Hi all,

I am considering trading my Macan S in for a 2019 Stingray.
Prior to the Macan, I had a V series Cadillac.

My other car is a Jeep Wrangler 2-door, which I drive most of the time....and really enjoy.
Also got it to lug around my 100lb German shepherd dog


Just wanted to get some feedback on the Stingray.
-attracts cops - tickets?
-comfortable for road trips with my wife.
-auto vs stick.
-hold out for the 2020?
-how is the removable top in storing in the back with travel bags?
-how does the interior and exterior hold up. (with detailing and waxing)
-cost to maintain? Macan S maintenance costs are ridiculous.
-also considering a Lexus RC-F coupe, or Shelby GT350.

--Greg

 

I have a 2017 Stingray with the 7spd manual & my girlfriend has a 2019 with the 8spd automatic. Since the C7 will be the last Corvette with a stick-shift, this is your chance to get one. If you prefer an automatic anyway, then a C7 or a C8 willl be suitable for you. Just know that you'll pay A LOT MORE for a C8 than a C7.

Whatever Corvette you decide to buy, you will be part of a brotherhood of car nuts -- and any model of the car will turn heads and get a "thumbs up" wherever you go.

Pull that trigger!!

P.S. I never owned a Porsche or other exotic car, so it is hard for me to compare one to the Corvette.

 

Thanks for the response.
I really love the look of the C7. Will have to test drive one.
My last car was a ATS-V which had a bi-turbo 6, the Macan S has a bi-turbo 6 as well. Both in the 400+ HP range. But, just love the sound of a V8.

I am just steering away from European cars, as the maintenance costs can gouge pretty hard. $600-1000 maintenances :-(

I used to have a 2009 Challenger R/T and a 2006 Mustang GT...both a lot of fun. But now more into cars that handle and feel the road.

 

-Not a big believer in the cars themselves attracting cops. The way people drive them certainly does. Had two torch red corvettes and never even spoke with a cop. You just gotta use the thing between your two ears.
-I like stick.
-I didn't wait for a C8 and just bought a brand new 2019 Grand Sport (stick). Lots of car for the money.
-Not expensive to maintain. Oil and tires. There have been bent and cracked rims but I didn't have any on my first Grand Sport.
-Tons of storage under the rear hatch.
-Comfortable to me.
-Easy to detail even though with my height my back feels it getting down low.

Now is the time to buy a C7. Crazy discounts. Like mentioned above, pull the trigger.

 

-attracts cops - tickets? Not at all. But then, I drive like a sane person and don't mind others passing me.
-comfortable for road trips with my wife. If you buy a Stingray Z51, be SURE you get one with Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) The GS has that feature standard as does the Z06. The base Stingray doesn't really need MRC and at this point in time it's probably hard to find a base with MRC anyway. But the Z51 has a stiff ride and you'll want MRC for long trips (and short ones).
-auto vs stick. The A8 has had some issues so you want to investigate that. However, the latest fluid change is supposed to correct the problem and there's always the plug in "range" device that solves the A8 issues. You just need to do a little homework. This is the last Corvette with a manual. If you want a new, manual Corvette, the clock is ticking.
-hold out for the 2020? Your decision. Keep in mind, the C7 has way more storage for those long trips.
-how is the removable top in storing in the back with travel bags? Don't understand this question. If you're asking what happens to storage when you put the top in the back, it consumes much of the space. I wouldn't try to put any suitcase back there with the top. You should ask your dealer to remove the top and show it being stored in the hatch area.
-how does the interior and exterior hold up. (with detailing and waxing) IMHO, it holds up very well. Some have put protective shields on their C7's paint, I didn't and don't regret it.
-cost to maintain? Macan S maintenance costs are ridiculous. It's a Chevy, costs are minimal. The only issue that may show up, if you buy a GS, there has been an issue with wheels bending and/or cracking. The base and Z51 do not have this issue at all. Not sure about the Z06 as those reports about the wheels are mixed.
-also considering a Lexus RC-F coupe, or Shelby GT350. Hard to say. Lexus makes reasonably reliable cars. I'm sure the RC-F is no exception. Although a good looking car, the Lexus just doesn't get the juices flowing or cause excitement like a Corvette does. The RC-F has been out for a few years now and no one seems excited about it, even the sales people. It's priced a little higher than a Z06, but performs more like a base Corvette (half the price of the Lexus). As for a Shelby GT350, if you want a car that looks a little different than the base, $25K counterpart, have at it. I looked at buying a high performance Mustang when I got back into Corvettes in 2012. After test driving two, I started counting the number of Mustangs I saw on the road during a 30 mile trip, maybe 20 or 30. Then I counted the number of Corvettes I saw on the same trip. My best recollection is one. I wanted the car that people would notice, not the upscale version of the car the kid up the street owns. But it's your call.

