Wellcraft

So I'm looking to buy my first Corvette a 2017 Stingray 1LT. The salesman always paints a perfect picture but I'd like to here from actual Corvette owners about any issues I should look out for. I noticed all the C7's I looked at come with summer only tires. Are there tires I can purchase to drive the car in February? At what temperature should I avoid driving and park the car? About how many miles can I expect out of the run flats? Average yearly maintenence cost? Best dealer in the PA area to buy from? So far I checked out FC Kerbeck in NJ but I'm not opposed to traveling a bit to save money. I'm open to any advice and input anyone cares to offer so I can make an informed perchase decision. Thanks

DCortez

You'll never get your money back.

mountainears

Kerbeck is one of the forum sponsors and highly rated from the feedback I see on here. There are a couple others that are incredibly awesome and knowledgeable (a good dealer should have easily answered those questions for you)

Definitely search this forum, lots of answers here, read the FAQ's, stickies, etc. You have time to become a little educated because once you buy it your life changes.

Learn the differences between the trim levels, make sure you're getting what you want with the car, some things can't be easily added to the car after you buy it (like NPP exhaust, PDR, mag suspension, etc), others can be.

Wellcraft

Getting my money back isn't a consideration, very few cars increase in value.

kitesurfer

2LT...you'll thank me.

juanvaldez

You can get all season tires in Corvette sizes. I think 40 degrees is limit on stock tires, not sure. You need to do some research on trim levels and models. Z51 is a nice step up for just a little money, bigger tires, wheels, brakes, rear swaybar, electronic limited slip, spoiler. Some folks prefer magride.

I have a 1LT car, the interior satisfies me. I'm not into leather. 1LT doesn't come with heads up or front camera.

wbrands

I've driven my summer only tires year round here in Virginia. The only concession I make is I don't park overnight outside. I don't drive crazy and take my time on "cold" tires, they warm up in a few miles and I haven't noticed the "on ice" symptoms others have reported here. I have almost 14,000 miles on them in about 17 months time and show little wear. I am sure I have at least that much life left, maybe more. That said, I will probably opt for the all season run flat Michelin now has in the Z51 size when they need replacement.

As for dealers, I bought from MacMulkin. Great price, outstanding service and an overall great experience. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the big three on the forum here (Kerbeck, MacMulkin or Criswell/Mike Furman). Go with whichever has the car you want.

rrsperry

Unless you are really pushing it to buy the car, (then you probably shouldn't buy the car...), step up to the 2lt. It's just better to live with, if for no other reason than the front cameras, and the vented seats.

Let's answer his questions. Don't drive like a jackass below 50F, Be REALLY careful below 40F. The car really won't pull 1.0+g when it's cold, and you shouldn't ask it too...lol Yes, you can get all season tires that work remarkably well in all weather. I bought a set of wheels and AS non runflat tires before I even got my car. And in truth, I could probably use them ALL year long and never wish for more performance from the tires. (Z51 sized wheels and tires were about $1800) I've put 10,000 miles on my car in 1.5 years. So I'm going to be many years down the road before I need more tires.

As for maintenance? Pretty much none for the first two years. with the Z51 I've had 3 free oil changes, and am going to do them at 7500 mile intervals. (with the requisite oil analysis)

I've replaced the wiper blades once. I replaced the brake pads because I wanted less dust. Pretty much that's it... I probably spend more on wax, polish, and microfibers than on maintenance...lol

Dealer? any of the big three are good. Criswell is local, so I went with Mike. Which is not to say that if you found the car sitting on a local Chevy dealers lot that you couldn't get a deal there either. Depends on how motivated you can make them. No dealer wants to have a car sit there forever...

Corgidog1

Get the performance exhaust- a must have option for most people and get the 2LT trim as it is the sweet spot for options. You can drive the vette with summer tires in cold weather if you are careful but do not drive them on ice or snow as you will have no traction.

Search this forum and get educated-don't rely on the salesman.

dork

I'd agree, 2LT; not for the leather, but for the HUD and the front cameras. Summer tires are great ifn you live in all-year-round summer weather. They were flat out scary on a 2,000-mile trip when it rained for about 600 miles. 6/32" on the tires and still squirrelly at 55mph in a 70 zone in 43*-50* weather. I trashed them for A3+'s as soon as I got back home. Quieter, sticky, and predictable in all weather.

I wasn't completely satisfied with the base model, and decided on the z51. You should probably test drive both and make a decision. For the "minimal" surcharge, I think the z51 drives like a completely different car than a base model. The z51 has a dry sump engine--9.5 quarts of oil (AND NO MORE!! and maybe just a tad less) at every fill up. Lots written about it on the forum. There are those of us who don't trust any dealerships to change oil for a dry sump correctly, and we do the oil change ourselves for peace of mind. (There have been numerous reported incidents of dealer techs overfilling at the dry sump oil change.)

Magnetic Ride Control is another option you might want (it's a completely separate option from the 2LT or 3LT) ; best to have that option included on your z51 test drive so's you can experience it. Surf YouTube for c7 z51 features tutorials--there are good videos there discussing how to set up the MRC and another one on how to configure the instrument cluster display. If you have to, take notes so's you can config the MRC and cluster before your test drive--being familiar with those config options will allow you to devote ALL your attention to how the car feels instead of being "overly" impressed by the electronics.

