Scottc7

Need input from experienced C7 owners. Getting ready to order 2016 Stingray Coupe Z51 and am wanting to know is the Magnetic Ride Control really worth the $1700? Thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

robertson2900

I love magnetic ride control. I definitely think it is worth the extra money. Bumpy rides are tamed with the 'touring' mode and it is great for long road trips. Love the 'sport' mode on the twistys.

BIC

I have it and highly recommend it. Lots of threads on this. See:

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-worth-it.html

It's standard on most Cadillacs now as well as the new $500,000 Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce. If you think about it, what's $1800 on a $70k car? It's less than a set of chrome wheels. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

BIC

The April 2014 issue of Corvette Magazine does a back-to-back-to-back comparison of a base Stingray, Z51 and Z51 w/MSRC. Some highlights as follows:

Base Stingray

...the base suspension (referred to internally as FE1) isn’t a particularly soft-riding car. It’s not unduly firm in terms of overall ride quality, but rather than absorbing sharp bumps, the car passes a lot of them along to the driver, particularly at around-town speeds.

Even with the base suspension, the C7 is a still 1-g car. Quick turn-in? Check. Seemingly endless grip? Yep. Massively powerful brakes? Oh, yeah. Stupendous power on demand? You know it.

Interestingly, the FE1 Stingray works better the harder we push it. To our hands and butts, the car doesn’t feel entirely happy to be driven merely briskly. Driving at a six-tenths pace, we find ourselves sawing at the steering wheel in corners, making minor corrections to the car’s line, and stumbling over the brake pedal, which has a slight dead zone at the top of its travel that makes delicacy a challenge.

But when we up the pace a few notches, the base-suspension Stingray comes into its own. Pushing harder on the brake pedal reveals excellent feel and modulation. Loading up the superb Michelin run-flat tires clamps the Stingray onto our chosen line, and the C7 doesn’t relinquish its grip as we feed in the power—and more power, and more, until the g force is nearly pressing us against the door panel. When the traction control starts limiting the fun, we switch the DMS from Sport to Track mode, which frees up the rear end to move around a bit. As the turns come faster and faster, the C7 simply gobbles them up.

Z51 without MSRC

In the twisties, the Z51 package proves just as desirable as the Competition Sport seats. Compared to the base, FE1-suspension car, the Z51-equipped FE3-suspension Stingray feels more planted, more responsive and, well, faster. While it doesn’t offer noticeably more grip, it definitely allows us to better exploit that grip, with less nose dive under braking, faster turn-in and less lean in the corners—not that the base car leaned much to begin with. In short, Z51 makes the Stingray feel more like a full-on sports car, one that better connects the driver to the road and really encourages you to attack the turns with conviction.

There’s a price to be paid for the extra connection, however: The FE3 car’s ride is noticeably less comfortable than that of the base suspension. While this suspension setup isn’t too extreme, we do think it does make ride quality an issue for those who want to use their car regularly on less-than-perfect roads, or simply prefer to cruise around.

Z51 with MSRC

When these optional magnetorheological shock absorbers are combined with the Z51 Performance Package—the resulting suspension is referred to as FE4 (there’s no FE2)—there is a real increase in ride comfort and no detriment to handling.

Ordering MSRC along with Z51 is the ultimate no-brainer option. First, it offers better ride quality than the base suspension. Second, it absorbs bumps better than either the base or FE3 shocks. Third, its stiffness varies both depending on the Driver Mode Selector’s positioning—soft in Tour, firm in Track—and what the road underneath is doing. Finally, ordering both MSRC and Z51 gets you Performance Track Management, five distinct levels of traction- and stability-control intervention inside Track mode. The only downside to MSRC is that you have to pay extra for it, but that’s part of how Chevy keeps the base price down. Regardless, we don’t think there’s a better $1,800 you can spend to improve a Corvette.

PaulB

I have always said that the Magnetic Ride should be standard equipment. I first had it on my 2003 50th Anniversary car and they have made several improvements since then. The Magnetic Ride has so many positive features like reacting to a loss of traction in slippery conditions, before the driver even knows he is losing control. I think its well worth the money ...

slickstick

It's amazing, and well worth the money. Turns the Corvette from a nice handling car to the nicest riding car on the market. Mag ride is scary tight and smooth riding at the same time.

Rave

Love mine!

MeloC7

Currently have a 2015 Z51 with a 2016 Z06 on order. When I bought my 2015 I really wanted a 7 speed but went with an A8 because that was the only car I could find that I liked with Mag Ride. That's how important I feel Mag Ride is. Wouldn't own a Vette without it.

juanvaldez

I order my Z51 coupe without it. Cost was a factor but ultimately it was the Ron Fellows using non-magride cars. This will be a daily driver that I plan to keep for 10 year/100,000 miles so maintenance costs were also considered. I don't have hemorrhoids so a little bit of rough ride doesn't bother me.

RussM05

I bought Mag Ride and glad I did.

I asked an Spring Mountain instructor about Mag ride and the response was it was too bouncy in track mode at times. The non-mag ride cars at the track worked just fine.

Munchen100

So, does this mean if I'm ordering a non Z51 and adding 19" front and 20"rear tires that I would not need or benefit from mag ride re: a smoother ride? The smoother ride is important to me

DD04C5

It is well worth is, you will love it as said.

Gary '09 C6

IMO, Z51 and MSRC f-t-w !

themonk

GS1960

In order to get the Z51 wheels, don't you have to order the mag ride? I know you do if you want museum delivery.

witch hunt

wait a minute....

alamo1974

BUCKNERBUCK2

I went back and forth on this alot as I was trying to keep my z51 under 65k. Ended up ordering mag ride 1lt with comp seats. 1k miles in I am very glad I did mag ride. It's great to have the selection and adjustable compliance... especially with poor michigan highways. If I'm on good roads sport is nice, but when it gets bad being able to go to tour and smooth it out is wonderful.

Flame Red

I agree that it is worth it. I had to look long and hard to find one equipped.

There is one down side from my experience in the C6 world. When the mag ride shocks need to be replaced, as they will, the mag shocks are over $1000 each and so on the C6's many just replaced them with "standard" shocks without the sticker shock and the gizmo to get rid of the code and keep the computers happy. But I assume most here will trade in their C7 for C8 by that time.

Patman

Others on here have reported that the cost of the C7's mag shocks are much less than for the C6, more like $400 each instead of $800-1000.