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I love all Corvettes - and if I had the time/money & space (think Jay Leno) I would have at least one of each generation. That having been said, we all have to be smart consumers to determine what Corvette best suite our wants, needs and checkbook. When I purchased my first Corvette, I went after the C5 because it was in my price range, I knew I wanted an LS engine and I liked the looks of the C5 better than the C4. I have always been curious about the other performance aspects of the C4 vs the C5 - so I decided to find out.
It is cold here (MN) and so I found the time to research and pull all this data into a video to share with you - in case you ever wondered.
Cheers!
I wanted a C4 last generation because of the lines and sawblade.... also wanted a convertible....
There wasn't any C4 on the Swedish market in good shape and convertible and 95/96...when I started to hunt. I ended up buying a C5 2000 convertible and I am very happy. I am still in love with the sawblade and the general lines of the C4 last generation. I also love the C5 I have.
maybe you could add a final summary slide on the video to offer all comparison in one shot?
thank you for the video.
TCFS
I still love the post facelift later c4's. The lines and proportions are wonderful, they are the last corvette to have the traditional small block rumble and firing order, and the first generation to receive a six speed manual. The first gen zr1 "king of the hill" with the lt5, the Callaway corvettes, etc. It was the 80's and early 90's generation of boys bedroom poster cars right next to exotics.
Let's be kind and call them quirky with the normal gremlins, rattles and such. I like them enough that I am actively looking to add one to the garage. Preferably a z51 6 speed red on black coupe to match the c5, or a red on black zr1.
I wanted a C4 last generation because of the lines and sawblade.... also wanted a convertible....
There wasn't any C4 on the Swedish market in good shape and convertible and 95/96...when I started to hunt. I ended up buying a C5 2000 convertible and I am very happy. I am still in love with the sawblade and the general lines of the C4 last generation. I also love the C5 I have.
maybe you could add a final summary slide on the video to offer all comparison in one shot?
thank you for the video.
TCFS
Thanks for the comment and cheers to Sweden.
You have to be pretty rare to live there have both a C4 and C5 - pretty cool!
I've owned five C4's; a Black/Charcoal 87 w/Z51 & 4+3, modified Red/Red 90 ZR-1, Purple/Steel Blue 91 Callaway Aerobody ZR-1, 93 w/40th Anniversary LT1/auto, and modified White/Red 94 ZR-1. All were excellent cars that I thoroughly enjoyed owning. If I had not purchased my C5Z, I would've bought another C4 ZR-1, probably a 95 with big ci LT5.
Having owned a 95 C4 roadster and two C5 roadsters to date, these things are some thoughts to share
Plus’s and minuses are all over the board.
True to GM all three have quality issues. Cosmetic and mechanical ruling out effective aging.
Some owners may not like or disagree but actual driving I wouldn’t put either in a two thumbs up category.
Steering on our C4 was slightly vague and overly heavy. Driving position in both our C5’s isn’t as supportive and not as comfortable for long stretches.
Hated that Optispark distributor in C4. Not crazy about stock C5 valve train
Liked the overall dash in the C4 but the big winner for us is the C5 convertible top and a real trunk. If the C4 had a better fitting top and an actual trunk I doubt we’d have bought the 2nd C5 we have now.
Corvettes are a lot like shoes. Some like the feeling of slightly older with more character they can polish to make their own while others want a new style with higher entry level power while both have significant qualities that make them fun to own and drive.
You left out a comparison of torsional rigidity which is the biggest difference between the two generations IMO.Having owed both, there is a huge difference that is obvious the first time you drive them both. This is where the two aren't even close.
C4 flexes like it was made from a DIY kit. The whole car rattled, dash squeaked, and I had a 95 that was pristine with every frame stiffener
possible and an LT1 383 stroker, So I didn't give up easily, but about 5 years ago I unloaded it for cheap to just to be rid of it.
<-- Both my C4 and C5 in my pic
C5 is nothing like a C4, I wouldn't have bought it if it was.
I picked up my C5 from a friend who bought it at a year or so old, and it's just as solid as when he bought it almost 20 years ago, no squeaks or rattles at all.
I had a love/hate relationship with my C4s. I purchased a 1985 C4 new. It practically fell apart from day one. I went to arbitration with GM to get into a new 1986. Had that car for 33 years. My biggest complaint was the 4+3 tranny. If I had a 6 speed like the later models, I may have kept it. I finally traded it in on my 2000 FRC C5 3 years ago. Compared to the early C4s, there's no comparison to the C5 in looks and performance... in my personal opinion.
The C5 is a totally different car from the C4 in every way. There were huge improvements made in the C5 over the C4 in technology, ride and handling, quality, interior space, comfort and foot and leg room.
The C5/C6 chassis is a completely new design from the ground up using one piece hydroformed frame rails. The C5 was designed and built right from the beginning as a convertible, although the first convertibles were not produced until late 1997 as 1998 models.
The C5 uses a transaxle design. The transmission and differential are in a combined case at the rear axle connected to the engine via a torque tube. The LS1 and LS6 engines of the C5 are completely new all aluminum versions of the Chevy small block V8 and offer more HP and TQ stock for stock, in a lighter car than the C4.
