Nissan initially came to the US market under the name Datsun for fear of failure. With that Datsun name, they brought the 240Z; since then, they have been a top competitor in the sports car market.
The Z family has changed a bunch over the years, but some key factors still make them all related. A low roofline, squished trunk, and a long hood are features that every single Z has.
What about the most recent Zs? The 350Z and 370Z were incredibly successful sports cars, but which one is actually better?
Nissan 350Z
After the success of the 300ZX ended in 1996, Nissan was a little unsure what to do with the Z. They created a new 240Z concept, but that was scrapped for fear of going backward.
Eventually, Nissan showed the world their new Z concept, and they called it the “350Z”. The 350Z was a lot like the outgoing 300ZX.
They both shared similar design features, like the long hood, but the 350Z was designed to fit into the modern world.
Additional 350Z info on Wikipedia
In Japan, the 350Z was known as the Fairlady Z Z33. Overseas many of the Z cars were named the Fairlady. The Z33 is the chassis code, which identifies this specific generation of Z.
Its sleek lines and aggressive stance offered a hint of the power hidden under the hood. With a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, the vehicle maintained a perfect balance between luxury and sportiness, encapsulating the essential aspects of a true sports car.
The heart of the 350Z was its potent 3.5L V6 engine, the VQ35DE, and later the VQ35HR. This powerplant offered impressive output figures, starting from 287 horsepower in the early models and ultimately reaching 306 horsepower in later models.
Though the production of the 350Z ended in 2009, replaced by its successor, the 370Z, it continues to hold a special place in the hearts of car enthusiasts. Its blend of power, handling, and style, all offered at an affordable price point, makes it a popular choice for driving aficionados and car collectors alike.
Moreover, the Nissan 350Z’s durable construction and mod-friendly design have made it a favorite in the aftermarket modification scene. Whether it’s an engine tune, suspension upgrade, or a forced-induction setup, the 350Z serves as an excellent canvas for car enthusiasts to express their creativity and personal preferences.
Nissan 370Z
Fast forward to 2009, and Nissan is now producing their next Z car. The all-new 370Z is the 6th generation in the Z family.
The 370Z shares nothing with the outgoing 350Z. The 370Z is smaller, lighter, faster, and much curvier than the 350Z. It has a 4″ shorter wheelbase, 2.7″ shorter length, 0.3″ lower height, and 1.3″ wider body.
What do all of these numbers mean? These numbers mean the 370Z is designed to handle better than the 350Z in every way possible.
Additional 370Z info on Wikipedia
Just like the 350Z, the 370Z was known as the Fairlady in Japan. This time, it was the Fairlady Z Z34.
The 370Z brought an updated, more aggressive design compared to its predecessor, featuring a more compact wheelbase and overall size, resulting in a lower weight and increased performance.
Its muscular stance, sleek lines, and distinctive boomerang-shaped headlights and taillights emphasized its sporty nature and attracted attention wherever it went.
Under the hood, the 370Z housed a 3.7L V6 engine, the VQ37VHR, that was capable of producing 332 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque. The ‘NISMO’ performance model boosted these figures to 350 horsepower and 276 lb-ft of torque, highlighting the car’s high-performance potential.
And despite its performance credentials, the 370Z didn’t compromise on comfort. The driver-focused cabin featured well-bolstered seats and easy-to-reach controls, ensuring an enjoyable driving experience. Higher trim levels offered luxuries like leather seats, a Bose sound system, and navigation, further enhancing the 370Z’s appeal.
350Z vs 370Z: Exterior
I mentioned the 370Z has smaller dimensions than the 350Z. The odd thing is the 370Z looks larger to me and many others. They are obviously related. The overall shape is extremely similar.
They’re both long, low, and simple, with a simple fastback rear. The 370Z is much curvier than the 350Z. This was done to make it look more aggressive but also much more modern.
Just like countless other models throughout history, the successor is curvier and modern-looking.
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The 350Z is a timeless design; it will never look dated. Sitting next to the 350Z, it looks just as modern. That being said, I think that they’re both incredibly good-looking sports cars.
But the 350Z’s simpler design arguably makes it the better-looking of the two.
350Z vs 370Z: Interior
This shouldn’t take you by surprise; the 370Z’s interiors have features that weren’t even available on the 350Z. The 370Z also has a redesigned interior that feels more modern and more expensive.
They both have features that are a tribute to the original 240Z, such as the three gauges high up on the dashboard.
