My Chevrolet Decision (READ IT ALL BEFORE VOTING)

[The_Blur]

I am a college student who will graduate in December 2008. I am seeking employment right now, and I drive a car that I did not choose. I will not get specific on this point.

My 2 dream cars are the Camaro and the Corvette. I love them both. The Corvette is a symbol of performance and prestige, and the Camaro is a legend with functional aspects. They are both glorious machines.

In this catastrophic economic period, I am having a terrible time finding employment with a company that promises any level of upward mobility, job security, or relation to areas that I have experience. It is becoming apparent that I will have to broaden my employment options even further than I already have. I have sent out hundreds of applications and interviewed multiple times in person. If you know an employer between Topeka and Kansas City, please contact me. I'll owe you.

In any case, my Camaro SS will be trimmed of features to make it affordable. I like cloth and stripped cars that are made for performance. An older Corvette may not be as fresh or new as a new Camaro, but it will be classic, perform, and turn heads.

Assuming that I don't land a job that earns me what would be necessary to get a Camaro before 2012, should I continue waiting until I can someday get a $30k Camaro, or should I take possession of a slightly used Corvette at a price around $20k after I can afford it?

As a disclaimer, I want to point out that my savings goals are very high. I expect to eat carefully, go out minimally, and work hard. Within reason, I could save a lot of money. I have a lot of ambition when it comes to work, and I've always outperformed my job expectations. My primary concern is that I won't be able to find a job that pays well within a year of graduation, hindering my ability to get a fifth generation Camaro at all. I love this car, and I won't leave this community either way. I just want to get feedback on the possibility of getting something used instead of something new.

[Camaro_Corvette]

What year of Vette are you planning to get, or generation?

[SS4EVER]

The Corvette is my favorite car by far. Now if you're thinking of buying a 20k used vette you'll probably be looking into used C5's with high miles on them. Look into the 25k-27k range and you could find a pretty nice C5 ZO6 with lower miles.

I'd take a C5 ZO6 over a 5th gen Camaro SS in a heart beat....

But I'd personally would rather have a Camaro SS over a regular C5 Corvette.

[The_Blur]

I'm considering a C4 or C5 Corvette, hopefully a Z06, based on price and miles. It has to have low miles for me to consider it at all. There are enough Corvettes out there for me to be somewhat selective.

I'm willing to raise the bar on price for a C5 Z06, as recommended.

[NAHURRY]

Originally Posted by The_Blur

I am a college student who will graduate in December 2008. I am seeking employment right now, and I drive a car that I did not choose. I will not get specific on this point.

My 2 dream cars are the Camaro and the Corvette. I love them both. The Corvette is a symbol of performance and prestige, and the Camaro is a legend with functional aspects. They are both glorious machines.

In this catastrophic economic period, I am having a terrible time finding employment with a company that promises any level of upward mobility, job security, or relation to areas that I have experience. It is becoming apparent that I will have to broaden my employment options even further than I already have. I have sent out hundreds of applications and interviewed multiple times in person. If you know an employer between Topeka and Kansas City, please contact me. I'll owe you.

In any case, my Camaro SS will be trimmed of features to make it affordable. I like cloth and stripped cars that are made for performance. An older Corvette may not be as fresh or new as a new Camaro, but it will be classic, perform, and turn heads.

Assuming that I don't land a job that earns me what would be necessary to get a Camaro before 2012, should I continue waiting until I can someday get a $30k Camaro, or should I take possession of a slightly used Corvette at a price around $20k after I can afford it?

As a disclaimer, I want to point out that my savings goals are very high. I expect to eat carefully, go out minimally, and work hard. Within reason, I could save a lot of money. I have a lot of ambition when it comes to work, and I've always outperformed my job expectations. My primary concern is that I won't be able to find a job that pays well within a year of graduation, hindering my ability to get a fifth generation Camaro at all. I love this car, and I won't leave this community either way. I just want to get feedback on the possibility of getting something used instead of something new.

if I were you, I would wait on both ,get something dependable+economical till you get out of school, dont make the same mistakes I made, they will still be here.Save your money. imo.

[SS4EVER]

Is this going to be a daily driver or a 2nd car?

[The_Blur]

Originally Posted by in a hurry

if I were you, I would wait on both ,get something dependable+economical till you get out of school, dont make the same mistakes I made, they will still be here.Save your money. imo.

I'll be out of school in 3 weeks. My current car has over 100k miles on it, but the new motor is only over 30k miles, so it will last a while. I may not sell it when I get my next car because it handles tough weather so well. I will be saving my money religiously after school. One of my friends bought a Boxster. It has turned out to be a mistake. I will be saving close to the value of whatever I buy plus a few months of rent in order to consider buying. It could be a couple of years before I pull the trigger.

Originally Posted by SS4EVER

Is this going to be a daily driver or a 2nd car?

