So I'm thinking of buying a corvette but I'm unsure it would be a car I can drive everyday. My current everyday car is a 2015 Camry which I'll probably trade in since I can't justify having 3 cars and don't want to pay for insurance for 3 cars. I'd park the Vette in the winter and drive my Tundra. I'm recently semi retired and want to start enjoying my retirement. Just wondering if a Vette is a good candidate to be a commuter car. Looking to hear from current or former Vette owners.

Make sure to get a matching windbreaker and several gold neck chains... You'll soon understand.

Although I can't speak to more modern Vettes, I drove a Corvette (first a 1985 and then a 1990) as a daily driver for 9 years.

Never had any problems other than making sure I had decent tires for the winter.

From what I understand more modern Vettes are even better than what I had so I say "go for it"!

quote:

Originally posted by 21bubba:
Make sure to get a matching windbreaker and several gold neck chains... You'll soon understand.

and ignore these style comments

Since you have the tundra I think you will be fine. They actually get good gas mileage. Make sure you will be ok getting in and out on a regular basis. They sit really low for some folks taste.

simple answer is yes, but I guess it depends on your driving habits and where you live. but corvettes aren't and I don't think ever have been, finicky/dainty machines like euro sports cars. and their relatively low cost (for sportscars) doesn't make you squeal if they get dirty or even nicked.

tires are expensive, but the other maintenance is fairly standard, I think.

if the weather is really nasty or you might encounter some bumpy roads, you have the truck. and the vette will carry your golf clubs.

A Corvette may cost you as much for insurance as those other three cars. Have you checked? But otherwise, other than (probably) a lack of space for groceries, it might not make a terrible commuter car for a single person. They don't get bad gas mileage due to the transmission overdrives, aerodynamics and engine barely revving, if you can keep your lead foot under control.

I drove my 2003 Z06 for nearly 4 years as a daily driver and enjoyed everything but the snow. As was mentioned, tires will be expensive. Since you already have a winter vehicle, you'll be fine.

Not quite the same thing. But I daily drove a 911 Turbo Porshe for five years. This was when I was in my middle 40's.

I'm now in my middle 70's and retired. If I could afford it -- I'd still be driving a 911 Turbo (with a stick)!!

You'll never regret owing a high performance sports car. Just remember every thing wearing a Corvette badge isn't a true high performance vehicle.

You know what Rocky says: "Go for it."

Do it! I bought a C5 (2003) Corvette in 2006 and it was my only vehicle until Dec 2015. I have comfortably driven my Corvette on several +1000 mi. trips. I have also been running it at the race track (PIR) since 2011.
Nowadays, Corvettes have better quality, and more comfortable interiors. They are easily driven conservatively in the city. They are heart pounding excitement when driven aggressively.
Enjoy your retirement. A Corvette will allow you to do it with a HUGE grin.

Just do it!! I have owned a number of Corvettes over the years, and they do just fine as daily drivers, and you get to really enjoy them.

Run the insurance numbers with the Camry as primary and the vette as recreational.

One more comment to add, just DO NOT get a black Corvette.

My 1985 Vette was black and I was hit 4 times and run off the road as well. People just don't look, and even if they do, they don't see a low slung black car and especially so if your driving on a black asphalt road/highway.

It got to the point wherein I always drove with my full headlights on and my wife would no longer ride/drive the black Vette.

After the 4th accident, none of which were my fault, I got the candy apple red 1990 Vette. NEVER had a problem in that one!

As a retiree myself, part of my vehicle selection criteria involves ease of entry/exit. Some vehicles are so low to the ground it is near impossible to get in them, especially if you have a bad back, recent surgery, etc.

But if I could, I would own a sports car, just for the thrill of it. You only live once.

Dan

I've owned a bunch of Corvettes over the last 50 years. I drive something else in bad weather or when any place I plan to go is "iffy" as far as parking or safety. When my lovely wife and I go out for a meal, we only take the Vette when parking is spacious and usually visible. The gas mileage is great and the fun factor is always there but we are more careful with it than anything else we own. The 2007 Corvette convertible insurance is about half our Nissan Altima. I'm in my early 70's and I do notice that getting in and out of it is slightly more difficult than it was 40 years ago but still doable. Make sure to try this out before buying. I have friends 15 years younger that are having problems especially on exit.

I appreciate everyone's comments and they will go a long way in helping me make a decision. I've already checked insurance rates and if I keep the Camry my rates go up about a hundred bucks a month. I was considering a base model since it's what my budget can afford, the higher end models are about 10K or more out of my price range. How much money for a set of tires and how many miles do you get on a set of tires? I figure I can drive the Vette spring, summer and fall and drive the tundra once it gets cold. I think I'll be OK getting in and out since I'm still in pretty good shape. I'm also considering buying a boat if I don't get the Vette.

Don't buy a boat. That's the only sound financial advice I can give here.

You might consider a used Corvette as there are some smoking deals on low mileage models where the original buyer obviously took a real bath. Original equipment Goodyears (if that is what they still use) will run 20k to 30k miles and the last half of the tread will be noisy and rough. corvetteforum.com is a great website (not as great as here) with a lot of info. You will have to sort through the occasional testosterone but a a lot of the folks there really know what is going on. Our current Corvette is a 2007 convertible loaded which we bought, several years ago with 5k miles on it for $37000. New it was about $55000. The original owner paid about $4.00 per mile in depreciation. I'm glad it was him and not me. It would still probably bring $32k.

I wouldn't enjoy a Corvette as a daily driver, but I am too big to fit in one comfortably. Mostly I am too tall, but I also don't like getting my fat ass up from that close to the ground.