The Best Corvette Is A Cheap Corvette

Chevrolet built three incredible generations of its iconic Corvette between 1984 and 2013, called the C4, C5 and C6. If you’re a prospective Corvette buyer, depreciation is your friend. When these cars launched, they were top-of-the-line American sports cars with expensive price tags, but with age they’ve dropped into the approachable for the everyperson price range. Even a base model of the C6 generation can be found for under $20,000 these days, when it was more than double that at launch.

So if you’re looking at an inexpensive Corvette for your next weekend toy, or even daily driver, these three generations are the ones to stick with. Anything C3 and earlier is going to be more expensive and less friendly to frequent use, while anything newer still carries a price premium. So how do you pick between a C4, a C5, or a C6? Thankfully the Retro Cars Forever channel on YouTube is here to help with practical hands-on evaluation.

Retro Cars Forever doesn’t really come to a conclusion on which Corvette is the best Corvette, offering encouragement that each Corvette has its own plusses and minuses. Like the Brad in this video, I have also driven a variety of models from each of these generations. The C6 is head-and-shoulders above the other two in terms of daily driver comfort, simply by dint of having the best interior and most modern amenities. Given that it also brings the most refined suspension, the best handling and steering, and the most power, it should easily be the winner here.

But, considering a C5 Z06 can still be had for under $30,000, that’s going to be where I would spend my money if I were you. I just love a raw power monster in a lightweight and simple package. Don’t worry about the terrible stereo system that was in every GM car of the era, it’s ugly and plasticky, but it’s cheap and it works. The Z06 was a game-changer and it’s a bang-for-the-buck monster in today’s market. Get a nice one while you still can.