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I currently own a stock c5z. Im considering buying another sports car and selling my c5z. It's my DD and I rarely track the car (once a year at best). Or I might just do nothing.
Here is my short list of cars I'm considering buying and then selling my c5z:
2017+ c7z m7 2lt w/steel rotors (no z07 package)
2013-2014 gt500 mustang
2012-2013 boss 302 mustang
C7 z51 m7 2lt
Just keeping c5z and do nothin
Have any of you guys owned these cars at the same time and provide me real world STREET comparisons. When I tracked my c5z few years ago I was stuck behind boss 302, don't know if driver sucked. But I am not as concerned with track performance right now, I care more about fun to drive on street.
My impressions based on test drives and/or reading:
2013-2014 gt500 - a lot of power.. almost as much $ as c7z tho.. and I am under the impression c7z sounds a lot better. On the street they probably feel roughly as fast as each other.
Boss302 - One thing that appeals to me is the price (used $25-30k) + stock side pipes... I think that'd be a lot of fun on the street.
C7z - I'm worried the long gears, expensive wide tires, bent rim issues, are going to be a pain in *** to deal with after shelling out ~$65k for the car. The long gears will probably be pain in *** in traffic. The parking cameras would be nice for my tight garage. The sound of c7z is probably best OEM stock exhaust sound ever tho and the looks are great..
C7 z51 m7 2lt - the parking cameras would be nice for my tight garage. I'm worried if I bought this car it wouldn't feel "special" enough to me.. I like the fact the rims are narrower and cheaper tires but at same time obviously doesn't look as good as the GS or z06. On paper it's plenty fast on street but when I test drove one it just didn't FEEL fast. Idk...
My c5z - generally comfortable but the interior definitely rattles. That's part of the car's character and why it feels "racecar"... Even my c5z is almost too fast for street. The tires and consumables are cheap tho. The sound honestly isnt great unless WOT. I have Corsa Xtreme catback. I had the BB bullets when I bought car from previous owner and didn't like that sound either, was just loud all the time. The short gears make the car fine in traffic.
I tend to not mod my cars; I prefer to just pay more $ upfront for the better car. So, I tend to keep everything pretty stock with exception of rims/catback swap out.
Im just looking for opinions from ACTUAL OWNERS of these cars listed and any comparisons you personally had between them on the street.
Thanks
Last edited by mammoth713; 09-30-2019 at 11:59 PM.
Have you considered giving a Porsche a try? You can get a good 997 911 for around $50K if you shop around...I had a 997 911 Turbo, you can't get those for $50K but if you have never had a Porsche 911 they are pretty cool cars and carry a lot of cache too. Having said that, I do really enjoy my '16 Z06 Vert, she is a blast to drive...get lots of admiring look here on A1A in Cocoa Beach and with the nanny off she is all smiles.
Go with what makes you the happiest. There are a number of incredible performance/sports cars on the market today. I sold my highly modded C5 and ordered a '16 Z06. It is without a doubt one of the best performance cars I've ever owned. I liked it so much that I got a '19 Z06. I've owned a number of cars over the years including Trans Ams, Z28's, Mopars, Mustangs, etc., etc., and I've loved each one for various reasons. Looking back in hindsight at all the cars I've owned over the past 40+ years, I have to say my Z06 is about the best "bang for the buck" car I've ever owned. Good luck.
on your c7z critique- Yes tires are expensive but even if you bought a brand new set every year that’s not going to kill you. And on the rims that’s a one time easy fix for between 3500-4500 for forged wheels and you can easily get 75% of that back or more when you sell as long as you pick out a standard ish design that isn’t too personalized or crazy.
Last edited by Pacembellum; 09-30-2019 at 08:04 PM.
