2012 Nissan 370Z Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Nissan 370Z review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 370Z, and includes Nissan 370Z safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

More than 40 years ago, Nissan introduced the 240Z to America, wisely dropping the Japanese home-market “Fairlady” moniker. The rest is history. Except for a six-year hiatus in the late 1990s and early Aughts, the Z-car has been in continuous production, and today is available in coupe and convertible format.

Nissan continues to offer the 2012 370Z as a two-seat coupe or convertible in standard, Touring or, exclusive to the coupe body style, NISMO trim levels. The only change this year is that Nissan has dropped the manual gearbox from the standard convertible model, leaving the Roadster Touring model as the only way to combine a stick shift and a sunburn.

When choosing a new 2012 Nissan 370Z, buyers must decide between the 370Z Coupe and the 370Z Roadster. Each is available in standard or Touring trim, and the 370Z Coupe can also be purchased as a performance-tuned NISMO model.

If you decide to stick with the basic 370Z, you’ll get a sports car equipped with power windows, power door locks with remote keyless entry, power mirrors, cruise control, a tilt steering wheel, cloth seats with eight-way manual adjustment for the driver, and an automatic climate control system. The stereo is rather basic, equipped with four speakers, a CD player, and an auxiliary audio input jack, but the 370Z does come with Nissan Intelligent Key push-button ignition, a trip computer, electroluminescent gauges, and leather wrapped around the steering wheel, the shift knob, and the parking brake lever. Automatic Xenon headlights, LED “Z” side marker lights, and LED taillights are also standard, and the 370Z rolls on 18-inch alloy wheels shod with Yokohama ADVAN Sport high-performance tires. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard on the 370Z Coupe, and a seven-speed automatic with paddle shifters and DownShift Rev Matching is included on the 370Z Roadster.

Moving up to the Touring model supplies Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, leather power sport seats with suede inserts and adjustable lumbar support, heated front seats (Coupe), heated and ventilated front seats (Roadster), suede door panel trim inserts, and aluminum-trimmed pedals. The Touring also has an eight-speaker Bose premium sound system with a CD changer, MP3/WMA playback capability, and satellite radio, along with an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a HomeLink universal remote, and a rear cargo cover. The Roadster model also swaps in a six-speed manual transmission, putting the automatic on the options list.

The 370Z NISMO Coupe is based on the standard 370Z model. In addition to a slightly more powerful V6 engine, the NISMO model is equipped with a close-ratio manual gearbox with SynchroRev Match technology, a dual exhaust system, a performance suspension, 19-inch super-lightweight forged aluminum wheels, summer performance tires, a viscous limited-slip differential, a three-point strut tower brace, and an upgraded braking system. A functional aerodynamic body kit alters the styling front and rear, and the NISMO model’s cabin gets a NISMO tachometer, NISMO-embroidered cloth sport seats with red stitching, NISMO smooth leather steering wheel and shift knob wrappers, and a NISMO plaque of authenticity.

There are few options available for a Nissan 370Z. The standard and Touring Coupes and the Touring Roadster can be upgraded with a Sport Package (19-inch wheels, SynchroRev Match manual transmission, viscous limited-slip differential, performance brakes, front chin aero deflector, rear spoiler), and Touring models are available with a Navigation Package (seven-inch full-color touchscreen monitor, navigation system, real-time traffic and weather reports, reversing camera, USB port, Bluetooth streaming audio, an auxiliary audio/video jack, DVD video playback).

Any of the 370Z models can be equipped with a rearview mirror that includes an integrated rearview camera display, a HomeLink universal remote, and a compass. Additionally, mats for the floor and cargo area, illuminated kick plates, splashguards, and an aero kit are also available, depending on model, along with a bunch of dealer-installed accessories. Roadsters also offer a spare tire and a Bordeaux-color top with Wine leather interior, while the NISMO Z can be upgraded with too many NISMO-branded parts to mention here.

A 3.7-liter V6 is standard on the 370Z, and now you know why Nissan uses that number in the name. It makes 332 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 270 pound-feet of torque at 5,200 rpm, all delivered to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox with available SynchroRev Match technology or a seven-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and Downshift Rev Matching technology.

The NISMO 370Z is a little bit more powerful with 350 horsepower at 7,400 rpm, just 100 revs short of redline, and 276 lb-ft of torque at 5,200 rpm. A close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox is the only transmission choice, and it comes with SynchroRev Match.

Premium fuel is required by each version of the 3.7-liter V6. Fuel economy ratings measure 18-city/26-highway with the manual, and 19-city/26-highway with the automatic. Roadsters are rated to return 18-city/25-highway no matter which transmission is selected.

The 2012 Nissan 370Z is equipped with traction control, stability control, and four-wheel vented-disc antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist. The 370Z Coupe is equipped with six airbags, while the Roadster gets four because it lacks a roof structure for housing side curtains. A reversing camera is included with the optional Navigation Package on Touring models, or as a separate option on any 370Z.

As a low-volume sports car, it’s not surprising that crash-test scores are unavailable as this review is written, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tend to reserve budget to assess more popular models.

That’s not the case for reliability predictions, and we’ll start with the most favorable one, which comes from J.D. Power and Associates but was applied to the 2011 370Z (J.D. Power had not rated the 2012 model as this report was compiled). Power thinks the 370Z will provide average dependability over time. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Consumer Reports believes 370Z reliability will be well below average.

For a car that comes with a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a five-year/60,000-miles powertrain warranty with no free roadside assistance, that Consumer Reports rating spells potential trouble.

Sports cars are supposed to be small and light. The lightest 2012 Nissan 370Z is the 370Z Coupe in standard trim with a manual transmission, at 3,245 pounds. A 370Z Touring Roadster with an automatic weighs a smidgeon over 3,500 pounds. Wow. That’s family sedan territory.

Sports cars are also supposed to evenly balance their weight over the front and rear wheels. The Nissan 370Z’s weight distribution is 54/46 for all models.

Sports cars are not supposed to be good at carrying luggage. Here, the 370Z steps into line. The 370Z Roadster’s trunk measures just 4.2 cubic-feet, less than a Mazda MX-5 Miata. The 370Z Coupe’s cargo capacity is not much better at 6.9 cu-ft.

We understand the 2012 Nissan 370Z’s appeal. It’s got history and heritage. It’s got style and speed. But it also seems to have strayed a bit from the script, getting too heavy and too big (on the outside) in the process. Cost and weight reductions are in order if Nissan wants to combat the upcoming Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ, and Nissan needs to immediately address whatever is causing 370Z owners to tell Consumer Reports that their cars are unreliable. For now, we think you might be happier with something else.

By Christian Wardlaw