First Car
Thread Starter
2nd Gear
Joined: Oct 2022
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
First Car
hello, I've been looking into car recently and i found the c5 and i really liked it. Should i get one as my first car. Are they worth the 15k-20k. If so, what problems should i look out for if i do get one. I don't really know much about cars, so I need a little help. Thank you.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 1,023
Likes: 776
From: Göteborg, Sweden, Europe
2025 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2021 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2020 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Read the stickies in this forum. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ion-files.html
The value is correct, and since it is a 20yo car it may have some technical issues along the way. I would not advice to have this as a first car except if it is your dream car since you are a kid, but I can’t read this in the post above. It is very powerful and can bite people who are not seasoned drivers. Also can be pretty expensive to repair, since it is an obsolete car for GM, you have to go for after market most of the time.
there must be plenty of decent American small sedans/trucks for a quarter of the price to first try yourself at driving with your own car for a few years.
on the opposite, it is a very reliable and enjoyable car. It is pretty easy to work on it if you have a garage and the equipment, which I doubt since you “don’t know much about cars”. It is drawing a lot of attention.
you need to have your candidate car reviewed by third party professional who will be able to give you information on the repairs you will have to do in the first years of ownership.
all the best.
my 2 cts,
TCFS
The value is correct, and since it is a 20yo car it may have some technical issues along the way. I would not advice to have this as a first car except if it is your dream car since you are a kid, but I can’t read this in the post above. It is very powerful and can bite people who are not seasoned drivers. Also can be pretty expensive to repair, since it is an obsolete car for GM, you have to go for after market most of the time.
there must be plenty of decent American small sedans/trucks for a quarter of the price to first try yourself at driving with your own car for a few years.
on the opposite, it is a very reliable and enjoyable car. It is pretty easy to work on it if you have a garage and the equipment, which I doubt since you “don’t know much about cars”. It is drawing a lot of attention.
you need to have your candidate car reviewed by third party professional who will be able to give you information on the repairs you will have to do in the first years of ownership.
all the best.
my 2 cts,
TCFS
Night Owl for life
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 24,707
Likes: 4,549
From: Bugs Bunny should'a made a left turn here
hello, I've been looking into car recently and i found the c5 and i really liked it. Should i get one as my first car. Are they worth the 15k-20k. If so, what problems should i look out for if i do get one. I don't really know much about cars, so I need a little help. Thank you.
Automatic-only cars will limit your choices a bit but these cars with manual transmissions are not difficult to drive and could be a great opportunity for you to learn on.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 6,442
Likes: 4,279
From: Florida
2025 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2024 C5 of the Year Winner- Unmodified
2022 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
It really comes down to your reliance on the car for daily transportation, and your financial position to pay for repairs if needed. As a rule, these are very reliable.
On the other hand the car is relatively old and if something does break you may need a corvette kind of mechanic for some things… Many forum members don’t do their own repairs, so don’t feel left out.
On the other hand the car is relatively old and if something does break you may need a corvette kind of mechanic for some things… Many forum members don’t do their own repairs, so don’t feel left out.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,302
Likes: 1,583
From: Western NY
hello, I've been looking into car recently and i found the c5 and i really liked it. Should i get one as my first car. Are they worth the 15k-20k. If so, what problems should i look out for if i do get one. I don't really know much about cars, so I need a little help. Thank you.
Also, you might want to give us a general idea of where you live. If, for instance, you live in a northern US "snow belt", then a C-5 wouldn't be my first choice for a year round, daily driver.
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 367,781
Likes: 24,683
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '25
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
For a first car, I would advise against it. I would recommend getting a few years of driving experience under your belt and then consider a car like the C5.
