vet55

I drive a GS daily. Love it.
I would be bored to tears
with anything else. Can't
speak to the engine point.
Sound of the engine is
whats important as a DD to
me. I don't get too many
sprint options on city streets.
You could probably be happy
with either.

SK360

HUD was the only thing I cared about in the 3LT package. I don't need luxury or bells and whistles in my sports car. I just happened to stumble across a good deal on a 3LT car. lol

village idiot

What were the transmission changes in 2008?

haljensen

3,000pounds is fairly easy. Start with a 1LT, go with light wheels, tires and brakes, ditch the passenger seat, pull carpet, ditch the windshield washer tank.

Stock LS3 = bolt on modded LS2.

SK360

A6 there were minor software updates.
M6 went to the TR6060 from the T56

jaki30

that the Vette as a DD is a winner. I retired the first week of April and on Saturday, my Accord DD is being picked up by the new owner. That leaves my 3LT coupe as my DD. Why waste money for 3 cars?
For a DD, 3LT is the way to go and the A6 is the trans if you are in a heavy traffic area. Hopefully this is all going to work out.
I am really looking forward to finally using the Vette as a DD. This is my 6th C6 and the other 5 were just weekenders.
BTW, I preferred the Corvette coupe as opposed to the GS coupe for a DD. Between the weight and tire wear issues and the splitter, I didn't feel it was DD material. At least not for me.

el es tu

I hated the thought of dding my vette, but have had to over the last month and its been FUN! Only issue is having to worry about parking, and of course scraping the front end on driveways or entrances.

08 got better steering, the ls3, and a few other things. If you can afford the 08 then go for it, otherwise the only year Id avoid is 2005 because of some quirks (however there are many folks who love their 05s).

good luck!

2vette2

I have had both and notice little difference, but I do not track the car. As many have said, go for the newest you can afford.

ParisTNDude

The LS2 is an upgrade of the LS1 at +50hp. I think the reliability issue is a non-issue. I drove my C5 over the Alps from Italy to Austria in 4 inches of snow...not fun, but definitely doable. I have an LS2 and was not happy being 36 HP down on an LS3, so I upgraded mildly and I am super happy with my LS2 6A. I have the base model and my C5 was a Z51 and I like the comfortable ride of the C6 very much...very livable for long drives. Buy the LS2 if you're getting all the extras at a better price.

LS WON

Total anxiety worrying about parking it safely from others and anything from curb rash to scraping front end.

MuscleHP

I am 21 and went from a 2010 lifted gmc sierra to a ls2 corvette with bolt-ons for my DD. Best decision of my life. Pure enjoyment every morning when i pull it out of my garage. So i say do it!

808c6

I've spent 2 months looking for an Elise last year, almost pulled the plug on one. Came across an 08 black c6 coupe A6 paddle shift with only 8,000 miles and never look back. I've owned fireballed turbo mini, bmw 3.0 cs ,modified 2002 . I can honestly say the c6 is the most fun and best car.

iclick

I'm a 66YO retired kid with no kids and won't be putting anywhere near 25k/yr. on my DD C6. I just went through a similar quandary about 2½ months ago about whether to get this car or something a bit less-expensive, more miserly with fuel, and less over-the-top in the performance realm. After living with the car for this short time I do have some opinions on it as a DD, although my situation is a bit different.

Probably a kick to drive and very economical on fuel, but the nearest dealer for me is about 200 miles. I would also wonder about reliability and cost of parts.

Camaro would be on the bottom of my list for the reasons you state as several others. A friend has an SS and I'm not at all impressed with it.

Maybe a C6 and a cheap, used pickup. I've thought about this but probably won't. You may find that a C6 coupe will have enough cargo space for you. I think it will fit my needs most of the time.

Pros:

• Fun to drive, becoming something I look forward to doing. I was gradually losing my interest in cars and this car has revived that lust. It has minor weaknesses, but its glowing charisma and fun-to-drive persona more than make up for the small vices.
• Good mileage on the highway. I can get 30-35mpg between 50-70mph sustained speed with the M6, and IMO this is very respectable.
• More than enough power for my needs. This is also a con.
• Excellent cargo space. At 22cu. ft. for the coupe it has enough room to haul many items that would stifle most other sports cars. The limitation is shallowness of the trunk and high lift point for access. The vert has about half the cargo space as the coupe, and for that reason alone I would pick the coupe for a DD.
• I find the car very comfortable. The longest trip I've taken so far is about 350 miles in one day, but I find the car very quiet (except for often rather obnoxious tire noise) with a firm but not harsh ride and comfortable seats.
• For me, increasing performance or handling is not something I will ever do. This car has mongoose-like reflexes and impressive straight-line performance in stock form, and I don't need any improvements here. This will save me money in the long run.

