C7 Manual or Automatic

[BalleBalleboy]

Hey Guys,
I'm in Toronto looking to buy 2017 LT2 manual but my dealer asking me to reconsider it as they most over 90% corvettes as automatic. Though I know it's personal preferences but what you suggest as most of the vettes sold as automatic?

They also akind of suggested me to get it delivered by October. What do you think good time or get it in spring?
Also 4.99% financing is little higher. Any better suggestions?

Appreciate your responses.

Best Regards,
Ricky

 

[Black 03 Z06]

Welcome to the forum. I just cannot imagine a sports car without a manual transmission. While I have not driven an automatic in a newer series of Corvette to see just how good the auto is, I still would stay with the manual.

It is a big expense, get what you want not what somebody else wants for you.

Enjoy it.

 

[Foggy1]

I agree with Black03 stick is the only way to go .The dealer is only concerned with a sale wait and shop until you find exactly what you want don't compromise . Good luck with the hunt !

 

[nascar03]

I may be wrong but isn't there 10-20% discounts going on now as well as 0% financing..?

I'm not looking to buy so I may be right out to lunch!

If that is the case then please ignore the man behind the curtain.

Graham

 

[Nik]

Hey Guys,
I'm in Toronto looking to buy 2017 LT2 manual but my dealer asking me to reconsider it as they most over 90% corvettes as automatic. Though I know it's personal preferences but what you suggest as most of the vettes sold as automatic?

They also akind of suggested me to get it delivered by October. What do you think good time or get it in spring?
Also 4.99% financing is little higher. Any better suggestions?

Appreciate your responses.

Best Regards,
Ricky

If you were looking for a manual don't let anyone dissuade you. I didn't think the percentage of autos was that high to be honest but that may have changed.

The new GM autos are a lot better than yesteryear but will annoy you to no end if that's not your flavour.

 

[AllFlash]

I bought a Z06 auto and would never look back. As much as I am 52yrs old, I would never have imagined buying an auto before this car. Regardless what many think, the Z06 is being bought with the auto at somewhere around the 75% mark over manual. If you are asking, I am telling you this much power makes the auto a no brainer. I am not alone. Look at the trend of performance cars and auto transmissions lately and, even now, rumor is the Vette will be auto only before long. As well, go to Youtube and ask yourself why the guys destroying their new Z06's are the manuals; they are there.

Now...that is me and it is the Z06, not a Stingray. The Stingray isn't quite the beast as the Z but it is a powerful machine in its own right. If you want a manual, get one or you will always be kicking yourself. If you really want an auto though, get it or you will find yourself trading just like a friend of mine did with his 15Z06 manual...now a 16 Z auto.

Welcome!

 

[JB08]

I recall reading somewhere that the manual uptake for the Stingray was something like 40% of the cars. That is a huge uptake when for most cars -that even offer a manual- it's more like 5%. All my cars are manuals and I so I definitely have a bias. But here is what it undeniable about the C7 M7, the clutch is slightly heavy and the 5th to 7th gear selection can sometimes be a little annoying as the gates are easy to miss in the higher gears. In addition the whole 1-4 skip shift can be annoying, but you soon learn to drive in a way that will keep it from happening. However, the rev match alone is worth the price of admission and the throws in the 1-4 selection are quick and precise. The car is already very engaging, but the rev match, no-lift shift and short gearing (on Z51) makes the car an absolute blast to drive. Either way, I'm sure you'll love the car, but don't let the dealer dissuade you with BS like '90% of C7s are automatics'. There is a reason why the uptake on manuals in the Corvette is so high... and kudos to GM for offering us 'old school' guys a manual transmission full of party tricks.

PS: just looked it up. 33% in 2015 and 23% in 2016. So maybe 40% was in the first year. Oh, and you should find a different dealer who is willing to get you what you want.

 

[smackYYZ]

Hey Guys,
I'm in Toronto looking to buy 2017 LT2 manual but my dealer asking me to reconsider it as they most over 90% corvettes as automatic. Though I know it's personal preferences but what you suggest as most of the vettes sold as automatic?

They also akind of suggested me to get it delivered by October. What do you think good time or get it in spring?
Also 4.99% financing is little higher. Any better suggestions?

Appreciate your responses.

Best Regards,
Ricky

Ricky,

It is all about what you want, what fits your lifestyle and intended use! I have a C7 Z51 Manual and love it, but I'm a heal toer . I don't commute and only drive the car typically on pretty open roads. My wife occasionally drives it to work, and she keeps saying with the traffic on the 400 series she wishes we had got the auto.

