Lots of folks out there bashing the C4...what gives?

[Rich96c4ce]

I spent a lot of time looking a year ago, didn't have much money. I talked to a lot of Vette enthusiasts. What I got was this. Sure you can buy a classic, and a car that won't be as comfortable and as high performance as a newer one. Sure you could buy a '97 and get the first model year blues. Best value = '96. Most refined C4, highest performance, and dropping price. And it looks way better than pre-91 and I think way better than '97+. IMHO.

[Mart]

The C4 is a completely different car from the others, you realy have to like the sports car feel and personality it exudes.

Just getting in and out of the car (over those huge side wells) makes you feel like your really part of the car. The seats are really quite different, they kinda suck you into them. The C5 just does not feel the same, Just a little too refined. I had a buddy out that has a C5 and he was shocked at the difference in feel of the car, he said it feels more like a sports car than his C5.
I also had my cousin out who has owned a 54, 58, 64, and a 72, and he said "wow is this smooth" and my 86' is a Z51 with 88 wheels and 275 40's on all 4 corners.

My 86 is not the fastest, not the newest, but it is mine and I really enjoy the hell out of it!!!

I'm gettin all teary eyed just thinking about driving my baby, It's holed up out in that cold garage.

Yeah that's right us vette dudes get pretty sentimental about thier Vettes about half way through winter.

Drive one and you will see what I mean.

Mart

[vette1985]

Please don't let people sour your taste due to there opinion. I heard the same from some people in the vette world when I started my search. I still ended with a C4. I like it very much and that counted most. Would I have benefitted from a newer model? Maybe. However, C4 cars are plentiful and less expensive. There are lots of companies making performance for them too. This is a great platform and still looks unique on the road as well. The newer ones are getting harder to spot. If you go with the C4, companies like Exotic muscle, Guldstrand, TPIS, Just Corvettes, and many others you can find are out there to help you. BUY, DRIVE, AND SMILE. THAT'S WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT-- RIGHT GUYS AND GIRLS

[vettedoc]

Just remember......any corvette is far better than NO corvette!!!!
I love my C4. I like the style, the feel, and the performance is great for most of us non race car drivers. It is a great road car and the prices are are very affordable nowdays.

Doc

[paintdaddy]

Heres my 2cents.Ive always liked the c4s over the c5s also.Yeah the c5s might be more powerful and better refined but thats how GM sells cars ,to improve them each year that goes by.If you are concerned with increasing value and want a c4 I would suggest buying a early ZR1.Those cars are going to go nowhere but up.Gran sport is also a good buy.All other c4s are in a very good price range right now and should see a gradual climb a year from now.
As far as c5s go I have never liked the styling but there are other people out there that think it is the best vette ever built.They are easier to work on (as far as paint and body goes).Also they are going to dive in value as the c6s comes out.
Also,glad to see another Atlanta member,welcome to the site.

[Edmond]

Drive whatever car you want, whether it be Corvette or Mustang or whatever. Being that I've driven the Corvette, I'm hooked and there is no turning back now. Probably the same for a lot of here in the forum.

As for depreciation, it's a car so it'll definitely depreciate. But from what I've seen, Corvette's hold their value exceptionally well. And when you're rolling down the street, everyone knows that it's a Corvette.

[hAZcAT]

I just bought my 94 c4 rag top last year, I looked at over 32 mostly c5s vettes, and for me it came down to a 92 coupe or the 94 rag top, both where nice in fact the 92 was in better shape, I kick my self for not buying both and leaveing one at my dad's shop, although he might have become upset as I have a hot rod and a RV sitting in his shop The c4 is most likely the best bang for the buck, as well as a great car, Vettes are chick magnets,
I found every piece of junk will gun it off a stop light if you are next to them. but the true joy of the any vette is a nice mountain road. Get a vette you like, remember you do not see the rear end of any vette from the drivers seat......

[lbitp37]

I,m very happy with my C4 92,Blk / Blk. When I drive around it always has heads turning !!

[KANE]

I have owned a C3 and a C5. My dad owns a factory original 82 while I had a seriously modified 78 with TPI and a 700R4. So it was a C3.5 in a manner of speaking. I regulary borrowed technology from the C4s.

My $.02-- I consider it to be a RIVALRY between C4 and C5 owners.

The C4 has an established following that heralds from the core of the Corvette brotherhood. The C4 was about technology and power. EFI, 6M, 4A, LT1, LT5, LT4.... The trend across 84-96 was toward technology and power.

