I wanted to start a thread as I wanted to get the opinion of others on my thought of buying a C6 for a daily driver. I am a car guy that travels on the road weekly for my sales job (I cover multiple states). I will be averaging 300-500 miles a week driving. I know that a C6 gets somewhere between 25 MPG and 30 MPG (some say 32MPG highway) based on others in my car club that own C6's. I know, I know, if you own a Corvette (I own a 65 as well), you don't worry about such things as gas mileage, but I like the numbers I am hearing.

In my quest, I am looking for suggestions from the forum on what version of a C6 would be best for everyday driving. I am looking at both a Base and a Grand Sport currently. I am looking for a car with 3LT for all the gadgets/comforts/driving safety I can get, etc.

Here are some of my questions:

• I am looking at about a 2010 or a 2011 (I really like Jet stream blue) - iwhat is best year for a daily driver?
• Should I be looking at a Base or a Grand Sport?
  • mMPG difference with Base vs. Grand sport?
  • I know that TIRE costs are higher on Grand Sport and last only about 40K miles at max - per some Internet posts I have seen.
  • Yes, like many, I like the GS body and not concerned about the price difference.
• Since I will be driving a lot, my thought was to get one with about 40K-60K miles on it already so that the "ding" on price for mileage has already been factored into the price.
• I do know to ask about the harmonic balancer.
• I am looking for a non-modded Corvette, but are there any mods that would make it better for daily driving?
• There are a ton of questions I could ask in regards to narrowing down what C6 to drive for a daily drier, so I am hoping to get some great feedback from the forum!

I couldn't find another thread talking about using a C6 as a daily driver. I am sure there are many of you with thoughts on the topic and I welcome them. Thank you all in advance!

 

I have had my 2007 Base 3LT C6 (automatic) for a little over three weeks. It had 51,700 miles on it when I bought it. I have been driving it every day since then, so now it has over 53,000. It will need the harmonic balancer replaced, but CF member Dano523 has steered me to a Speed Shop that will do the work for only about $1,000, instead of probably $3,000 at my regular dealer.

This Corvette has nearly-new Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 3+ tires on it. These, and a type from Hankook, and a type from BFGoodrich are available for about $160 each for the fronts, and $190 each for the rears. Since I cannot get tires for my Chevy Silverado pickup for much less, it seems pretty reasonable. Even though it probably didn't need them, I replaced the brake pads and the battery. Dano523 used this work as a lesson to show me how straightforward it is to work on my Corvette myself.

At 62 years old, it is still not too difficult for me to climb up out of this car, sometimes 5 or 6 times a day, every day. Even though it has no back seat, it does have much more "trunk space" than my wife's Mustang. I was not aware of how sophisticated this car would be when I started looking for a C6 Corvette. EVERYTHING is electric -- it doesn't even have mechanical door handles, just electric push-buttons. I really like the Memory functions for the Seat, Mirrors and Steering Wheel. I like how the seat can be conformed in back and lumbar support. I like the 6-disc in-dash audio system. I like the solid sound when the doors or cargo lid are closed. Some Corvette owners don't like driving in rain, nor even getting their Corvettes wet to wash them. Having bought this one used, I don't worry about that. I have it washed often, and driving it every day it gets rained on a coupla times every week, so far. It's fiberglass and aluminum, and steel. And it's a CHEVY. I really don't think inclement weather is any sort of problem at all.

I drive it to go to the grocery store. To go to the Liquor store. Even the hardware store or Home Depot. I have been commuting in it to my hangar where I work, which my dog hates because he doesn't get to go along. Any excuse is good enough: for example if the Oil Temperature is near ambient ... or if there is still gas in it. And then once it gets low on gas, I simply must drive it to go get gas.

