MattinNashville

i just a read a review that confused me on the suspension settings offered in all models of the C6

if i want the most cush ride (as luxurious as i could with this car) i would want the F55?

but if i want the most "sport" suspension then the Z51 is the way to go?
keeping in mind the Z51 has the "touring mode and sport mode" that will make the driving experience complete....BUT the "touring mode" is not as cush as the F55????????



sorry guys! total newbie on Vette's. as i explained in some previous posts i have never really cared for the Vette until layed my eyes on the C6

anyway, any help would be appreciated.
thanks



i am looking for the mose sedan like C6 mode for everyday driving, but would like to on occasion kick it up a notch like Emeril

DngrZne

As far as I know the Z51 is not adjustable with different modes, the F55 is the only one that allows that.

Chris

cam30era

My C6 has the standard suspension. The ride is as good as the CTS that I traded in. I could not ask for a better ride.

Corvette Junkie

The Z51 doesn't have a touring and sport mode. The Z51 is all out handling suspention. It's going to give the roughest ride.

MattinNashville

ok, then i want the F55 pkg....

thanks for helping clear this up guys....also the Z51 is a pkg that comes with brakes and other stuff right?

the F55 is just a suspension with the 2 modes?

StanNH

Base suspension = smooth, compliant ride with .93g on a skidpad
Z51 suspension = smooth, stiffer ride (plus performance upgrades)with .98g on a skidpad
F55 suspension = adjustable shock damping for smooth or harder ride

Only the F55 offers the shock adjustment feature.

natejohn

First - go to FAQ at the top of this "page"...this has been discussed in leeeength a number of times.
BUT, I'll put in my 2cents worth -
You have two options that meet YOUR requirements -

#1. Base suspension then have your dealer (or yourself- it's ez) add the Z51 front and rear sway bars.

#2. Order the F55 suspension. And THEN add the bars if you get to feeling even MORE sporty!

End of discussion.......good luck. :

MattinNashville

sorry to through another log on the fire....thanks for the help though

capevettes

I have the Z-51 suspension and find it to be very smooth except over the very roughest of surfaces. I would recommend that you drive the cars with the different suspensions offered and make an informed decision. I personally love the handling and ride of the Z-51 and find it extremely comfortable on the highway. It is much more comfortable and compliant than previous Z-51 suspensions. As stated earlier, there are no adjustments on the Z-51.

lager99

Z51 is not "rough". If you take the offramps & exits at speeds that you hope you stick to the road, that should be your choice.

7 OUT

I absolutely love the total feel of the Z51 combined with the drive train, it all seems to go together perfectly in my opinion. Also, the brakes are just incredible, they work so well that I'm getting into a bad habit of not downshifting as much as I should.

Dana

LS WON

Yes F-55 is the suspension with 2 settings you get the best of both worlds and the ride is suppose to be softer than the base. Check out Corvetteactioncenter (there are some long in depth articles on F-55) and Car & Driver the F-55 keeps all 4 wheels on the ground is constantly monitoring the road for you. They do a test of running over a pothole at 120 and the show 2 Corvettes one is air born the other with the F-55 is on the ground so it is a safety item as far as control goes as it is suppose to adjust accordingly as it is always on to monitor conditions of the road..No surprises for driver. The suspension is good if you live in an area of bad bumpy torn up roads.

MattinNashville

SOUNDS GOOD TO ME

C8-Vette

LS WON

That is why I bought this option to get the best possible ride on a Corvette and should I want to change I can with the flick of a switch.

AutoCutter

That's not a bad habit! Brakes are way cheaper to replace then your clutch or trannie!

I have only driven the Z51 so I have no useful input about the F55 or the base ride although I imagine they are girlie smooth given the plush ride of the Z51. I'll bet those F55 shocks will give sticker shock like the ones on my old VR-4 did!

ProfMoriarty

Is the base suspension such a pariah that it's not mentioned in polite Corvette company?

From what I've read (and that's as far as my experience goes so far) it has less float than the magnetic suspension set to Touring and a less bumpy ride than the track-oriented Z51.

SA734

My C6 Z-51 suspension rides as smooth as my C5 stock suspension. That is how much they have improved this generation of Corvette.

BlackMark

In an interview with techs at GM,it was stated that C6 has had additional suspension travel added to give a better ride with all three options than with C5.My local dealer has one rep who is their Corvette expert.He just got back from Nevada where GM had all possibe configurations available to drive.He said all suspensions rode excellent,and he didn't find Z51 to be harsh at all.His choice would be Magnetic Ride though,because it just flat responded under all driving conditions,including very high speeds.One man's opinion,for what is is worth.I still plan to order Z51 though.

crabman

Nope nothing wrong with the base. I drove all three and choose it over the other two options. While the Z51 never crosses into what I would call harshness the base is noticably more friendly in the day to day grind. The ride is in no way soft. It is firm and well controlled. Hard cornering will produce body roll that the Z51 does not have. Its not a lot but its there, F55 does this as well. I bought the Z51 sway bars, they just showed up yesterday and I am going to put them on today. If the ride remains pretty much as is but the roll control picks up like on the Z51 then I will consider the suspension (IMO) perfect. I see the F55 as a good option for those who want to hotshoe it but also have to drive regularly on rough road. I dont face such roads and I like the ride of the base better. I agree with some others who have said there is a slight bit of floatiness, a sort of disconnect on the F55 in touring that is hard to describe. I was wondering if it was just me but I have seen others who have driven both and said the same thing. Its slight and Im not sure if you would notice if you didnt drive them back to back like I did. Going back to the Z51 you have to also figure out if you want the other stuff. Myself, Im old, Im not going to be heading out to the track. I do love a nice blast down a country road and like to punch on it here and there as the opportunity comes up. That brings me to the thing I most wanted out of the Z51. The trans gearing. I find the base and F55 to feel a little highway gearish and I would have liked to have gotten the Z51 unit. For me no matter what suspension option I chose I was going to give up something. I am going to put 3.90s in mine when I get back from AK. I planned on this before I bought the car. I dont mind trading off top end I will never see for the better acceration and feel. This means I will have spent close to the same amount as the Z51 option but have a car better suited to the way I drive. As others have said I reccomend trying all three and seeing what you think. For those looking for maximum performance its a slam dunk on the Z51. If your not going to be pushing the car to its limits it becomes a much more difficult question because of all the stuff bundled into the Z51, some of which you may want. Last, I want to add that most of what I have said here comes down to my own opinion and is based on how I drive the car. All of the suspension options have their ups and downs. The base should not be considered what you get if you cant afford another penny but rather a tune of its own that will be better suited to some drivers.