2006 Nissan 350Z - Consumer Guide Automotive

2006 Nissan 350Z
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MSRP:
$27,650 - 41,000

Invoice:
$25,860 - 37,918

Class:
Sporty/performance Car

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2006 Nissan 350Z
Expert Rating Summary

Category	Enthusiast cpe, man. Rating (See All Ratings)	Sporty performance Car Average Rating

Acceleration	8	6.4

Fuel Economy	5	5.5

Ride Quality	3	3.9

Steering/Handling/Braking	9	8

Quietness	2	3.2

Controls	5	5.5

Room/Comfort/Driver Seating (front)	6	5.2

Room/Comfort (rear)	0	1.4

Cargo Room	2	3.2

Value within Class	8	6.6

Total Score:	48	48.9

Ratings: Maximum 10 points per category

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2006 Nissan 350Z Review

The 2006 edition of Nissan's two-seat sports car carries into the 2007 model year pending a freshened version due in calendar '07. The 350Z comes as a hatchback coupe and a convertible. Coupe models are called base, Enthusiast, Touring, Track, and Grand Touring. Convertibles come in Enthusiast, Touring, and Grand Touring trim. The sole engine is a 3.5-liter V6. A 6-speed manual transmission is standard, and all 350Zs so equipped have 300 hp. A 5-speed automatic is available for Enthusiast, Touring, and Grand Touring models and triggers a 287-hp rating. Convertibles have a power fabric top with heated glass rear window. ABS is standard. So is traction control, except on the base coupe. An antiskid system is included on Track and Grand Touring models, and on manual-transmission Tourings. Front side airbags are standard for Touring and Grand Touring convertibles, optional otherwise. Curtain side airbags are available for coupes. Exclusive to Touring/Grand Touring is an optional navigation system.

Competition

Consumer Guide® Automotive places each vehicle into one of 17 classes based on size, price, and market position. The Sporty/Performance Car class consists of two-seat roadsters, 4-cyl hatchbacks, and V8 muscle cars. Regardless of configuration, all have an emphasis on affordable performance.

Our Best Buys include Ford Mustang Mazda Miata, and Scion tC. Our Recommended picks are Acura RSX, Honda S2000, Mini Cooper, Nissan 350Z, and Pontiac GTO.

New or significantly redesigned models include Mitsubishi Eclipse and Pontiac Solstice.

News

We've not heard anything yet about future 350Zs, but the '07s shouldn't have many changes, as Nissan is spotlighting four new or revamped car lines and an updated Quest minivan in the coming model year. Keep checking back with us, though, for late-breaking news.

Come 2009, Nissan will launch a true flagship sports car with a new version of its racy Skyline GT-R. An all-wheel-drive coupe with a turbocharged V6, the GT-R has seen several iterations from its 1989 debut through 2003, but has never officially been sold here. The new model coming to America features aggressive styling, an expected 450 hp, and a rumored $60,000 price tag. Long a performance icon in Europe and Japan, the GT-R is well-known among younger U.S. enthusiasts from video racing games and an appearance in the movie "The Fast and The Furious." It will be Nissan's answer to an expected high-power Lexus sports coupe being rumored for 2008-09--not to mention various high-end German hot rods available now.

2006 Nissan 350Z Road Test >

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