I've wanted a Corvette for as long as I can remember. OK, by the late 1980s the weaknesses of the C4 (fourth generation Corvette, sold from 1984 to 1996) had become all too apparent to me. Stylistically, the wheelbase of that car looked too short for the length of the car. Put another way, the front and rear overhangs were way too long, giving it an ungainly, overdone appearance. Then there were the structural inadequacies. The early versions of the C4 rode like trucks. Worst of all, the level of rattles and creaks was off the scale, and only became worse as the car aged. Improvements were made year after year, but the structure of the C4 was never quite up to the car's mission.

Background

Then the C5 appeared in 1997. The wheelbase of the new car was over eight inches longer (in part to provide space for a rear-mounted transmission), bringing it to a quite lengthy 104.5 inches. This is a huge increase. Generally when a model is redesigned the wheelbase might increase an inch or two, but hardly ever as much as eight. Yet the overall length of the car grew only an inch, to 179.7 inches. This yielded body proportions that (to my eyes at least) are far superior. (Some people dislike the large rear on the current Corvette, but it's OK with me.) Rear overhang especially is greatly reduced. The resulting stance is far more purposeful in appearance.

Then there is the new body structure. Just about every manufacturer has made stiffer body structures a key goal whenever a model is redesigned. Increases of twenty to thirty percent are common from generation to generation. The Corvette team did far better, increasing the torsional rigidity of the body structure by over 300%. Additional improvements have been made for the 2001 model year. This made one of the flimsiest open-top body structures into one of the stiffest. At least on paper. To determine how this newfound rigidity translated into the real world, I've been hoping to drive one of the new cars for some time. Well, I recently got my wish.

Recently while I was taking my wife's car in for service I noticed a bright red Corvette convertible parked on the dealer's front row. I usually prefer a manual, so I pulled up next to it to see which transmission this car had. Unfortunately, an automatic. Strangely, though technically a used car, this was a 2001 (this Olds dealer tends to grab nearly new used cars; a 2001 Lexus IS 300 was parked next to this Vette). It had only 200 miles on it (so I've listed it as new.) Before I could get back into my car and leave a salesman approached me with the keys and asked if I'd be interested in driving the car. Sure, it didn't have the transmission I was interested in checking out. But I've been dying to drive one of these, so, why not?

Inside stuff

While he was getting a plate I checked out the interior and put down the top. The interior has plenty of room for two people. In part because there is no spare (the Corvette has tires that may be driven when flat), and because the rear end of the car is somewhat on the generous side, the trunk is two to three times the size of that in most other convertibles. While this trunk is quite wide and deep, is a bit shallow in height. For smallish items that require more depth, the cover over the deep well in the center of the trunk can be removed. Overall, this car promises to be a great grand tourer, with space for two to travel in comfort with their stuff.

You sit low in the car, but not so low as to feel like you're sitting in a hole. Getting in and out is much easier than in the C4. Though you must still drop down much further than in a sedan, the door sills are much narrower and lower in the C5. The view forward is very expansive, even with the seat set to its lowest position. The long hood stretches out before you, conveying the purpose of this machine, but it does not get in the way of seeing the road. The view to the sides, top up or down, is adequate. I usually like the door tops to be a bit lower, but they are not so high that I find them objectionable (unlike some of the competition). The view out over the tall rear end is slightly restricted, but about par for this class of car.

The seats are slightly softer than those in German cars yet very supportive. On the sport seats, which were on this car, the side wings and lumbar support (upper and lower) are electrically adjustable. Even with leather, which is necessarily slippery, these will hold you in place through the hardest turns without feeling uncomfortable.

The seat recliner is manual. This in itself is not really an issue, because they cannot recline much anyway, the lever in the Corvette and its operation feel cheap and fragile. It could also allow for finer adjustments. Since the travel is short anyway, a rotary adjustment would have been better.

