Big worries

I have never owned a Corvette and have been quite excited to get the car I have always dreamed of having... but now I'm afraid I am going to have to bail when my car finally arrives.

At the outset, it was a risk committing a ton of dough to a vehicle I had yet to drive. All the cars I have been near so far are NOT available to drive... they are either already sold, or the dealer is too frightened to let them move off the lot in the hands of anyone but the owner.

So I have been content just to sit in a showroom car, and already have BIG concerns... because as I told the salesman, regardless of the splendor of having a Stingray, I intend to drive this thing into the ground and do not want it to ever be a burden.

First is entry / exit. The difficult angle is to be expected, but the trim inside the car at the door sill is poor. It is a soft plastic not designed for heavy wear. While getting in and out it is impossible not to clip this trim occasionally with your foot. The showroom car I was just in was already scratched up to hell, all the way up to under the dash. I guess this is where aftermarket steps in.

Then there's visibility. Not a heck of a lot in any direction. The outside mirrors are sexy and sleek, but way too small. And where I drive, avoiding stupid drivers around me is my foremost challenge to stay alive.

But the main thing is the seat. I know it was redesigned with great fanfare, yet EVERY time I have sat in a car for a period of time, I have gotten a slight backache. The lumbar bulge seems positioned too high, instead at the base of my back. Even with the lumbar adjustment-- which does not move it up/down as on other luxury vehicles-- I cannot get the seat to feel comfortable.

I was willing to put up with a lot to have a Corvette-- the terror of parking it in public, small cargo room, fitting it into my garage, the high cost of maintenance and insurance, etc. But the seat hurting? That is an absolute dealbreaker.