Depreciation Station: 2009+ Nissan 370Z

[Editor's Note: This article originally ran in the July 2017 issue of Classic Motorsports. Some information and pricing may be different today.]

Photograph Courtesy Nissan

You’ll spend at least 30 grand to put a brand-new Nissan 370Z in your driveway–figure more than $40,000 for one of the upmarket Nismo models. For that money, you’ll get a swoopy, high-performance coupe or convertible with room for two.

Here’s the bargain angle: That exact same model has been sold since 2009, and today you can find early ones advertised in the teens. Yes, you can basically buy a current Z-car for half-off.

Whether you’re talking about 2009 or today, all standard versions of the 370Z rely upon a 332-horsepower V6 backed by a six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic gearbox. The manual boxes, by the way, feature something called SynchroRev Match. It’s basically automatic rev-matching downshifting and, yes, it works as promised. (By the way, a few tweaks help the Nismo models produce 350 horsepower, but they have been a little better about retaining their value.)

The stuff underneath hasn’t changed, either, with the chassis featuring double wishbones up front along with a multi-link rear. What has evolved? Not much. An optional navigation system arrived for 2010, for example, while Nissan redid the front fascia while adding LED daytime running lights for 2013. New wheels also showed up for 2013, and the color palette has been tweaked over the years–like we said, not big stuff.

The one big decision faced when buying a 370Z is coupe or convertible. While we’re generally fans of open cars, the 370Z shape seems to work better in coupe format. The closed car also does a better job of recalling the original Z-car, an icon with few equals.

CARE & FEEDNG

Stillen has been making Z-cars faster for decades, and the brand’s Kyle Millen shared some 370Z tips with us.

The 370Z is a great car to own and drive. Nissan really did a good job of learning from the 350Z and working out any major issues before the 370Z. We haven’t seen anything that jumps out just yet as a “regular problem” to be aware of.

If you’re in the market for one of these cars, just make sure you get a good prepurchase inspection performed and look under the car thoroughly. Keep in mind: This is a low-slung sports car, and you never know what might have traveled underneath while someone else was at the wheel.

One of the upsides of a 370Z is that it doesn’t really require any special maintenance above and beyond normal practices. Routine fluid changes and inspection of wear-and-tear items are all that’s really necessary to keep having fun with these cars.

One of the biggest complaints concerns the engine oil temperature. These cars simply need an oil cooler, especially if being driven on track. Fortunately, it’s a pretty easy fix, and Stillen offers four different coolers for all different kinds of driving.