ninten5

Hello Folks,

I grew up with the C6 bedroom posters and now I am finally looking to buy one. To my surprise I see a lower mileage '08 and up models still in the mid $20s price range. And browsing C7 sales I see in high $30s. So I have decided its worth it to get a C7 for the extra 10 grand or so.

I will be selling my Lexus IS-F so looking at mid to high 20s for that thing. And I would like to pay cash and get a C7 (high mileage is ok with me). Around 30-33k. Is something like this possible in the winter time or early next year? Or would I have to hold on to the IS-F for a few years?

Thanks

KnightmareCS

You will see that price this winter for non-Z51 models.

tadda

KBB shows that even an early 2014 C7 LT1 base (with no options) and 30,000 miles in "good" condition sells between $38K~$40K (private sale) ...Here in SoCal we typically don't have winter price reductions....You'd probably get a '14 C7 LT1 next year for mid to low 30's in decent condition and moderate mileage on it....

Rebel Yell

You should see those numbers soon. Being in the fifth year the earlier ones with higher mileage are hitting the market. Few and far between in my area, but with some due diligence you should be able to find a well maintained car. Good luck.

Patman

If you can wait for when the C8 is about to come out (and nobody outside of GM insiders know for sure if it'll be a 2020, 2021 or even a 2022 model) then you'll save a bundle, as I bought my C5 when the C6 came out and my C6 when the C7 came out and in both cases the prices on the used car market dropped considerably at that point in time. I couldn't wait for prices to drop with my C7 though, so I bought new this time. But if you do happen to find a deal on a C7 right now that is just slightly over your budget, and if you're wondering if it's worth the price difference over the C6, it absolutely is! The C7 is so much better than the C6 in every way, IMO. I loved my C5 and my C6 but my C7 is in a completely different league.

Jeff V.

Try to hold out until winter of 2019. The C8 should hopefully be out, which will put some downward pressure on C7 prices. Also, try to look for a car in a state that has harsh winters. Cars in those markets will be priced to move during the cold months. If you can travel to buy the car, or shop some place like Carmax or Vroom where they offer shipping, you can probably score a decent deal.

But definitely hold out for the C7. I was very close to buying a C6 Grand Sport, but I knew I'd just spend the time wishing it was a C7. I'm glad I waited and just went straight to what I wanted most.

dmaxx3500

april,4,2020

ninten5

Jeff V.

1/2/3LT are trim and option levels. Leather surfaces, color options, nav or no nav, stuff like that. Z51 is a performance package that's independent of what xLT trim level you get.

Spend some of your time waiting reading the ordering guide. It tells you exactly what content you get with the various packages. This is for the 2014. You can find other years if you do some Google searches.

http://www.corvetteblogger.com/docs/...rder-Guide.pdf

AORoads

I think before the winter comes on, you need to do a lot of reading on what is available in a C7 even if your budget allows for a base model with few/no options as a result of price. As to being bullet proof, wellllll, that depends. One could say at 60K miles all that could go wrong, has gone wrong, which means it won't be on your dime. But that seems to mean nothing else will go wrong, and that would be unwise to believe. These are very good cars, but they are not bullet proof. They could have "issues" any one of which could cost you $200, $500, $1500 or a lot more. That's why I said, you need to read the pages on here, CF, where members discuss their problems, issues, and what it takes to get it fixed.

I'm not even going into supply/demand in winter vs. other times of the year, how to check out a car, what you need to know about the car, etc. That's for later unless you trust your auction friend to do it all for you---nothing personal, but all auction-goers who are buyers are not made equal in their knowledge of specific makes.

I'd also add that Rebel and Patman's posts are very good IMO.

ninten5

vbdenny

y260

I recently bought a C7 '14 Z51 2LT w/ about 30k miles for 39k. KBB was 41-44k, so it seemed to be a pretty good deal. I'm sure it's possible to get a 1LT car in the mid-low 30's, you just have to watch your market very closely. As with any used car, make sure you do all the legwork for car reports, looking for common issues, hidden damage/accidents.

hammong

They are getting there, slowly but surely. Bought a spotless '14 1LT base with NPP, Navigation, a few factory cosmetic options, 11K miles for $40K this year. Wintertime knocks $5K off Corvettes in this part of the country, nobody wants one in January-February.