In 2014 I wouldn't have considered the 6 speed auto, but the newer 8 speed is a lot better tranny. Today I might consider it. It's faster off the line, my wife would be happier, but I'd need to see how it downshifts in manual mode. I don't use the rev match in the C7, I find it's rev matching a bit off ( it's about 2-300rpm higher then I like) to my style of driving.

The sales guy being in Toronto, may be right that the cars he sells is 90% auto, and that would be due to the driving conditions we have here. That being said, from a resale point of view, being in teh GTA, and auto may be easier to sell down the road.

Good luck on your decision.

Mike

 

[Jaybonn]

Welcome to the forum. I'm from Ottawa but bought mine last month from Wilson Niblett in Richmond Hill. They claim to be the highest volume Corvette dealer. I also struggled between manual and auto. Had a c6 manual for 5 years and loved it even though it was stubborn to downshift at times. I didn't even test drive the c7 auto; although, it would be favourable in heavy traffic. My new c7 gear box is a great improvement over the last generation and as for the rev matching, it gets little use. I still enjoy shifting through the gears and have no regrets, however much my wife and daughter tried to persuade me to auto. It's my daily driver-working hours are 6:30-2:30pm so I really don't experience the agony of continuously shifting in traffic. At the end of the day-buy what you want and compromise on what you can live with.

 

[Darren]

The best comment here is do what you want. I went auto due to an old back surgery and still enjoy the M mode and shifting. Take note a lot of super cars are now auto in a way but still have to be shifted by a paddle.
Good luck and please post a pic of your new ride when you have it.
Ps. Try driving both first.
Cheers.

 

[Keith Tedford]

If you are going drag racing, the automatic will be more consistent AND reliable as most of us are not as good on the shift as we might think. For fun factor on the street, nothing like rowing through the gears even for this clumsy 70 year old.

 

[YZFMax]

Hey Guys,
I'm in Toronto looking to buy 2017 LT2 manual but my dealer asking me to reconsider it as they most over 90% corvettes as automatic. Though I know it's personal preferences but what you suggest as most of the vettes sold as automatic?

They also akind of suggested me to get it delivered by October. What do you think good time or get it in spring?
Also 4.99% financing is little higher. Any better suggestions?

Appreciate your responses.

Best Regards,
Ricky

Check out the new cars on autotrader.ca. There are a bunch of 2016 models with discounts and you may find the one you're looking for with the 0% financing.

The 2017 don't seem to have any discounts and the rates are higher at 4.99%. If you aren't considering a Grand Sport, then consider the 2016.

As for auto vs manual, it's all up to you. I have 2 cars that are manual, and 2 are autos. The manuals are fun to drive, but not great as a DD. Unless you plan to track it, then it does not really make a difference, it comes down to personal choice. If I was to buy again, I would probably go for an auto.

Also, rumour has it that C8 generation Vettes are going to lose the manual and will only offer auto. Most supercars have gone this way including the new NSX.

 

[CorvetteKing]

I do sell corvettes at a dealership in the Toronto area and 90% auto seems like a stretch most times for our inventory we order 50/50 auto to manual as for a factory order you are prepared to wait and there is no reason to compromise due to what most people order from 1 dealer in Ontario. aside from that if you know anyone that has had the chance to drive the stingray with rev match its amazing!

For the rate you have plenty of other options then paying 4.99% make sure you explore them all as no one likes to pay interest!

Congrats on making the decision to order your Stingray!

 

[larryd]

stay with the auto...I drive to work with my corvette almost every day and glad I did...you can always put it in `manual` mode and use the paddle shift ( there are very few supercars with manual) when you want some fun on an open road....
as for time to buy ..you should get an incentive to buy in Oct as you`ll have to store over winter and loose appreciation. since dealer is forced to sell 2016 at discount cause of 2017 coming in..wait till end of month when quotes mean something to the dealer... best deals are made in late Dec... view on utube on how to buy a car

 

[yycvette]

I agree with the comments of do what you want and don't let the dealer change your mind. Any C7 will be a great purchase.

I have a 2015 C7 Z51 with the 7 speed manual. I drive it daily to work and occasionally slalom it. I am very happy with the manual and find it makes the driving experience more engaging even if I am likely slower in the slaloms than if I had the auto.

 

[DavidWG]

Just took delivery of a new Watkins Glen grey Grand Sport on Thursday with the manual transmission (M7) and red brake calipers. I ordered the car at the end of May. Traded in a 2014 Z51 with a 7 speed manual. First I think your dealer may have a conflict of interest as I am sure they have a number of 2017s with automatics in inventory. You will have to look far and wide for a manual 2017 (GS or Z51) because there was an extended production delay on the 2017 M7 transmission cars due to them adding an auxiliary engine cooler on the M7 Z51 and GS cars. The dealers had to take automatics or loose their allocation so understandably they took automatics. Then there was a further delay in production for Grand Sports with red brake calipers. Because of this delay there is a bit of a backup in orders for the M7 on those models so your dealer may not want to tell you how long it may take to get one with an M7.

