HeroNtheShadows

Hi guys and gals,

Here's a question that my fiance and I have been asking ourselves for about a week....and I've cross posted it on Camaro6.com.

We just got back from a trip to the BG Assembly Plant and NCM. I rented her a C7 Corvette (unfortunately was the 6A instead of a 7M or 8A). Anyways, we drove it from Kansas City, MO down to BG, KY. She got about 700 miles of seat time in it. She loved it! This car has been her dream car since she was a kid. So naturally I'd like to accommodate that dream.

However, since the announcement of the new ZL1, I brought up the discussion. I've always wanted a Camaro since before highschool and she knows that. We test drove a new Camaro SS 6M for a short distance (about 10 miles). She did like it...liked the looks, interior, and the sound of the LT1.

But as you can guess, she loved the sound of the Vette better. Both cars had the sport exhaust, but i will say the C7 seemed louder and more raw (both cars had Sport and Track mode). The C7 was a 3LT interior and the Camaro was a 2SS...so they had VERY similar options. C7 had touring seats and the ZL1 looks like it only comes with Recaros but they look nice.

Anyways, her arguments for the Corvette are as follows: it's her dream car and we can only get one or the other, it looks better, sounds better, MOST people won't understand what a ZL1 is and will think it's just a Camaro (so I'd constantly have to explain it's a special Camaro)....a Corvette needs no explanation and gets the wow factor more often, the Corvette got FANTASTIC gas mileage on our trip (not that u buy a car like this for MPG, but was nice) and the ZL1 has a guzzler tax and i'm sure gets 18 combined mpg at best.

My argument for the Camaro is as follows: 640 HP FOR THE PRICE OF 460 ON THE VETTE LOL!!!!, the Camaro has a back seat that we can throw stuff into, we can take a trip and include my 5 year old son or her 6 year old daughter or both...or just go get dinner or ice cream, the Camaro MAY be a lil cheaper to insure but idk with the HP number, the Camaro was more comfortable to get into/out of (she literally had a bruise on her right side thigh from repeatedly hitting the steering wheel as the got in (fell into lol) the driver's seat of the C7 since it's so low.

I know this is a Corvette forum, but please TRY to give your honest and UNBIASED opinion. We would test drive the ZL1 and C7 (again) back to back before pulling the trigger.

Thanks all!

ap6954

With kids as a possible back seat need, ZL1 would be my pick every time. You want to be able to take them with you, period. My kids now grown love me for including them in my car hobby now. Would not be the same if I had left then out. It's more about the experience and bonding than the car itself. Remember that and your kids will love you for it in 20 years to , and you and your family will have a head full of awesome memories.

graj6

Exactly, the wow factor.

This is one of my biggest gripes with the Camaro ZL1 (or for that matter with any souped up version of something that has a plain looking base model). The looks are still based off the base model and heavily modified and people still recognize it first as a Camaro. The C7 Corvette echoes an F12 Ferrari so much and does turn heads in the right colors.

Of course if I was looking for a bang-for-the-buck track animal, I would probably hit the ZL1 first because how it looks, how it stands out will not be my first concern. I still think the Z51 is an amazing track beast, but it's obviously going to be a bit slower than the new ZL1 if you're driving ten-tenths.

In your case, you do have kids to think about and if you don't have another car, the C7 won't work. If you have another car, I don't see how this will matter though. The Camaro trunk doesn't really have a lot of space and the rear seats are only really good for kids or some bags. Thankfully, no kids here yet and I'm not going to worry about it for a while haha. I'll just get a C7.

jdhommert

I've thought about this for a while, or even a 1LE or a 2SS. I'm as much a Camaro guy as I am a Corvette guy, if not more so.

ZL1 will be an absolute monster. Yes it will weigh about 400 lbs more than a Z06, but it will have the same amount of power and has the cooling issue fixed. Same size brakes as the Z06, and a phenomenal suspension as well. A10 is an awesome bonus that will hopefully bring MPG up some. MPG will be a big diff as you've mentioned.

As beastly as the ZL1 looks, and knowing that a ZL1 will outperform a Z51 in every single way.....I think I'd still rather have the Z51. I'd say 90% of the reason why is just the looks on the outside. The base C7 will turn heads and some think it's an exotic. The ZL1 is just a Camaro to most people. Also the backseat on the 6th gen Camaro is a joke. Even squeezing a 6 or 7 year old back there will be a major challenge.

