I noticed the quality feel of the C6 the first time I sat in the drivers seat. Driving away from the dealer after trading in my 03 Coupe I noticed the solid tight feeling of the C6 as I merged into traffic. I said to myself so this most be what it feels like to drive one of those big buck European sports cars. Maybe my C6 feels this way because my ride has the optional MRC and I drive it only in the sport mode. Heck I even now like the steering wheel. I now have 915 miles on her and my only complaint has been the lousy Bose sound system. When is the Corvette team going to offer us a truely "world class" system like the Logic 7 sound system now available in new BMW's?

 

With over 900 miles on my C6's odometer nothing has gone wrong...except for the crappy sound coming from my Bose speakers.

 

1. Very few C6s have had problems serious enough to have repairs made by the dealer.
2. Hardly any verts made yet, so it's extremely difficult to find a C6 priced over $60K. Most are in the low to mid $50s.
3. Anyone that's as good as you are about predictions should be a multimillionaire many times over.
4. If you're that proud of the SLK 55, buy one.

 

I'm sure NEWER is BETTER. Like they say buy the newest vette you can afford. But for me I wanted total no excuses performance. The Z fit the bill - for me.

But make no mistake, when the C6 Z hit's the streets a new top dog will be crowned.

Tom

 

My wife got the premium sound in her new 5 and it is in a whole different class than the C6.Spanks it hard in fact. This is an area that they need to improve if they want to make good on their complete package goal.

 

Just drive both.

 

I've driven both and from my prospective:
C6 has a better interior, but even C6 interior is waaaay behind the curve from other maker. The plastic looks cheaps and sound hollow. Gaps as just as bing as on C5.

I'm sticking with my Z06 till the new Z06 comes around.

 

I have a Midyear, a C4, a C5 and have a C6 on order. When I drove the C6 it was so much better in every aspect to all of my other Vette's. If you have about 50 grand lying around, go C6. If not, catch one of the great C5 deals going on now at a dealer near you.

 

undefinedI own a 2004 Z06 and had the chance to sit in the new C6. I am assuming the C6 handles a little better, ptovides a bit better performance, but the Z06 is beautiful. I hit speeds near 120 mph coming down a mountain in New Mexico and could not wish for a better driving car.
I believe that the left rear view (changing lanes) is a bit worse on the C6 and that is not good. Even the Z06 is worrisome at times changing lanes. I also did not like the chrome look of the C6 interior. I have a black Z06 with a black interior (except for sheepskin covers) and prefer the Z06. I also do not like the truncated look of the C6, nor the exposed headlights, but these are matters of taste.
I owned a 1994 coupe for ten years, put 153,000 miles on it and a new engine, and only had the roof off a half dozen times. So with my habits and the money I saved with the Z06 there is no question of which was the better deal. But the truth is either one is a dream car.

 

I don't think the C6 is night and day better, but just take everything about the C5 and multiply it times 1.2 or so.

I test drove a C6 six speed Z51 today and the difference in power is noticable and the seats are slightly more comfortable. The car handled great but so does my C5 and the road noise seems to be about the same between both cars. The new electronic toys are nice, Power hatch pull down, indexing windows, navigation, and keyless start. The new HUD is ok. I've seen the HID's at night and they are a very bright, a great improvement over the C5's lighting. All the these new features makes the c6 a step up to the C5 as it should due it being the new generation corvette. IMHO,The C6 is a great car but it's not a night and day difference to C5. They both are great cars. If you like the new technology, you should choose the C6, other than that, it's a toss up to styling.

 

IMHO:

Buy a 04 C5. Spend the $20k savings over the C6 on mods (interior, wheels, engine, etc).

You'll have a better ride, more power, and less dealership visits versus the C6.

 

 

C5 owners wondering "will I really notice?"

Yes. Holy crap will you notice.

People looking to move up to a Corvette from any non-luxury car wondering "is C6 worth an extra $15,000?" Only if you're buying the car for who it can impress, not what it can do. If you don't already have luxury aspirations, and you're not already acclimated to 375lbft of torque winding up 3200lb of car and cat-like reflexes, then the improvements of C6 will be mostly wasted. Get your "holy crap!" grin at a discount.

People coming from a near-luxury or luxury marque? C5 owners got tired of hearing complaints from people like you by about February 1998 :-) so if the phrase "for a $50,000 car" is wont to leave your lips, pony up and spend the whole fifty grand. C6 really is a big improvement -- and I say that as someone who has no serious issues with C5's interior.

.Jinx

 

I love my 04/vert, I will get a C6 in 7 or 8 years. For the $$$ the C5 is a great value and hot looking ride.

 

With the trade/sale of you C5, your actual cash outlay is about 1/2 that.

 

Ive driven the new c6 as well and noticed the same exact thing.
THERE IS NOT A NIGHT AND DAY DIFFERENCE.
the c6 is newer........newer styling......newer features.
I love the ls2 engine........hate the front end of the car........the rear end is iffy.
The car drove well accelerated well.......handles very well, but the difference in interior wind noise was not that great a difference to me.
the c6 was a bit quieter.
Overall I liked it......but ...Im keeping my c5

 

I think most C6 owners can respect that review and opinion.

