Pappa Prich

Hi Everyone,

I'm in the process of selling my GTO to get a C6 Z06. I've had my heart set on the Z ever since I made up my mind of selling the GTO. However lately I've caught myself looking more and more at the Viper as an option as well. For as long as I can remember, I have loved Vipers. IMO they have an appeal unlike any other car under $100K. As I've been researching used C6 Z's and III,IV Gen Vipers, I've come to the conclusion that I could most likely afford either one. ... However I've never been a Dodge fan.

At this point I'm thinking it will most likely come down to the best "value." In other words, the most car for the money given the model year, condition, and miles. I certainly will drive both prior to making the decision, however I would like to get other people's opinions and experiences while I continue my research.

I was hoping that there are some members who either own or have owned both, and can provide me with their general thoughts on each car. ...Why you went one way or the other and if you would do it again...? This will be a weekend only/good weather low mileage toy. Taken on the occasional trip; mostly likely to a car show. My goal is a street beast that will track will the best of them. It will be driven on the street 95% of the time.

Some of my major concerns with the Viper would be build quality and service. I have never been a dodge fan, but a Viper fan -- to me there is a difference. I already have RPM locked in as the performance shop for the Z, but I don't have a clue about a shop for the Viper (I live in MD.)

Any and all insight would be helpful.
Thanks!

danielzo6

I believe that if you go test drive both, that will make the decision for you.

Pappa Prich

I agree completely; I've driven corvettes, just not the viper.

However I'm also hoping to get insight from people who have owned the cars, not just driven them. A test drive says a lot about a car, but ownership can say more.

Frans96ss

We do vipers also Had an 05 in here a couple weeks ago.

NineBall

I own supercharged versions of both, and like both cars for different reasons. If I could only keep one of them, it would be the Viper.

Like you, the Viper has always been a dream car of mine, especially the hardtop versions. I've had my Viper since '06, and have never grown bored of looking at or driving the car.

The Z06 is more like a fast street car, with electronic gizmos and a much smoother ride, fluffy seats, and easier to live with on a daily basis. The Viper is more like a racecar that is street legal. I'd never want to daily drive the Viper, but I could daily drive the Z06. For weekend toys and cruise-in type use, the Viper is a better choice. They only built about 20,000 Vipers total for all years of production, so they are definitely more rare than Corvettes are.

Tony

4SELLL

Ive owned both 06 viper coupe and 07 z06 as daily drivers. Here are the differences that stood out to me.

The Viper looks cooler and gets alot more attention.
The viper gets much hotter in the cockpit.
The seat in the viper is very narrow and the sound system sucks in viper.
Z06 has real navigation and selectable stability control.
Everything to modify or repair on the viper is alot more expensive.
I feel the cars are very similar performance wise.
The viper is much more sensitive to mileage when you resale them.
The viper coupe is much easier to resale i sold mine within 1 day of listing the car.
The viper doesnt rub in the front on sloping driveways like vette does.
The viper (even the coupe) may leak water if you drive in rain. Body is glued together.
Viper steering is squirrly on grooved pavement.

BSSN

I have not driven a Viper, but my former roommate has. He says the Z06 is a LOT more tractable for daily or even "amateur" use (ie. there are a lot of Vipers that have been wrecked by "pretty good" drivers).

I will say the Z06 sounds better. I didn't need to drive a Viper to discern that.

Provided a few counterpoints from my '11 Z06 ownership. Don't know anything about the Viper but what I hear. If you do get a Viper, please don't drive by my neighborhood, though. I order a lot of stuff and every time I hear a Viper I run to the door like Pavlov's dog and am totally bummed when it's not the UPS truck I heard.

screaminchevy

since you're planning on driving on the street 95% of the time, then i would chose the Z. I test drove both cars facing the same delima. based on the drive and many opinions, the Z won out.

Better fuel economy
Cheaper to service
Safer to drive (the viper has no active handling or traction control, it's a bare bones race car)

Pappa Prich

My fault Fran, I thought you were LSX only ... no issue there then! ... are your costs about the same? Has rashan (sorry if I butchered the spelling, lol) tuned an SRT-10?


Thanks everyone for your opinions and experiences, I really appreciate it! ... Its a fight between my heart and my head. My heart wants the Viper, but my head is telling me to stick with the Z06. A test drive will be necessary.