Jedi-Jurist

Really like the ZL1 and you can't go wrong with either. Drive both and pick the one you like.

proexpert

What is the price difference?

golddog

I would take the 5 & 6 year old and test drive the back seat in the Camaro. I had a 2010 and don't think they would be comfortable back there, let alone be able to see out.

HeroNtheShadows

The way she priced her C7 it would be a Z51 2LT with nav/mag ride and was about $67K if i remember correctly (correction I built one on Chevy's website and it came to $72K).

The Camaro guys are speculating around $62-65 to start. Gen5 ZL1 started between 55-58K depending on trim. GM said "previous ZL1 owners will be able to afford the 6th gen ZL1". So I'd assume the ZL1 would cost up about 69-70K

ap6954

Your missing the point. Comfort has nothing to do with it. Will it be tight? Sure. You can sit a small adult back there if you really want to. It's about inclusion and having fun as a family. If you have another car great, but you don't take your other car to Cars and Coffee's or cruises, shows or the track. You ever seen the face of your kid as they drive up with you in your cool ride? Priceless and worth the compromise every time. Your choice but remember your priorities my friend.

JC 2004

I had two 2010 Camaros and the backseat was tiny. My son was only 7-8 at the time and felt cramped in the back. Trunk opening was also tiny on the 2010 even though trunk was good size.
I looked at a z/28 before I got my second C7 but the ride, interior, and visibility were far superior in the vette imho.

harmonyp

So - is the car for you, for her, or for both of you? Sounds like she's a Vette gal and you're a Camaro guy. The C7 is already a phenomenal vehicle and you can't compare to the Gen6 ZL1 yet, but I can tell you as someone who commutes in a Gen5 ZL1, the ZL1 is flippin amazing, and I can only imagine the Gen6 will be better.

Re this: "she literally had a bruise on her right side thigh from repeatedly hitting the steering wheel as she got in" - if you got a 3LT (not sure about 2LT) there are settings that'll automatically open everything up - steering wheel up and in, seat back with a press of a button.

To use logic - I could argue the case for either car. BTW Gen5 ZL1 IS louder than the C7 Z51 - you can't compare to an SS - for the Gen5's, I LOVE the ZL1, and didn't even like the SS.

But if I were in your shoes - I'd ignore everything else but this: making your fiance's dream come true, AND ending up with a C7 to make it happen? Sounds like a winning combination, and kind of a no-brainer to me.

Rutgyr

Your kids really shouldn't be part of the equation or be a determining factor. If your going to keep the car more than 4 years the back seat is a moot point as they will be too big to be comfortable back there. In 10 years though, if one of them inherits it as a first car you're best parents ever in their eyes. Is that really a good idea to give 16-17 year old a 600+ HP car?


Also either car is a want/luxury not a need and a happy wife = happy life. Only logical solution is a custom C7 that she builds and picks up at the museum and you riding shotgun home .


That said I have a C7 Z51 and want a ZL1 too, don't think you'll go wrong either way.

HeroNtheShadows

The car is for both of us, we'd get a manual whichever way we went...and I definitely see your point on making her happy and getting a C7 in the process...but I also see the side of including my kids. I've given my son a ride in the C7 we rented, in his car seat with the airbag turned off. He had a good time. I assume he'd continue to love it as he got older. "Get him addicted to cars and he cant afford to be addicted to drugs" haha

joeybsyc

If you have small kids, get the ZL1. It's really a no-brainer.

NinjamanZ51

The Camaro practically doesn't have a back seat and if you think getting kids in and out of one is doable, you'll be wishing otherwise when you're actually doing it. That said, in this case, don't get a sports car for the utility. Instead, get one for the fun factor.

Don't get me wrong, the Camaro is cool but it's no Corvette.

joeybsyc

Fact is, it has a backseat... maybe not a backseat like a Camry, but you CAn take more than 2 people with you, and when you have kids that's kinda essential. And as far as fun factor... I'd say a 640 hp ZL1 would have more of that than a 460 hp Z51... and this is coming from a guy who has a Z51. People around here like to bag on Camaros in general, but the fact is the new ZL1 has it over a Z51 vette by quite a large margin in many categories.

joeybsyc

Incidentally... what car are they recommending you buy over on Camaro6.com? (Need I ask...

1rusty1

What would the kids ride in if you buy a C7?

harmonyp

5 year old and 6 year old! Guarantee both won't fit comfortably now in back of the Camaro, they're going to grow fast as heck.

If you want to include the kids, why don't you look at something with true back seats - Caddy or Dodge or Stang.

Richard Ames

You actually asked on a Corvette Forum.