[bbrown450]

I love how there are so many corvette experts the way I see it the only ones that can answer the op on the merits of owning either are those that have owned both, unless you want speculation. If that works for the op..that's fine also. Not unlike the Camaro owning a Vette comes with a lot of heritage. I started with a c5 so for the gent that said he heard the c7 is an updated c5 ' that is ludicrous at best. The c7 without the z51 is such an amazing car no one cal put into words what it is like to drive one, unless you have owned one. Spent 33k miles In a C7 2lt and while I am sure that there are better performing cars out there ....not for that money and I drove a crap load prior to buying mine, but that is just my opinion. If you ever get a chance to own one, it will change your perception on performance driving period...the only car I ever had that literally let me think my way thru a turn, just your perspective to the road is so unique the car becomes a part of you and your input gets response immediately.
Respect...that car gets it by the boat loads. A cars performance is a unique experience a sum total of the parts ..and the driver. There are roughly 38k of them, non Z06, made a year and most of those are garage kept , never understood that, so you see so few on the road during the week.
Now my take on the 6 gen, if there was no 6th gen I would be driving a Vette...period . I did not look forward to buying a car only to see the same one next to me and across from me, I am enjoying the gap in their numbers not being out yet. That engine sold me for I have gave grown to have great respect for it's performance.This car allowed me to get the A8 and the MRC, two things I did not get to enjoy the sum total of in the C7. This car, back seat aside, amazes me very day with it's ability to haul ass and keep composed as big a car as it is ...it does not feel like it .I look forward to driving the snot out of it every day I can.
To the op. DO YOUR HOMEWORK DRIVE THEM BOTH and go for what your heart says either one are an amazing value used C7 or new ,,,you just will not be disappointed. Hope this helps.

[Jeb114]

If you decide on a Camaro buy a 17, it seems the 16 problems are mounting up......

[Whis]

Originally Posted by Jeb114

If you decide on a Camaro buy a 17, it seems the 16 problems are mounting up......

They are adjusting production as issues are discovered. This will change nothing unless he waits 2 MYs or more.

This was discussed at length in another thread and I wish I had a link for you.

[BlueSteel07]

Stingray. I saw some new ones advertised on Cars.com for $48k. Don't know if that's the price you can actually get. If you just want the V8 you can get the 1SS and save close to $15k. If you want a loaded 2SS, then I would recommend just getting the base Vette for a little bit more. You might not get all the gadgets of a loaded SS but you still have leather and a much nicer interior in my opinion, along with a lighter faster car.

[Jshadow]

Wow so many responses! I appreciate the input from everyone! I know this is a Camaro forum but I've been on and off here for a while and I respect everyone's opinion. Lots of insight in this thread and I still have a lot of time to think about it and hopefully have some price drops as we near September.

I agree with everyone that says I need to drive both cars to get a better idea on what best suits me. I'm a little guy (5'6 160lbs) so I'm sure the Stingray won't be a problem. As of now my heart is set on the Stingray but I will definitely continue doing research while I wait. Thanks all!

[WhyUMad1LE]

I'm similar to you except I'm 24. I'm going for a 2017 1LE or M2. I hate the rear end on the C7 though, with the giant unpainted diffuser and central quad exhaust. I also like the interior of the Camaro more. All subjective of course.

[aa406079]

Originally Posted by Jshadow

Hey all,

Been on and off the forums for a while now and I currently have my sights set on a 2016 2SS or 2017 1LE if the price is right. I won't be purchasing till September of this year (military deployment) and I'm trying to stay right at the 45k or below range.

Anyways here's the situation. I just realized you can get a base model 14' stingray for 45k or below! Stingray has been my "realistic" dream car ever since it's been revealed but I never really thought I'd be able to afford one till now. The biggest thing I'm worried about with a stingray is "practicality" because this will be my daily driver. I've never had a car without a back seat. All my friends tell me to get the stingray and tell me the back seat isn't necessary. The number one thing I hear from everyone is that this is possibly my best time to get a 2 seat car for a while. Why? I'm 28 single with pretty much not attachments and doing pretty good for myself (I'd say). My biggest worry is that a Stingray isn't a smart long term decision. But with the two being pretty much in the same price range is it better to get the stingray while I'm still young? Thanks a bunch!

