Which Convertible Would You Cruise In? 2005 Nissan 350Z vs 2005 BMW 330Ci

Last week, we looked at a bunch of cars that were all the same price. This week, they’re all going to be from the same year: 2005. That was just a couple of years ago, right? …Right?

Our four finalists from last week covered a lot of bases; we had a wagon, a hot hatch, a pickup truck, and a luxury sedan. I was really pulling for that Omni GLH, and it put in a good showing, but ultimately came in second to the Volvo wagon. I can’t fault you for that choice; that wagon was nicer than it had any right to be for that mileage.

Honestly, those two together aren’t a bad two-car garage. If I had to pick one, I’d lean towards the Omni, of course, but that Volvo will make someone a nice daily driver for a couple years yet, I’m sure.

Now then: Despite my protestations, 2005 was, in fact, twenty years ago. It was also a good and eventful year for me: I moved from Saint Paul to Los Angeles, and met my wife. It was a good year for cars, too, if you look back at what was available. There was a little something for everyone, instead of nothing but giant pickup trucks, crossovers of every size, and a smattering of overpowered muscle cars.

As luck would have it, my buddy Stephen Walter Gossin has a car for sale from 2005, and I’m always happy to give him a little extra exposure when he’s having trouble moving a car. Since Stephen’s car is a rear-wheel-drive convertible, I found another one, so we’re comparing apples to apples. Let’s check them out.

2005 Nissan 350Z Grand Touring Roadster – $5,000

Engine/drivetrain: 3.5 liter DOHC V6, five-speed automatic, RWD

Location: Wilmington, NC

Odometer reading: 160,000

Operational status: Runs and drives great

Two words have always come to mind when I think about the Nissan Z car: “Japanese Camaro.” Hear me out. Both are affordable, sporty coupes; both came out in the late ’60s and have seen several generations over the decades; both took a hiatus of a few years and then came back; and both have just a bit of a bad-boy image. The 350Z was Nissan’s comeback model, arriving in the US in 2002 after the 300ZX had left our shores in 1996.

Following Z-car tradition, the 350Z’s name indicates its engine size. Under that long sloping hood is the same VQ35DE V6 that Nissan used in absolutely everything for the better part of a decade. It’s a good, reliable engine that makes a respectable amount of power, but as we know, power corrupts – and VQ-powered Nissans have gotten a reputation for some really antisocial driving. But the remarkable thing is that they seem to shrug off such abuse, and just keep rolling. Stephen has done a bunch of work to whip this one back into shape, everything from valve cover gaskets to rear wheel bearings, and it runs and drives great. It could use new front tires, but that’s all it needs.

It looks good inside; the driver’s seat has new upholstery, and the rest of it looks pretty good. It comes with new upholstery for the passenger’s side, as well. Convertibles are nice when the weather’s exactly right, but if it’s too hot or humid, you’re going to want air conditioning. You’re in luck – this one was just serviced, and it blows nice and cold.

Outside, it has a few dings and scrapes, but it still looks good. It has a new top, and I think it might have had some body and paint work done since these photos were taken. I seem to remember seeing something about that on Slack a while back. One thing I’ve noticed, watching these rescues unfold over the last few years, is that the longer Stephen keeps these cars, the more puttering around he does on them. Wait long enough, and they practically become new cars.

2005 BMW 330Ci Convertible – $6,995

Engine/drivetrain: 3.0 liter DOHC inline 6, five-speed automatic, RWD

Location: Lynnwood, WA

Odometer reading: 129,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives great

BMW has been making a convertible version of the 3 Series (now 4 Series) since the 1980s. Some bodystyles over the years have looked more graceful as convertibles than others; the E46 generation is one of the more successful conversions, in my opinion. It looks better with the top down, of course, but that’s true of most convertibles.

BMW’s model numbers used to correspond to engine size as well, but I don’t think they do anymore. This one does; it’s a 330, which is a 3 Series with a 3.0 liter engine, the twin-cam M54 inline six with VANOS variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust cams. As far as I can tell from the ad, it runs and drives just fine, but it’s for sale at a dealership, and the ad reads like AI-generated gibberish. It’s probably safe to assume, even though it runs fine now, that it needs all the typical BMW cooling system work, at the very least.

It’s in good condition inside, and it’s got all the gadgets you would expect. But again, there’s no indication of how well it all works. I know these have a tendency to eat power window regulators, and they fail with a loud bang when the cable snaps. Scares the hell out of you when it happens the first time. Just something to be aware of.

Outside, it looks great, nice and shiny and straight. I’m often surprised by the wheels on BMWs of this era; no two cars seem to have the same style, but they always have BMW center caps. Did they really offer that many styles from the factory? Or do aftermarket wheel manufacturers just make BMW caps for everything?

I think just about every automaker offered a convertible in 2005, but they’re getting a little thin on the ground these days. And that’s a shame. Open-top motoring – again, when the weather’s right for it – is a pleasure that everyone should enjoy at some point. And dealing with the blind spots of a closed convertible top are a rite of passage that everyone should go through, especially with an older car like these that don’t help you out with backup cameras. So what’ll it be – the slightly scruffy Z car from our favorite one-man repair shop, or the super-shiny BMW from the used car lot?