But the way this car drives is the really great thing. It handles so well, and so smoothly. Of course, it will go around corners 3 or 4 times faster than anything I've ever driven ... it's like an animal. With the HB work required and not yet done, I really can't hammer on it ... but I have been assured that even with the automatic, it will still burn the tires off in First and Second. I will be also getting a Tune for the Engine Controller, Transmission Controller and Magnetic Ride Controller at the same time that I get the HB replaced. Dano523 has explained that the Torque increase with the ECM and TCM Tuning will make the car feel like it has significantly more power, more than a Cold-Air Intake would give, for example.

I read somewhere that a C6 Corvette is absolutely the best value in a sports car for $25 grand. That is exactly what I am enjoying with mine. I will need to get back to driving my truck more often for work, but until the "newness" wears off, I am REALLY ENJOYING driving mine EVERY DAY.

 

Since you prefer the wide body over the base & the cost difference isn't a concern, you should get the GS. Regardless of which you decide on, find the newest one with the lowest mileage (or within the mileage range you stated) that is within your price range. Good luck on your decision and search.

 

A C6 GS would be perfect for you if you do not mind tire cost. I purchased a C6Z that I plan on driving 3-5 times a week and I love that car. It all depends on if you want an auto or manual as well, along with fixed roof or targa. If you are not going to mod the car, an A6 GS would be perfect. A C6Z you would want to do heads.

 

In my opinion, if I were to daily drive 3-500 miles a week, i would get a base model...reasons: tires are cheaper (20-30k miles per set, maybe), ride will be somewhat better because of smaller tires, so will interior noise levels be somewhat less, although both will not be great. No year model better suited than another year simply for daily driving...buy the newest model with the least amount of miles for the money you have to spend. On the other hand, buy what you like...if that is a GS, then thats what I would get. Drive both, then make an informed decision. Good luck. Just for a FYI, I daily drove my Z06 for 6 months before I retired, it was all I had to drive at the time. Not very good for hauling a roll of chain link fence, but it worked. Noisy and rough, but amazingly fun to drive.

 

 

 

Seems like the later C6's (2010-2013), there's more Grand Sports for sale than base coupes. Will probably take some searching to find what you're looking for. I found mine on Cargurus but searched with searchtempest.com too.

 

I bought a 2011 GS in March and already put over 6K miles on it, including a 3k road trip we took. I can't think of a better road/travel car than a Corvette. Your travel expenses as a salesman is all deductible so tire replacement costs wouldn't be an issue. Your limitation would be storage space since it doesn't have a trunk.

I would strongly recommend replacing the stock navigation unit with an aftermarket from Kenwood or Pioneer (I have a Kenwood) that allows interfacing to your phone so you get google maps and other features all available at voice command. This upgrade is well worth the minimal costs involved IMO.

Using all weather tires, which I have, has not created any issues in rain, or even light snow/ice. The possibility of having to drive in snow might be a challenge, but GM says they tested the C6's in over 100K miles of snow prior to release and undoubtedly tested even more during the product run. Tires are EVERYTHING on this car, so get good ones and stay with all weather tires an not the performance tires many here swoon over.

If I traveled for a living, and the storage limitations were not an issue, I would damn sure use my GS

 

Seems like youve got it all covered and all your ducks in a row. One thing I didnt see mentioned is all season tires. Ive seen them available in widebody sizes if you go that way. This is a great car for your area. Another thing it can be a little squirrely in the rain and dangerous in snow. SC doesnt see alot of snow but this past winter I remember I seen it reported. Good luck in your quest
Clif

 

One reason you will find more GS for sale is that once they were introduced on the C6 (2010-2013), Chevy built more GS than base each of those years.

 

I've put a lot of miles on C6's, I recommend a narrow body for the cheaper tire cost.

 

So what would a person expect to pay for a set of Grand Sport vs Base All Season tires and how many miles would you expect out of them?

 

It's probably not that big a delta in tire prices as it once was. I would think the larger tires might be a $500 or so difference is a set of tires. I would be more concerned with tire differences for noise, not price.

