Over all reliablity is pretty good as far as leaving one stranded.

But the overall quality from bumper to bumper is not what one would expect in an expensive car like they all were when new.

That is my biggest disappointment in a vette since I jumped into the mix. And I don't care what gen it is, they all have issues. "Most" aren't serious issues, but very annoying.

 

we talking about wheel well lites?

 

Drive them both and make a choice. Both are nice, the c4 just had the right feel for me. Good luck

 

Sharp! need you say more

 

sweet! love the wheels!

 

Styling, inside and out, was the primary factor for me. At the time I was looking for a car, I was considering getting a house, too. I didn't want a car payment, so I instead of getting a C6, I got a C4 and a house. A C5 wasn't even a consideration, really, though I fully acknowledge that it's a superior car.

The interior is dramatic in a C4! In the later models, I think they sort of 'sold out' to the demographic (old dudes! lol...) and dropped the sills and flattened out the seats to make ingress and egress easier. Loses a lot of coolness there, IMO.

The exterior, in my opinion, is better proportioned than the C5, and maybe even the C6. I sometimes see a C6 that just looks 'right', but they don't ALL look that way to me, for some reason.

After owning a C4 for a year...

It's far more practical than I expected. I use the trunk a LOT, and you can actually fit a lot of stuff in there! But it IS hard to put heavy stuff in because the sills are so wide.

It's not as expensive to maintain as I thought it would be. Mine isn't perfect and I'm fixing things here and there, but it's by no means a 'project' - it's a daily driver and has been reliable, even with 100k miles on it.

My friend just got a C3 project yesterday. Look up 'birdcage rust' and you'll run from C3s very quickly. C5s have the LS1 going for them, but for me, that's about it. C6s...I don't want a payment and am too young to wrap up that much of my cash in a car. So there ya go...

 

I like all Corvettes, but some models I like better than others, and I've always loved the styling of the C4, and still do.
When I was looking to purchase a Corvette I also considered a C5 because of the increase in refinement from the C4, and there's not a huge difference in price.

The LS engine is definitely nice, but I like the LT engine also, and the LT engine seems to move the Corvette down the road rather nicely.
I don't race and there's only so fast that I need to get from 0 to 60 on a public street...and an LT powered Corvette gets me there fast enough.

Because of the extra refinement, I was expecting something extra in the driving experience of a C5, but after driving one, I was surprised that it doesn't have as good of a feel for the road as the C4 has. The C4 is just more fun to drive.
I've even had guys who've owned both a C4 and a C5 admit the same thing about the difference in the feel for the road between the two cars.
I actually posted a thread out here 2 or 3 weeks ago and asked why the feel for the road with a C5 is not as good as a C4, and one guy gave a one-sentence answer that hit the nail square on the head..."With refinement comes detachment." I can't improve on that description.

Most importantly, I'm just not fond of the styling of the C5, especially the thick rear of the car.
The front of the C5 is fine (although it reminds me a lot of a Mazda RX7), but I just couldn't get myself to like the rear of the car, or a direct profile view of the car.
I have none of that apprehension with a C4, the styling and lines look great from any angle. It's as if the car draws me to look at it. The lines pleasantly flow from one end to the other, and there's nothing unpleasant.

I'd sit and look at pictures of C5's out on the internet, and look at them in person when I'd see them. I would sort of like the styling until I'd get to a certain angle, and then I'd have to try to get myself to like it. I'd look at different colors to see which color would not make the rear look so thick (such as black), etc.
Finally I thought, this is silly, I shouldn't have to try to talk myself into liking the styling of a car just because it offers more technical refinement.

But after driving the C5 and discovering first hand that it lacks the driving experience of the C4, I realized there was nothing extra that the C5 could offer me.

Regards,
-Ward

 

I drove a 2011 C6 base yesterday and it didn't drive anywhere as nice or fun as the '02 Z06 I'm hoping to buy on tuesday. that's why they make 'em different!!

 

I currently own a C5 and have owned a C3 , the C4 for me was my least favorite vette but after looking at all vettes and collecting diecast cars and I look everyday on ebay and other sites I love all Vettes !! my wife and I are fairly new to these cars but after having our annual Vettes on the square in Indep Mo yesterday there were beautiful examples of every year there as they had a geneolgy exhibit which was really cool so I say its personal preference as to what vette you pick good luck and have fun!! They all are great cars.

 

They make 'em different so they're not as nice or fun to drive?


I agree, they're all great cars. As I said in my post, I like all Corvettes.
But, the original poster asked specifically "why a C4?"

I do agree with what you say though about personal preference.

The initial curb appeal of any car is based first and foremost on its styling and lines, and those styling and lines appeal to personal preference, which is based on subjective criteria.

Regards,
-Ward

 

It was a simple statement where I was trying to illustrate that although a model is new, not everyone is going to like it. I like the looks of the c5 the best, and refinement is something I enjoy.

 

Cool.
I didn't understand you the first time I read your post.

Regards,
-Ward

 

'that's ok stewardess, I talk jive"
)

 

Nice B. Billingsly reference

 

The Z06 FRC C5 is the best looking version of an otherwise understated vette design. Interesting opinion of the C6. Was it an automatic or something? My '08 has the z-51 option and that includes different gearing in several speeds of the trans, so it is pretty peppy in town since it can't spin to 60 mph in first gear like the standard coupe.

The newest cars are quiet and less raw- maybe sometimes they don't feel all that fast.

 

It was a base 6 spd coupe, I'm still learning Corvette stats, but I think the Z has a lower axle ratio. It didn't feel as 'dynamic' as the Z.

As for the BB quote, she had one of the classic comedy moments of all time with that one.

 

Airplane!
Brilliant comedy from beginning to end.

 

"I picked a bad day to quit drinking..."

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmW-ScmGRMA

 

Coffee Johnny? "no thanks"

back atcha: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fkZd...eature=related