2 Ag R8Cs

To all C7 owners and future owners of C7s

Coupe VS convertible, manual VS automatic which did you choose and why did you choose what you did??

Coupe VS convertible, manual VS automatic which did you choose?
It was a hard decision for me to make, but I went with a vert with manual trans (final answer)
All the new vettes I have ever owned have been verts except for the 85 coupe I owned and the only reason I got a coupe that year was because the did not make a vert in 85. I still remember how much I disliked the coupe because it did not give me the same feeling of openness

I thought that the sun roof would be OK but I never got the same feeling in a coupe as I did with the vert.

The vert gives you a more open feeling.
The C7 (IMO) coupe looks better than the vert with both roofs up. And until the C7 came out I thought the midyear coupes were the best looking coupe Vette
With both roofs down I thing the Convertible looks better than the coupe.
With the coupe top up the coupe is more practical because it Has more room to carry larger stuff and I can put my dogs in the back. A couple months ago I thought there was room for my dogs to ride in the trunk but someone set me straight and told me that the trunk is separated from the passenger compartment. If I need to carry anything real big I have a pick up

With both tops down the vert probably has more room because the coupe top takes up a lot of trunk space. Another factor was the remote top down, after years of owning vette convertibles that you had to stop and get out to raise and lower the cool factor of raising and lowering the top can not be denied as Über cool. But being able to look out at the stars through the tinted top is pretty cool also.

When I ordered my car last Nov I was set on a convertible but changed my mind and switched to a coupe to accommodate my two dogs. After I switched to a coupe I spent the next 4 months regretting not getting a vert. When my deal did not work out with my local dealer I was not very happy but almost considered it a blessing in disguise because it gave me a do over and it let me switch to a vert. I lucked out and found a dealer 900 miles away that had the same color car I wanted with 3LT, Z51, mag ride and exhaust, (it also had carbon fiber mirrors and spoiler which I have not decided if I like them and I won’t be able to decide till I see them in person) plus a useless batter charger. I missed out on museum delivery, the owners factory tour along with the carbon fiber dash, but if I did not get this car I would have to pay $3,200 and not have a car this summer

My opinion about the auto VS manual

The manual is more fun to drive but the auto is faster. I have owned other manual cars such as a Jeep wrangler but the last stick shift vette was my 85 which I hated driving it in Long Island traffic but I really missed having when I was away from NY and did not have to deal with traffic jams (the 1985 4 plus 3 transmission kind of sucked but didn’t give me as many problems other 4 plus 3 owners had). I went with a manual strictly for it’s fun factor even though my knees are mucked up (especially the left one) which may act up a few times a year. But I have my truck to drive when my knees are acting up and I read from C7 owners the clutch pressure required is light when you take into consideration that SC backroads are just made for stick shift it was a no brainer.

The down side if you consider remote start important is that you can only get it if you order an auto trans. I have remote start in my truck which is the only vehicle I have ever owned with remote start. I tested out remote start when I got my Silverado truck in Dec to see if it worked and have only used it that one time. As far as I am concerned loosing remote start was a non-issue for me (maybe if I was in the same business as Tony Soprano a remote started would be useful)

I used up a lot of words to ask a simple question, what did you choose or what are you going to choose and why? Coupe or vert, auto or stick?

LittleC7

Coupe Vs Convertible:
I would have opted for the coupe except for the fact that I am only 5'1" and female and was not able to remove the top by myself! The perils of being short.
My 95 was a manual convertible and after awhile was a PITA to get that top up fast when a sudden rain cloud ( not in the forecast) decided to open up.
Automatic vs Stick:
Again being short in a Vette has it's challenges and as we age (heaven forbid) we have to consider items like knee replacements and knee surgeries. For those reasons, I chose the automatic even though many of my previous 'muscle cars' were always stick.

Supersonic 427

I chose a Non Z51 1LT Coupe with the 7 speed manual and the optional NPP exhaust. I mainly chose this for cost reasons. If my budget was larger, I would have added, 2LT, Z51, mag ride and red painted calipers. However, I doubt that I would enjoy it any more than the one I purchased.

BTW...The 7 speed manual and NPP were must haves!

Questar

I went for the convertible because my last 3 Vettes have been verts and my ZL1 is a vert. Just love the top down feeling... And find the verts tend to have better visibility. The ZL1 was undriveable for me in the coupe version. What can I say... I like verts.

Auto was my only choice... Knee injury some years ago makes driving a standard for more than a few minutes way too painful. I'd probably have gone manual if not for the knee issue... But didn't really have a choice. Having said that, today's autos are quite incredible IMHO.

Zymurgy

Coupe because the vert does not look near as exotic as the coupe does. Also, I don't like the looks of the vert with the top up. Never have.

