C5 Corvette, Good reliable daily driver?

Fairly reliable and cheap compared to a mb to repair. But totally useless in snow. Way too low to the ground. I tried moving mine around in 2 inches of snow and got stuck on flat ground. They are not a winter toy.

 

First I sort of agree with the other poster about useless in snow. I would say "difficult " not useless.

All Corvettes are drop dead reliable. He should not have a problem with it assuming it is in good condition to start. Maintenance cost are low for a high performance sport car. It is a chevy and costs as such to maintain it. These cars will easily run 200,000 miles with only a oil change.

I can not talk to Canadian winters. I can say I drove a older BMW M3 in Vermont winters without much trouble because of the winter tires I put on the car. The C5 is not as low as my BMW. He may want to put a few bags of weight ,salt or such to add traction in really bad thick stuff. Mostly you will not need it. also helps to get a manual so you can start in a higher gear because Vettes have alot of power.

Good luck

Lee

 

My C4 was useless in Minn winter...

 

They are relatively reliable

One issue is the battery, Dont leave a radar detector or anything else plugged in more than a few hrs or battery will be dead

Also he'll have to drive the car often as battery drains very fast in vettes, or plug in a tender

On C6 if you leave a manual car parked in Reverse it drops the battery leakage for some reason

 

The women I am with has a 02 C5 convertable, she loves it. Though hard to imagine it in Canadian winters since it wont move in most of the snow we have here. Maybe four Nokians would help. Car is pretty solid (hers has 50k still feels good) though headlights are terrible but easy to change to HID's. I'd put on 19,18's (but then I always change stuff)too, way too big a gap with stock sizes.

 

I had a C5 daily driver for a couple of years, 20,000 miles or so. Was fine in all conditions except snow/ice.

 

Toronto typically has light winters and is relatively flat, driving year round in a C5 is quite possible with decent snow tires ($$$$). If he did ok in winter with an SLK, he shouldn't have much difficulty with a Vette.

Having said all that, driving a C5 all winter would likely drive me crazy and I'd need to buy a Blizzak equipped fwd/awd beater for piece of mind.

 

I service alot corvettes at my shop. Mostly C5 and C6. They are as reliable as an anvil.
I would recommend changing the differential and transmission fluids (I use Royal Purple) and change the coolant and thermostat. No cooling system bleeding is required. Engine oil changes require 6.5 qts of synthetic oil.
I agree that they are useless in snow. By the newest C5 that you can afford and enjoy.
Ferrari cars should have this kind of reliability.

 

I've owned three C5's (Z06's) and found them as reliable as Honda's. The same cant be said for C4's though. I, myself, am contemplating a Commemortive Edition C5 Z06 again as a stablemate to my CS.

 

Great cars all around! I have thought about stepping up to a newer Vette but I prefer the feel of the C5Z06.

The only big issue with the cars was a column lock. In some cases the column will lock and you will be forced to tow it. You can purchase a Column lock bypass kit for under $80 and never have to worry about the issue again.

I am unsure what he is looking for but I suggest he drive a C5 Z06 before making his purchase. The cars are a blast to drive and can hang with plenty of F-Cars!
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One of the posters said "reliable as an anvil" I agree 100%.

The 2008 and newer cars have a fabulous road feel. The slight numbness of the older cars is gone. GM also changed the tacit feel of the shifer. THIS MAKES THE CAR A WORLD CLASS AUTOMOBILE!

The exterior is looking stale in my view but the 2014 will change that. Sketches I have seen are stunning.

I must also say my 2009 ZR1 has better handling than my 2010 458 Ferrari. THE ZR1 pulls on high power so much stronger than the 458. The 458 maybe quicker because of the dual clutch transmission. Both are great cars.

I think GM also made some important changes to the year after my 1009 ZR1. Maybe someone can talk to these better than I.

Lee

 

Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZP - For an all season daily driver, this is your best choice. Good tires on a vette are critical.

 

Any Sportscar is horrible in snow and Ice. My 3.8 Camaro is about the same as a C5 in snow. I know from experience living 25 years in Colorado.

 

My dad has had an 01 C5 for a few years now. I don't recall him having any real problems with it. Most of the issues he has had has been electronic (AC/Heat control unit, oil pressure sensor). Not sure if you consider this an issue, but you lose radio reception when the rear defroster is used.

It is amazing how bad the interior/electronics are. Great car otherwise.

I would be careful in the snow, even cold tires/pavement can make things interesting.

 

The "shut down in reverse" was a "feature" of the manual 2005 C6's only.

The biggest issue with the C5 was the steering column lock (which would become jammed/locked and render the car undrivable) which I don't think GM ever properly solved. There are bypass systems available (Corvettes of Houston) which eliminates this major problem (I had 2 C5's and the column lock was an issue on both).

Jimmy

 

I used to work in the rubber industry as an engineer and this is a good point. Soft tires like those found in a sports car get very hard in cold weather and lose traction so you have to be careful. Snow tires and all season tires have rubber formulations that avoid most of that problem.

i am Not disagreeing with this poster but I have owned many Corvettes and been around alot of owners and never heard of any electronic problems with these cars. No car is perfect so I am sure it happens but I beleive it is not a all of the time design problem.

I did have a battery dead problem within two months of buying my ZR1. Funny but scary without a battery I could not figure out how to open the door. unlike every other car I have ever driven the door handle does not open the door without a battery. A small not easy to find cable release is on the floor. made me wish I got a manual with the car. I had to call the police and 911, the dealer did not know what to do. Fortunely for me the police captain they called from the squad car had the same problem and knew what to do.

Lee

 

C5 Z06 are great value IMHO. Since I need back seats, I have to pass as a DD, but I'd love to have one in my garage!

 

Only car more reliable would be a C6 Corvette . Absolutely great cars, easy to maintain, and great bang for the buck

 

I live in the Chicago area and have owned my 2000 C5 for seven years. I'm currently on my second set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S all season run flats. There are maybe five or six days in the winter when I won't take it out if a snow storm is on the way. Other than that I drive it every day. Of course common sense rules the day. Have fun- be safe. Drive.

 

I ordered a 2012 C6 coupe. Took delivery in March, and it's been my daily driver every day since.

it's optioned with the F55 mag suspension, dual mode exhaust, and the big brake upgrade. In 2012 they redesigned the seats and steering wheel as well.

to put it blunt, i couldn't imagine a better daily driver. The feel of the ride in tour mode and the exhaust being quiet under 3k rpm's makes it a pleasant ride to work or on the highway.

I have a friend who bought a 2004 C5 convertible brand new. It's been his DD for 8 years. Only issue was the water pump going out at 100k miles, and the roof top developing a leak that needed to be fixed. To be fair though, his top was messed up when someone took a knife to it to break in and steal his laptop he had in the passenger seat.