2016 Nissan 370Z Nismo: The thrill of owning the road

Nissan 370Z Nismo
The Nissan 370Z Nismo: the distinct hatchback and low profile define this classic sports car. Credit: Scotty Reiss for AGirlsGuidetoCars

Do NOT read this review if you don’t like to have fun driving. If you do, you might decide it’s time.

And by fun, I mean feel the thrill behind the wheel as well as when you pull up into a valet, parking lot or driveway and turn heads when you get out of a car.

Nissan 370Z Nismo
She loved riding in the Nissan 370Z Nismo and dreams of the day she gets to drive it. Credit: Scotty Reiss for AGirlsGuidetoCars

Because that is what the Nissan 370Z Nismo is all about. Thrill.

I had the opportunity to drive the 370Z for a week, and I wanted to be behind the wheel every possible moment. The magic of the 370Z is the thrill of a performance car at a very affordable price: For about $40,000, every experience in this car is fun and engaging; you ride low to the ground, the engine is powerful (350 horsepower) and even small curves at 25 MPH feel like you’re on a race track. And the engine sounds louder than it does in most cars; the stick shift version has a ‘rev matching’ feature which revs the engine a bit when you downshift or put it in neutral, so you hear and feel the engine, even when slowing down.

Nissan 370Z Nismo
The front of the Nissan 370Z Nismo is accented by aggressive headlights and the car’s bullet shape. Credit: Scotty Reiss for AGirlsGuidetoCars

During the week we had the 370Z, my family had to make certain compromises (“Sorry, I can’t take the kids to school; I don’t have room for them both in my car;” “Sorry, you’ll have to go to Costco, I don’t have room in my car,”). And at the end, saying goodbye to the 370Z was sort of like saying goodbye to your favorite vacation ever: gut-wrenching sadness.

A legacy of hotness, and one that put Nissan on the road to popularity 

Nissan 370Z Nismo
An original ad for the Datsun 240 Z: A car so beautiful it got this guy a date with her!

If you were around in the 1970’s you might remember when the Z series was first introduced. Nissan was called Datsun then, known for small, inexpensive, fuel efficient cars that were sort of like gnats flying in the face of Chevy, Ford and Chrysler: trying to threaten their market but not making a huge impact.

Then, Datsun’s 240Z changed the game; suddenly that row in parking lots that displayed American muscle cars like Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes and Chargers was graced with this Euro-looking, bullet shaped sports car with a number for a name: The Datsun 240Z. And Japanese suddenly became sexy.

The perfect toy, for weekends or every day

Nissan 370Z Nismo
All the toys: The Nissan 370 Z is complemented by a Tod’s Flower bucket bag (left, $1,545) Tieks Camel flats (center, $175) and Saint Laurent’s Emanuelle Bucket Bag in Lipstick Red (Right, $1399)

The first thing I had to think about the week I drove the 370Z was about the practicality of a two-seater. This is a choice that can impact what is in your driveway: A two-door sports car for a family of four is a toy, not purely a transportation choice. And while some people are willing to drop a year’s salary on a four-wheeled toy, for most of us, that’s not practical (or makes us forgo other toys, like a Saint Laurent bucket bag or a pair of Tiek’s ballet flats—which, by the way, are perfect for driving a sports car).

But the price of the Nissan 370Z Nismo starts at about $41,000 (the base model starts at $29,000), compared with the Audi TTS, which starts at$51,000, the Lexus RC-F at $62,000 and the Porsche 911 at about $89,000 (but tops out near $200,000).

What is Nismo? It’s all about the drive

We took a short ride in the Nissan 370Z Nismo recently; here’s a video from that ride, and also a tour of the car:

Many of Nissan’s models come in a “Nismo” trim; Nismo is shorthand for Nissan Motor Sports, the competition arm of the automaker. You can get a Nismo trim for a few thousand dollars more and make every trip to the market feel like a a moment at the Grand Prix, even if you never go over the speed limit. While Nismo-trimmed models are designed to get the most performance from the engine, its tighter suspension, steering, special brakes, racing seats and interior details are designed to thrill. Nismo feels like a race car.

2016 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The Nismo name graces the front bumper and is also seen inside the 370Z Nismo. Credit: Scotty Reiss for AGirlsGuidetoCars

The 370Z Nismo brings the track feel to the average road: Cornering is tight and precise, which means even turning into your cul-de-sac at 20 MPH you can accelerate rather than brake while making a near perfect 90-degree turn.

The thrill of feeling the road and the thrust of the engine

Nissan 370Z Nismo
A stick shift makes the experience even more thrilling: you feel the road and are in charge of the car’s reaction to it. Credit: Scotty Reiss for AGirlsGuidetoCars

When you accelerate onto the highway, over a hill or through a turn, you feel the road and the thrust of the engine, even if you’re not having your own little “Fast and Furious” moment (which, ahem, we never do).

Put a 6-speed manual in the picture (this is what I drove), and the experience takes you even closer to road, which becomes not just a path to your destination, but a challenge to be taken and won. Behind the wheel, you own the road.

Of course, if automatic is your thing, that can be fun too; we didn’t get to try out the automatic with paddle shifters, but the 6-speed was so much fun to drive, the paddle shifter option must be fun, too.

