1997-2004 5th Generation Chevrolet Corvette Coupe & Convertible (C5) Review

当涉及到一个模型更新,雪佛兰决定to not introduce an official facelift for the range, meaning that visually, it remained unchanged for the entirety of its lifespan, with only the introduction of new wheel designs and some exterior colors to note. This would make it one of the few Corvette generations to never have been facelifted.

The 5th-gen Chevrolet Corvette was only available with one powertrain and two transmission options. The LS1 naturally aspirated OHV 5.7-liter V8 was introduced in this generation of the Corvette. It was more than a reincarnated LT1, as Chevrolet put in the effort of essentially crafting an all-new powertrain from the ground up. Other than the rod bearings, everything else used in this powertrain was brand-new. It may not have been as sophisticated as the OHC engines used by European rivals, but it certainly had the grunt to maintain the Corvette's reputation as a competitive performance car, both on and off track.

While the LS1 may have had the grunt to keep up with its more expensive European rivals, one area where it fell short was its poor fuel consumption. Interestingly, the EPA estimates the six-speed manual to be marginally more frugal with a city/highway/combined result of 17/26/20 mpg. The four-speed automatic transmission manages an estimated 16/24/19 mpg. Real-world combined figures sourced from past and existing owners report that the manual can do 20.8 to 25 mpg and the automatic 17.4 to 26 mpg. These results are sourced from private individuals and not the EPA and thus should not be treated as official figures. Granted, the fifth-generation Chevrolet Corvette is a large displacement sports car, but it is worth noting that these figures are substantially better than the likes of the 375 hp 3.5-liter V8 Ferrari F355's 9/14/11 mpg estimates. The 315 hp 5.0-liter V8 Mercedes-Benz R129 SL500 boasts slightly poorer consumption estimates with a figure of 14/21/16 mpg.

* Real-world mpg and MPGe figures are provided by the EPA. Once a car has been on sale for a significant period of time, the EPA gets real-world figures directly from the customer base. These figures are then provided on the EPA website. Real-world figures are not available for certain models due to a lack of sales, or not enough people partaking in this after-sales survey.

Like many other performance cars, the 5th-generation Corvette was not crash-tested by the NHTSA, so there's no official indication regarding how it would react to a collision. Chevrolet employed a high-strength perimeter frame and center backbone for the construction of the 5th-gen Corvette, which allowed for it to incorporate a fully independent suspension for the first time in this model's history. ABS, traction control, and a speed-sensitive steering system are included to assist the driver with keeping the car on the road but if something goes wrong, airbags for the driver and passenger aim to soften the blow. These were revised to be more effective in 1999. The front and rear bumpers are impact-absorbing from up to five mph and thanks to the use of composite body panels, it is resistant to parking lot dents and dings and rust. While parked, GM's Pass-Key II theft-deterrent system and alarm ensure that criminals may have a hard time breaking in. In 2003, GM fitted new ISOFIX Child Restraint Attachment System hooks on the passenger side for baby seats.

Throughout the fifth-generation Chevrolet Corvette's lifespan, it was only available in one trim with two body style options and a short list of optional extras that uplift the visual, comfort, convenience, and performance aspects. Alongside this, the brand also celebrated its halo model's heritage by introducing three special edition models.

• 1998 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Indy 500 Pace Car Replica: The open-top C5 Corvette was granted the honor of gracing the Indy 500 in pace car form. To celebrate this, Chevrolet put together 1,163 replica models featuring a special Radar Blue paint complemented by a unique livery and yellow alloy wheels. The interior is wrapped in black and yellow leather upholstery and features the more premium audio system as standard, among other comfort features.
• 2003 Chevrolet Corvette 50th Anniversary Edition: Celebrating five decades of the iconic Corvette moniker, this special model can be had as a coupe or convertible with an Anniversary Red metallic paint and shale two-tone leather upholstery with special embroidery and Warm Nickel metallic alloy wheels. 11,600 of these cars were made.
• 2004 Chevrolet Corvette Commemorative Edition: Celebrating the immense success of the C5-R at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Chevrolet put together 2,215 Commemorative Edition coupes and convertibles. This is essentially a limited package. which includes a Le Mans Blue metallic paint and shale two-tone leather upholstery.

The Corvette may be a compact two-seater performance car, but it's more spacious than its European rivals. Headroom and legroom for the coupe, convertible, and hardtop models measures 37.9-inches and 42.7-inches respectively, which is enough space for someone measuring 6.4 feet tall. A shoulder-room figure of 55.3-inches ensures that the driver and passenger have a generous personal bubble. The coupe and hardtop benefit from an impressive cargo capacity of 24.8 cubic feet thanks to its fastback design. This accommodates more than enough luggage space for a weekend away for two people. The convertible only offers 11.2 cubic feet of space due to the soft top folding roof's storage compartment. This is still a fair amount of space for daily routine tasks such as grocery shopping.

As for the cabin experience, Chevrolet creates a somewhat premium ambiance by incorporating soft-touch plastic, leather, and fabric surfaces accompanied by a plush set of leather seats. For the first two years, interior color schemes consisted of Black, Light Gray, Firethorn Red, and Light Oak. Torch Red replaced Firethorn Red in 2002.

Maintenance on the Chevrolet Corvette C5 is a fairly straightforward process with an oil and filter change required every 10,000 miles. If you frequent dusty environments, the air filter will need to be replaced at this point as well. If not, it will only need to be replaced every 30,000 miles. At 50,000 miles, the automatic transmission fluid will need a change for cars that drive in areas that are usually hotter than 90 degrees Fahrenheit, otherwise, a fluid change should occur at 100,000 miles according to the manufacturer. We generally recommend not exceeding 60,000 miles between auto 'box oil changes. A new accessory drive belt will need to be fitted at 60,000 miles. At 100,000 miles, the LS1 will require new spark plugs and wiring. A cooling-system drain and flush should take place every 150,000 miles. Your annual maintenance costs for the fifth-generation Chevrolet Corvette should not exceed $740.

