I bought it used last year, for $15k, but was also a little upside down from another car.
I need a game plan here, and between bonuses and budgeting, I should have around $5k to play with at the end of next year, so that could be used to balance things out.
I don't see why $12-13k wouldn't be doeable for a sale on a Z with low miles..
If I HAVE to pull something out of my pocket in order to make it work, that's not a problem, but my big thing is, I don't want to start tearing my car apart, which I'm getting anxious to do, only to want another car down the line.
I really like the Z, and the only thing making me even consider an Evo is the extra seats and AWD, even though with the Blizzaks, it's not too bad.

 

i understand your logic im just sayin is all going to be a hard sell and your talking 1 year form now. no point in even worrying about it till your ready ready anything could happen then you have to save the money of course. We shall see im just saying dont think it going to be cheaper to get into the evo long as your doing it for the right reason go for it the 4 seater is nice but i have only had a full load twice in 2 years lol.

 

Welcome to the forums. Sorry to hear that you're going to be upside down, but I'm sure the lower mileage of your Z will give it some extra value... people still buy used Zs.

Going from a 2003 350Z to an Evo should be a nice upgrade in terms of performance. I've driven a few Zs and one of my old co-workers had one... not bad cars, but not as quick or agile as I was expecting.

 

The only reason I'm worrying about it now, is because once I do something to whichever car I have at the time, I don't stop.. so it's either, make my mind up now, and make a game plan, or go ***** out with the Z.. We'll see how it all pans out. I was just looking for opinions on my idea.

 

believe me i have both. The Z parts will be more expensive but rewarding and believe it or not the Z gets WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY more stares and attention form people girls etc then the evo does. People know what a evo is and what it can do but a Z that looks fixed up with power is kind of rare considering turbo kits are 4k and up hell my cf hatch was 700 so again pricey but once its together its NICE!! Evos are just plain bada$$ cars you cant go wrong with either once you mod the Z it will be a beast no questions asked

 

back when i traded my 03 Z for my EVO i got if i remember 21k or 22.5k, boy those were the good old days.
do people mistake your Z for a maxima sometimes?

 

<---- Former 350Z owner. You'll miss the Z, trust me. I've missed mine every day since I traded it for my Evo IX back in '06.

Love the Evo, don't get me wrong... but lust for the Z.

Tony (will be getting a 370 after returning from Korea)

 

+1

I had an 04 350Z with a ton of bolt-ons, and it was a great car... I got rear-ended and the Z was totalled, so I purchased a used Evo. I absolutely miss my Z, although I still love my Evo also. My Evo is almost paid off, and I have been thinking of picking up a used Z as a daily driver.

So having owned both for about 3 years... here are some pros/cons:

AWD vs RWD
While AWD is great in the weather, I got around just fine in the Z with A/S tires and traction control. The AWD is more of a performance booster than anything else... don't get me wrong, the AWD is a huge confidence booster in bad weather, but that shouldn't be a deciding factor.

Driveability
The Z wins hands down. The gearing and comfort is much more suited to cruising... the Evo requires much more effort to drive, and is especially annoying on the highway when 85 mph requires nearly 4k RPMs.

Performance
Stock-for-stock, they're similar. The Evo will win in a drag race and probably in the twisties, but the Z will manhandle the Evo in a highway race.

Modification
When it comes to dollar-for-dollar performance from mods, the Evo blows the Z out of the water. The Evo also has much more potential for much less money. You can get 350 whp EASILY out of an Evo. You can't get that from a Z without a S/C or turbo kit. Coming from a Z with a ton of bolt-ons, it was mind boggling how easy it was to make the Evo fast.

Flexibility
The Z had some decent trunk space, but obviously with 4 seats and AWD, the Evo is suited to doing a bunch of crap aside from putting Porches to shame. I'd give the Evo the edge here.

Maintenance
The Evo is a baby and needs alot of TLC. I'm sure alot of guys will argue otherwise, but they probably have a ton of boost leaks they don't know about. The only thing you needed to do with the Z is make sure it was warm before you romped on it. The Evo has about 10 billion more moving parts to break. Expect spending some quality time with your Evo on a regular basis to keep it at peak performance if you start modding.

Looks
Subject to opinion, like everything else ... but I'd have to say you'll get more respect with the Z. The Evo attracts a younger crowd, while the Z will get you thumbs up from everyone.


So, overall, if your goal is super performance and you don't mind keeping up with the maintenance - go for the Evo. If you want something that looks sick on the road and still has some solid performance - keep the Z.

 

Why not keep your Z and send it to Sound Performance to have it modify.

 

I suppose it depends on the area. The Z will usually be more aesthetically pleasing, but they're so common that no one really double-takes when they see a Z. An Evo, while not the handsomest car, does get looks as it's probably less common, plus a lot of real enthusiasts know what it is. Actually yesterday, there was a guy in a Porsche 911 Turbo S (996) who was running alongside me, and was giving me a thumbs-up. I've had the same before with Corvette owners as well. I can say with a lot of confidence that had I been in those exact same scenarios with a Z, they probably would not have cared.

 

I'm a Nissan guy also, and I loved the 350Z. Got a kid now, so I needed a 4-door that was more my style. The Evo is perfect for me, and my kid loves it too!