 

Test drive all 3 cars on your consideration list and see what one speaks to you the most.
Pretty much everyone here will tell you to buy a C7 over just about anything so....id focus on which car YOU like the best, those are 3 very different rides.


-attracts cops - tickets? not that i have noticed
-comfortable for road trips with my wife. YES but road noise can be a issue for some.
-auto vs stick. M7 without a doubt
-hold out for the 2020? MAYBE
-how is the removable top in storing in the back with travel bags? It can work but you better travel lite.
-cost to maintain? cheap compared to just about any other sports car.

 

Good luck in your decision.

 

I've had 3x Corvettes (78, 98 and now a 2019 C7) for 30+ years, and although I've had a few speeding tix in our family vehicles, never in one of the Vette's.

Mine have all been manual, so I'm biased. The 7-speed is a lovely gearbox...you won't regret getting it if that's what you decide on.

I had a Porsche 928 inbetween the C3 and C5 Vette's (needed a back seat for my young kids at the time) - thank goodness I had an honest and reasonably priced (from a labour standpoint) indie mechanic to service & repair it, but the parts costs were totally insane. I'd never buy another.

The C7 is an amazing machine...had it for 3 months and still blows me away every time I get behind the wheel (it's my daily driver for 8-9 months of the year...winter notwithstanding).

Good luck!

 

My comments are in red.

 

Cops love these cars and do not single us out, as long as you behave you will be fine.

 

Some things I can answer:

Road trip comfort-i agree, if going z51 mag ride will greatly improved ride quality. I have a z51 with mag ride and it's great on highways. It will follow grooves on poorly maintained roads though, so you still have to be more alert than usual sometimes.

Wind and tire noise is noticeable higher than in regular vehicles. I have a coupe. They say the convertible is actually more quiet than the coupe.

Auto vs Manual - Gotta say 100% personal preference here. If you aren't sure test drive both. No known mechanical issues with the manuals. A small number of autos have a judder in the torque converter occasionally. GM is fixing them as necessary. I have m7.

Travel bags - not a lot of space under the stored roof, but there is some space forward of it. Go ask a dealer to let you measure with the roof stored.

Interior and exterior durability - Interior is fine. Exterior has some issues. The paint scratches more easily than on the two VWs and one Subaru I've owned. And the rocker panels are not nearly adequately protected from pebbles and rocks thrown up by the front tires. At a minimum you'll need a larger piece of plastic film than what comes installed from the factory.

Maintenance costs are low compared to Porsche.

 

I like my '18 St'ray... a LOT! But, I'm a life-long sports car guy in his 8th decade. The simplest answer to your question is the best... drive one (with your wife along for the ride--or better driving) and see what she thinks. It's NOT your or your father's (or, anyone else's production Cadillac, though). All the best!

 

I have a Macan Turbo and a 911 GT3. Porsche maintenance costs can be high but if you are the slightest bit handy they're no more expensive than a Chevy to maintain. Oil is oil, plugs are plugs.

 

Besides being a fantastic car to drive and a real looker, the vette has a real strong heritage with dedicated fans. I really love that aspect of Corvette ownership. BTW, the stick is a real pleasure to drive and the clutch is easier to push down than you would think. The C7 is your last opportunity to get a new corvette with a stick. Jump on it.

 

I own a 2019 Stingray convertible, mag ride, stick shift. owned it for a year now, and still love taking it out for a spin. It handles great and is very comfortable for a car that will handle like it does. tour mode is nice ride, and sport mode firms it up nicely if you prefer, or need that. for road trips you will get some tire noise when going high speeds, but with the Corsa sport exhaust i installed i hear the beautiful exhaust note rather than the tires, at all speeds other than freeway speeds. I believe the C7 is the most sports car you can get for your money, and for me it's been very low cost to operate, in fact it's had zero issuess so far.. LT1 motor has great record for reliability. Go test drive one, I think you'll be impressed. Convertibles are lower tire noise.