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One thing that Nissan didn’t really change between these two is their race car feel. Everything in the cockpit is angled towards the driver, making it a true driving experience.
The seats are mounted low, and they are surrounded, making it feel like a true race car.
350Z vs 370Z: Performance Data
So if you’re an enthusiast, then this is the part that you actually care about. Which one of these cars is actually faster?
Logic would tell you that the 370Z is going to be the faster of the two, but is it really? Let’s look at some of the 350Z’s numbers.
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- Horsepower: 300 @ 6,400 RPM
- Torque: 260 lb-ft @ 4,800 RPM
- Curb Weight: 3,200 lbs
- 0-60: 5.1 seconds
- 60-0: 112 feet
- 1/4 mile: 13.5 seconds
As you can see from these numbers, the 350Z is actually pretty quick. It’s not “Mustang” fast, but it’s plenty fast for the average person.
- Horsepower: 332 @ 7,000 rpm
- Torque: 270 lb-ft @ 5,200 rpm
- Curb Weight: 3,300 lbs
- 0-60: 4.5 seconds
- 60-0: 105 feet
- 1/4 miles: 12.5 seconds
The 370Z is more powerful, which isn’t surprising considering its larger engine. The interesting part is that even though it weighs 100 lbs more, it’s still faster in every single way.
I hope this didn’t take you by surprise, but the 370Z is faster in every single way. This is funny because I’ve never seen a 370Z on a track, but I’ve seen countless 350Zs on a track. This is probably due to the price difference.
350Z vs 370Z: Reliability
The topic of reliability can be very subjective when it comes to Nissan. That is, everyone has a different agenda.
Many Nissan enthusiasts claim to have had incredibly reliable 350Zs, and incredibly reliable 370Zs.
Many enthusiasts also claim the exact opposite. Either way, the Nissan brand is actually less reliable than you might think.
With that out of the way, we can return to the subject at hand: Which one is more reliable? Unfortunately, I was unable to find any concrete numbers regarding the reliability of these two.
So I resorted to the forums, and I found that most Z enthusiasts both are incredibly reliable. This is odd, considering the chart above shows that Nissan is below average in terms of reliability.
I really couldn’t find any forum posts complaining about the reliability of either. If you have any insight on the reliability of the 350Z or the 370Z, let me know in the comments!
350Z vs 370Z: Price
Unfortunately, we are all limited to price. For this single reason, most people will never get to own their dream car. Both the 350Z and the 370Z can be found used for a fraction of their original price.
The 370Z is obviously going to be more expensive, and it’s newer. You need to understand that automobile prices vary by location, age, mileage, seller motivation, number of problems, and luck.
These prices I’m going to quote you might be entirely different from the prices that you find.
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A 2006 350Z enthusiast coupe with 50,000 miles in good condition has a Kelly Blue Book price of $11k. This surprised me. I expected it to be closer to $7k based on my experience with 350Zs.
When I hopped on Phoenix’s Craigslist, I found 350Zs from $6,500 to $14,500. All of the cheaper ones had 160k miles or more.
From what I’ve found, a good condition 350Z with around 100,000 miles is about $10k.
A 2010 370Z touring coupe with 50,000 miles in good condition has a Kelly Blue Book price of $17k.
This also surprised me. I expected it to be closer to $20k. The KBB for the 370Z is $6k more. For that, you get a model 4 years newer than the 350Z.
When I hopped on Phoenix’s Craigslist, I found 370Zs from $13,500 all the way up to $33,000. This means that in the real world, a 370Z is about 2x as expensive as a 350Z.
350Z vs 370Z: Engine
The engine is where things get really interesting because the Nissan VQ can either be terrible or amazing, depending on the variant.
In the 350z, you’ll find a few different versions of the VQ35, but the two main versions are the VQ35DE and VQ35HR.
In the 370z, you’ll find the VQ37VHR.
Objectively speaking, the VQ37 is better in almost every way than the VQ35. More specifically, the VQ35DE had a lot of problems that hindered performance and reliability.
Nissan learned from those problems and fixed them all when they created the VQ35HR. The VQ37 fixes the remaining issues of the VQ35HR and increases displacement, plus it introduced new features that increase performance even further.
For more info on this, I recommend reading our VQ35DE vs VQ35HR article or our VQ35HR vs VQ37VHR article. Both of these articles explain the differences in more detail, but the simplified answer is that the 370z has a far superior engine.
