Contrary to popular belief, a late-model Corvette is one of the very best used cars you can own. One, they’re seriously fun to drive, that much is a given. But they’re also bulletproof reliable, comfortable, and if you don’t need to carry kids and stuff, they’re even practical. And for a hobby car, it’s hard to beat the bang-for-the-buck that a Corvette offers—world class performance for the price of a 3-year-old Honda. And for those of you with fears that a Corvette has been raced, abused, and mistreated, let me lay your mind at ease. In reality, most Corvettes are owned by older men and treated like special machines from Day One, driven gently to car shows, wiped with a diaper, and put away again in a warm, heated, protected garage. No racing, no winters, no abuse. THAT is the very definition of “cream puff.”

Which brings us to this handsome 2005 Corvette, which is all of those things: a cherished toy that was only used for special occasions on warm days. No modifications, and obviously it has not been raced. Just a clean 15-year-old Corvette that delivers serious fun on a budget. 2005 was the first year of the C6 generation, whose sharper styling corrected one of the biggest complaints about the C5: the somewhat soft-looking styling. From certain angles, this C6 could be mistaken for something far more exotic and the look has aged quite well—quintessential Corvette without looking busy (looking at you, C7). The color is code 86U Magnetic Red, which cost an extra $750. Worth it, because it’s gorgeous especially in the sun. You should probably plan on conversations at gas stops because everyone will want to know what color it is. Like most Corvettes, it has been waxed and polished regularly and there are few signs of use—just some nicks on the nose and along the rockers, which obviously isn’t unusual. The C6’s exposed headlights are the first since 1962 and give the Corvette an entirely new personality and the lenses are still clear after all these years, another sure sign of good maintenance. The weather seals remain supple, the black trim hasn’t been baked by the sun, and it fits together quite well, a late-model Corvette hallmark.

Black leather is a great choice with Magnetic Red, and the designers did their homework here. The seats are supportive yet all-day comfortable, and thanks to good quality materials, the leather is still in good shape. There are a few creases in the driver’s seat but nothing out of the ordinary and everything else looks far fresher than the car’s age and mileage would have you believe. It’s also loaded with gear, including power everything, dual-zone climate control, heads-up display, and an AM/FM/CD stereo with in-dash CD changer. Overhead there’s an optional blue tinted transparent roof ($750), and it stores neatly in the trunk so you’ll always have it when you need it. The gauges are big and easy to read, with the heads-up unit and center display being configurable so the driver can select exactly the information he wants to see. And the great thing about late-model Corvettes is that they have proper trunks with plenty of space—fully upholstered, there’s room in there for two peoples’ luggage or some golf bags, or even groceries. This Corvette can be used as a real car.

This car packs the revised LS2 V8, which was rated at 400 horsepower in 2005—a 50 horsepower improvement over the C5 and just about equal to the C5 Z06. It’s still smooth, torquey, and bulletproof reliable, but the extra punch is certainly noticeable when you hammer the throttle. The LS-series of engines are also extremely adaptable to modifications, with a massive aftermarket supporting them, but this one remains 100% stock, right down to the air filter, meaning that it hasn’t been messed with. That’s always the way to buy your second-hand ‘Vette. There’s a lot of black plastic, but it’s quite clean under the hood and there’s plenty of evidence that this car was never used in inclement weather. And it’s reliable, too—just get in and press the button and it fires instantly and idles perfectly, every time. It’s perfectly content to sit in traffic with the A/C blasting, but it’s also ready to hit the track on a weekend. That kind of flexibility is what the Corvette is all about, and this car delivers.

Corvette engineers know their customers, so this car is equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission, which was standard equipment on the C6. In the real world, it’s every bit as quick as the manual gearbox cars and combined with the massive grip and competent stability and traction control systems, the car feels like a weapon in traffic. Need to dart into a gap in traffic? Zoom, the Corvette is there. It feels like it could accelerate forever. This car is also equipped with the optional G90 performance axle ratio, which puts a set of 3.15 gears on a limited slip behind the rear-mounted transmission. The underside of the car is extremely clean with no evidence of winter weather use and minimal road rash. Many of the original assembly decals and markings are still in place and again, no modifications is always a good sign. The brakes are massively powerful, the suspension rides well but grips like Velcro in the corners, and the factory exhaust has a great V8 bark that never gets annoying. Optional polished aluminum wheels (an eye-watering $1295 upgrade) are just gorgeous against the Magnetic Red paint, and carry 245/40/18 front and 285/35/19 rear Goodyear radials with lots of life left in them.

Original manuals and books are included and this car has a clean CarFax report.

One thing we frequently see in our showroom is someone shopping for a fun toy car but who is also afraid of maintenance or breaking down, and who wants modern performance. It is typically our recommendation that they buy a late-model Corvette. They’re fast, comfortable, reliable, and as I mentioned, carefully maintained and rarely abused. In short, there’s no better car to own if you want something fun that still won’t break the bank in terms of purchase price or maintenance, and which anyone can just jump in and start having fun. Go ahead, try this one on for size and see if it doesn’t put a big grin on your face from the moment you lean on the accelerator. Call today!

Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any car in our inventory prior to purchase.