C7 Owners’ Top Reasons Why They Wouldn’t Trade for a C8 Right Now

Many C7 Corvette owners don’t plan to trade them in on a C8, at least not in the next few years.

Many Corvette enthusiasts who were quick to order a C8 with the intention of trading-in whatever era Chevy sports car they already owned on a 2020 Stingray. Generally speaking, there are members of every automotive enthusiast community who are quick to trade what they have on the hot, new model and it is no secret that many of the people who bought a 2020 Stingray are long-time Corvette owners. With that in mind, you might expect that there are quite a few C7 owners who plan to trade their current Chevy in on a C8, but based on a poll thread started by “PDPratt”, the number is surprisingly low.

Corvette Trade Poll

When the OP first posted his poll to the forum, he simply asked “Will You Trade C7 For C8”. The possible answers are Keep C7, Trade C7 in 2020 for C8, Trade C7 in 2021 for C8 and Keep C7 and Purchase C8.

Just shy of 200 people in the C7 General Discussion section have answered the poll thus far and about 72% of C7 owners plan to stick with their current ride. Just 1% of owners are interested in trading their C7 on a 2020 C8, 16% would trade for a 2021 model and 10% want to keep their C7 and buy a C8. Ultimately, trading on a 2020 would be tough at this point, but in the long run, only about 17% of owners who participated in the poll thus far are interested in trading their C7 for a C8.

Below are the most popular reasons that C7 owners provided for why they wouldn’t trade their current Corvette in on a C8.

The Top Reasons for Keeping the C7

The first member to reply to the poll was “Bill929”.

Just bought my C7, so it is a keeper.

Several other members, including “CourtneyJudd” pointed out that their C7 is fully paid-for and, like Bill929, their cars are fairly new. Courtney also shared the picture of the blue convertible shown here.

I am 76 years old and will be keeping my 2014 Z51 3LT 7M vert. It is paid for and only has 9948 total miles. Thought about selling it but reality is that if I do it would be my last one. This is my 7th one and last one! CJ

“Steven (Bell) Garrett” shared his modified C7 shown at the top of this piece, with this comment:

Right…..trade this away???? Surely you jest……

“1KULC7” also showcased his C7 convertible, which has been modified to his tastes.

Have a 2014 Z-51, vert loaded, no way. It is paid in full, excellent condition, only 24K miles, looks better than new, a lot of nice aftermarket parts. Sorry but not a real fan, at least now of the C8. I like the look and feel of the C7. I think I will just keep what I have and save my money.

So, among those who don’t plan to trade, the most common reasons are that their C7 is fairly new, paid-for and, in some cases, modified.

Manual Transmission

The next big reason that many C7 owners wouldn’t consider trading in their current ride is that they have three pedals. As we all know, the C8 is not offered with a manual transmission and for some Corvette fans, that is a deal breaker. As a result, the reply with the most likes in the thread relates to the manual gearbox, courtesy of “Devnull”.

I’m in the “save the manuals” camp! Keeping the C7

He also provided the image of his “Save the Manuals” decal.

Wheelchair Friendly

One of the most unique reasons that a C7 owner doesn’t plan to trade is that his current car is wheelchair friendly. “AaronZ51” shared this picture of himself with his bright yellow C7, providing the following input.

C7 will likely be the last generation Corvette I own. I can quickly take my wheelchair apart and put it in the back behind the seats in the C7. No where for it to go in a C8, except the passenger seat and that’s not happening. Will likely need to consider another marque when my ’16 Z06 wears out (33,000 miles and counting and loving every mile!).

Waiting for the Future

Finally, more C7 owners listed different reasons why they don’t plan to trade their current Corvette for a C8 at all, but some might consider the trade in the future. Several members stated that they want to wait to let GM work any bugs out that come with so many new components of the C8 platform. This includes “Vetteman Jack”.

In a few years I might make the jump to a C8. Want to see some longer term reliability data before I’ll give up my C7.

For others, the early pricing is too high and “RWD Only” touched on that aspect.

There should be another option for “trade in C7 for C8 at some point in the future (not just in 2020 or 2021)”. I like the C8, but I will give it at least a few years before I would consider buying one because that will allow time for any potential bugs to be fixed, new features to be added, prices to drop well below MSRP (or for lightly used ones to start appearing on the market for a significant discount) and above all else I’ll need to test drive one to see if I can live with the DCT since I really enjoy driving with a manual transmission.

If you have a C7 Corvette and you would like to share your thoughts on trading your current car in on a new C8, click here to join in the conversation.

Photos: Corvette Forum

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