Is anyone else a little disillusioned with the C4-C5 transition?

[GS Diva]

Mary,

I've owned 3 C4's...and have one still, plus a 2002 convertible. I know just what you mean about how the C4 makes you feel! As much as I love the C5, there's nothing like the "I'm falling in love all over again" feeling I get every time I get behind the wheel of the Grand Sport!:love Both of our Corvettes are 6-speeds, too, which we both love.

The 2002 has it all over the 1996 for comfort, especially on long rides, interior space, ease of entering and exiting (love that!!)...but the Grand Sport gives me that true sports car feel. I think you're feeling the same way.

My advice?? Go back to a C4...you'll be much happier. Just stay with a Corvette!!

Elaine

 

[atmmac]

If your going to go back to the C4 i would look into the ZR1 or the 96 LT4. They are very fast cars. The LT4 should be right up there with your 2001 and the ZR1 is even faster!

Good Luck,
-Andy

 

[Eric]

Mary,

I know where you're coming from and I'll expand on what Elaine said. The C5 has the performance and handling hands down but what it's missing, to be brief, is that raw feeling. For me, it was the lack of refinement in my old Shark that made it so great and I feel the same about the C4s I've driven. When you're driving one, there is no mistaking the fact that you are in a car built to be driven and driven like a madman. The C5, to me, is almost too refined an though it has none of the rough edge that the C4 has. The first time I drove an LT4 I nearly peed my pants it was so fun. While I thoroughly enjoyed each C5 I've driven, they just didn't leave me with an uneraseable grin.

JMHO - Eric

 

[SJTrance]

Whatever you do, you'll never get your older car out of your system. I've owned and modded my BMW 328 5 speed for years. I had a serious love/hate relationship with this car. Now, I've got a C5 Vert Auto and I really miss my BMW. This car is better in every way, but I don't get the same thrill and connection that I got with that 328. It's normal. That C4 was part of you and your life. I'd suggest that you give the C5 a little more time and see where you stand. You might feel that you can't live without it.

On the other hand, getting into such a different car like a Caddy, you'll probably end up in some serious buyers remorse. You'll like the soft, comfortable, cushy feel, but when you want to rip up the road and you cant....you know where I'm going with this.

 

[01TriBlack]

JB, Elaine, Andy & Eric....I dunno, you guys are something else - in a good sort o' way. Thanks so much for your replies. Yes, yes and yes is all I can say! Going back to a C4 is the the answer; leaving 'vettedom really isn't. I think I'd kick myself. I'd steer away from the LT4 only because it's a stick... I've tried 'em and don't like 'em.


This car has been issue after issue after issue... I didn't have any issues whatsoever with the '96. The tire sensor crap is just about ready to drive me half insane: I was assured by several people before I changed the rims out and dispensed with the sensors that it wouldn't be a problem. Well bullcrap. It's a big issue. Constant DIC messages about tires being flat - I'd like to see my oil temp once in a while and it won't allow me to with this constant message. Now when I start the car there is a horrendous sound that almost sounds as though the fan is hitting some sort of cowling or something....it's horrible! It goes away once it's driven, but something ain't right. Soooo back to the dealer once again. I didn't get a great deal on the car and I've put roughly $4K into it in the 2.5 short months I've owned it (1 month of driving) - so I'm not going to get my money out - I've resigned myself to that.

Welp, folks, enjoy your Sundays.... looks like it might turn out to be a fine one for a cruise here in Minnesota.

Mary

 

[01TriBlack]

Whatever you do, you'll never get your older car out of your system. I've owned and modded my BMW 328 5 speed for years. I had a serious love/hate relationship with this car. Now, I've got a C5 Vert Auto and I really miss my BMW. This car is better in every way, but I don't get the same thrill and connection that I got with that 328. It's normal. That C4 was part of you and your life. I'd suggest that you give the C5 a little more time and see where you stand. You might feel that you can't live without it.

On the other hand, getting into such a different car like a Caddy, you'll probably end up in some serious buyers remorse. You'll like the soft, comfortable, cushy feel, but when you want to rip up the road and you cant....you know where I'm going with this.

Hi, SJ. Yeah, I think I have a tendency to get attached to cars and the '96 was my first 'vette - after having drooled over them for years and years and years.... only finally being able to justify getting one.