23/C8Z

Dont discount that Corvette depreciation almost stalls in years 4/5/6. Unless you want some ragged on pos. Not just high miles. Which you always have to factor in wearable items you will need to replace within the first year if ownership.

if getting into a c7 is important to you. You want the ownership experience to mirror the desire.

my first vette was going to be a C5. Low miles later model for around 20k (back on 2013). Just to see if I liked owning a vette. I've always had muscle cars not sports cars.

so my buddy who owns a hi po shop specializing in GM talked me into a higher mileage C6. I ended up with a one owner 93k mile 08 with mag ride and a bad torque tube for 18.6k. So after buying a new torque tube from GM for dealer cost still around $900 and it needing 3 mag ride shocks at $550x2 and $450 (again dealer cost) you're at 21k roughly. Needed 4 tires and so on. Mind you, i paid one of my buddy's mechanics $400 to do the torque tube the shocks headers, thermostat change plugs etc etc that job would cost most 1500 in labor at a DEAL.

Not to mention the wear and tear. I probably put 5k into it and barely drove the car because I was worried at what point will it need even more.

I had the money to spend but why on that car?
So I bought a brand new C7 Z06 3yrs later after realizing I loved corvettes... I can afford it so I just did it.


Doing it over, i would do the following - find a one owner well cared for C7. About 3yrs old but not beyond so know the in service date (so you can purchase a GM ectended warranty) lower mileage, meaning under 10k yr so you're at roughly 25k to 35k miles (make sure not over 36k miles).

good luck buddy. Just make sure you're not pennywise and dollar foolish or it won't be the same experience imo.

you'll be happiest being covered and spending a little more upfront than paying out the butt later.

patentcad

I paid $63K for my 2017 18 months ago, a dealer recently offered me like $46K on trade (and I think $45K ish is what they're worth these days wholesale, maybe $43K-$45K). All of which would put the car's retail value in the $47K-$50K range I suppose. But one thing I've noticed is that first step of depreciation - the first $20K - say from $63K to $43K- that happens fast. But the NEXT $20K - from $43K down to say $25K - that happens VERY slowly, like over 6-8 years, not < 2. So over the longer haul the cars do hold their value VERY well, even though they take a good shot earlier on. So the smartest way to buy a Vette is to buy a 2 year old car for say $52K. The hard part is finding one with the right color, equipment miles - AND the next hardest part (harder really) is so many sellers are asking too much - the used cars tend to be overpriced.

Ultimately, that's why I bought new - I just couldn't find the car I wanted with the right color, equip., etc. used. By the time I was ready the dealers were discounting the cars pretty aggressively.

Jeff V.

Very sound advice here.

Bajaholic

As I get older, the realization of tomorrow may never come. I realize this sounds morbid, but it is reality. Putting off something for a period of time, just to watch the market to save a few dollars is in my opinion, missing out on great opportunity to make lasting memories.

If you can afford it, do it now! Cars will always depreciate, until they flatten out. No one ever knows for sure when that will happen, demand and supply drives this. Example: C5Z's are still very popular and quite honestly are still worth close to what people paid for them 15+ years ago. Sure they seem less expensive compared to the C7's, but they did not cost any wheres near the cost of today's cars.

All models of Corvettes have their own highlights and negatives, but ALL are made to have fun in and will always put a smile on your face.

My personal suggestion is start looking for the car that makes your excitement going, then see if it fits your budget. It may not be the "Cheapest" car out there but again, money is not everything. Sometimes paying a bit more or less, because it is what YOU want will save you years of looking from the sidelines wishing for what you haven't gotten yet!

kitesurfer

420

Jmhornz71

I bought my 2015 Z51 3lt for $40k in Dec 2017. It was high mileage had 50kmiles on it, now is about to turn 60k miles. I bought in Northern Va and it was about 25 degrees that day The car other than mileage was perfect so in a colder climate it should be a problem to find a 2014 or maybe a 2105 in the low to mid $30k range