Why should I not?

[mjannusch]

It is probably going to be cramped, but only one way to find out...

[Duck Vader]

Hopefully it's still there on Saturday. I'll go sit in the one at carmax. I can fit into a 2014 miata if there wasn't a headroom issue. Otherwise I fit rather well.

[Duck Vader]

This is the one I am going to go sit in - https://www.carmax.com/car/13993538

I might stop by tonight or wait until Friday or Saturday.

There is a Chevy dealer 1 mile from my house, but I hate dealing with dealers, especially when I am not ready to buy.

[mjannusch]

Looks like that one is a base model with the standard seats and carbon roof.

[Duck Vader]

Height things are weird for me. I can't fit in most vehicles with a sun roof since it takes up too much head room. For instance. 2016 Camaro SS w/out sunroof I fit fine. With sunroof I don't.

Looking at the dimensions of my Volt with a C7 vette, it says most interior dimensions are pretty equal, and I fit very well in the Volt.

2013 Volt - 2016 C7 Base:

Length
177.1 " - 176.9 "

Wheelbase
105.7 " - 106.7 "

Front Track
61.2 " - 63.0 "

Rear Track
62.1 " - 61.7 "

Width
70.4 " - 73.9 "

Height
56.6 " - 48.8 "

Horsepower
149 @ rpm - 455 @ 6,000 rpm

Torque
273 @ rpm - 460 @ 4,600 rpm

Fuel Tank Capacity
9.3 gal. - 18.5 gal.

Curb Weight
3,781 lbs. - 3,298 lbs.

Front Legroom
42.0 " - 43.0 "

Front Headroom
37.8 " - 37.9 "

Front Hip Room
53.7 " - 53.7 "

Front Shoulder Room
56.5 " - 55.2 "

[Jeff V.]

So Matt...can you give some good reasons why someone would pay an extra 8-10k to get a lightly used Stingray over a similar condition C6 Grand Sport? I don't think anyone will argue that the C7 is a better car. But does that matter in the real world? I'm asking myself this question lately while I consider my post-Audi options. Both cars are plenty fast. I won't be taking it to the track. It'll be a somewhat-daily driver. The only options I really want on the Stingray are the digital dash and the better seats. I can live without the dash, and I can upgrade the seats on the C6. Especially with the extra cash in the piggy bank.

I really, really, really like the Stingray. But I also really like the C6 GS. I think it'd be just as much fun, for less money. It's the same reason I gave up on a C6Z. Having a targa roof I'd use all the time is more important than the extra performance in the Z, because I'll never find a place to really use it.

[Duck Vader]

I know I am not Matt, but from what I have been seeing, the C7 is a completely different car from top to bottom, front to back. Every review I have seen/read says the C7 is always worth it over the C6. A lot of people even say a base C7 is worth it over a C6Z or GS. The fit, finish, interior, drive-ability, live-ability, etc., are all worth it if you can afford it.

EDIT:

If it was going to be a track car, I would go the C6 GS, but you said no track and somewhat of a daily. The C7 is a better daily from what I can seen/read. C6GS is better track car.

[Jeff V.]

I know it's better in the magazines. I want to know if it's better in the real world, according to someone who isn't paid to obsess over technical minutiae.

[Jeff V.]

2014 Stingray, 31k miles. $45k
https://www.carmax.com/car/14458701

2012 GS, 28k miles, $35k
https://www.carmax.com/car/14256721

$10,000 difference in price, and you only get this much of a difference by opting up to the Z51:


A $1200 MSD Airforce intake would make the difference non-existent, and you'd still have a healthy chunk of change left over for mods or just to have a smaller payment.

I really like how the C7 looks, but I think we're splitting hairs when it comes to performance.

[Duck Vader]

When it comes to buying the two I don't think it is about performance. It is about comfort, style, usability, feel, technology, etc. Hell, if all you want is performance buy a C5 for $15k and put $10k into it. It will be a better performance car and you will have $10k left over, but you will be in a car with a shitty interior and overall fit/finish.

[DCIV]

Um....didn't know the 2011 zo6 z07 had that 0-60 time. Hmmmmm, /me heads over to eBay.


Coop

[Jeff V.]

Hell, if all you want is performance buy a C5 for $15k and put $10k into it. It will be a better performance car and you will have $10k left over, but you will be in a car with a shitty interior and overall fit/finish.

This is exactly why I'm not buying a C5. I still like how the C5 looks outside, but I'm not a fan of the Fisher Price interior. The C6 closes that gap up nicely. I really think the C6 is the best bargain of price vs features vs performance.

If I was that hung up on interiors, I'd just keep my Audi and put a supercharger on it Or I'd get a CTS-V coupe.

Again..I know the C7 is "better". But I don't think it's $10,000 better in the real world where we spend 99% of our time.

[DCIV]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2009-Chevrolet- ... T4&vxp=mtr

Or

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1966-Chevrolet- ... 6t&vxp=mtr

I bet I would get more ass with the second one!


Coop

[alienviking]

A C6 (or C7) Z06 is stupid for the street. It is a track car - period.

[mjannusch]

The C7 Z06 doesn't have much in common with the C6 Z06. C7 Z06 is more of a brutal street car than a track car. Heavier than the Stingray and really too much power for the car to be efficient on a track. They run hot, too. The "ideal" C7 is probably a C7 GS which has the wider wheels and aero tricks of the C7 Z06 without the insanity of the supercharged motor.

Why is the C7 better than the C6 Grand Sport? Chassis rigidity is much higher, overall "feel" of the car handling-wise is improved. Fit/finish is far superior (in my opinion). If you get an automatic, the A8 transmission in 2015+ is far superior to the old A6 trans. I personally like the look of the C7 much better, seats fit me better, overall comfort is a big step up. Interior is much better in C7. Warranty.

I didn't really do a ton of research on the C6 as I didn't care for the interior at all, and knew the C7 was coming.

[Jeff V.]

The best Corvette is always the newest one you can afford.

With that said, I'm walking a line between buying the newest one I can afford, vs buying a slightly older one and having money in the bank to personalize it with wheels and an exhaust and maybe a couple other things.

As the C7s creep closer to the 40k mark, and with the impending release of the likely mid engine C8, that math is in flux.

[alienviking]

I'm still playing with the idea of a C5Z simply because I like the exterior looks of it haha. And they are cheap.

[Jeff V.]

The repair/hotrod shop across the street from work has been goofing around in a de-bodied C5. They've been driving it around with some lights zip tied to the bare frame. They're going to cage it and turn it into a drift car. That's how cheap they are now.

If I wanted to build some crazy track monster, I'd definitely go C5. But I just want something I can drive and enjoy. I'm tired of working on my 'fun' cars.

[Duck Vader]

[quote=""Jeff V.""] I'm tired of working on my 'fun' cars.[/quote]

This is your answer here. C7. They are just as if not more reliable as the C6, but they are newer, so you can get one with a good warranty and have less to worry about. Buy the newest and lowest mileage taken care of car you can get for your money. That puts you in a C7. You want a daily type fun car. Don't need to go overboard with a Z or even a GS. Save your money and get a base C7.

[Jeff V.]

C6s weren't exactly unreliable. Neither were the C5s for that matter. I'd honestly trust the LS engine more than the direct injected LT series. The C6s were less complex electrically too.

The only thing stopping me from buying either car is fixing my stupid Audi so I can trade it in.

I've gone from "can I afford this" to "I can afford this, but is the value really there". It's a new place for me.