TLDR

-14 Base Stingray or 16 2SS/17 1LE Camaro
-Daily Driver
-45k "budget"
-28 and single. No kids or any attachments...yet
-Never tracked a car before but wouldn't mind doing it once every few months
-Worried about losing the back seat if I ever need to bring another passenger

Simple.

Camaro SS 1LE.

Better performance, better interior.

The base stingray will have a WORSE interior than the 1LE ( despite it being a 1SS, it has a HUD, alcantara and leather goodies)


The BASE corvette is missing alot of the things that make the C7 Corvette special.

The 1LE will wipe the floor with a base corvette around a track.

And you can order it with a PDR if so inclined.

Last and possible most important, since you hinted at it twice..... you get the security of knowing that with a ( marginal) backseat... if you get hitched and start popping out kids you can prob hold onto the Camaro whereas your new family matriarch will most likely pester you continuously on a continued existence with a two seat Corvette.



The one big con for you is the looks/ dream car factor of the Vette. Personally I love the Vette but for me performance trumps style...small cosmetic changes are easy, but the 1LE will have almost $10,000 in superior performance components over the base Vette.


Something less tangible is the break you get on insurace for having a 4 seater instead of a two seater.

[Jshadow]

Originally Posted by aa406079

Simple.

Camaro SS 1LE.

Better performance, better interior.

The base stingray will have a WORSE interior than the 1LE ( despite it being a 1SS, it has a HUD, alcantara and leather goodies)


The BASE corvette is missing alot of the things that make the C7 Corvette special.

The 1LE will wipe the floor with a base corvette around a track.

And you can order it with a PDR if so inclined.

Last and possible most important, since you hinted at it twice..... you get the security of knowing that with a ( marginal) backseat... if you get hitched and start popping out kids you can prob hold onto the Camaro whereas your new family matriarch will most likely pester you continuously on a continued existence with a two seat Corvette.



The one big con for you is the looks/ dream car factor of the Vette. Personally I love the Vette but for me performance trumps style...small cosmetic changes are easy, but the 1LE will have almost $10,000 in superior performance components over the base Vette.


Something less tangible is the break you get on insurace for having a 4 seater instead of a two seater.

So many good points!!!

[Raven87]

Originally Posted by aa406079

Simple.

Camaro SS 1LE.

Better performance, better interior.

The base stingray will have a WORSE interior than the 1LE ( despite it being a 1SS, it has a HUD, alcantara and leather goodies)


The BASE corvette is missing alot of the things that make the C7 Corvette special.

Um, no. The 1LT interior in the C7 is an incredible interior. I've owned both the 1LT and the 2LT in C7s and the things you call missing are only minor to most - memory seats, heated/cooled seats, HUD (which I turned off in my 2LT), etc. These add nothing to the interior quality.

Here is the interior of my current C7 which is a 2015 1LT. (The 2016s now have a flat bottom steering wheel I believe.) I had a 2LT before and decided the 'extras' meant nothing to me and were not worth paying for:



Here is the interior of a new Hyper Blue 2SS i looked at:


The 2SS interior is very nice but is it 'better'? And, this is a 2SS interior vs a 1LT C7 interior so there may be some differences there too but I imagine they are more along the lines of the heated and memory seats, etc. That is subjective and really comes down to what is important to the buyer. Some like the shiny bits in the Camaro, others not so much. Some like the big HVAC knobs in the Camaro but not everyone does. It's just personal opinion. I really do like the G6 Camaro interior but not any more or less than the Vette.

So, no, the 1LE will not have any 'better' interior (plus it is a 1SS) but I as I said, it is all subjective. It will have better seats for the track but again, it is a track focused car. To compare apples to apples, compare the Z51 C7 to the 1LE - that will be a completely different story equipment wise for the Vette.

Material quality and design between the C7 and the Gen 6 Camaro are similar but in my view, neither is 'better'.