A few things to consider... not that it's much of a factor but speaking from personal experience, it's cheaper to insure a Corvette than a Mustang. (I've had both and look at the demographics). Additionally let's say you take the car to a restaurant with valet parking- which one will probably be parked out front and which one will be taken to the back lot. Now then, all of that being said. I recently upgraded from an 08 3LT Z51 M6 to a 17 2LT Z06 M7 (and the first Corvette that I ever drove was a C5Z). The interior quality- fit and finish and infotainment etc from C5 to C6 to C7 is a night and day difference. As far a daily'ing any of those... not sure I would enjoy using my C7Z as a daily. The blind spots aren't great and the large tires like to follow the ruts in the road and it's hard to stay off the fun pedal and maintain reasonable speed and MPG. The difference in interior and infotainment (Android Auto etc)... a C7 Z51 or possibly a Grand Sport is a solid choice. One other thing... every other kid on the will do their best to try and race you in the Mustang. Most folks will leave the Corvettes alone. Just my 2 cents.
Buy two cars. Also, how is a gt500 almost the price of a c7z? The 13/14 gt500s are in the low 40s and low mile ones are in the 50s.
A c7z with high miles is around 55k and then low mile ones are in the mid 60s.. Unless you're comparing high mileage c7z and low miles gt500...
I'd avoid British cars, theres a reason the f type has plummeted. Porsche cars (911) carry a higher tax than the corvette tax.
I'd try out a fiesta ST and if you can two cars, just get a boss 302 or 11/12 gt500. Can fit the cars I mentioned within the 50k budget.
C7z as the only car will get old quick.
Have you considered giving a Porsche a try? You can get a good 997 911 for around $50K if you shop around...I had a 997 911 Turbo, you can't get those for $50K but if you have never had a Porsche 911 they are pretty cool cars and carry a lot of cache too. Having said that, I do really enjoy my '16 Z06 Vert, she is a blast to drive...get lots of admiring look here on A1A in Cocoa Beach and with the nanny off she is all smiles.
I have considered going Porsche but I had a friend who had a 911 and it was nothing but big maintenance bills.
One of my requirements on my cars is no big known maintenance issues. That shuts out jags, Porsche, BMW, Audi, etc....
on your c7z critique- Yes tires are expensive but even if you bought a brand new set every year that’s not going to kill you. And on the rims that’s a one time easy fix for between 3500-4500 for forged wheels and you can easily get 75% of that back or more when you sell as long as you pick out a standard ish design that isn’t too personalized or crazy.
I didn't fully explain my tire gripe I guess..
Our roads in LA suck. My c5z has 285 tires on all 4 corners and the fronts definitely wander on the road ruts. So it's more of that I'm kind of sick of dealing with. As far as price of rims, my gripe is the car would already be $65k ish and then having to shell out few more grand in rims sucks. I'm not saying I wouldn't do it, but it is not favorable to me
A few things to consider... not that it's much of a factor but speaking from personal experience, it's cheaper to insure a Corvette than a Mustang. (I've had both and look at the demographics). Additionally let's say you take the car to a restaurant with valet parking- which one will probably be parked out front and which one will be taken to the back lot. Now then, all of that being said. I recently upgraded from an 08 3LT Z51 M6 to a 17 2LT Z06 M7 (and the first Corvette that I ever drove was a C5Z). The interior quality- fit and finish and infotainment etc from C5 to C6 to C7 is a night and day difference. As far a daily'ing any of those... not sure I would enjoy using my C7Z as a daily. The blind spots aren't great and the large tires like to follow the ruts in the road and it's hard to stay off the fun pedal and maintain reasonable speed and MPG. The difference in interior and infotainment (Android Auto etc)... a C7 Z51 or possibly a Grand Sport is a solid choice. One other thing... every other kid on the will do their best to try and race you in the Mustang. Most folks will leave the Corvettes alone. Just my 2 cents.
That's true that it's likely cheaper to insure the corvette than the mustang.
Your valet comment is not relevant because I would never take my sportscar to somewhere where I have to valet haha...
About the grand sport... I like everything about it but since they are basically z06 $ on used market, I'd rather just get z06 if that was the case.
Buy two cars. Also, how is a gt500 almost the price of a c7z? The 13/14 gt500s are in the low 40s and low mile ones are in the 50s.
