Shopping for a 2010 Corvette - new member looking for advice

[vetmaniac]

Why buy a base 2010 when you could buy a very nice used low mileage loaded 2009 or 2008 for many $$$ less. Let someone else take the depreciation hit.

Best of luck no matter which way you go. Get one - you earned it!

 

[rkoblin]

Shopping -for a 2010 Corvette

Now that you are to be retired do not be cheap. Get the options and enjoy. (You do not know what cards will be delt to you health wise so GO FOR It! Secondly, get your butt into nicer weather. I lived in CT, bought the vette, could and would only use it in the nice weather. Even in the winter when it was nice and the roads dry, still would bring it home with left over road salt on it. In SC now, use the vette every day. Even can remove the roof during the day. have a 2003, told my self in 7 years if I lived that long another corvettte would be in my plan! Doing it in January...go for it

 

[bucket]

i am also shopping like this and im pretty confident that ill be able to find a left over 09...for less bucks with more stuff....lol

 

[kedvesh]

My wife and I drive both our C6's in the rain and sometimes in the snow/ice we get here in Oklahoma. We don't get a lot of snow/ice here but it tends to hit us once or twice a year. The wive's coupe is her daily driver so it has to take her back and forth. The convertible hasn't seen much in the way of snow/ice yet but our CTS-V has.

The base or F55 (MagRide) cars come with the GY GS2 tires and I have found them to be good in the rain and snow/ice - okay, "acceptable" is a better word that good for snow/ice driving. Basically, the Vette gets me home if it starts snowing or turning into ice around here and once home, we usually stay home.

On snow/ice, I think our automatic coupe is better than the stick shift convertible and I use the paddle shift mode on ice so I can shift when I want and start in second gear. Don't get me wrong, the stick shift works in the snow/ice also but it seems easier to spin the tires in first or second gear. (I had better luck in the ice with my CTS-V since it has 3.73 gears.)

If you can afford a 'beater' for winter driving, you'll probably be better off but the Vette with the right tires will get you home.

Concur w/ comment.

I've had three 'Vettes, all coupes (88 auto, 92 stick and now, 02 stick) and all were/are used as a daily driver. (The '02 was relegated to fun status with the addition of a Honda in 2005...traffic where I now live in the Wash. DC area is too nuts!) As with any car, you need to be careful in the rain, espcially downpours. However, you'll do o.k. if you maintain a proper amount of tread depth. A good set of tools to see if a tire has good wet or cold handling characteristics are the tire charts on www.tirerack.com.

In light snow, 'Vette tires with good tread depth will get you home, but as "Tuna" alluded to, once there, I usually refrained from using the 'Vette until the streets cleared up.

Based upon personal experience with the 'Vettes I've owned (325K total 'Vette miles), I HIGHLY recommend that as you live in NJ and if you're really going treat your C6 as a daily driver, you replace the stock summer class tires with at least an all-season tread. (Past sets of Falken FK451s and General UHPs, both summer class tires and although really good in the dry and wet, really scared me in the white stuff here in DC!) Or, get a second set of rims, put the A/S tread or winter tread on them and then switch sets of tires in the fall/spring. Or, make sure you have lots of tread depth on your summer class tires and watch the weather reports. BTW, Tire Rack indicates there are both A/S and (believe it or not) winter/snow tires for a '09/'10 C6. See here.

If I lived in a true snow-belt state or area and not just because of traffic considerations (as I did with my move to the DC area), I'd seriously consider a second car.

Bottom line: don't be afraid to drive your 'Vette year-round. You can drive in the winter (light snow; not sticking too much) with stock/summer tires. However, A/S or winter tires for the 'Vette or even a beater/second car with the proper tires goes a long way towards peace of mind and safety in really nasty weather.

Get your Corvette, drive it, take reasonable care of it, and it will last forever.

Concur.

 

[HankG]

Rain is NOT a problem. Snow is because of the wide tires that quickly fill up with snow and act like a tobogan. Because of the tire width, the contact patch is longer at right angles to the direction of motion and tends to make the car slide sideways. All season tires tend to help but snow tires that don't fill up with snow is the answer in winter. If you only get sparse snow, all season tires are OK.

 

[GS Diva]

Why buy a base 2010 when you could buy a very nice used low mileage loaded 2009 or 2008 for many $$$ less. Let someone else take the depreciation hit.

I couldn't agree more!! I always advise people to NOT buy a base, or stripped, model. It may cost less in the beginning, but it will always be worth less when you trade or sell it down the road.

I would suggest you look at a loaded '08 or '09 (or even older) Corvette with very low miles. The depreciation already incurred will make your pocketbook smile!

Elaine

 

[6 Shooter]

I'd say ya need to pick up a 2010 GS!

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[Big Tom]

You CAN order any color top you want by checking the option - "D30 ($590) – Color combo Override"

 

[Zippy]

Welcone to CAC, and good luck on your Corvette.

 

[6 Shooter]

Red Roadster's look pretty freaking sweet!

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2010 Corvette Catalog Link​

 

[5thgeneration]

GRAND SPORT CONVERTIBLE Oh yeah !

 

[mfd09c6]

i recently bought an 09 leftover loaded if i went with the 2010 i would of had to settle on a base model also got 0 % on the 09's not the 10's my dealer has a new 07 (dealer car 4k miles) vert silver light gray power to p 3lt auto z51,almost went with that 0ne could of had in the low to mid 40's

 

[Hib Halverson]

Handing in rain of a base coupe should be just find. The base tire package, the ABS, the SES and the limited slip axle are all pluses in wet weather. In light snow, the car is going to be like any other rear drive car without snow tires and with lots of torque. Unless I had no other choice and as long as it's truly "light" snow, I'd pick a vehicle better suited for snow use. Now, if you replace the stock tires with true winter tires on all four corners, then the Corvette becomes a pretty darn good "snow car".

I do not know the specifics of the differences between MidAmerica's 1000 dollar wheels and Chevrolet's 1800 dollar wheels, however, I'll guess that the Chevrolet product is plated or coated with a more durable finish and the GM wheel's manufacturing is probably better than what MidAmerica sells. Nevertheless, 1800 is pretty high. What I'd do is beat on your dealer to get the wheel option down to 1400-1500. Then they'd be a good value.