Spacious for such a small car

Nissan 370Z Nismo
Maybe my favorite feature in the Nissan 370Z: A perfect place for your handbag. Credit: Scotty Reiss for AGirlsGuidetoCars

The 370Z is a coupe, so by definition, it doesn’t have a ton of interior space, though Nissan seemed to carve out every possible inch. The interior is designed to keep you snug in the seats and your stuff tucked away so nothing is flying around the cabin while you are challenging the road.

Some clever storage details make this possible including the roomy cargo space under the hatch and a nice little shelf behind the seats that was perfect—perfect!— for a handbag. Frankly, I wish every car had a shelf just like it. There is also a small ‘envelope’ box perfect for storing a papers, phone or a tablet behind the passenger’s seat, and while there’s only one cupholder, there are spaces in the door panels for water bottles. Last, there’s a small compartment in the arm rest, perfect for a phone and a few other things.

2016 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Another clever storage space: A pocket for papers and such behind the passenger seat. Credit: Scotty Reiss for AGirlsGuidetoCars

One thing to consider about the small cabin, though, is it can be hard to see out the back of the car. The ‘pillars’ that hold up the roof and the slope of the hatchback make visibility low. The rear view camera takes a lot of the guessing out of backing up, and blind spot monitors are a must. The model we drove didn’t have them, but I would insist on blind spot monitors if I bought this car.

Nissan 370Z Nismo
Your view from the driver’s seat; the gauges move with the steering wheel. Credit: Scotty Reiss for AGirlsGuidetoCars

Technology that is nicely tucked away, too

Nissan 370Z Nismo
The interior of the Nissan 370Z Nismo is nicely edited to keep a sporty feel but offer all the technology you need. Credit: Scotty Reiss for AGirlsGuidetoCars

The 370Z’s interior focus is “race car,” all the way. So things like navigation and infotainment had to be integrated in a way that doesn’t intrude on the race car feel, and Nissan did a nice job of this. The small-ish touch screen offered navigation and radio, driver feedback and customizable settings. Driving gauges, including the tachometer, speedometer and fuel level are squarely framed in front of the steering wheel. In fact, the steering wheel and gauges are a singular module, so when you adjust the steering wheel up or down, the gauges move along with it; this way you never block your gauge view with the wheel (this can happen in other cars).

2016 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The hatch space of the 2016 Nissan 370Z Nismo. Credit: Scotty Reiss for AGirlsGuidetoCars

Climate and radio controls can also be controlled with buttons on the center console, so when you’re shifting gears and trying to change the station, you can easily and intuitively push a button without having to consult the touch screen. In fact, you can just use the screen to set your stations, then use the preset buttons to select stations without taking your eyes off the road.

Great Bose sound system, but listening to the engine is more satisfying

Nissan 370Z Nismo
Controls on the steering wheel let you control the sound system–or turn it off so you can hear the roar of the engine. Credit: Scotty Reiss for AGirlsGuidetoCars

Last, just to enhance the pure feel of a sports car, you can install your own speakers or sound system: inside the arm rest are A/V ports that let you hook up your own tunes, just in case the premium sound system isn’t enough.

Though, much to my daughter’s chagrin, we didn’t spend a lot of time listening to the sound system in the 370Z. I picked her up at school that first day, and when she got into the car, she immediately started to tune to the pop radio station. I scolded her, “No, listen to the sound of the engine.” We are buffeted from our engine sounds in cars these days, but being this close to the road and the rhythm of shifting through the gears are a treat. She relaxed back into her seat and let the thrust and precision of the 370Z carry her home.

Nissan 370Z Nismo
A feature I really liked in the Nissan 370Z Nismo was the vent on the door next to the handle; it cooled me off quickly but then I could close it when I’d had enough. Credit: Scotty Reiss for AGirlsGuidetoCars

What We Loved

  • Thrilling drive experience
  • Smart key
  • Nicely edited infotainment technology
  • 6 speed manual shift
  • Nismo trim includes Alcantara leather seat trim on the racing seats and a suede steering wheel
  • ‘Rev matching’ gives a throaty roar when downshifting
  • Roomy hatchback (with room for luggage!)
  • Perfect place to store a handbag
  • Bottle holders in the door panels

What you Need to Know

  • 18MPG city/26 highway
  • Two passenger car
  • One USB port and one cupholder
  • Driver and passenger seat adjustments are manual dials
  • Blind spot monitors are a must
  • Nismo trim level is the top of the 370Z line
  • Low to the ground, so it can be hard to get in and out of (especially in a skirt and heels)
  • Price of the model we drove: $46,440

 

Disclosure: Nissan loaned us the 370Z Nismo for our test drive; any opinions and thoughts are all our own.

Nissan 370Z Nismo
The rear view mirror on the Nissan 370Z Nismo lets you get a look at the rear fenders, as well as what is behind you. Credit: Scotty Reiss for AGirlsGuidetoCars
Scotty Reiss
Scotty Reiss

Journalist, entrepreneur and mom. Expertise includes new cars, family cars, 3-row SUVs, child passenger car seats and automotive careers and culture. A World Car Awards juror and member of the steering committee, Scotty likes to say the automotive business found her, rather than her finding it. But recognizing the opportunity to give voice to powerful female consumers and create a voice to match their spending power, her mission became to empower women as car buyers and owners. A career-long journalist, she has written for the New York Times, Town & Country, Adweek and co-authored the book Stew Leonard, My Story, a biography of the founder of the iconic grocery company Stew Leonard’s. Her love of cars started when her father insisted she learn to change the oil in her MG Midget, but now it mostly plays out in the many road trips taken with her family.

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