My 1997 Saturn SL1 now has 74K+ miles on it, and more and more things are starting to go wrong with it. I’m probably going to buy another car this year. Saturns have dropped off the J.D. Powers lists and I don’t like the styling of the most recent models, so I probably won’t get another one, although I’ve liked the one I’ve got now.
I’ve always liked Corvettes and just might buy a new or used recent-model one. Any Dopers own one, or know someone who does? Would you recommend it?
:: bump ::
How recent are we talking about? Anything going back to the C5 should be fairly bulletproof in mechanical terms, there’s really not much that can go wrong - the GM LS series engines are world class. The main thing I notice with older corvettes is that the fit and finish of the interior isn’t terribly good, and the trim and materials age rather poorly. I figure if you get one checked out be a competent mechanic, it should be fine.
Try this site to check how different years compare as you go back.
Fierra bought a 2008 Corvette, and absolutely loves it. She’s even let me drive it a couple of times. It’s a very good car, but has a couple of caveats.
There is NO space behind the driver’s or passenger’s seat, a place where I’d like to stick a laptop bag at least. You can fit a slim purse, and that’s about it. Anything else lays in the boot.
It has a very low ground clearance in the front - there is this black rubber “warning dam” that sits only about 3 inches off the ground, and it scrapes on everything. Thankfully, it seems to be designed to scrape, and you would have to go up about another 3 inches before you would hit any painted surface.
Make sure you get the NPP option (the exhaust bypass option), LT3 trim (unless you want to pay $8000 for the LT4 leather…not worth it IMO), the 2-tone seat upgrade. I’d go with the polished aluminum wheels, not the chrome plated ones too.
Oh yeah, at 436hp and weighing not too much over 3000 lbm, it’s unholy fast. Test drive one, step on it at 2500rpm and hear the exhaust bypass roar…and you’ll be hooked.
On the latest CNET Automotive podcast (Episode 54), they quote an article describing the newest Vettes as being one of the best cars you can buy. Not merely in terms of horsepower or top speed, either. From what I’ve been able to gather, GM really busts a nut to make the Corvettes a good car, and everyone involved with them goes out of their way to make sure that Vettes don’t fall victim to the mistakes that often plague GM cars.
In CR’s Spring 2007, they give the Corvette an “all black”, which is the worst reliability rating available. 
I don’t know how reliable the beast is, but you are pretty much getting a 190mph supercar for $45170 (a quick google). And that’s for the base model. Sounds like a bargain to me. I’ll betcha a tune-up is a helluva lot cheaper than a 911.
A rather questionable rating scale. It is a vehicle of a…sporting nature, and as such, is bound to be a little bit more high-strung than a regular commuter car. Within its’ category, I’d say the vette is about as good as it gets.
The OP asked about reliability, and was driving an older Saturn (pretty damn reliable). If he wanted to know about “fun to drive” then sure- but it’s not reliable.
Mustang and Charger rate higher. The Mazdaspeed3 rates quite high. What else would you consider in this class?
Elendil’s Heir- If you liked a S1, then a Hyundai is about right, either Elantra or Sonata.
Then there’s the new Saturn Astra.
I understand. I was talking about reliability. Generally speaking, higher performance cars tend to have more stressed parts that break. Mustangs start at $19k, Chargers start at $21k, Vettes start at $47k, they are not in the same category, either price or performance. Compared to similarly priced and specd cars, and they are almost all European, the Vette does quite well.
The Mazdaspeed 3 is a FWD compact car with a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. FWD has it’s own issues, turbochargers have their own issues, The Mazda(speed) 3 has its’ own set of reliability issues (Collapsing engine mounts, doors that unlock if you kick it, etc) which are difficult to quantify. Mazda typically ranks at the bottom of any reliability survey, and not just because of the RX8.
“Reliability” really isn’t something that can be charted on a linear scale, so I generally don’t have much faith in blanket statements about whether one car is more reliable than another, like Consumer Reports likes to use.
I will note that in the Corvette’s favour:
On the other hand:
Being a performance oriented car, it may have had a fairly rough life - standing launches and days of bouncing off the redline on the track are not conducive to drivetrain longevity.
There is the possibility that the previous owner may have installed performance modifications, which is always bad news for the new owner.
As previously mentioned, the low-rent interior does not hold up well with age. May not be much of an issue with newer examples.
Sp all in all, I’d say for a high performance vehicle, it’s about as reliable as one could make it. Most of the above would apply more or less to a Shelby GT500 Mustang or a Charger SRT8, too, but I think the Vette would still come out ahead.
We have a 2000 (C-5). We love it. That said, it’s an 8 year old car, so it has had some little problems. They’ve all been cosmetic, but, it is expensive to fix. Tires were $500 each.
It runs like a dream. It’s so polite, when you ask it to go, it’s there. I expected it to feel like a half wild horse, but it rides, turns, and stops like it was trained in dressage.
When we bought it, I was against buying it. My husband tried and tried to talk me into it. Once I drove it, I was hooked.
A little secret is that once you buy one, you feel like you’re in a club. Every other Corvette driver waves. OK, a few don’t, but most do. Remember to wave, I’ll wave back. 
Good luck. You’ll love it.
Note that “unnecessary” may be a judgment call. Fierra’s Corvette (I just went downstairs and looked at it, sitting next to my fairly electronics-free Mustang GT), has:
It lacks things like video camera all around it, or mini wipers for the headlights, but overall to me it seems like it has a lot of electronics.
The engine is a fairly simple one for all that. Routine maintenance is relatively easy, and the oil filter, thank Goddess, is straight vertical down and doesn’t drip oil all down the engine block (you can’t jack the car up with an ordinary jack, however, without hurting the body - you have to buy some special pads that cost about $50, and get a low-profile jack. Note that many Corvette owners have had tragedy happen when they’ve gone in to get tires replaced and the tire store put the car on a standard lift and broke the body panels). Most items are very long-life, and given that Corvettes aren’t often daily commuter cars, it will probably go a very long time before it needs servicing. Oh yeah, run-flat tires too, that you reputedly can go 100 miles on at up to 55mph, and no spare to mess with.
And people do wave…and we wave back.
What cars do you think are comparable, then?
I know the Vette has a magic shimmer to it, but If you have $50k to blow, want performance and reliable, theAudi S5 should meet your needs. I saw one just yesterday and it’s a beautiful machine.
Check the specs, it should satisfy your needs for power, American style.
For more than double the money, I’d get an R8, with the 6L V12.
Any number of European 2 door sports cars, although pretty much all of them will be more expensive and/or slower.
Not a reliability issue, but if you go from a Saturn to a 'Vette your insurance is going to take a big jump.
Didn’t read my link, did you?
It wasn’t terribly interesting, was there something in particular that you wanted to bring to my attention? I’m already aware that the S5 weights 300 lbs more, has 80 less horsepower, 100 ft lbs less torque, has a slower 0-60 and quarter mile time, requires fuel higher in both Octane rating and quantity, and starts at $50k versus $46k, that’s why I’ve indicated that the Vette’s European competitors are both more expensive and slower. Forgive me if I’ve missed your point.
Since this is seeking opinions, it’s better suited for IMHO.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator