C6 vette vs 135

[Sephiroth]

Well, i thought i would post again with my impressions after test driving a vette here in atlanta. The car i drove was a 1LT base. This is going to be a long one so skip to the end if you don't want to read:

INTERIOR
Its not nearly as bad as i was made to believe. The dash didn't look plasticky at all, in fact it had some stitching on it. Much better than i expected. The AC and radio plates and knobs definitely look a little weird compared with dash, really smooth and maybe cheap plastic, but thats not a big deal. The gauges are well lit and look great, love the DIC. The cabin just felt cozy.

I read some of the recent threads complaining about the seats but honestly i didn't think they were uncomfortable. The leather is definitely more smooth than BMWs, but unfortunately the car i test drove had some worn seats. From what i understand this is pretty typical for GM and BMW. Getting in and out of the car will be difficult without brushing the side bolsters every time.

PAINT
I remember a thread on here recently about orange peel, so i looked around at several vettes in the showroom and sure enough every one of them had it. However, it wasn't until i was specifically looking for it that i noticed it. I really don't think it is a big deal at all, it doesn't distract me when im looking at the car. I suppose some are more picky than others.

THE DRIVE
This car is way different from anything i've driven before. It is happy to chug along at low rpms but just tap the accelerator and the car leaps forward. It was a new car so i didn't push it past 3.5k but i could sense enormous power waiting to be unleashed. The tranny was easy to operate but i did notice engine/tranny vibrations were being transmitted through the stick, i've never seen that on any car before. Looking out of the rear mirror seemed futile as the hatch permitted only a limited view, but still not a big deal.

The suspension felt smooth with little body roll. In fact i would call the whole experience "cushy", its a GT car that can really tear it up. The base suspension seems adequate but i think ill spring for the Z51 if budget permits, id like to see a little more firmness in the ride.

THE GOOD
1. The cars overall dimensions seemed huge from the outside but from inside its not that big. It is surprisingly easy to drive. This was a big concern for me, but not anymore
2. The dash area, cup holders, gauges, and seats all felt fine.
3. The engine is amazing, more power than i could ever want. I can see why its possible to get good gas mileage, or not
4. Suspension felt smooth yet not much body roll. The base is adequate but i want the Z51.
5. Plenty of cargo room with the roof on, but not so much with the roof off. I think its adequate.
6. The car looked beautiful in blade silver, but i think ill go for AO.

THE BAD
1. When i first sat in the car i got hit with this strong synthetic smell that i suspect came from the seats. I couldn't find the source of the smell because it was everywhere, but i let windows down and that helped. I just hope it was this particular car. The BMWs all smelled of nice leather when i sat in them.
2. There are some cheap plastic parts, like the lid behind the parking brake, the trim around the door sill, or the lever for adjusting the seatback position. Even the trim on the doors themselves creaked when i put a little pressure on them.
3. Visibility through the rear is sub-par, but i suppose this is something i could get used to.
4. The shift knob transmitted tranny and engine vibrations to my hand. Its a little annoying.

Im sure ill think of more to add to both of these lists, but overall my impression of the car was very positive. The pros outweigh the cons right now and if that remains then ill probably end up in a vette

[mistermojorizin]

the coolest option of the vette is the HUD.

acceleration wise, the 135i with a jb3 is very comparable to a c6. but the NA v8 is a very different experience. no turbo lag, tons of torque, no worries about warranty.

looks wise, i never really warmed up to the C6, i still drool when i see c5's.

sunroof>removable roof. First, you don't use the removable roof as much. Second, the removable roof is more likely to leak air.

[Berduderunner]

wow that vette forum is extremely biased, 1addicts is far more balanced.

Its a close comparison between the two cars but, I would honestly go for the vette, if you weigh everything out it makes sense for your situation.

[Sephiroth]

I will never modify a car drastically when its still under warranty. For me JB and even Dinan are out of the question. Honestly i don't need more than 300hp, the vette just happens to have 430hp.

The vette forum is definitely biased, there are simply way more people on there, but they are good people and entertaining.