A c7z with high miles is around 55k and then low mile ones are in the mid 60s.. Unless you're comparing high mileage c7z and low miles gt500...
I'd avoid British cars, theres a reason the f type has plummeted. Porsche cars (911) carry a higher tax than the corvette tax.
I'd try out a fiesta ST and if you can two cars, just get a boss 302 or 11/12 gt500. Can fit the cars I mentioned within the 50k budget.
C7z as the only car will get old quick.
You're right on gt500 values vs c7z but I guess I'm just lumping them together cuz they're both getting up there in price for used vehicles... Both north of $45k ish.
I didn't fully explain the broader situation.. I have a LS1 fbody that I am keeping regardless of what I do with my other car choices. So I already have 2 cars going on.
The broader picture even further complicates this whole thing because I am also considering something more practical like 4runner TRD pro, Tacoma TRD pro, or Silverado trail boss...
So idk... A lot of combinations between all of them, that's why this is so hard. I'm really shopping for 2 cars at the same time lol. I might do 4runner/fbody/c5z or 4runner/fbody/boss302 or trailboss/fbody/c5z
My fbody with the slp loudmouth 1 exhaust sounds fantastic for how cheap of a heap the car is.. lol. I almost dare say it sounds better than my c5z with the Corsa Xtreme. But, the c5z does sound good under WOT. All other driving situations it's just quiet and not a lot going on. So that's why after learning the boss 302 has stock side pipes dumps, it caught my interest.
OR I just might do nothing and keep driving what I'm driving..
MPG is not really a big deal since I don't have a long commute. Plus buying an "economy" car just to save some $ on gas is not worth it for my situation; I'd rather spend $30k on a used c5z or boss 302 over a 2020 Honda accord.. know what I mean?
I'm staying away from European stuff cuz the reliability and maintenance costs.
Last edited by mammoth713; 09-30-2019 at 09:45 PM.
I owned a 2014 GT500 and currently own a 19 C7z. The cars are honestly two entirely different vehicles in feel, style, and refinement.
The GT500 is a typical pony / muscle car that is pretty good in a straight line and is capable in the turns as well. It does have a solid rear axle that can cause unpredicable performance if the rear tires break loose, and only comes with 9.5” rear wheels (albeit forged) on 285 width tires.
if you go the GT500 route know that if you throw sticky tires on the rear you will be dealing with gear whine or broken parts. Heavy car + a lot of torque + traction + weak parts = problems.
The 13-14 cars are also notorious for having 1st-2nd gear grinding and sometimes lock out due to the remote shifter design. There are bandaids but no real fix.
Positive parts of the car are that they respond well to mods and there is a huge aftermarket. They typically dyno 580-600rwhp stock and IF you can get a decent launch (good luck on the stock 3.31 gears and long release clutch) they’re capable of mid 11’s or so in the 1/4 mile.
For power, guys are easily getting in the 700rwhp range with bolt ons but keep in mind that the risk raises significantly if you’re going much above this power mark due to the weakish rods and oil pump gears.
overall a fun street car if you can get over the raw feel, don’t mind difficulties launching, and want a straight line freight train car.
The C7z is more refined, lighter weight, about the same crank hp with more torque, and will outhandle most other cars on the track. The z IMO is also a better looking car as the 13-14 cars look like a square shoe box sitting next to the Z or an S550 GT350. I find the z to be more fun to drive with the targa roof and the cars ability to keep the driver more engaged.
The Z seems to do everything the GT500 does except better including straight line stock vs stock.
Good luck either way you go.
I have had several mustangs, a C5Z, a Stingray, two C7Z's, and many other cars.
This side of 150K, the C7Z is the way to go. After that, I would love to still have my C5Z, they will be classics and are still great looking cars. I had a lot of fun with mine.
Mustangs are like boats, the best two days of owning them are the day you buy them and the day you sell them. They get old fast, like chewing gum. Spit it out, bud.
The 911 Turbo S is a great car but also 170-190 for a modern preowned version.
