mrtgman

What do you guys think? I have never really been a Vette fan but man that 05 looks sweet! Nice redesign and with 400hp it's gotta fly! Any corvette owners or previous owners have any input to share?

Teh Jatt

both cars are in different league, ur thread should be like this, "i can't decide between S2000/NSX or 05 Corvette.....

I really dont know what else to say.

Good Luck.

pimpravi

vettteeeee anyday

EmuMessenger

Funny, I am trying to decide between the 911 Turbo and the Q45.

Help please!

carcar

This is kind of odd. Why WOULDN'T you get the Vette if you can afford one??!?!?!!?!? It's not just in another league, but in another UNIVERSE!!!!!

Umm....Family sport sedan or 4.2 second 0-60 supercar...

Unless you need a sedan, the Vette is obviously the only car you should be getting.

carcar

lstepnio

I say this guy is a troll.

GaleForce

If you want a sports car, vette. If you want a sedan with sport/luxury, then I guess the TL, but for the price of a vette there are other sporty/luxury sedans I would look at.

decky243

This has to be a joke

Liquid _Courage

Actually, I would get a Cessna or a Beechcraft. Now those really fly!

svtmike

You should go with an M5. Get both cars rolled into one.

Mike

mio

winter is coming... go get a SUV...

mrtgman

I thought this was a nice forum. I was just expressing a legitimit concern-question. I love the TL! Took one on a 3 day test drive in July until I found out the dealer was trying to rip me off. I don't understand why you would think this is a joke. And no I am not a troll!

P.S. I live in S. Fla so I really do not need an SUV for winter. I currently have a Mercedes ML 320 and think it is a POS! Previous owned a 2001 C240. POS! I was just looking for opinions on the Vette from an unbiased source such as yourselves. Most of the 2003 vettes I have driven have been really lound inside and very uncomfortable.

jjsC5

I have a TL as my "driver" and I have a 2003 Corvette convertible. I also have a 2005 Corvette convertible on order.

I think you should get the TL. Why? Because of your last comment above. You think the 2003 you drove was uncomfortable and loud. I love driving my Corvette and think it's extremely comfortable. I don't think it's overly loud either. Yes, it's louder than a TL - but I think your comment indicates that you aren't willing to make compromises for the fact that it is first and foremost a sports car and will never be a luxury car. And that is what your comment tells me you are looking for.

JetJock

You gotta be kidding, a Global Express or G-5 is the "only" way to FLY!!
Cessna and Beechcraft airplanes are like a "Yugo" compared to the big league guys.
How about NYC to Tokyo nonstop in a Global? Can't do that in a Cessna or Beech!!

JetJock

Look closely at a Corvette, yes it might be fast and handle, but where is the quality? I've owned one in the past, and it really lacked in basic quality. It had outrageous rattles, poor fit and finish, and the quality of the interior was typically GM, not anywhere in the league of high end sports cars. If the car sold for $40,000 or less, I'd say the quality was OK for the price, but lately Corvettes cost almost as much as BMW's and Porsche....I'd pass unless I just wanted performance and could overlook the quality...and the rattles. My "Vette" was a rattle box on wheels.

sleeks

If I had vette money, I'd get a BMW M3 SMG.

If you want HP, two seats, rear wheel drive, superior handling, get the vette.

If you want four seats, better quality and better fit and finish, get the TL. Its also at least $10K cheaper than a vette last time I looked.

PossibleTL

Hey Mrtgman... this is not a legitimate question. I'm not even a new TL owner (YET)!! But come on man you gotta be jokin... 400HP compared to 270HP. True Sports car vs. Luxury...

I feel like one of the other guys up here... if you don't need a sedan then it should be no negotiating going on. DEFINITELY THE VETTE MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kbuicker

Right, apples to carrots. Maybe you should think vette vs similar.. and Acura vs Infiniti vs Lexus etc.

oliverd

The new vette's exterior design is sweet (front end looks like a ferrari modena). The interior is a bit better then previous models, nothing special though. Definitely the VETTE.. plus 400hp...

