-cc

I'm seriously considering the vette but not sure how it would work as a daily driver. My next choice is a Cayman or used 911. 1 kid in college and another going next year so my budget is between 30 and 55K.

Wife says Vette's are for rednecks or mid-life crisis mobiles but I have always been a fan. Not sure about the craftsmanship though, I wound up buying a Toyota Tundra a few years ago because I couldn't stand paying 35K for a new American truck and having an unknown rattle and loose steering after 2 years.


I would appreciate any input from the group.

romc6

Can't get much of a Cayman for 55k.... If you try to match it to the C6 3LT with nav (around 55k) you will be at 68-72k. Go online built a C6 3LT with NAV, then do the same with the Porsche and see the $$$$

With these two choices its hard to go wrong but you will miss some creature comforts with the Cayman at 55k.

Good Luck!

NVR LAT

An honest reply to this thread would probably just cause a fight between you and your wife. She obviously has no clue...oh yea, never mind...

Good luck to you though!

-cc

I'm in the Seattle area so I've seen a few used Porsche's come in from time to time - what do you think of the Vette's craftsmanship. Took one for a test drive the other day 12K miles and around 38K, really a lot of fun, the shifting took a while to get used to but I loved the creature comforts. I put a lot of miles on the road 400 or so miles per week and I'm not sure if the Vette can stand up to the abuse. I know several people on the other hand that drive the heck out of their porsche's and have very few problems.

Johnny Blaze

Are you sure you want to deal with the maintenance and upkeep costs of the Porsche? I know a guy with a 911 Turbo (2001 I believe) and I was talking with him and he said it costs him on average around 9k a year or more, and it's not even his DD.

mpuzach

Before getting my Corvette, my last 5 cars were European (2 Audi A6s, a VW GTI, a Volvo 940, and a Volvo 740). The quality and craftsmanship of those cars were impeccable. Having said that, I've had very few disappointments with the Corvette. My only real gripes [FLAME SUIT] are with some of the interior materials. Coming out of Audis most recently (I find their interiors to be the best of any production cars that are built in volume), it's not surprising that some aspects of the Corvette's interior would be disappointing. I'm talking about areas like the silver plastic trim on the center console (should be brushed metal), the cloth seat backs (should be leather), and the carpet (it's bottom of the barrel) [/FLAME SUIT]. As far as I'm concerned, the rest of the car is beyond reproach. After having my servicing dealer fix a few annoying interior noises, my car is very tight and noise-free. The engine is incredibly strong and sounds beautiful to my ears. The cockpit is a comfortable place to spend hours at a time in. The instrument panel is the best I've seen in any car, period (equalled only by those of earlier Corvettes, e.g. C2, C3, C5). With features like heated seats, dual-zone climate control, GPS navigation, HUD, and keyless entry, the C6 doesn't force one to give up civility in order to enjoy a world-class sports car. Personally, I don't see how you could go wrong with one.

Keith N

As a daily driver, the C6 is a much better choice than the Porsche. Repair costs are more reasonable. A Cayman is really nice car, and it will cost you over $70K vs. $55K (C6). Take your wife for a test drive and she'll be sold. Go for the Vette!!!

NVR LAT

Not sure about 9K (not disputing either), but I agree...Porsche maintenance is normally MUCH HIGHER than the Corvette.

-cc

That's what I'm afraid of, I also have a BMW motorcycle and a Harley, routine maintenance on the BMW costs more than my truck. The Harley on the other hand I can wrench myself. Not sure if I could do anything what so ever on either a Vette or a Porsche, they both seem pretty advanced for me. What do I have to worry about on the Vette? The salesman told me that it's worry free pretty much for the first 100K but that sounds like bullS@#T

tahoemark

Yes price is certainly one issue. If you check out forum dealers and GMID pricing you can save quite a bit off msrp. One of the problems I have had with Porsche is that the base price of the car is ok but it seems very easy to add 10-20k of options, I always feel like it is sort of bait and switch.
Personally if both cars were close in price I would think a lot about my local dealers. Our Porsche dealers is rather rude and obnoxious, were as my Chevy dealer is not great but tries harder.
I believe Corvettes are much better engineered and built than they used to be, I also believe that Porsche, although it has excellent engineering has become less reliable than they used to be basically because of all the modern electrical systems and options cars have now.
Neither car will be as reliable as a toyota. As a daily driver I would pick the Corvette because I think it is more practical. I will admit price is a factor, if the Corvette was 20k more than the Porsche I would probably buy the Cayman. But with my local dealer I still might not.
Bottom line, drive them both, price them both, and check out your dealers. Buy the one that will give you the most pleasure. These are not practical cars.

C-INRED

I've owned alot of imports. Audi, BMW, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Honda, Mazda....well, you get the idea. I have 12,000 miles on my 2006 C6 and LOVE it!! I've had a couple of in warranty problems...more than my BMW and fewer than my Audi. But I'll take the Vette over any of the others....hands down!!

Best of luck with your decision.

-cc

Lots of good info. I think I'll go for another test drive, maybe take the wife. The craftsmanship comments worry me, carpet and plastic etc. but I guess at that price for a performance car something has to give.
I 'm guessing I could replace the carpet and probably find some aftermarket stuff to replace the cheap plastic parts for less than 20K

Johnny Blaze

His is slightly modified as well (performance mods), wide low-profile tires. The 9k is including tires as well. Should've cleared that up in my forst post, but 9k is still pretty damn high.

Johnny Blaze

Thats the spirit, let us know what color C6 you end up getting.

-cc

Yep and a little blue loctite should fix the rattle - I'm 1/2 way there.

Oh one more thing, how much more should I expect to pay for insurance realistically?

romc6

Mine went up 5%

6th Gear

cayman is a waste of money..... under 300 hp for big $$$ and it cant even keep up with a legacy gt... sigh.... ill take my c6 any day

mpuzach

I'm paying $1040 / year for high coverage limits, low deductibles.

BTW, there's nothing wrong with the Corvette's craftsmanship. It's very well put together. My comments about some of the interior materials choices were intended to point out that there's actually very little I would change about the car. I "fixed" the carpets by putting in Lloyd's mats F+R and they're great. (They cost around $200 for F+R.) The seat backs are, well, kinda cheesy but I don't dwell on them since I rarely flip them forward. The silver plastic console trim is still a thorn in my side but if it gets to the point where I can't stand it I'll just replace it with a new piece in carbon fiber or body color. Beyond that, the interior is fine and you definitely shouldn't let it dissuade you from getting one of these magnificent machines.

-cc

Thanks again, just one more thread. I test drove the coupe but I like the convertable, any ideas here? Convertables tend to be less stiff but I doubt I would notice the difference. The local dealer told me they were rare, but I think he was trying to sell me something on the lot. Being from Seattle, I'm concerned with leaks but I usually park in a garage at work - it's just the idea that something could leak. Any problems with rain?

vettetech2

your in a corvette forum what do you think we are gonna tell you p.s. not to down your wife or anything but it just gos to show you what women in general know about cars