Been here for a few years (technically, not realistically). I'm FINALLY in a financial position to buy at best an '05 C6 or older. Several problems that I'd like info/advise with.

1) My driveway. My wife's '10 Camry scrapes....5.5" GC.

2) I've wanted a Vette since I was able to read about them, yet now that I AM able to buy one (I'm coming from the Subaru house), she thinks I'll buy one, like it for a while, then miss the Subaru. While I can't categorically say she's WRONG I don't think it's true. However, I've never driven one and my daily commute is about 20 miles total.

I'm at a loss. My price range is about $25k, more depending on what I do with my Subaru.

I must admit, I was willing to "settle" with an '04 Cobra but determined that it was utterly impossible for my driveway (about 2" GC with suspension)...and wife said she would leave me before allowing a Ford in the driveway.

Not sure if a C5Z or a C6 base would be the better choice. I think at most I would do intake/exhaust, but WAY down the line. I will need to relearn how to drive since I've been driving a 200awhp Subaru since '05. Thankfully I'm not a kid and know my limits.

Yeah I just wrote a novel. Help?

 

Let's see, this is C5 Gereral so of course we're going to tell you to get a C5!

 

Didn't want to double post in C6 so I was hoping for a practical non-biased opinion...perhaps I was wrong.

 

Is it going to be your Daily Driver?

 

First issue, seems like the driveway is a concern. Know anybody with a C5? What about a local Corvette club? I'd guess someone will be willing to help you out, maybe even a test drive if you are lucky but there's always a used car lot for that. Why not invite them to come over and see your driveway and if they were willing to drive up. If not, you have your answer. (if the Camry scrapes, the vette most likely will)
As far as whether you'd like it or want to go back to a Subaru...that only you can decide. Good luck.

 

Yes, but DD to me means around 5k a year. Seriously my commute both ways to work (14 days a month) is 20 miles. Half highway, half "cityish" driving. Aside from work I tend to stay home or the wife drives since she refuses to drive with me lol.

Know two guys I work with that have C5s, but neither of which I know well enough to ask.

 

I have to take my driveway at an extreme angle to not scrape the nose.

Test drive a C5, drive it home and see if you can get it up the driveway. If you can't..... well then don't buy one.

 

If you've been lurking for a few years I would suspect you have a pretty good handle on most of your questions.

C5's have a low profile but you would want to be careful, given your driveway situation with buying lowered and keeping it that way.

"2) I've wanted a Vette since I was able to read about them, yet now that I AM able to buy one (I'm coming from the Subaru house), she thinks I'll buy one, like it for a while, then miss the Subaru. While I can't categorically say she's WRONG I don't think it's true. However, I've never driven one and my daily commute is about 20 miles total."

This struck me as a very funny statement because once your drive a vette, you won't be looking back at a Subaru....absolutely no comparison. That said you do raise a good point......go drive one and see what you think. No point going down this road if for whatever reason you drive a vette and end up not liking it.

Finally, you have a lot of options with a minimum of a $25K plus budget. I could be wrong but I don't think you can get into a C6 but you can certainly move into a very nice C5.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

Unless you can afford an 08 LS3, I would go for a later model C5. I personally wouldn't buy the first model year of anything. I don't know a great deal about the C6's, but I thought I've heard that the '05's did have some electrical problems and such. After buying a Vette, I guarantee you won't look back once and miss your Subaru. A Vette makes a great daily driver as well. You will never have a more enjoyable commute.

As far as your steep driveway goes, the only thing that you can do to minimize scraping is by pulling in at a very extreme angle. You can even add some fangs to protect your radiator supports that scrape.

 

Ain't no "cities" way the hell down there bro. Lol, I'm just yanking your chain.

Your comment about the Camry scraping tells me you are going to have problems with the vette. My wife has an '07 Camry and it comes no where close to catching on anything ever. I get caught all the time in the vette if I'm not close. I'm about an inch lowered in the front, not slammed so take that for what its worth.

Good luck, hope you settle on a C5.

 

One solution to scraping the driveway, back the car up the driveway. The rear has a higher scrape point, and the angle changes considerably when backing up a steep drive way.

 

As said above, you need to test one on your driveway....or modify your driveway.....AND you absolutely need to drive one.

And, I'm not sure just one test drive is going to give you an accurate picture. Either find somebody that has one that is willing to let you drive it more than a few miles or test drive several.

This car is an excellent DD in my opinion. Comfortable, fast, fun, and good fuel mileage. The only downside for daily commute might be getting used to sitting very low. Your visibility of traffic and other conditions isn't as good. That said though....for as low as it is, the windows offer very good visibility all around (I speak from having a coupe).

I think if you figure the driveway thing out, you will end up with a C5. I have zero regrets with my purchase.

 

Or you can buy the "Bridjits".

http://www.bridjit.com/

If there's a will there's a way.

 

Thanks for all the advice.

The subaru sits entirely different with phenomenal visibility so that wpuld probably be the only stickong point from a driving perspective, though as i said going from a 4cyl awd setup there alot of things that will need to be releared....

Ill keep reading and hoping I can figure something out. Really doubt anyone that doesnt know me wpuld offer their car as a test dummy for my driveway or even a test DRIVE for that matter.

 

Sorry my spelling and grammar suck, on my phone nkw.

 

You would be surprised Corvette owners love their cars and would love helping someone else get into one. Ok they might not let you drive but they most likely help with the drive way issue.
Just ask and you shall receive

 

invite the vette owner over for a party tell him/her to park in driveway if it scraps fix driveway i'd say have wife lay down on driveway but i can only be so funny

 

Just face it. A Corvette will scrape in your situation. You only need to decide if you want a Corvette enough to find a solution, maybe expensive, to the problem. GL, and welcome, maybe.

 

Where on the Camry does it scrape - if the front air dam, then that's totally different than if it is somewhere further back on the car or if it is on the painted front fascia. The Vette is going to sit even lower than the Camry, so I would imagine you are going to have clearance issues with either a C5 or a C6. It was a good suggestion to see if you can find a C5 owner that would be willing to bring the car over and at least look at how it would do on your driveway.

As far as using the C5 as a daily driver - it will work perfectly fine and you'll be surprised at the gas mileage you will get - especially with the manual tranny.

 

I think the only way you'll miss the Subaru is if you move somewhere where it snows in July...if that possibility is off the table I will highly recommend a C5 Z because it will provide better performance than an 05 C6. I've driven both at the track and the C5 Z is superior. Either way it will be a win win for you. Good luck in your quest and let us know when you pull the trigger! A welcome aboard to you in advance