Find a Stingray as close as you can to what you want, with a documented history. The last is important since sports/performance cars are always risky to some degree unless you personally know the seller very well. Prioritize the options of interest so you can come to as rational and easy decision as possible on any given car. All the best.

 

I truly appreciate everyone's input. I think I'm going to visit a few dealers to test drive and get a feel for the car. This way when I'm ready, I know what I want. Wow, I didn't expect so much useful data.

 

I purchased a base 2019 Stingray 2LT this past year and love it. Car was ordered with several options that I would not have considered. The NPP exhaust is a must. It came with a transparent top that gives the interior a more open feel and a little bit more headroom. My favorite option is the PDR. It is nice to record your drive and view it afterwards. I would recommend researching the car you choose and getting an extended warranty. Good luck with your search Manny!

 

I have a Z51 without mag ride and I don’t think it’s too firm or stiff at all. I would not want it any softer. I like my sports cars to feel like sports cars and not a soft cushy Lexus. To each his own.

 

I have a 2015 M7 3LT Z51 with mag ride, NPP and competition seats, and I love it. Having said that, I really wish I had gone for a 2016+ to get the front cameras and the Carplay/Android Auto. I don't track mine, but I do enjoy "spirited" back road driving, so for me Z51 was a must, and after having mag ride on my 2013 GS, that was a must have as well. One thing to be aware of, there is an update to the mag ride calibration that you absolutely MUST get (cost is $350). It changes the ride quality significantly in both Tour & Sport making Tour very close to a base car in ride quality (even with the 19/20 wheels) and Sport becomes livable as a daily setting. If I were buying again with what I now now, I would hold out for a 2016+ with 2LT, Z51, mag ride and NPP. 3LT and competition seats are both nice, but I worry about the 3LT dash (haven't had any issues, but I know people who have) and the base seats are plenty for even spirited street use (have driven friends cars with them). As for PDR, I wouldn't bother, I have it on mine and I've used it maybe 3-4 times (really only useful if you're tracking the car).

 

Sounds like you just need a base stingray (which is a great sports car anyway). If you do want the performance upgrades, skip the z51 and get a grandsport.

 

Spot on advice.

 

Trust me, YOU WANT THE RED INTERIOR!!!
shark grey, 3LT, Z06-Z07, M7

 

I recommend being patient and drive as many of the different models and option combinations as possible and make your own choice.

I drove a new base Stingray, a Z51 Stingray, a GS and a Z06, and the GS was the sweet for me without question, however everyone's different.
C7s are great sportscars regardless of which version is most 'right' for each individual.

 

Z51? Non-essential to your usage. Base Corvette is faster than you will need anyway.
MagRide? Non-essential to your usage. Corvetee w/o rides just fine.
Adjustable exhaust? Non-essential to your usage. You don't/won't need the noise.

 

The great advice continues to pour in. I love it. Jbugg, that color combination is on the top of my list.

 

with Joe. My base '16 rode really well without the mag ride. So, since you're not looking for a Z51 you should have yourself a nice DD. My '16 had the standard exhaust. While it sounded better than my C6 with the Borla Touring exhaust, the performance exhaust (NPP) on my Grand Sport is really nice. Good luck on your search.

 

Other than asking the seller for a picture of the RPO sticker, is there a way to determine if the car has mag-ride and NPP by looking at the pictures? is there a mag-ride or NPP button on the dash? I have seen many pictures online of a Mode Select switch with a traction control button in the middle. Is this the mag-ride selector?

 

The shocks are black and there is a wire running to the top of the shock.

 

Yes.

There's a lot of good opinions shared here, and a lot of various driving habits behind those opinions. The best thing to do is to get ALL the options/goodies. Then you won't feel as if you're always missing out on an option. In my case I've got the MagRide. It turns out that I don't need it, any more than I would have use for the Z51. I sometimes wish I had the NPP (factory loudness selector exhaust) though. I'm not a street hot rodders as some here drive wide open on the streets. Some Track their cars. They seem to need the performance options, but most aren't capable of driving their cars at their limits anyway. Makes the options rather worthless then. But it makes for great conversation about what their car has on it. Not that they use it.
I don't throw the car wildly around curves. Again, some here live to do that, and love to share those experiences in conversations here. I'm just a solid 68 yr old citizen obeying the laws of the road, not wanting to wreck my C7 or injure people. The base car is plenty powerful. 455 hp, 460 lb. torque. You can get in trouble in a hurry with that much power. The base car is more car than most can handle anyways. I've had a new Corvette since I was 25 yrs old, so it's not like I don't appreciate a car like the C7. Me 43 yrs. ago:

 

As the owner of both a 2015 3LT Z51 Stingray and a 2016 2LZ Z06, it sounds to me like the perfect model year for you would be at least a 2016 model if you want the front cameras. I absolutely love everything about my 2015 and the 3LT interior, but the only things it doesn't have that my 2016 does is the front cameras and the flat-bottom steering wheel. Also will point out that buying 2015-2016 means you should be able to pick up a fully loaded 3LT for reasonably cheap, so settling for a 2LT isn't necessary (unless it is exactly what you want). For me, I didn't realize just how big of a difference the 3LT premium leather made until the first 90 degree day with the top down in the 2LZ Z06. While the premium napa leather in the 3LT Stingray remains cool to the touch, even when exposed to direct sunlight and high temps, while after barely 5 minutes in the 2LZ Z06 the leather on the center console and the door trim is too hot to touch (both cars are convertibles so its an apples to apples comparison). I also highly recommend the Z51 and the Mag ride. I don't track my cars but I do daily drive them. The combo of Z51 and the MAG makes for one amazing driving experience. Do you absolutely need it? Probably not. But is it an amazing feature that makes the ride quality significantly better and the overall experience while driving much more fun? YES!

