Go for it. The C7 generation is a great Corvette. Second shortest model run (6 years) and GM hit it out of the park with their last (?) front engine, manual transmission Corvette. The C7 and C5 get along well together and they are different enough in to enjoy each and every drive. Odds are the technology in both cars will outlast me.

 

Here is my take.

The C7 is a good car but they have added a ton of tech to it since the C5. As time goes the C7 is a car that can more and more electrical issues. So if you are to get one I would do it now not later and get the best low mile one you can.

The C7 is not as easy to work on as the more analog C5.

Like the C5 there are better years to own vs others on the C7. Buy oneof the better years and models.

I like the C7 but will just keep with my C5 as it is just so much easier to work on. Also as they age what electrical parts will vanish making it that more expensive and difficult to repair.

As for the Warranty companies. Many are just pure Fraud. My buddies shop see a lot customer never getting covered for there repairs.

The GM Warranty is the safest but I don't think they will cover a C7.

 

I made this choice many years ago before the C8 came out. I had just paid off the C5 and had a bit of money saved. I did the math and realized that if I used the saved up money as a down payment and traded in my C5 that I could get a C7 for the same per month as I had been paying for the C5. The alternative was to keep the C5 and use the down payment money to supercharge it.

I chose the second option, and have not regretted it at all. I ended up with a car that is both lighter and more powerful than the base C7 I was looking at. Plus, the fact that I no longer had a car payment gave me extra money every month to continue to modify the car. I was able to slowly build it into exactly what I wanted it to be. Plus, I honestly prefer the C5 body style to that of the C7. The C5 came out when I was in highschool. From the moment I started driving, it was my dream car. Sure the C7 is newer, but the C5 is the classic cool from when I was a kid. I LOVE the round taillights and pop up headlights. The shape of the C5 is just sexy and iconic. With that said, a lot of that is very subjective. I made a choice based on my personal taste. Beyond that, I modified the car to make it truly mine. It drives and handles and generally feels exactly like I want it to. Sure, it's nice to get smiles and waves and thumbs up (which I do), but at the end of the day this car is for me. It's what I want, and I don't care if other people prefer the C7 or not.

That is really the choice that you need to make. If you can afford either car, which car do YOU like more. That's the correct choice for you.

 

The C5 to me is like that one well worn in pair of shoes or hat that you always find yourself going back to.

I really liked my C5. I had become pretty intimate in all areas of the car. Rebuilt the whole suspension, cam install, header install, made multiple exhaust systems for it, clutch install. It was "familiar" and for me the interior just "fit me". I liked looking at it, the space fit me well. The car felt "part of me" and knew the extents of it really well through autocross and just daily driving it. A bug snug in a rug.

The C7 is taking some getting used to. Them wide rear hips catch me sometimes back into parking spots and I'm STILL trying to get used to these run-flat tires that offer virtually NO feel until they break loose. I definitely can't "wheel" the C7 on the street like I could the C5. For autocross, the switch has proven surprisingly easy and the first 3 events of the season have landed me top 5 each event out of at least 15-20 CAMS cars.

At most the C5 would have finished off with a set of heads and nearing the 430-450 target mark.

 

Smitty, your description of the C5 is spot on. It just "fits me".

 

I’ve had them all, both in convertible and coupe varieties including a C6 Grand Sport and C7 Z51. All were wonderful and I wouldn’t fault any of them. For looks, I’m very fond of the C5. For tech it was the C7 by far. (Probably for performance as well, although I never tracked any of them). But I think my all around favorite was the C6 GS convertible. Still maintained a lot of the look of the C5, with that great wide body and the added benefit of some of the tech that wasn’t available in the C5. And still a ton of performance! Perhaps that would be a good compromise?

added info….I remember now that I did replace the C6 head unit of the infotainment system to get the backup camera, Bluetooth audio input and Apple Car Play. Was a very simple project for a local car audio shop with a variety of units available. That’s what made the C6 perfect for me.