So I'm between two cars, a grand sport convertible c7 and a e450 coupe both in black and both certified. The mercedes dealer let me take the car come for overnight test drive. Love the car, a bit easier to get into vs the c7, however I just feel like the benz isnt really me. Maybe being a long time chevy owner both trucks and corvettes I'm just not use to the german car. Has anyone had a benz or looked at both and couldn't decide? I sold my c6 about a month ago and selling my truck to get into just one daily driver and now at my new residence there is a parking garage so the lifted truck is out. I just keep going back to the grand sport even though I know it might not be the best daily driver and sometimes my back bothers me throughout the year and makes getting into the vette a bit tougher. Any advice yall might have?

Thanks!

Iceman

 

Both nice cars. Big difference between a GS convertible and a Merc coupe. The biggest determining factor for me would be whether I had to carry more than 1 passenger on a regular basis. If the answer to that question is "no", then I go with the Corvette. The GS will be a lot more entertaining and it's a Vette.

 

I would first decide what type of car I want. If a sportscar, then the C7 GS convertible is the choice.

 

I've never owned or drove a Mercedes, but I cant imagine that it would be any more fun to drive than a C7 GS

 

This is a C7 forum thus I doubt many are going to recommend a Benz here.

A single guy in an apartment / condo could manage with just a C7 but you have to be realistic about the required compromises. In the end it depends on your living arrangements, roommates or significant other and circle of friends. For example do you have a buddies truck or SUV that you could borrow in a pinch? If so that gives you some flexibility.

 

Not sure if this will help because in the end they are so different. My experience is a little different but close. I needed a sedan for the family. I like fast cars but at the time kids thought caddy-cts-v was to small. Went out bought my first non-American car, an Audi A8L approx 500 hp. Absolutely beautiful and I now know why people have always said the interior quality it so much better than any car I have own. No cheap plastic. My wife says we will never own anything else... and for me it is faster than 90% of cars on the road. we were both happy. It absolutely flies! Great family car, more room than you can handle and get 28 mph we you drive it responsibly. I can’t stress how the quality is far superior to the caddy’s I have owned.
I just bought a 2017 zo6 M7 with zo7 package. 3LZ with tons of options, sticker at 112k. Audi sticker was also 112k. The Corvette is a stupid beast that keeps you smiling all day long. It has so much power it is scary. It’s impossible to stay under the speed limit with a manual because I just always want to give it that little extra between gears. I can take a long drive and not feel to beaten up but getting in and out is tougher than sedans. The quality of the interior is ok when compared to my Audi but I don’t care because this is a bad *** sports car that is an experience like no other to drive. I guess there are faster cars out there but I can’t express how much power this car has and how fun it is to drive. My only problem is I can’t get all season tires for it and can’t drive in ran with cup 2’s on it.
So it’s hard to tell we’re you are at in life. Do you need a sedan for family or do you want to have some fun with a sports car.
In my household my wife will drive the Audi everyday and I will drive the corvette. She will smile with her massage and heated seats and I will smile driving, for lack of better words, a civilized BEAST. I just can’t put into words how much fun it is to drive my zo6.
Disclaimer: bought the Audi with 30k miles 3yrs old for 36k. Love the depreciation. I am not some guy who has a ton of money who can buy new cars every year.
Hope this helps you in some way.

 

Great advice thanks for all the info! I am a single guy early 40s, no kids so back seat isn't important and my bro in law has a couple big trucks so if I ever need to move anything he's the main man right around the corner! The only thing holding me back on the vette is when my back starts to bother me I have to get in really carefully to not hurt it. Other than that I think I might really like the vette better although could also be what I'm use to. I feel the mercedes is super comfy, awesome ambient lighting and great looks, just not sure its me if that's a good way to put it. Wondering too if I might get bored with the benz after the cool interior feature factor wears off, vs a little less comfort features in the vette yet having the top down option and of course the great v8 rumble! I will say the vette is a 1LT, which I'm ok with as honestly never really cared for the HUD as for me always seems distracting, even on this mercedes it has it and I'm already looking for the option to turn it off. The dealer mentioned they have a good company they use for front facing camera as well, not sure if that is as good as the stock camera.

 

Your'e young yet (I'm 43), fix your back, buy the Vette & enjoy it! seriously, do stretching / yoga whatever to take care of your back... mine started acting up 5-6yrs ago, I started stretching 10min every day, no more back issues...
good luck!

