My co-worker is looking to fulfill a bucket list item and buy a 450+ hp sports car. He’s narrowed it down to two, and there’s no other options he will consider. He intends to keep the vehicle for as long as possible, it will be a weekend toy, and he anticipates putting very little additional mileage on it (maybe no more than 2,000 miles a year max on it). That being said, which would you recommend? Realize, there is almost a $40,000 price difference.
1.) 2019 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport (last model year of that generation): 6.2L naturally aspirated V8 engine (LT1) with 7-speed manual transmission; 15,000-16,000 miles; ~$69,000 (dealer)
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2.) order brand new 2023 Lexus LC500 (6th model year in this generation): 5.0L naturally aspirated V8 engine with 10-speed automatic transmission: Price $105,000
Also adding @Dan to discussion
He went with the 2019 Corvette Grand Sport (7-speed manual), managed a private sale at least (vs dealer).
Well, after all of that discussion I am curious to know what was his reasoning for choosing the Vette?
@avalon04 He’s always wanted a Vette whereas the LC500 is something new that came out only 4 years ago. Plus he saves almost $40,000 upfront and he doesn’t think he will have $40,000 in repairs to even the gap between both vehicles.
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Then he just likes the presence and performance abilities of the Vette. It fit him better than the LC.
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Finally, he told me life is short: get what you want.
The Lexus if he can afford it.
In the future, in my opinion, that Lexus appreciates its value.
This will be a bucket list item and dream car, so he is willing to pay $105,000 for the Lexus. I’m leaning Lexus even though I am a Corvette guy at heart (for sports cars).
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Plus he won’t have to worry about electrical gremlins or random GM issues. The Lexus, to me, here is piece of mind. It also is super rare on the road and has quite a presence. I think it will retain its value well in the future.
Only a small number of V8 Lexus engine will be available in the future and having that engine in a car like LC500 is a perfect combination which I think it turns that car to a collectible not too far from now.
is he going to race it?
He is an older gentlemen and will be cruising it around town, driving it in the backcountry, but not driving it hard or racing it.
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He just wants one of them but does not intend to come anywhere near its full potential.
OK so performance numbers won't matter much to him.
And since he won't drive it much, the mechanicals or longevity aren't going to play a huge part either.
It sounds like he just wants to enjoy the look and feel of a sports car for casual driving, and there's no objective answer for that.
He should get whatever he personally prefers, or catches his eye, or has features he likes. He should test drive both a bunch and see whatever suits him more.
They're both going to be expensive to maintain. They probably both take premium fuel.
One is a classic American muscle car, the other is a Japanese luxury coupe.
If I was elderly and retired, I would probably appreciate the luxury and comfort more.
I would also look into availability. Can you even buy either one right now, or is there a long wait?
“I would also look into availability. Can you even buy either one right now, or is there a long wait?”
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Not sure what the wait time is for LC500, it’s not hugely popular. They make <2,000 a year for the US market.
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The 2019 Corvette Grand Sport is highly sought after so hard to find one with the right options (color, package, manual transmission especially, decent mileage, etc.)
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I guess it would be easier to order an LC500 once he can find a dealer with allocation and willing to sell for MSRP than to find the “right” Corvette.
Since it seems that everything made by Chevrolet lately has been crap, I'd go with the Lexus.
The only thing is there is a $40,000 price difference. I wonder if the Corvette will need $40,000 in repairs over its life given how he intends to use it.
Wouldn't surprise me based on their poor quality.
He is an older gentlemen and will be cruising it around town, driving it in the backcountry, but not driving it hard or racing it.
A bucket list item is usually something that’s bought heart over mind. Plus, the planned usage means the car might not even get to 50,000 miles, so maintenance should not be a limiting factor.
Which one does he like better?
@mmj makes a good point about ride quality for an older person. He’d hate something which takes away the physical pleasure of driving it, especially after paying $$$ for a toy.
From your post, it seems to me like he wants the Lexus, but is having second thoughts because of that price tag. If that is the case, then I recommend he buys it, because like the others have said, it may well be a collector’s item in future.
If, however, he likes both options equally, then go with the one which he (and his partner) enjoys more.
All the best & congratulations!
2019 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
It's not a bad car at all, the engines are somewhat solid (not as solid as a Toyota, but not terrible)
And the 8 speed Chevrolet may not be that great, but at least it's common (according to the internet, 2019-up models' only issues are related to not frequent enough ATF replacements)
brand new 2023 Lexus LC500
It seems to be an excellent car, it has some weird things about it like Atkinson-cycle engine and a brand new 10 speed automatic - but so far I can't find any real complaints / reliability issues with it.
The price difference is the price of a brand new 300hp Avalon V6
If he can justify it for the added luxury, it might be a good deal.
Both these cars are quite good, it really depends on the owner's preferences.
My co-worker was looking at the 7-speed manual Corvette, which makes it even better than the 8-speed auto.
https://www.stingrayforums.com/threads/manual-7-speed-shifting-issues-survey.54033/
There seems to be an issue with the manual, I see people claiming that the 1-2 shift is troublesome.
Together with some other issues I found on Youtube
https://youtu.be/b0zjNTzanBk
I think that the 8 speed might be better, people are going to know how to fix it when it brakes...
Some people claim that different fluid makes it shift better
https://canadiancorvetteforums.com/threads/c7-m7-shifting-went-from-clunky-notchy-to-butter-smooth.51606/
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I'm unsure how common it is, I hope it isn't but I just do not know.
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GM are the only company in the world that consistently makes bad manual transmissions, reminds me of the GM M32 transmission 'fiasco'.
We live in the age of terrible cars, nothing is built right anymore...
It’s a Tremec transmission I thought, so not even their own.
You are correct, it's built by Termec.
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GM, generally doesn't build their own manuals - they find the worst one to buy, I'm 90% sure that's intentional.
(for example the GM M32 is from Getrag - known for "great" products such as the PowerShift and the M-82)
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Good news is that GM has finally decided to dump Termec probably because of QC issues on the new corvette "GM Authority claims that GM will be taking over production of the DCT transmission from current manufacturer Tremec"
"Consumer Reports names the 2022 Corvette as one of the top 10 least reliable cars with a reliability score of just 13 out of 100."
Doesnt sound very promising. The LC stands on the polar opposite end of the spectrum. I'm no car expert but it doesn't even seem like a debate
The 2022 is a C8 - and the question is about the generation before that, the C7.
The C8 is an unreliable car that's also ruined by cost cutting and a dual clutch transmission, the C7 was better.
Consumer Reports is not a reliable source of information, IMO.
To make matters worse, their ratings consistently change. One year the model is “recommended” or “above average reliability”, the next year it is not recommended or “amongst the worst” for reliability. And they never break down exactly what the issues are. Really worthless.
I agree,
Consumer reports are guessing and often they are completely wrong.
They don't seem to be corrupt (unlike others), but they're definitely not a reliable source.