The Corvette's LS1's oil capacity is 6.4 quarts of synthetic motor oil. This should not exceed $79. A new air filter is $26, and a set of eight spark plugs costs $98.

Four recalls were issued for the 1997 Chevrolet Corvette for manufacturing defects. Several examples were subject to an electronic column-lock system recall that can prevent the steering wheel from turning. This is a problem that is well-documented for the C5 Corvette, as it does struggle with a few ignition switch, key fob, starting, and steering lock problems. 71,569 units assembled from 1997 to 2000 were recalled for a lap belt webbing that may become jammed in the retractor. 3,792 Corvettes produced in 1997 were sent back for a fuel tank sending unit that was torn, which resulted in leaks. 1,414 models needed to be recalled after a weak tie rod was fitted to the rear suspension. The last recalled model was the 2004 Corvette which was fitted with a lower control arm ball that is made of the wrong material.

C5 Corvettes are known to struggle with a leaky battery and a leak-prone interior. The powertrain is fairly robust if well-maintained, but it has been known to struggle with poor piston ring seals, oil and water pump failures, bent pushrods, and piston slap. High oil consumption, oil leaks, electrical woes, and HVAC issues have also been noted by owners.

These are some of the fault codes you may encounter with the 5th-gen Chevrolet Corvette coupe and convertible:

• Code P1232 and P1233 relate to the injector four and five output circuits, respectively. This code will appear if your fuel injector is faulty or if there is an issue with the electrical circuit of the engine control module.
• P0141 is the code you'll see when the heated oxygen sensor bank one sensor two is acting up. The sensor will need to be replaced.
• P0160 or will come up if there is no activity detected on the O2 sensor circuit bank two sensor two. P0161 relates to the heater performance on the same sensor. This could be due to a faulty circuit or poor fuel injectors, intake air leaks, or exhaust gas leaks. The fuel pressure may also be incorrect.
• Code P0171 will appear if your fuel trim system is running lean on bank one. This could be due to issues relating to a restricted air filter, mass air flow sensor, intake air or exhaust gas leaks, fuel contamination, or issues with the fuel injectors and heated oxygen sensor.
• P0300 will appear if an engine misfire is detected. If this is the case, you'll have to replace the spark plugs or ignition coils.
• Code P0327 relates to a low voltage being read on the knock sensor circuit bank one. This is likely due to a faulty sensor or a poor electrical connection.
• P0335 and P0341 indicate that there is a fault with the crankshaft and camshaft position sensor circuit respectively, and may require you to replace the sensor or inspect the electrical connection. P0343 means that the camshaft position sensor circuit is struggling with a high voltage and requires the same solution.
• Code P0410 indicates that the secondary air injection system is malfunctioning. This could be due to a damaged vacuum hose, air pump, or diverter valve. The air bypass solenoid could also be worn.
• P0442 will appear when the main catalyst efficiency drops below the threshold. You may need to resolve the oxygen sensor, coolant temperature sensor, fuel pressure regulator, manifold air pressure sensor, or inspect the wiring connections.

一些雪佛兰Corvette C5油箱过热问题e to both of the gas-tank sending units that may fail and provide an incorrect reading of the amount of gas left in the tank. The retractable headlights' motors are generally robust, but every so often they can fail due to a worn gear. The cost of a new motor is fairly substantial, but the labor charge is relatively low. A faulty gas cap has also led a short list of cars to display a Check Engine light but thankfully this is an inexpensive fix. The Check Engine light may also illuminate to signal a restricted secondary air-injection check valve. Both check valves may need to be replaced. We should also mention that the 4L60 automatic transmission operates at its designed torque limit with the V8 engine and we would replace the oil every 50,000 miles at least to give it a better chance of surviving high mileages.

The following issues are not likely to occur with the fifth-generation 1997 to 2004 Chevrolet Corvette C5:

• The Active Handling suspension and body control module (BCM) are generally complex systems but on the fifth-generation Chevrolet Corvette, they are not noteworthy problems.
• Electrical components of the C5 Corvette, such as the alarm, blinker/turn signal, low-voltage issues, power seat, radio, alternator, starter, and door locks have not been reported to be problematic.
• The C5 Corvette's automatic and manual transmissions tend to be problem-free if well-maintained and not over-exerted. The clutch, shifter, and torque tube are also known to be dependable.
• Problems relating to the Corvette's body paint have not been documented, so this is an area that should not be troublesome.

When it comes to powertrain choices, there isn't a specific model year to avoid as that is an aspect that remained largely unchanged throughout its life, but the 1997 and 1998 models were subject to more recalls. These model year cars were also prone to having a leaky battery and does not benefit from the updated active handling system or selective ride control.

2003 and 2004 C5 Chevrolet Corvette models get the nod because they feature the slightly more powerful powertrain and the optional F55 Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension. These are also model years that were not subject to as many recalls and feature a more robust braking system.

The 5th-gen Corvette is a true-to-its-roots American sports car that continues the legacy of its nameplate. It brings several crucial features and updates to customers compared to the previous generation C4. While its LS1 powertrain may not be as dependable as the LT1 it replaced, it still offers impressive performance that can be used more generously thanks to its traction control system and active suspension. Optional Selective Ride Control allows owners to further take advantage of the independent suspension, despite its single composite transverse leaf spring on the rear axle inherited from the C4. Comfort features are in no shortage here either as everything from plush leather seats to electrically operable door mirrors and windows and remote keyless entry is fitted.