I have been reading on the form the last few months, finally decided to sign up. So it is time to get started with some questions.

This will be my first corvette after wanting one for several years. I was looking to purchase a used 2017 Grand Sport or a 2017 Z51. I have seen a Grand Sport 2LT for $51, 895 and it has about 7, 961 miles on it. I saw another 2017 Grand Sport for $51,900 with 4,400 miles 1LT. I have not seen them yet but I would look at them before I purchase. Thoughts on those prices they are bot about and hour away.
So I thought I was all set to purchase a Grand Sport in a few weeks after Christmas but I have seen that some dealers are offering some pretty good deals on the Stingray 1 lt for about $49,736 (the highest I have seen, and the Stingray 2 Lt is around 53,700 (the highest). These deals are good at some places until 01-02-20.

I do not have any plans on tracking the car and it will not be driven everyday. after reading on the forum I have a concern about the Grand Sport rimes. (not sure if this is a problem with the 2017 Grand Sports). Trying to make a good choice for a first time corvette owner who is starting to get the fever. Would like to get some thoughts on if I should go used or new.

Thanks in Advance

 

Welcome to the CF!

 

Moved this over to C7 General for some comments on your questions.

 

The Base non Z51 Stingray has very soft and mushy ride characteristics. Due to no rear sway bar and skinny 35 mm shocks. For about $800 you can greatly improve the handling with shocks and sway bars.

 

i literally just went through exact same decision...ended up going with a 2017z51 2LT with 5k miles and got for 46,500....between gs and z51 not a ton of performance difference but gs is a tick faster but you won’t be able to tell if you aren’t racing it.

for me it came down to the styling vs cost, while I like the gs styling it wasn’t enough to push me from the z51. Also, the insurance was higher on the gs so for me the z51 basically new was my choice for my 1st Vette...and I’m loving it.

will likely keep for a few years then buy a used 2019 z06 7m...good luck

 

Make sure to check out new ones too. GM released December incentives recently. New 2019 Grand Sport 1LT manuals can be had for $54k. Not much more than your used deals. Getting to be thin pickings though. Used gives you more options to buy.

 

Agree with Zjoe6 on the new cars. Dealers local to me are showing decent inventory and Z06 1LZ cars selling for high 60's, GS 2LT cars in the high 50's, and 1LT Stingray's in the low 40's.

Best of luck finding the car right for you!!

 

Same boat back in May...brand new was to much for me..budget was around 60.000. I know you can purchase a new one for 60,000 but not with the options I wanted. I prefer not a GS because of the rim issue and increase expense. Went with a z51 2lt 2018 CPO model. MSRP was 78,000 and my price was 55,555 - yes...5 is my favorite number - speedracer mach 5.

If you go new and get an auto make sure they do the triple flush before you sign for it.

Good luck on your search...it is half the fun.

 

[QUOTE=The Successful Plumber;1600624691]The Base non Z51 Stingray has very soft and mushy ride characteristics. Due to no rear sway bar and skinny 35 mm shocks. For about $800 you can greatly improve

 

This has been a hard choice as Iam sure alot of you had to make as well. What is the triple flush.?

 

Both Stingray and Grandsport are Great sportscars, Choice as to which to purchase depends how much you like the wide-body look and how much you value the performance/handling/breaking aspects. Z51 addresses the performance factor to an extent if you don't care for wide-body.

NPP exhaust and MRC are a must in my opinion.

Below is a little info that may help in your decision:

There's basically (3) reasons the Grand Sport is appealing to so many:

• The beautiful and exotic wide-body look is VERY POPULAR.
• The exceptional marrying of power-handling-braking makes the over-all Grand Sport driving experience among that of the very finest sportscars in the world.
• The GS package offers the most bang for the buck of any C7 package.

Z16 GS Performance Package features ($10,000): Specific front fender inserts; Z06 style grill; wider rear fenders; front splitter; rocker skirts, additional brake cooling vents and wickerbill rear spoiler; GS CUP-style wheels; Michelin super-sport summer only tires (P285/30ZR19” front, P33525ZR20” rear); 6-piston front and 4-pison front Bremo brakes; Slotted brake rotors; Magnetic Ride Control and Electronic Limited-slip differential; NPP exhaust, Dry-sump oil system; Rear differential cooler; transmission cooler.

