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Sounds like the Base w/2LT would be great for you.
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Minimum is a 2LT, but if money is no object get a 3LT! I had a 3LT 2014 Z51 but GM got cheap on the interiors in ~2016. IMO the only 3LT interior color worth the extra cost is Splice Red (if the exterior color fits.) It has full leather on the dash and door panels like my 3LT Kalahari. The other 3LT's look like a patch work quilt, IMO!
From your description of what you want to do with the car, get the base car and not with the Z51 option. The same issues with the Z51 fits the Grand Sport and Z06 even more with wider tires only at help near the traction limit (where I drive from time to time!) Here is why:
It will perform like a great GT car no need for the HD Suspension.
The Z51, Grand Sport and Z06 have heavy duty springs a front sway bar as big as an axle and a sway bar in the rear.
The base car has normal springs, a smaller sway bar in the front and none in the rear (the way the transverse spring is mounted provides a sufficient sway bar effect.)
Might as well get the MRC option although it CANNOT make the Z51, GS and Z06 stiff springs and huge sway bars ride smooth - it can help the base car ride and when needed performance. My Grand Sport with MRC even set a Touring is not what one would consider a "smooth ride." That is even with the MRC software update. It's fine for me but I also liked the ride on our relatively good roads in Eastern SC with my 2014 C7, Z51 without MRC. But when the wife and I take trips we use her 2018 BMW X5 SUV!
With the base car, you won't have to change the brake pads as soon as you get the car home with the base car! You will with the others as I did in my 2014 Z51 and my Grand Sort as soon as in was in the garage! Or as I did for too long with my 2014 I was cleaning my wheels of excess brake dust every ~100/200 miles as it not only looked bad it was pitting my black wheels if left on. Now I wash the wheels when I wash the car with the Carbotech 1521 street ceramic pads I installed.
The 2LT is the minimum to get as it has may features I would not do without, 1] adjustable memory seats (helps get in and out) 2] adjustable lumbar,) 3] HUD (allows you to keep your eyes on the road) and 4] A rear subwoofer that was missing form my C6 and is needed to drown out the tire and road noise!
Since your wife does not want a Vert you'll deal with more noise (all 5 of my Vetts have been coupes and I would not own a vert-that is one reason 83% of all C7s purchased are copes!) . But both are noisy and if listening to music fairly loud (my method of dealing with it) or you want to talk to your wife, then consider having someone install noise insulation. Not easy and requires removing the seats so look for someone who has done it or be prepared to spend a day. Many threads on the subject on the forum.
Good Luck!
All 3LT. Loved my 3LT 2014 Kalahari. Would not consider a 3LT Grand Sport because it looks like a "patch work quilt" so bought a 2LT. Could find an exterior color you like with Splice Red!
Minimum is a 2LT, but if money is no object get a 3LT! I had a 3LT 2014 Z51 but GM got cheap on the interiors in ~2016. IMO the only 3LT interior color worth the extra cost is Splice Red (if the exterior color fits.) It has full leather on the dash and door panels like my 3LT Kalahari. The other 3LT's look like a patch work quilt, IMO!
From your description of what you want to do with the car, get the base car and not with the Z51 option. The same issues with the Z51 fits the Grand Sport and Z06 even more with wider tires only at help near the traction limit (where I drive from time to time!) Here is why:
It will perform like a great GT car no need for the HD Suspension.
The Z51, Grand Sport and Z06 have heavy duty springs a front sway bar as big as an axle and a sway bar in the rear.
The base car has normal springs, a smaller sway bar in the front and none in the rear (the way the transverse spring is mounted provides a sufficient sway bar effect.)
Might as well get the MRC option although it CANNOT make the Z51, GS and Z06 stiff springs and huge sway bars ride smooth - it can help the base car ride and when needed performance. My Grand Sport with MRC even set a Touring is not what one would consider a "smooth ride." That is even with the MRC software update. It's fine for me but I also liked the ride on our relatively good roads in Eastern SC with my 2014 C7, Z51 without MRC. But when the wife and I take trips we use her 2018 BMW X5 SUV!
With the base car, you won't have to change the brake pads as soon as you get the car home with the base car! You will with the others as I did in my 2014 Z51 and my Grand Sort as soon as in was in the garage! Or as I did for too long with my 2014 I was cleaning my wheels of excess brake dust every ~100/200 miles as it not only looked bad it was pitting my black wheels if left on. Now I wash the wheels when I wash the car with the Carbotech 1521 street ceramic pads I installed.