So to sum up, I wish my Z06 was a 3LZ for the premium leather, and I wish my Stingray was a 2016 so it would have the front cameras and the flat bottom wheel. The 2015 also allows you to pause live radio, which is a neat feature that was removed in 2016. If you can find a 2016 3LT then that is the best of both worlds. Also worth noting that buying a used Corvette might as well be the same as buying a new car. The majority of owners baby these cars and only put a few miles on them every year, while changing the oil every couple months before storing it in a climate controlled garage. I picked up my Stingray for $29k from a Ford dealer who took it on trade and didn't know anything about the car. Granted, I got lucky on this price and the circumstances of the deal so you will likely pay a good bit more than $29k. The Z06 barely had 9k miles on it and had immaculate service history (there was not a single blemish ANYWHERE on the exterior and the interior still had the plastic covering the trim) I paid $62k for basically a brand new Z06 vert and have already put 4,000 miles on it since May. There are a lot of great deals out there and if you see one pop up that is missing something you want, just wait a bit longer and the perfect deal will show up eventually. I was refreshing my search for the Z06 several times a day, every day, for three straight weeks until the one I wanted popped up nearby and I was able to snag it within 3 hours of it posting for sale.

Good luck with your search! If you have any more questions about the subtle differences between a 2015 and a 2016, let me know and I'd be happy to fill you in.

 

Wow - what great responses - here's mine after just buying my first Corvette in April 2020. I had the same thoughts as you - and of course what works for me may not be best for you- by the way - i use mine as a daily driver and will never see a race track, but do like to turn corners and accelerate so passengers scream and i smile.

• FIrst - your time frame for Dec 2020 - I'd watch the C8 production levels and C7 trade in levels... I bought in April and today due to C8 slippage - my same car is $4k more on the market... I think there will be a $5k to $10k DROP when C8's ship in earnest and C7 trade-ins hit a big bump... when that will be who knows.. my take - mid 2021... Covid dependant and GM C8 shipping volume is the driver..
• I loved the wide stance and curves of the Grand Sport. Test drove and was about to sign the papers, took my wife on a final test ride.. she said "too noisy" - not the exhaust but the tire noise.. then i composed myself and got more realistic - made a couple of rules for myself:
  • GS tires too too big for non-track use... too noisy.. why bother?
  • all that extra cooling, dry sump - why add the costs if i am not on a track - base model fine... and BTW - with the SAME HP!
  • Z51 - likewise - being a geek, was drawn to extra coolers and dry sump - see above.
  • Magnetic Ride Control - i love gizmos and i am an engineer...
    • My first test drive - the salesperson told me it would be far far better ride than the base - i didnt feel any difference...
    • other replies to this thread are mixed as to how cool it is..
    • My final thought - this scares me to death from a cost of ownership standpoint - i keep cars a long time and given i cant tell the difference and its REALLY EXPENSIVE to fix or replace - why would i want it? nope for me..
• Stingray base my musts:
  • Headsup display - i know after 6 months it is likely a "who cares" - but i like it!
    Front cameras - they are great to keep from hitting your nose... but i wish they'd turn on automatically.. ."if car is moving less than 3 mph and object is closer than 12 feet - turn on camera... "
  • Cooled seats - yup i am in FL and like air blowing up my body..
  • NPP - i thought why would anyone spend $$ on that for 10 HP? - well it sounds great and my neighbor with his C7 which is his 13th Corvette does NOT have it and he is very jealous.. his car always sounds like it is in stealth or ecar mode - now i know why...
  • Transparent top - my first test drive it felt like "tupperware" over my head. Love the open air feeling, always open my sunroof shades in all cars... this one it makes the top of my head hot - bot a used C7 CF roof with a headliner - MUCH MUCH MUCH quieter conversations, and far better stereo sound than with the tupperware top... I am glad to have both..
  • Suede steering wheel - nope. whose idea was this? Give me a leather wrapped that's easy to clean.
  • Mine is a 3LT - still with leather steering wheel.. maybe the seat leather is nicer/softer?...
  • I have NAV in the radio - which is a big WHO CARES as i use my phone through carplay...
  • speaking of carplay - that means get a 2016 or newer for that feature...
  • I have a performance data recorder - not being on the track this is a who cares - other than IT IS FUN to record the reaction of your wife or twenty something kids when you put it in track mode and make them scream due to acceleration... still, not something i'd miss if i didnt have it..
  • and with the above said - if you do lean towards a rougher louder ride - on our forum there is crazycowboy Dan who is renowned at his ability to place sound and heat deadening under the carpets (based near Orlando) - tames the road noise while you still can enjoy the exhaust roar.. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ing-today.html and
    this will show you what it looks like: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...installed.html and of course there are many other options you can find as recommended on this forum as well.

Good luck@!

 

You can tell if the car has NPP buy looking at the exhaust tips. NPP equipped cars will be evenly spaced with no gaps. Non-NPP cars will have a 1" inch gap between the two middle exhaust tips. As for the Mag ride, I believe the mag-ride shocks are yellow while non-mag ride shocks are black.

 

Once you go mag-ride you will never go back and those that say they don't have it and are happy probably never had it.

 

Mag ride-wish I had it but the cost was prohibitive for me. I remember a story about the development of the Mustang GT350R in 2016 or so. It had mag ride I guess they license from GM. The engineers were at a track for several days testing and they thought maybe they should subject the carbon fiber wheels they were going to make standard to some rough use to see how they did. So they started running over track curbs. They quickly found out that w/ the mag ride they had one heck of a time hitting anything hard enough to maybe cause some damage. That impressed the heck out of me.