alec_corvette

Hello all Corvette people, I have gotten a much better insurance policy and it is time to pursue my dream car a corvette! I am seriously set on a C7 Stingray but I have a couple questions before I start actually going to start seriously looking at them. I work at a body shop and see them a lot but still only know so much (If you guys can even answer 1 question it would help so much!!)

1- Best year for your buck? I prefer a used one but if a 2018 is that good I guess it is worth the extra bucks. saw new ones for 46k but my budget is slightly below that
2- Built in camera a option or standard?
3- Maintenance cost? I understand they are reliable but wonder how they are to maintain overall as I do drive about 40k miles a year
4- After market parts options? Corvettes seem easy to mod but with the c7 not being that old is there a lot of aftermarket wheel options, suspension and things like that available
5- Sport seats worth the upgrade? I saw online you can get factory sports seats for $1800
6- Long road trip comfortable? My daily commute is about 100 miles to and from work so I will spend a lot of time driving it
7- Clutch life? I will get a manual #savethemanuals and was wondering how long the clutch should last

ojm

2014 -2018 to this noob also look alike, reading posts 2014 was not so bad.The Z51 was told overkill for a Sunday driver but may work for you. 2014 may be best year for the buck now. I read all the seats are great even the base models.It would make sense maintenance is always more on a sports car . good luck

Avanti

If cost is that much of an issue, I suggest that you decide exactly what your top dollar is and act accordingly. The plainer the version, the later the model you should be able to afford staying within your budget, all else being equal.

Many of your questions warrant an answer of "depends," such as clutch life. You drive like a drag-racer it will be MUCH shorter than if you drive like a reasonably mature commuter, which you seem to describe as your situation.

Maintenance costs? Depends, if you spring for a car that still has a warranty or not. Do you plan on doing your own maintenance or not. Do you get a dry-sump system that takes more oil at changing time or not. Etc., etc., etc.

Aftermarket goodies, wheels, et al.? Just look at the sites or catalogs of Vette suppliers. Or, look here. The company ads spread across the various Forum sections are impossible NOT to see. For example, sometimes browsing here I think I must be the only person on earth who doesn't have his own brand of C7, all-look-alike, aftermarket wheels for sale here!

Camera? Don't know, don't care. My base '18 has the rear and not the fronts... fine by me. You, though? Your call.

Comfortable??? Purely subjective call. I found the '18 base seats much more so than those in my C5. I was pleasantly surprised by the 1600 mile trip home after buying at Kerbeck's and I'm in my 8th decade, NOT a young twerp with stretchy sinews, etc. Further, for seats, if I were going to swap it wouldn't be to GM but some version of Recaros that I've had in other cars and find the best.

Also, do you like or can you tolerate the loooow profile run-flat tires with a sports car suspension? Again, I find the current much better than ones from long ago. Some cannot take the sports car ride, being used to luxo-barges all their lives. Your call.

Finally, GO DRIVE one or two and see for yourself! Doing so will put many of the subjective questions behind you. All the best no matter your choice!

PobreWey

1- Best year for your buck? That really depends on if you can find a low mileage used Vette for a good price compared to a new one for a heavily discounted price (20% off msrp or up), In my experience the 2014 and 2015's are a great buy used depending on where you look and your negotiation skills. Most 2016 and up models I find aren't discounted much for the obvious reason they aren't as old.

2- Built in camera a option or standard?

Available on all models for an extra fee if you want it except for the 3lt's which have it as a standard feature. At least for the performance recorder/front cam, back up cam might be on all models standard.

3- Maintenance cost? I understand they are reliable but wonder how they are to maintain overall as I do drive about 40k miles a year

Oil changes every few months (gm recommends every 7500 miles but I change it sooner) and everything else really depends on your driving habits (brakes etc). If you race then you'll be replacing the tires quite a bit and those cost at least a grand. GM recommends changing the passenger compartment air filter after 40,000 miles so that would be yearly for you. Transmission fluid every 45k miles, spark plugs after 60k miles, rear axle fluid every 45k miles. Pretty much the standard stuff.

5- Sport seats worth the upgrade? I saw online you can get factory sports seats for $1800
That really comes down to your opinion for the money. Most think it is. Go to a dealership and sit in both.

