ceastham1

You indicate you want to spend under $60K so it sounds like the income is there. Have other priorities been taken care of first ?

retirement plans (401k/403B) if applicable fully contributed annually
529 plans for college for both kids funded on an annual basis
life insurance to protect your income

if you have these 3 covered ... go for it.

txjeep

I have been married 21 years and have 5 children from 2 to 15. I guess that qualifies me as a "family man". I just bought an 08 Coupe, but my situation is probably a lot different than yours. Since you seem to be asking for advice from one family man to another, I suggest you ask yourself the following questions:

a) Can I reasonably afford it?
b) Is my wife okay with me buying it?
c) Is there any other reason I should not buy it?

If the honest answers to the top two are not "yes", then I suggest you hold off. Too many men ruin their finances and marriages by buying things they can't afford and/or their wives were not respectfully consulted about. It is also infinitely more enjoyable to own a Corvette when your wife is on board with the purchase, and you didn't mortgage the kids futures to buy it.

You also said: "I think the feasibility of owning one will not work with my lifestyle", which seems to answer to my third question with a "no", or at least puts it in serious doubt.

And then you ask a very good and wise question: "Is it just not my time to own a 2 seater?"

If your only real concern is putting a car seat in the car for your 1 yr old, then I would not worry about that, as long as it is safe to do (and it sounds like it is). However, if you have other doubts as to whether the timing is right to buy a Corvette right now, perhaps you should think it over a little more, and discuss it with the wife, until you get more clarity. You don't want to make a $60k decision without careful consideration. There is no reason to get into a hurry.

Another thing that might make it easier to justify is to buy one a few years old but still in good condition. They are much cheaper than a new one.

In any case, best of luck to you.

rwsinky

Take it from me. I am 68 and had excuses all my life and now that I can probably afford it I wonder if I am too old. Make the time or you will regret it like me!

sshu

The issue is not financial, I'm all set in that respect. I've been wanting a new car for sometime but I still enjoy my E39 M5. It's a great family hauler but I've been wanting to get into a coupe for a few years now. I could wait but I have this itch.

The last reservation I have is safety. As I said before, it will need to transport my 2 yr old(she will be 2 by the time I get the car) to and from daycare. It's about a 2 mile drive each way. I checked Cali laws,

http://www.chp.ca.gov/community/chil...seat_faqs.html

So basically it states that it is legal to do so but statistically it is more dangerous. We put ourselves at risk all the time but putting your baby at a potential risk for your hobby is another thing even though her actual seat time in the vette would be very limited. Tough to say.

Green_2027

I bought my '13 Z last summer and have three kids under the age of 6. I too never drive it (780 miles in 10 months). I walk to work so I really never drive my daily driver either. I bought it because I have wanted one for a long time. And, I don't mind not driving it because I want to have it for a long time now that I have it. Get it if you want it and your family is good with that decision.

jtjohn1

If you went down that road (Safest place to put a child) then you would wind up with a new 4 door pickup or large SUV and put her in the middle of the back seat. Safest place you can be

The Corvette isn't a small car (I know it's funny to say) it's actually larger than quite a few 4 door econ sedans. It has side impact air bags and various other safety features. Its large breaks and nimble handling make it easier to get out of trouble as well. Yes there are much safer cars for her to be in but there is always a trade off. To compare a base C6 is only about a foot shorter than your BMW but it's actually a couple of inches wider.

Heck you live in Cali get a bike with a child seat on it and cycle her to daycare before you go to work in the morning (Good exercise for you)

In the end you have to ask yourself what makes you happy. Life is to short to be looking for reasons NOT to do something that will bring you pleasure (Within reason of course)

If you still like your BMW maybe hold off a year or two before you get a new car?? By that time she will be old enough to ride in a front facing child seat (I forget how old they have to be for those)

iclick

I have two macaws, a Harley FLHX, and two Vettes (C2 and C6). The C6 is my DD. Do I qualify as a "family man"?

crox

Had a similar issue, years ago. Bought a C4 with kids and it ended up in the garage, just too much. Waited till they got their license or moved out and in came the C6. Now the wife and I take trips without any kid issues. If they come along, they prefer to drive anyway, because they want to go and come as they wish. I did enjoy the C4 on golf outings, but that payment and insurance vs the time to drive, just was not worth it to me. IMO. To each his own.

jb_va2001

Get an inexpensive practical car or mini-SUV for your non-Corvette trips.

iclick

But for me every trip is a Corvette trip.

jb_va2001

I was addressing the OP.

C6ROLLER

Make a compromise, instead of buying new for 60k buy used for 40k and spend the other 20k on a preowned Malibu...I bought an 09 Malibu for the wife and kids, it had better safety rear passenger side impact ratings then the 09 Accord...it beat most in comparisons vs the Camry, accord, Altima and some others...I can only assumed the Malibu is a better vehicle now.

saplumr

Most Corvette owners have multiple vehicles. Some for towing, others for hauling stuff or family. Corvette is not for transporting any of the above. (Single vehicle people not included of course)

CMCvette

U can always take one child t a time..... Dealt with the same thing years ago and went with a TransAm to get a rear seat. Ended up I didn't often end up needing to transport more than one kiddo at a time, so getting the 4 seater was somewhat of a waste and switched to a Vette-- then after a few years felt guilty and got a Shelby GT to once again have a rear seat. Still didn't use the rear seat more than a couple times a month, so went back to a Vette and couldn't be happier. But if you really need a rear seat a lot and can't have more than one car, your decision may be clear...

rcooper

I've had vettes since 1965 and raised one boy, no problems there, now I'm 68 and reemarried to a wonderful lady who loves vettes and can drive my m6 Z51 without any problems, we are raising her daughters 2 kids, a boy, 8 and a girl 13. My wife has a Lacrosse and when its family time we use that. I drove the kids to school often, the boy to grade school and then back to the house and pick up the girl for her trip to middle school. Kind of a pain but the kids love the rides and its fun to take them and get in a little personal time with them. I you don"t mind a little hassle and are comfortable with that then enjoy and get the kids hyped up about the "cool car" dad has. Trust me you and the kids will really enjoy the time in the car.

cpmatthew

As others have said, if you want it now and can afford it now, buy it now. Don't wait. I have my 'vette that I drive whenever it is just me, or me and the wife, and then my F150 Super Crew for moving the family around or picking up stuff.