Hello Corvette owners,
This is the same question that I asked on the C5 tech/performance forum.
My wife and I want to buy a Corvette. This will be the first one for either of us. Used C4 and C5 vettes are abundant now. It truly is a buyers market. Which one do you prefer and why?

:confused:

If this were your first vette, where would you put your money? ;)

 

I have 3 c-4 corvettes(85-92-96) and the best overall for daily street use is the 1996 Lt1 with the auto trans, now as to why,well I looked into the cost of the 96 verus the new(at the time I bought it 99 vette) and the cost was about double, the newer c-5 also has the trans mounted in the rear for better handleing but when I looked into the cost and difficulty of doing modifications or just standard repairs I found that the 96 part costs and labor costs were lower, there were far more parts available for the 1996 and I liked the look better anyway so I chose to get the 1996 for my daily driver(the 85 and 92 are project cars) now Im not saying the c-5 is not a great car but if your like me you will want the most car for your money and the lowest cost of ownership while still haveing a class ride!

 

I basically made my decision based only looks. I have always liked C4 better. I sold a 98 LS1 T/A 6-speed to get the vette.

If you are considering a 6-speed consider that on a C5 there are problems with the engine, clutch and hydraulics. On my T/A (same design for the C5) my clutch was slipping at 25k miles and the clutch hydraulics are of poor design. Just ask anyone that has gone with an after market clutch and even stock replacement. I could go into further detail.

The LS1 engine (C5) is great engine and produces more power plus gets better mpg the C4. However, I have seen many cases where the engine oil pump fails without warning. It didn't matter if it 1000 miles or 30,000 miles on the engine. I think this random problem was addressed in the later years of the LS1 (maybe 2001). Then you hear about some LS1 owners that experience excessive oil consumption. I have read some consume a quart every 500 miles.

I got all this knowledge mainly from daily visits to http://www.ls1.com and it's message board over the past 4 years. I never experienced excess oil consumption with the 98 LS1 T/A but I replaced the oil pump with an after market one for peace of mind which was as easy as replacing a timing chain (no lifting the engine, etc). I also fixed the clutch hydraulics.

So what I am saying is there are more concerns with a manual vs an auto on a C5.

 

I personally prefer the C4 over the C5 at this stage... the C5 is a great car and they are growing on me.. but the C4 feels more like a race car... and I love the clam shell hood. By the time the 95/96 C4's rolled around, GM had most of the bugs worked out of them... which is why I went with the 95 when I got rid of my 86.

It's really up to you, you and your wife should go drive both.. see which you prefer... Im' sure over in the C5 section they are saying go C5 :)

Either way it's still a Vette and still a great car!

 

Bottom line is; GET THE VERY BEST CAR YOU CAN AFFORD.
Both are great.

 

Now Mackey is saying "best" car. I swear he told me to get the "newest" car last year when I bought the 92.

I think the best car by far is the C-5.

 

be sure to spend a LOT of time driving BOTH!

The C-4 and C-5 are worlds apart in "feel" and "driver comfort"

Styling is also a cosideration.
After being in a c-4, a C5 seemed HUGE to me (im a BIG man too) and didny have the sports car feel that a c-4 has. which does include rattles and a comparitively harsh ride.

There is still enought price difference that a c-4 is still my choice. Styling is TOPS and everyone seems to KNOW its a corvette.

I get a lot of "whats that" questions when people ask me about a C-5.

also..my 95 vert is woth about $20,00 and a 98 vert about $35,ooo, so there IS still that price!

 

Arn't they the same :)

 

I really don't think anyone can answer the final ? on which is better. Better to who? Better for what?
Test drive both and make your decision. :yesnod:

 

I agree, since the C5 isn't perfect yet(when it is, they'll release the C6).
Go for a later model C4. The Corvette was perfect in 1996 which is why GM changed in 97.