O

wheelsetc

My new TL has spoiled me. I like it so much, I have lost interest in driving my vintage Corvette (1967). A new 2005 Corvette would be another matter but the TL and a new Corvette are worlds apart. The TL is quick yet comfortable while the new Corvette is fast but a little cramped. If I had to choose, I would go with the TL and bank the cash difference. I live in South Florida too (Tequesta) and unloaded my SUV (Grand Cherokee Limited) for the TL. Before two new SUV's, I drove a Legend and loved it.

nonstop

For a primary car, anywhere where it snows or has the chance to snow, do not get a vette. They're bad, down right scary in the snow even with fresh tires and their psuedo traction control system. I see you're in Florida, I'd take the vette.

Jim123

You are comparing apples and oranges and I'm not even talking about sports car vs. luxury sedan, I'm talking about the price. MSRP on a non-navi 04 TL is ~$33K and you can get a good deal right now with the 2005s coming out soon. MSRP on the base 2005 vette is ~$44K and there is very little dealing going on since they are new. Plus, you can't even get a base model yet because they are only building them with the 1SB equipment group right now so add on another $4K if you want to get one soon.

Bobzmcishl

I have owned two vettes, the 78 Pace Car and 89 convertible; the 78 was a POC, but the 89 was a great car. I would love to have a new vette but spouse wanted a four door so I went with TL. Corvettes are special cars with huge amounts of torque and a blast to drive. The TL though is a much higher quality car and much more practical. You really can't compare the two. The car mags seem to think the O5vette is a bargain compared to Porsche,Viper, etc. What is nice about vettes is the fellowship among vette owners both old and new vettes. I haven't seen that with many other cars.

meathead

dude, what are you even talking about? if you've got the money, get the vette.

UNCTYPE-S

omg the vette, especially the weather u live in.

Liquid _Courage

Dude...nevermind.



Anyways....
mrtgman, like everyone has already mentioned, those two cars are in completely different classes. Basically, you need to think what you're going to use the car for. Will it be your primary vehicle? Do you anticipate many passengers? Do you have long commutes? Most important, are you single or married? These are just a few, but I hope it helps.

ndabunka

Loud? YES, uncomfortable ride? YES! For crying out loud, IT'S A SPORTS CAR, not a luxury vehicle. I've had both and both are good. Be a little clearer on what you are looking for out of a car. Souds like money is not the issue with you. If that is the case, have you tried the new E55? Sounds like your other Merc's have been POS (though we don't know why from your post). The E55 is essentially a TL sedan with the performance of the new vette (0-60 in 4.2). If money was truely not an issue, I would have the E55 myself (still miss my 01 CLK55)...

ndabunka

Yea, why would you want the nice throaty sound of 400HP V8 when you could have the high-pitched girly winning of a 6-cyl running at marginal tolerance levels. More of those M3 have blown up than you would care to even know about.

seamg

Dude, I love my 6MT TL, but the '05 Vette is awsome. But we are talking apples and oranges here.

jjsC5

I'm guessing yours was a C4 (or earlier). I have now owned two C5's, and they are pretty solid - no rattles/squeaks at all. Also, they are nowhere near as expensive as a Porsche (unless you are comparing the base Boxter - and there is no comparison in performance).

WRG

I've owned 2 C-5 vettes, a red hardtop, and a fully loaded black coupe..they are super fast, had my 6-sp to 168 mph with room on the pedal and backed off...but, they are not without problems, my black coupe was in the shop 7 times, 3 of which were the steering column lock activates, and at that point you are not going anywhere. The last time was in a post office parking lot and because it was in the middle of the lot, it caused a fender bender and they tried to blame me The car has to be flat-bedded to the dealer. The reason this hits home today is I stopped by office depot today at lunch and lo an behold...my brother-in-laws 03 coupe was stuck in the middle of the parking lot with GO FIGURE...the steering colum lock activate Lucky for him my sister was having her hair done and their Jag was there, so at least he had a ride home
Don't get me wrong, Vettes are nice, I think that you have to at least own one once....or twice...but, they are not without their problems either Oh...and wait till you have to replace those run flats...$1400. The compound is extremely soft, mine needed replacing at 12k miles. No rotation, 17's in front and 18's in the rear!

mrtgman

Interesting That No One Has Mentioned The Stereotypes About Vette Drivers. Ya Know, Mid Life Crisis,balding, Etc... I Realize That These Are 2 Completely Differant Cars But I Guess It Will Come Down Down To Leasing Numbers. I Would Guess That The Vette Sales Guys Will Try To Play Games Based On The New Style Etc. So They Probably Won't Lease Well. Anyway I Did Not Like My C240 Because It Felt Very Cheap And Cramped Inside. The Ml320 That I Currently Have Is Very Basic, No Thrills, Boring!

dcarlinf1

That stereotype is bullshit. What really happens is that by the time you can afford a vette (most people anyway) you are middle-aged. Only women believe that stereotype bullshit.

