Hello out there!

I have been given the opportunity to purchase a new to me C5 for Christmas!

I have long wanted one and have some questions regarding which model/options and transmission to look for.

I have the following questions for you most knowledgeable C5 fans out there:
1) Auto vs. 6 Speed...pros and cons? Mileage vs. fatigue factor.....reliability.....etc.
2) Coupe vs. Convertible?....pros and cons?...and specifically is there much buffeting with a t-top off a Coupe and does the after market kit to crack the hatch help? How difficult is it to remove/replace a t-top vs. the convertible top with a guy with a back issue? I would love a convertible but question the amount of use I would get in a Northern climate (South Dakota). Is a Convertible fun to drive with the top up?...seems to have a few blind spots... and noisy maybe?
3) What year did the Covertible top change to the quieter one?
4) Does the Magnetic Ride work?
5) Do you need the Z51 handling package and/or the performance axle ratio?....what does that do the gas mileage vs. smile factor?
6) Is the 2003 Anniversary Addition worth the premium?
7) Anything else I should know?

Thank you all in advance who respond..........it is much appreciated!

 

Peace
Chip

 

Comments I have experience with are embedded.
Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.

 

Here is a helpful link: http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/specs/

Manual vs automatic....all a matter of personal preference. No real pros or cons. A 6 speed will give you a few more MPG on the highway but that's not a reason to choose a trans for a sports car. To me it has to be a manual tarnsmission.

Convertible vs coupe vs hardtop....once again, all a matter of personal preference. Of the 3 body styles, (and I have had all 3), a hardtop has the most noise inside compared to a coupe and convertible with the top up. But a few decibels should not be a deciding factor when considering a convertible. You either want a full open air experience or not. There is more of a blind spot with a convertible when the roof is up. That's true with all convertibles.

The F55 Magnetic Ride adjustible suspension and the F45 Hydraulic adjustible suspension both do work.

Z51 is worth while and a bargain compared to the F55 or F45 and the performance axle ratio would be my preference in an automatic Vette.

The 2003 Anniversary Red paint is a great color but there is no premium for and it was the most produced color for that year. I am not aware of any premiums for an '03 model C5. Maybe a dealer will try to lead you to believe these things to charge you more.

 

Coupe with targa top is quiet (all relative, I suppose). But you WON'T like driving it with the targa top off. The buffetting will pound your eardrums senseless. I've had a convertable and do NOT like them. But if you like the wind in your hair, then there's a lot less buffetting than the open targa top. To each his own.

 

As others have said, convert, 6-spd, hardtop are all matters of personal taste. However,we had a 96 with removable top and my wife could not get the top off without help, and with it off, the turbulance at highway speed was distracting. I have a touchy back and it was tough to get off by myself. I don't know if that is specifically the same with a C5, but it was the main reason we switched to a convert. Top up it does not seem to have any real sound or blind spot issues with us. And you can put it up/down in about 15 sec.
Our C5 is mainly my wife's car and she would not have anything but a 6-spd. just for the fun factor of shifting thru the gears, and after we got an aftermarket exhaust its just that much more fun going thru the gears from a sound standpoint. We searched for 6months on Autotrader and Cars.com for a specific color, yr and options, found one 800 miles away so don't be afraid of looking long distance. We've had hot rods, sports cars and luxury sedans for 35yr. and our C5 is absolutely THE most fun we have ever had in a car. Go for the newest you can afford and good luck.

 

most of your questions hav been answered and just boil down to personal preference. I would get out and drive one of each example and then you can decide which bodystyle to begin searching for....and then start narrowing down the colors and options. I really like nassau blue and artic white......so I would be out looking for something in the 97-00 time frame or sw in '01 or artic came back again in '04 I wanna say. Anyway...jusst figure out what you like/want and start you search!

 

its all about what you want good luck

 

I agree to that its all about what you want.

 

Thanks for the threads Chip!.....very helpful!

 

Thanks for the Thread Mike.........now I can research any year!.........very good info!

 

Convertibles do tend to hold resale value better than Targa top.
But it's entirely a preferencial thing if you're going to drive it.

 

3) I believe the new top was in 2001, but it could be 2002.

My convertible is a 2000. Make sure when you put the top down you check for glass separation between the rear glass and the top, there should be none. It's a common C5 vert issue.

Convertibles are more expensive to maintain and more prone to leaks because of the top. Otherwise, I prefer open air driving, so mine had to be a convertible.

5) If you're looking for comfort, than non-Z51 is fine. I don't have Z51 and it still handles great, far beyond my capabilities as a driver. It also rides like a luxury car now that I've gotten rid of the runflats. I've received multiple, unprovoked compliments on how comfortable my C5 is.

My auto with 3.15:1 performance gear ratio will often get the 26 highway mpg EPA advertised gas mileage on the window sticker. It is very difficult for me to crack 28, unless I'm on unbelievably flat terrain or driving on a VERY long trip. (Keeping in my that the DIC always reads at least 1 mpg HIGH. I calculate my mileage by hand.)

If max gas mileage is what you want, than you want 2.73:1. There will be an obvious difference in acceleration between the two.

If the car will see a lot of highway mileage and performance is secondary to mileage, than get the 2.73:1 gears. If you like to get on it often, or you do a lot of city driving, than I'd opt for the 3.15:1.