SlideRuyle

Long story as short as possible, back in 2013 I was looking for a sports car. Both kids were out of college and the weddings were paid for. My long list was narrowed down to a used C6 corvette convertible or a used Boxster S. I ended up buying the Boxster as it seemed to be easier to drive on a daily basis because the greater ground clearance. I sold the car a few months back and am back in the market and am considering a used C6 or a used C7 or a Mustang gt convertible or something else if you guys point out a car that should be on my list. Likely I will not be buying till the fall. I am an engineer and it takes that long to make a buying decision and I don't think a used C7 will be in my price range till then. I need to tell you something about my experience with the Boxster (good and bad) so you know where I am coming from. When I drove it with the top down I absolutely loved the car. None of its short comings came out. With the top up it can be claustrophobic. You really have to trust your side mirrors because of the huge blind spots. The clutch is a bit stiff. You don't notice till you get stuck in traffic. I want the car as a daily driver but do have a third car, my wife's hand me down CRV that I can drive in bad weather. I won't be putting the new car on the track either. That was part of my plan with the Boxster. I made myself motion sick when going through race training for an Autocross so after one event I never entered another one. The seats on the Boxster held me in firmly when I wanted to take a curvy entrance or exit ramp at way over legal speed but I could not just sit back for a relaxed ride for a longer trip. I am not a big guy at 6'1'' and 185 lbs but real long waisted and my shoulders did not fit between the bolster. Lastly, the car road like my old Triumph Tr4 or the Spitfire. The roads here in Oklahoma can be brutal after an Icy winter. One of the cars in my past that I liked was a BMW 330ci. The clutch was smooth and it road well. With all the changes with BMW's I do not see my buying one again. Lastly, I do not want to spend more than $45 to 47K. I can get a new mustang for that. I also figure if I wait till the fall I could afford a 2014 C7. Comments please.

FlameEagle

You are in corvette forum

J3TVETTE

Here is my comments and some background. I have owned 3 mustangs (V6/GT/Saleen) and 2 C6's (08/10) plus many other non sports cars.

The mustang drove like a truck. No matter the model I felt like I was in an SUV. Mine was convertible (The GT) the Saleen was a coupe. The handling of a C6 as well as the overall feeling you get driving a C6 is totally different. It drives like a true sports car. You can take turns at high speeds and not worry about how the car will react. I have daily driven C6's for a while and they do just fine. The z51 package does lower the corvette another .5-1in than a regular one, just a heads up. Do I scrape? All the time but it is only the plastic underneath the front bumper that is $80 to replace and made to be replaceable and take a beating.

The interior is larger in the mustang. The corvette feels like a cockpit of a plane. I'm 6'3 and 250lbs and fit inside of a C6 just fine. The legroom is not an issue (size 13).

Now C7. Went to look at them at a carshow. I went to sit in the convertible model and the discussions immediately started among others who kept wanting to know if I was comfortable. Was I? Absolutely not. I feel like they made the cockpit much smaller. I would go sit in them if I were you just so you can see for yourself.

The 6 Speed manual in the corvette is great. The clutch is fairly soft (softer than my saleen) and I do not mind driving it like that daily. The targa top is absolutely amazing. Once you take it off it is a totally different feeling. When its on no one knows its removable and assumes the car is a hard top.

Don-Vette

I don't understand your question. Buy a Corvette then come on the forum and post. The car you buy is your decision, not ours.

thomaswat

I have a low mileage 2012 crystal red/tan top vert and interior that I may be willing to sell. It would be in your price range. The car has never been tracked and I'm 74yrs old so no abuse. Its an automatic w/paddle shift, so you have the best of both worlds. PM me if interested. I'm in N.C. Moderator the car is not officially for sale so I put it out here for this particular post.

dvilin

Take a test drive in a C7 Vert and your decision will be made. The engineering is outstanding, power awesome, interior beautiful, top up or down very little if any wind buffeting. 7 speed manual a pleasure to drive.

RagTop69

I've been driving a '69 Mustang vert for the past 17 years and I can tell you that the fact that you're not being buffeted in a C7 has nothing to do with the design of the car, unless you count having a windshield (hey, what a novel name) in front of you an ingenious design feature. When I first bought my vert I loaded the wife and two teenage kids into the car and took off on a 30 minute trip to my best pal's house. The wife and I, sitting behind the windshield, were perfectly comfortable. The two poor offspring in the back seat were nearly pummeled to death. The fact is that convertibles are two seat cars when the top is down and they're traveling at modern highway speeds.

To the OP. Why would you come onto a C6 Corvette forum and ask about Mustang GT convertibles? BTW, the same best pal that I mentioned above had a Boxter. I drove it a couple of times and quickly understood why they are referred to as a Porsche with panties.

TerryL

Shop around for a good C6 vert. I love my 06 except for the tunnel heat and have been thru ten states so far (84,000 miles). The (only) repair I've had to do was replace one TPMS. Maintenance items only, shocks, brakes, tires, fluids etc.

09_BSM_Z51

I had a 2010 GT500. There is a reason GT500's are so rare, it's because no one wants to drive them.

GuruGuy

Don, did you miss the part where he said he was an engineer?

irok

new C7 can be had for $50,000.

kedar

I am a big guy and I daily drove a c6 coupe for three years. Excellent daily driver. My wife had a 2011 mustang coupe with 5.0 motor and manual. The mustang was an absolute blast to drive, but it sits much higher and the handling is not confidence inspiring. Fun car though. There is plenty of room in the cockpit of the c6. I am not comfortable in the cockpit of the c7. You should test drive several cars and buy the car you like the best. You will get a biased opinion here on the corvette forum, although members here are generally more receptive to other makes and models than you would find on other auto forums.

CadVette

I agree with your decision to stay away from the BMW's. Once they are a few years old they will become money pits just like Mercedes are. After owning both Mustangs and Camaros then going with my current Vette I feel there's no comparison. The Vette is in a different league. I'm a convertible guy also. I have an old Eldorado convertible for that. I was originally looking for a Corvette convertible, but after finding a good deal on a C6 Z51 and the knowledge that it easily turns into a targa top kept me happy. The extra cargo space in the back is a bonus too. I also looked at Porsche too. But decided against it due to the extra cost for repairs and the intermediate shaft bearing issues on some models. I did not want to pull the engine for a proper fix. I'm a big guy also and in the end the Corvette was the correct decision for me. Hope this helps and good luck.

mhatton222

In your price range I would buy a new C7- get the latest in technology and performance with a full factory warranty. Not bashing Mustangs but they are grocery getters compared to a Corvette.

Regarding the convertible- keep in mind the coupes have a targa top that comes off and is as much of a convertible as you will ever need without the hassles of a vert... which for me would be considerable extra cost, care/replacement of the top, security, extra noise, and a less clean line on the car. Just My Humble Opinion... some people swear by the vert and would have it no other way. I don't have any of those issues in my coupe and can make it a convertible anytime I want in less than one minute. Best of luck in your decision

TerryL

"Humble Opinion" is right. Here's another, targa tops are not convertibles in any way and verts are not as noisy as the hatchbacks, excuse me, "coupe", top up or down and they look better, top up or down...and what are the "hassles of a vert"? My ten year old top is in perfect shape and goes up or down in less than a minute.

11LS3A6

Newest one you can comfortably afford

Z0HS1CK

Get an M3.

Lou7787

This is as thoughtful an opinion as you are likely to get. Owned a Mustang GT coupe and Corvettes. Drive both and I think you will prefer the Corvette.

Don-Vette

mhatton222

I forgot to mention coupes have more storage room, thought you might like to know that as well...