 

a corvette is a corvette is a corvette! am i right? i think so. i love the C5, and have driven a few, i love the C4 and have also driven several, my personal preference for driving a corvette is the C4, for comfort, buy an SUV, or 4 door touring sedan, if you want a car that feels like its an extension of your body, the C4 is the closest car for it, the interior ergonomics wrap you into the vehicle lending itself to feel very in charge and secure, the level of confidence you have in a C4 is unparalleled. the cockpit, which seriously is what it feels like, envelopes you, I'm 6', and everything in the car feels as though it was custom taylored for me, every switch, button, pedal, arm rest, control is at a fingers flick. when you sit in it hit the gas, and swivel the wheel through a turn, it feels as though the car pulls you through it, there is hardly any body roll and minimal lateral body movement. sitting far back in the car takes a day or two to adjust to but then you realize how advantageous sitting far back is! like riding a 300 horse chariott! :D

the C5 is a little more stylish and curvy, the engine is state of the art and still has a bug here or there, but overall is well designed and makes superior power in stock trim when compared to its older brother. it has fewer rattles and ride quality is much smoother and gentle. if your corvette will be used for sunday afternoon drives in the country, the C5 will be more pleasureable and less fatigueing to drive, but then again, if thats what "I" was after, i owuld have bought a BMW or lexus. i like leaning my head back and nailing the pedal in my 95 with my left hand on the wheel and right hand on the shifter, the pressure on acceleration and smnooth pull in the "cockpit is somehting hard to match. the C4 feels faster in my opinion because you feel MORE.

bottom line, I want one of each :yesnod: and when i make my millions i will have one of every generation corvette! for now weigh your wants carefully and make a list of pros and cons of each, figure which one comes closest to your ideal corvette and then find the newest lowest mile corvette with the otpion you want! best of luck!

chris

 

I just bought my C-4 18 days ago. Before the purchase, I was also faced with the same quandry, C-4 or C-5? So I did my research over the internet and a good share of actual looking at a number of C-5's on dealer car lots.
Here in Southern Califonia, any decent 97 runs in the 27K range. One thing that did turn me off with the C-5's (which others may consider as a minor thing) is that out of the six I looked at, five had rips in the driver's leather seat. Seems to me that at 45-50K new, it should have better leather! Then I spotted a white 93 C-4 (private owned) automatic with 104K miles on the odometer. After driving it on 3 separate occasions, I bought it for $11,200. Clean, stock, no mods except for the K&N filter and I love the black cloth seats - great condition and holds the body good on turns. I took it out this evening for the second set of 0-60 G-Tech runs and it delivered a best of 5.27 with the ASR on (and this with the stock GM1 2.59 gear ratio). So go figure: 11K vrs 27K and about the same performance. I think I made the right choice.

Ed in Southern California

 

I'd recommend the C5. The frame is much better than any previous vette. There's nothing wrong with a car that handles well and rides comfortabley. Thats been one of the goals of suspension designers for a long time. The LS1 is a good motor too. The C5 is getting most of the attention of the aftermarket companies these days so more parts will be available in the future. If you have the budget, go for the 385HP Z06 vette.

 

Wait for the C6. :D :D :D

 

thanks for the honest opinion...
If i could I would own several vettes...One of each generation :) :)

 

I like the C4 better. Easier to work on, looks better. When the C6 comes out... maybe I'll think other wise about it :D

 

I faced this question a couple months ago when I was looking to purchase a vette. I had decided that I wanted one for sure, but not which year. For me it was a question of what could I mod the easiest and cheapest, and what could I get out of it. The C5's seemed like a great beast of a car but I never really liked the styling. Also, looking under the hood mods seemed difficult to perform. I also priced quite a few things for the C5 and it came out much more expensive than for the C4.

Once I decided on the C4 the choice was simple, the LT4.

Sam

 

As others have stated, it all boils down to what you like personaly.
If you want a vette that is dependable,easy to maintain,and give you the biggest thrill when you are driving it C4!
If you want a luxury ride,questionable dependability,higher maintainence, and easy for your wife to drive C5! :confused:

 

Seeing that this is the C4 post I guess most of us like our C4's better than the C5. Just my opinion, I could be wrong.. :lol:

 

c5 guys and gals are cheering for the C5

C4 guys and gals are cheering for the C4

The valuable thing I have gained in both forums is knowledge

A couple of things stick out to me from the forums:
1st: Corvette owners are passionate people that love their cars.
2nd: All Corvette owners accept and respect each generation of vettes. They are
all part of a bigger family
3rd: No matter which generation we choose, It will be the best Vette for us