 

-attracts cops - tickets? Not really, I daily drive my red 2015 and have not had any issues. But then I also pay attention to my surrounding and radar detector when getting on it.
-comfortable for road trips with my wife. Absolutely, my wife loves mine. I have a 7-spd Z51, Mag ride, 3LT with competition seats. If I had it to do again, I'd go for 7-spd Z51, Mag ride, 2LT with standard seats. The comp seats are really snug and still comfortable for trips, but are honestly overkill for street use.
-auto vs stick. Stick. Definitely stick. The 7-spd in the C7 is the best manual transmission I've ever owned/driven and I've driven a LOT of manual cars. The rev match function is a blast, it's smooth shifting and just so much fun to row the gears, plus it's the last of the manual Corvettes.
-hold out for the 2020? If you don't care about stick vs auto, then waiting for the C8 becomes a harder decision. The C8 is going to be great, but the 2020 is the first year of a completely new design. Will probably be a few teething issues, which of course is what a warranty is for, but do you feel like dealing with them. The 2019 is the last/best of the C7 run. If you like attention and being an early adopter, then the 2020 may be right up your alley (if you can find one that will be delivered before 2021).
-how is the removable top in storing in the back with travel bags? Cargo storage with roof in place is great, plenty of storage for you and your wife to spend a week or two in the car. With the roof off, your going to lose most of that storage are. The C8 will be better about this as you'd still have the frunk even with roof off, and the C8 convertible will be a game change for this as storage will be same roof up or down.
-how does the interior and exterior hold up. (with detailing and waxing) Fairly well. There are some complaints about the 3LT dash "bubbling". Although I have not had this issue it's one of the reasons I'd go 2LT instead of 3LT. Exterior wise, the car holds up well, but I'd highly recommend clear bra for the nose and full ceramic coating. Ceramic coating makes it much easier to take care of as everything washes off much easier.
-cost to maintain? Macan S maintenance costs are ridiculous. Corvettes have always been fairly low maintenance. Change the oil as required, change the tires and brakes when they wear out. That's about it.
-also considering a Lexus RC-F coupe, or Shelby GT350. Lexus is a Lexus, it's not even in the same category as a Corvette. GT350 is something I keep looking at, but mainly because of the engine (I'm a sucker for high rpm DOHC motors, as evidenced by my 91 ZR-1).

 

attracts cops - I haven't had that problem (yet) but the car is FAST, you will be exceeding the speed limit very quickly
comfortable for road trips with my wife - very much so, get the mag-ride and put it in Tour mode, very smooth, excellent ride quality
auto vs stick - stick
hold out for the 2020 - if you are willing to wait, pay top dollar and gamble on an unproven platform
how is the removable top in storing in the back with travel bags - small soft luggage will fit (duffel bag), even with the top stored there is some room in front of it. The rear hatch storage is massive if the top is on, you'll be shocked at how much stuff fits back there.
how does the interior and exterior hold up - Interior depends on the trim level, the more basic = more plastic = more durable. I have the 3LT and its upscale, but the microfiber (suede) and leather are showing wear at 30K. Exterior better then average since its a composite (plastic / fiberglass) so you get no dings or rust.
cost to maintain - its a Chevy that shares parts with other GM vehicles. My brother has a Porsche Cayenne and a Boxster. I bought a C7... 'Nuff said.

 

-attracts cops - tickets? *Not so far. I always use a V1 though. Get yourself a good radar detector and you will feel better about that.
-comfortable for road trips with my wife. *Yes. My wife actually likes the vette. Drove it back to Dallas over a long weekend after Museum delivery. Catch the Corvette luggage set on sale here from time to time - great.
-auto vs stick. "C8 will never have a manual option. If you are at all tempted, I'd say now is the time. Mine is an M7, and I love it.
-hold out for the 2020? *I would never buy a first year model anything. But thats just me.
-how is the removable top in storing in the back with travel bags? *Mine is a convertible, so I can't speak to that.
-how does the interior and exterior hold up. (with detailing and waxing) *Only had mine since May. All good so far.
-cost to maintain? Macan S maintenance costs are ridiculous. *Too early to tell, but I don't expect any big repair bills. I likely will buy a warranty when the time comes.
-also considering a Lexus RC-F coupe, or Shelby GT350. * I like your style, but I'd choose the C7 over either. Just personal preferences.

 

I think you will fall in love with the corvette as long as you get one that is not bare bones...Meaning get at least a 2LT, Z51with mag ride or a GS. Of course this is an opinion...just based on my experience. Beware the GS has cast rims so cracking has been an issue for some. The biggest shock you might have is dealing with the dealership. Just be prepared for a lower level of service.

 

Asking us for advice only helps rationalize a decision you might have already made in your head

If you haven't driven a C7 yet then go test drive one - good chance you will buy one - these are GREAT cars

Also if you decide you don't like it in a year or two (doubtful) you probably won't have any problem selling it or trading for something else. Good luck