Other than this lever, the quality of the rest of the interior seemed up to snuff. The gauges are conventional dials (another refreshing change from the C4). They are attractively styled without doing anything crazy. Most of the minor controls look and feel OK, though some are short of the quality that is found in a Lexus or top German brand. The interior is styled to make these controls easy to reach without making the surfaces feel too close to you.

The top is not as simple to put down as that in a Miata (which is as simple as they come). It's manual, but for me this is not an issue with such a small top. To put it down, you release two levers at the windshield header, then pull the front and rear edges of the top towards the center. Then pop a button under the rigid cover, releasing this cover. Fold the top into the well, then pop the rigid cover back down. This cover makes for a clean top-down appearance with much less effort than any fiddly soft vinyl tonneau. The entire operation takes less than half a minute. If there is any fault to be found with it, it's that you must get out of the car to put the top down or back up. With some designs, such as the Miata (but not the new MR2), this maybe done from the driver's seat.

On the road

Now for the good stuff: how the car drives. A turn of the key instantly brings the engine to life. No Lexus this, you can definitely tell when the engine is running based on the low-key rumble issuing from the exhausts. It idles smoothly for such an immensely powerful engine (350 horsepower for 2001, up five from last year), but still yields some detectable vibrations. The more you dip into the throttle, the louder the rumble gets. Though this engine was all-new with the C5, it sounds very much like the legendary 350 small block that preceded it, if a bit more refined in note. This throaty voice generally adds to the driving experience, rather than detracts from it. The only exception might be extended stretches on the highway. The rumble never goes away, but at highway speeds it is quiet enough that it will not be a problem for most people interested in such a car. Some might find it annoying over time, so take note during the test drive.

Dip into the throttle halfway or more at any RPM and the engine instantly pushes you back into the seat. The harder you push on the pedal, the harder you get pushed back into the seat. You don't have to be anywhere near the redline to get this sensation. This may be the defining characteristic of the car. This is good ol' large displacement torque, the stuff with which all performance machinery issuing from Detroit used to be endowed. For 2001 the torque goes from 350 to 360 lb-ft. and, more importantly, peaks 400 RPM earlier, at a very accessible 4000 RPM. Even the power peak occurs much lower in the RPM range than in the imported competition, at 5600 RPM.

This aspect of the car should be underscored. Unlike some of the import competition, this is not an engine that must be wound out to enjoy. Even at part throttle and at moderate RPM this engine feels very strong. Entertainment is never more than a dip of the right foot away. At any point near full throttle it feels extremely powerful, and the needle swings quickly around the speedometer.

Yet, in the Corvette all of this power is somehow easy to control. Anyone with a modicum of common sense can drive this car safely. This is a major accomplishment. Not long ago this level of power could only be obtained in much more powerful cars that often required the skills of an expert to drive safely anywhere near their limits.

The automatic transmission is faultless. It shifts smoothly and responds very quickly to throttle inputs. Given the torque of the engine, a fifth ratio is not missed. Fourth gear is very high, allowing for decent fuel economy (mid-20s) and relaxed cruising on the highway.

The standard slip control (which can be turned off) keeps you from dramatically reducing the life of the tires (and from getting in trouble if you somehow exceed the very high limits of the chassis).

Though this car at 3200 lbs. and 180 inches is too large to dance, handling is very stable and responsive. The steering is moderately high in effort and gives a moderate amount of feedback (though it doesn't quite give that "direct connection to the pavement" feeling found in the best sports cars). No one will find this car hard to steer. It handled every curve I threw at it smoothly, and with what felt like plenty of margin. Whether you are on the throttle or stabbing the powerful brakes (the rotors on this car are huge), the latest Corvette follows whatever line you tell it to. If there is any fault to be found with the handling, it is that the chassis feels more rock-solid stable than tossable. The size of the car is part of the reason, but the tuning of the chassis is also responsible. After all, even a BMW 3-Series weighs well over 3000 lbs. these days. But the tuning of the Corvette's suspension makes the car feel heavier than it is. Stability and control are favored over tossability. Think of it as more of a grand tourer than a sports car in the classic sense, and you'll be very satisfied with it.