So Which One is Better?
This is a tough decision to make. Both the 350Z and the 370Z are incredible sports cars.
They have both set the bar for all of their Japanese competitors. Due to the 350Z’s lower price, it’s the better option for tinkering, but if you have the money, the 370z is the objectively superior car.
Yes, it is slightly slower, but with the money you save going with a 350Z, does it really matter? That money can be used for suspension, brakes, and tires.
A 350Z full of modifications will be faster than a 370Z; however, a 370z with equal mods is entirely in a different league. Let me know what you think in the comments below!
Sorry Nissan I don’t like either. They both remind me of Sumo Wrestlers.
It’s not that I don’t like Nissan products but these two never did anything for me….like watching Sumo Wrestling.
buy a bicycle, then!
Have you actually ever watched sumo? It is one of the most complicated and interesting not to mention entertaining sports in the world today. sigh.
1. The Nurburing time you listed is for a 1st Gen 350z not the 2008 you listed.
2. The adjustments made to the 370z were not for better handling really. They were for high speed stability primarily. (Probably due to the change of engine between the Z33 vs Z34). Hence the change in the front suspension and the widening of the body.
3. The 350z has a far superior front suspension to the 370z in terms of handling (unique dual ball joint suspension w/ a moving steering axis vs much simpler double wishbone type suspension). ONLY category the 370z is superior is in its stability at higher speeds. The dual ball joint is also more expensive. They improved the interior with the Z34 so they also needed to keep cost down.
If Nissan had continued with the 350z suspension..the 370z more than likely would have been too twitchy for the average person due to the increase in power. Even after widening it. It also would have driven up the cost.
Even though with all those mods, it will only bring the 350z up to 370z level. While if another person buys a 370z and gets all the same mods, then the 370z would be faster. So what I’m trying to say is that if u get a 350z moded, then it will probably only be as fast as a 370z stock.
that’s simply not true, if you’re buying the same or roughly equivalent aftermarket components they’re going to affect the cars the same mostly. If you do a lot of mods they’re going to be really really close in performance,and they already are,except you’re $15 down with the 370 which imo doesnt look as good and also doesnt have a rocket bunny kit
The 370z is the better and quicker car…the car experts have proved it the car magazines(test drivers) have proved it…youre only going to lose if your 370z is stock and the 350z has been modified.The only people that disagree with this statement are 350z owners…the end
…wrong…please educate yourself before spreading your ignorance
My sentiments exactly , the 350 will be the same performance as 370 , but I agree and it’s inevitable the 370 will be much faster having had the same treatment.
The way you structured your information is great! I was looking for the numbers and they were so easy to find!
The 350z is currently better for two reasons. It’s affordable and there’s alot of affordable aftermarket support. You can buy a 350 do a budget motor build and get a cheap single turbo kit and tune for under 10k and have a reliable track car making over 500 horse for 10 grand.ok. Now add 7 grand for a turbo kit for the 370z plus initial cost of car is like 7 grand more and that car would cost over 20 grand. Now go racing but don’t wreck it… 350z is currently better cause it’s cheaper and you don’t need full coverage insurance or a loan to afford it.
Horses for courses!
I own a 08 350z and don’t have many complaints. Fun car and not bad in the snow with snow tires, I live in Colorado.
I worked at a Nissan dealership from 2008 to 2010 and rarely did I see them come in for parts going bad. I think I replaced two window switches. I did five 06 engine swaps for the piston ring issues though.
The mechanics there seemed to agree all the cars made fully in Japan don’t have issues for the most part. That would be the gtr, 350/370z, high end muranos, high end Maximas and maybe something else I’m forgetting. The rest of the line, especially ones mostly made in Mexico, had a lot of issues. All the cars come with a sticker that has percentages of how much It’s assembled where.
Loved your article. I owned a 2004 350Z Enthusiast and really liked it. Prior to that owned a 1985 Mazda RX7 GSL-SE that was fun, but not easy to find places to get maintenance done. I also owned a 2010 RX8. When buying a sports car, I see no reason to have a rear seat, hence I no longer own the RX8 which I also found to be under-powered. Based on your recommendation, I plan to look for a later model 350z as I love the smooth lines of the car. Thank you!!!
I Think The 2009 Nissan 350z The Best Car Here. I Like the 370z Nissan As Well!!!
Hi I’m Lekiela I like the 350ZNissan! But The 370Z Nissan Is Liking Too! Hell I Drive!!! Both In Style That a Style Sport Car I Like Both of Them Nissan!