The C5 Corvette uses 34 percent fewer parts, which along with it's lighter weight and much longer wheelbase contributes to a superior ride with better handling and feel.
I had 3 C4's and and although I enjoyed them very much at the time, there is no comparison in structural rigidity between the two. The C4's always creaked and rattled a lot. The C5 and C6 Corvette’s structure (hydroformed chassis) is a far more rigid structure than the C4 which translates to a much stronger and much more durable car. There is no flex in any of the body styles of the C5 whereas the C4 has a lot of flex, especially in a coupe when you take the targa top out. I could actually see the C4 flex as I drove it with the targa panel out. My C5's, including the convertibles never flex or rattle one bit. You can lift a C5 at any lift point and the structure will not flex at all anywhere.
I have owned and raced both C4s and C5s. The C5 is leaps and bounds better than the C4 in every aspect, except maybe ease of working on. The C4 was still pretty simple. The C5 is not my favorite in the looks department (neither is the C4), but both of mine were in my price range. You cannot beat the performance per dollar of a C5 Z06. Considering the platform didnt change really from C5-C7 youre just paying for looks mostly. It was hard for me to justify $5-10K more for a widebody C6.
I have owned 5 C4's and 2 C5's the 84 C4 I bought for $1500 and sold for $2000 a few weeks later so I did not drive it much.
I had two 86's at the same time, I had a Beige metallic and my wife had a Gold metallic. Hers was made early in the model year and mine was made late. Mine had aluminum heads and hers had steel. Both were pretty much stock and we would occasional race them. Mine would always win no matter which one of us was driving it. I also bad 2 black ones a 95 and a 96. The 96 was by far the best of the lot but the C5s are a much better car IMO. The one thing I like about the C4 over the C5 is the something my wife likes the C5 better in. That is the feel of driving. The C4 feels more like a race car when driving a bit hard and you get more feedback in the steering wheel. The C5 is much smoother with much less steering wheel feedback. (IMO) My C5s are 1998 Pewter (prior) that I personally put over 250,000 miles on and it had over 350,000 total when made a huge mistake and sold it. My current is a black 2000
I still love the post facelift later c4's. The lines and proportions are wonderful, they are the last corvette to have the traditional small block rumble and firing order, and the first generation to receive a six speed manual. The first gen zr1 "king of the hill" with the lt5, the Callaway corvettes, etc. It was the 80's and early 90's generation of boys bedroom poster cars right next to exotics.
Let's be kind and call them quirky with the normal gremlins, rattles and such. I like them enough that I am actively looking to add one to the garage. Preferably a z51 6 speed red on black coupe to match the c5, or a red on black zr1.
I was right there with you being in high school in the late 80's and I still remember watching a C4 zip out of the parking lot thinking ....woah... I was impressed but at that moment in my life probably would have taken a Bandit era Trans Am instead....
The C5 is a totally different car from the C4 in every way. There were huge improvements made in the C5 over the C4 in technology, ride and handling, quality, interior space, comfort and foot and leg room.
The C5/C6 chassis is a completely new design from the ground up using one piece hydroformed frame rails. The C5 was designed and built right from the beginning as a convertible, although the first convertibles were not produced until late 1997 as 1998 models.
The C5 uses a transaxle design. The transmission and differential are in a combined case at the rear axle connected to the engine via a torque tube. The LS1 and LS6 engines of the C5 are completely new all aluminum versions of the Chevy small block V8 and offer more HP and TQ stock for stock, in a lighter car than the C4.
The C5 Corvette uses 34 percent fewer parts, which along with it's lighter weight and much longer wheelbase contributes to a superior ride with better handling and feel.
I had 3 C4's and and although I enjoyed them very much at the time, there is no comparison in structural rigidity between the two. The C4's always creaked and rattled a lot. The C5 and C6 Corvette’s structure (hydroformed chassis) is a far more rigid structure than the C4 which translates to a much stronger and much more durable car. There is no flex in any of the body styles of the C5 whereas the C4 has a lot of flex, especially in a coupe when you take the targa top out. I could actually see the C4 flex as I drove it with the targa panel out. My C5's, including the convertibles never flex or rattle one bit. You can lift a C5 at any lift point and the structure will not flex at all anywhere.
And thankfully the C4's inferior Opti-Spark ignition system was done away with for the C5.
You should check out the comments section of the YouTube video and the guy arguing with me about the C5 being an evolution of the C4 yet I've cited references for him to check out and I've plainly explained why the chassis is different.... It would be fun to have more knowledgeable vette people bring some enlightenment to these comments so others aren't made dumber.
I've owned five C4's; a Black/Charcoal 87 w/Z51 & 4+3, modified Red/Red 90 ZR-1, Purple/Steel Blue 91 Callaway Aerobody ZR-1, 93 w/40th Anniversary LT1/auto, and modified White/Red 94 ZR-1. All were excellent cars that I thoroughly enjoyed owning. If I had not purchased my C5Z, I would've bought another C4 ZR-1, probably a 95 with big ci LT5.
Man, you got a round in the C4/C5 world. Sounds like you finally found the right one for you!
but a few Swedes have several....Corvettes of different generations.
C4 vs.C5 - an Objective Analysis/Comparison