The National Corvette Museum reports that for 2016 about 75% of Corvettes shipped were automatics and that number has steadily gone up. I understand in Canada the number is more like 65% are automatics. Several of the high volume dealers in the GTA report it more like 50-50. The bottom line is what do you like to drive and what is your driving environment. I love the visceral feel of the standard and am probably old school. 98% of my driving is out of the downtown area and probably 60% is open roads so staying with the standard is a no brainer. The transmission is by far the best Corvette has ever produced and shifts beautifully. The clutch is not heavy like the old Vettes and my wife of small stature has no problem with the clutch and she too loves the manual and drives the car frequently around the city. If nothing else the performance exhaust sounds bolder in a manual. However, if I were doing daily commuting I would seriously consider the A8 transmission. It is a beauty. Very much a matter of personal taste. This is a lot of $$ so don't compromise on what you want as you are going to have to live with it for a number of years. If you want a manual but it will mean a spring time delivery wait for it because 4 years from now when you are regretting your compromise you won't even remember the delay.

I love the look and feel of the new Grand Sport. The more aggressive 4 inch wider rear stance of the GS looks amazing. However, if you are not buying a GS and are buying a Z51 or base Stingray then look around at the 2016 models. There are a good number sitting on dealers lots and they are already discounting them. You may have to go to Ottawa or outside the GTA to get a good deal but for several thousand $$ I would say it is worth it. Take a look at the Auto Trader and look at other cities like London or Hamilton or even Montreal and you will see lots of new 2016 models being advertised by dealers. Call them and see if you can get 5-7% off on a 2016. In order to retain their allocation numbers from GM a lot of dealers had to take a lot of inventory at the end of the 2016 model year. The only problem with taking one from inventory is that the dealer may have ordered a lot of the quite expensive cosmetic options that you would have never ordered and therefore he or she needs to get more $$ out of the car. Did you really want that little carbon fiber dash trim option that cost $1200? You should be able to get into a nice 2016 Z51 with M7 and several of the nice options like magnetic select ride (a must if you do a lot of secondary road driving) and the navigation/PDR package ($2000) for just under $80k. The Z51 pkg now includes the must have performance exhaust.

Bottom line order what you think you will enjoy in the long run. the C7 is an amazing car especially for the $$.

 

[BalleBalleboy]

Thanks friends for all for the valuable feedback.
I finalized and decided to buy 2016 Z51 2LT, Mylink with navigation, Magnetic selective ride, Carbon fibre interior trim, hood insert exposed carbon fibre weave, carbon flash badge package, long beach red color, upgraded carbon Aluminum wheels and it comes with Auto transmission! Got 19% off total.
I tried both auto and manual and felt comfortable with Auto. It's 8 speed with paddle shift is equally responsive so got along with new technology shift.
I just have to find my own financing options which I think is better than what dealer is offering.
I will put on pics once I get hold of it
Should I get extended warranty (2yrs) and vehicle armour (5 yrs) from dealer costing 2500 and 1735 respectively?
Cheers!

 

[BalleBalleboy]

I may be wrong but isn't there 10-20% discounts going on now as well as 0% financing..?

I'm not looking to buy so I may be right out to lunch!

If that is the case then please ignore the man behind the curtain.

Graham

There is no 0% financing on corvettes. It's 4.99%. I think I can get better than that. Btw I managed to pull off 19% discount on 2016.

 

[Nik]

Thanks friends for all for the valuable feedback.
I finalized and decided to buy 2016 Z51 2LT, Mylink with navigation, Magnetic selective ride, Carbon fibre interior trim, hood insert exposed carbon fibre weave, carbon flash badge package, long beach red color, upgraded carbon Aluminum wheels and it comes with Auto transmission! Got 19% off total.
I tried both auto and manual and felt comfortable with Auto. It's 8 speed with paddle shift is equally responsive so got along with new technology shift.
I just have to find my own financing options which I think is better than what dealer is offering.
I will put on pics once I get hold of it
Should I get extended warranty (2yrs) and vehicle armour (5 yrs) from dealer costing 2500 and 1735 respectively?
Cheers!

19% off?

That's nothing to sneeze at and I do a lot of sneezing thanks to some allergies. Well done and let us know what dealer was that nice/desperate enough to offer that (PM me if you want).

As to warranty, you can shop around for that and you can get it before your manufacturer's warranty expires so no rush. I'm not a believer in extended warranties but from what I've gleaned the price can be as low as 1.7k...

 

[Black 03 Z06]

Congratulations. Can't wait to see the pictures.