sdspeed

Finally ready to buy. With C7's that look great on paper and meet my needs, should the mileage have much bearing on which one to buy. Looking for a Black one !!!
I'm looking at 2016-2019 Coupes 2LT, A/T.. This will be my wife's car. We're retired so don't drive a lot annually and have another vehicle.
Is there a mileage tipping point where maintenance is going to get excessive. I can afford the entire range, but don't want to over spend over mileage paranoia. It will be her car and reliability is my biggest concern but even low mileage used cars can be reliability nightmares.
TIA

BAT

Like most things, it depends.

If there are service records and maintenance was done on time and thoroughly, overall condition of the car (appearance, wear, etc) then mileage wouldn't be too much of a concern. If it looks and sounds like it well cared for, then it probably was. If it looks and sounds beat and tired, if the mileage was low, it wouldn't matter knowing it was beat.

DrivesWithTwoFeet

I would look for a well maintained C7 with documentation. Lower miles doesn't always mean better. As far as maintenance cost. For what this car is, I feel, the costs are insignificant. New tires are the biggest expense but since yours will not be driven much that will be every several years.

naumanc

Tough call. It really depends upon the cars maintenance history and proof of same. The overall condition of a vehicle is usually a very good indication on how well a car has been cared for and maintained. A strong service record history from reputable sources demonstrating regular maintenance equivalent to mileage I believe is very important. Unfortunately dealers typically dump all previous ownership records, with only service records within the Chevrolet dealer network system available.

Average vehicle miles per year assuming its a daily driver is approx. 13.5k per statistics. Corvette yearly mileage may average approx. 1/2 that. Some people (myself included) have a primary driver with the Corvette usually being the second fun car thereby resulting in very low yearly mileage (3k or less). C7's are now 5-10 years old. With no or minimal maintenance records no matter the mileage I would proceed with caution!

Bought my '19 Z06 2LZ A8 Convert in '21 with 17k (bit high) miles at a great price. Car was a daily driver and it needed some love. Light body work w/ some repaint (road rash, scratches & chips), new rockers, new front splitter, "A" post cover, new air dam, front wheel molding, replaced scratched lower seat cover, scratched interior and trunk plastic parts. etc. Added a GM performance air cleaner, trunk lid insulation pads, sound insulation pads, F&R ceramic brake pads w/ new front rotors, backup camera and headlights (warranty), splash guards, detailing and PPF. Was a bit of work but performed all the things one typically does with a used Corvette added to the stable. C7 Corvettes are typically inexpensive to repair (ceramic brake and carbon fiber parts excluded) and service compared to other performance cars. Takeaway is the exterior condition was not excellent but the core maintenance records (Dealer serviced) with an excellent history existed. Car has had no mechanical issues and it turned out great. Good luck in your quest.

sdspeed

What is strange is I lean towards a car with more mileage that has more service records than a low mileage one with limited history which makes no sense because of course a low mileage car won't have much history. Also it amazes me how many owners a crarwith 25k to 35k miles on it will have had.Bottom lin now that I've typed the question out is that there is no black and white answer. I think I'll use 5k milles a years as a guide, so maybe 40k-45k miles on a 2016 max.

corvettezman

I bought a well documented 2015 with almost 75k miles on it.
It looks and drives like new. I still bought the extended warranty from CarMax but so far so great!
Miles don't scare me if the car checks out.

449er

You need to look over the car personally, you can pretty quickly tell how the car was treated. Pay for a Carfax as well as a GMVIS report from your local Chevy dealer to see some of the car's history. I would look for low mile cars as there are lots of garage queens out there, no need to settle for anything else

Redsoxnation

In 2022 I purchased a 2005 C6 convertibles, it broke down on the 2 hour drive home, the throttle body had to be replaced. The vehicle had 24k miles. In my estimation the correlation with miles and reliability is not always a harbinger of future events. Was the vehicle properly maintained? What is the service history? Is a warranty available? What does the warranty cover? So called bumper to bumper warranty’s do not cover wearable items, such as brakes, windshield wipers, tires etc.
The C7 is a fantastic vehicle. It can be driven aggressively or as a tourer, depending upon your mood that day.
I wish you great success in your search.
C7 prices are starting to come down. High mileage C7’s pricing does not appear to be commensurate with low mileage vehicles.