Manual because I no longer do the daily commute (I retired at 57) and I wanted to be able to row through the gears. I think you are more connected to the vehicle in a manual.

Larry/car

2LT, base convertible, manual transmission, navigation. I had a C6 coupe, manual, found that I didn't have the top off as much because I always used two people to prevent damage, wind gust etc. The C7 convertible I can lower and raise the top at will. I love to shift, selecting the right gear for the condition is fun, I also have a C4 convertible automatic, the car is great but I miss shifting.

gthal

Coupe... because I have never liked the look of a soft top car and, more importantly, a convertible is less than ideal as a track oriented car. With the targa roof, the coupe is almost a convertible anyway.

Manual... I would have picked a DCT if one were offered. I am not a fan of torque converter autos due to how they feel (less connected to the engine which is different than a DCT) and they aren't the best option for a road course.

Lightbrew

Coupe vs. Convertible

Went with convertible, though I think that the coupe looks better. The benefit of ease of dropping the top, and increased cabin openness ultimately won out over looks. I hope that I don't regret this decision.

7M vs. Auto

Went with manual. This was no contest. I really love driving a stick shift. It just makes me feel like more a part of the car.

owc6

Coupe v. Vert : The only thing I disliked about my Z06 was the lack of any removable roof. I have an '05 vert that I NEVER drove with the top up unless it was below 60 or raining. I love having a convertible, so for me there was never a choice this time around.

M v. A : I have a bum left knee, which at this time, is only bothersome on stairs, but I can see the handwriting on the wall, so even though it doesn't bother me driving a manual, a few years (or hopefully never) may prove different; it takes that out of the equation. Driving in traffic is ever so much easier in an auto, too.


lisa

2 Ag R8Cs

There were a few times in 2013 that I needed to use a cane and I think it was 2 or 3 times last years it was so bad I had to use one of those electric sit on scooter with a shopping basket provided by Walmart. I was pretty embarrassed using it and what made it worst was when some nice kind people kept asking me if I needed help I don't like to be fussed over. I tried ignoring it in the hope it would just go away. I hate going to doctors but the doctor injected some stuff into my knee and it worked like magic.

OnPoint

Coupe v. Convertible

I'll get the coupe. Just not a ragtop guy (Misses is, but she has her ragtop toy).

Manual v. Auto

I'll get the manual. I enjoy driving manuals and live in an area where traffic isn't an issue. Plus it activates AFM only when in ECO mode which the driver has to select as it doesn't default to ECO on start-up. I want to be one that decides when AFM is available.

Plus I look forward to playing around with the Rev Match feature a bit on the track. Just for the fun of toying around with it.

Rich427

Coupe v Convertible

All of my Corvettes are convertibles, except for my '04 Z06. Living in SW Florida, you just can't beat having a convertible. Plus I have the Z06 for speed events. When it is time for that one to go, then maybe a C7 Z06 will be in the cards.

Manual V Automatic

Since I am retired and in my mid 60s, I thought it might be appropriate to consider going the A6 route. I asked my wife what she thought and her response was, ...none of our Corvettes have every been an automatic, why would we want to start now? She's a keeper, and ours is a 7 speed.

VETJAZZ

I chose a convertible, because it is. Always preferred the roadster look and style.

I chose an automatic because it's faster in a straight line, and, I can always paddle shift.

2 Ag R8Cs

I have always been a ragtop person, as a matter of fact the part of my email address that comes before the @ is RAGTOPDAY (rag top day is the title of a Jimmy Buffett song). Most of my cars including Vette and non Vette have been ragtops. I owned ragtops most of my adult life when I lived in NY and now that I live in SC where the summer are longer and the cold weather starts in mid to late to mid December and starts to warm up in mid to late March I should be able to ride with the top down for 3/4 of the year.

2 Ag R8Cs

If it really gets bad you can always get some stuff injected into your knee. I did not bother asking what the doctor injected but it worked like magic. When I had my Volt I had a blast driving on the back roads. I can't begin to imagine how much fun it will be driving the C7 along the twisty back roads.

2 Ag R8Cs

That's for the interesting comments, I did not think that most people that got verts would agree with me that the coupe is much nicer looking.

2 Ag R8Cs

I forgot the rev match, from what I read it works well.

gthal

That it does

KenHorse

Coupe because more secure and with removable transparent top, the best of both worlds IMHO

Z51 because Z51 badges look so much cooler than the fish.

I got the M7 because I never learned how to drive an automatic

themonk

My first two Corvettes were convertibles ('00 and '03), I didn't like the tears in the tops or the leaking so I vowed that my C7 will not be a 'vert, the targa top is good enough for top down driving for me. As far as automatics go, if I can help it, my sports cars will never be an automatic even if the performance is slightly better.