Hey all,

So I'm probably a year or so away from purchasing my first Vette, and I'm pretty convinced it's going to be a C5 because it's in my price range. I'm just curious if anyone out there can give me some advice on possible costs I would incur that I'm not accounting for? Like would I beable to get an extended warranty and if so how much?

Also how much am I looking at in added gas costs for the year? Right now I drive a 2011 Volkswagen Jetta and the prie of gas is cheap as you can imagine. I know this thing is probably going to cost a bundle in gas, but anyone have an idea of how much?

Anything else?

Thanks for the help!

Best,
Ryan

 

Well you will be spending a bit more as you will need to put 93 in, but you'd be surprised at how good of mpg the vette actually gets. I see about 18-21 around town depending on how much I get on it, 25-26 mixed, and about 29-31 on the open highway. This is in a mn6 btw.

 

Yeah I mean I figure I live pretty close to work already to so it would mainly be weekend driving where it could kill or road trips. But that's nice to know it doesn't have to be too bad beyond having to put premium in the car?

Anything else as far as added costs I'm not thinking about? I just want to do my due diligence so I know what I'm getting into. Even though it's a used car.

 

As "I dream of Vettes" said, the C5 in std trim is very economical
For a 350HP "rocket" I doubt you will do better (I am biased of course )

Good luck with your up coming purchase, many great C5's out there!

 

I think you should be more worried about tires, repairs, maintenance, insurance than gas. We don't even know what the price will be in a year. And the car will get mid 20's mpg. If the difference in mpg is your concern, you may need to rethink your plan. Or at least check it out in advance as you have begun so you won't be surprised. Have you inquired about the cost of insurance? Tires run about $1200 a set.

 

Obviously each car is a unique and individual machine and experience. However, I have owned five different 'Vettes now including three C4's and two C5's and I have found them to be absolutely the most economical and reliable cars I have ever owned!! As a matter of fact, one or two other makes of cars I have bought because they were supposed to be economical and reliable, were anything but that!!!!!

I hope I am not jinxing myself by saying this, but none of my 'Vettes has ever left me stranded or in need of a tow!!!!

Oh, and tires are only $1200.00 a set if you decide to stick with Run Flats, which most people don't for a number of reasons. (They're loud, they ride like Flintstone car wheels, and don't handle worth a sh%t!!!! Oh, and did we mention that they are overly expensive!!!!!!!!!!)

Just my $0.02.

DSTURBD

 

Gas will be as cheap as your right foot allows. But i was suprised.they do get good milage

 

If you're going to drive it on weekends, the price of gas will be the least of your worries. Depending on the condition of the C5 you get, you may need to put in several hundred dollars right up front for basic maintenance that the previous owner held off doing (fluids, brakes, tires, etc).

 

I run 87 in mine unless im gonna be flooring it or having some fun with it. Its nice to have the choice and not be FORCED to run 93 all the time.

 

You'll be buying a 10+ year old car. You need to have extra $$$ to fix things as they come up (and probably will). Corvettes are not like other cars - most owners take great care/maintanence of them (read - money!). If you think that a 10+ year car will give you another 10+ years of trouble-free driving - think again!

Now, having said that.... C5's have a decent track record of being reliable & good gas mileage. I would have no second thoughts about driving my '98 across the country. If you're average/good with wrenches then the info on this forum will save you thousands of $$$. Keep reading the forums & you'll get a good idea of what MIGHT need fixing.

Good luck with your purchase!

 

Yeah i wouldnt worry about the gas. Like me I'm in need of tires because the previous owner hadnt replaced them. Also having to replace my wheel sensors. Atleast the right one. But either way I still love the car.

 

A six speed C5 can get up to and possibly exceed 30 mpg - my '00 consistently got better than 30 mpg. An A4 is usually in the 25-28 mpg range, depending on your driving habits. So the C5 is not a gas hog by any means.

