Nissan 350Z Coupé (03-10) - Review

As a two-seater, the 350Z offers decent room for both passengers, with supportive yet comfortable sports seats. In GT models they're both electrically adjustable while on the standard car they have to be moved manually. Ride quality is good for a performance machine, although it can crash over bumps in town. Climate control and electric windows are fitted as standard, although there's a fair bit of road noise at higher speeds.

Practicality is never going to be a strong point in a two-seat sports car but even so, the 350Z is poor. The boot should be quite useful, but the load space is obstructed by a large support brace which effectively splits the boot into two small compartments. As a result, luggage room is just 235 litres - less than a Volkswagen Polo. Stowage up front isn't great either and the dash storage seems an afterthought where the lack of satellite-navigation leaves a hole. On the plus side there is a half decent cubby between the front seats, a pop out cupholder and a lidded compartment behind the seats. Revised models from 2006 have more useful door pockets with an incorporated bottle holder.

While it always feels like a sportscar, the trouble with the first run of 350Zs was that the finish of the interior never quite felt worthy of a £25,000 car with some squeaks and rattles. Materials were upgraded for the 2006 model and customers can also choose an integrated factory-fit satellite navigation system for the first time. The instrument binnacle adjusts with the steering wheel so it's never obscured and there are some nice touches like the digital read-out that can display various information, including the adjustable rev limit.