kenownr

Performance wise I think the C7 stock is comparable straight line to most of the performance Mustangs except maybe the GT350, or the higher line Mustangs etc. All C7's (even the base model) will run low 12's high 11's 1/4's with out any mods and the Z06 has turned high 10's stock as shown on the fast list here on the forum. In the twisty's the stock C7 will pretty much run away from almost all the mustangs and the GS/Z06 will run with or ahead of pretty much ANY of them except the highly modded. I say this from the forum reports back from the track rats, not personal experience.
I did see you said in your OP you were not a racer and really wanted a good GT car like most of us.
I think you will find the C7 a very comfortable car to drive on road trips and in fact actually gets 28-32 Mpg along the way, which is a plus.
I have 38K on my 2015 and other than changing out the MPSS to all season MPSS that's the only thing I've had to do to the car. Actually pretty good IMO for four years of service.
I will agree, with the top off above 70/75 it buffets pretty good but unless it's a really, really hot day it's livable IMO. Lots of guys LOVE their rag tops and say the wind noise etc. is considerably less than the top-off coupe you might consider one of those.
The A8 has a reputation of fails, but you are going M7 so no concern there for you. I have an A8 and not problems (knock on wood) so far.
I think the resale on the C7 overall is probably better than the Mustang, BUT as a daily driver you will probably put lots of miles on it AND that takes a pretty big hit on the Corvette market. Lots of garage queen C7's out there, some my year (2015) with only 3 or four thousand miles on them. So keep that in mind as you think about a DD corvette.
Fun car, great performance car, costs more than a Mustang to operate but the big question for you IMO is it worth it? I think so, and if I lived in a climate where I could DD my C7 I would without question -- Hope this helps -- tom

GLOCK22357

All such tires have similar warnings.

Has anyone on this forum actually had their tires crack? The tires that came on my car had that warning, the ones that are on it now have that warning, they basically all do.

I did have one of my OEM (truly craptastic) Pirelli tires have it's tread crack, but they were due for replacement anyways, and the tire tech has improved immensely since those tires were considered the best in the market category 8+ years ago . My replacement Indy 500s have been a vast improvement over the OEM Pirellis, especially how they handle wet conditions and cold conditions. And I do see those tires are available for Z51 C7s, so that's what I'd install.

They truly are amazing tires, and despite the warnings, have 0 issues with cold temps. They grip amazingly well, handle rain amazingly well, are quiet and ride well, and have never had that "pop" that most MPS tires have in cold temps when they first turn after parked.

I can do a full-pull in 2nd gear at 30 degrees with them, with no problems. The OEM Pirellis would flop about, spin, and not work below 60 degrees.

tsoed

https://www.cioccachevroletofprincet...-NJ/3111034933

check this out - insane price if there are no hidden requirements for the discounts plus the 0% APR on 72 months Chevy is offering (if it can be combined). I'd probably have purchased it already if it wasn't a manual. Anyways good luck with your search!

GLOCK22357

Ya'll are hitting me with replies so fast, I can't keep up!! Love this place!!!

Tires are the #1 thing on any car, I'm fanatical about the different balances that can be achieved.

Can you explain more about the Blockit kit? Something for the Targa top?

2880

Yes there have been quite a few reports on cracked tires.Some members have been going to an all-season tire.

GLOCK22357

I'm a Michiganderer too, left there about 8 years ago. Not really any winter to speak of here, it just gets colder and over-cast for 5 months.

We'll see, the info I'm getting here still has me on the fence, but it's massively appreciated.

GLOCK22357

GLOCK22357

Then I'll suggest those Indy 500s to everyone here. Absolutely fantastic tires, and handle cold temps without pause.

Plus they're cheaper.

B-17/B-25 CC

Blockit Kit = Is 3 "thick foam rubber" type pads, one for the trunk area and two that lay in behind the setbacks to reduce noise while driving. Reviews here are mixed, some people saying they notice a difference (reduced noise on highway) and some not.

There is a poster here ("Crazy Cowboy") that sells several models of sound kits to reduce noise. These kits require removal of the carpet and trim in the trunk and seats and carpet for installation. He will even make trips to various parts of the country and do installations at owners homes if he gets enough people in the same area to make it worthwhile. I had him do his "Double Extreme" kit in my 2016 convertible. I noticed some difference, but not as much as I had hoped for.

My car has the original Michelin Super Sports. I'm hoping when I replace them with the AS3 all season tires it might get a little quieter.

GLOCK22357

Definitely look into the Indy 500's if they're available in the sizes you need. Quiet, and you have great grip. Very progressive, not snappy.

Jeeeeze, I sound like a tire salesman!!!

Maxpowers

Welcome to Corvette Forum...

