Convince me - C6 from C5
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 8,913
Likes: 15
From: El Segundo California
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Buy as much car as you can afford.
Vettes improve not just in generations but each year they make impovements to the car.
Vettes improve not just in generations but each year they make impovements to the car.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 12,999
Likes: 1
From: Youngstown Ohio
Then I traded it in on an 05 C6 coupe.
Now I have an 08 C6 coupe.
I loved my C5 coupe but the C6 is so much better in every way possible.
The difference is like night and day.
No way would I ever go back to the antiquated C5.
If you decide to get a C6 make sure you get one with the LS3 engine.
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
I sold my '97 and bought an '05 this summer and haven't looked back. The C6 is quieter, much more up-to-date and just a more enjoyable car to drive. HUD is great and the NAV is OK, although it's not the most user friendly system. I loved them both but the C6 is a much better car, hands down.
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Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 45,290
Likes: 892
From: Texas
CI 1-4-5-8-9-10 Vet
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '10, '17
Very good information. Exactly what I'm looking for. A one time 15 minute drive in a C6 several months ago in the rain hardly qualifies for getting to know the car compared to a C5 which most of us that had/has one can objectively and subjectively evaluate. Thanks
I'm getting a distinct point of view that the 08 would make the most practical sense with the other enhancements over the early C6's. I may in fact have to wait a bit an evaluate finances again. Or if in fact 08's can be had for low/mid 30's I need to look harder as I've not seen anything in that range around here.
I'm on the hunt......
I'm getting a distinct point of view that the 08 would make the most practical sense with the other enhancements over the early C6's. I may in fact have to wait a bit an evaluate finances again. Or if in fact 08's can be had for low/mid 30's I need to look harder as I've not seen anything in that range around here.
I'm on the hunt......
I actually sold my C5 here.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,024
Likes: 18
From: DFW Texas
Well, 
I guess I need to look up an old buddy of mine....bought both my c5's from a "closed - dealer only" auction a few years back. Was an amazing site to see nothing but a lot full of vettes, running 8 lanes of auctions all at the same time. Not a single car was on the block for more than a minute or so and it lasted several hours before they were all done.
They do this 2 times a year here. I got in only because I drove one of 3 cars they were auctioning off. Sold 3 and bought 4.
Don't let the word "auction" have a negative meaning. Some of the c6's were almost brand new with less than 1000 miles and most all were very nice cars. Some dealers came to buy and others came to sell due to inventory balance. A few of the older C2,3's and 4's were smaller 'speciality' corvette houses.
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I guess I need to look up an old buddy of mine....bought both my c5's from a "closed - dealer only" auction a few years back. Was an amazing site to see nothing but a lot full of vettes, running 8 lanes of auctions all at the same time. Not a single car was on the block for more than a minute or so and it lasted several hours before they were all done.They do this 2 times a year here. I got in only because I drove one of 3 cars they were auctioning off. Sold 3 and bought 4.
Don't let the word "auction" have a negative meaning. Some of the c6's were almost brand new with less than 1000 miles and most all were very nice cars. Some dealers came to buy and others came to sell due to inventory balance. A few of the older C2,3's and 4's were smaller 'speciality' corvette houses.
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Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,024
Likes: 18
From: DFW Texas
I sold my '97 and bought an '05 this summer and haven't looked back. The C6 is quieter, much more up-to-date and just a more enjoyable car to drive. HUD is great and the NAV is OK, although it's not the most user friendly system. I loved them both but the C6 is a much better car, hands down.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,026
Likes: 16
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
Marketing: Make change for the sake of change to continue to sell new units. Make people believe the new product is the WAY better product, even if it's just slightly better. I get it!!!
Racer
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 354
Likes: 27
From: NE Florida
I located a 08 JSB Vert LT3 w/19K miles, aluminum wheels and NPP for 36,500 in JAN 2010 at a FL dealership. Carfax guaranteed one-owner. You may find an 08 near your range if you're able to watch new listings.
I called the day the listing posted at 37K. When I arrived, the window had $36.5 on it, and they went with it.
Some sites allow you to put in your cars' info, and they'll automatically email you when each new car is listed.
It helped me alot to learn all the option codes first and bounce the VIN off the well-known VIN info site discussed here.
The only option not on the car was the 4LT. It took me 2 months of studying the possibilites with 1 month of focused buying efforts to locate it.
I'm located in upper northeast Florida and decided on a convertable. After 3K miles in 8 months, I took it out last night and enjoyed one of the best rides of my life.
Know exactly what you want, be open to consider a slightly different optioned car that's perfect for you, and be ready to buy.
I called the day the listing posted at 37K. When I arrived, the window had $36.5 on it, and they went with it.
Some sites allow you to put in your cars' info, and they'll automatically email you when each new car is listed.
It helped me alot to learn all the option codes first and bounce the VIN off the well-known VIN info site discussed here.
The only option not on the car was the 4LT. It took me 2 months of studying the possibilites with 1 month of focused buying efforts to locate it.
I'm located in upper northeast Florida and decided on a convertable. After 3K miles in 8 months, I took it out last night and enjoyed one of the best rides of my life.
