Daily Slideshow: Vette C5 or C6? Which Z06 is Better?

Price Point

Let's get the elephant out of the room right away with this one. Both of these cars are equal bargains of the century, but one is a better bargain than the other. Kelly Blue Book lists the price of an excellent condition C5 Z06 at $20,000 compared to the C6 Z06 increased price of $36,000.

Point: C5 Z06

Engine Performance

405bhp compared to 505bhp obviously tips the scales in favor of the C6 until you think about that $16,000 you saved by not buying a C6. But before you prop your hood open for the world to see you’re forgetting even if you mod the engine you’re now creating a tuner car. This means dyno time, labor fees and all the fun hidden costs that go into adding even 100-150whp to a car. Sorry C5, this is where the C6 comes into its strong suit. 

Point: C6 Z06

>>Join the conversation about the C5 Z06 vs this slideshow winner, the C6 Z06 right here in Corvette Forum.

Chassis

Afraid it’s not going well for the C5 now. No matter how many strut tower bars you buy from a guy who claims he has won the most autocrosses of all time there is no getting around the fact that newer cars have better chassis. It’s a structural thing that is designed into the metal from the factory. Unfortunately, this isn't something you have much control over.

Point: C6 Z06 

>>Join the conversation about the C5 Z06 vs this slideshow winner, the C6 Z06 right here in Corvette Forum.

Parts and Maintenance

Both of these cars are pretty equal when it comes to upkeep and maintenance. We can't have that here though so the C5 gets this one on account of being older. One of the brilliant things about the Corvette is that it has dirt cheap parts compared to cars that performed equally when it hit the market in the early 2000s. Greatest sports car of all time? Hard to argue against it!

Point: C5 Z06

>>Join the conversation about the C5 Z06 vs this slideshow winner, the C6 Z06 right here in Corvette Forum.

Tie Breaker

The C6 is more expensive, but C5 allows for more money to make modifications. Does it even things out? Not in this test. If you have the chance to purchase either of these cars the C6 is a better choice, however, that is not to say anything is wrong with the C5. It is still outperforming cars double its price while the C6 can take on more exotic heavyweights. Hope you enjoyed this consumer advice!

Winner: C6 Z06

>>Join the conversation about the C5 Z06 vs this slideshow winner, the C6 Z06 right here in Corvette Forum.

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