grandpop dave

I am considering buying a new C6 Coupe vs a BMW 335i Coupe. The BMW salesman claims the handling for the 335i coupe is fantastic and that of the C6 Vette Coupe pathetic. Claims the Vette will not be able to handle winding roads or curves on interstate highways. What do you all say to this?

NYC6

Could you actually see his nose growing as he was spewing that garbage?

MDPD23

You need to drive it! I have an'08 with the Z51 option. Goes around curves like it's on rails

turbod

I own both, BMW Z4 and Grand Sport. Both handle well but the Vette has it over the BMW.

Can you say sales hype?

car2fast4you

I was just about to order a 335i back in 2007, when I decided to drive a new C6.
After 10 minutes of driving, it was all over for me.....I had to have one.
I ordered my 2008 C6 Z51 in May of 2007, picked it up in July of 2007, and I've been all smiles ever since.

IMO, no one has any right to criticize ANY car without driving one first.
Obviously, the BMW salesman has is head up his..........well, I'll be nice.

jamesbertero

You need to drive both. BMW makes great handling cars, but you are comparing apples to oranges. An M3 is a worthy comparison, but is still dramatically different in it's approach to things. One of the guys in my office just bought a new M3 and it needs to rev to almost 8000 rpms to make the same horsepower as my "old and slow" LS2 V-8. BMW's tend to be more forgiving and more refined, but the up front cost and the ongoing costs of owning a BMW are much higher in my experience. For the record I have owned two 3-series cars and currently have a 5 series as a daily driver when I need a back seat. Love the cars but there is absolutely no comparison in how the C6 makes you feel when you drive it. BMW builds a scapel, the Vette is a hammer. Both are useful tools, but hardly interchangable.
Good luck

C6Longshot

In my personal experience, a salesman is probably the WORST person to ask any sort of car advice. I have heard so many lies, half truths, and downright ignorance from so many that I would question every word that comes out of their mouth. Makes no difference if it is a BMW or GM salesman. At this point, I assume everything is a lie until proven true.

A salesman is not there for you to make an educated decision on which car is right for you or performs better. They are there to sell you the car on their lot, and if that means feeding you misinformation or pressuring you to buy to facilitate that sale, then so be it.

I highly reccomend that you form your own opinion on which car is right for you based on literature, test drives, and legitimate opinions from friends and owners of the vehicles you are looking at.

mforman42

Handling is the most subjective of all auto characteristics. There is no real measurement to back up any claim. I personally find the C6 (I've owned both Z51 and Z06) to be fine handling cars with excellent cornering capability, fine straight line tracking, and high limits. There are two areas that are less than perfect (but close). The wide tires, especially after some wear, are subject to tramlining (following ruts in the roadway). Also, when approaching the cornering limit, the messages are not as clear as in some cars I've owned. The limit is so high that you'll seldom be inclined to test it on a public road, though.

All in all, much better than almost any car you can mention and at least the equal of any other front engined car.

mack morrow jr

I just sold an 07 BMW 550 I and it is among their best handling cars. It cannot compete in any way with the c6 except a slightly better ride and quieter cabin. But if top speed,handling,braking and 0-60 time is important, the c6 has it hands down and for 17k less money.

Moonray13

I haven't driven the BMW and my Grand Sport is my first Corvette, but its handling is impressive. I can charge backroad twisties with confidence, scrub off speed instantly with the big brakes and accelerate out of a hairpin with plenty of grip and ferocious torque. I'm guessing your BMW guy just wants to sell a BMW.

STiRob

I have owned a 2008 BMW 335i and do own a 2008 Vette coupe and the Vette handles better. There are some things I liked better about the 335i but none of them had to do with performance.

blackfd

Ask him why the new Mustang GT 5.0 runs with / edges out the new M3 on the road course...

dvilin

The Sales Rep you spoke with is a moron.

vant

I didn't believe a word after, "The BMW salesman claims..."

CessnaDriver

My Z51 runs like a raped ape on rails.
He can go climb a tree.

DriverC6

Exactly.

Guitarstar

C6 Handling is Outstanding!
Born, fine tuned, tested at Nuremberg Race track in Germany.
The BMW sales person is right where he belongs.
End of Story.

Boomer111

My previous car was an 03 2003 M3. Real nice car but the C6 offers more fun. Total different driving experience.

Drive one and yor'll see.

peter pan

My Vette is a pig only have been able to hit .92g

schmegeggie

After you buy the Vette(and you will if you base the purchase on handling), take it over to the BMW dealer and take that salesperson for a ride so he "understands".
I did something similar to a friend with an old 55 Chevy with a 572 in it who couldn't understand why he was dusted by a C5 with light mods. I told him a little about my car as well and he still didn't grasp it. After we went for a "test drive", he "understood" how beastly the cars are!