Know exactly what you want, be open to consider a slightly different optioned car that's perfect for you, and be ready to buy.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 19,459
Likes: 48
From: Schaumburg IL
CI 7-8-9-11 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06-'10, '13
For background regarding this specific part of your question, I've been driving C5s for nearly 13 yrs and also C6s for 6 yrs. I've had five C5s in all three body styles and four C6s in coupes and vert. No, the C6 does not do everything better than the C5. It does many things better to some degree, but every design involves compromises. There are other cars I've considered, but price range is an issue involved there. The majority of the C5s and C6s that I've had have been 6-speed manual coupes. That is my preferred body style and trans. It was not until I got my 09 coupe that I had a C6 which that I liked better than my C5.
Where the C5 was a drastically different car from the C4, the C6 is an incrementally different car than the C5. Improved yes, blow you away different, not IMO. So it really comes down to which body style and interior design you like better. I would think you would probably want the C6 for the change, but the C5 is still an excellent car. Since I continue to have both, I can assure you that I enjoy my C5 every bit as much as I enjoy my C6. Clearly, not everyone will agree, but you asked for the perspective from someone who's had and loved C5s and also had C6s. Hope this was some help.
Where the C5 was a drastically different car from the C4, the C6 is an incrementally different car than the C5. Improved yes, blow you away different, not IMO. So it really comes down to which body style and interior design you like better. I would think you would probably want the C6 for the change, but the C5 is still an excellent car. Since I continue to have both, I can assure you that I enjoy my C5 every bit as much as I enjoy my C6. Clearly, not everyone will agree, but you asked for the perspective from someone who's had and loved C5s and also had C6s. Hope this was some help.
could not agree more. Yes the C6 has some improvments over the C5 ( I would hope so!), but to say it is "worlds apart" or "light years" ahead is a bit overboard IMO.Alot of the C5's people are getting rid of have some good miles logged on them (40, 50, 60kmiles), I bet if you drove an 04 C5 with say 3k miles on it, and drove a C6 with the same miles, you would not say "worlds apart". Of course yes, the C6 LS3 are a good deal faster and there is some refinement in handeling, but the way some people are talking you would think we are talking C3 to C6, or C4 to C6, now yes that is a BIG difference.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,024
Likes: 18
From: DFW Texas
My only major objection to both C5's I had (a 99 coupe and a 2000 coupe) were that just about every gremlin there was I had to fix.
Headlight gears (both sides), chassis grounding problems, oil pressure sensor, 'squeaky belt syndrome' (several times), spun the harmonic balancer (new c6 bolt fix), leaking rear diff (had to pay for that one), battery acid drip on harness under the bat tray, column lock (twice), door lock relay fix, 'pull key - wait 10 seconds' a lot ....... etc...
Not that I minded doing the fix - learned a LOT doing all that stuff, but now, the C5 is just getting older and would think if they have not had the gremlins, they will... I've not seen that many common problems with the C6, although I have not researched that in depth yet.
JayhawkC5 - where you say you have seen an 08 under 30k? OH.. I think I saw one or two with 66k plus miles on the clock... nothing else though.
Headlight gears (both sides), chassis grounding problems, oil pressure sensor, 'squeaky belt syndrome' (several times), spun the harmonic balancer (new c6 bolt fix), leaking rear diff (had to pay for that one), battery acid drip on harness under the bat tray, column lock (twice), door lock relay fix, 'pull key - wait 10 seconds' a lot ....... etc...
Not that I minded doing the fix - learned a LOT doing all that stuff, but now, the C5 is just getting older and would think if they have not had the gremlins, they will... I've not seen that many common problems with the C6, although I have not researched that in depth yet.
JayhawkC5 - where you say you have seen an 08 under 30k? OH.. I think I saw one or two with 66k plus miles on the clock... nothing else though.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 106
Likes: 1
From: Chicago IL
I'll look on autotrader again tonight... nationwide search, 06 +, manual trans, under $30k... and over the past few weeks I have found about 5 with no options between like 35k-50k miles.
I'll let you know whats out there now...
I have been looking for an 06 C6 pretty much all summer hopefully buying in the next 3 months and occasionally I see an LS3 pop up. I would rather have an LS2 and all the options though.
I'll let you know whats out there now...
I have been looking for an 06 C6 pretty much all summer hopefully buying in the next 3 months and occasionally I see an LS3 pop up. I would rather have an LS2 and all the options though.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 106
Likes: 1
From: Chicago IL
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...e&rdpage=thumb
Silver/Ebony 08' for right at $29,999, fully loaded with nav, and heated seats...46k miles
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false
Black/Ebony 08', with no heated seats or heads up, etc. $29,999 and about 53k miles
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false
Red/Ebony 08' with no options and 53k miles for $28,000
Silver/Ebony 08' for right at $29,999, fully loaded with nav, and heated seats...46k miles
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false
Black/Ebony 08', with no heated seats or heads up, etc. $29,999 and about 53k miles
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false
Red/Ebony 08' with no options and 53k miles for $28,000
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,257
Likes: 6
From: San Jose, CA, USA
not gonna sell you on it. you need to go do some legwork and look at the cars. not read about it on CF. whatever we say is worthless if you don't like something about the car. go to any place that has used C6s; that will tell you the tale -- not for us, but for you. all the bs blather in the world shouldn't make up your mind. it's your cash, your car, after all.
But by all means - you need to go drive some cars to figure out what you want, how much you are willing to spend, and etc. Have fun!!