Monte TLS,MAX

Very different choice of cars, but I say Vette especially if you arent hauling kids around.

WRG

Mrtgman, I couldn't agree more with dcarlinf1 abouth the stereotypical bullsh*t. I am in the over-the-hill croud, and slightly thin on top, but after 15 yrs of martial arts trainning and a certified instructor in Tae Kwon Do, a 2-honor society student at FIU with honors, I'd hardly call the average vette owner "stereotype"...I for one, have probably owned more vehicles than you will own in your lifetime. If I'm stereotype, at least have the common sense to learn from my mistakes, I'm ahead of you in the human timeline

Xpditor

Wax on; wax off

(couldn't resist)
XP

WRG

Veeweyyee Goooood My Little Grasshopper

Flanagan

IMO the TL is a world-class car. It has shown that it can hang with the big guys in its class (BMW, M-B, Jag, Audi, etc) in spite of its FWD layout. The Corvette, on the ther hand, is a joke everywhere but America. Sure, we live in America, so who cares, right? Well, it does give some insight into what other cultures look for in a car, and I tend to agree with them more than most Americans. Generally (warning: umbrella statement ) Americans look for a car that is "nice" or "fast" or "cool looking", rather than the things that really matter when driving: good combination of ride/handling, ergonomics, overall quality, value for money, etc. Power is give and take. It's nice to know that you can smoke the guy sitting next to you at the light, but power is also relative. Someone who has never driven a car with more than 200 hp will think the TL is extremely fast. Someone who is used to driving a fully built Supra will think that a Corvette is slow, so I'll not discuss the power differences here. That said, let's compare the two vehicles in question along these that matter most (to me ) :

The Corvette is damped like a brick and understeers until you punch the throttle, at which point the tail will start to come around. It loves going straight, not so happy in the corners. The TL is damped comfortably, and remains mostly neutral, shading towards understeer. Sure, it doesn't have the absolute handling limit of the Corvette, but that is mostly due to contact patch.

Corvette ergonomics are horrendous. It feels backwards to me. Nothing is where I would like it, and some things are difficult to reach or work (switches obscured by steering wheels and shift lever, etc). The TL does have its ergonomic foibles, but it is sound for the most part.

As for quality, it's no comparison. The Corvette has panel gaps you can see from across a parking lot and interior plastics that resemble the texture and feel of coal. The interior is wholly depressing with all its hide-of-the-wild-naugabeast dark gray matter sucking up all the happy. For '05, they painted a few things silver, but kept all the 1/2" seams and naugahide tetures. The TL uses modern quality soft-touch plastics which are pattern matched to the leather and real aluminum trim (though it's too thin). Plus it's made by Honda, so barring the few squeaky cogs on this site, will work reliably and unremarkably for the duration.

As far as value for money, with the Corvette you are paying for a name and a reputation that exists in America only. For the same money, you can buy an M3 or a used M5, an Audi S4, or a Jag S-type R, all of which have near the power of the Corvette plus damn near the comfort and generally better handling than that of the TL. They are all overall superior cars ot the Corvette.
With the TL, you are paying for componentry and quality. For the same money, you can buy a BMW 325i with few options, an Audi A4 1.8t with options or 3.0 with nothing, a Jag X-type, a Subaru WRX STi, etc, all of which are overall inferior cars to the TL.

Phew.

PS I don't own either car, I drive a '98 2.3CL, so either would be an upgrade for me!

missmyprelude

hahaha. The only Vette owner I know is my uncle. Bald as an eagle, and a bit past middle aged. It makes sense. Not many people younger can afford one, women don't typically want them, and a lot of old guys lose their hair. So what?!

missmyprelude

About the Vette...

I hope you were just kidding...