[Punchy]

Hi all,
Been a frequent visitor to other forums out there and was wondering are there any converts who have jumped from C5 and C6 Corvettes to the new LS2 GTO ????? I love the Vette but I`ll be darned if the price isn`t getting a bit much for an average working guy. I almost like the idea of carrying a bit more stuff with me that the GTO would afford me.Any opinions good or bad are welcome.
Thanks
Mike

 

[Vader953]

Mike,

I'm a Vette guy, but am lucky enough to own both. I'm a member of the local Corvette club, and I can honestly say the GTO is ALMOST as much fun to drive as the Vette. The GTO has much better build quality, and it puts a smile on my face every morning I get up to work to drive in it.

Taylor

 

[Punchy]

Can`t afford both although I`d love to, say the build quality is better and as much fun to drive...........hmmmm.Now I need to find an Impulse Blue/Blue auto in the Carolina`s

 

[GM Kid]

Punchy--

I traded my '01 six-speed, Z51 Corvette in on my '05 six-speed Impulse Blue GTO. I'm here to tell you that in your daily driving, don't be surprised if you find yourself enjoying the GTO more.

A Vette--glorious as it is--is such a purpose-built car. The trouble is that you're forever underutilizing it. Using a $50,000 sports car to do nothing more than beat everyone from stoplight to stoplight on your commute seems kinda silly. I was never in a club and never raced my Corvette, so maybe I'm the wrong guy to ask, but I suspect I was like 90 percent of other Vette owners.

If you want all the speed and power you'll ever need in a package that enables you to take your friends, family and co-workers along with you, the GTO is a mighty fine way to go. Just this morning, when I found myself first in line at a green light and ripped my way up through the gears, leaving everyone else waaay behind, I marveled yet again that GM put the staggering LS2 in a car costing only $30k. A miracle, if you ask me, and I'm happy to be the beneficiary.

 

[Buffalo]

I have had several C5's in the past and enjoyed them very much. The last one I owned, a 2001 Speedway White convertible, suffered a flat tire in the rear from a piece of road debris. The run flats performed as stated and I ended up driving home (90 miles) on a totally flat tire at 60 mph. I live in the boonies and the feeling I initially had when I got the flat tire was a little unnerving. The tires had 23,000 miles on them and I decided to replace all four rather than just the rear two. After that bill, I decided to buy something with a spare tire and more room.

The GTO filled the bill and the exhaust note for a stock car is one of the best I have ever heard. It sounds better than the stock exhaust on a C5. I also like the fact that you don't see yourself coming and going on the road and have a certain amount of anonymity.

Randy

 

[diverdan]

I still have my 02 Z06 and don't plan to get rid of it; I managed to justify (to myself) that a GTO would be practical to own as a DD and got a great deal on an 04.
The GTO definately has a higher quality interior and appears to have a better build quality. The Z06 is more fun to drive, but, hey, thats all its designed to do. The GTO is also fun to drive, and fast, but can carry 4 people and some luggage.

If you stripped off the Pontiac and GTO emblems (and the spoiler) you could pass this car off as a european sports coupe. I say this as a testiment to the quality and styling of the car; I'm not especially a europhile but they do make many excellent cars.

If you did want a vette, there are some great deals on C5s now and I know at least one guy that uses his Z06 as a daily driver.

 

[75coug]

I still have my 2000 C5, and have no plans of every getting rid of it. The Corvette has always been my weekend toy. The GTO works very nicely as a daily driver.

 

[fergyflyer]

I bought a used 02 Z06 in early January. I loved the power and the ride was equal to the GTO in most cases. The Z06 corners so hard it makes your ears bleed. I got 19 around town and 27 highway versus 16 city and 22 highway for the GTO. My Z was a daily driver.
My Z06 was not typical of the breed, it had massive electrical problems. There are some issues with the battery leaking onto the computer and I think my car may have suffered that, or a minor accident on the right side that spiked the electrical and computer system.
That is why I'm driving a GTO.
The Vette is a very practical car as a dd. It had a large trunk, the interior was spacious, the seats were comfortable, and the fit and finish was good. It always got attention, people on the interstate wave at you, people at gas stations tell you nice car and then proceed to tell you about their friends Corvette etc.... Major downfalls are no backseat, no spare (no runflats in the Z06) if it looks like it might scrape it does, set of four tires costs $1700.00, brakes are $175.00 if you do them yourself. High insurance, no one will race you, and if they do you probably don't want to run them, you have to look up at the guy in the Miata next to you, and you look under most four-wheel drive trucks.
I could have bought another C5, but for the money, as a dd, you are ahead with the GTO. If it is a second car and going to be used as a toy, Vette.

 

[toolman]

It was no question for me, I want a car that goes fast but need spacious seeting for my wife and my son. A vette is something that I would have gotten had I been single or not a parent.