My C7 Journey, 200 Mile Review, & Pics - Velocity Yellow 7-Speed VIN 1786
10-13-2013, 02:21 AM
#1
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My C7 Journey, 200 Mile Review, & Pics - Velocity Yellow 7-Speed VIN 1786
MY C7 JOURNEY
Well, I finally stopped driving and showing off my new Stingray long enough to post an initial review! This Corvette is honestly far superior to any previous generation and it didn't take me long to figure that out. I currently own four Corvettes (C3, C4, C5, C7) and recently sold my C6. I am a Corvette enthusiast, so I enjoy Corvettes from every generation. But to me, the C7 is in a class all its own!
My first in person, physical encounter with the C7 was at the NCM Bash in April. I was awestruck by the exterior and interior design even though I had seen the early CADs, watched the reveal, and continually followed the information stream here on corvetteforum.com. Unfortunately, the public was not afforded the opportunity to sit in the C7 at the Bash, and I didn't know when I might have that opportunity.
Fortunately, I bought my 1994 convertible in New York and picked it up the day before Corvettes at Carlisle was to begin. A day later, I was sitting behind the wheel of several C7s in a variety of interior configurations. I was hooked! If the interior and exterior design were this world class, I knew the driving experience was certain to match. But I quickly dismissed any short term hope of owning one of my own.
Well, to shorten a story that for some may have already grown too long, about two weeks ago I started looking for a Stingray that was pre-ordered but for whatever reason the buyer didn't take delivery of. At the time, I thought it was a pipe dream...but dreams DO come true!
The Corvette club that I serve as newsletter editor for, has a member who has historically been among the very first in the club to purchase a Corvette upon a change in generation. (Ironically, he has been the club Historian for many years.) And he always purchases one in yellow. For months, he has awaited the arrival of his 2014 Stingray in Velocity Yellow Tintcoat with 3LT trim, performance exhaust, chrome wheels, yellow calipers, and an automatic transmission. On Thursday, October 3, this gentleman and his wife received the call that his new Corvette had arrived. They were thrilled! But as they walked up to the car and looked inside, their excitement quickly turned to disappointment as they discovered that their car had arrived with every option they ordered, with the exception of an automatic transmission. Of course, they didn't take delivery and are currently waiting for their correctly spec'd C7 to be made and shipped.
Thanks to Facebook, I had found out what happened by Thursday night. The next day I called the dealership and inquired about my friend's Corvette. By Monday, I had made a deposit and had everything in order to take delivery on Friday morning! By the way, the couple that had unknowingly ordered my Corvette for me, was thrilled that I was the one that had purchased it. So my friends and I will soon own twin Corvettes...one an automatic, the other a 7 speed manual.
200 MILE REVIEW
First, I want to say that the 2014 Corvette Stingray is the most amazing car I have ever driven. I want to point out the things that I like the most about it (with the exception of the overall interior and exterior design since I have already commented on these) as well as a couple of minor concerns. Every car is going to have at least a couple of minor flaws, but all in all, I really have no significant complaints.
Likes
- The attention this car commands has created all kinds of fun for me in the last day and a half. People drive beside you and behind you for long distances and just about break their necks sometimes trying to get a good look. And every time I stop somewhere, everyone from the young to the old wants to talk about the car and look it over inside and out.
- The engine and transmission respond incredibly well. There is so much power at your command. The car is a blast to drive and I can't wait until I have completed the break in process and can really put her to the test! (Edit: 6th gear is a little difficult to find when moving from 5th to 6th. Sometimes I wind up mistakenly putting it in 4th. Has anyone else noticed this?)
- The instrument cluster, entertainment center, and navigation are cutting edge. The wealth of information can seem overwhelming at first, but the control and manipulation of what you see on the instrument cluster was quite intuitive. I think it's also pretty cool that the 3D nav mode shows you the weather conditions as you drive (clouds and rain, sunshine, stars, etc.)
- OnStar navigation download is fantastic! I love being able to call OnStar and instead of getting turn by turn directions, having the route sent directly to the nav system so I don't have to input the address.
- The seats are much more comfortable than the seats that were in my 2012 coupe. I also love having ventilated seats. I can actually feel the air coming out of the seats.