My other thought on another car was...ready? The Pontiac GTO. Any thoughts on that one??

Hey, enjoy your day and thanks a lot for your reply.

Mary

 

[Eric]

...My other thought on another car was...ready? The Pontiac GTO. Any thoughts on that one??...
Mary

When I saw them in print I thought they were pretty hot. I finally saw one on the highway last week (a red one) and wasn't as impressed. It did have a really nice sound but I finally saw what others had been saying which is that it looks like a super-sized Cavalier. Not that I dislike Cavaliers, heck I hated selling my Z24 last month after 14.5 years. I just expected it to knock my socks off more. But remember, this is the opinion of someone who has yet to drive one. They are nice cars though, but no targa roof, vert, or t-tops.

- Eric

 

[builtfspd2]

its your car

well mary:

i can sympathize in your feelings for the old car. i have owned and driven a sh**load of cars, oh i say probably almost 25 during my driving career. my very first car that i bought and paid for was a 1986 z-28 coupe (non-iroc) 6 speed with no t-tops. i sold her in 1993 after the birth of my son. she had 70,000 miles and really wasnt anything special, still good shape but the usual gm paint fading here and there.

of all the cars, i still wish i had her sitting the driveway. strange isnt it.

as for the vettes, ive been an owner for only 6 months. i just sold a 2000 black/black coupe with 76k and all options. i was afraid i would miss all the gadgets when i bought my current 1998 nassau blue minus the heads up and twilight sentinal. but it was the color i always wanted since i was a kid. i dont miss the black one at all and i usually use the cruise anyway so i can monitor my speed that way instead of h.u.d.

i personally like the open feel of the c5. before i bought my c5, i drove a 1996 and found it to be cramped and loud. as a newbie to vette land, i prefer the c5. but what i am trying to say is you have to be happy with the choice you make. after having so many cars, each has its own character and personality. go with what makes you happy!!!!!

lenny

 

[Ed02]

Mary,
I know exactly what you mean. I still haven't gotten over my 68 Camero, even though I have had other Cameros and sport cars since. I waited 54 years to finally justify the price of the Vette (which I always wanted), but I still miss that 68. I think it's a nostalgia thing, for me anyway. You gotta do what you feel is right, life's to short not to be happy. Good luck
Ed

 

[JBsC5]

I had a worked 350 1969 bright yellow with black top convertible and it was a great car back in the 1970s but..as many great memories as I have with that car..


It does not compete with todays offering from a performance standpoint..

I might suggest that our memories tend to be somewhat tainted with only the positives..

Not a bad thing but might not be totally factual..

Just a perspective to consider..

 

[Gorgon]

As a current owner of both, I am not disillussioned by the C5 at all. Maybe it's because the C5 has needed no work and I have a list of items to address in the C4. Ride-wise I prefer the C5, hate the C4 body-flex, miss the power of the C5 when in the C4, both 6-speeds, C5 has more of a growl with the B&B Tri Flos, etc. Personally, I can't wait to get out of the C4 and into a C5 vert. I will hardly miss the side rails when I climb in and out of the car.

 

[atmmac]

I wish i had 2 corvettes!


-Andy

 

[vettepilot]

Mary[/QUOTE]I wish I could turn time back ......

Me too, when I first bought my 1993 Z07 coupe, I was just 42 years old. But I wouldn't give up my 02 Z06 for anything right now. Maybe if the C6 successor to the Z06 has "The Right Stuff" I'll let it release from my cold dead fingers.

:L

vettepilot

 

[justafamilyman]

Mary

I wish I could turn time back ......

Me too, when I first bought my 1993 Z07 coupe, I was just 42 years old. But I wouldn't give up my 02 Z06 for anything right now. Maybe if the C6 successor to the Z06 has "The Right Stuff" I'll let it release from my cold dead fingers.

