There are a lot of items in question when somebody decides to purchase a car, regardless if the car itself is actually new or used. Some of the items in question are reliability, cost to own, comfort, and performance; just to name a few. Not everyone trusts them, or even care for that matter, but Consumer Reports have long been a go to for a lot of potential car buyers in addition to other products that we all buy at one time or another.
It may come as no surprise to some of you that the usual suspects are typically sitting atop the “Best Overall” chart such as Lexus, Toyota, and more recently Audi. Mixing it up a bit, Tesla took top overall spot for the year scoring 99 out of 100 possible points, quite an accomplishment. The focus of this article however is not electric cars or Japanese commuter sedans… it’s about Corvettes.
The Chevrolet Corvette performs well in several categories, they may not be completely perfect, but nothing really is. We generally know what Corvettes can do, what they can’t do, and appreciate them for what they are. Unfortunately, the folks at Consumer Reports or at least their grading criteria have not always been so kind to America’s sports car. That being said, their report on the 2015 Corvette Stingray was surprisingly positive and supportive.
Jeff Bartlett is the Deputy Editor of automobiles for Consumer Reports. As you could imagine, having exposure to nearly every car on the road could make you quite a critic for new vehicles of all sorts. The full review is privy to those that subscribe to their reviews, but we know Bartlett described the Stingray’s acceleration as, “breathtaking” the handling characteristics as, “tenacious” and the Stingray’s braking ability to be, “fantastic.”
For those that are unfamiliar, the Stingray is equipped with a center console-mounted dial that allows you to select your preferred driving mode. Chevrolet describes it best, “With the turn of a dial, everything changes. Five distinct, selectable drivers modes electronically calibrate up to 12 performance variables to customize your Stingray for any road.”
Bartlett especially liked this feature of the C7, mentioning, “That [it] really gives great versatility to the car.” From personal experience in driving theses C7s, we would have to agree, as the car feels and behaves remarkably different between Touring Mode and Track Mode. The Stingray transforms from a comfortable, easy to drive sports car, into a rigid track-ready car rearing to stretch its legs on an open road course.
Bartlett’s review can essentially be wrapped up by his sentence stating, “It’s by far the most extreme and exciting Corvette that’s been widely offered.” Collectively, we are happy to hear that the C7 was so well received by Bartlett and the rest of the Consumer Reports team. To say the Chevrolet took a GIANT leap forward with the C7 would be quite an understatement, and we are happy to see that this stride can be seen by those outside of the Corvette culture.
Well done Chevrolet!