The 2LT is the minimum to get as it has may features I would not do without, 1] adjustable memory seats (helps get in and out) 2] adjustable lumbar,) 3] HUD (allows you to keep your eyes on the road) and 4] A rear subwoofer that was missing form my C6 and is needed to drown out the tire and road noise!
Since your wife does not want a Vert you'll deal with more noise (all 5 of my Vetts have been coupes and I would not own a vert-that is one reason 83% of all C7s purchased are copes!) . But both are noisy and if listening to music fairly loud (my method of dealing with it) or you want to talk to your wife, then consider having someone install noise insulation. Not easy and requires removing the seats so look for someone who has done it or be prepared to spend a day. Many threads on the subject on the forum.
Good Luck!
All 3LT. Loved my 3LT 2014 Kalahari. Would not consider a 3LT Grand Sport because it looks like a "patch work quilt" so bought a 2LT. Could find an exterior color you like with Splice Red!
Thanks jerryU
All very good suggestions and good reasoning too. But sometimes practical reasoning is not what drives us in a corvette purchase.
OK I think I can rule out a Z06, its just a little too crazy and we dont need that much power. The first thing I thought when I test drove one was that my lead-foot wife would kill herself. It got sideways on me tree times within the first mile and that was with the traction control engaged.
The non-z51 stingray makes the most sense and they are beautiful cars in a purist kind of way. There's something very appealing about the car without all that add-on ground effects all over the place.
But I have to admit to myself that I love the looks of the Grandsport the best and the GS would be my choice if I could just know that I could live with tire noise and stiff ride. I do know that I didnt like the tire chatter at full lock in the parking lot.
There's nothing about the GS that makes it a better cruiser than a base engined Stingray properly equipped, as your description of intended use stated. If you're buying on what you believe looks better, that's a different subject. To jump all your intricate ordering hurdles, you'd better get with a knowledgeable Chev. salesman.
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09, '14-'15-'16-'17-'18
Originally Posted by flynbulldog
So its down to the GS or the Stingray
Maybe this photo might help you decide...one of my favorite pics of my C7 Z51 optioned Stingray...best car I've ever had. No ground effects, stripes, or other add-ons. Just great, comfortable performance and a great cruiser.
Last edited by ExRedRacer; 06-05-2018 at 01:20 PM.
There's nothing about the GS that makes it a better cruiser than a base engined Stingray properly equipped, as your description of intended use stated. If you're buying on what you believe looks better, that's a different subject. To jump all your intricate ordering hurdles, you'd better get with a knowledgeable Chev. salesman.
I agree.
I want to be somewhat practical but a corvette in itself is not a practical decision. So its got to be a balance - I have to satisfy the emotional desire while being as practical as that will allow.
But I have to admit to myself that I love the looks of the Grandsport the best and the GS would be my choice if I could just know that I could live with tire noise and stiff ride. I do know that I didnt like the tire chatter at full lock in the parking lot.
So its down to the GS or the Stingray
I love my Grand Sport as well, but then all 5 of my Vettes have had HD suspension and so did my modified S-10 pickup when between Vettes!
Then again I was driving a CJ5 Jeep for the winter when we lived in OH & CT and I had a 260Z. It drove stiffer than all of them!
Good idea if the wife has a lead foot to avoid the extra power-just watch what that GM Exec did crashing the ZR1 as a pace car at the recent Indy car race!
If you felt chatter, it will happen to some extent with full lock turns in the base car as well if below about 50F. At 40F the tires don't have much traction so you must drive more carefully. In Eastern SC I seldom have to drive below 40F- you will have to where your area. Could buy winter tires or all-season but they have been promised for the Z06/GS for years! We'll see! Another reason you may want to consider the base car-they are available for it.
That is another thing I do! When below 35F I take the wife's SUV! In fact she seldom rides in the Vette, which is just as well as I have to drive like an old man when she does! Leaving for a 2 1/2 hour drive to Charleston for Spalato on Friday. Would not think of driving anything but the SUV. Park, drive in downtown Charleston?- Never with the Vette!
I love my Grand Sport as well, but then all 5 of my Vettes have had HD suspension and so did my modified S-10 pickup when between Vettes!
Then again I was driving a CJ5 Jeep for the winter when we lived in OH and I had a 260Z. It drove stiffer than all of them!
Good idea if the wife has a lead foot to avoid the extra power-just watch what that GM Exec did crashing the ZR1 as a pace car at the recent Indy car race!
If you felt chatter, it will happen to some extent with full lock turns in the base car as well if below about 50F. At 40F the tires don't have much traction so you must drive more carefully. In Eastern SC I seldom have to drive below 40F- you will have to where you are. Could buy winter tires or all-season but they have been promised for the Z06/GS for years! We'll see! Another reason you may want to consider the base car-they are available for it.
