Used 2015 Nissan 370Z

Some sports cars sacrifice comfort in the name of performance, while others do just the reverse. Finding the best of both worlds is the 2015 Nissan 370Z, a sports car that strikes a proper balance between the two extremes, remaining vibrant and dynamic yet easy to live with. Although the current 370Z faces down newer cars such as the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Toyota FR-S, many Z owners compare their cars to such legends as the Porsche Cayman and BMW Z4. Given the 370Z’s impressive power and handling these owners may justified in their picks, especially when one considers that Nissan designed its Nismo 2-door terror to be track-ready. Despite its race-ready abilities, however, the 370Z doesn’t punish its owner on the paved road.

One spin in a 2015 Nissan 370Z Coupe is all it takes to understand how much time and effort Nissan engineers have put into getting this car to feel just right. In the corners, the 370Z stays planted and confident, remaining nearly level even when pushed to its limits. Despite firm spring and shock settings, the Z’s ride isn’t overly harsh, although road distortions and freeway expansion joints will quickly make their presence known. We found the 370Z’s power steering delivers a satisfying blend of minimal effort with great on-center feel, and the brakes remained strong and consistent even after hard use. Of course, the heart of Nissan’s 370Z sports coupe is its 3.7-liter V6 engine and SynchroRev Match manual transmission. Smooth, strong and always willing, the potent V6 might not have the low-end grunt of a big V8, but it feels more refined in everyday driving and delivers reasonable fuel economy.

For a sports car intended for serious driving, Nissan’s 2015 370Z’s interior is functional, upscale and artistic. The instruments and controls are exactly where you’d want them to be when the motoring becomes more enthusiastic. Other details include soft-touch surfaces, accents of metallic-looking trim and a main gauge cluster that tilts with the steering wheel, keeping the tach and speedometer clearly visible at all times. The seating is comfortable and supportive. The three smaller gauges top and center of the instrument panel are a nice touch and a remembrance of three similar gauges in the original Z-car, over 40 years ago.

In an era when all cars seem to be growing bigger, the 2015 370Z Coupe and Roadster remain tidy. The low stance is snug to the road, the flared fenders and cantilevered roof give it a purposeful look, and it’s all enhanced with the available Sport Package, which includes front and rear spoilers and bigger tires and wheels. The higher-performance Nismo version includes more aerodynamically influenced shapes, including a larger front spoiler and rear wing. For those who like to motor in the open air, the Roadster’s power-operated top neatly stows underneath a hard cover.

SYNCHROREV MATCH
We doubt they even teach heel-and-toe downshifting in driver’s ed any longer, but if you’re not familiar with the technique, it entails using your right foot to both brake and tap the throttle to match revs in between shifts. Nissan’s brilliant SynchroRev Match manual will do it for you, automatically.

CHASSIS TUNING
Finding the right blend of comfort and performance is a suspension engineer’s greatest challenge. With the 2015 Nissan 370Z, the company has found that optimal range permitting the Z to be as comfortable at the track as it is cruising to the beach.

Nissan’s 370Z Coupe comes in base, Sport, Sport Tech, Touring, Nismo and Nismo Tech, while the 2015 370Z Roadster comes only in base, Touring and Touring Sport. Even in base form, the 370Z is well equipped with automatic climate control, Bluetooth, steering-wheel audio and cruise controls, keyless entry and start, xenon headlights and a 4-speaker audio system with auxiliary input. Moving up to the Touring trim adds power-adjustable heated seats, navigation, leather and suede inside, aluminum pedals and a Bose audio system with eight speakers including two subwoofers. Standard safety features include stability control, traction control, active head restraints and six airbags.

Thanks to a simplified ordering process this year, the number of options for the 370Z has been reduced to just a 7-speed automatic transmission and number of dealer-installed accessories. An Aerodynamic Package adds a front wind deflector and rear spoiler.

What engine powers the 2015 Nissan 370Z? Why, the company’s wonderful 3.7-liter V6, of course. Developing 332 horsepower (350 in the Nismo), it’s quick, powerful and responsive, and holding down the gas pedal sends it spinning to redline with snap. There are two transmission choices, a 6-speed manual that’s a model of precise, slick shifting, and an available 7-speed automatic. The 370Z Sport, Sport Tech and Nismo trims add a manual gearbox with SynchroRev Match, a system that automatically blips the throttle on downshifts for seamless gearchanges and clutch-matching, just like the pros do at the races.

3.7-liter V6
332 horsepower @ 7,000 rpm
350 horsepower @ 7,400 rpm (Nismo)
270 lb-ft of torque @ 5,200 rpm
276 lb-ft of torque @ 5,200 rpm (Nismo)
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 18/26 mpg (Coupe, manual), 19/26 mpg (Coupe, automatic), 17/25 mpg (Roadster, manual), 18/25 mpg (Roadster, automatic)