This week we were sporting the 2023 Nissan Z, a flashy sports car that left you longing.
First off, the electric yellow, citron paint job of our loaner was very striking. It had cameras out and heads turning as we took this on as our daily driver, cruising throughout the city. We would also get a good idea of its driving range sneaking in a quick 1.5 hour road trip to Mission during the following weekend.
The Nissan Z screams sports car with its lowered stance, sleek body frame, and all black rims and tires. A two seater roadster, the latch to open the door on either side has a unique cupping position to it. It gives you the full effect and experience of swinging a door open with all the show and luxury of having a race car in the city.
Yet at the same time, the experience is cheapened with the sensible fob. No different than that of any Nissan model. Having said that, the 2023 Nissan Z is an affordable sports car. What they spend on the exterior they save within the interior.
Luxury sport, yet basic in build with suede accents and synthetic leather. You immediately notice the seat adjustment buttons, located closer to the centre console, rather than by either door. A bit of an eye sore, when they have kept the console and dash simple and clean. Here, for the former there are only 3 options. For either heated seats, a toggle between hi or low, and a switch to flick to open the trunk.
Just above is are turn dials for the air conditioning, temperature control, and air flow. Continuing up, the infotainment screen displays car audio and camera options. And last, but not least, is it’s hard to miss the turbo dials that stick out from the dash, offering a practical yet a sports-driven approach.
Thee is no sunroof and you can’t drive top down, but with the hard top and Bose branded speakers, you get terrific sound quality.
And despite this being a scaled down, smaller, two person coupe, the cabin is made to feel spacious. Plenty of breathing room with the seats almost fully reclined and ample leg room. There is even enough space to place purses and bags by your feet. Although, you need not to with compartments behind each seat, ideal for such small sized cargo.
The trunk also had a decent amount of room. Enough to store our equipment and supplies for a day of fishing and hiking in BC’s wilderness. This list included 4 rods, a tackle box, hiking gear and boots, plus a duffle bag and backpack filled with a change of clothes and snacks. This or simply put: a carry on suitcases and a backpack.
As for the way it handles the lowered stance has the 2023 Nissan Z steadfast, gripping the road with traction control, and you as its passenger with quasi-bucketed seats. There is no lumbar support, but each seat still offers a comfortable fit. The suspension is good on tight turns with only the occasional body rolling. The turbo drive option is a fun to have, it does give you a noticeable boost of power, but not as fast or quick on the propulsion as I would have thought, given the forecast of the vehicle.
In conclusion, the Nissan Z is a great city car, that can transition well into your weekend mode of transport, so long as you are a skilled driver, apt in manual.
