2018 Nissan 370Z Review: The V6 Dinosaur That Should Be More Likeable

The 370Z may offer rear-drive, N/A six-pot thrills for the price of a hot hatch, but is it too dated for its own good?
2018 Nissan 370Z Review: The V6 Dinosaur That Should Be More Likeable

Pros

Cons

You know what struck me first about the Nissan 370Z we had on test recently? The price. I know that sounds excruciatingly boring, but there’s an important point to make. The base price of £29,185 is under £500 more than the Hyundai i30 N we have on long-term loan, and the optioned-up price of this fancier GT model of £34,860 is near enough the same as the specced figure of the Renault Megane RS we reviewed a few weeks ago.

Only, the Nissan 370Z is not some jumped-up, front-wheel drive hatchback with a turbocharged inline-four. It’s a rear-wheel drive coupe with a big N/A V6 hooked up to a six-speed manual. It’s a coupe which - nearly 10 years after its debut - still looks great.

2018 Nissan 370Z Review: The V6 Dinosaur That Should Be More Likeable

If a news story came out today suggesting that a manufacturer was about to bring out a rear-wheel drive, N/A six-pot-powered sports car for the price of a hot hatch, we’d all lose our minds. But the fact is something that meets this description is sitting right under our noses right now.

A car made from these ingredients is unlikely to happen again, and with the car given some minor updates for the 2018 model year, it seems like a good time to give the Z a second look.

2018 Nissan 370Z Review: The V6 Dinosaur That Should Be More Likeable

It looks better than ever thanks to the addition of new 19-inch wheels, some black bumper trim and 370Z Nismo-sourced smoked front and rear light clusters, but when you step inside, you get a bit of a shock. Damn, is it dated in there, with an ancient sat nav system, chunky plastics and a little LCD trip computer display that reminds me of the one on my 12-year-old VW Golf.

There’s no DAB radio, and the Bluetooth connection works only for phone calls. If you want to listen to some music from your iPhone, you’ll have to use an aux cable. Remember those?

Other than a new Exedy performance clutch, the '18 MY 370Z's changes are all cosmetic
Other than a new Exedy performance clutch, the '18 MY 370Z's changes are…

None of this matters if the 370Z can deliver a thrilling driving experience, but unfortunately, it’s far from perfect in that area either. And a large part of that is down to what should be the Z’s greatest strength: the engine.

Yes, throttle response is great, and it’s nice to have a lovely linear power delivery for a change, but it’s one of the least tuneful V6s I’ve ever experienced. It doesn’t sing, it drones. To make matters worse, Nissan has decided to pipe in fake noise through the speakers, and combined with the harsh real sound, the results are just nasty. The engine tends to ‘hang’ a bit at higher revs, too.

With the rise of turbochargers, it’s all too easy to get excited at the mere mention of a big-ish unit that does without forced induction. It’s important we remember natural-aspiration doesn’t automatically make for a good engine.

2018 Nissan 370Z Review: The V6 Dinosaur That Should Be More Likeable

It’s not all bad news, though, as the steering - an old-school hydraulic power setup - is thoroughly lovely. It’s not as pointy off-centre as some modern electrically-assisted racks, but it feels wonderfully natural and actually gives feedback from the road surface, something that’s becoming as forgotten as those aux inputs. There’s a pleasure to be had in chopping through the gears of the unapologetically butch manual ‘box, too.

Despite the big engine, the 370’s front end is very compliant, while at the rear there’s generally plenty of traction, but not so much that it’s impossible to feel the rear occasionally shift around on the road.

2018 Nissan 370Z Review: The V6 Dinosaur That Should Be More Likeable

Perhaps the biggest surprise is the ride - this Z is much softer than you might expect. Initially, this seemed like a refreshing change to a lot of the super-hard, uncompromising performance cars we see now, particularly given how comfortable it is on a gentle cruise, but this softness comes back to haunt you during less gentle driving.

