Well I hope I am not too late, since it doesn't look like you have made your decesion yet. I recently traded in my 350Z for an STi. The 350Z is a great car for the first 8k-10k miles. Unfortunately after that all the problems (tire feathering, clutch, tranny, even check engine lights) start coming around. Nissan says that they "fixed" the tire feathering problem for the 05's and later model 04's, but it seems as if they are only delayed by a new type of tire tread. Just about everyone that has a Z is or will experience tire feathering. This is where the inside of the tire wears out quicker than the outside due to the agressive camber specs. This may not seem like a big problem, but it isn't fun (nor cheap) to replace your tires every 10k miles. Oh and if you think that the dealer will replace the tires before 15k you thought wrong. The dealer will only replace tires on the 03 before 12k miles and won't touch the 04 or 05 model year. Also getting an alignment for the car only delays the problem, instead of getting 10k out of your tires you might get 12k. No don't get me wrong, the Z is a very fun car to drive, but the STi is just as fun if not more. Plus the STi has a trunk and a backseat. And IMO the STi just seems to be built a whole hell of a lot better than the Z. Nissan went cheap in a lot of areas on that car just to keep the cost down, and it shows. But if you still want a car like the 350Z go for the G35 Coupe, a much better choice.