You can easily find new base C7s with a few options in the same price range after discounts as some loaded 2SSs are selling for and what I am sure the 1LE will most likely be priced at. A Z51 Vette will be a lot more money of course. It comes down to what do you want to drive.

Yes, the 1LE appears to be a track star and it will be an awesome car. But I would bet that 9 out of 10 times if a stock C7 and a 1LE were on the same track it will be a driver's race. A lot of us may like to think we are capable of getting everything out of a given car on the track but it is a LOT harder than you think.

[andrec10]

Originally Posted by 20171LE

I've been a new Corvette buyer for the last 2 decades and chose my 2016 Camaro SS 6spd MSRC over the C7.
Does that answer your question?

The best deal I have ever seen is $50,500 for a brand new, no option 2016 C7.
So, buying a used C7 for anything more than $40,000 is ridiculous to me.

I too chose the Camaro 2SS over a C7 2LT Z51. Just could not get comfortable in the car. And trust me, I tried!

[stars_fan]

OP if you want a vette check out corvetteforum. They have multiple forum dealers like Becky on this site that will bend over backwards to earn your business. Right now it looks like a 2016 1LT C7 is right around 51k.

As a former C6Z owner all I can say is if you want the vette take your time and save a down payment. Just don't have kids and you won't need to sell the vette for something with a backseat

http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/...inventory-160/

Originally Posted by RenegadeXR

The C7 Stingray is an awesome car that redefined the Corvette in the same way that the 5th gen Camaro redefined the Camaro. To me, the 6th gen Camaro is just an evolutionary car. Yes, I understand it has a brand new platform, better handling, etc. but the bottom line is GM clearly kept it looking close to the outgoing model in terms of design and body lines in a lot of respects. The C7 is a bolder looking car and likely performs better overall because it's significantly lighter.

If by lighter you actually mean heavier . The C7 in any trim is heavier than the C6 in the same trim. That includes the Z06

[Raven87]

Originally Posted by andrec10

I too chose the Camaro 2SS over a C7 2LT Z51. Just could not get comfortable in the car. And trust me, I tried!

For me, that is a common issue with the C7. I think the interior 'roominess' (and it just might be me) was better in the C6, especially on the passenger side.

My '08 Viper was actually more comfortable (once I did the gymnastics required to get into the car) than any Vette I've ever sat in, including my current '15.

This is where the Camaro really, really shines (and one thing I really miss about my Gen V ZL1) - for me, it is definitely more comfortable (and a hell of a lot easier to get in and out of) than the C7. And 99% of that perceived 'comfort' is due to the larger cabin area.

They are two different animals.

[Cam 6]

I had been wrestling with this Camaro/Vette decision for the better part of a year. I thought I had decide on a Vette, had the deal worked out and all I had to do was make the phone call, go in, and sign the papers for a Spring delivery.

I just couldn't pull the trigger. Something wasn't right.

I originally was interested in a 2015 1LE. This was right before the Gen 6 came out. Since it was close, I figured I would see what the 2016 had to offer. After the launch, there were some things I didn't like about the Gen 6 as compared to the Gen 5 so my interest morphed to the Vette.

The more I thought about it, I realized there were places I would not take the Vette. It would be more of a weekend car. With the Camaro, I would really get full use out of the car and not treat it like a piece of china. I would be in it every day.

And then two weeks later the 2017 1LE was announced. It addressed the things I didn't like about the 2016 (spoiler, spectrum lighting, etc.) and had all the things that had attracted me to the 2015 1LE, except with the Alpha platform.

So I guess I came full circle. The point is that if something doesn't feel 100% right don't pull the trigger. Wait until you MUST have the car in your garage (even if you can't order it yet) and you will know the fit is right for you.

Good luck with your decision.

[BRMike]

Originally Posted by stars_fan

If by lighter you actually mean heavier . The C7 in any trim is heavier than the C6 in the same trim. That includes the Z06

I believe he was comparing the weights of the 2016 Camaro SS and C7 Stingray. Not the C6 to C7.