Pappa Prich

Now if my garage only looked more like Tony's

4SELLL

The seat in the viper is very narrow and the sound system sucks in viper. Sound system in the Z06 isn't exactly primo, either. Is the Viper's that much worse? yes the viper is that much worse

Everything to modify or repair on the viper is alot more expensive. My car has a 7/70 bumper to bumper and a 5/100 power train warranty. Good luck getting that from Dodge with a 0 deductible. I sell used cars and we sell warranties too, the company we use offers warranty for viper too and the price is same as z06,, it wasnt that i mean but performance parts and even trim and stuff that would be warranty items are alot higher priced

I feel the cars are very similar performance wise. You think your '06 Viper is equal to the C6 Z06, or you feel the SRT-10 is? If i drove them back to back the 06 viper coupe and the 07 z06 i have i would say the performance is very similar. After i add the SC'er to my Z it will be a different story or at least thats what im hoping for.

CrashTest

People who talk about Viper build quality have either never owned one or they believe more gadgets equal better build quality.

I owned a 2005 Viper for 5 years and put 30,000 miles on it (a lot for a Viper). Viper is way over-engineered and feels like there's nothing you could do to break it. The only thing that rattled were the fillings in my teeth. Z06 feels "fragile" in comparison.

Added bonus is that my Viper seats still looked new after 30,000 miles. Z06 seats show wear after 1000 miles.

NineBall

Agreed. On a scale of 1 to 10 for build quality, 10 being best, I'd rate my Viper as 8 out of 10, and my Z06 as a 6 out of 10. The Viper is heavy duty and over-built, especially in the drivetrain and powertrain, as well as suspension components. The Z06 seems flimsy and "adequate" engineered. Put both cars on a lift and compare them, the Viper is far more robust. Paint quality on the Dodge is 10x better too. Don't compare the Viper with other previous Dodge products, it is it its own niche, with its own manufacturing plant.

As for stereo systems, BOTH suck. But, who buys either of these for a stereo system? LOL

The Jake

I was in the same situation as you early last year when I bought my Z06. I always wanted a Viper and thought that was the car I was going to own. I knew better and stayed away from it and just purchased the Z06. I have hookups with friends and family that know the LSX well and get parts for ridiculous prices. How could I say no.

A few months later I'm itching for a Viper again. What can I say, they look amazing. So I start looking around again. I find an 06 SRT-10 Coupe and go to test drive the car. I quickly realize that I made the right choice. At least for me since whatever car I get would now be my daily driver.

I still want a Viper with all my hart, but now wont settle for anything less than a Gen. IV car. And even then I know that if I don't get an ACR it will bug me.

Power wise the 06 Viper Coupe didn't feel the same to the C6 Z06. It felt torquer on initial throttle input but when laying into it all the way it did not seem to accelerate like the Z06. It almost felt lazy? Not slow by any means, it just didn't feel like the LS-7 after you get it over 4k RPM.

If gas millage matters the Z06 murders the Viper in that department hands down. Sometimes I cant believe when I'm on the highway getting 30+ mpg. Its amazing to me that such a fast car can do that. My neighbor has a 2009 Honda Civic SI and that car does about 26mpg on the highway. lol

As mentioned before the Viper is harder to live with, I know this because I have been in my uncles SRT-10 roadster several times and it can be a bitch in some ways. Also, the part about parts and modifications being more expensive for the Dodge is more then correct. Some prices on Viper parts/mods are just plain ridiculous..

NineBall

Again, more rumors. Fuel economy with the SRT-10 Viper isn't as bad as you may think. My Viper puts down 674 rwhp and it still averaged over 25 mpg on Hotrod Power Tour (3,500 miles in one week). My Z06 (566 rwhp at the time) averaged 29 mpg on the Power Tour in 2010. Both cars still get decent mileage on the highway, even modified. Neither car is a gas-guzzler by any means. My '09 CTS-V averages about 16.6 mpg. Worse than both of these cars.

4SELLL

Driving is the best thing,,, if you were in houston i would say come over. We have a 08 coupe right now.

m.whitmell

I tossed and turned over the same decision. I really like the looks of the Viper too. I finally got to drive my neighbor's for an hour and almost immediately hated it and couldn't pin it dowm.......it was the horrible sound that this beast made exhaust wise (was stock). I love screaming, howling engine notes ( Hayabusa ) and the Viper sounds are what really turned me off. I like everything else about the car though. You must drive one...............

blaine123

Same I love both cars. I planned on daily driving mine... so I went with the Z06.

The Jake

You have a keeper then.

My uncles SRT-10 gets about does about 19-20 mpg on the highway at best. And on the street the mpg drops to about 12. Maybe the car in factory stock form is tuned very rich? Yours has obviously been tuned.

I know my Evo when stock was getting around 18 mpg on the highway before the car was modded and tuned. Now it is closer to 27-28 mpg. My factory tune was insanely rich.

The Jake

I always hear people talking about how they hate the sound of the Viper. I think its funny because I personally love the way they sound. Personal taste is an amazing thing.