ALT-2 Is the Chevy Corvette Overrated
Corvette Overrated? I think so
When looking for a Sports car what is the most important thing to you? I would have to say performance, looks, and then last but not least price. With performance and looks being the number one thing on the sports car buyers mind. Is it weird that the number one bragging right of the corvette is price? And even then when shopping for cars do you shop for the most stripped down model you can find? 43,000 for a base price strip jobby doesn't sound like a bargain to me and 70,000 for the top of the line Z06 I would say is no longer in the price range of any normal hard working American. Instead of comparing the corvette to cars in it's price class why don't we compare it to the classes that the general person would find more important.
With Performance being the most important aspect we'll talk about that first.
Performance is more than a 0-60 or a quarter mile time. On a performance test by Car and Driver between the Corvette Z06, Porsche 911 turbo and Ferrari F430 can you guess where the corvette stacked up? It actually came in 3rd out of three, yes that is correct my die-hard American muscle heads, somebody actually tested it against cars in its class for once, and it caught a big whiff of defeat. Major complaints of the corvette are actually things that maybe a racecar driver wouldn't mind but as an average joe, I think I would mind. Quoted from Car and Driver "the brake-pedal feel isn't as good as the Ferrari's and Porsche's. The shifter is a bit crude and requires relatively high effort. The steering has plenty of weight but isn't very linear and lacks feel." You also have the constant struggle of over steer and under steer. There are also notes that at highway speed the "we didn't think it was as stable as the other cars here, the way the hood and mirrors flapped around was disconcerting, and the ride was choppy over broken pavement. Hit a bump in the middle of a corner, and you can become a passenger." With that being said does the corvette actually sound as amazing as everybody cracks it up to be? I didn't think so but lets jump on over to the second most important thing on our list. Looks
Looks has got to be the corvettes biggest fault of them all, it's absolutely something you cannot look past. The exterior has only had a couple good years and those were back with the stingray. When exactly did flip up headlights go out of style? Right around 1993 with the ford probe. This cheap looking design didn't get taken out until just recently with the corvette. At least the front end has a little bit of styling as the rear end has always been frumpy and bulky looking, compared to the interior though the exterior is a perfect 10. Climbing into a corvette is comparable to nothing other than a porta -potty the cockpit is constructed entirely of cheap plastics and styling cues found from a 1993 camaro. Not to mention seats that have been taken strait from my childhood go-cart.
When looking for a sports car what matters most? Saving a dime or getting a true sports car? You get what you pay for, if you want a poorly built porta potty with a V-8 strapped to it, I'd say go ahead and buy a corvette, but if you are looking for something with power, as well as looks, and performance, you are much better getting anything else in it's class. Sports cars are not for everybody especially penny pinchers. There are many places in life that are good places to save a buck; your status symbol isn't one of them.