- I can't believe how light weight the hood and targa top are. I could remove the targa top on my 2012 by myself, but was always concerned about not keeping it balanced as I would remove it and potentially dropping it. The 2014 is a piece of cake...a very light piece of cake!
- Even though I have yet to try all of the media inputs, I already know that I am going to enjoy having so much flexibility with regard to media device usage.
- There are plenty of places for storage in the car, but none is cooler than the area behind the screen. It's fun just having that on the car.
- I think the performance exhaust sounds awesome when you open it up. And I haven't taken it up over 4000 rpms yet either.
- The fuel economy is going to be incredible in Economy mode. The changing from 4 cylinder to 8 cylinder is barely noticeable and, for me, the fuel savings will equate to even more time behind the wheel.
Minor Concerns
- It seems like it's easier to graze the front, inside portion of the door with my shoe when exiting the car than in the other Corvettes I own. It just means being more careful, but there were already three scuff marks on the car when I picked it up with 6 miles on it and I quickly noticed how easy it could be for me to do this as well.
- When the seat bottoms are all the way back, the recline is limited to a point. The owner's manual states that you can further recline the seats when you move the whole seat forward. This works on the passenger side, but does not seem to work on the drivers' side. I would like to recline my seat a little further, but have been unable to do so. I do not know if the seats are designed this way intentionally, or if there is a flaw with my driver's seat.
- This is not really a concern for me, but I have read that several think that the blind spots are terrible on the Stingray. They are...if you don't know how to properly use your side mirrors. Once I adjusted the side mirrors properly, the physical blind spot became inconsequential.
- It is certainly true that the rear hatch requires more muscle to shut properly the first time. However, the handle just inside the upper right portion of the rear hatch can successfully be used to shut the rear hatch without having to push it down by hand.
- While the paint shines brilliantly, there are a couple of minor issues with my Corvette that I will have addressed. The first is where a small amount of paint ran on the passenger side of the B Pillar. You have to be looking hard to see this, but it is more pronounced when you run a finger along that area. There is an additional issue with regard to the paint near the center rear brake indicator in that it appears to have a blemish under the clear coat. There are also a couple of pieces of very small debris near where the paint ran. And with regard to orange peel, there is a fairly significant area of orange peel on the top portion of the front fender. The contrast between the hood, which appears to be as clear as glass, and the top part of the front fender, which appears to have waves in it, is something I am going to have my dealership look in to.
I'm sure that as time goes by, I will add more "likes" but hopefully no other "concerns." I will have over 1600 miles on her by Monday night and will post an update at that time. Again, in my opinion, the 2014 C7 Corvette Stingray is the best Corvette Chevrolet has ever made!
By the way, the other cars in the garage are not mine, nor is the garage mine for that matter. I stayed with a friend in Virginia before heading back to Oklahoma.
500 MILE UPDATE
I drove about 400 miles today and one thing is for certain...this is the most photographed car I have ever owned! It's amazing how many boys between the approximate ages of 10 and 18 took photos as they gawked out the passenger windows of their family cars, trucks, and minivans. At one stop, some boys wanted me to take a picture of them next to the car with my phone camera so I could text it to their parents phones. So much fun!
The car ran great on the highway. I was running down I-81 through the Blue Ridge Mountains, so I put it in E mode and averaged a little over 35 mpg at 70 mph (varied speed per break-in instructions but averaged about 70). I don't see why it won't get close to 40 on flat highways. There are times when you can feel the engine go from V4 to V8 and V8 to V4 and times when you can't. I'm not sure what makes the difference.
Traveling long distances is a pleasure in these seats. Not only are they very comfortable, but when I turn on the seat ventilation, I instantly feel the cool air on my rear end and back. Very nice indeed!
Since I was in the car a good while today, I spent time familiarizing myself with all of the customizable function settings and got everything set to my liking. I was also able to spend more time listening to HD radio and the audio system provides more than adequate audio stimulation.
I also spent some time on the phone as I drove. The pairing system functioned as it should with the exception of when I received a call while I was on another call. I stayed on the call I was on, but the incoming call information remained on my instrument panel screen until I hung up. I couldn't clear it or change it to anything else until I completed the call I was on. Probably just froze up.
