I am looking into buying my first corvette. I am very new to the corvette world. I am thinking about getting the Z51 package with magnetic ride control. I would be interested in getting feedback from owner who have a corvette with these options. I am particularly interested in how the magnetic ride control improves the driving experience.

Thanks

 

Everyone on here is going to say if cost is no issue then get them both. I chose to order without because the cost was already more then I was comfortable with initially. I had magnetic ride control in my C6 and could maybe feel the slightest bite of a difference. Not worth it for me. You need the Z51 if you plan to drive on a track. Welcome to the forum.

 

My wife and I will not be driving on a track. Why cost is important, I am willing to spend the money to provide us with the best corvette driving experience. Thank you for your input.

 

The mag ride suspension isn't the same as that in the C6.

To answer the OP though, I have a Z51 with mag ride and I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

The difference in the settings on a C7 Z51 with MSRC is very noticeable. Personally, I would not get a Z51 without MSRC. You can see from the following chart that there are three MSRC settings and you can definitely tell the difference.

 

I'm in complete agreement with John. I have magnetic ride on my 2015 Z51 coupe and the differences in ride with the various suspension settings are very obvious. I often switch between Touring and Sport and the change is dramatic.

 

I bought my first corvette 8 months ago, you are going to love it!!!

I got both a Z51 and Magnetic Ride Control - I would absolutely get both, the MRC makes a huge difference between Tour and Sport (where I spend 90+ % of my time).

Cold in OH, baby is clean and tucked into a heated garage - but you never know, a warm dry day and she'll come roaring out.

 

Welcome to the forum. I'm a big fan of MSRC. As others have stated, it's very noticable and really changes the feel and personality of the car. I have zero regrets about getting it. That said, I haven't driven on non-Z51 so I can't accurately speak to the differences.

This is a common question here as many of us also went back and forth over this same decision. You'll find a lot of threads on this but they are such commonly used terms you might be best served by using search by title of post only. Click on "search this forum" and then click "advanced search" and finally select "search by title" instead of "search entire post" in the drop down menu and you'll get a lot of hits. Here's a recent thread that might help as well.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-of-a-z51.html

 

Another Z51 w/magnetic ride owner checking in.

I was fortunate enough to ride in both a base, non-Z51 with no magnetic ride AND a Z51 with magnetic ride prior to my purchase. While the base is truly an excellent car, the magnetic ride is worth every damn penny if you are even considering it as an option. There is a reason Ferrari bought magnetic ride from GM, just some food for thought.

Good luck on your purchasing process and welcome to the world of Corvettes!

 

If you want the car to be "all that it was designed to be", get the Z51 with MRC. The softer ride in Weather, Economy and Touring modes is worth it, especially since you can dial in 2 additional levels of suspension tune that are integrated with everything else. I had a 2012 with MRC, and it was 2 settings only: Firm and Firmer. The Z51 has a much nicer ride for touring. Will I ever drive the car to its limits? No, no intention of tracking it, but it is real peace of mind to know that if I push it into a curve way too fast, the car will probably take care of me.

Don't get the Z51 without MRC because the ride is very harsh.
If money is that important, then opt for the base model. The ride is excellent and the cornering is quite good. You may not get as much re-sale. Do be sure to get the "performance exhaust" system. I am also very please with the 8 speed auto I have in my Z51 Vert.

No matter what, order the car the way you want it. Do not compromise on anything. Read everything you can and look at all the U-Tube reviews. You will absolutely love the car.

I've owned several dozen new cars over the past 50+ years and my 2012 base Vert. was the best ever (Traded in with 30,000 miles on it), until I got my 2015 Z51. I plan to keep this one until I can no longer drive (at least another 15-20 years).

 

I have never driven a base C7 but my 15 is Z51 with MSRC. Ride is superb.

 

I just got my '15 C7 w/o Z51 2 days ago. I may drive around the track once in a blue moon, but mostly the car is for normal roads and touring. Z51 has these things to consider:

- You need to get the MRC on the Z51 to bring it close to the base feel for normal roads
- The Z51 brakes create quite a bit of dust and dirty up the wheels
- The Z51 tires are a bit softer and will grab and flip up road stuff little more often than the base tires, so the splash guards and the side rockers and maybe a bit of xpel is recommended.
- Z51 soft tires will wear a bit quicker
- Dry sump requires special maintenance

If you're going to do Z51, remember to factor in these things.

 

Thoroughly research what the Z51 package offers. If it proves something that fits your budget and expectations, go for it. However, if you opt for Z51, I believe for comfort and long term satisfaction when touring, spring for MRC. I have heard some say they could have lived without the Z51 package, I've yet to hear one say I wish I hadn't spent the money on MRC!

 

 

By now you've read some pretty good pros and cons. If you search for more info on here, you won't really get too much more feedback, just more of the same. To me, since it will be you and your wife enjoying the new vette, ride comfort may be a priority along with good handling. If so, then either the base non-Z51 or the Z51 with mag ride is the only way I would go, since it's within your budget. If you search further, you'll hear some guys go on and on how the Z51 without mag ride is perfectly fine and the extra expense is not worth it. Many will also go on and on about the higher replacement costs for the mag shocks that they would lose sleep over, worrying about. The mag shocks are more expensive to replace, but not that much more and well worth the initial upcharge and unlikely need to replace them unless you keep the car for many many years. Those buyers are usually very budget conscious and that drives their decisions, in most cases.

 

I would say if your ok by paying the extra money go for it.Like Sky Pilot said you won't regret
Having it.