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I live in Southern Indiana. We don't get much snow like the northern part of the state. I also work from home if necessary, so snowy days would not be an issue.
Here's a different perspective for you: Mine is not a daily driver, and I could not see driving it every day. I am tall with long legs, so getting in and out is a bit awkward. Once I'm in, its very comfortable. Visibility also isn't that great for me since the roof line is low. I have to lean forward to see the traffic lights if I'm the first one in line. It's also not very fun to drive in heavy traffic where I have to change lanes frequently, or in the city where I have to park next to curbs or constantly check my blind spot. The wide track and tiny rear windows limit blind spot visibility and make it hard to accurately judge where the wheels are.
If I was buying a daily driver, I would probably go the BMW M route for better visibility, head room, and ingress / egress.
This is not in any way a criticism of the Corvette. I love mine for what I use it for, and I wouldn't have any other car. I have a Silverado for family outings, and general utility, and a Prius as a daily beater. However, my physical dimensions and geographical location make the Corvette impractical for daily use.
Thanks for the reply. All good points. I'm 6'4", not overly tall but I also have long legs and really big feet, thus the name. I can identify with the getting in and out issue.
I'm 6'5" 270 lbs and I daily drive my Z51. I bought the car last November; 4 months, 11,000 miles. I'm in PA and there were at least 4 weeks in that 4 months I didn't drive it. I have a Suburban for anything the vette can't do.
In the 18 months I owned my last vette, a C6, I put on 35,000 miles.
And there are now AW tires available for the GS; there weren't last year.
I'm 6'5" 270 lbs and I daily drive my Z51. I bought the car last November; 4 months, 11,000 miles. I'm in PA and there were at least 4 weeks in that 4 months I didn't drive it. I have a Suburban for anything the vette can't do.
In the 18 months I owned my last vette, a C6, I put on 35,000 miles.
And there are now AW tires available for the GS; there weren't last year.
When I got it end of 2016 I used to be careful where I was going so Id drive my old Expedition when I was doing my photoshoots or knew parking would be less than ideal. I finally got over the Corvette Forum **** Paranoia and started driving it every chance I get. Damn - I paid a lot for the car and it needs to be driven and I love every minute in it. Sorry everyone - But I never thought about Orange Peel and Wrapping my car in plastic to protect it before I joined this forum. I don't measure the panel gaps on my car and have never done that with any car. I was driving yesterday and noticed that 99% of the cars I saw had Orange Peel. No idea which version of the plant the cars were produced at and which version of the paint shops they were painted in. Almost every day someone stops me or approaches me to say how beautiful my car is. They are not measuring panel gaps and searching for imperfections from driving the car. Perspective is good here. Yesterday I read of someone who was devastated that they dinged the front of their prized Corvette. Drive em like you stole em!!!!
This is a common question here and I would say it depends on your lifestyle and the sort of activities you participate in. As an example, I work from home so any daily driving I do is not a commute to work but for a specific reason.
Frequently I take my dog out into the mountains of CO for hikes. The "roads" to the trailhead are often gravel or dirt with heavy washboarding. I wouldn't put my dog in my grand sport and it wouldn't survive those roads. Sometimes I run to a nursery and pick up bags of composted manure for the greenhouse. While I could fit a few bags and make several fun trips with the GS, I'm not going to do that. Sometimes people come to visit and I'll pick them up from the airport. If it is more than one person...
I think you get the idea. I drive the Vette as often as possible in the summer. If I could get all season run flats I'd take it out more in cold temps. I still wouldn't drive it if there was salt on icy roads but that is a personal decision.
But that's just my personal situation. If someone lived in a warm climate and their activities were more like "drive to work and back", "stop at the grocery store", "meet friends for dinner" then hell yeah, daily drive.
I think it makes a -great- second car, and I daily drive mine in the summer when it's nice out. But I'd be hard pressed to recommend a Vette as your first, only, or even primary car.
Now if you live in SoCal or something you're probably fine. But in North Dakota you'll be making payments from October through May while it sits in a garage, so it depends a lot on how and where this daily driving will take place.
I live in Northern Virginia and daily drive mine. No problems as long as the weather is good. I spent a lot of $$ on this car and plan to use it as much as I want. Got some track days coming up too. The C7 GS is an amazing car that's absolutely meant to be driven. I have a Toyota Tundra for the days I won't drive the GS due to snow and ice.
I live in Southern Indiana. We don't get much snow like the northern part of the state. I also work from home if necessary, so snowy days would not be an issue.
In a warmer climate I see no reason not to drive it every day. In the snow belt states its going to have to go on a shelf for 4 months im afraid. No way this car is viable in snow and ice as a daily driver.
Thanks for the reply. All good points. I'm 6'4", not overly tall but I also have long legs and really big feet, thus the name. I can identify with the getting in and out issue.
I've had three Corvette daily drivers in a row - '03 Coupe, '08 Coupe (84,000 miles in 10 years), and now my '16 Z06.
While there would be more convenient vehicles for ingress/egress, I thoroughly enjoy driving these cars and wouldn't trade it for something more convenient but less fun to drive, even when it's raining a lot. If you think it's "challenging" getting in and out, try getting your wheelchair in/out several times a day - not the least inconvenient for me since it's just routine and worth the extra effort! Several wheelchair users I know choose to drive a van for convenience - I just couldn't do it myself.
I've had my Z06 15 months and am just rolling up to 15,000 miles.
I've had three Corvette daily drivers in a row - '03 Coupe, '08 Coupe (84,000 miles in 10 years), and now my '16 Z06.
While there would be more convenient vehicles for ingress/egress, I thoroughly enjoy driving these cars and wouldn't trade it for something more convenient but less fun to drive, even when it's raining a lot. If you think it's "challenging" getting in and out, try getting your wheelchair in/out several times a day - not the least inconvenient for me since it's just routine and worth the extra effort! Several wheelchair users I know choose to drive a van for convenience - I just couldn't do it myself.
I've had my Z06 15 months and am just rolling up to 15,000 miles.
Thanks guys. I guess I'll be fine after it gets rained on the first time. The weird part it is, the car has been waiting for me since Monday to be picked up but I was waiting for a nice day. I have some adjusting to do.
I dodged rain clouds for the first couple of months. Then got caught in monsoon between Bowling Green and Nashville and it was finally baptized. I still watch the weather to some extent. I know it's just a car, but I have a beater car for the daily 60 mile grind. GS is used for track, cruising, coffee and cars, and running to the beer store!
I see the Corvette as a mass produced sports car with a Chevy engine. You should ride it hard and hang it up wet at the end of the day. It will look back at you and say, "Is that all you got".
I see the Corvette as a mass produced sports car with a Chevy engine. You should ride it hard and hang it up wet at the end of the day. It will look back at you and say, "Is that all you got".
Life is too short to buy a nice car like a z06 then drive a POS as a daily (weather permitting). I live in south florida and I can get a corolla or camry as a daily driver and let the z06 sit in the garage but id feel miserable leaving it there and going anywhere in the camry thinking why I am driving this instead of that if I own BOTH. If I had a wife and kids, or lived somewhere up north then it would have been a different story but im glad I can pull it off.
03-22-2018, 11:50 AM