Chances on getting an extended warranty at a reasonable price is pretty slim. Not many extended warranty companies will cover a car that is past say 5-6 years old and if they do, they want a fortune for the coverage. For example, I checked with Warranty Direct recently for price on a warranty and one of the offerings (if I recally correctly it was 3 years, 30K miles) and they wanted $7600 for it. That was an insane price.

 

Really? I know it ok to run 87 but its like $.20 a gallon.

 

93 only for my car.

 

The insurance on mine wasn't much more expensive than my SUV. I was surprised. And I'm 25.

You can do searches, but GM STRONGLY recommends putting 93 octane in.... yes it will run on 87 but its not good for the engine.

Tires are really the biggest increased maintenance cost IMO. You're looking at a minimum of ~$200/tire if you keep stock sizes without runflats and get the cheapo firestone tires. And they don't last as long as most other cars either. Rear tires can have a very short life depending on driving style....

Also you generally can't rotate the tires, so if you get uneven wear, you gotta replace them even sooner.

Besides that they're really not that bad. Only carry 2 people and not a whole lot of cargo room (but more than you'd expect, really). If a major part does break, it will be more expensive than an equivalent part on a Jetta, but usually the drive train of a stock corvette is pretty reliable.

All in all a comfortable, efficient, and FUN little car to drive!

 

Thanks everyone, lot's of just awesome feedback!!!!

The more I've been thinking about it I'm realizing gas may very well be the least of my worries as far as added costs go. I definitely think insurance will be a major factor and possible maintence issues in the event I can't afford to protect the car with an extended warranty.

I also definitely didn't think about the notion of tire costs and how expensive that would be!!!! Honestly I'm a bit worried now if I can afford one in the next 6 months to a year like I thought I might beable to. So this dream may have to wait a touch longer. I also didn't take into account taxes and title, which a sales person at a chevrolet dealer explained to me I would have to pay no matter what, even if purchased from an independent seller.

So thanks again all, definitely opened my eyes to some possible issues. I'm still going to look into one when the time comes, but I'll be smarter I feel when it happens.

 

reminds me of every used car i've ever purchased and none of the cars i have ever sold.

was starting to think i was the only guy who changed all fluids, replaces shocks and other general wear and tear items on cars.


tire costs CAN be expensive if you go for a top of the line performance tire like the bridgestone RE11. if you use a forum fav like the hankook v12 it's half of that. you won't have the grip but you will spend half the money. that said i would suggest you have a second car if you own a corvette. personally i have two favorite cheap cars for winter duty. one is the XJ jeep cherokee, the other the 94+ acura integra. both are stupid simple to work on, easy to get parts for and generally very reliable. the only drawback to the cherokee is the 15-18mpg they get. the drawback to the 'tegs is finding one a kid hasn't riced out. integras are just brutal snow cars as cars go if you fit the transmission with a torsen limited slip and run aggressive snow tires. you will literally go anywhere ground clearance allows and at the tune of 30mpg. best part is either car in good shape can be had for 3-5k

i've owner a corvette as a solo car before but they are just not a great car in the snow. yes snow tires help but it's still a great way to blast paint, expose the car to salt depending on where you live and generally beat on a nice car.

ps...if you can possibly swing it buy a 2001+ if you're getting a c5. expect to pay 12-16k for something worth taking home. that's not to say the cars under 12 are bad, it's just they are often high mile and in need of work. in short it would be easy to spend more on a 10k c5 than it would on a 15k c5 looking down the road 2 years

 

87 regular has worked fine in all four of my c5's.

 

GM recommends premium of at least 91. 87 is acceptable but anything less will cause knocking. What if there is a bad batch of fuel you put in? Why would you even want to risk knocking by putting 87 in? I drive 6-7k miles a year, which is an extra $50-$60 in gas costs.

With all the money we pend on these cars, why would you want to skimp in such an essential area? Doesn't make sense to me.

 

Yeah that's pretty much what I was looking at. I've had a tough time though finding c5's from 2001-2004 in even the $10K-$15K range. Believe it or not they always seem to be running a touch closer to $17K-$22K.


If you have any suggestions of good used car sites to look please enlighten me.