That is another thing I do! When below 35F I take the wife's SUV! In fact she seldom rides in the Vette, which is just as well as I have to drive like an old man when she does! Leaving for a 2 1/2 hour drive to Charleston for Spalato on Friday. Would not think of driving anything but the SUV- park, drive in downtown Charleston?- Never with the Vette!
Our other car is also an X5 50i with the big wheels. We drove it from Colorado to NC a couple of years ago and the tire noise was deafening. We put new tires on it last year and it has been great since.
The crazy teenager in me still wants the badass car but I know it will be smarter to be sensible. I feel like this right now
Maybe this photo might help you decide...one of my favorite pics of my C7 Z51 optioned Stingray...best car I've ever had. No ground effects, stripes, or other add-ons. Just great, comfortable performance and a great cruiser.
Take a look at the Base Stingray 1LT, add the options you want most and total it up. Then ask yourself if the upgrade to a 2LT is worth $4500 more or a 3LT worth over 9 grand more. I have a 2018 automatic 1LT Stingray with Nav/DataRecorder, red calipers, black Z51 wheels, and performance exhaust, and it is all I really need in a Corvette. I would have liked the forward looking camera in the 2LT package, but it was not worth an additional $4500 to me.
Our other car is also an X5 50i with the big wheels. We drove it from Colorado to NC a couple of years ago and the tire noise was deafening. We put new tires on it last year and it has been great since.
The crazy teenager in me still wants the badass car but I know it will be smarter to be sensible. I feel like this right now
I'm 75 going on 19 myself! You only live once!
Funny the wife's BMW X5 SUV with 20 inch diameter 315 section width run flats in the rear is much quitter than the Vette. It has much more sound insulation.
I'm fine with the noise, I just have the sound system playing >1000 songs in shuffle mode when I start the Vette - it's seldom off. Janis Joplin singing "Cry Baby" drowns out the noise!
There are safe places to have fun, like around the fountain at the end of my street. No house within a 1/2 mile and grass field on the right. Get over 1 "g" with no excitement-just a big smile!
The wide tires do help traction! My ProStreet Rod used to laugh when I pulled in with my Z51-Now it only chuckles!
I just traded in my 2015 3LT base for a 2018 2LT GS last weekend. I have put over 1000 miles on it in 2 weekends driving my son to soccer tournaments on Michigan's west side and it is just as comfortable as the base car and slightly more fun to drive.
Both cars are equally loud on the freeway even with stealth mode on, you cant avoid that. I averaged 28.8 mpg last weekend in eco mode on the freeway at 80mph.
i have been in love with the wide body since it came out and was just waiting to upgrade into it for the last year. Bottom line is if you like the look of the WB better get a GS or you will regret it. My new ride...
gret it.
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09, '14-'15-'16-'17-'18
One more thing...
No matter what you decide on, be SURE you get at least the 2LT package because it includes the front cameras, a must when parking. You'll be very glad you did every time you park up against a curb or those concrete tire-stoppers.
Z06 Coupe for luggage space. We have owned the 15,16,and the 18 Z06. They are our vacation cars and we have driven all over the United States in them. If you get a seven speed manual,stay away from San Francisco.
Last edited by robertbruce; 06-05-2018 at 02:49 PM.
Well I just got a new dose of reality. I checked in with a sales guy and with all of the options that I want he said putting that much into a stingray would make it impossible to sell when the time comes. A grand sport can command higher prices used than a stingray so if I want to go crazy with the options the GS would hold its value better...
Our other car is also an X5 50i with the big wheels. We drove it from Colorado to NC a couple of years ago and the tire noise was deafening. We put new tires on it last year and it has been great since.
The crazy teenager in me still wants the badass car but I know it will be smarter to be sensible. I feel like this right now
Have fun. Life is meant to be lived. Sometimes you just gotta do what makes your testis quiver. It's all about the experience. If the thrill of a base Vette does it for you, go for it but if you want to be cruising down the road at a steady 300 MPH clip with your lips pulled to the back of your neck thinking you've never felt so alive then that Z06 makes a fine road car!
06-05-2018, 10:12 AM
Minimum is a 2LT, but if money is no object get a 3LT! I had a 3LT 2014 Z51 but GM got cheap on the interiors in ~2016. IMO the only 3LT interior color worth the extra cost is Splice Red (if the exterior color fits.) It has full leather on the dash and door panels like my 3LT Kalahari. The other 3LT's look like a patch work quilt, IMO!
I'm 75 going on 19 myself! You only live once!
