C5 Owners?

My dad has an 01 6speed targa in yellow. I have never been a huge fan of how it drives for the fit and finish. The C6 is worth the extra money.

 

The motor is the star. It shifts like a truck. Doesn't take much to break the rear tires loose in a corner. My biggest complaint is how disconnected the steering feels. For someone that is just using it to cruise around it is great. I just have never felt very confident knowing what the car is going to do in the turns.

The C6 is light years ahead. Not sure if one is in budget but it would be worth looking at.

 

Well I am going to have to disagree on the C6 assessment here. I have a 2012 ZR1 to compare to the C5 Z06 I put over 100k mi on and tracked several times a year. The C5Z is the most fun I have ever had in a car on the track and the street. There are cars that can do either better but not both. Felt almost like a go kart. The ZR1 is phenomenal BUT just doesn't have the same "fun" factor (except the brakes on the ZR1 are out of this world good). Is because the additional power? More weight? Balance? Yes on all of those. But of course a base C6 would be a better comparison of which I would take the C5Z every time. The ideal setup would the a C5Z with the ZR1 brakes. That would rock. But no targa though.

 

I race a C5Z. I have done everything replace motors oyu name it. I know these cars well. I've been looking for a new car to race because the C5 is getting older and more stuff will break and parts chain is decreasing. That said I have not found a suitable replacement. I'm still racing the C5Z

 

I had a C5, C6, & C7 in one form or another. Not sure what you budget is but if you wait till fall dealers in colder weather areas will likely have some good deals on new and used ones. If you can live without HUD and a few other things the base C7 cars should be a good buy.

 

I picked up my stick 2000 Millennium Yellow convertible in late June. I've wanted a C5 since I was 6 or 7. It has its quirks, but overall I love it.

 

Remember that there are lots of different cars that all look like Corvettes.. Depending on how it is optioned and how it is set up, there is a world of difference between them. A well set up Z or a version with the Z51 suspension is a very different car than the mushy base suspension. Not just springs and bars are different, but different suspension bushings, wheels and tires make the sport suspension cars handle and drive very nicely compared to the base cars.

In addition, a properly set up car that with an aggressive alignment is another step up from a base car with a country club suspension.

Bottom line here is that they made cars with the soft suspension so that folks that aren't really drivers can go the the country club with a load of golf clubs and not feel uncomfortable on nasty roads... But if you're serious about handling and performance if you get a car with the right suspension and properly align and corner weight the car it's a very different driving experience than the base car.

 

I purchased a 99 C5 coupe (manual) back in 2015, it wasn't without some of its issues but fairly simple to sort out. It's my first Corvette & I really enjoy the car so far, possibly one of the best bangs for the buck.

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I've never been a fan from an appearance standpoint, but that's a sharp looking vette. Love the blacked-out windows over silver.
Wish dark windows were legal here in Pa..

 

I had 2 C5's, fun cars. The single biggest improvement you can make to the car is getting rid of the Goodyear runflats (There's a reason they are called "run craps"). If you want to stay with runflat tires, go up one inch on wheel size (C5's are 17/18, C6 is 18/19 as is the pre-2018 base C7 ) and buy Michelin Pilot Super Sports, which are superlative (standard tire on the C7). Or there are plenty of non-runflats that fit and will literally transform the car (and you don't need new wheels). If you go to a C6, the above advice applies as well (except the wheels).