For 'best' street handling with MRC, set it to Track w/TC 'off' and Wet 'on' (Thanks, Foosh!!). That is, turn the **** until "Tr" is displayed; press the center button quickly twice and the yellow indicators will highlight "TC" and "W". Traction Control is NOT turned off in this configuration--look up "Foosh", "magnetic ride control", "TC" and "Wet" to read up on the subject... all the electronic safety nannies are still operative in this config (according to the owner's manual). Truth be told, there are many who don't like MRC for its' cost and also for the 'limitations' of its' selective ride choices. I think for a daily driver or highway cruiser, there are enough choices--mebbe not for a dedicated track car.

There's almost no maintenance required for the first 20,000 miles except for the engine oil and differential oil changes. Some folks report they've had trouble with the automatic transmissions; I don't follow it much except to verify I'm content with my choice of a manual/clutch car. Plenty of discussion on this forum about "A8" problems.

Good luck with your hunt. You've got some decisions to make.

juanvaldez

For about the same money you can have a Z51 1LT or a base 2LT. No brainer for me.

Larry/car

Check the price/trade with various dealers. My research yealded a price difference on the same ordered car of a whopping $4,000.

Wellcraft

I checked Macmulkin webpage and there current sale seems slightly better than Kerbeck's prices. NH is a solid 5+ hour drive from PA but I'm not opposed to traveling a bit to get a good deal. I'm semi retired so I want to get the best deal possible. Really great information so far and everyone has given me a lot to think about before making a purchase.

harmonyp

2LT also has lumbar and bolster adjustment (none in 1LT), Ventilated seats, and stereo upgrade. Consider looking for low mileage used C7's. Bought my 2016 3LT Z51 7M w/MSRC with 1300 miles on it, and saved a TON of $.

hope2

no 1LT

Many dealers ordered these as "price leaders"

Many buyers are "duped" into buying these cars.

Fifth digit of vin tells exactly what trim level car is. Best advice you could get.

1LT cars, fifth digit, A or B or G or H or N or P etc. Avoid these cars, imop.

direct007

FC Kerbeck is in Palmyra, NJ and sells pre-owned Cadillacs and high end luxury / sport cars. Kerbeck Corvette (same family) is located in Atlantic City. (just so you don't travel to the wrong location)

The summer tires that come with the car are fine until the temp drops below 40. Use extreme caution as the rubber hardens up and you won't have the same grip as when it's warm out. Below 20 degrees, they recommend not moving the car. You can buy all season tires but they are not offered on the new car even as an option.

Depending on how you drive, I've seen ranges of 7500 miles to 37,000 miles as far as life expectancy on the summer tires. I own a Z51 and currently have 18,000 miles with probably another 10,000 left. A base model should get you closer to the higher end of the range.

Kerbeck is the dealer to deal with especially if you live close. Yes, depending on the deal and if the car you want has a red tag at one dealer and not the other, you may save a little bit at other dealers, but to travel 5 hours each way...if your time is of any value it would have to be thousands off to make it worth it, not a $400 difference.

I would also recommend 2LT over 1LT, this is covered in another recent thread. However if you are just buying for performance, then 1LT will suffice. I like gadgets, convenience, and technology as well as a subwoofer so 2LT was my choice.

I would also recommend taking a look at either Z51 and Grand Sport both with mag ride vs a base model without mag ride. Take a good curve at a decent speed and you will feel the difference. Again, if you are just taking casual rides on Sundays vs spirited rides or tracking the car, this will make a difference in your decision.

Last but not least is coupe vs convertible. This is like chocolate vs vanilla as a matter of taste, but ask anyone that has owned a convertible what their choice is and you will most likely hear...get the vert.

Good Luck and enjoy!

LIStingray

Go big or don't buy at all: Z06/Z07 with 3LZ for $100k+.
I have had both a 1LT and 2LT - whether the front cameras, heated cooled seats and HUD are worth $4,200 is a matter of opinion - the subwoofer isn't really worth crap (the stereo sucks with or without the subwoofer); personally, if I could get the 1 LT with the front cameras, I would have done so. I never use the heated/ventilated/memory/lumbar seats, and could easily live without HUD.

TEXHAWK0

It is always good to know how much it cost.

I ordered a 2014 base Stingray with manual transmission, 2LT, red calipers, and Z51 spoiler. Added Stage 1 splitter.
I thought about trading for GS, but decided I was really satisfied with what I have. I originally ordered because all the cars on the show room had $15,000 to $20,000 in options I did not care about, so I kept my price down to $55K.

On tires, I think GM says there is reduced traction below 40 deg., and recommend not driving at all if temperature is below 20 deg.
I have driven mine at around 30 degrees without any problems. Tires are wearing well at 13,000 miles.

sTz

Steve Garrett

Wellcraft, welcome to CorvetteForum!

Best of luck on your Corvette search. First, you won't really have any first year costs because your car should be covered under warranty.

You can run Summer run-flats to a little above freezing. I've got Continental Extreme Contact DWS (Dry/Wet/Snow) tires now after I got 30,000 on the OEM's.

Kerbeck is a great Vendor here, so is Mike Furman at Criswell, if you don't mind driving.