How much $$ you want invested in your car(s) is a personal choice.
You have the last honest corvette chevy made. Go into the dic and every code that the c5 has current, or has ever thrown is there like a personalized history book. A threat to resale, think dealers made chevy remove that feature on the c6 and 7. If your abs module hasn't gone south, along with your hvac head unit you are in high cotton.
You just might like the c8! Dont prejudge if you got 65 large ready to rumble. Wait one, or six months and see.
If you are skeered of the c7z06, i can't talk you down. i just got mine, 2k since june and no bent rims or citydriving overheating. I moved up from the c7z51 5500 trouble free miles after 1 year. So there is my experience on two you ask about. Would not go back to less power; i lived through cars falling off power mountain in 1970. 50 years to get it back to the cheap seats again, amen!
Your head is in the right place on european sports cars. I went middle age crazy and got a new 997, traded it in seven months later on a new c6Z06. I grant porsche fanboys have better lawyers; they got their ims motor blow debacle out of the Class Action Lawsuit court poste haste. The c6z06 motor blower case is stll in stall tactics by GM lawyers a decade later.
The world is awash on utubers and forums listing the pros and cons of every car you are considering. All you risk is a set of glazed eyeballs.
I owned a 2014 GT500 and currently own a 19 C7z. The cars are honestly two entirely different vehicles in feel, style, and refinement.
The GT500 is a typical pony / muscle car that is pretty good in a straight line and is capable in the turns as well. It does have a solid rear axle that can cause unpredicable performance if the rear tires break loose, and only comes with 9.5” rear wheels (albeit forged) on 285 width tires.
if you go the GT500 route know that if you throw sticky tires on the rear you will be dealing with gear whine or broken parts. Heavy car + a lot of torque + traction + weak parts = problems.
The 13-14 cars are also notorious for having 1st-2nd gear grinding and sometimes lock out due to the remote shifter design. There are bandaids but no real fix.
Positive parts of the car are that they respond well to mods and there is a huge aftermarket. They typically dyno 580-600rwhp stock and IF you can get a decent launch (good luck on the stock 3.31 gears and long release clutch) they’re capable of mid 11’s or so in the 1/4 mile.
For power, guys are easily getting in the 700rwhp range with bolt ons but keep in mind that the risk raises significantly if you’re going much above this power mark due to the weakish rods and oil pump gears.
overall a fun street car if you can get over the raw feel, don’t mind difficulties launching, and want a straight line freight train car.
The C7z is more refined, lighter weight, about the same crank hp with more torque, and will outhandle most other cars on the track. The z IMO is also a better looking car as the 13-14 cars look like a square shoe box sitting next to the Z or an S550 GT350. I find the z to be more fun to drive with the targa roof and the cars ability to keep the driver more engaged.
The Z seems to do everything the GT500 does except better including straight line stock vs stock.
Good luck either way you go.
Yeah the removable roof is a big plus to me. Thanks for your insight since you owned a GT500
I have had several mustangs, a C5Z, a Stingray, two C7Z's, and many other cars.
This side of 150K, the C7Z is the way to go. After that, I would love to still have my C5Z, they will be classics and are still great looking cars. I had a lot of fun with mine.
Mustangs are like boats, the best two days of owning them are the day you buy them and the day you sell them. They get old fast, like chewing gum. Spit it out, bud.
The 911 Turbo S is a great car but also 170-190 for a modern preowned version.
How much $$ you want invested in your car(s) is a personal choice.
Yeah I really like my c5z and I think it's a modern classic..
I really do love the c7z, I guess I'm worried it's just so powerful (plus the super long gearing) that on the street it's not really fun since it's just so capable. However, I know the c7z exhaust would be amazing to own and drive to work every day..
Last edited by mammoth713; 10-01-2019 at 12:02 AM.
None of the cars on your list hold a candle to the C7Z.
The GT500 is MAYBE a close contender power wise, but its a pig of a car. I mean a Z51 narrow body C7 is ALMOST as fast with what, 200 less HP and a tq...
