I drive a 2006 Corvette Convertible 3LT (all options) including power top. I'm looking for opinions from XLR owners who have owned both a late model Corvette (C6) and XLR. When you made the switch to the XLR, what did you miss about the vette?

I like my C6 a lot, but yesterday I took my wife's STS in for routine service and started looking at the XLRs in the showroom while I waited on the service. I liked what I saw, but I didn't have time to test drive it. The interior looked very similar to the 3LT C6, but with a more fancy finish. The XLR is only automatic transmission, right? My last 2 vettes (a C4 before the C6) were 6 speed manual. The C6 clutch is not a pleasant experience unless you are banging it out on the track, so maybe I won't miss it.

If I asked a question like this on the corvette forum I'd get 27,000 flaming replies. I hope XLR owners are more civilized.

I think a test drive will put you in the XLR!

Although I haven't owned a C6, I have driven them.
The two cars are, vette and XLR, are obviously aimed at different markets, but I think if the XLR's styling already caught your attention, then the things that make a Cadillac a Cadillac, will win you over once you've driven the XLR.

I have an '07 C6 and my wife "Quinn" has an '07 XLR-V --- I think if you get the V you may not miss the Corvette at all. XLR leg room passenger-side is a drawback and there are some things missing in the XLR heads-up display. Oh yeah, and in my Corvette I always know what direction I am going (no compass in the XLR mirror). :(

I'd encourage you to take a test drive and let us know what you think.

David Kinney

Well, I've owned five Vettes, the one I traded on an '06 XLR was an '02. I have since upgraded to a "V." The only thing I really miss is being able to shift--loved that!

Yes, you are able to manually shift the XLR, but it really isn't the same thing.

If you are able to find a dealership that will allow you to take a spin in a "V," I absolutely think you'll be gazing regularly at her in your garage. . .honest. :yesnod

Floyd

Forgot to mention a bunch of us will be playing your backyard next Spring. Check it out here, maybe you can come play with us! A fun time will be had by all!!!

Well ... I've not owned a Corvette .... been in quite a few ...

But here is the obvious ....

Made in the same factory ..... but absolutely 2 different cars. :yesnod

I don't know how one could even compare them. One is known as primarily a sportscar, and the XLR is that (the V goes zooooooom) plus luxury ..... you know..... it's a CADILLAC! Lot's of members have both in the family ....

And ..... obviously ..... we ARE much more civilized ... Just see how nicely we respond?! :jester

Lola's Mom

And ..... obviously ..... we ARE much more civilized ... Just see how nicely we respond?! :jester

Lola's Mom

Mmmm!
So XLR owners are civilized and Vette owners are ??:glol

You fill in the blank ... :jester

RA :angel

Besides, he said 27,000 replies :eek There's barely half that many XLR's ever made! Oh .... hey ... good point for the XLR vs. Corvette ..... if you don't want to see yourself coming and going every 10 minutes .... go with the XLR!

Both are great cars and we love them both. Even though we don't own either a C-6 or an XLR, we have spent plenty of time with both. The Corvette is America's sports car and hopefully always will be. The XLR is a true luxury sports car that many people love because of it's great looks and Cadillac attitude. For us though, the best thing about the XLR has been the wonderful people we have met and become friends with. Our XLR friends are the best. :yesnod

You are right about the members of the Corvette Forum.

Bruce:flag

http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s345/bkashpaugh/MidOhio%2008/Mid-OhioRace2008412.jpg

http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s345/bkashpaugh/MidOhio%2008/Mid-OhioRace2008413.jpg

http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s345/bkashpaugh/MidOhio%2008/Mid-OhioRace2008414.jpg

Kathy took these pictures in Lexington,OH of a group from Canada who had come down for the races at Mi-Ohio. What is important about the pictures is that almost everyone stopped and watched our caravan of XLRs roll by. I posted these same pictures on the Corvetteforum and people replied about what a great looking group of cars we had.


In other words, if you want a great car that stands out from the crowd...buy an XLR!

Bruce

I have an '07 C6 and my wife "Quinn" has an '07 XLR-V --- I think if you get the V you may not miss the Corvette at all. XLR leg room passenger-side is a drawback and there are some things missing in the XLR heads-up display. Oh yeah, and in my Corvette I always know what direction I am going (no compass in the XLR mirror). :(

I'd encourage you to take a test drive and let us know what you think.

David Kinney

With the navigation system you have a compass so no need for one in the mirror, another reason the XLR is more sophisticated. I love my XLR, would not trade it for any other kind of machine I am not so sure the owners are more civilized as I hear some of the partys :party get pretty wild. Those Angel Wings can fly pretty high. LOL:)

Thanks to all for the input. I think a test drive is in order. When I take my wife's STS in for the next servicing, I'll schedule a test drive. That's going to say it all. It looks like my 3LT C6 has all the options found on the XLR, except for cooled seats and retractable hard top. I really like the hard roof feature, but it makes the C6 vert trunk space look roomy. The cooled seats sound nice for Texas summers.
I hope the Cadi dealer lets me take it home for the weekend. That's what the Chev dealer who sold me the C6 did and I never brought it back!