370z owners will always prefer 370z’s, 350 owners will always prefer the 350’s… I owned both and own a 370 now. Wouldn’t take my 350 back no matter how much I missed it. I shit talked on all the 370’s when I had my 350z. 370 IS an upgrade, if you’re going to claim the 350 is superior because of price… it’s a false statement. It all comes down the preference. On paper 370 is an upgrade overall.
I have owned 3 370 and 1 350. I enjoy the 350 more due to similar performance , the 370 seemed to me to be quite a bit louder even after a tire change. i have put 15,000 miles on the 350 and i love the style, performance and reliability .The purchase price for the 12 370 was 28k ……..price of 350 with 10 k miles that looked new was 14.5 k.i love all z cars .
I’ve owned a Silver 2002(439 off the line) 350Z track model for 14yrs which has now done 51K/km. The only problem I’ve had was a ‘broken’ drivers side electric window motor.
Brembo brakes, 371Nm torque and Michelin PSS tyres make a good driving package for me, on a stock car. It’s my car for life and I don’t plan to sell it. 🙂
Is there any possibility to drift on Z350/Z370 by using automatic gearbox? Or it’s simply impossible? I’ve heard that some cars equipped with drift mode feature. Appreciate for response!
They Ruined the 370Z with odd shaped headlights and a weird looking steering wheel, the only downside to the 350Z is the boring rear end and tail lights. For the price, a 350 can be made quite nice. If you have money then the 370Z can be upgraded to look better
The 350Z is a more pure enthusiasts car! Looks better and has way more aftermarket parts to choose from! They broke the mold when they Designed the 350Z! Look at the number of custom 350Z cars versus 370Z it probably number 1 in the most custom cars ever created in any car model!!!
I was of the impression that the 370z had the same engine block as the last 350z, but with a reworked head. Adding the rev matching tech in the 370 is great and helps with getting used to the paddle shift option. Modding an auto 350z with a robo paddle shift takes a toll on the down shifts. Still great fun though.
You referenced JD Power for reliability ratings when they are a joke. Look at the car makers lol. Jaguar, Chevy, Cadillac??? Lmao I can tell you by experience Cadillac and Jaguar are terrible cars and much less reliable than Nissan.
Nice article. I am the proud owner of a 2005 350Z touring roadster. Bought it new in 2005. It is a toy…nothing more, But what a toy. Never bought it for every day. It only has 14000 miles on it. Looks new still. Some wud say expensive toy. NO regrets.
Great article thanks. I’m currently trying to decide if I’m going to get myself a lightly used 370 or replace the 350 I had until some yuppie fell asleep at the wheel and hit me head on at about 60 in his Volvo SUV. I walked away from the wreck but my car looked bad enough that friends who drove by and saw it called my fiancé to let her know I was probably dead. After reading what you had to say I think I’m making the right decision by going with a 370. I do prefer the simplicity of the 350 body lines but I felt it was a bit sluggish before having my ECU reflashed by a company called uprev. To any 350 owners out there I must say I HIGHLY recommend this as it gave me much faster throttle response, better gas mileage and even a valet mode that limited rpm and top speed to whatever you choose. Best 400$ I ever spent modifying a car.
interesting information, I own a 2003 350z 6MT and I’m in love with it, I bought it with 62K and it now has 110K on the clock and it has been a wonderful car and has had no major problems. I don’t beat it but I’m constantly driving in the twisty mountain roads in Nor Cal and I love the handling. I just recently picked up a 2011 370z 6MT, sport model with 28K on the clock. I love the looks and power, and the interior is upgraded. I’m not in love with the 370z yet, but I’m falling for her. I am concerned about the CSC, well see. I did remove the fuse for the ESL already. The handling is tight and the steering is very tight. what I don’t like so far is the gas pedal and the clutch. I’m lucky to own both cars and its been fun comparing the two. I plan to keep the 350z as she is very clean and stock, with the exception of 18″ wheels. I’ll let you all know if I fall in love with the 370z, I’ve only had her for over a month.
Been looking at both for a while, I like certain things about both, but ultimately the 350z just looks better to me, especially when modded well. I really dislike the headlight and tail light design of the 370z and that’s important. And Widebody 350z with a duck bill wing and some eye lids looks sick.
I need 3.5 Nissan motor,I like to have one out of 370z,I got a 2003 i35 it needs motor