I couldn’t really use the wheels with the door closed because there wasn’t enough space between the seat cushion and the door—especially when wearing a watch. The trip computer is controlled by buttons on the instrument binnacle that are somewhat hidden by the steering wheel. Not only do you take your hands off the wheel, but in my case I had to lean forward as well. There isn’t a whole lot of space to in the car, but given its sporting mission that’s acceptable to me.

One concern for me is the rarity of stability control on this car. From what I can see only certain manual transmission models have this critical feature as an option. I’m all for the ability to turn off (completely) electronic nannies, but by default these safety features should be on. The Z is very well balanced car and in my limited time with it I didn’t experience much in the way of understeer or oversteer. However, in a car with so much power awaiting underfoot it only seems like a matter of time before a lead foot meets trouble. Having stability control around to save your butt could be priceless.

The Z and I are about 10 years apart. As a soon to be father there is no practical reason to have this car. Except for a short jaunt to work, I rarely travel without the wife—certainly not the long road trips down blue highways that the Z expects to be taken. With no backseat baby couldn’t come along for ride and even if there was there is no way I’d drive at the speeds the Z would invite when the family was aboard. If the Z and I had found each other 10 years ago things might have been different. The single/just dating lifestyle is what the Z is made for. Of course thinking back to my single days, I was rarely without either my road bike or camping gear, so I don’t know practical the Z would have been. Still, I could have made the relationship work.

In my hometown there is a spot up on a hill where you have a beautiful view of not only my town but a lot of the bay area. As a bonus the approach is a winding road where you can exercise low end torque and good brakes. As I drove around I decided to take the Z up to that spot to show her the city and get a better handle on her driving dynamics. We were tested by deer and cats running across the road, cars straying into our lane, and potholes to swerve around but the Z shrugged it all off. Finally we arrived at the top of the hill and I placed the Z in park but left the engine running so that I could here the V6 purr. As we sat there on that peak, with Z’s xenons piercing the night hungry for more road, I realized that I could never give her the life she wanted. The fast corners, late night blasts down rural roads with one of my buds, looking for adventure or whatever came our way. No, I couldn’t give the Z that kind of life. I think she understood as I backed out of the space, pointed the Z towards home and tore out of that parking lot like a bat out of hell. “Let’s just live for tonight” the Z whispered and I obliged, flicking the wheel away from home and towards a curvy section of road I used to haunt years ago.