Thinking about a C5 Corvette

[Silverback51]

No, not getting rid of the Cobra, the C5 would be my daily driver.

Any input will be greatly appreciated.

[mln385]

I have the 04 Commemorative Edition Convertible and love it, get one with the active handling option and magnetic shocks. Car rides like a cadillac in touring mode and handles the twisties in sport mode.

Went to the manufacturing plant in bowling green this year and the museum as well as the tail of the Dragon, got 30MPG with it!!
The modern Corvette is really the best bang for the buck in performance and technology these days.

[doug_porsche]

The wife has a 98 conv with 100,000 miles.
It is a great car, slightly numb to drive compared to my Elise, but a solid, fun car.
Good support on the web also.

Great car for the money.

[Bartruff1]

You won't regret it. They are world class performers for used Camry money. The faster you go, the more down force they genrerate and the bettter they hold the road, plus you can hear the the outstanding Bose Audio system and the temp is just what you want it to be. If ANYTHING goes wrong with them (nothing does) there is a Chevy dealer every 75 miles and they will fix it. For me, one of the most important aspects of driving one is that no one pays any attention to it at all, (and mine is TORCH RED) people have seen thousands of Corvettes for over 50 years so unlike the Cobra , they are not curious about them at all...they know what they are, they see them every day. As GT autos they rival any I have ever owned. They will cruise all day at high speeds just loafing along at 2000 RPM and even getting good gas mileage ....no leaks, no squeaks, no rattles no drama, everything works every day. The C5 is a completely different animal from the previous models and (IMHO) can be a daily driver in the NothWest...bart

[undy]

I sold my daily driver 04 C5 Z06 in November of 06 in favor of a new 07 C6 Z06. The 04 was rock solid and as reliable as any vehicle could be. The 07 is simply amazing. It's running 509 rwhp with a 202mph top end. I average 22 mpg combined and 28 on the highway. It now has 75K miles on it.

FWIW, a friend has a 408 windsor Cobra and we did a 0-100 against each other. At the end I was a solid 8-10 lengths ahead...

Get the C5, a more reliable and inexpensive performance car just can't be found...

[Don]

The January 2010 edition of Corvette Magazine has a feature, changes, upgrades, etc. recap on each year of the C5, from 1997 to 2004. When the 2012 models are available for delivery, it would be expected that the C5 prices would decrease, especially as the dealers will want to sell out the 2011 models.

The Corvette Forum has a C5 For Sale section:

C5 Corvettes, 1997 - 2004 - Corvette Forum

Very pleased with my 2002 Z06, bought new, except the one cup holder is tiny. Personal preference of the driver, the short throw shifters such as Hurst, have a different feel than when used on a conventional 4 speed. Replaced my Hurst back to the factory shifter. Performance, etc vs cost, C5 is an excellent value. If you do buy, consider an after market exhaust such as Borla, terrific sound.

[Jamo]

As the folks above have said, there is no reason not enjoy a Vette on a daily basis. I had a beautiful green/tan 92 C4 that I drove in my work until 99...extreme heat/high speeds on monthly summer runs from Fresno to El Centro, Blythe and Yuma, kept me safe during the winter...only stopped when they'd close the road, and great to travel with for 1 or 2 folks. Won 4 championships in SCCA autocrossing, losing finally to the onslought of RX-7s in SS. Had 125+k on the OD when I sold it...not one freeking problem. One thing I dearly loved about it (same for C5s) is being able to show up at the autocross and adjust the toe to the scribed index marks, make my runs, and turn it back to normal...all without getting under the car with the clamshell up front.

After a few other vehicles, got an early black/black 06 C6 and drove the living hell out that thing during a three-year lease...still making the desert runs, took it down more than a few dirt farm roads during strikes, did some autocrossing and open tracking...wash it off and it's ready to go. Put 100k on it in three years...replacing only the front rubber air dam due to the dirt roads.

Thing I loved about both of them was finding myself in Salinas or Napa or Oxnard at the end of the workday, taking the top off and driving on the best roads in the country (PCH, Hwy 33 north from Ventura, all kinds of roads in the wine country) with no roof...immediate vacation.

Drove several C5s over the years, and most especially a couple of ZO6s at Spring Mtn.

Vettes are damn good tough American cars with heavy duty systems for air conditioning, cooling, etc. Might be doing it again depending on what the C7 ends up being.

Buy the best one you can condition-wise...don't go by mileage. Check the Delco electronic shocks (if equipped)...not cheap. That's about it.