I've been daily driving a 2007 Corvette for the last 11 years. I'm at 140k miles. Here are my two cents:

Tire noise - Runflats make more noise than non-runflats. This gets worse as the tires wear. Wider tires will also make a bit more noise.
Seats - The 2012 and up corvette got redesigned seats. If you are small framed, average height < 180 lbs you probably won't notice a difference. If your behind is larger, the redesigned seats are a tad more comfortable.
Removeable roof - The clear top sucks for daily driving. Is it noticeably louder in the car with it on and the car heats up much more quickly inside when parked.
Cargo - Get a cargo partition. They keep things from moving around too much and you can always push it all the way to the back of hatch area should you need closer to the full volume.
Brakes - Get ceramic brake pads. Longer life, less noise (generally), and lower dust.
Suspension - Try and find a car with the magnetic ride package. This will be much more comfortable for longer trips.

 

I agree with all that except maybe the brake pads. There are good non-ceramic after market pads that will reduce dust and work better than ceramics. I went with Hawk HPS pads, 90% reduction in dust and no loss of performance.

I've got a '13 GS coupe that I use as a daily driver but I don't put that much mileage on. I did buy a slightly higher mileage one with a couple of chips to bring the price down. I didn't want to pay a premium for someone's garage queen and put the first ding on it. Not that mine is a beater by any means. One downside I found to a GS 6M coupe as a daily driver is the dry sump oil system with the big air-to-oil cooler is they take FOREVER to warm up. I can drive all the way to work and the oil never gets up to 150 degrees meaning I don't like to get on it. Same going out for lunch, putting around like an old lady waiting for it to warm up. I finally replaced the radiator with one with an additional oil cooling tank and got rid of the air-to-oil cooler.

I do think a base model might be a better choice if you are putting that much mileage on but I knew I wanted a wide body, there was no doubt in my mind.

 

What package/year did magnetic ride package come with? I can't find a definitive answer, but looks like I need to ensure the C6 has the F55 code, correct?

Thanks again!

 

The base and the GS use the exact same engine, so any concerns about one are valid on the other. But the good news is that the LS3 is safe from most of the issues of the LS1 and early LS2s.

I daily drive my LS2 C6 z51. It is comfortable. It has good storage for daily use. The only negatives is the cupholder gets super hot sitting on top of the transmission tunnel. Whatever cold drinks you put in there will get less-cold much faster than other cars. Other than that? There is no reason why you can't daily drive a C6. Mine is my work car, my grocery getter, and my date car with my wife. We carpool to work, often as well. In the Corvette. Some days we take her Buick SUV, but many days it is the C6. I average about 12k miles per year on my cars.

Sometimes drive throughs can be a wee bit uncomfortable if the window is too high and you have to kind of stretch up to grab it. First-World-Problems

 

Yes. But be warned of the high price to replace them....$$$$$.

I have been DD a C6 since 05. Currently my 07 base 3LT has 203,400 miles and going strong. Regular maintenance is almost all I have done. There were a few small items I replaced last year and GM replaced a faulty fuel pump under warranty.

I have had stock shocks, Z51 shocks and Z06 shocks. I personally prefer the Z06 shocks, even for a DD.

These photos were roughly taken at the same time last year.

 

I too daily drive my LS2 C6 z51.
Auto trans and Navigation can be desirable in a daily.

They work fine as a daily driver.
a) Tire, fuel, insurance and brake cost could be higher vs other cars.
b) Parking, speedbumps, inclines. I think that is the big issue if you are worried and dents and chips.
c) Room for two and an envelope. The acid test. Yet in reality rear storage is not so bad.
d) Visibility when raining, headlight illumination and wet handling are fine.
e) Flat tires can suck. Firestone runflats are a good less costly tire. Get a plug kit and inflator or rely on cellphone and towing. No one usually stocks a C6 size tire.

Good luck in your decision.

 

F55 is the code to look for. There is a sticker inside the glove box with all the options or you can find online sites that can tell you everything from the VIN.

You can get insulation for the drive train tunnel that will reduce the interior heat build up or you can just drop a little die cut piece of insulation in the cup holders.