steve8

Night and day between the two models, obviously.
You need to take some time and figure out exactly what you want.
I love my 6 speed CE vert, but that's me.
You say you're easy, but make sure you get what you want as there are plenty to choose from.
Sadly, my 04 with < 22k miles is worth < 25k with every option to give you an idea of pricing. Some people say it's worth more but I don't see how.
I had a C3 and there is no comparison.
Spend some time, enjoy the search, and good luck.

Dream C5

I might get KILLED for this and I truly love my C5 but with 30k i'd get a C6!

ggeldy

When I started my corvette search I too was looking for a c3 but when I saw the c5 and drove it I was hooked. Welcome to the forum and good luckwith your corvette search

Oldad

Hello and welcome to the Forum.
Keep reading and look at and drive as many as you can.
Check out local shows , cruisins and clubs.
The more homework you do the better choice you'll make.
Your gona love it.

itzza427

Got my 69 427 for $11k about 12 years ago(it's a mix and match driver) Love it to death,,but you are constantly working on something,and unless you want to spend close to 6 figures for a fully restored show car(that you are not going to want to drive all the time)the C5 is the way to go.Don't get me wrong,,I love my old Shark,,won't be letting it go till they pry it out of my cold dead hands,,but for driving fun,,and for the money/time investment you cant beat the C5!!Starts every time,,outruns my 427,,better ride and handling AND gets double the gas mileage!!! What's not to love I picked up a 2000 FRC(Fixed Roof Coupe,they became the Z06 in 01) almost 2 years ago (before the big price dump) for $18,600,with 55,500 miles and most all options,,very nice condition!! These cars travel great,wife says it's the best travel car we've had!! Around 30 mpg on the highway,,what's not to love!! My advice,,get a C5 for a reasonable price,,drive it and have fun,,,THEN save up and get a shark for a fun play toy later,,,It's a FUN way to go!!!

BenC5

I'll second the $30K, if I had it, I'd get a C6, no question.

I dream all the time about trading my C5 for a new C6.

4U2ENVY

Your asking the wrong folks. In here, pretty much everyone will say C-5. Then the other will be true for C-3's. It is pretty much what YOU LIKE BEST. That is the bottom line. As to your budget 30 grand, in either case you cannot go wrong. Best of luck on your choice.

tail_lights

You can get a heck of a nice C5 for 30k, or a heck of a modded one

And don't get me wrong a C3 would be nice too, coming from a C4 myself the C5 is just so refined. Good luck!!

Vetteman Jack

Welcome to the forum, Tim. And good luck on the search for your Vette.

Having owned several C3s, four C4s and now three C5s, I would definitely steer you in the direction of the C5. Much more capable car in terms of reliability, build quality, comfort, performance, handling, fuel economy, blah, blah, blah. And the prices are really reasonable - even for the Z06 model. Chances are you can find an '04 Z06 for under your budget amount and have low miles on it to boot.

Don't know how you feel about C4s, but they are nice cars too.

eldudereno

For every post similar to this there should only ever be one answer, get what ever does it for you!!!

We can always point out the pros and cons then the decision is yours.

Some of us prefer blondes and some of us prefer brunettes, you wouldn't come onto a forum though and ask everyones opinion on which one you should take on a date.

VerTigo456

terrible1one3

You have many options with thirty thousand.

Get Both. A late nineties C5 can be had for between 15 and 19k, with 19k having low miles (less than 40k). C3's are all over the place with price, from a couple grand to 20 grand.

If both isn't an option get a C6 with 30k.

If I had to own one vette and had a budget of 30k, I would probably buy a C6. If I were strapped for cash I would buy a C5 for about 10k less.

timmmmay

Great point -- I probably should have painted a better picture... Consider my experience with Vettes to be somewhat similar to the 16 yr old boy trying to figure out if he likes Blondes, Brunettes or Redheads...

I'm hoping to draw on the experience of those here to help me along the way. I've learned a lot more about ZR-1's, Z06's - Coupe's.. Etc...

Thanks for everything so far! You're all very helpful :-)

MG RED 99

Depends on how you want to use it. Weekends only or everyday. Remember with owning an older car comes more headaches, but if you like tinkering or working on your car when problems arise a lot of enjoyment can come from that too. Good luck with your choice and post some pictures when you take the plunge.

BOTYNV1

Go out and test drive one of each, the cars not the ladies

Rapid Fred

I can conclude that you need some more time to decide because the two vehicles are so very different. Except for those that can afford to own both, I cannot imagine many folks who have fully thought this through being indifferent about which to buy. The C5 is a modern, practical high-performance sports car. Fuel-efficient, relatively dependable, etc. Beautiful contemporary looks and a lot of sometimes iffy electronics.

The C3 went through several iterations from 1968-1982. It evolved from a very powerful muscle car with sporting characteristics to overweight boulevard cruiser -- so you even need to think about what type of C3 you want if you go that way! Even the newest C3's are nearly 30 years old and will require major TLC. The advantage is you are driving a car generally perceived to be a classic American car, with iconic looks. People seem to flock to them at shows or on the street. Just don't expect a shred of comfort or practicality!

Torch Red 02

Recommend you decide what you want to do with the car, up front, before buying. My wife and I bought a used Z51 '02 with MN6 in 2004 because we wanted to do some fun competition driving, but also wanted the targa roof for cruising. The car has been reliable, and a lot of fun. We recently did some performance mods to make it seem a little more exciting and "newer" to us (after 5 yrs). You can probably find whatever you want (if you know what you want...). Good luck and welcome!

3GenVettes

Tim,

My viewpoint comes from currently owning both a C3 and a C5. As others have said the C5 is a more versatile, more comfortable daily driver than the C3. However, the C3 has a body style that stands out from the crowd in a way the C5 does not. In addition to the C3 and C5, I also have a C6. When visitors see these three cars in my garage, the C3 almost always gets the most attention and most raves. Many people think it is the most valuable of the three; the general public gives a lot of respect to C3s.

On the perfect day I prefer driving the C3 the most, but the vast majority of the time I prefer driving the C5. I strongly disagree with many about what you can expect to buy price wise, particularly since you are talking Canadian versus US. A top of the line C5 will be near 30K. As some have suggested that you can buy both a C3 and C5 for your 30K, well that is true, neither car would be the quality of putting that into a single car of your choice. Different peoples priorities vary, but I would go for the highest quality car you can find. In the long run, I believe that is the smartest purchase.

Larry

timmmmay

Great advice -- My wife would likely approve

I've driven a C3 -- 1970 small block... Damn.

I've never drive a C5, or in one. Will certainly heed the advice of those here.
I'm not in any rush -- just trying to figure out what I know I don't know yet.

I've bought books from Amazon -- and have been reading as much as I can

Hart

Welcome!! I have had both. Love to drive the C5 more than I did the C3. C5's handle!! Get a C5 then later pick up a C3. More is better.