C4 and C5 prices close?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 563
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From: Bowling Green KY.
C4 and C5 prices close?
Ive been wanting to get a newer C4, but for what some people want I can get close to a C5. I mean 16k into a 93? Thats very high. Another person wanted 17k for a 1994 with 44k miles. A guy can get into a 1998 for 22k. Are all the used Vettes getting lumped together?? The prices seem very close.... Anyone else think this is true???
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,287
Likes: 7
From: n/a SC
True you can get a early c5 for low 20's but it will be a coupe, high miles (over 50k), low optioned etcetc.
personally I'd take a 95-96 vert for 19k over a 98 onthe crappy side c5 for 22k....thats just me
for a c5 that I would want they're still in the 30's
personally I'd take a 95-96 vert for 19k over a 98 onthe crappy side c5 for 22k....thats just me
for a c5 that I would want they're still in the 30's
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: SCMR Rat Pack'r Charter Member..Great Bend KS
When you start getting into cars that are "older", the condition means more than most anything else....and the older they get the more "lumped together" they become.
Larry
Larry
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 13,421
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From: Lake Mary Florida
You pay for what you get. A high mile C5 in the teens would be suspicious to me, I would much prefer a stable late C4 with lower miles.
You can pay from about $31K down to about $21K for a 93 -96 C4 from Roger's Corvette, and those all have less or well less than 20K on them, some under a couple thousand miles.
Likewise a similar condition C5 97-01 will run you about $26K up to $38K. Again all low miles.
So that should give you the full range excluding some collector pieces. That $16K is not really that bad, I know I'd want $14-15 on mine if not more. And it has 110K on it.
When they are maintained and kept new with the service records, they should hold the value to some degree.
You can pay from about $31K down to about $21K for a 93 -96 C4 from Roger's Corvette, and those all have less or well less than 20K on them, some under a couple thousand miles.
Likewise a similar condition C5 97-01 will run you about $26K up to $38K. Again all low miles.
So that should give you the full range excluding some collector pieces. That $16K is not really that bad, I know I'd want $14-15 on mine if not more. And it has 110K on it.
When they are maintained and kept new with the service records, they should hold the value to some degree.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 36,175
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From: ...tearing up the highways, one state at a time™®©
Originally Posted by Darth Vader
Ive been wanting to get a newer C4, but for what some people want I can get close to a C5. I mean 16k into a 93? Thats very high. Another person wanted 17k for a 1994 with 44k miles. A guy can get into a 1998 for 22k. Are all the used Vettes getting lumped together?? The prices seem very close.... Anyone else think this is true???
there was a 2000 Coupe in the paper over the weekend, $20,9xx
C5 prices are dropping like a brick, C4 prices have pretty much stabilized with some exceptions on the newest C4's which are still going down a bit -
Pretty soon, C5 or C4, prices will not be a determining factor, style and preferance will dictate what you want
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,287
Likes: 7
From: n/a SC
To give you another example of price guy has his 94 coupe with 45k miles for sale upthe road for 17.5k.....I looked at it, it's in 9 out of a 10 cond wise however it is low optioned...standard seats, 2.59 gear ratio etc.
He will atleast see 15k for his car I would say and this is a low optioned 94, but whoever gets it will get what they pay for a nice well maintained c4. In corvettes you will find when you're searching for one you will either find ones that are in nearly PERFECT shape or dogs....you don't hardly find a middle cond one.
go for a nice c4 as new as you can find u'll thanks yourself for buying a cherry condition one later on.
He will atleast see 15k for his car I would say and this is a low optioned 94, but whoever gets it will get what they pay for a nice well maintained c4. In corvettes you will find when you're searching for one you will either find ones that are in nearly PERFECT shape or dogs....you don't hardly find a middle cond one.
go for a nice c4 as new as you can find u'll thanks yourself for buying a cherry condition one later on.
