zinsavage123

Hey folks, been on the hunt for a c6 corvette auto. I know the 05-07 are ls2 and a bit less then the 08-13 ls3 power wise.

Is the price difference worth the ls2 over the ls3? From my hunt the prices of these things seem similar give or take a grand or so on many of the big car sale websites. Is that money worth the power/motor size/capability? I prefer the ls3, but if the ls2 is still a solid car I would choose it over the ls3. If I were to go with the ls2, would have to be an 06 minimum due to the paddle shifters and better trans (so I hear).

Which leads to my other concerns, how is the reliability of the c6 ls2/ls3, as well as the power/auto trans capabilities?

All things being said, would you guys just suck it up and go ls3 auto over the ls2 auto, and why if so?

LMB-Z

Nothing wrong with the LS2, or the 05 for that matter. I had an 05 auto and absolutely loved it. I guess it all depends on what you want out of the car, type of use you want, and how much you want to spend. Usually the best idea is buy the newest you can afford.

PuckDracon

If you plan on modding the car any I would DEFINITELY go for the LS3. They are amazing motors and respond very well to mods. If you just plan to DD it and leave it stock, just look for a clean low miles one and have fun.

For me, knowing I will eventually mod the car and the small price difference it made the LS3 a no-brainer.

buckmeister2

Either motors are just fine, and solid as a rock. The A6 auto trans (6-spd) began in '06, is preferable to the A4 in the '05. Little real difference in power.

The catch is that, while the LS2 '05/'06 is cheaper than a comparable LS3, the resell is also less, as most people just go for the more powerful, and more recent, LS3.

You will not get hurt on either one unless you overpay when you buy, or do not do a thorough inspection and test drive of the car before you buy. The miles and year are not as important as how the car was used, and maintained.

farmington

GARYFINN

Get The LS3 30 more hp is always a good thing.

Mcrider

Usually the newer cars in a line have not only found and fixed the bugs that are always inherent with new designs and production, but they have added enhancements to improve on the car.

JerriVette

Buying an 07 or 06 c6 auto is a smart move although back in 2007 I could have saved five grand and bought the 2007 new leftovers and chose to go with the latest 2008 model.

Supposedly the 2008 not only has the ls3 motor but a few interior upgrades as well as a revised steering rack...

My suggestion after putting 120k miles on my 2008 c6 z51 manual would be to shop for the z51 heavy duty option as durability has been amazing..

This car has been so utterly reliable I can't bring myself to give it away for what they sell for.

I would personally avoid garage queens and go for higher mileage examples..

How high in mileage you go depends on what kind of price you want to pay.

All I can say is I wouldn't blink at corvette with over 100k miles and the price drops drama ic ally because I believe the dealers have a hard time giving loans so if your paying cash...? I'd search out a high mileage example for 16.5...

These cars go through gas 300k mile validation process so 100k miles is nothing.

My car drives just as good as the day I drove it out the showroom and it looks brand new too..(and this car is black..)

Like I said...you asked for suggestions...,my suggestion is go for a high mileage example of over 100k miles...and save on the entry price...

Then when you own it...drive it as much as you like...because resale will be crap because of the mileage..anyway so no reason to keep it tucked under a cover in the garage...

If you were local in the tri state ny area I'd have you drive my car....not to buy it but just to see how a,axing this car runs with 120k miles...

It's like new and nobody believes it's a 120k mile corvette...that's how cherry it still looks..

Sure I hit it with a griots polisher twice a year and wash and quick eagle one wax as you dry weekly (wash then use eagle one wax as you dry spray in literally 12 minutes flat)

Ls3 z51 with over 100k miles would be my target unless you want to keep it as a garage queen yourself...

These cars are not going to appreciate in value even with low miles...and the mechanicals are so cheap it doesn't pay to just keep one as a garage queen...

Good luck and the ls2 or ls3 motors are awesome...both rock solid dependable ...

The acceleration differential is literally .3 tenths of a second to sixty mph if that...

4.3 compared to 4.0 at best...which no one can tell..

The steering rack feel and difference in interior are the hidden charms of the 2008 model..i.e. Black versus silver Center console , nicer steering wheel and easier to upgrade due to different air bag module, better steering feel supposedly ...

Hope this helps and consider my advice....buy value and get a higher mileage c6 z51 and save on the purchase price big time....

Mechanically these cars are amazingly stout ..

Jmo

dryadsdad

IMO, the only reason not to buy an 08 or newer is the engines. The LS2 works well and I doubt anybody can tell the difference if it were possible to do blindfold drives.

There are many little improvements in the latter C6's. To me, the most important is the steering feel. The later Vette comes close or maybe even matches the steering feel of the high end Euros such as Porsche.

To ME, that alone is worth it.

zinsavage123

For starters boltons, maybe a stall and nice cooler....boost in future, vortech most lkely

Yeah many praise the ls3 from my research

Yeah maint records are a must for me, at least to some extent from a dealer if possible.

Nice! yeah not ruling out the ls2, just hard to turn down the ls3 when the prices are sorta close for low miles all things considered.

Yeah!

That being said is the 08 auto model prone to some issues? Since it's the first line of ls3 models?

Appreciate all of that input!

Damn really? Can't tell the difference between stock ls2 vs ls3? Hell the ls1 c5 pulled hard to me when I was first test driving any form of a vette haha!

GrandSportRob

If your budget can afford it the Grand Sport is the way to go. Bought mine new in 2013 and it has been trouble free since day one.

phileaglesfan

Both are great. You are not talking about a big price difference from 07 to 08 if any.

ruxvette

Set a budget (not what you can afford, what you want to pay) and search cars within that range based on body style and options.

ruxvette

I had an '05 6spd Z51 option vert and an '11 GS vert at the same time. In normal to "spirited" driving (non-track) it was virtually impossible to tell the difference.