[ARES45]

I thought I would go for the vette, until I read that forum. I would want nothing to do with them, and people say BMW drivers are dicks.

The wife and I looked at a vette (she is all over the place on what she wants) It is a pretty large car and parking it would be a pain in the ass. Performance wise, the vette is better, but comfort and convenience the 135 wins. I am 24 and I thought I didn't have a need for a back seat, but I did a lot more than I thought. I also see 3 c6 vettes a day on my way to work and I only live 5 miles from work. I have only seen the same 128 twice in seven months of ownership. Vettes are a dime a dozen these days. If you are only going to have one car I highly recomend a 135 and mod it if you want vette performance. A downside for the 135 is that I have to go 75 miles to a dealership (however if mine breaks they will come get it and drop off a loaner), whereas there is a chevy dealer 10 miles away.

Good luck and if you do get a vette, be a car guy not just a vette guy.

[jeremyc74]

Originally Posted by 1love

Im sure ill think of more to add to both of these lists, but overall my impression of the car was very positive. The pros outweigh the cons right now and if that remains then ill probably end up in a vette

I agree with most of your assesment. Have you driven the 135i yet though? The 'Vette is a beast, but the two cars have drastically different characters, and you'll like one more than the other for sure.

For me, the small size of the 135i made a lot of difference. Coming from a GTO I was just ready for something smaller. Either way, you can't really go wrong here. :w00t:

[Ron H]

Originally Posted by ARES45

I thought I would go for the vette, until I read that forum. I would want nothing to do with them, and people say BMW drivers are dicks.

If you are only going to have one car I highly recomend a 135 and mod it if you want vette performance. .

I am not aware of any mods that the 135 engine will survive with that will give it 435 HP. They are two different cars and fill different needs.

You will find all types of people in any of the forums. Spend some time with the local clubs to get a better feel of what the true enthusiasts are like.

[Heinzftw]

Originally Posted by Ron H

I am not aware of any mods that the 135 engine will survive with that will give it 435 HP. They are two different cars and fill different needs.

You will find all types of people in any of the forums. Spend some time with the local clubs to get a better feel of what the true enthusiasts are like.

Vishnu Procede Doomsday map or JB3 + RR Intake + Catless DP's this will yield in the 365+whp ballpark. Practicality is second to none also! :biggrin:

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by jeremyc74

I agree with most of your assesment. Have you driven the 135i yet though? The 'Vette is a beast, but the two cars have drastically different characters, and you'll like one more than the other for sure.

For me, the small size of the 135i made a lot of difference. Coming from a GTO I was just ready for something smaller. Either way, you can't really go wrong here. :w00t:

I have infact test driven a 135 vert auto and also a 335i coupe auto. I really beat on the 335i demo (at the encouragement of the CA) so i have a good idea of the performance from the TT engine. I think i will still look for a 6spd 135 or 335 to test drive once i get back to KY.

My driving experience is limited to hondas and rotaries so im used to revving for power. The 135/335 i think is closer to this type of character although they do have tq over a wide range. The vette is a totally different character, one i think i can get used to.

As for size, im used to driving small cars and the vette is bigger than anything im used to, but when driving it i didn't feel like its very big. The 135i is very similar in interior and exterior dimensions to my Prelude, and i normally prefer that size.

I think what ill do is drive them back to back and make a final evaluation. But as it stands now the vette is the one that calls my name.

Thanks everybody for your help and opinions.

[Spook]

One caveat.. what would be the impact if GM goes bankrupt in a year?

[Sephiroth]

I think GM will sell the corvette name and operations to another company before they go bankrupt. Its such an iconic name with worldwide recognition, it has value.

[ARES45]

Originally Posted by Ron H

I am not aware of any mods that the 135 engine will survive with that will give it 435 HP. They are two different cars and fill different needs.

You will find all types of people in any of the forums. Spend some time with the local clubs to get a better feel of what the true enthusiasts are like.

It is true that it will take a lot of mods to get the 135 to match the vette, but you can get vette like performance with a couple of mods. There is nothing you can do to the vette to overcome the not having a back seat and it being as wide as semi. I love the look of the vette and I wouldn't mind having one myself, but I couldn't honestly justify having it as an only car. Maybe the OP can.