 

I guess I will start by saying I was ready to trade my 04 C5 in on a Chrysler 300C because I could not hear my passenger a lot of the time and at 70 mph I had a hard time hearing my cell phone , but I decided to give the C6 a chance. The first place I headed was the interstate and sure enough it was considerably quieter ., me and my wife could talk normal and hear each other without raising our voice.. Well a 1000 miles later here are some observations. 1. So much torque it reminds me of my 70 ls6 big block, super cool ,2. Way less road noise. In the 04 the wife would start giving me dirty looks about 80-85 I passed a semi last night and it was at 102 before I knew it and she never looked up from her magazine.3. Better feel and stability in the corners making it more precise for me anyway, just seems tighter. 4. I personaly like the interior better, doors and decklid both work better 5. Takes bumps and imperfections in the road much much better, anothor decision maker for me. Familiar bumps that would normally jolt you good, melt away somehow. 6. And it runs like a raped ape. I'm not a newbie at Vettes I've had one C4, two C5s and one ZO6 and I loved them all just prefer the C6 the reasons I've listed. The coolest thing happened to us last night. I was getting off the exit and a car slowed beside me . I look over and it's a new Red Viper ,the guy driving it and his wife or girlfriend were both giving us a thumbs up , now that was priceless to me and that's the way it should be, no decrimination among brands let alone models of the same brand, just love and enjoy what you have and respect others for what they have. Enough mouthing off I got to get a dose of that torque, man I'm loving it!

 

Recently I purchased a new 2004 Z06.

It was a no-brainer for me once I understood the differences between the C5 and C6.

I prefer the C5 over the C6. I loved the C5 since the first day I saw it. Never liked the styling of the C4, although the C4 has good performance. I believe the C5 should have been the car after the C3.

I like the styling of the C5 much more than the C6.

I did sit in the C6, but I did not test drive it.

There are things I like about the C6, but overall I like the C5 better, and I didn't need to drive it to make my decision.

This is basically what it's about to me...

From at least 1956 until 2004 (almost 50 years), the Vette was built as its own base platform -- the frame, birdcage, dimesions, etc.

I believe 1953-55 shared the frame with another passenger car (if I'm wrong, sorry).

Sure, the Vette has always shared parts with other cars, but the Vette was always its own platform.

The C6 was designed along with the Cadillac XLR.

The C5 has styling and attributes that give a closer sense of the evolution of the Corvette since the Corvette's beginning.

I think this stems from the fact that the C5 and C6 are different approaches to building a Vette -- as least from what I've heard Dave Hill and other Vette employees say on television -- and that was the intent.

To me, the C6 and Cadillac XLR are more like sister cars.

I see a lot of commonality between the silhouettes of the C6 and the XLR.

The C6 and XLR have the same birdcage (at least that's what it was called on the Vette in the past) and perhaps frame. I believe the wheelbase and height of the cars are very similar, if not almost exactly the same.

The C6 is the sports car version of the platform, the XLR is the roadster version.

I'm not against there being other cars manufactured at Bowling Green. In fact, I think it's great that other cars are built there.

But my opinion is that, besides safety improvements, I don't want a sports car that I spend $50k+ on to have it's platform shared with a sister car.

I'm sure some will blast me for what I've said, but I would only hope anyone who's bought a Vette, whether new or used, C5 or C6, or any year, that you have researched your particular year Vette.

Also, if my comments about the C6 and XLR are not correct, I apologize. I was on the phone with GM for several hours the week before I bought my Vette to make sure I understood the approach to the design of the C6 Vette. It was pretty apparent to me the Corvette design, development and philosophy had changed significantly.

I also based my C6 comments on recent articles from GM and automotive magazines, and from television shows about the development of the C6 recently.

The night before I picked up my Z06 from the dealership, I watched the program on TV about the design and development of the Corvette, and everything I was thinking after talking with GM on the phone for several hours was reinforced by what was said on the TV program -- the C6 is a different philosophy to designing and building a Vette.

The C6 has a different styling and design philosophy.

The C4 had lost a lot of the original Vette styling, but it was still its own platform. The C4 did provide a new jumping off point for more advanced technologies and better performance.

Basically, the way I see it, the 2004 Vette was the last year of the original Vette styling and design philosophy.

If you want to own a new Vette that's closer to the way the Vette was designed for 50 years, buy the C5. If you want a Vette that's taking a new approach to design, buy the C6.

You either want the past history of the Vette designed into your car or you want a new history of the Vette designed into your car.

I personally have more of an affinity for the original history of the Vette, and I'm none too happy to own the last of these Vettes as a new 2004.

 

My C6 has spent 1/10th the time in the shop my C5 did. Actually the only shop time the C6 has spent was for an oil change, other than that, perfect. The C5 had been in the shop at least 10 times as many problems in the first few months and it was a 99.
So statements like this quote are without any merit.