Jpena229

I drive a 2015 Stingray 3LT with the 8 speed auto and carbon fiber package. This is my only car so it's my DD, I live in San Antonio TX. so I drive it all year. I have never had any problems using it as a DD, trunk space is more than most cars, to include mustangs which I have owned a bunch of them, decent gas mileage, specially on the highway, and quite comfortable (I have the GT seats). I have done 9 hour drives on this car and found the seats to be very good on long trips, they're not soft fluffy seats but at least in my case they support me on all the right places and even after a long drive my back feels fine. All that being said, it is a sports car even though it has some creature comforts it is not a "sporty car" like a mustang that has to be sporty enough for the enthusiast and still plush enough for your average executive secretary. As far as the aftermarket goes there are plenty of things that can be modified on it if that's what you like to do, just look around in this forum and you'll see plenty of people doing all kinds of things to their cars. Is the aftermarket as large as the Pony aftermarket? no, but the reason for that is that the Vette IS A SPORTS CAR! it was designed and built as a high performance car already so there is no need to improve it's performance, you can take this thing straight out of the box to the track and it will be at home, even on the factory tires the car handles like a champ. So, daily driver? yes. love it? yes. Any problems? other than a few issues with the 8 speed tranny, no. Stop screwing around and go get you some!

GLOCK22357

Working on it. Hopefully this fall I'll slide myself into a C7!!!

Thanks for all the help folks, thank you very much!!!

z06inVB

I live in SE VA and have daily driven Corvettes since 05 for around 250k miles. My current car is a 16 z51 2LT with MRC. With all season tires most recently Michelin AS 3 + I operate in all weather except significant snow which is rare here in temps as low as -6f to as high as 118. Ground clearance requires some care and of course deep water but other than that no issues.

Of course it does not have a rear seat but the rear cargo area is spacious. I carry my turnout gear for work along with a spare uniform kit and a trauma bag with room to spare.

Cant speak for the targa roof. I rarely remove mine. I do not like the buffeting I get with it off and loss of cargo area space stowing it. I bought a transparent roof for mine. When I want a top down experience I break out my old Miata.

Clutch feel is good. My last Mustang was a new 03 Mach 1 and the feel is far better than it. Have not driven one since though. Oh and when I went from my Mach 1 to my first Vette which was a 01 z06 my insurance actually went down.

All in all I have had a fun ride with Vettes.

Kent1999

If you are looking for a car that you can do endless performance mods for reasonable costs and noticeable gains... you are much better off sticking with the Mustang platform.

Mustangs are fun cars, but they respond so well to mods because they are built on a very low-cost 'anyone can afford one' platform, thus there are a LOT of avenues to improvement.

C7's are much more developed right from the factory. There are a few noticeable gains to be made, but they are not cheap, because the OEM parts are already decent and more optimized for performance, and thus to get a worthwhile aftermarket 'improvement', you really have to take it to the next level.

There is a LOT of difference between a chassis/drivetrain that starts at $25,000 (mustang) vs. one that starts at $50,000 (c7).

(edit to add: I'm not a Mustang hater -- just stating facts. I've owned and enjoyed just as many Mustangs in my life as Corvettes. If I could afford it, I'd have a new GT350 parked beside my Stingray.)

Terry Humiston

One of the reasons Corvette is so affordable is shared parts or simular parts with the Silverado and othe GM products. I know some might not like this but the LT1 6.2 is almost a direct drop in from the optional 6.2 available in the high end Silverados and standard on the Escalade. My 2014 Silverado had a 6.2 (L86) that was only exhaust and intake different from the LT1 (per GM part numbers). It was rated a conservative 420 hp (5600 RPM) and 460 tq. (4100 RPM) The Silverados more common 5.3 is from the same family. The Corvette 8speed auto internal design is same as the one used Silverado and CTS-V. GM sells over 400,000 full size truck a year and provide a very large base to spread the design cost. So shared by Silverado, Camaro, Corvette, Cadillac, GMC, I think that is everybody but Buick...

Skid Row Joe

I love my M7.

OP: Do yourself a favor. Buy a C7 convertible. Trust me, you don't want to jack with the silly antics of the removable topper. Not when Corvette makes the one touch up/down C7 convertible.

kennyjames21

True but repair costs aren't nearly the same. Ask a GM service center how much it would cost to change out a gas tank in a silverado vs a corvette, or say change headlights...

roadbike56

As for space, as a reference point, here's a pic of a 54cm roadbike placed in the back of a C7 coupe. If fits pretty easily with only the minor removal of the front wheel (I have to remove the front wheel to put the bike in a Lexus SUV). Point is, the back of the C7 coupe can hold quite a bit. Not sure how big a Mustang trunk is, but can it swallow a road bike?

JMII

True but those are dictated by the drastic body style differences between two totally difference vehicle types. The C7 headlights require pulling the front bumper off, while I bet the Silverado is just a few screws in the grille (I know the TrailBlazer is easy, my father has one). The OP was asking about things like water pumps and alternators which, if shared with other popular GM vehicles, should not be an expensive part at all. The C7 clearly has several, unique and specialty parts, but mixed in are many standard GM components as noted above by Terry H. One quick example: the cargo shade tie downs in the hatch are shared with the Equinox CUV.