I personally couldnt cross shop a narrow body Z51 car with a Z06, just me personally.
My Z06 is one of the most fun cars I have ever driven and has just a ridiculous amount of torque right off the line. For a 99% street car PD blower cars are the way to make power...
I had a blast with my HCI C6 Z06 with 600whp, and it would probably "faster" than my C7Z due to its lower weight and higher WHP, but the C7Z is so easy to drive on the street due to where it makes its power. No need to wind it out like an NA car.
I have never felt the gearing in the C7Z was bad, but 99% of my driving outside of highway cruising is in 1-3. 3rd gear is well over 100. I cant say I can remember taking 1st to redline ever, since you will just melt the tires, so I usually just short shift 1st(at like 5k rpm) and get into 2nd where its much easier to put the power down. The A8 gets the bad rap in the gearing department because the gear spreads are weird in a few places. The M7 doesnt REALLY have that issue.
You have the last honest corvette chevy made. Go into the dic and every code that the c5 has current, or has ever thrown is there like a personalized history book. A threat to resale, think dealers made chevy remove that feature on the c6 and 7. If your abs module hasn't gone south, along with your hvac head unit you are in high cotton.
You just might like the c8! Dont prejudge if you got 65 large ready to rumble. Wait one, or six months and see.
If you are skeered of the c7z06, i can't talk you down. i just got mine, 2k since june and no bent rims or citydriving overheating. I moved up from the c7z51 5500 trouble free miles after 1 year. So there is my experience on two you ask about. Would not go back to less power; i lived through cars falling off power mountain in 1970. 50 years to get it back to the cheap seats again, amen!
Your head is in the right place on european sports cars. I went middle age crazy and got a new 997, traded it in seven months later on a new c6Z06. I grant porsche fanboys have better lawyers; they got their ims motor blow debacle out of the Class Action Lawsuit court poste haste. The c6z06 motor blower case is stll in stall tactics by GM lawyers a decade later.
The world is awash on utubers and forums listing the pros and cons of every car you are considering. All you risk is a set of glazed eyeballs.
Good luck on your decision.
The main issue that's holding me back from buying c7z right now: I want the c8z to come out first to push down c7z prices (sorry! lol), and also for me to just see what a new c8z has to offer. Other minor issues are the bent rims, having to fork out a few more grand for rims sucks. I'm worried the super high horsepower + long gearing would mean DDing a car that I really cant enjoy to make it worth the money... if that makes sense. Like my ls1 fbody and c5z I can hoon around in and not break any speed limits that badly, whereas the c7z is so fast you sneeze and you're doing 100..
I believe the c7z gearing is long like my fbody (or even longer probably) where creepin in traffic would be a pain.. For example the worst case is having to merge up a slight incline on ramp sucks because the lowest mph you can engage 1st gear fully off the clutch is probably ~10mph... so that could lead to a lot of quick clutch wear.
What's the slowest mph you can engage 1st gear fully off the clutch and motor idling?
As for the c8, I am not interested in the c8 unless there was a manual transmission option. I am speculating the c8 grand sport might get manual but who knows...
Last edited by mammoth713; 10-01-2019 at 12:11 AM.
you can idle off the line in 1st gear. Plus having a dual disc clutch is a really light clutch pedal.
Im guessing you havent even driven a C7Z.
You need to go drive one.
I have test driven multiple c7z's.. I just cant remember the answer to my question
You're misunderstanding my question. What is the slowest MPH that 1st gear can run with your foot fully off the clutch and the motor idling? I'm guessing it's somewhere around 8mph? For example if you're in traffic and crawling at slowest possible 1st gear speed with your foot off clutch
Last edited by mammoth713; 10-01-2019 at 01:17 AM.
Out of the cars you listed go with the Z. The most fun car if you have nice curvy roads around you currently for sale today is the Alfa 4C. Just some food for thought, it’s the only true sports car available today. Granted it’s not the best daily so should be a second or third car.
09-30-2019, 06:54 PM
C7 Z vs. other fun street cars