Z51 Performance Package features ($5,000): Performance brakes; Black painted calibers; Slotted brake rotors; Dry sump oil system, specific shocks, springs and stabilizer bars; NPP exhaust; performance gear ratios, Electronic Limited-slip differential; Rear differential cooler; transmission cooler and Areo package.

Trim/Equipment Packages:

1LT
A nicely equipped sportscar including 8” touchscreen, Bose AM-FM 9 speaker stereo, 3 month Sirius/XM,MP3, MyLink, OnStar, 4G LTE, 8” HD driver info screen, leather power GT sports seats, power break set/release, power locks/windows, active handling, dual-zone-climate control AC, keyless access/start, power tilt/telescopic, leather wrap steering w/flat bottom wheel, cruise control, tire pressure monitor, driver, passenger and side airbags, carbon fiber hood, Bremo 4-piston disc brakes, rear view camera, coup- body color painted carbon fiber roof panels, convertible- power soft-top which can be lowered remotely.

2LT includes (adds $4500):

Adds a few additional amenities including everything found in the 1LT plus: Console and door panels in interior color, Lumbar/wing adjust, Heated/vented seats, Seat emblems, front camera, 10-speaker Bose® premium audio system, Universal Home Remote, Auto-dimming mirrors, Memory Package, Head-Up Display, SiriusXM Satellite Radio with one-year subscription, Enhanced Theft-Deterrent Package, Luggage shade/cargo net

3LT includes (adds $9745):

Everything found in the 1LT and 2LT plus: Navation, PDR upgraded leather. Keep in mind that there is risk of leather dash cracking/peeling in the 3LT interiors which is about a $3000 repair if not covered under warranty.

Hope this helps.

 

The very best advice I can give you is DO NOT FALL IN LOVE WITH A CAR THAT YOU ARE CONSIDERING. Over the last 50 years I have seen innumerable people make serious mistakes when purchasing a Corvette because they fell in love with the car they were looking at and didn't really look at the car and how good or bad it was. This mainly applies to purchasing used but can apply to new cars as well since mistakes can be made when it comes to what options are on the car or in most cases not on the car. Used cars need to be gone over with a fine tooth comb. Spend several hours checking everything out. Inside, outside, under the hood, under the car and any maintenance paper work that is available. Check ownership history. You don't need to be a mechanic to spot things that are obviously wrong and hiring a mechanic to check it out may or may not work if there are internal power train issues that don't come to light during a short test drive.

As for choosing a 1LT Vs a higher trim level the thing to think about is the 2LT is the sweet spot when considering cost Vs convenience options especially when new. Before purchasing a 1LT make sure you can live with the car that may not have all the features you might want. In the used market 3LTs will drop quicker in price due to needing to compete against 2LTs that are equipped almost as well so sometimes you can find the deal that gets you the top of the line without spending too much more. The difference between the 2LTs and the 3LTs is the 3LTs come with the factory Nav/PDR and the leather wrapped interior. A large number of the 2LTs have the NAV/PDR added as an option so the only real difference is the leather wrapped interior. How much more do you pay for something that looks almost identical to the non leather wrapped interior?

From an overall value standpoint I believe you would be better off going with a GS Vs the Z51 because the GS will hold it's value better than the Z51. Most people desire the wide body look and that will continue into the future.

Bill

 

Thank you very much. great read. I have stayed neutral on the vehicles that I have seen. The sale for the new cars goes until 01-02-20. I am thinking about going to the dealer on that date to see if I can get a great deal depending on what is left.

 

Kevin really summed it up in a nutshell for you. All the information to make an education decision is within the info he shared. Two bits of information I can offer in addition:

1) Download the app Corvette DNA - it's a great tool that can help you determine the value of a Corvette, based on its year, condition, options, mileage, etc. Since it looks like your buying used - its a great way to walk into a dealership armed with a starting point to negotiate.

2) I owned a 14 Z51 and just bought a 17 GS. There is nothing to complain about either model - they are both GREAT GREAT cars. I give the GS some extra points in the looks department, cause of the added body panels/vents/tires, etc. I also think the GS drives "smoother"...which I would guess is because its wider... It should come down to your budget vs. what body style you like most.

