My dad is about to buy me a car right now, and I have been looking around at different models for a while. One of the first cars he considered for me was a 350, since he thought it looked cool, and it was japanese (he has a thing against American cars, and with good reason, we had a 1995 Ford Windstar ). However, I was looking around today, and realized that I could get a 2000-2002 C5 corvette for less than the 350 since the C6's came out. Right now nothing is final, so I was just wondering about your guys' opinion on which car I should get.

C5 Corvette-
Pros:
Looks kick ***
Sweet engine, way faster than 350Z
You could say I'm sort of a whitewashed asian, but I don't really want to be considered "ricey," which could happen if I got a 350
Turns heads
Cheaper

Cons:
Older (but I heard that the reliability for that generation was pretty good)
Dad doesnt trust american cars, would take more convincing

350Z-
Pros:
Also looks kick ***
Still relatively fast
More features than Corvette

Cons:
Not as fast as C5
Could be considered semi-"ricey" (yes, I care about what people think)
Costs more


So what do you guys think?

 

It really depends what you are after.... If its speed go with the vette. If you want a dependable car that will go 200,000 miles get the Z. The vette will hold re-sale value alittle better then the Z would. But the interior of the Z is way better than the vettes. As many will tell you an the board it's your decision so go out and test drive both. Find out which one YOU like more and get that one. Good Luck


Oh yeah and the Z is no where near ricey.

 

test drive both. I am sure your dad will fall in love with one of them. I bought the Z then started thinking about a C5 when the prices fell. I went to test drive a few but I wasn't able to find one for a good price that was in great shape and low miles. The ones I drove had obviously worn interriors. I don't really like the vette dash and dated stereo design that much. Your dad's priorities my be different and he might not care about the same things I do. These cars drive completely different so it should be pretty easy to decide once you get in both.

I personally think the Z is a good mix of japanese import with some european flare. Most porshe owners I have talked to love the styling of the Z.

 

Sorry if it came across wrong, but I try to steer away from the niche of being some "average" asian guy, and when I said "ricey" I meant it more as "average asian" than as in rice rocket.

 

That's cool, I was just messing with you. No need to defend yourself.

 

don't forget insurance. it will probaly be alot more for the corvette, if this matters.

 

chingwithbling,

Dude whats wrong with being an "average asian"? Go look in the mirror first. Dam!!!

Just because you live in rich claremont, you don't have to act different.

Tony

 

The only thing "average" is yourself if you have that kind of insecurity.

Do what you like, f*ck what people think. If you worry too much you already have fallen into a niche.

No offense, just my two cents.

 

I considered the same thing as you. I have coworkers who have the Vette. Vette owners seem to like their cars. I chose the Z, but honestly I didn't drive a Vette (though neighbor had one so I have seen it up close). I don't see the two cars as being all that different. Drive both, see which one speaks to you.

 

I hate fobs with a passion. My school is full of them so I see 'em all the time in their solaras and lexuses, playing rap music all loud and trying to be black, and it pisses me off. Hope this will give you a little insight as to where I am coming from.

On a side note, the guy who owns the riciest car in my school is middle eastern. He blows the competition away with with his externally modded purple civic.

 

just wanted to comment on your assertion that the corvette turns heads. I beg to differ. I guess it depends on which heads, but NOBODY I personally know ever sees a C5 on the road and says "hey, look, a vette." They are just so commonplace that its just another car on the road. I see far less Zs. And, as a result, those same people who don't give vettes a second glance go out of their way to state how beautiful my Z is.

Of course, area of country may make a difference.

 

Unless you go out and put a huge wing and a bunch of stickers all over the Z, I don't see how the Z could be labled "ricey". Even then, I can't really imagine a ricey Z compared to a "ricey" civic.

 

I guess it all depeneds on where you live and the age. My Z is acutally more expensive than the C5, and only $5 dollars cheaper (per original quote) a month than the Z06. Ridiculous much? Through State Farm I was quoted;

'03 or '04 C5- $108.00 a month.
'05 Touring Z MT- $115.00 (Got it down to $110.00)
03 ZO6- $120.00.

BTW- I too was looking for either a new Z or a '03 or '04 C5/ '03 Z06. I have a few family members who own Vettes so I am very knowledgeable about the history and reliablity, and my dream car has always been the Vette....that was until I drove the Z. Complete transformation after the test drive.

Vettes are way too commonplace around Houston, and with the new C6 coming out, they now just look a bit outdated. The Z's interior blows the C5 away, as does the stereo and overall looks. I owned a Saleen Mustang back in the '90's, but I must say I've NEVER witnessed as many heads turning trying to stare at my vehicle as I have in the Z. I can't even go around the corner to the store without someone start up a conversation about it...most wanting to know what kind of 'Porsche' it is I'm driving.

You can't go wrong with either, but I'm VERY happy with my final decision.

 

Z06 it!!

 

I agree.

Azn pride thug lyfe fo realz yo!

JK! I'm asian too. But I think you need to build some confidance in yourself first instead of building your confidance through a car.

 

I traded my 2000 C5 for a new 350Z. The Z is plenty fast for me. The Vette feels faster, because it's lower -- but the 0-60 times are only a few tenths of a second different (unless you're talking Z06).

But there are quite a few annoyances common with the Vettes -- so if you go that route, take a good look at the service history. Things like: gas sending units quit (and guage reads zero), some burn oil (mine did a quart in 1500 to 2000 miles), some shift hard (mine popped out of first often!), they scrape on almost any angled roadway, listen for wind noise (especially if you are getting a coupe with the targa top) at highway speeds, Chevy service can be horrible depending on the dealer and nothing is really cheap to fix on the Vette, leaking rear seals are common, driver's seat can "rock" back and forth, and the list goes on.

Hang out on www.corvetteforum.com for a while and you will see that the Vettes have a lot of common issues, several recalls, and loads of TSBs.

That said, I enjoyed my C5 for over 2 years before the annoyances got the better of me and I traded it. Now I am loving my Z which I think is more fun to drive (and has less hassles).

 

Okay, here's the deal. I had a new 2000 C5 conv. for 3 yrs and had problems after problems with it. It was my dream car and quickly became my nightmare. They did and still do have a lot of problems with them but that could just be your luck of the draw. Now I have a 2003 350Z. Looks...... I thought I wouldn't get as many looks as the vette...WRONG! I get many more because they're not as common (at least here). Power.....you're not going to miss the approx. 50hp extra in the vette especially if you add a few quick and cheap mods on you Z. The cars are set up diff. since the vette has all it's pull at bottom rpms where the Z has all top pull. Handling......both handle very well but feel very diff. due to the way the cars are set up. Interior.......NO COMPARISON! The Z wins this hands down! Price.....Z is about $22-25k cheaper than the vette (new) Imagine what you would get if you put that extra into your Z.
Everyone's opinions are diff. so go take them out and give them a good kick and get the one that you like. ME......I'll never go back.....350Z all the way!

 

Yeah, thats what I thought about insurance untill I actually checked it out. For the same coverage on my Z I checked what a 2003 Z06 would cost me and it was only 5$ more a month. BEN

 

weird, i think my quote was about $300 more a month more for a vette