tonyferello

I'm 16 and I've been interested in corvettes for quite some time. At such a young age I'm not able to afford the payments of one right now, but I was thinking if I work really hard, around 18 or 19 is when I'd consider getting one. But my main question is; is it a good car for somebody like me?


I understand the risks of buying a car as powerful as a corvette, and with time and practice, I think I could handle it responsibly. I already know not to do dumb things, like racing on small roads or just racing in general, excessive speeding, showing off too much, etc. The only thing I'm worried about is how I'd be able to pay for it, and if paying a lot for payments and insurance is all worth it.

Dbunch9

As a 26 year old that had too much fun with cars and hobbies from age 16-24, I drive a mediocre jeep now and I’ve got nothing to show for all the fun I had. Wish I pocketed all that money I spent on cars and bought a house. The corvette will come later brother!

Edit: Also, don’t learn the hard way like I did that owning the car is just a part of the cost. Maintenance and unsuspected issues are a MFer, let alone mods which you’ll want within 6 months of owning that car.

Ron Short

I would say that any C7 VETTE is a lot for a 16 year old driver imho. I am 50 and grew up with fast cars and I will tell you that the Z will get you in trouble QUICK if you are not careful

Track

Great car if you want to kill yourself.

RegnaR

Lol really?

Ron Short

Can I put that on my doctors orders instead of pulling the plug?

kenw

Definitely would not suggest a Z06 for your first car but if you are mature and goal oriented enough to work for the money to purchase one maybe you would be the exception. Save enough to purchase the car and to take some lessons at a road course. In fact before you purchase go to a road course event and get a ride with an advanced driver, if you don't crap your pants, start saving. Good luck.

Gixxerman

Well it will be fine, but please fill out your organ donor cards and notify people when you will be on the road so we can stay home... I think the insurance would also be astronomical as well. I think some people just don't rrealize what these cars are capable of.. I would have killed myself with my Z at 16.. I would have tried to use it all without the maturity I semi-possess today..

Scottlp

If you can afford it I'd say go for it! You only live once and with all the nuclear talk lately you never know. If you respect it and learn how to drive it you'll be fine.

JasonAndrew

Good first car sure. Do you already have a garage to park it in? If you can afford a 70+ thousand dollar car, I'd recommend buying a house!

acarroll7715

Honest answer here - probably not a good first car…the power is extreme, you have minimal driving experience and driving in rain, snow etc.

I’d suggest maybe a C5Z and another vehicle to drive on bad weather days. Learn to drive the right way by doing track days with an instructor and build your skill base. After a few years then upgrade when comfortable.

Track

A 16 year old working to pay for a Z06...that blew coffee out of my nose! Gee, why didn't I buckle down and buy a ZR1 when I was 16??

ss2z06

Certainly a lot of opinions here which I’m assuming you were expecting. Is it a wise or responsible decision? Probably not but also everyone’s situation is different. I was always told I could have any car I wanted but I had to pay for it, insure it, and deal with any repercussions. I worked very hard and started with a 87 trans am at 16 which I built my own supercharged 383 for. (Filed the rings and all) the car was over 600 horsepower. I made a lot of mistakes in it but also learned from them. It also catapulted me to many other cars including my first z06 at age 21. It was a c5 z06 because this was back in 2004. I’ve had many vettes and other cars since. Many 1000+ horsepower. My point is if there’s no good answer especially not from someone else. If it’s going to put you under financial hardship don’t do it. You know your own self control and if you can’t be responsible with that kind of car then it probably isn’t wise. Maybe get a c5, c6, or even a standard c7 and use the difference in the cost and take driving classes. Those are worth every penny. God willing you have plenty of time in the future to move up the high performance ladder.

CJ Willys

sure, great car for a 16 yo !

Michael A Riley

My son will be taking our C4 when he moves out of state for college at age 18 next year. Yes, he can drive my C7Z06, and I’d like to think he’s responsible even when I’m not with him, but I’m not willing to take that chance with my son’s life.

The other thing to think about is the ongoing expense. Tires for the C7Z are not cheap. I think it’s around $2,200-$2,500 a set for Michelins. Insurance cost will probably be high as well. Heaven forbid anything on the car need replaced. Parts for these are not cheap either.

mdformula350

I got in some trouble with having my first few cars as sports cars.
Not everyone will be the same but I would tend to agree if i knew then what I know now I would of got basic transportation, saved and invested as much money as i could. I spent thousands of dollars on modifications and yeah i had fun installing and other stuff, but my priorities werent the best, but they werent horrible kept me from partying, drinking, drugs, etc.. at least.

Scarlett-73

I love the fact that a young person is interested in owning a Corvette and willing to work hard to get one. The reality is that Insurance can ruin your day when you do purchase because of your age, and a newer Corvette especially a Z06 can be dangerous in the inexperienced hands. My 27 year old son started his car guy path at 16 with a 6 cylinder Mustang, then moved to an older WRX, and now just paid off an STI RA. He has been very respectful of speed these cars (WRX & STI) can put out and while he's free to drive my 650bhp C7 Z06 he doesn't like the power. I would never suggest that you forget your dream, but take it slowly, get something either much older like a C5 FRC or a C4, before getting up to the C7 power. And yes the guys who have commented about maintenance costs are correct keep a good savings account because things will require repair.

Internets_Ninja

Extremely poor financial decision unless you already own a house. And not to pass judgement on any 16-19 year olds, but I too was that age before when my father had a fast car. The first chance I had, I broke the law with it and got detained by the police until my father came and picked me up. So no matter how mature you think you may be, a car like that is quite a temptation. My advice would be no, do not buy it that young, but not because the high risk, but because of the financial burden. Say you save up and get one. Well when its time for new tires, that's $2000 and they don't last that long. Oil changes are over $120 each. If ANYTHING breaks, they are expensive to fix. Your insurance, if you find someone willing to cover you, would likely be $500+ a month at your age.

Don't waste the money that young. Go to college and get a six figure job. Then enjoy your hard work and buy a Corvette. That would be my advice.

SladeX

At 22 affording a decent computer and keeping my already 15 year old base model camaro running was pretty challenging. I got my first vette at 34 after I already owned a house. I'm on my 4th vette now of the last 2 were fully paid off with no loans needed (trade in/sold previous vettes to move up). I couldn't imagine taking on mortgage level payments on a car with high interest. Just doesn't make financial sense for something that is a toy more than a daily car. Not to mention that a good chunk of us gradually moved on up from low hp cars to high hp cars over time to build up experience to handle these cars.

yz250fPilot

Do NOT do it.