I've reached a point in my life where I can finally fulfill a lifelong dream of buying a sports car. Just built up enough credit history and secured a car loan from my bank. There can be many candidates, but the one that fits the bill most is the 97-04 C5 Corvette Coupe (Z51, MT). I'm not new to the world of sports cars or performance driving, but never got a chance to drive a Corvette. Although the Corvette fits the bill on the spec sheet (performance, insurance, maintenance), I don't know if I'll like how the car suits me... ie. clutch bite point, shifter feel, sitting position, steering feel, etc... read all the car reviews about the car but looking for info I can experience only but driving the car to reaffirm or reconsider my decision. I wanted to take a C5 corvette for a test drive, there are some in stock at my local dealers, but not the one I'm looking for ie. Z06, non Z51, Conv, Auto. I read some stories online about dealers denying test drives on Corvettes unless the following conditions are met: (1of the following)
1). You put a non refundable deposit on the vehicle.
2). They do a hard pull on your credit score (make sure you can afford it).
3). Test drives only after completion of sale (you bought it drive it all you want).
or
No test drives on Corvettes at all.
All of this sounds ludicrous to me. I want to be able to walk into the showroom, be greeted by a salesman, inform the salesman of my intentions of purchasing a C5 and get better acquainted with the model, and take it for a 10 mile test drive. I'm fully interested in buying a Corvette from this dealership if they had the model I want in stock. I want to know if when purchasing a corvette you were denied a test drive, given a run around, experience purchasing a Corvette (or other performance sports car or upmarket vehicle) and what do you think are my realistic chances of getting the test of the in stock Corvette considering I'm only 21?
I'm talking used here of course.
*WHAT I DON'T WANT*
Telling me what I can and cannot afford or alternative vehicles to buy:
"Have you checked insurance, better get a Camry."
Useless nonsense:
"Pfft, American cars suck!!!"
Thank you for you answers.
1). You put a non refundable deposit on the vehicle.
2). They do a hard pull on your credit score (make sure you can afford it).
3). Test drives only after completion of sale (you bought it drive it all you want).
or
No test drives on Corvettes at all.
All of this sounds ludicrous to me. I want to be able to walk into the showroom, be greeted by a salesman, inform the salesman of my intentions of purchasing a C5 and get better acquainted with the model, and take it for a 10 mile test drive. I'm fully interested in buying a Corvette from this dealership if they had the model I want in stock. I want to know if when purchasing a corvette you were denied a test drive, given a run around, experience purchasing a Corvette (or other performance sports car or upmarket vehicle) and what do you think are my realistic chances of getting the test of the in stock Corvette considering I'm only 21?
I'm talking used here of course.
*WHAT I DON'T WANT*
Telling me what I can and cannot afford or alternative vehicles to buy:
"Have you checked insurance, better get a Camry."
Useless nonsense:
"Pfft, American cars suck!!!"
Thank you for you answers.