Nissan’s Z sports car is just as good with an automatic transmission

Published 10:39 am Thursday, August 24, 2023

It’s an article of faith among the sports car cult that manual transmissions are better than automatics. It’s the subject of t-shirts and ball caps, bumper stickers and snide comments about millennials and now, Gen Z. So it was with some trepidation that I collected the new Nissan Z equipped with a 9-speed automatic transmission for this week’s review. As it turned out, I shouldn’t have worried about anything except my car guy street cred. This car is fantastic.

The 2023 Nissan Z is still technically in its first model year, having appeared in late 2021 as a 2023 model. However, the automatic transmission option came a little later, after the manual-only launch edition had its moment. But the Z-car is still a two-seat, two-door fastback hatch sports car, true to the styling of the original 240Z from 53 years ago. It’s fast, nimble, and utterly delightful regardless of which transmission you choose.

The Nissan Z is powered by the same twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 you’ll find in various other Nissan and Infiniti products. In the Z, this engine yields 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. Behind the engine is a 9-speed Mercedes-Benz transmission driving the rear wheels through a multi-disc limited slip differential.

The automatic comes with paddle shifters and a launch control setting. Because our test car was a Performance trim model instead of the base Sport trim, we also got a more aggressive suspension, sway bar package, and bigger brakes. The automatic transmission Z weighs about 75 more pounds than the manual, clocking in just over 3,600 pounds curb weight.

On the road, the Z simply begs for a curvy mountain highway so you can appreciate the razor-sharp steering and the way the engine rockets you out of turns. This car is wasted on a freeway, but it’s still fun. The engine has a snarl that the engineers must have finessed from one of the original straight-6 240Z engines, and that will put a smile on your face.

The automatic transmission has one quirk I didn’t like – at a stop it behaves more like a twin-clutch. You have to tip in a little throttle to get the car moving and you can feel the uptake when the transmission engages. It should be smoother, but that’s a small quibble.

Here’s the much more important thing: the automatic is faster than choosing your own gears with the stick. Car and Driver’s instrumented testing got the automatic Z to 60 in 4.3 seconds, with the stick taking 4.5. They had the same results in a quarter-mile run, with the automatic beating the stick by 0.3 seconds and 4 mph. In sports car driving, downshifting on that mountain road I mentioned is immediate with the touch of a paddle, while it takes about a second or more with a clutch and stick.

I don’t think I gave up anything in the way of performance driving the automatic, and when I was stuck in city traffic, it was a definite plus. Nissan doesn’t charge a penny more for the automatic version, so you can test drive both and choose for yourself.

The 2023 Nissan Z is a $50,000 sports car, so it’s competing with the Toyota Supra and the less expensive BMWs like the M240i or 430i coupe. Generally speaking, the Z offers better performance than the Toyota, and it’s a different flavor of sports car than the German brands offer.

You can save about $10,000 on the sticker price by choosing the base Sport trim, and you still get to choose the manual or automatic transmission. The difference between Sport and Performance trim pricing is enough that you’ll have to weigh carefully whether the extra suspension and brake package and the spoilers and interior are worth the extra money.

For me, I’d probably go cheap and choose Sport, but I don’t mind a Spartan sports car. But when it comes to the transmission, I’d get the automatic. As we said, there’s really no downside to the two-pedal option, except perhaps the scorn of your purist friends, but that should quiet down as they experience your new Z-car.

2023 Nissan Z Performance A/T

Base price: $49,990

Price as tested: $53,655

Type: Compact sports coupe

Engine: 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 (400 hp, 350 lbs-ft)

Transmission: 9-speed automatic

EPA estimated mileage: 19/28

Overall length: 172.4 inches

Curb weight: 3,602 pounds

Final assembly: Los Angeles, California