As for the people on the forum, it is true that you can find all kinds, but in one post on a vette forum I found more people who I would never call enthusiasts due to their blind distaste for a car they know nothing about. That one thread made me wonder if all they do over their is give each other reach arounds while whispering in each others ear how awesome the vette is. Been on this forum for about a year and you won't find a thread with that much bias. I am sure not every vette owner is like that, but it is just silly what they were saying.

If the OP gets the vette, than more power to him/her. I am not so much of a cocky a-hole that I can't say congrats and wish him/her the best.

[trashcan]

I definitely agree with test driving both. One thing that I wanted to point out is that I suspect the corvette forum is incorrect about the 135i being more common. Weren't only 10-12k 1 series sold in the first year? And only a percentage of those are 135s.

[Yearofthe1]

I thought I'd throw in a thought here

What would be the biggest cop magnet: A 22 year old in a Vette or a 22 year old in a 135i?

I'm not sure one is worse than the other. What does everyone else think?

I look like I could be 22, and haven't been harassed by any cops yet. Only been driving for a month in the States though.

[Italteen3]

Honestly I could never see myself in a vette. Granted they are some of the best performing cars for the money, but I see them EVERYWHERE. I love my exclusivity. It's my own way of being different.

[Bdh821]

coming from a bpu 03 Cobra id say the 135i doesnt compair in acceleration. The speed of the cobra was rediculous compaired to the 135i with jb3. But refinement of the 135i doesnt compair to the Cobra. 135i w/ jb3 ftw imho

[weathergrl]

Originally Posted by x97Melbourne

yeah, id be interested in seeing what insurance costs for each for a 22 yr old

My friend Chris is 23, owns a 02 Z06... and he pays only 10 dollars more a month than he did on his 03 WRX. Interesting. Insurance can be surprising.

[Redbeemer]

One thing to remember is that you will be buying either a Chevrolet or a BMW. So you will be living with the reliability of a domestic car or a German car. One reason many of us buy a BMW is because of the superior reliability as well as the superior customer service experience when having our cars serviced at a BMW dealer. The Chevy has a great engine/transmission but the rest of the car is no better than a Malibu or even a Cobalt. Every part in a135 is pretty much the same quality as that found in a 335 or even a 5 series. Little things like the switches can make abig difference in the way a car feels to operate. If you want any luxury in your car, the Corvette is not your car, it is still a Chevrolet and that brings some good things (engine) and some bad things (all the rest of the car). I do agree the Vette is a real bargain in a performance car, but I also believe the 135 is also a real bargain in a performance/luxury car.

[Matt60158]

To the OP, I am in a similar situation to you.

For what its worth I'm a 21, male, and I the quote I received for a new C6 is slightly lower vs the 135.

[Guibo]

Reading the opening post, it sounds like someone who should be cross-shopping a Z4 M Coupe vs Corvette, not the 135i. Have you tried the Z4 M Coupe yet?
The synthetic smell you sensed is probably the fiberglass (or SMC, if GM is using that now). Not too uncommon on composite-bodied cars. The complaint of Corvette seats isn't that they're uncomfortable; it's that they're woefully inadequate in support if you do serious work in twisties or on tracks. If you watch some of the roadtest reviews online, you can see the seat moving around quite visibly.

You might also want to try the C6 with MSRC. That would be an awesome bit of high-tech kit to have.

[Robert]

Two points I see vette owner arguing, maintenance cost and convenience. I don't know where they live but I have more than 5 BMW dealers within a 50 mile radius. And if GM survives this turmoil, probably will, they are fine but it if doesn't, think of the number of dealerships that will be out of market.

Then there's maintenance cost. I give them that, BMW is more expensive but compare to the overall cost of ownership. With GM constantly giving out mega deals on new cars, the depreciation on GM is magnitude greater than BMW. Who would buy a used GM car when a new one isn't much more. I haven't done the math but I would love to see a true cost comparison between the cars.

[Dr_Jones]

said to say but c6

gas will be cheap for a few years...swing away