Just read the Used Buyers Guide of Consumer Reports ; they say the 2005 Vette is not a good used car to get . They give the electrical system and power accessories for a 2005 a total black mark. If you have a 2005 , what troubles have you had with yours ?
Mine's been robust. No issues at all with power accessories or electrical system after 8 months and 15,700 miles. Worst issue has been a light rattle behind one armrest.
Just a note on perspective and CR's statictical methods.
First please note that CR's reliability ratings are normed, meaning that they are relative to other cars of the same model year. With that rating method, you can't accurately compare different years.
Next look at the chart at the bottom of
The upshot is that a 2005 rated as relatively trouble-prone is still probably much more trouble-free than a better-rated car from an older year.
Keep this in mind when you review their ratings of the Corvette. Even if its more trouble-prone than other 2005 cars - and I personally think their sample is probably to osmall to be very meaningful yet - it's still a pertty trouble-free car compared to what we were seeing even a few years ago.
For those of you without CR subscriptions, they rate the '05's reliability:
Engine ................... Excellent Cooling .................. Excellent Transmission ............. Excellent Drive System ............. Average Fuel ..................... Average Ignition ................. Excellent Electrical ............... Poor A/C ...................... Very good Suspension ............... Very good Brakes ................... Excellent Exhaust .................. Excellent Paint/trim/rust .......... Very good Body integrity ........... Average Power equipment .......... Poor Body hardware ............ Average
Overall .................. Poor
YMMV but for me this does not compute.
-- V (shutting up now)
They show 15 items..only 2 are poor ..how in heck do they then rate the overall rating as poor...????
The only serious problems I have with mine is the poor quality of the interior..rattles.bad fitting trim cheap stuff...hell my 1996 Cougar has a more solid sturdy better fitting interior...for what I paid for the Vette I expected better quality...but then again from the several Vettes I have owned I should have known better...you never learn.
On or about Sun, 15 Jan 2006 05:10:43 GMT, "grayfox" wrote or did cause to be written:
And that's why CR's ratings can't really be used to make absolute comparisons between different models.. If you buy a Kia and there is a minor problem with the paint, when CR asks, you probably won't mention it. When you pay as much as you do for a Corvette (or any other exotic) you expect it to be perfect. I totally ignore problems with my Pontiac that I would never tolerate in a Corvette.
The best you can make of the CR ratings is that they do tend to show buyer satisfaction compared to buyer expectations. If you buy a Kia you don't expect much so you might be pleasantly surprised. If you buy a Corvette you expect far more and might be disappointed in some areas. But neither of these measures absolute reliability.
This question is a FAQ of CR readers and is answered page 194 of the
2005 buying guide. I find it hard to defend so, if you're curious, read it there. Probably of value for someone comparing used small or mid-sized sedans that were in volume production.These 'reliability' reports are based on annual reader reports of repairs by system. Replacement of a turn signal relay can count the same as a major circuit breaker or alternator. The system doesn't consider potential impact or severity of the problem.
Owners typically remember and report out-of-pocket repairs versus what's handled as 'free service' by the dealer. Thus, a 'prepaid' service car like a BMW, Hyundai or Infiniti (free wear-item replacement) may come off looking more 'reliable' than will a 'bumper-to-bumper' car like a Mustang or Corvette.
Many recalls initiated by manufacturers don't make their way into the CR ratings even though they will impact on system reliability. I had a
3.8L V6 recalled for a 'possible' seal failure. Sure enough, coolant was leaking into the air intake system. The way this 'recall' was administratively handled by GM resulted in it not being reportable to Consumer Reports even through the car was out of service for two days while it was fixed; and, had it not been corrected would have triggered some major repairs. (The point being that the direct mail recall did work!)V's note on 'norms' between brands shows up in brake 'reliability' of used Corvettes in Consumer Reports 2005 Buying Guide. The report shows poor brake reliability in '98 & '99. Between '00 and '02, brake 'reliability' steadily improved and was finally great in '03. I think we're seeing driver reports of having to replace brake pads more often than in their family sedans. As a result, early C5s show up as having 'unreliable' brakes. My '02 will be getting new brake pads in the next few weeks. Reporting that to CR on the annual survey will be one more 'reliability hit' on Corvette brakes.
I've read CR auto reports since 1949. Over those years I've seen their bias change and sometimes do a '180.' Example: In the '50s CR regularly criticized GM for their failure to integrate system controls like lights and windshield wipers into the steering column stalks (a la European cars of that vintage.) More recently, CR has taken on GM for its 'confusing' integration of controls into multipurpose steering column stalks. This doesn't make the reports bad -- just human.
Important thing is to not take these reports as being a 'rock.' They are comparative. In those systems that receive comparative use, they may be of value. Where the systems are not comparable to those in a family sedan or SUV, it's probably better to look elsewhere.
If that's so, I would say that a discerning buyer would apply the same standard to a Honda S2000 -- which is very highly rated.
My C6(auto) coupe is one year old next month. The garage door opener didn't work from day one. They fixed it by replacing the unit. The gas gauge fails about once a week and tells me to service fuel system. I'm waiting for awhile for them to design a more reliable replacement. The driver's door groans and squeaks when going slowly over large dips and bumps at an angle. It gets 15mpg around town. It's alot better and has fewer problems than my
87(stick) coupe was. I still love it and would do it all over again.
Was it rated by Corvette owner or CR employees who wish they had one?
They rated my Toyota Sienna Minivan (yes I also own a 2006 C6) as best buy - well it was at the dealer 5 times for major things. Dash going out, moon roof rattle, etc. So I dunno. Consumer reports also rated a bunch of washers that I bought and they ended up dead in 1 year - same with my GE stove - the computer on the over controller went out. All rated high.
Not sure who to trust any more. I go to epinions.com a lot - where real people rate it. Also, check out the vette ratings at edmunds.com - its like
9.6 out of 10 - and real people rate it.Also - check out
I am used to good quality vehicles, and I believe the Vette to be the best made American car and probably in top 10 of reliability. I would not just pull that out of my ass- i owned Lexus and toyota line for over 10 years now.
On Sun, 15 Jan 2006 16:36:46 -0500, "TWW" puked:
An S2000 is ten grand cheaper than a Vette...
-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?
I have a 2005 Corvette that was delivered last March. I have almost
10,000 miles on it to date. I haven't experienced any problems at all. It's the best car I've ever owned. I'd buy the same thing again without hesitation.Cheers,
Leonard
I would think that a buyer of the S 2000 would be as discerning as a Corvette buyer despite the price. But, maybe the original poster is right. And, given the price of Corvettes as I have seen them at the local Chevy dealers, the S2000 at $33k or so is about 20-25k less expensive.
On Thu, 19 Jan 2006 19:28:03 -0600, Bob I puked:
Oh, come on. They're a little more than that. I drove one and it was a pretty fun little car. My neighbor had one he raced until he totaled it...
-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?
'I have a 2005 Corvette that was delivered last March. I have almost
10,000 miles on it to date. I haven't experienced any problems at all. It's the best car I've ever owned. I'd buy the same thing again without hesitation. Cheers, Leonard'REPLY: Len, In your opinion, did they cheapen the interior at all ? Ive heard some bad reports on this for your year. Also, how is the general overall fit'n'finish of panels, etc.. ? Finally, is there anything you wish they had done differently ? Thanks. Dave
On Tue, 24 Jan 2006 20:20:44 -0600, Bob I puked:
No question. I have never driven an NSX, but the S2000 is nothing like a Vette. A fun car, I considered buying one, but couldn't get over the hurdle of saying I own a Honda...
-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?
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