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-   -   should I buy C5 or a C4? (https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c5-general/4194477-should-i-buy-c5-or-a-c4.html)

mark4cam 10-04-2018 03:30 PM


Originally Posted by Rob 93ZR-1 (Post 1598100490)
I love my C4. Weekend only car. I'm feeling it climbing in and out of it. Parts are not as plentiful as when I bought it, but it's a ZR1. My base C5 is much more driver friendly, easy to mod, and my daily driver. Depends what your long term plan for the car is. The C5 is better in every way. Do your research and find exactly what you want. Don't just buy a good deal or you will later regret it.

Damn. I really want to go find the guy who bought my ZR-1 and buy it back from him.

mark4cam 10-04-2018 03:34 PM


Originally Posted by dmsog (Post 1598095013)
I vote for the C5. You won't need to pole vault your way in and out of it like you do on a C4. The flimsiness of the C4 would also keep me from buying one.

Flimsiness? Mine was a daily driver and I autocrossed and tracked my C4 HARD, and not one single issue with it. Being a Corvette that was 20+ years old, yes it had some rattles and squeaks but the interior was tight and very nice. The chassis took everything I threw at it, and then some, and not one problem caused by driving. Every problem I had was from sitting for 13 years before I bought it.

Ok now I need to go into the garage and tell my C5 I love it too.

alprzy 10-04-2018 03:45 PM

I had the same choices last year when I was looking and opted for a 92' C4 LT1, 300HP, 6 speed. 69,000 miles.
Paid $6,900. So glad I did, the C5 does nothing for me but it's all a personal thing. My car turns heads every time it leaves the garage.
I don't regret it a bit.
BTW- Corvette brotherhood should not crap on other model years, they're all beautiful. Just sayin...

449er 10-04-2018 06:52 PM

My choice would be the C5 for many of the reasons listed in the above posts, good luck !

C5R USA 10-04-2018 10:41 PM

Having owned a few C4's and owning one currently, and then comparing it to my C5. It's a no-brainer why I went outside the box and tried something different, when I bought mine in '04. It took less than a few hours to realize I had made a good decision moving on. I had a ZR-1 and I absolutely loved that car, truly a performance bargain. That being said, in my opinion, debating on what generation to buy between these 2 is like apples and oranges. The C5 is a totally different platform and will give you a different "feel" than sitting in any C4. I love the C4's and they are capable cars, and you can have a lot of fun with them. I can only speak from experience regarding the maintenance and reliability of both and I've found the C5 to be a better built platform, and far less maintenance issues or quirks over time. I'm not getting into the debate of which one looks better, because I love them both and they each have their unique features and driving experience. My advice to anyone that is in the market is this: Drive the damn thing, and that's going to give your ultimate answer in the long run. One car can look better (subjectively) but, may not be to your liking of the drive experience. No one buys a Corvette with practicality in mind, it's meant as a pleasure outlet. You can definitely pick up both of these generations for relatively cheap these days, if you still can't decide. That's honestly the end of the debate if you want to own both. Just my .02

Good luck with your decision, those are always nice problems to have....:cheers:

57gman 10-04-2018 10:53 PM

I agree with the last owner, both are corvettes, for ease of getting in our out, its the C5 hands down. Fact, not opinion. If someone gave me a C4, I'd drive like I stole it, just like my c5 and then I would have two vettes! But I want a C3 to go with my C5, then a C7.

mfi 10-05-2018 06:43 AM

Kind of wish I kept my C4 as I put so much into it...and then sold it. But my 99 is a much better car...crappy stereo though. My 92 had a VERY good one and was easier to fiddle with as it came with a half way decent one already that the original owner put in. I havent done anything to the 99 yet though. Just tires.

dizwiz24 10-05-2018 03:25 PM

Weekend cruiser -96 c4 lt4 6spd.
daily driver go c5.

the c5 was redesigned around golfbags and a bigger customer. Which is why the car is bigger / rides better. If you play golf, the c5 is your car.

c5 easier to mod, but the c4 can be modd to.

as to which $/ hp gets your more, c5 wins bang for buck. But both cars can kill you real fast.

Both great cars.

sunvet 10-05-2018 07:36 PM

C5 looks better, too.

Cool Runnings 10-06-2018 09:38 AM


Originally Posted by sunvet (Post 1598109377)
C5 looks better, too.

Being an owner of the C4, C5's are to be skipped entirely ... C5 Values are dropping extremely fast ... The C6 is a much better car and nice ones can be had for under $20k ...

70RT440 10-06-2018 01:44 PM


Originally Posted by Cool Runnings (Post 1598111319)
Being an owner of the C4, C5's are to be skipped entirely ... C5 Values are dropping extremely fast ... The C6 is a much better car and nice ones can be had for under $20k ...

Wow...harsh.

in the end, it comes down to personal preference. I like c4s. They're really cool cars and you can pick two pristine ones up for the price of a good C5 'Vert...but there is no way I could daily-drive one.

In a few years, the C5s will be in thie same situation as the C4s, and the C4s will start climbing in value as they become rarer and unmodded ones become harder to find. That's the way it goes with these types of cars...even the least desirable C3s are climbing pretty quickly now.

Cool Runnings 10-06-2018 02:03 PM


Originally Posted by 70RT440 (Post 1598112454)
Wow...harsh.

in the end, it comes down to personal preference. I like c4s. They're really cool cars and you can pick two pristine ones up for the price of a good C5 'Vert...but there is no way I could daily-drive one.

In a few years, the C5s will be in thie same situation as the C4s, and the C4s will start climbing in value as they become rarer and unmodded ones become harder to find. That's the way it goes with these types of cars...even the least desirable C3s are climbing pretty quickly now.

Lose some weight hipster ...

h8snow 10-20-2018 10:17 AM

Remember having a 1991 coupe jacked up the passenger front side and the clear roof cracked. Shame GM let this C4 platform go on for so many years.

Supercharged111 10-20-2018 11:08 PM


Originally Posted by h8snow (Post 1598192554)
Remember having a 1991 coupe jacked up the passenger front side and the clear roof cracked. Shame GM let this C4 platform go on for so many years.

It was never supposed to. C5 was supposed to debut around the time the LT1 came out. Give "All Corvettes Are Red" a read.

JimHarris4 10-21-2018 11:53 PM

Agree with the C5-ers!
 
Agreed! My C5 is a 98 vert is fun to drive and has aged better than me! Bystanders praise it when they see it. No comparison with the C4 design which looks dated to me. But it's your money and your choice. Best of luck either way.

Originally Posted by rotarydad (Post 1598087541)
My opinion, the C5 is the most beautiful Corvette ever made. The design never gets old. We get looks whenever we are out for a cruise. Again, my opinion, the C4 looks "dated". Too many "squares/rectangles" in the design. The C5 is curvy and sleek.



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