The 350Z is a car that ticks so many boxes, affordable, stylish, powerful, comfortable, and well-made. It's easy to fall in love with the 350Z because it's so commonly seen in our favorite films and games, and this appeal is because it's one of the best sports cars from its era, and it's current used price range.

It's versatile nature, and beefy great sounding engine make it an awesome sports car for the street or an excellent long distance GT car still to this day. Here are 10 reasons why the Nissan 350Z is awesome.

10 Engine And Power

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source: wsupercars

Despite its small and rounded coupé exterior, the 350Z hides quite the powerhouse under the hood.

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source: wsupercars

Powering the 350Z is a 3.5-liter V6, this is good for between 287 and 309 hp, depending on year and spec. All of this means the 350Z is powerful and capable enough to perform as the GT car Nissan initially marketed it as, it also means the car can achieve a sub 6 second 0-60 mph time, on its way to an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.

9 Interior Design

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source: wsupercars

One of the biggest plus points when it comes to owning a 350Z is its interior. Naturally, exterior looks and big power can only get you so far, living with a car is a completely different matter and as such, the designers behind the 350Z gave it an interior worthy of the Z name.

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source: wsupercars

A number of high quality aluminum parts adorn the insides, including the door handles, steering wheel spokes, and the shifter. Leather is also used to make living with the 350Z more satisfactory. Its overall comfortable yet compact interior makes the 350Z an excellent daily driver.

8 Versatility

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source: wsupercars

To most people, the versatility is what makes the 350Z the most appealing car in its price range. Its most common use is that of a drift car, this is due to the rear-wheel drive, front engine layout, as well as the more than plentiful power on display.

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source: wsupercars

It's also not uncommon to see the 350Z on the track or the drag strip, again, the capable large engine makes the 350Z a great base as an entry level track or drag machine. Of course, you could always use the 350Z as Nissan intended, by utilizing it as a great long distance cruiser.

Related: Looking Back At The Nissan 350Z

7 Classic Coupé Style

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source: wsupercars

Its exterior looks are what strikes you first and foremost, the 350Z still looks great to this day. The beauty of the 350Z comes in the form of sheer simplicity. There's nothing overly offensive about the looks of this Z car, with nice rounded edges, long tapering taillights, and a somewhat aggressive but not over the top front grille.

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source: wsupercars

No one can argue that the 350Z doesn't look great, and that's because it wasn't over-designed by Nissan, something we see all too often on sporty compact cars. As such, the 350Z's good looks have held up nicely today, adding to its popularity.

6 Handling And Feel

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source: wsupercars

Naturally, as a coupé, the excitement is all in the handling and the feeling of throwing the car around the corners. Its great noise matched by its planted and grippy handling makes it clear why this is a GT car.

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source: wsupercars

Its sharp steering and overall feel is helped by its layout, which was designed so that the engine is a little further back, despite being upfront, for a better weight distribution. The manual 6-speed option is also sharp and keeps you more involved in the action, the 5-speed automatic is still a fine choice however, so this is a matter of personal preference.

5 Different Models And Configurations

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Although the regular 350Z coupé is a great car, for those who want a little extra, there are a variety of different 350Z's to choose from. For the 35th anniversary of the popular Datsun 240Z model, the 350Z got its own special edition variant with a 300 hp V6 engine, unique 18-inch wheels, Brembo brakes, and special Ultra Yellow and Pearl Blue colors.

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Of course, as a Nissan model, there were Nismo variants of the 350Z which too included unique aluminum wheels and Brembo brakes, as well as improved track fit suspension, and a tuned exhaust. The body upgrades included a Nismo body kit and matching spoiler too, as seen on this model. There were also a number of roadster models introduced too, for those who prefer top down driving.

Related: An Off-Road Nissan 350Z? Check These Out

4 Affordability

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source: wsupercars

It's truly astonishing to see the price of the 350Z on the used market. According to Hagerty's online valuation tool, 350Z's are available for around $12,000 on average. This makes them excellent starter cars for those who want more power than what you'll get in your typical starter hatchback, with plenty of comfort and a well-made interior too.

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source: wsupercars

Part of the reason for 350Z's low price is that all too often, people use them as their first drift cars, meaning a lot of them are worse for wear, so finding a good one may be a difficult, but it's certainly a worthwhile process nonetheless.

3 Rarity And Potential Investment

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source: wsupercars

This point leads on from the last, finding a good 350Z now may be something you'll want to hold onto for the future.

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source: wsupercars

There's no doubting the 350Z's popularity, and as such, finding one that's in exceptional condition is tough, but given the status of the 350Z as a modern classic, and a JDM icon, the value can only begin to rise from here, especially if it's well looked after for years to come. Special edition and rarer models especially will see this price increase even more, so if you have one now, perhaps think twice before selling.

2 Customizability

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source: wsupercars

JDM and customization go hand in hand, so of course, the 350Z is one of the most modified cars to come from Japan. If you love to make your car unique to you, it will be hard to beat what the 350Z can offer.

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source: wsupercars

People often upgrade the 350Z's suspension as a lot of people consider the height a little too high stock, another area to be upgraded is the brakes, whilst admirable in their stock form, people still tend to change the brake pads, and even going as far as applying full brake kits. Body kits are also particularly popular, famously, Rocket Bunny make a great wide body kit for the 350Z, giving it some added presence.

Related: Pony Count: The Nissan 370Z Nismo Vs Its Rivals

1 History And Pop Culture Appeal

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source: wsupercars

Part of the reason we fell in love with the 350Z is its common use in films and games. If you look at any films or games from 2003 onwards, you'll find it hard to not see a 350Z among the lineup of vehicles used.

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source: wsupercars

Think Need for Speed and Fast and Furious in particular, with the 350Z famously taking center stage in Underground 2 and Tokyo Drift. This is where many of us will have seen the 350Z for the first time, and because of this, we all have fond memories of this JDM Classic.

​​​​Sources Used: Evo, Auto Howstuffworks, Autotrader, Hagerty, Low Offset.com