JR-01

If it's your only car........ yes four doors. If you just need a car that is capable of hauling the kids around once in a while, not so much.

grantv

Agreed with JR-01, with a but...
OP; it depends on your exact situation. My wife always had a mini-van and me 3 series BMW's (for 17 years). When I was looking for a change we considered... do we ever take the girls (3 Y/O and a few months old at the time) in my 4 seat / 4 door BMW? The answer was no. The rest is history; 2 door cars added to list of options for my DD.
The OP isn't even married yet, doesn't have a kid yet. What does the wife drive? Can they work it with whatever she drives for the kid(s) and he just keeps the Corvette? We do...

JR-01

When me, my brother and sister were little kids my Dad had a two door '58 Ford Hardtop with a 352 police interceptor motor. My mom didn't drive. Back then there were no car seats or seat belts and we walked or rode our bikes when we wanted to go somewhere. so it worked out just fine. It's a different time now. They will have to figure out what works best for them.

57gman

Sharp 4 dr vette, how cool��

Eaglerulez

Hi everyone,

First off, thanks a ton for the suggestions, they've all really been great thus far.

Here's a few that have stuck with me, but I have listed my reservations on each one.

-997 911 I like this one just because it is probably the most comparable to the Corvette. The big thing for me would be rear seat usability though. Some people say they work just fine, even for adults, others say they are impossible. Maybe a convertible will help with the roominess.

-BMW M3 My friend used to have an E36 M3 and I really enjoyed driving in the car with him. That being said, I do have a silent hatred for BMW's and I'm not sure whether I would hate myself for owning one. (For reference there are just too many near where I live)

Cadillac CTS-V/Cadillac STS-V Both cars are really appealing to me...but every time I watch a review of them I get less excited about them for some reason. I'm honestly not a luxury sports kind of guy. I could care less about comfy seats, nice interior, etc. I kind of just want something that's badass, eye catching and fast. (This also goes for the M3). The other concern I have about these are how much they weigh...going from a 3200LB C5 to a 4,000lb Caddy makes for a different experience. That being said...a little bit of modding can always get things closer to the direction that I want.

Pontiac G8 I've always wanted one of these, and this is honestly the most logical contender in my mind from a price/performance perspective. There are only two things holding me back. 1) I kind of like the attention my Corvette gets. As weird as this sounds I have a job where I have to go to a lot of luxury hotels/fancy venues. I'm honestly just a regular joe...but it's nice not having the staff at these places give me the run around like they do my co-workers who have less nice cars. 2) It's built on the same platform as the 5th Gen Camaro. I used to own a 5th Gen Camaro but it doesn't hold a Candle to the Vette. To be 100% honest I can't stand getting into a Camaro after having just driven a Vette. This isn't to say that Camaros don't have a special place in my heart...just that I'm happy I am driving a Vette now.


If it makes any difference the wife to be has a fairly new (2015 I think) Camry. At some point we'd probably get an SUV, or crossover for the kiddos, I guess I'm just trying to cover myself for having to pick the kids up from school when the wife can't, etc.

Thanks again for all the help!

nvusgt

So why no consideration to a used Chevy SS?

Black 02

It's basically an updated G8, which doesn't look as good as the G8, at least in my opinion. I don't see the draw to those cars personally, they are heavy and look like a big Malibu in a lot of ways. The interiors are nice, sort of, but still doesn't make up for the rest of it, especially at the $40k price point. I'd rather have a G8 and $20k cash over the SS.

Speaking of the G8, they are nice, but aren't really a comparable drive to the C5. I miss my old one sometimes, but not sure if I'd have another. The interior is a bit of a let down and the GT is only available as an automatic.

The C5 is a lot of car with good feel for the money, especially for what they sell for these days. The only other cars I can really think of that offer similar excitement and feel would be the M3 and 911. Beyond that, what's really available realistically at a sub $50k price point? Without going into exotics that are in the $100k+ range, I can't think of a whole lot.

VETTEC599

My wife and I (just the two of us) have a '04 STi that we've owned since it came off the transporter. Totally suited for winter driving in the snow country we live in. AWD doesn't leave us stranded. As soon as the snow is gone our C5 is detailed and driven. No plans to replace either.

narlee

Might be smaller than you like but the Cadillac ATS was the start of the Alpha platform that GM enlarged for the CTS and now uses for the Camaro.

a striper

My wife bought a sliver one in November of '03. In January of '04 she bought the blue one and gave me the silver one as a "hand me down". A couple of friends snickered at them until they drove them. That resulted in two more sales for Subaru.

dbgoodwin

I would rather have a g8 GXP over a new SS plus $20k cash personally

Nasbluec5

You're asking a lot trying to maintain the sportiness of a 3200# corvette to a 4 door with the same mannerisms and *****.

That said you could look at some of the rice/German offerings.

Audi s4
Vw Gti 4 door
Mazdaspeed3
Ford Focus st

While a G8 GT is nice and I've driven one extensively (my dad has one) it's not nearly the same car. It's a great touring car, not a sports car. You feel that extra weight no matter what. Can't speak for the gxp, but they hold their value so well I'd rather look at a CTS-V

An Sti or evo x would be great if they didn't hold their value so well and get ragged out by all the kids.

Honestly there are a lot of options out there, but you're gonna have to make a compromise on something.

Aug Air

Buick regal turbo GS. 4 door with good gas economy, nice ride, AWD, and some get up and go.

S.C. vette

So true! I love my daily driver, a four door truck

The Rabbi

I once saw a Corvette limo

dbgoodwin

And we continue to see who bought their corvette to only go in a straight line....

FirstC4

I know their is an older thread but I want to share my experience as a new dad. As I did a lot of research and still ended up changing cars.

I thought I had the "fun family car" covered with the 6-speed AWD Mazdaspeed6. It was a great car until the baby came. While they are in a rear facing car seat, you want an SUV. Forgot any sedan or coupe until they get older.

I switched to a Trailblazer SS. It's not the most fun to drive (anything automatic is dull to me) but the LS2 still has great power despite the 4K+ curb weight. And it's sooo much easier to load/unload the baby and all their stuff. It was also the cheapest of the "sports car" SUV's

TBSS, GC SRT, ML63 AMG, FX50, Cayenne Turbo

killian96ss

I was in the same spot in 2001. I wanted the then new 01 Z06, but with a kid on the way I bought a 96 Impala SS. It was a great car, modified LT1 pushing 400 hp, lowered, race suspension, big brakes, etc, etc. If I had to get another 4 door car I'd look into a 2011-2017 Caprice. Basically the same car as a G8 GT, but with heavy duty police suspension, police calibrated transmission and an LS engine. I've seen some with less than 2k miles go between $20k-$25k.

Steve

XmentalPilot

I second the 4 doors recommendation. I have owned an 06 GTO and a '11 CTS-V Coupe. I too was looking for sporty with a backseat...The backseat was impossibly useless. 4 door sport sedan is the way to go!

kobrak

If you can find one. I've never driven one, but from everything I hear....it is awesome. AND.....shooting brake???? come on man!