 

I felt the exact way when buying my Audi. Not really my style and wondering if I turned into a car snob buying the luxury German car. I can tell you the interior never wears off of you. Everyday I get in that car is a joy. I love every bit of it. Getting in and out of vette is not that big of a deal with me but I have the “exit” auto positioning which really helps. I am not sure that comes with the 1LT. Personally a 2LT seems in my opinion best of both worlds.. no delaminating dash, has all the power seat stuff, heated and ventilated seats and front camera.(not sure if that is standard) 2Lt has lower quality leather??? But not sure I would notice that much. But in your case with you back you might want to see if your car has the exit feature. Also if you get an A8 auto make sure you drive it for awhile. Personally it drove me crazy. So much that I sold the car 4 months after I bought it. It never seemed to find a gear it liked and I worried about the shuddering.

 

I had 2 new Mercedes before I got my '19 Stingray; a '17 AMG CLA 45 sedan and a '19 AMG C43 sedan. The quality of the Mercedes was better, no rattles or squeaks and everything fit right and the paint quality was superior to the Corvette. It's hard to compare a sports car to a mid-size car. I wouldn't want the Corvette as my only car but I like having it as a "toy" that I can have fun with.

 

I have owned a large number of both Mercedes and Corvettes. I have both now and have had both for several years. My own opinion is that most Mercedes are very luxurious and practical cars. They are also going to cost you a significant amount in maintenance if you choose to keep them up per the recommended service schedule.

The Corvette is a wonderful toy and I have owned them for many decades. I am going to assume I will have them the rest of my life. But, I have never truly considered them to be a candidate as an only vehicle and would really think about that before you do it. It could get to be very old and impractical after the "new" wears off.

 

Very true and great advice.
They are a GREAT sportscar, but not very practical as an only vehicle.

 

Very simple if you get the Mercedes within 3 months you will be saying I should have bought the Vette.

 

I have a Mercedes E400 for my "winter" car with a 2015 Z51 Vette for the good weather.
When I park the Vette, I always love the Mercedes' smooth, comfortable driving.
When I park the Mercedes, I always love the Vette.
Tough dilemma.

 

Yeah its a tough decision both are really nice! I drove the mercedes out to lunch and it is very comfortable and zippy however I almost feel like I need that V8 when I hit the gas plus the top down option is always great! Still deciding, thanks for all the comments. Anymore ideas would be great.

 

Great post Iceman. Just last month, we bought a Mercedes E300 (certified Pre-Owned). I have never been a fan of Mercedes - I've done a few Porsche, a handful of Audi, and (unfortunately) I even did one BMW - but I have to say Im VERY impressed with the Mercedes. Its super smooth, super comfortable, and has a ton of very cool features (such as parking itself by hitting one button).

You really can't choose between a Mercedes and a Corvette. Its like saying Im choosing between Timberland Boots or Dress Shoes...there really is scenario that they would be a choice together.

You buy a Mercedes for luxury, comfort, long commutes, additional passengers (in the rear) and larger capacity (in the trunk) - NONE of these fit a Corvette

You buy a Corvette for speed, performance, handling and car shows and rarely is considered "my only car" - NONE of these fit a Mercedes.

 

You might want to look at a few different Mercedes models, they make lots of kinds of cars. I have a SL55 and C7, and love them both. And I miss my C6. they're all great cars to drive.

 

I just went through a similar dilemma. I had a mint 2013 Mercedes E550 Cabriolet that I drove occasionally on weekends. Great car but not very exciting. I recently traded it for a 2015 C7 Z51 and never looked back. However, if I had to pick one for a daily driver the Mercedes would easily win.

 

I daily a '16 E Class Benz and keep my C7 as the dedicated "fun" car. I won't get into the fun, but rather give you the main reasons on why I find the Benz a better daily driver.

• It is a smoother, comfier ride, and I don't have to work my left leg.
• I feel like the 6.2L V8 takes longer to warm up than the 3.5 V6 in the Benz, so for short trips in the city I choose the Benz.
• Benz has Distronic Plus, basically an autopilot for Freeway use, similar to Tesla's.
• Benz has a load of other notable features, including pedestrian recognition, 360 view cameras, and auto parking in tight parallel spaces.

On the other hand, driving the Vette is more of an experience. I think you have two really good choices and either way you'll be happy.

 

These are great comments thanks everyone! Still deciding, but the benz is getting closer to making more sense as a daily driver. I will say I now work only a mile from my office so no real commute and work from home two days a week if that changes anything on the choice or more towards the corvette. Oh and as someone mentioned other mercedes models, I did look at the c63s coupe but I kinda prefer the rear end of the car on the e coupe a bit better than the c coupe.