Can't wait to spend all day in her tomorrow! 1000 miles to go!
PHOTOS
Exterior
Interior
Digital Displays
Well, I finally stopped driving and showing off my new Stingray long enough to post an initial review! This Corvette is honestly far superior to any previous generation and it didn't take me long to figure that out. I currently own four Corvettes (C3, C4, C5, C7) and recently sold my C6. I am a Corvette enthusiast, so I enjoy Corvettes from every generation. But to me, the C7 is in a class all its own!
My first in person, physical encounter with the C7 was at the NCM Bash in April. I was awestruck by the exterior and interior design even though I had seen the early CADs, watched the reveal, and continually followed the information stream here on corvetteforum.com. Unfortunately, the public was not afforded the opportunity to sit in the C7 at the Bash, and I didn't know when I might have that opportunity.
Fortunately, I bought my 1994 convertible in New York and picked it up the day before Corvettes at Carlisle was to begin. A day later, I was sitting behind the wheel of several C7s in a variety of interior configurations. I was hooked! If the interior and exterior design were this world class, I knew the driving experience was certain to match. But I quickly dismissed any short term hope of owning one of my own.
Well, to shorten a story that for some may have already grown too long, about two weeks ago I started looking for a Stingray that was pre-ordered but for whatever reason the buyer didn't take delivery of. At the time, I thought it was a pipe dream...but dreams DO come true!
The Corvette club that I serve as newsletter editor for, has a member who has historically been among the very first in the club to purchase a Corvette upon a change in generation. (Ironically, he has been the club Historian for many years.) And he always purchases one in yellow. For months, he has awaited the arrival of his 2014 Stingray in Velocity Yellow Tintcoat with 3LT trim, performance exhaust, chrome wheels, yellow calipers, and an automatic transmission. On Thursday, October 3, this gentleman and his wife received the call that his new Corvette had arrived. They were thrilled! But as they walked up to the car and looked inside, their excitement quickly turned to disappointment as they discovered that their car had arrived with every option they ordered, with the exception of an automatic transmission. Of course, they didn't take delivery and are currently waiting for their correctly spec'd C7 to be made and shipped.
Thanks to Facebook, I had found out what happened by Thursday night. The next day I called the dealership and inquired about my friend's Corvette. By Monday, I had made a deposit and had everything in order to take delivery on Friday morning! By the way, the couple that had unknowingly ordered my Corvette for me, was thrilled that I was the one that had purchased it. So my friends and I will soon own twin Corvettes...one an automatic, the other a 7 speed manual.
200 MILE REVIEW
First, I want to say that the 2014 Corvette Stingray is the most amazing car I have ever driven. I want to point out the things that I like the most about it (with the exception of the overall interior and exterior design since I have already commented on these) as well as a couple of minor concerns. Every car is going to have at least a couple of minor flaws, but all in all, I really have no significant complaints.
Likes
- The attention this car commands has created all kinds of fun for me in the last day and a half. People drive beside you and behind you for long distances and just about break their necks sometimes trying to get a good look. And every time I stop somewhere, everyone from the young to the old wants to talk about the car and look it over inside and out.
- The engine and transmission respond incredibly well. There is so much power at your command. The car is a blast to drive and I can't wait until I have completed the break in process and can really put her to the test! (Edit: 6th gear is a little difficult to find when moving from 5th to 6th. Sometimes I wind up mistakenly putting it in 4th. Has anyone else noticed this?)
- The instrument cluster, entertainment center, and navigation are cutting edge. The wealth of information can seem overwhelming at first, but the control and manipulation of what you see on the instrument cluster was quite intuitive. I think it's also pretty cool that the 3D nav mode shows you the weather conditions as you drive (clouds and rain, sunshine, stars, etc.)
- OnStar navigation download is fantastic! I love being able to call OnStar and instead of getting turn by turn directions, having the route sent directly to the nav system so I don't have to input the address.
- The seats are much more comfortable than the seats that were in my 2012 coupe. I also love having ventilated seats. I can actually feel the air coming out of the seats.