AnotherNorskie

I'd say you want some miles on it so problems were sussed out while it was under warranty.

Beyond that, there doesn't seem to be a magical number when things start to fall apart. It's not like "must replace timing chain at 80k" or "rod bearings before 60k" etc. These are pretty simple lumps.

rfh928

I bought my C7 new, but prior to that I had a C5 which I bought at 6 years of age with 60K miles. Drove it trouble free (other than maintenance and the odd part that wore out naturally) for another 15 years. I drove it daily during that time in non-winter months, but not long distances so only put another 22K miles on it.

I wouldn't be worried about mileage if the car has been well looked after and maintained. Low mileage cars that haven't been can cause many more headaches.

inspectorudy

I think it is a tough call to use either as a guide. However, a lot of miles even if they are good ones with maintenance records available, things do wear out as we older humans know. Not just the ordinary replaceables like batteries, hoses, and belts, but other more complex system components like the fuel or electrical systems. As cars age, the electrical parts become more likely to cause problems with corrosion and value changes of circuit board components, heat is a component killer. The engines can go forever if the oil is changed and proper warm-ups are done regularly. The transmission torque converter problem can be mitigated if you follow the recommended procedures. I gave my service rep the Vin# and he discovered that my car had the triple oil change in 2020 so that is something you may want to check. I then had the rear diff oil changed right away. At 15,000 miles it runs like a top. Good luck with your purchase, you will love the car!

C7nut

Look for an older one owner car that has never been tracked. Check maintenance records and Carfax for damage and you should be good.

Vetteman Jack

For me, the key is does the car look like it was taken care of, does everything work as it should, and are maintenance records available to document how the car has been treated. Good luck in your Corvette buying quest.

c5arlen

The mileage should not be of concern!... With Corvette, conditions of the car's components is the concern. Mileage certainly could be an indicator of abuse but also of unattended attention, be it sitting in a dusty ol parking place gathering dust sorta thing. Go for it. Buying a previously owned Corvette seldom is unwise. We're good Corvette people... just smile and be happy!

Avanti

It's the same as with any other car. It depends on much more than mileage; but, in reality mileage is an important potential indicator of generalized wear. Inescapable (2nd Law of Thermodynamics, if nothing else ) . Also, high mileage often goes with multiple owners, some of whom know they are buying a "temporary" possession and treat it as such. Used cars always carry risk, but sports/performance more so.... especially if there is not a detailed history with it. All the best, in any event.

KittyHeart

how can you tell if the car has been tracked or not?

AnotherNorskie

A good clue it to look at the "lifetime revs' counter on the dash.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...time-revs.html

joeking

If you purchased a Chevrolet pickup with 50,000 miles it would be nothing for wear and tear. There are plenty of low mileage Corvettes for sale and you need to ask yourself it it is worth it to pay $5000.00 or more for a babied low mileage Corvette. I buy the low mileage cars however only you can decide what is the best value for your wants and needs. Usually low mileage cars are cleaner and more perfect than one with let's just say 50,000 miles. For the most part the cars should easily last 200,000 miles or many more if properly maintained. I know a guy with a 2015 that ran just fine and blew up and it cost him well over $11,000 for a new motor however that is not normal either. Good history and maintenance records and a good honest seller will be the key. I like to buy from a private owner or from a dealership that knows the car however with today's auctions and online buying that is getting to be more difficult all the time. Good luck!

Shayb79

The majority of people baby their Corvettes so I wouldn't be too concerned. You will have a pretty good idea just by looking at the car. Maintenance history helps too.

I bought my 2019 with 46k miles on it a year and half ago because it was a great deal at the time. I didn't want to buy one with that many miles but even as a daily driver I knew I'd only be putting about 4k a year on it and the mileage would still be low in a few years. So far I've had no issues in a year and a half. The GM powertrain warranty is up next month though

orca1946

They are all across the board very good cars. yo need to bal race price to miles to feel comfortable. 5K year will be ,i feel, on the high end of most vettes. Good luck.