6- Long road trip comfortable? My daily commute is about 100 miles to and from work so I will spend a lot of time driving it
Soooooooo comfortable even though you wont think it is when you first sit in it. It just works.

7- Clutch life? I will get a manual #savethemanuals and was wondering how long the clutch should last
If you suck at driving a manual every year probably. If not probably a while.

m3incorp

When you say built in camera, are you talking about the front and rear parking cameras or the PDR (Performance Data Recorder/Navigation)?

Pineapple

1. I’d say the best bang for your buck is new 2017. They can be had for 20-25% off MSRP. Jan-Feb incentives aren’t as good as Q4 but I’d imagine dealers would be willing to mark them substantionally. If not then a new 2018.

2. Backup camera is standard on all years. PDR/Nav is on option and the front facing parking cameras are standard on 2LT (2016? and up).

3. Pretty much standard. Tires are going to be the most costly wearable item.

4. Competition seats look amazing but they are pricey option. Yes, you can upgrade to competition seats but that’s only for the seat backs and you’ll have to do he install yourself. Your bottom cushion and seat skin won’t quite match though, but it’s passable.

5. The base Stingray is very comfortable. Z51 is much firmer but it you get MSC then it’ll be just as comfortable as base.

6. Not really sure but I’d imagine you’d get at least 50-60k miles out of it if you don’t beat on it.

Rebel Yell

Since you've got good answers on your questions, here's the best advise I can give on which to buy. Buy the newest with the least amount of miles your budget will allow. Good luck, there are a ton of nice well cared for C7's out there. Be patient grasshopper, your's is out there also. Good hunting.

2016C7.paul

1) 2016, although that will change to 2017 over the course of the year, IMO. You really just need to obsess over autotrader and the other auto sales aggregators and see where the price points are. I got a killer deal on my 2016 LT1 with 8200 miles, but I think I got lucky buying at EOY because there were several 2017s marked down on price near that mileage but not in as a good a shape as the one I landed. Being able to show my dealer a similar car on autotrader marked down to a competitive price vs the one he was selling was what I was able to use to get the price I wanted on mine.

2) Built in reverse camera is standard on all models. LT2 and LT3 have front camera as an option.

3-7) Can't help on any of these, but interested to see responses from others.

mschuyler

Alec, the problem with your questions is that they are generic and subjective. Bless those people who attempt to answer them. Each one has been debated by people here for years with probably a book length's number of answers for all of them. Probably the best thing you could do for yourself is just hang here for a few days and go through the threads, pulling up what interests you. One thing you will learn very quickly is that it's all about personal choice and preference. What some people hate other people love. And that's okay. Just as one example, there are people here who insist a 1LT equipped Vette is the best bang for the buck by far and they'll argue to their death over this one point. Other people won't touch anything less than a 3LT. Most people probably will agree a 2LT is the "sweet spot" where value is concerned Which answer is correct? Pick one. So hang out. Pick one issue at a time and explore it. Researching the issues is part of the fun of it all.

teejake

alec_corvette

yes

iTom

Great advice. I have been doing exactly what you suggested since I just joined myself.

Mehrlovin

I too have a manual and it should be interesting to see how long it lasts as my daily driver. Upside is that I have read that RWD clutch replacement is much easier and faster than front wheel drive. You're looking at 4-5 hours labor instead of 8-9. If you put 40k miles a year on it, it should last at least that long I think.

JoesC5

Corvettes are expensive to repair once they are out of warranty.

If you drive 40,000 miles annually, you will be out of the Bumper to Bumper warranty in 11 months and out of the powertrain warranty in 18 months.

Maybe you should consider a nice used C6 for around $25,000 and a daily driver for around $20,000.

oldmantex1

I was looking at used for a good while. I bought a new 2017 Stingray in December and ended up getting almost 20% off list. Yes, I paid more for it than the used one's I was looking at, but it was such a good deal, I couldn't pass it up.

As one member here told me when I was searching and posted here about my search for a Vette he told me "don't get in a hurry, be patient, really good deals are out there, you just have to find them and that sometimes can take a while". It turned out to be excellent advice. Best of luck on your search!!