2019 Nissan 370Z review

What We Like

Steering and handling: Steering is one area where the Z’s overall age works to its advantage. The old hydraulic power steering mechanism provides excellent steering feel and feedback compared to the electrical assist used on many modern cars. It’s the kind of steering that enthusiasts will appreciate—sharp, accurate, and with good feedback through the steering wheel to let you know when the front tires are at their limit. Couple that with a willing suspension setup, and the Z is definitely a fun car on a twisting road.

Power delivery: The V6 engine under the hood puts out more than 330 horsepower and has no problem getting this two-seat sports car moving quickly. There’s good torque and good peak horsepower, making it easy to drive in traffic as well, even if you choose the manual transmission.

Rev-matching downshifts: The Z was one of the first cars to introduce automatic rev matching on a manual transmission, and it’s still a cool feature. Push in the clutch and engage a lower gear, and the engine computer automatically “blips” the throttle, increasing revs to exactly where they need to be for that lower gear to engage smoothly.

What Needs Improvement

Old bones: The fundamentals of the Z chassis are good, but time has left this car behind. Nissan didn’t update very much during its run, so the suspension stiffness, engine coarseness, road noise, and lack of visibility all make this 2019 model feel much older. That’s before considering the lack of modern technologies such as smartphone integration and driver assistance. Its competitors all feel far more modern and accommodating.