Cons:

• You may need a new floor jack, ramps, and perhaps a cross-beam adapter to work on this car. Jacking the front or sides of the car is not the simple task that it was with every other car I've ever owned, even my C2.
• Curbs and road debris will make you paranoid. Neither are your friend in this car. You don't even want to think about hitting a parallel curb with a tire, as I would bet the wheel will also make contact (haven't tried it) with an unfavorable result. A friend with a Caddy CTS (similar tire/wheel profile) hit one recently and it did damage his wheel. Perpendicular curbs, like the type in parking lots, will make contact with the front of the car if you override them. Fortunately, there are metal guards that provide some protection, but you won't like the sound it evokes when you make contact with a curb. I don't do that anymore. I believe that you become more aware of these dangers very quickly and adjust your driving habits accordingly, but you are always on guard. Potholes are another to-be-avoided road hazard, but the car can survive many of these without damage. I hit one a week after buying mine and it sounded bad enough to check my tire monitor, but there was no damage.
• City mileage is not what I would like, but about what I expected. I can get 20mpg in suburban driving using some hypermiling techniques like coasting, shutting the engine down at long red lights, etc. That's not really good enough since most of my driving is local, but it isn't a deal-breaker for me since I don't drive as much as you do. If your travel is mostly city you may want to consider this.
• Power is quite over-the-top. This is also a virtue, but I would trade 200hp for an extra 10mpg in city driving, or maybe 100hp for 5mpg. Even with the "small" motor (LS3, 430hp) at WOT in second gear you are above any speed limit in the state in about four seconds, and there simply isn't any place locally where I can wring it out without risking my driving record or worse. Most others here will likely disagree, and if I lived in Nevada or Montana where there were places to let the car stretch its legs I would likely have a different attitude.

Why not buy a new 2013 C6? You can get them at deep discounts now from some dealers, and you could get into one at a price that likely wouldn't kill you on a trade-in if you decide to move to something else a year or two from now. A three-year factory warranty is an attraction, too.

ExRedRacer

Minor software updates. Hmmmmmm......

Does that mean that my '06 A6 can be upgraded to '08+ performance with a software upgrade?

Purdue

With a tune you can.

The trans in my old 06 A6 can't be compared to my 09 A6. 08+ A6's incorporated rev matching on downshifts if using the paddles. The shifts are a night and day difference. There are several things you find that are different with the programming. I'm sure Chuck CoW can explain or help you out.

richietables

Great post, iclick--- Very well thought out and explained!

(Do you still have the mid-year in the photo?)

village idiot

I was pretty set on each of these cars at some point today:



2007: $28,000
Ups: Price! color combo I want (Lemans blue, that cream interior), every option except the 4LT leather wrapped interior thing. Z51, spare targa top (clear), DVD, Nav, HUD, etc
Downs: Older. LS2 instead of LS3



2008: $34000
Ups: Don't mind the color- Atomic orange. Has the 4LT which is nice (no DVD or Navi). Suspension and all that good stuff. Ls3
Downs: Price seems kinda high.


2012 $37500
Ups: 5000 miles; comes with stock parts, upgraded interior (mostly seats), LS3
Not so sure: Has full headers, x-pipes and cats and tune, all installed professionally by reputable shop. Great for power (500 crank). Question if it has a warranty anymore.
downs: price. Warranty issue? Not crazy about color.


Love this on the 07:




Oh la la, Lt4 (08)

richietables

I like the color of the blue and the LS2 doesn't bother me. If you want to tune it you can later on.

As for the one from Texas Direct, I bought my '09 from them less than two months ago. They were first rate.

I'd pass on the 2012, too many mods, wrong color for you. Somebody already drove that car to within an inch of it's life.

2007 is set up nice and the LS2 gives it a certain "discount". What's the mileage?

village idiot

07 and 08 are 14-15k
2012 is 5k

CodyC6

Yes. You can convert to 08+ trans programming. And you can tune that program for even better performance. Big difference.