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Looking to move on from my beloved C5. Have always been a "not the first year" believer. The right C7 has come up, 2014 automatic convertible 2 owner low mile dealer serviced.
Could the 2014 automatic be a good thing? Could this be safer bet vs the rest of the C7 automatics? Performance issue for later trans is not a deal breaker for me.
All & all the C7 is a great car. The 2014 would have the A6 automatic which has been considered a bullet proof transmission, the A8 has had some issues early in production, but the new fluids seems to have cured most of the issues. The 2016 & up has a few more standard features depending upon trim levels, the front cameras is a biggie to a lot of owners.
Not a thing wrong with a 2014. It has the A6 vs the A8 in the 15 and up and had been less of a problem. 6 speed vs 8 speed. The shudder that has been the problem is the Torque Converter and not the trans. GM likes to do the quadruple flush to "fix" the shudder when it is only a bandaid when the actual fix is in the Valve Body signal circuits. If the shudder has been happening too long the Converter will have to be replaced with a FACTORY GM Reman Converter not an aftermarket converter.
I find the A6 somewhat “slushy” . Slow to shift. Don’t love it. Wish I had gotten a M7, but not changing now. Would like to try a newer A8 C7 to see the difference though.
I can enthusiastically recommend the 2014 with the A6 transmission. The 2015-up A8 was quite problematic at first, with later GM "fixes" reported to have made it more reliable.
FWIW, I switched from a base 2016 A8 3LT coupe to a 2014 A6 2LT Z51 coupe. Primarily because of the many issues related to the A8, but also concerns about the reported issues with the dash bubbles/delamination associated with the 3LT trim. Feared I owned a ticking time bomb. I know any car can have issues, but I’ve not had any problems with the 2014 and I’m very happy with the change.
Car is a 3lt what would that lack for options vs later C7s?
Different functionality within the drive mode menus (for instance the NPP exhaust control is more limited in the 2014)
Apple CarPlay
Different IP graphics regarding "track mode"
Less PDR data than the 2019
No front cameras
Some you likely won't care about (such as the PDR info) but other folks like having CarPlay and the front cameras for parking.
I have the 2014 3LT. I love it, no issues. For sure check the dash leather. I still haven't figured out if the dash is ok after 11 years, if you are out of the woods for a failure. Yellow with Kalahari interior is great. I love the A6. I have had manual cars all my life, but at 71 kind of over all the shifting. It's one thing to shift a 4 speed, totally different a 7 speed. I do use the manual mode 99% of the time. Yellow is the new red.
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
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I have a 2014 automatic and have been very pleased with the car so far (had it for about 6.5 years). No problems with the transmission and the paddle shifters are fun to use. The A6 is really reliable so don’t let that transmission stop you from a purchase if all else checks out.
For me my first priority was ext color that being Night Race Blue Metallic that was available in '14.'15 '16, i found a '15 2LT optioned car and in excellent shape with low miles (22,000 +) the Carfax showed the trans being serviced with the torque converter replaced along with triple flush, i haven't noticed any shutter or shifting issues, so it's a non issue for me.
IMO get the car that checks most of the wants or needs for you along with a history check like Carfax and GM's VIS history report, don't be scared away on the surface by a trans glitch that there's a fix for and even more so get a Range device that cancels the V4 mode that causes the shudder to begin with.
Good Luck.
Different functionality within the drive mode menus (for instance the NPP exhaust control is more limited in the 2014)
Apple CarPlay
Different IP graphics regarding "track mode"
Less PDR data than the 2019
No front cameras
Some you likely won't care about (such as the PDR info) but other folks like having CarPlay and the front cameras for parking.
I agree. The front camera on my previous 2016 3LT is really about the only thing I miss. Never used any of the other stuff.
Last edited by Squeaky Wheel; Mar 7, 2025 at 11:05 AM.
I have a 14 z51 3lt a6. I love it. I live in Arizona and haven't had dash problems. I avoid first year models, but I'd have to say that the 14 C7 is an exception.
Besides the proven reliability of the A6 trans, 6 speeds are plenty for big torque motor that all C7's have. An 8-speed is not needed, probably the marketing guys won that argument!
Besides the proven reliability of the A6 trans, 6 speeds are plenty for big torque motor that all C7's have. An 8-speed is not needed, probably the marketing guys won that argument!
Bigger gear spread might allows me to run in a lower RPM range? My modified C4 was about 420 RWHP with 4 gears so from that standpoint 6 isn't needed either.
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.
2014 vs 2015 Automatic Transmission