TheC5- For the eight year run, the drive train didn't change much, but luxury refinements were the highlight. Magna steer, heads-up display, active handling....The C5 has a broader appeal to the public due to the nature of its more refined attributes.

So, I feel that is why there are more people who drive the C5 Vette from outside the dire-hard Corvette enthusiasts.

I love muscle-luxo-techno-beasts. That applies any Corvette!

[tyrel]

I've been a C4 fanatic since the car came out in 1983, and I'm still a C4 fanatic. I absolutely love the car. The styling is sleak and beautiful, the handling is out of this world, and it feels like a sports car should: a little noisy, a little rough, lots of power, excellent road feedback. This is a driver's car if there ever was one, and anyone who doubts me should drive a C4 on a twisting mountain road, maybe Highway 92 from San Mateo to Half Moon Bay. Being on that highway (barring heavy traffic of course) in a C4 and descending towards the Pacific ocean as you move around curve after curve, feeling the tires hug the road surface and hearing the hum of the engine, is a zen-like experience. IMHO, the c4 is the ideal corvette.

Now, I like all Corvettes, but my opinion of the C5 was fixed on the day I drove one. These are just my opinions, so you C5 people please don't send me angry emails. I love the power of the C5, but the car is too big. I also do not care for the style of the car, as many people have pointed out the rear is HUGE, I read somewhere that someone compared it to a giant shoe horn. I don't like the front end either, it looks like a Fiero or a Firebird. It is fun to drive the C5, there's lots of power and the handling is almost like a Cadillac, but road feedback is limited. Also, the cabin seems really pinched, the windshield is raked at such an angle that there is just a thin view out the front, the car feels really claustrophobic. The a pillars are huge, and the steering wheel should be light and elegant, not have four gigantic spokes. Overall, the interior seems so cheap, with rubbermaid window controls, and the little button pod to the right of the steering wheel moves up and down when you touch a button; the entire thing moves up and down, like it's going to fall off. The leather seat covers seem kind of cheap, like they made it too soft and flimsy, and I see many C5s where the seat covers are cracking already...very cheap. Also, the 90-96 corvette made use of expensive-looking LCD display panels for the dash, hvac, and radio, but the C5 uses cheap-looking LED displays that you can't read in direct sunlight. Who approved LED displays in the C5, it's like taking a step backward.

I'm not saying my 1989 is perfect, but overall it feels like a more solid sports car than the C5 I drove for a day. Sure my car is fifteen years old now, but every time I drive it people still point and stare. I love this car very much and will keep it forever. I'm very glad that the C6 appears to be a much better car than the C5: smaller, lighter, and leaner, with a much improved interior, so I'm saving my pennies to get one within the next year or two. But I'm going to keep my 89 coupe, it's a fantastic car.

[KREX 725]

In my area, there were a few dealers that specialized in sports cars (one really leaned towards Vettes more than anything else). Anyway, you might want to check your area for any dealers like this.

Personally, last year I spent four solid months doing daily searches on my local newspaper's website, the local sports car dealers' websites, eBay Motors (saved to my zip code search results), AutoTrader.com (where I found mine), and various other sites. I found you had to jump on one when you found one that matched everything you wanted (color, mileage, price, etc.) or you lost out (as I quickly learned with the first admiral blue coupe I found).

Good luck and hurry up so we can start waving at you!

[WNH]

I owned 5 Corvettes starting wth my 65 Coupe in 1967.

I now own an 88 just for fun and a hobby.

I came to the conclusion that the only bad Corvettes are DIRTY Corvettes.

I can't stand to see a dirty Corvette.

I feel like walking up to its driver and saying: "Do you KNOW what kind of car you are driving."

[KREX 725]

I came to the conclusion that the only bad Corvettes are DIRTY Corvettes.

I can't stand to see a dirty Corvette.

I feel like walking up to its driver and saying: "Do you KNOW what kind of car you are driving."

Umm, don't drive through St. Louis right now. My daily driver isn't looking too good with the weather!

[redc4corvette]

just apply the kiss princable if you have a vett you are with the rest of us if you dont then you are against us just buy one ! vetts will be around for a long time they dont come and go like the camaro z28 and other cars.

[Minnesota Fats]

Bought a 94 after looking at so many different vettes. Black on black and shiney. What everyone says is true. The newer the better with in price range you can afford. ENJOY