- I can't believe how light weight the hood and targa top are. I could remove the targa top on my 2012 by myself, but was always concerned about not keeping it balanced as I would remove it and potentially dropping it. The 2014 is a piece of cake...a very light piece of cake!
- Even though I have yet to try all of the media inputs, I already know that I am going to enjoy having so much flexibility with regard to media device usage.
- There are plenty of places for storage in the car, but none is cooler than the area behind the screen. It's fun just having that on the car.
- I think the performance exhaust sounds awesome when you open it up. And I haven't taken it up over 4000 rpms yet either.
- The fuel economy is going to be incredible in Economy mode. The changing from 4 cylinder to 8 cylinder is barely noticeable and, for me, the fuel savings will equate to even more time behind the wheel.
Minor Concerns
- It seems like it's easier to graze the front, inside portion of the door with my shoe when exiting the car than in the other Corvettes I own. It just means being more careful, but there were already three scuff marks on the car when I picked it up with 6 miles on it and I quickly noticed how easy it could be for me to do this as well.
- When the seat bottoms are all the way back, the recline is limited to a point. The owner's manual states that you can further recline the seats when you move the whole seat forward. This works on the passenger side, but does not seem to work on the drivers' side. I would like to recline my seat a little further, but have been unable to do so. I do not know if the seats are designed this way intentionally, or if there is a flaw with my driver's seat.
- This is not really a concern for me, but I have read that several think that the blind spots are terrible on the Stingray. They are...if you don't know how to properly use your side mirrors. Once I adjusted the side mirrors properly, the physical blind spot became inconsequential.
- It is certainly true that the rear hatch requires more muscle to shut properly the first time. However, the handle just inside the upper right portion of the rear hatch can successfully be used to shut the rear hatch without having to push it down by hand.
- While the paint shines brilliantly, there are a couple of minor issues with my Corvette that I will have addressed. The first is where a small amount of paint ran on the passenger side of the B Pillar. You have to be looking hard to see this, but it is more pronounced when you run a finger along that area. There is an additional issue with regard to the paint near the center rear brake indicator in that it appears to have a blemish under the clear coat. There are also a couple of pieces of very small debris near where the paint ran. And with regard to orange peel, there is a fairly significant area of orange peel on the top portion of the front fender. The contrast between the hood, which appears to be as clear as glass, and the top part of the front fender, which appears to have waves in it, is something I am going to have my dealership look in to.
I'm sure that as time goes by, I will add more "likes" but hopefully no other "concerns." I will have over 1600 miles on her by Monday night and will post an update at that time. Again, in my opinion, the 2014 C7 Corvette Stingray is the best Corvette Chevrolet has ever made!
By the way, the other cars in the garage are not mine, nor is the garage mine for that matter. I stayed with a friend in Virginia before heading back to Oklahoma.
500 MILE UPDATE
I drove about 400 miles today and one thing is for certain...this is the most photographed car I have ever owned! It's amazing how many boys between the approximate ages of 10 and 18 took photos as they gawked out the passenger windows of their family cars, trucks, and minivans. At one stop, some boys wanted me to take a picture of them next to the car with my phone camera so I could text it to their parents phones. So much fun!
The car ran great on the highway. I was running down I-81 through the Blue Ridge Mountains, so I put it in E mode and averaged a little over 35 mpg at 70 mph (varied speed per break-in instructions but averaged about 70). I don't see why it won't get close to 40 on flat highways. There are times when you can feel the engine go from V4 to V8 and V8 to V4 and times when you can't. I'm not sure what makes the difference.
Traveling long distances is a pleasure in these seats. Not only are they very comfortable, but when I turn on the seat ventilation, I instantly feel the cool air on my rear end and back. Very nice indeed!
Since I was in the car a good while today, I spent time familiarizing myself with all of the customizable function settings and got everything set to my liking. I was also able to spend more time listening to HD radio and the audio system provides more than adequate audio stimulation.
I also spent some time on the phone as I drove. The pairing system functioned as it should with the exception of when I received a call while I was on another call. I stayed on the call I was on, but the incoming call information remained on my instrument panel screen until I hung up. I couldn't clear it or change it to anything else until I completed the call I was on. Probably just froze up.
