Hey. I'm in/was in the exact same boat. I will be again to in a little while (I had to take care of a speeding ticket first, the message is down lower
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)
Anyway, here's what I figured out:
>To familiarize myself with this car beyond just a 5 minute
>dealer test drive, I’m planning to rent a ’96 GTS from a local
>rental place for a day. I’m hoping that this $500 will make
>me feel better about buying a Viper or will help me avoid a
>$70K mistake.
I thought about this, but $500 is a third (or more) of a payment. I think even if there is some problem that crops up later like discomfort, you won't even notice because you'll only have it for 1 day, and you'll be an adrenaline ***** the whole time.
>-I know that there are some differences between a ’96 GTS
>and a ‘99+ GTS like bigger wheels and a redesigned interior.
>I’d like to know just how much my rental ’96 Viper will
>differ from a newer model.
I've heard that they are a little looser driving-wise. Other than that, and the fact that rental Viper's tend to get beat to death, so might not perform as well, you'll be missing the dial back pedals. Everything else should be similiar.
>-Other than the addition of ABS and different colors, what
>else is different between ‘99 and ‘01? How important is ABS?
>Do you think I should spend the extra 10-15K for a ’01 over
>a ’99? 10-15K definitely makes a difference to me!
I thought the same thing. I finally decided that if I'm going to daily drive (including rain) I NEED to get ABS. But the reality is, given the low depreciation, getting a car 2 years older will only save you maybe $100-$200 per month. With payments around $1400/month (for me at least), this little bit more was worth having a 2 year newer car.
>-What do you think is a typical annual cost of ownership of
>a Viper?
Not too much more than another other sports car, other than having slightly worse gas mileage than most other sports cars due to the extra 2 cylinders.
>-I’ve read a lot of criticism about the absence of the dead
>pedal and having no place for your left foot. As well as
>complains about pedal placement. Is this real? How big
>of a problem is this?
Can't honestly say. I really doubt know'll ever know the answer to this question without owning one for a length of time. Again, renting one for one day isn't going to tell the difference. One nice thing given the low depreciation, is that as long as you make payments for about 1.5 years, you can sell it and make a gain if you don't like it. You'll only have to "suffer" for a little while.
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>-I know that in order to save on gas, Corvettes will sometimes
>force you to shift from 1st to 4th. I hate that! Do Vipers\
>have that “feature” too?
Yup. Ain't america great? Not to worry, I believe there is a $25 part to disable that feature on a Viper just like on a Vette.
>-How good are Viper factory stereo systems? Are they easy to
>upgrade?
Honestly, the Monsoon stock stereo in my Camaro sounded better. I want the RT/10, which has no good space for a sub, but GTSs on the other hand can be quite good when replaced. The factory stereo does blow though.
>Also, the one other car that I am considering is a ’97 911TT.
>How does it compare to a Viper?
Nothing under $100,000 compares to a Viper. Same looks and better reliability (plus American made) than anything in the $100,000+ range, faster than anything in the $250,000- range.
Check out the daily driver FAQ on this site.
-Brett
