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You have decided to invest in a sports car, and you love the styling of the 370z, but you want to be sure it will hold up. How long does a Nissan 370z last?

Owning a quality sports car thrills the imagination and gets the blood pumping. Imagine sitting in the cockpit, hearing the engine race, and feeling the horsepower growling underneath you. Or enjoying the excitement of driving on a windy mountain road, feeling the tires bite into the pavement as you take every curve. Just you and the open road. What could be better than that? Nothing. Unless you buy a sports car with tremendous value, it will last for years. Then you have the best of both worlds, performance, and reliability. After all, who wants to spend a lot of money to buy a thrill ride if in a few years it is falling apart?

With proper maintenance, a Nissan 370z can last well up to 200,000 miles or more, which should mean that it will last over a decade of average driving. The reliability scores for this vehicle are excellent and outpace other competitive makes of sports cars.

Let’s face it, the last thing you want to do is invest in a money pit, constantly throwing money into a vehicle that won’t hold its resell value. What good does it do if your brand new toy is in the shop constantly? How can you get any joy from driving if your car is constantly breaking down or the engine light is flashing? And you know that your son will be learning to drive in a few years, so you’d like to purchase something you could pass along to him, something he’d enjoy driving as much as you did.

I have found that most customers purchase a sportscar based on performance. Going fast is part of what investing in a top-quality sportscar is all about, but there are other factors to consider, such as resale and reliability. Perhaps it might be good to remind us about the value of the Nissan 370z.

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What is the Reliability Rating for a Nissan 370z?

Most review sites rank the 370z as having better than average reliability scores. KBB (Kelly Blue Book gives the coupe a four out of five-star consumer rating, with a 70% recommendation value. Car Edge suggests that maintenance and repair costs for the 2020 Nissan 370z will be around $1,716 over five years, while Edmunds has a much higher figure. Withclutch.com uses repair shop data and various warranty companies to rank the 370z with a higher than average reliability factor of 68.8 out of 100. The same folks estimate the yearly repair costs of $504, which is well under the average cost of yearly repairs on all cars of $651. It also measured the times a vehicle will need an unscheduled major repair ($1000 or more) and found the Nissan performed much better than the average vehicle, implying that the 370z is better. (Neither Consumer Reports nor JD Powers has any data on reliability because the Nissan 370z didn’t get a chance to be tested).

What Are the Factors that Affect a Car’s Reliability?

The Nissan 370z has been around the car world since 2009. While the car seems a bit outdated compared to other sports coupes, the model continues to have a solid and loyal following. Still, several different factors can affect a car’s dependability.

The Way You Drive

The primary factor affecting whether a car will last over several years is how hard it is driven. Performance coupes, like the 370z, are made with highly tuned engines designed to push the limits of speed and power. If you are a constant speed demon, forcing the sportscar to the redline, you should expect that the excess strain on the motor and other components will eventually create issues. However, if you plan to park the car and not make it your daily driver, expect the car to last longer.

Regular Maintenance

Every vehicle on the road needs to be maintained regularly to operate optimally. When suggested, changing fluids and air filters while performing other repairs can add life to your car, just like the human body needs to eat fresh food or drink fluids to stay healthy, so a car needs to have the proper nutrients to keep its vital parts from failing.

Residual Value

A residual value measures how much the car is worth at the end of a typical three-year lease. The Nissan 370Z is estimated to hold 46.7% of its initial value, which is less than its counterpart, the Mazda Miata (47.2) or the BMW M4 (54.0). The Miata has a starting price that is significantly less than the Nissan 370z, but you will pay a lot more for a Porsche or BMW. The following information compares some of the major players in the sports coupe world. These ratings are based on the 2020 model year, as reported by MotorTrend.com.

Make/Model Residual Value (3 years)
BMW M4 54.0%
Nissan 370Z 46.7%
Mazda MX - 5 Miata 47.2%
Subaru BRZ 54.0%
Porsche 911 42.0%
Ford Mustang 44.4
Genesis G70 39.0%

Safety Crash Tests

Organizations such as NHTSA and US News, and IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) rate the safety of vehicles all the time. However, the manufacturer has the right not to offer the vehicle for public crash-test ratings. Low sales often make it economically unfeasible for automakers to go through an added expense for safety ratings. This lack of transparency does not mean that the quality of the vehicle is poor or that the manufacturer is attempting to hide poor ratings. Most sports cars are not tested, primarily because they do not perform well in a crash as a smaller two-door coupe.

How Long the Car Goes Without a Design Update

A car company needs to be evolving its vehicle each year as new technology becomes available. Cars with the most sought-after amenities will likely have an edge in holding their value.

This consideration is the primary complaint among sports car enthusiasts about the Nissan 370z. The car has gone through some advances since it first rolled off the assembly line in 2009, but the refreshes have kept many of the same features as previous models. While other car companies have been forging ahead with the latest technological advances year after year, Nissan has been content to put out the same old product. The interior feels outdated and old-fashioned, while the outside hasn’t gone through a refresh.

How Does the Price of a 370z compare to Other Sports Coupes?

Buying a sports coupe isn’t just about reliability, but also about value for the money you will spend. The Nissan 370z is a good buy-in in that it costs less initially than most sports coupes. The following table can help in the comparison.

Make/Model Price of Base Model (2020)
Nissan 370Z $30,090
Subaru BRZ $33.191
Porsche Boxster $79,863
Mazda MX - 5 Miata $26,850
BMW M4 $69,150
Genesis G70 $35,450

What are the Maintenance Costs for Most Sports Cars?

The estimated maintenance costs for the main sports cars, which rival the Nissan 370z, vary depending on which consumer site you read. Primarily the 370z fares pretty well, with lower than average expenses. The following chart can help you explore what you might expect to spend for the various models that compete with the Nissan model. The information is from our friends at AAA.

Make/Model Yearly Maintenance Costs
BMW M4 $1490
Porsche Boxster $1691
Audi RB $3209
Mazda MX-5 Miata $469

What Can I Do to Help the Value of My Nissan 370z?

Other than regular maintenance, there are two primary ways you can protect the investment you are about to make.

Keep the Miles off the Car

Many customers who drive high-end sports coupes end every day and end up racking the miles on them, only to find there are mileage penalties due at the end of their lease, and their car isn’t worth nearly as much as they thought it would be.

Keep the Car in Pristine Condition

If you get obsessive about the condition of your vehicle, it will retain more of its value. A car in immaculate shape is always worth a lot more than one with burger wrappers all over the floor.

Is the Nissan 370z A Good Value?

Overall, the Nissan 370z is one of the better values for purchasing a sports car. The initial purchase expense is less than other models, and the maintenance costs will be less than more expensive models. (You will pay a lower insurance rate than other luxury models like the Porsche or BMW M4).

The 370z has a high-performance rating, is easy and thrilling to drive, and the supercharged V6 has plenty of pop. However, the interior is dated, and you will feel that as soon as you enter the cockpit, so if you have to have the latest amenities or infotainment systems, you’re better off to keep looking.

How Long Does a Nissan 370Z Last?

About The Author

Charles Redding

Charles Redding

I've spent many years selling cars, working with auto detailers, mechanics, dealership service teams, quoting and researching car insurance, modding my own cars, and much more.

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