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Race Director
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 12,599
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From: Texas
If you want a C5 then get it, if you want a C4 do the same. C5 prices are insane. Lower mileage C4s are harder and harder to come by. They will start going up soon I think. C5 are supposed to fall a bit further until the C6 has been out a few months. But who knows?!?!?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 901
Likes: 15
From: Punta Gorda, FL
Originally Posted by USAsOnlyWay
But don't blow your wad of cash on an ultra low mileage c4 you plan to buy either, you know not running a car can be a lot worse than, well, running it a lot.
Here's my $.02 on the topic.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=872285
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
From: Purdue University IN
It all depends upon what you want. You can get a top-of-the-line C4 for the price of a high-mileage, "bargain-basement" C5. Sure the C5 is a much-improved car over the C4, but the condition of the C4, for the price, will probably be slightly, if not substantially better...
My father owned a '99 FRC for a few years--what an excellent machine--but it think i'd go with a Grand Sport or LT4 to save myself a few headaches potentially caused by high mileage
My father owned a '99 FRC for a few years--what an excellent machine--but it think i'd go with a Grand Sport or LT4 to save myself a few headaches potentially caused by high mileage
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 5,270
Likes: 3
From: Seattle Area WA
Lspalding, I saw that post. AND WOW!!!! That car is a looker, I wish you and your wife the best of luck with it. I was merely issuing a warning so that people know low miles isn't always perfect. It also however doesn't mean everything is going to fail on a low mileage car either.
Note also, thats a 95 right? That isn't THAT old, however an 80s vette I would be a bit more cautious on. Either way, I hope I'm not your black cat!
Note also, thats a 95 right? That isn't THAT old, however an 80s vette I would be a bit more cautious on. Either way, I hope I'm not your black cat!
Last edited by USAsOnlyWay; Jul 28, 2004 at 08:39 PM. Reason: Wrong year...
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 6,715
Likes: 2
From: Santa Teresa New Mexico
Originally Posted by Darth Vader
Ive been wanting to get a newer C4, but for what some people want I can get close to a C5. I mean 16k into a 93? Thats very high. Another person wanted 17k for a 1994 with 44k miles. A guy can get into a 1998 for 22k. Are all the used Vettes getting lumped together?? The prices seem very close.... Anyone else think this is true???
Here 95-96 C-4's are 15-18k.
97-99's are 24k+. The C-5's that I've seen are not high mileage cars and 24K is about the bottom. The difference in money is about 5-6k.
Thats about the norm, 5-6k to move up in years.
Drive them both and then decide.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 2,286
Likes: 2
From: Stamping Ground KY
When I was in the market for my car (less than a year ago) I tried to gather as much info off autotrader as possible. I found that a 1990 averaged about $16 grand and the price went up about $500 every year after that through 1996.
A 1997 (C5) average price was about $24k and went up over $3,500 for each newer year.
I think the C6 cars will flatten the slope of the C5's and push the starting point down some (and will do the same to the C4's but to a lesser degree), but the only time you'll see parity is with an excellent condition C4 vs. a daily driver C5 that's slept outside.
A 1997 (C5) average price was about $24k and went up over $3,500 for each newer year.
I think the C6 cars will flatten the slope of the C5's and push the starting point down some (and will do the same to the C4's but to a lesser degree), but the only time you'll see parity is with an excellent condition C4 vs. a daily driver C5 that's slept outside.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 3,753
Likes: 191
From: Orange County California
I don't know where you guys are getting prices from. I just bought a pretty much showroom new 99 last month loaded with just about every option they had then (HUD, Active Handling, etc) It also had a Borla Stinger exhaust and chrome Y2k wheels for 22k it had right at 42,000 miles which is nothing. There is another one at a dealer down the road from there right now with only 21k miles for 23k.
You can get a NICE, well optioned low mile C5 for low 20's all day right now. I LOVE C4's and owned 2 but could not go back now. These C5's are just too good and too cheap to pass up. You can get coupes all day from 20-25 in nice shape and verts for 24-30.
Good luck, you can't go wrong.
You can get a NICE, well optioned low mile C5 for low 20's all day right now. I LOVE C4's and owned 2 but could not go back now. These C5's are just too good and too cheap to pass up. You can get coupes all day from 20-25 in nice shape and verts for 24-30.
Good luck, you can't go wrong.