Well I have been wanting a corvette ever since I have been 6yrs old. I am turning 25 (Insurance Reduction!!! )in March and the time has come to start looking for C5 for a daily driver. I don't know yet if I want a manual due to the fact that No. VA is a 24hr parking lot. What do you all recommend I look for when buying a vette? Would a Z06 be a good daily driver? Any advice would help!!!

Thanks All!!

 

Weather permitting (snow / ice / tsunami ) the Corvette is an excellent daily driver, and so easy on gas.

The Z is an excellent choice and is only available with a manual. If you will be in alot of stop and go driving then maybe an auto would be the best, it just depends on your personal taste and experience. If you need a little extra cargo space then the Coupe would be great. It all comes back to your preference.

Good luck on your search - and check the For Sale section on the Forum from time to time.

 

Welcome to the Forum! I suspect you'll get lots of input on your qeustions, but do a search on the Archives as well. There are a lot of members who use their C5's (coupe, vert or Z06) as a daily driver.....lot boils down to your own preferences. Depending on how much you have to spend, you'll need to look at the various years and the problems/improvements that have been made with each model year to insure your getting the best bang for your buck. Let us know how you make out....good luck -

 

I love my daily driver...30k + miles the past year....Gets great gas mileage, and the insurance isnt too bad (I'm 26). If you plan on modding it, no point in paying the premium for a z06. Unless you like the body style and cant find a hardtop. Good luck!!

 

Check with your insurance company first. I don't recall a tremendous reduction in my insurance when I turned 25. I was fortunate enough to drive newer, and nicer cars, so maybe that kept my rates higher with full coverage.

I tend to rate cars on their fun factor as to whether they are a good daily driver. My Grand Prix GTP is a good daily driver. Supercharger makes it fun to drive, and it's 4 doors, so it's practical. On the other hand, when I had a Suburban, that was too big, and no fun. But it was awesome to drive on the highway to go shopping, or to the beach.

Personally, I don't think my Corvette Convertible would be a good daily driver, because I would worry about it all day long.

On the other hand, a Coupe would be a great daily driver because of all the cargo room it has. A Z06 has a smaller "trunk" so it would be like my Vert and not practical for a DD.

If you buy used, take the car to have it evaluated by someone who knows Corvettes. Don't depend on a dealership to check it out. They want the car to last as long as their 30 day warranty, and then it's your problem. You might try buying in Maryland, rather than Virginia, since we have tougher laws here (whereas VA has very little regulation over used car dealers, which is why there are so many roadside auto dealers over there.)

A good 3rd party who knows Vettes, would be Pat Goss over in Seabrook, MD (near Lanham.) He knows what to look for as a Vette driver, a former body shop owner, and a master tech. If a dealer won't let you take the car to him (or a 3rd party) for inspection, don't buy it.

Good luck! Vettes are fun!

 

My C5 is an AWESOME daily driver. And, I have a baby who has ridden in the the car almost every day of her 20-month life!!

As mentioned above, pick the right body style (coupe, convertible or Z06) and transmission based on your lifestyle. I picked the coupe because of the cargo area (golf clubs), and I picked an auto tranny because I use the phone a fair amount, and because I drive in some traffic.

Also, look into an extended warranty (GMPP) to cover any major repairs. This will also get you a free rental car if the repair will take over 24 hours. If it's a daily driver (i.e. if you don't have another car), this feature of the GMPP could really come in handy.

Good luck, and keep us posted!!

 

Dad has been using his Vette as a daily driver since November 6th (the day he bought it) with no problems, except a dead battery. He loves it, and it makes the drive to work that much more fun!!

 

My vette is a daily driver and wouldn't have it any other way. However, if you are going to be so worried about it if you park some place then maybe it isn't for you. Also, if you drive is a lot of stop-and-go traffic the A4 is just the ticket. Remember, it is a car to be driven.

 

I agree with everyone that the C5 is a great daily driver but there are some things you might want to consider.

How far are you driving each day? I do 150 miles and for the following reasons do not drive it.

1. A C5 with a gazillion miles definitely takes a hit on resale value.
2. You can really lower your insurance rates if you insure it for minimum miles driven.
3. At $1,200 a set for a good ZP tires I'd be going thru at least once set a year.
4. You might want an extended warranty policy to protect you from any major hits while you are still making the payment. I just bought a 5yr 60K policy from Warranty Direct on a 2002 vert. so I feel comfortable being covered while making the monthly payments. If I drove it every day my warranty would last about 15months instead of 60.


Just some things to consider. Good luck with your decision.

 

Mine's a DD. Ask yourself, "What reason do I have to drive to work today?" My answer is "C5." Enjoy the ride...

 

The C5 will work just fine as a daily driver. That's the way I used my '99. If you have some heavy traffic, you may want to consider the automatic. Not that the manual can't handle it, it is just much less tiring not having to shift all the time and work the clutch. Good luck on your search.

 

i drove mine everyday for 2 years and didn't have a problem. the C5 is very reliable and gets great gas mileage. i wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for a daily driver if you live in an area with temporate climate. i wouldn't consider this car a good mudder or snowplow

 

been driving mine daily since purchase.. alomost 66K on the 02..

 

The above are all good suggestions/advice, a lot of good people here on the forum. I went with the A4 because I drive in a lot of traffic and when I go for a cruise I like not having to shift. I drive a big rig for a living and working a 13 speed all day is enough for me. I have to admit it's not quite the same as it would be with the M6 though. It's all I can do to contain myself with the A4 (the acceleration from a dead stop is amazing) if I had an M6 the tires probably wouldn't last long (and I'm 40), at least that's what I tell everybody. Just remember get what you want and you'll be happy. My next Vette will be a Z06 and I won't drive it as much so I'm sure I'll enjoy the M6. Good Luck.

 

I find it to NOT be good for my work.

When I get there, I don't want to go in. And when I do go in, I'm always looking for a reason to leave early - to drive it more!!!

The other points listed earlier are certainly true - check your insurance, decide how strong your leg is (manual vs. auto), and decide if you have a place where you can leave it parked without you being a basket case!

Good luck!

 

I was surprised at how good the C5 is as a daily driver. My other car has been out of commission for a couple of weeks, so I've been using it (in LA traffic, with a 6MT even) everyday, and it's been great. The driver's seat is crazy comfortable. It is a little loud with my exhaust, but other than that I can't copmplain!

 

My C5 is the only car I want for a daily driver.

 

My C5 is my daily driver. 26 miles roundtrip a day. Last car was a 5 speed but here in Dallas the freeway can be a parking lot. I have no regrets with my A4. It is just a hard decesion, good luck.

 

My 97 A4 Coupe has been my daily driver for the past 2.5 years. It started off as my "weekend car" but as gas prices climbed my Suburban just didn't seem like the way to go... (8-10 mpg, 30,000 miles/yr) I have to say that the C5 has really impressed me as a daily driver. The only real issues I have had are noted above: Desire to drive past work and just keep driving, leaving work early, etc...

I just took my Vette up to Michigan for the Christmas holiday. (Also had a friend's funeral, which was the reason for the drive in the first place.) I got about 26 MPG highway and it was good to me the whole way. I had some small traction issues when the 12" of snow started... but I waited until the streets were clear to venture out again. The trip is about 1,000 miles each way, and I Ironman'd it whe whole 14 hours of driving. After about 10-12 hours, my butt got a little sore, but I guess that's to be expected.

You will be hard pressed to find a better daily driver, IMHO. Best regards.

Mark

 

As others have already said, I too believe the C5 would make a good DD.
Good luck finding the one that's right for you.