It’s hard to make the most of that great steering and the responsive V6 because if you start to go quickly on even a mildly bumpy back road, body control immediately becomes an issue. It just will not settle down, which means you’re constantly backing off. Considering the constant fidgeting, it’s best thought of a 328bhp toddler.

2018 Nissan 370Z Review: The V6 Dinosaur That Should Be More Likeable

The problem is the sports car world has moved on from this. Yes, performance car anachronisms just can work - just look at the Subaru WRX STI. The difference is the Subaru does a much better job of highlighting what’s missing in a lot of modern fast cars.

The 370Z’s problem is it’s just stuck around too long, and for all its affordability and old-world charm, its appeal is limited. Small wonder then, that Nissan has only managed to sell just over 100 of these in the UK so far this year.

It’s time the 370Z was given the quiet retirement it deserves, even if that means a bit of a gap before the supposed ‘400Z’ replacement arrives. The only question is, will the successor look anything like this good, and will it still be affordable?

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Comments

Sword_Az™

still one of my dream rides

09/23/2018 - 10:48 |
10 | 0
MeBoosta

Nfs memories…

09/23/2018 - 10:51 |
2 | 0
Dat Z Guy

The price here in the netherlands is really not that good as in the uk, for a coupe you pay nearly a 100k, and more that 100k for the roadster. Still one of my favorite cars tho

09/23/2018 - 10:56 |
2 | 2

WTF ?! I guess it’s taxes, but what about import ?

09/23/2018 - 11:35 |
0 | 0

Yeah same here. But i don’t really know what they cost. There is 0 new 370Z but some older ones.

09/23/2018 - 12:20 |
0 | 0
TheMindGarage

Why buy one of these for £30k when you can get a 10-year-old one for a fraction of that? They’re basically the same.

09/23/2018 - 11:15 |
106 | 0

Not only that - an early one won’t have the dreadful speaker noise stuff going on. Buy an early used one, spend a bit of money sorting the suspension and adding a louder exhaust, and you’re laughing. And making a lot of noise.

09/23/2018 - 12:53 |
108 | 2

Or better yet, save even more by getting a late model 350z that drives much more go-kart like from factory.

09/23/2018 - 13:26 |
10 | 0
Nishant Dash

If I was shopping for a 30k car, this would be it for me. Sure hatches are more practical, but why not a Honda Fit/Jazz then? The Fit is a hoot to drive and is cheap too.

09/23/2018 - 11:28 |
14 | 2

You are a fooll if you spend a full £30k on a new 370z

09/23/2018 - 12:54 |
8 | 4

With all the deals going for the M140i you can get a brand new one for just under £30k and get a more powerful (and better sounding by the looks of it) 6-cylinder, also a manual, and more modern car with one of the best infotainment systems on the market
Or if you prefer coupes, there is the M240i

09/23/2018 - 13:24 |
18 | 0

Because the Honda Fit and jazz are repulsive and the z is a beautiful sports car. There’s ya reason right there

09/23/2018 - 18:29 |
0 | 0
Wogmidget

Hey, what have you got against aux cords?

09/23/2018 - 11:32 |
22 | 0

Hey, as a friend you can say to me what people uses for listening to the music, they download the song or they Bluetooth the thing?

09/24/2018 - 09:54 |
0 | 0
Peanut_guy

Here in France you can have one in very good shape for around 24-29k euro. Again 4 or 5 years and I will be able to get one (or the 350z maybe)

09/23/2018 - 11:36 |
2 | 0
Marco Q (hi)

They still make these? how do they not look old

09/23/2018 - 11:56 |
6 | 0

It’s still a fresh-looking design from the outside. From the inside, however…

09/23/2018 - 15:26 |
0 | 0
GTMoo

2010 Model: “Oh, that’s awesome!” 2018 Model “But, it has no difference… r.i.p. Nissan logic same with GT-R.

09/23/2018 - 12:30 |
2 | 0
Dat Z Guy

Thats a nice color, awesome

09/23/2018 - 12:36 |
2 | 0