A surprisingly good ride reinforces this grand touring quality. Unlike past Corvettes, the ride of this car is quite smooth and composed over nearly every surface. This despite the performance suspension and low-profile, run-flat tires (the latter are necessarily stiffer than conventional tires). The long wheelbase undoubtedly helps a lot here. The stiff structure also contributes, since it permits the suspension to be softer for a given level of control. It also lends the car something of the "all of a piece" feel found in the best designed unibodies but distinctly lacking in the C4.

You sit very low in this car, but you never feel like nothing separates your rear from the pavement. The only exception is very broken up pavement with potholes. Though these do not upset the balance of the car they do yield a sharp retort from the suspension and make the structure shudder and creak a bit (though still far less than in C4 Corvettes). This is especially the case when the top is up, because noises that would otherwise be drowned out are trapped within the interior. Partly for this reason, the Corvette feels smoother and more refined with the top down. Since the basic structure of this car is so stiff, I suspect the blame for the remaining creaks lies with how well the fiberglass body panels and various pieces of trim are attached to this structure (a traditional problem with plastic-bodies cars).

Even with the top down, this car cruises surprisingly quietly, if hardly silently. The raked windshield and fairly high door tops combine to keep wind buffeting, even at highway speeds, quite low. It is easy to converse with a passenger, or listen to the powerful stereo. Just don't expect to feel like you're in a luxury sedan. This is still a V8-engined rag top, after all.

My main concern with this car involves long-term reliability. While I would expect the basic powertrain and structure of the car to hold up very well, I wonder about some of the more sophisticated electronics and soft of the interior trim. The leather in some 1997 and 1998 Corvettes I've seen already looked worn. I've already mentioned my reservations about the recliner. I would recommend going with the standard suspension unless you plan to race the car. It's ride-handling balance was very good for this type of car. The adjustable suspension provides multiple settings but may fail and is undoubtedly expensive to repair. Shocks never last forever on any car, so I prefer those that are affordable to replace. There is also the possibility that rattles could increase over time. Anyone interested in a new Corvette might want to drive a 1998 or 1999 with some miles on it to see how the car holds up.

Last words

So, was this the car that fulfills my dreams? Mostly. Though I've picked at the quality of some pieces and the ride over very rough surfaces, in both areas this car was still better than I'd expected. As a grand tourer, this car has the power, room, seat comfort, and ride to excel at fast road trips. Especially if those road trips take your trough hilly or mountainous terrain. This car has a distinct character, wonderfully executed. It's powerful, yet also relaxed. It will handle any road at just about any speed without disturbing you in the slightest.

If the Corvette falls down in any area, it's as a classic sports car. To be honest, I'm not sure it's trying to be one, at least not in the form I drove. A manual transmission and the performance suspension might change my judgement in this area, but I suspect not. I like this car. I like it a lot. But if I was buying something for myself I'd want something a little lighter on its feet, that connects me even more with the road. This might make a car less suitable for long distance travel, but that's a trade-off I'm willing to make for a more entertaining around-town at legal speeds driving experience. I might even save a lot of dough in the process (see my Miata review once I find the time to write it for more details on this riff).

If your values a different from mine, if you want a car that maintains its composure at speed, can carry two people and their stuff exceedingly well, and offers a extremely high level of performance (hmm, the more I mention this combination, the better it sounds), this could very well be the car for you. If you also value push-you-into-the-seat torque at any RPM, then look no further.

Reliability

People often email me asking about the reliability of the cars and trucks they are considering. Existing sources of reliability information just aren't helpful enough.

In response, my website, truedelta.com, will more clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy a Corvette rather than something else by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). Those who help provide the data--which will require just a few minutes a year--will earn free access to the site's reliability information. To encourage participation, this access will otherwise cost $24.95.

For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.