Kochoa

First off, hello everybody. I’m new here.
I am turning 16 soon and have been looking at cars for a few months now. I didn’t really become interested in anything until I saw c6 corvettes. I do have experience driving a powerful rwd car (my fathers ‘14 charger rt) but I have seen that the c6 is both more powerful and lighter than a charger. I understand that they are different, but I do know how torquey rwd v8s are. I’m pretty good at controlling the throttle in simple situations such as having to make a quick turn and potentially spinning out with all the torque. I wanted to come to the current c6 stingray owners. Is it a good first car? Not just safety and power, but gas, insurance, fuel economy, reliability, and overall performance? I really do like the car, I think it is amazing considering all the cosmetic and performance aspects, but I do realize the temptation that comes with a car like that especially with peer pressure. I’m not really the type to show off in a dangerous way, however, I do understand that in the moment things can slip up, and accidents can happen. I don’t plan to speed excessively or drive recklessly, but I did want to come to the c6 community to ask, because at the end of the day I am looking to own my first one.

FAUEE

Abso ******* lately not a good first car. Your insurance will be insane, if they will even insure you at all. Running costs for things like tires are high, and theyre not exactly cheap for parts.

They're great cars, but terrible first cars.

Kochoa

Thanks man, I’m thinking of maybe waiting 2-3 years before getting one as well. Maybe that’s the better choice.

lilcuda

16? Considering a Vette as a first car? Worst idea I’ve heard in a long time. Get something cheap and easy to insure and maintain. Get some experience behind the wheel , like a minimum of 5 years, then think about it.

I didn’t get my Vette until I was 55!

6 Shooter

Having a Vette as a 1st car would be sweet, but how deep are your pockets? 😎

Here’s a link with some info: https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...-buyers-guide/

Chukman

When turning 16 in the late '80's my first car was a '78 Camaro RS, nothing special but cool enough. My brother had two red '75 & '80 Corvettes that he let me use as my own while he was deployed. It was a sweet deal for me as it upped my cool factor in high school and helped score a few chicks that I otherwise wouldn't have. Fortunately I never got into any trouble or wrecked either of them. I was level headed but even a level headed teen can make bad choices. I held two jobs to cover fuel and maintenance for the Corvette & Camaro. Despite my positive experience I wouldn't recommend it. Just gas alone will eat up your funds never mind insurance, maintenance and other situations and dings you'll get into as a young driver. If you can afford a cool sporty smaller car that doesn't kill you on fuel & insurance, go for it. But a Corvette is too much in all respects. My son turns 16 in a few months and just bought a Mazda3 from a relative. Nothing special but nothing to be embarrassed about at 16. I explained to him that after fuel & insurance he's going to want to have spending money to go places, hang out with friends and afford to go out on dates without having to scrape by. You have plenty of time to fulfill your automotive dreams. Good luck!
One last funny - my son thought he'd be funny putting his "Student Driver" magnet on the back of my C6 to see what I'd say. Joke ended up on him as magnets don't stick to fiberglass & plastic!!

Eshoremd

What’s your budget?

Kochoa

20-25k, but for any car in general. That’s my max budget price.

2004avalanche

I would recommend a real nice Neon for your first car if you can find one

rtbehm

If you want a Vette and have the funds without loans, then go for it. Don't let other detract you with their opinions. Secondly, great time to search for a Vette going into the Winter season, car prices on the decline and those who purchased 3rd cars on their HELOC coupled with increasing interest rates/payments. Folks might be interested in dumping their purchases. Look for an early C6, low miles, unmodified, limited number of owners, inspect service history, garage queen, etc... there are tons out there to be purchased. Yes, insurance is high for a 16 yr old male but once again, that's the price one pays for youth. Good luck.

BTW, where are you located?