:L

vettepilot[/QUOTE]
Hi To 01TriBlack,
I will admit I am the last person to jump into this comparison. However, when the C4 came out I was not impressed. Mind you I had no experience with sports cars so who am I to complain. The C5 at first didn't tickle the funny bone, but it grew on me. The growth peaked when I found tht the 2003 was to be the "official" 50th model year.
Now, after reading about the Corvette history (I own 3 books) I am glad I got a C5. For all practical purposes it is a new car from the ground up. The 2003 was the 7th year of production so most of the bugs are out. Everything I have read (C&D,MT,R&T) extol the handling and manuverability of he C5. Yes, everyone complains about the cheap interior. My answer is it's the ride. Like H-D cycles which have had shaking complaint on it for a lomg time (but not recently). It's the ride, it's a Corvette.
Sory to harp.
Blue Borg Brian 1 0f 58

 

[1g1yy]

Hi all,

Well, I have owned my '99 Mag red coupe for about four and a half years now -- it was my first Corvette and I love it. But before I bought it I drove many C4's and C5's, and I understand exactly how you feel, Mary! I was very disappointed that the C5 didn't have the clamshell hood. It also doesn't have that "you are part of the car, confined in the cockpit" sports car feel. And, like you, I liked the high sills in the C4. But, on the other hand, I didn't like the way the clamshell hood would jump around on rough roads, especially in corners, and how the frame flexed. (I like a stiff suspension, but I want the car to feel solid.) I also didn't like the C4's dash -- I like gauges with needles. (Though the ones in the C5 still have a plastic, artificial look -- they should be more like the ones in some traditional, or upmarket, English or Italian sports cars. "Genuine gauges" if you know what I mean.) And, after having my C5 for a while, I came to appreciate the roomy interior and, that when steering quickly, I didn't have to worry about banging my left elbow against the door or glass! And the performance of my C5 A4 with the 3.15 gears and a few mods is great! So I am happy with my decision to get a C5, though I would love to have an Admiral blue (I think that's the color) C4 also! And a nice '70 or '71. And a ... Oh well

As for -- ahem -- issues, yeah mine has had all the usual C5 ones, what a PITA! But I still have a year left on my GM Major Guard warrantee so that at least has helped financially. And mine is not a daily driver, I only have 21K miles on it.

Anyway, I think if you give it a few more months you may grow to love it -- if the manual tranny doesn't wear you out first!

 

[KANE]

Mary-

I had a similar experience with another car.

I had a 1994 Formula that I bought new in 94. It was red, gey leather,T-tops, cd changer, 10 speaker stereo- I LOVED THAT CAR. I even outfitted it with an LT4 conversion. It was soooo slick.

I traded it in on GMC ZR2 Jimmy. Terrible move. I hated it and hated doing it.

Anyways, a year ago I stumbled across a comparably equiped Z28. It wasn't the same.

So, I traded my 1978 in for the C5. I did it with the expectation of something different and completely different. I never had the expectation of it being "equal" or "better". They are like two different experiences. I have NEVER regretted doing it. I owned the 78 for 11 years. It was time to let someone else have it!!!!

I really feel as though cars are like waves when you are surfing - you catch a good one and the ride lasts as long as it does. No two waves are alike. Just relish them while you are riding them.

 

[Likarok]

While I have always been a GM fan I was never a person who really had a passion for the Corvette until the C5. The thing that made me feel so good about it was a picture of the frame with all the body panels off.

While I liked the C4 I never would have bought one......so you see everyone can have an opinion and niether is right or wrong......now you need to aspire for a C6 and continue to live the dream that every north american auto freak has.....to drive the only truley American sports car!

 

[mmorse]

I had three C4's. The last being a '96 CE LT4. I loved that car. However, all it took was a 5 minute drive in a Z06 and the LT4 was gone. Everything I look for in a sports car (hp, handling, fun factor) was greatly increased with the Z. My LT4 felt like a boulevard cruiser by comparison. I once thought GM could do no better than a ZR1. I was wrong. I just recently traded in my '01 Z for an '04. And if the C6 Z is anything like the rumors say, I'll be trading in my '04 and not look back. Gotta love it
mark

 

[DRTH VTR]

I think it is just a matter of taste. I am a big guy, so I like the huge footwells. I really didn't fit well in a C4. The passenger footwell is only a few inches wide. The clamshell hood was an expensive part to replace.

I traded a '97 A4 for a 2002 Z06. I LIKE shifting the gears. That was the main reason that I traded the '97. If your C5 is too civilized, trade for a Z06. My car is a brute. Of course, it still has that M6...

 

[Bonnell]

SJTrance

That is one beautiful car! I love my '88 but one day I will have one like yours.