A 400-HP Nissan Z Now Costs Less Than a Mazda MX-5 Miata

The first quarter, and March in particular, was a banner session for auto sales. And in hopes of keeping the momentum going through future uncertainty of supply and demand, there are sales to be found. Nissan, for one, announced price cuts for its Rogue and Pathfinder SUVs. But unadvertised deals plus additional dealer discounts put its Z sports car in the mid-$30,000s territory.

The Nissan Z starting price is $44,110. Standard for the Sport and Performance trims is a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 that produces 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. Transmission is either a six-speed stick shift or nine-speed automatic, with no price penalty for either transmission. But you can slash that MSRP by as much as $4,000, according to CarsDirect.

Thanks to a $3,000 customer incentive and $1,000 in dealer cash, a 2024 Nissan Z Sport will cost about 40 grand. Pricing for the 2025 Z doesn’t change, and it’s a carryover model with some new color choices. But if you’re really keen on the new-to-Z Bayside Blue (the iconic GT-R color), there is a stackable hidden incentive for 2025s that is worth up to $2,000. 

The Z has always been a value buy compared to its rival, the Toyota Supra, which starts at $57,385. But with a more significant price gap now, the Z’s sales success in 2024 over the Supra looks to continue. Through the first quarter, Nissan saw a 221% year-over-year increase with 2,154 Zs sold. We’ll see if the A90-generation Supra Final Edition will boost interest, but Toyota moved just 421 Supras in Q1, a 13% drop.

That’s not all. Carscoops notes that dealers are offering their own discounts, like this Z Nismo in New Rochelle, New York, for $58,395 — $10,265 off MSRP. It’s not cheap, no, but it is a deal considering the Nismo variant is a 420-hp, 384 lb-ft of torque two-seater terror. Wanna go base model with the Z Sport? A Phoenix-area store is offering one at $9,000 off for $36,795. 

Now you’re looking at 20 grand less than the Supra and $140 than a soft-top Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring with an automatic ($36,935). I’m not even kidding. The gap only widens when considering the 35th Anniversary Special Edition ($37,435) or an RF Club model ($42,035).

Mazda currently has financing deals and selective bonuses, such as military and mobility discounts, but nothing comparable to Nissan’s available discounts. Also, the Mazda roadster’s 181 hp and 151 lb-ft don’t stand a chance against the Z’s performance figures. They’re not direct competitors in the slightest, but when comparing dollars to dollars, the power-to-price ratio is obvious.

The post A 400-HP Nissan Z Now Costs Less Than a Mazda MX-5 Miata appeared first on The Drive.