2025 Nissan Z

We must admit nostalgia overtakes us when we ponder the feisty Nissan Z. We make no apologies for that. After all, it’s a sleek, 2-seat, turbocharged missile in a world now dominated by SUVs. You can even get the Z with a 6-speed manual transmission that Nissan makes available at no extra charge. How’s that for being out of step with the times? Let’s review: Up to 420 hp, rear-wheel drive, an available 6-speed manual transmission, and only enough seating for you and whatever daredevil you can convince to strap in and hang on. Sign us up!

What’s New

Nissan rolled out the Nismo version for the 2024 Z, so we don’t expect any significant changes for 2025.

When Does the 2025 Nissan Z Come Out?

The Nissan Z will go on sale in the second half of 2024.

Before buying the Z, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay. Sports cars tend to hold their value well, and the Z is no exception. Recouping more money when you sell a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on your next one.

The Z draws its zoom from a 400-hp twin-turbocharged V6, and can hit 60 mph in less than five seconds. It’s not as quick as the 6-cylinder GR Supra, but acceleration isn’t everything, right? In the Z, Nissan engineers have locked in a degree of nimbleness and agility that demands visits to serpentine roads. On one cool November morning, we had Tennessee’s famed Tail of the Dragon and its 318 curves almost to ourselves. We made at least a half dozen round-trip passes back and forth across the mountain in a Z with the 6-speed manual, enjoying all 1,800-plus turns and the straight bits between them.

Despite its performance chops, the Z is well suited for around-town jaunts, too. However, you’ll learn to lean on its backup camera and rear cross-traffic alert when backing out of a parking spot or driveway.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of coupes, including the Nissan Z.

Fuel Economy

With the 9-speed automatic transmission, the two lower trims of the Z deliver 22 miles per gallon in mixed driving. The Nismo trim drops that number to 19 mpg. This fuel economy is measurably less than the Toyota GR Supra’s 26 mpg with its turbocharged 6-cylinder mill and 8-speed automatic transmission. Of course, the smaller and less powerful Mazda MX-5 Miata does better at 29 mpg. When comparing the mileage between the Z and Supra with manual transmissions, the contest is neck and neck with the Z’s 20 mpg and Supra’s 21 mpg.

Once shoehorned into the driver’s seat, we could easily imagine the feeling of command a fighter pilot must get. The cabin is comfortable, albeit a bit tight in width. However, 6-footers will find adequate legroom. In fact, at 42.9 inches, it has a skosh more legroom than the Toyota GR Supra. Headroom is about the same, with the Supra claiming a paper-thin advantage. The smaller Subaru BRZ has a bit less headroom than the Z.

Reinforcing our sense of déjà vu, Nissan didn’t stray far from the styling roots of the original 1969 240Z when penning the lines of the current Z. The latest interpretation is rounder, but the general shape and spirit remain.

Available 6-speed manual
Performance cars increasingly rely on dual-clutch automatic transmissions as the sole gearbox choice. While they retain a manual sequential shift capability through paddles, some still prefer an old-fashioned gear selector with a manual clutch. Nissan recognizes how important the manual remains to some, which is why one is available in the Z at no additional cost.

Power On Shift
Available with the 6-speed manual transmission, Power On Shift allowed us to keep the gas pedal floored during shifts. This makes for smoother, quicker shifting.

Twin-turbo V6
Providing the Z with its power creds is a 400-hp V6 that also produces 350 lb-ft of torque.

Iconic styling
The current Z retains the long hood with short front and rear overhangs, which has defined Nissan’s sports car since the first 240Z arrived in 1969. Designers included a nod to the 1990s-era 300ZX with the Z’s sleek 3-D signature LED taillights.

Driver-assist tech
Every Z comes with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, and rear cross-traffic alert.

Adaptive cruise control
Once you have engaged the system and set the speed, it will maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front, braking and accelerating as needed. We appreciated it on our way back to the hotel from a heart-stopping morning on the Tail of the Dragon.

So confident is Nissan in the Z’s 400-hp twin-turbo V6 that it’s the only engine it offers in the Z, although the version in the higher-performance Nismo version is tuned for 420 hp. That’s high praise, indeed. It doesn’t deliver the quickest sprints to 60 mph or provide the best fuel economy in the segment, but it does generate all the thrust most of us will ever want. We love the short-throw 6-speed manual transmission. However, we would have no issue living with the 9-speed automatic transmission. One caveat is the lack of an all-wheel-drive (AWD) option to make better use of the Z’s power. However, there is something to be said for not adding the extra weight.

3-Year/36,000-Mile Warranty

The Nissan Z’s basic new-car limited warranty is for three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. The powertrain warranty is for five years or 60,000 miles. These terms are typical for the segment and most mainstream carmakers.

Safety Ratings

Standard safety features include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, and blind-spot warning. Neither the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) nor the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has safety-tested the Z.