Best of Luck - you cant go wrong with either model of Vette

 

Be sure to test drive all variations that you are considering buying. I was also briefly tempted by the low prices on brand new base 1LT Stingrays until I compared the ride/handling to a Z51 with Magnetic Ride... there was no question that the soft/bouncy base suspension was not for me. I am also glad that I bought one with the 2LT package because the HUD, 8 way adjustable seats with heating/ventilation and curb view cameras are all features that are useful and enjoyable to have. Again, test drive and compare because you don't want to drop this amount of money on a car only to wish that you had bought one with different options. Good luck in your search.

 

Given that you're not going to track it, it comes down to you wanting the wide body enough to pay for it. The performance difference between the GS and Z51 isn't going to be noticed on the street.

The GS will cost more for tires and the wheels have been known to have issues.

I ended up with a Z51 w/ Aero and have been very happy even though I always wanted a GS. For me, the GS was just outside of my range at the time. I'm not at all unsatisfied with my car. I think it's a bit more elegant than the more sporty GS. Both are great cars!

 

I go with the base car every time and mod to suit me... not a bunch of GM wonks. Hence, guess my recommendation. ENJOY whatever you opt for!!!

 

I considered getting a base car and modding it as well but a few factors made me decide against that. By the time you spend money and labor (or your time) on modding the car, you will likely have spent as much or more than if you had bought the car with more options to begin with and then the modded car is not going to increase in value (if anything it might decrease) because of your mods if you decide to sale it later. You also run the risk of dealerships using your mods as a reason for denial of warranty work at some point. One of the biggest factors for me is the versatility of the mag ride option in that it allows you to go from a smooth highway cruiser to a track ready beast at the flick of a switch.
There is nothing wrong with modding a base model to suit one's preferences, but these are some counterpoints for the OP to consider.

 

RWDonly, for me it's not the cost, it's ending up with as close to what i want as possible, nothing more or less. I find corporate decision-makers not the best at reading my mind... no matter the cost. Indeed, I would be more than willing to pay extra for a 0LT with even less needless gobble-de-gook!

 

My observations/opinions on the (3) trim levels:

1LT
A nicely equipped sportscar including 8” touchscreen, Bose AM-FM 9 speaker stereo, 3 month Sirius/XM,MP3, MyLink, OnStar, 4G LTE, 8” HD driver info screen, leather power GT sports seats, power break set/release, power locks/windows, active handling, dual-zone-climate control AC, keyless access/start, power tilt/telescopic, leather wrap steering w/flat bottom wheel, cruise control, tire pressure monitor, driver, passenger and side airbags, carbon fiber hood, Bremo 4-piston disc brakes, rear view camera, coup- body color painted carbon fiber roof panels, convertible- power soft-top which can be lowered remotely.

I chose the 1LT as it included everything I wanted and/or needed. IMO, though a 1LT C7 is certainly not 'fully loaded' by today's standards only an idiot would consider it a 'stripped down model' after examining the feature listed above.

2LT includes (adds $4500):
Adds a few additional amenities including everything found in the 1LT plus: Console and door panels in interior color, Lumbar/wing adjust, Heated/vented seats, Seat emblems, front camera, 10-speaker Bose® premium audio system, Universal Home Remote, Auto-dimming mirrors, Memory Package, Head-Up Display, SiriusXM Satellite Radio with one-year subscription, Enhanced Theft-Deterrent Package, Luggage shade/cargo net

I can see where some consider the 2LT the sweet spot as it contains some popular features, such as front camera and HUD, it's just a matter if they are worth $4500 to you. I would recommend the front camera to the first time Corvette owner to reduce risk of running up on something and the additional color contrasting interior components look nice. Personally, I see little value in the additional speaker, power seats and especially the heated/vented (not cooled) seats that most all owners constantly complain hardly work. I personally don't care for HUD as we have it on one vehicle and I find it distracting. We haven't used it since the novelty wore off after the first couple weeks.
I considered the 2LT momentarily, but paying $4500 for items I didn't want or need that could just about pay for the convertible upgrade that I definitely wanted, made it an easy decision for me.

For anyone on the fence, I would recommend just placing your value on each feature and seeing if you can justify spending the extra $4500.

3LT includes (adds $9745):
Everything found in the 1LT and 2LT plus: Navation, PDR upgraded leather. Keep in mind that there is risk of leather dash cracking/peeling in the 3LT interiors which is about a $3000 repair if not covered under warranty.

To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't take the near $10,000 3LT package even if it were thrown in for "free" considering the risk of having to have your entire dash taken out to replace shrinking/cracked dash at approx $3000. Then still being art risk of it happening again.