Can't wait to spend all day in her tomorrow! 1000 miles to go!
PHOTOS
Exterior
Interior
Digital Displays
Last edited by jagamajajaran; 10-13-2013 at 11:24 PM.
10-13-2013, 03:12 AM
#4
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2015 C7 of the Year
St. Jude Donor '14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19
10-13-2013, 03:13 AM
#5
Race Director
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Member Since: Jun 2006
Location: Lawton, OK
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C7 & C8 Events Correspondent
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2020 C8 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2020 Corvette of the Year (track prepared)
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
C7 of Year Winner (appearance mods) 2019
2017 C7 of Year Finalist
2015 C7 of the Year
St. Jude Donor '14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19
10-13-2013, 03:27 AM
#6
Le Mans Master
I would KILL my dealer if they putt that cheap, shinny crap on my leather.
10-13-2013, 07:17 AM
#7
Holy smokes... what did the dealer put on your dash!! I'd get some cleaner and remove it ASAP.
Beautiful car!!
Beautiful car!!
10-13-2013, 08:00 AM
#8
Race Director
Thread Starter
Member Since: Jun 2006
Location: Lawton, OK
Posts: 10,299
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C7 & C8 Events Correspondent
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2020 C8 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2020 Corvette of the Year (track prepared)
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
C7 of Year Winner (appearance mods) 2019
2017 C7 of Year Finalist
2015 C7 of the Year
St. Jude Donor '14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19
And I am going to do that soon. I actually didn't expect for the shine on the dash to be the primary item commented on from my post, but one never knows what to expect when posting in here.
10-13-2013, 08:21 AM
#10
Burning Brakes
That is beautiful and almost the same as mine except I have the Z51 option. Yours was in front of mine on the line because my Vin is 1787. SWEET RIDE and congrats!!
10-13-2013, 09:33 AM
#13
Hey Big Dan 427! The Nomad is a '55. Here is a link for some pictures.
http://www.interiorsbyshannon.com/19...r_interior.htm
http://www.interiorsbyshannon.com/19...r_interior.htm
10-13-2013, 10:06 AM
#15
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wipe that dash down with 50/50 water rubbing alcohol and get it clean - re apply poorboys natural look for a nice clean matte finish - get it at autogeek.net - stuff is amazing
10-13-2013, 10:13 AM
#16
Safety Car
Member Since: Dec 2011
Location: New Rochelle N.Y. 2013 Grand Sport
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OnStar navigation download is fantastic! I love being able to call OnStar and instead of getting turn by turn directions, having the route sent directly to the nav system so I don't have to input the address. (QUOTE)
Great looking car! Enjoy it very much. How ever you do know that IF onstar works like the C6 ( I don't know that it does )the route being sent has nothing to do with the nav map. It is strictly a voice guidance system with no map interaction and the two systems ( car system, onstar system ) are really two separate entities.
Great looking car! Enjoy it very much. How ever you do know that IF onstar works like the C6 ( I don't know that it does )the route being sent has nothing to do with the nav map. It is strictly a voice guidance system with no map interaction and the two systems ( car system, onstar system ) are really two separate entities.
10-13-2013, 10:23 AM
#17
Melting Slicks
Congratulations on the new car. Looks great. Just my preference, but I think the chrome wheels look a lot better than black wheels.
Thanks for posting the comments.
Do you feel the black 3LT is worth the upcharge? Did you notice any difference in the quality of the leather from 2LT's you might have seen at Carlisle?
Thanks for posting the comments.
Do you feel the black 3LT is worth the upcharge? Did you notice any difference in the quality of the leather from 2LT's you might have seen at Carlisle?
10-13-2013, 10:34 AM
#19
Intermediate
Member Since: Mar 2012
Location: Kansas Land Of Ah's
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I'm in love with your car! Awesome color combo. Have you noticed much brake pad dust on the back end? Had a issue with it on my Orange C6 and went to a ceramic pad which helped quite a bit.
10-13-2013, 10:35 AM
#20
Love the shot of the steering wheel in the night, definitely looks like a stingray!