StayinStock

I typically would be the one to say if you can afford it go for it but... based on the fact your already having doubts about peer pressure and what not you'll undoubtedly give in to that... My level of good judgement at 16 was insanely terrible and I paid for it more than a time or two with cars way slower and shittier than a Vette... Do yourself a favor, save your money, go buy a little beater pick up truck or a honda to drive around, find a project car that doesn't run and start building it over time. Also side note the C6 was never called a Stingray (and thank god lol)

JABCAT

My first car at 16 was a 100 hp Mitsubishi Eclipse, and that was enough to get me in some trouble. I then moved up to a 215 hp Mustang GT at 17, and yep, got in some trouble with that as well. Next was a Camaro RS with 5.0L V8, followed by a Camaro Z28 with the LT1 & 285 hp...and the list went on & on, and on. To be perfectly blunt, and because I have children both your age and now a few years older (all of which are National Honor Society Members, and/or on academic scholarships to very good universities), your brain is not developed enough at 16, nor do you have the requisite experience behind the wheel to be driving a 400+hp sports car at this time. That's not a personal knock on you, it's simply a developmental fact of life.

My advice would be to get a sporty sedan that is reliable & has low maintenance costs. Something like a Honda Civic, Subaru Impreza, Nissan Altima, etc. Get A LOT of experience behind the wheel before jumping into higher performance vehicles.

449er

People who buy Corvettes typically aren't worried about fuel economy/insurance/ costs.....I would have killed myself at age 16 with a C6

ClothSeats

In addition to other reasons already stated, if this will be a daily driver, and if you need to drive it in winter where snow is common, then a Corvette is a very bad idea.

jjfabs

A few years ago some rich kid, in my area got a Lambo for high school graduation. He and a friend of his were dead in the summer
because he didn't have a clue how to handle the performance the car could deliver.
A C6 is not a Lambo but it has all the power one needs to get in serious trouble. Not a good first car for a 16 year old in my opinion.
I can't imagine what your insurance would cost you. $6000 for liability if you can even get it?

Redsoxnation

The best vehicle for a 16 year old is a 3/4 ton truck with a 4 cylinder engine. You will have plenty of metal around you to be protective and slow enough to barely do the speed limit. Unfortunately they do not exist. Get a Honda or Toyota, they are reliable, plentiful and affordable.

v4e2r7t

You need something extremely reliable, safe, and economical to operate. Good luck to you.

VetteVinnie

Honestly, it really depends on the 16 year old. There are kids under 10 running go carts and dragsters at speeds that would make a lot of us old farts (I'm 54) cringe. That said, when I was 16 I had a 1976 Toyota Celica with a 5 speed. I blew the transmission within four months learning how to do clutch dump burnouts. My dad took it over. Meantime, I picked up a 1966 Dodge Dart GT with a 318 V8 for $50 and damn near killed myself racing a Monte Carlo on city streets one day.

I can't imagine having one of these cars back then. It took decades of driving and AutoX events to get to where I won't put it into a wall when it gets squirrelly. I was in my 30s before I got my first real muscle car, a 1999 Trans Am. I've since owned six Corvettes and (knock on wood) haven't wrecked a single one of them despite several 1/4 mile runs, AutoX, highway rolls, 184+ MPH sprints (in my 2008 Z06). If I had any of these cars in my teens? I'd probably be dead. Case in point, when I was 21 I wrapped a 1967 Corvette 427 Tri-Power roadster around a tree. Wasn't mine, of course. That ended my mechanics career, and I went into computers instead.

My advice since these cars are hella expensive to maintain (tires alone will eat you alive, and there's "Vette Tax" for everything - C6 parts are becoming more and more scarce) is to start with a C5 and save some of that C6 overhead and learn to drive these cars. The C5s are very similar in handling. I still love driving our C5 now and then, mostly for the nostalgia (and the fact that it's an A4, so getting stuck in Houston traffic is not hard on the knee), and for a 21 year old car it still runs and drives extremely well.

Good luck.

tommyc6z06

my first car at 16...40hp (probably only made 3/4 of that)
I rolled it (well, onto its side anyway).
I would have died in a modern Vette...daily

Rocketmanwpb

If you have the budget then go for it. Just be aware of the power and potential for disaster. Be respectful to the car and other drivers and you should be good.