This car will probably be a daily driver. I tend to treat my cars very well, and I don't have the resources to have a weekend driver.

[NAHURRY]

Originally Posted by The_Blur

I'll be out of school in 3 weeks. My current car has over 100k miles on it, but the new motor is only over 30k miles, so it will last a while. I may not sell it when I get my next car because it handles tough weather so well. I will be saving my money religiously after school. One of my friends bought a Boxster. It has turned out to be a mistake. I will be saving close to the value of whatever I buy plus a few months of rent in order to consider buying. It could be a couple of years before I pull the trigger.



This car will probably be a daily driver. I tend to treat my cars very well, and I don't have the resources to have a weekend driver.

sounds like you got a good head on your shoulder.
either car you choose will be a winner,if your going to wait a year or so I would get the Camaro.theres know telling what kind of upgrades will be available then

[Jamestwilliams]

If you're willing to go to 25-27k for a used C5 Z06, it might be worth waiting for a used Camaro at the same or less with more options and far fewer miles. You seem to be willing to wait until 2011 or so anyway so finding a low milage used Camaro should be easy.

[rayhawk]

I think if you want something fun to drive now, for a decent price, look for a nice 4th gen or maybe a GTO instead of a vette. You will get a lower mileage/better condition car for your money. The financial hit you take buying a used car and then reselling in 2-3 years is not so bad, so I would do that rather that wait a long time to get the new camaro the way you want it. To me, a 2 seat car is not very practical, so I would'nt get a vette as my main car.

[bob2the2nd]

i graduated in August and just started my job at the beginning of the month so similar situation. While I have some school loans (about a full year worth from a state school), its not something I cant afford as an engineer. My decision came down to the fact that my current car has 160k miles on it and im putting about 3k a month and its slowly beginning to die. Knowing that I wont get the car till May-ish I went ahead and ordered a camaro (LT2), and expect to be able to put down 6-8k as a down payment.

what really made me pick a camaro over a corvette however is my dad pointed out there is just no way to know how a used corvette has been treated. Even if a car just 20k the owner could have just totally driven the hell out of it (like most people would if they had a vette). Wait a bit and get the camaro

[Legend]

Love both but a Vette just isn't an option as a daily driver for me...you may be different? You'll find yourself wanting more room and more seats and places to park I think and you'll want more hp out of her too which means more money!

A Camaro would be under warranty and you'll enjoy the extra room and seats and while you'll still find it difficult to park (where every other driver won't ding your doors).

You might mod a new Camaro but I think you'll wait more so that the Vette.

IDK...tough decision but I would wait on the Camaro.

[The_Blur]

Originally Posted by rayhawk

I think if you want something fun to drive now, for a decent price, look for a nice 4th gen or maybe a GTO instead of a vette. You will get a lower mileage/better condition car for your money. The financial hit you take buying a used car and then reselling in 2-3 years is not so bad, so I would do that rather that wait a long time to get the new camaro the way you want it. To me, a 2 seat car is not very practical, so I would'nt get a vette as my main car.

Either car will be my baby. It won't get resold. Either one will have a long life in my possession because I will be making sure that nothing goes wrong with my car.

Originally Posted by bob2the2nd

i graduated in August and just started my job at the beginning of the month so similar situation. While I have some school loans (about a full year worth from a state school), its not something I cant afford as an engineer. My decision came down to the fact that my current car has 160k miles on it and im putting about 3k a month and its slowly beginning to die. Knowing that I wont get the car till May-ish I went ahead and ordered a camaro (LT2), and expect to be able to put down 6-8k as a down payment.

what really made me pick a camaro over a corvette however is my dad pointed out there is just no way to know how a used corvette has been treated. Even if a car just 20k the owner could have just totally driven the hell out of it (like most people would if they had a vette). Wait a bit and get the camaro

You're right to point out the way that others treat their cars. Even with low mileage, there is no telling what they did to it. If they treated it well, they won't sell it in my price range, so there's plenty of reason to worry.

I'm leaning toward the Camaro because it is new, but the Corvette is the clear alternative with a storied heritage that would make me equally proud to drive. Performance is important to both cars, but the Corvette is more performance-oriented. Without any plans to have a family for a few years, I have time to play with a 2-seater.

I appreciate all of the advice so far. Keep it coming! Tell me what I should worry about going wrong in a used Corvette or anything else you can think would help.

[LarkVille]

I'll be graduating in May 2009. As far as the car goes it will be very much worth it to give it some extra time to ensure you can get the Camaro, assuming things like loans, relocation when you get that job, rent, etc.

Job security is important to tie down before making a substantial car investment, and for guys like you and I, I hope it won't be too much longer before we get those jobs. I guess the name of the game is patience for now (concerning the car). And who knows, a few years down the line you can afford a C6 after some happy memories in the new Camaro.