WHEN YOU LOVE SOMETHING (or someone), you can overlook flaws that others, less enamored with your subject, would find objectionable. That¡¦s what happened during the third quarter of the long-term test of our Nissan 350Z.

Since the shiny blue Z arrived in April, the car has not had much downtime. One member of our staff has made it his mission in life to see just how many miles he can log behind the wheel of the car.

He¡¦s not alone in his affection. The two-seater remains a first choice for anyone making a trip where not much space is required for luggage or passengers. Our logbook continues to record notes of praise for the car¡¦s quickness, handling and overall high fun factor.

Unfortunately, a problem we noted during the second-quarter update regarding front tire noise grew worse this quarter. Even those who love the Z have started to pass over the car in favor of others in the fleet. A staffer noted one of the great joys of driving the car¡Xlistening to the sweet song of its 3.5-liter V6¡Xhad been lost because of the din caused by the tires.

Partly due to the tire noise, and the coming of winter, the miles driven dropped off precipitously. We logged just 3979 miles for the quarter, about half of what we¡¦ve done in each of the previous two quarters.

We¡¦re not alone in experiencing the tire problem. Z owners across the country have noted the same thing, forcing Nissan to issue a service bulletin saying the suspension design/geometry of some models is causing the inside of the tires to wear in a choppy fashion. Once the tire wear begins, so does the noise. The more miles accumulated, the louder the noise gets.

Nissan wasn¡¦t able to tell us how many cars are experiencing this problem and our local dealer¡¦s service department was instructed to reduce toe-in as much as possible and then rotate the tires. Since the tires are unidirectional and different sizes front/rear, that requires taking the front tires off their rims and remounting them on the same wheels with the worn edge of the tire going to the outside. As long as the inside edge is smooth, the noise goes away.

We had the recommended service done once and the noise went away... for a while. But it came back.

When the noise first developed, we knew we¡¦d be swapping out the stock tires for a set of snow tires in preparation for a Michigan winter. But it seems everything about tires and the Z comes with complications.

In late November we placed an order for four LM22 Blizzaks that would allow the Z to be driven through winter. An hour after placing the order with Tire Rack, we got a call back saying the tires were not available. So we called our Nissan dealer, who had only rear tires, 245/45R-18s ($269 each), but no fronts, 225/45R-18s ($240). The dealer suggested we simply put four rear tires all around, but we quickly vetoed that proposal.

We contacted Nissan¡¦s California public relations office to try and help with the snow tire search. Eventually, a call was made to Bridgestone offices in Japan, and after a bit of a search, four appropriately sized snow tires were found and subsequently shipped to our Detroit office along with a set of 18-inch, six-spoke alloy wheels. That allowed us to put away the nice Rays Engineering wheels that came stock on the car.

With the new tires mounted all around, one noise has been replaced by another¡Xthe sound of heavy lugged snow tires¡Xbut it¡¦s one that is far less offensive. In fact, with flurries in the forecast, it is a comforting sound.

The car is now driveable in the white stuff and the traction control provides extra assurance that you will get to your destination, although you have to be judicious with the throttle off the line. But even with the snow tires, just switch off the traction control and you can do powerslides and donuts until boredom sets in.

Those staffers brave enough to venture out in the Z in the snow admit it is not their first choice for winter duty. Most also agree that if the Z were in their home garage, they would keep it parked for the winter and find a beater to drive until spring arrives.

THIRD-QUARTER
MILES (quarter/total): 3979/19,833
FUEL MILEAGE: 19.37 mpg
MAINTENANCE: Two oil changes ($32.79 each); rotate summer tires, mount/balance snow tires ($206.50)
READERS: If you own one of the following vehicles, we¡¦d like to hear from you: Mini Cooper, Honda Element, Nissan 350Z, Volvo XC90, Chrysler Pacifica, Jaguar XJ, Volkswagen Phaeton, Mazda RX-8, Toyota Prius, Porsche Cayenne.
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