The one thing you'll find is that driving an XLR is an experience very different from what you're use to. I've had both c5's and a c6. I honestly loved both styles, until my wife and I saw an XLR on the road. She immediately said, wow, that is sure a great looking car. Two days later we dropped by the cadillac dealer and traded in my c6, 4 months old and 1500 miles on it for the XLR. I've done a few things to the XLR, just as I had the Vettes. I have the non-v, it wasn't avail at the time I bought mine in 06. To be honest, I'm very happy with the performance. I did change out the grill for the mesh v-grill, put on the corsa exhaust, sway bar, and changed out the wheels for chrome vette zo6 wheels, and K&N filters. I've run with a couple stock vettes and stayed right with them. Unless you have the extra $20 grand, the reg XLR performs great with a few modds. Most of all, you'll be stopped everywhere you go, with people asking about the car. It's a real attention getter for sure. But the ride and dealer customer service is fantastic. I've also found, most vette owners only think a vette is the car to own, and they will definetly flame you in any post that you mention something different from a vette. I can only say, drive one and make your own decision. Most of us have and did make the jump. Good luck and hope to see you at one of our events.
Bill (ocool)

You didn't mention which suspension your C6 had or whether you're considering the V, which is significantly different to the standard XLR. These remarks pertain only to the base version.

If you have the mag ride, the XLR is similar to its touring mode, but there's no performance mode (go figure). The 2008/2009 XLR's have a second-generation version and a rear anti-roll bar. To me, the new combination feels slightly more compliant than the C6 touring mode, but the platform is still under control and noticeably moreso than prior XLR's. AFAIK, GM hadn't updated the C6 mag ride in 2008, and I don't think they did for 2009. Earlier X's didn't come with the rear bar and may roll or yaw surprisingly depending on your driving style.

As has been said, the HUD has only limited information compared to the C6, and it's not geared to performance or tech issues.

Also as above, the mirror compass is missed; it is/was used on the export X's.

The seats are comfortable, but they lack lateral support.

The transmission is similar to the C6 automatic, but it doesn't have steering wheel controls. Personally, I think the shift points are excessively high- at the expense of fuel mileage and engine noise. The car has enough torque to upshift at lower revs than it does (you can force the shifts in the manual mode), a la the C6. Depending on what the roads, terrain and speed limits are (and how you drive), you may find that the transmission shifts back and forth between gears more often than you might expect or desire.

In the transmission's sport mode, you only request gears. You do not select them. The control unit will override your requests if they're outside its parameters. And it will still downshift automatically in sport mode, even if/when you don't want it to. I'm not sure whether it will force an upshift if you forget to shift 'manually.' IIRC, the C6's beefier version has the same idiosyncracies.

I wouldn't say the XLR is more sophisticated, but it's arguably more complicated. Regrettably, GM just isn't trying with the car.

BTW, if the car you saw in the showroom was a 2008, they've changed it a bit for 2009.

Ocool, I thought you had a V. I could have sworn I saw the V emblems on your X at RIII.

Ocool, I thought you had a V. I could have sworn I saw the V emblems on your X at RIII.

You're absolutely correct, Ocool has all the trappings of a "V," he has done a great job of adding after-market goodies including all the "V" badges. He purchased his X just before the "V" was let out of the stall. I'm sure in his next go-round he'll have all of what the badges represent!

Floyd

You didn't mention which suspension your C6 had or whether you're considering the V, which is significantly different to the standard XLR. These remarks pertain only to the base version.

If you have the mag ride, the XLR is similar to its touring mode, but there's no performance mode (go figure). The 2008/2009 XLR's have a second-generation version and a rear anti-roll bar. To me, the new combination feels slightly more compliant than the C6 touring mode, but the platform is still under control and noticeably moreso than prior XLR's. AFAIK, GM hadn't updated the C6 mag ride in 2008, and I don't think they did for 2009. Earlier X's didn't come with the rear bar and may roll or yaw surprisingly depending on your driving style.

As has been said, the HUD has only limited information compared to the C6, and it's not geared to performance or tech issues.

Also as above, the mirror compass is missed; it is/was used on the export X's.

The seats are comfortable, but they lack lateral support.

The transmission is similar to the C6 automatic, but it doesn't have steering wheel controls. Personally, I think the shift points are excessively high- at the expense of fuel mileage and engine noise. The car has enough torque to upshift at lower revs than it does (you can force the shifts in the manual mode), a la the C6. Depending on what the roads, terrain and speed limits are (and how you drive), you may find that the transmission shifts back and forth between gears more often than you might expect or desire.

In the transmission's sport mode, you only request gears. You do not select them. The control unit will override your requests if they're outside its parameters. And it will still downshift automatically in sport mode, even if/when you don't want it to. I'm not sure whether it will force an upshift if you forget to shift 'manually.' IIRC, the C6's beefier version has the same idiosyncracies.

I wouldn't say the XLR is more sophisticated, but it's arguably more complicated. Regrettably, GM just isn't trying with the car.

BTW, if the car you saw in the showroom was a 2008, they've changed it a bit for 2009.

rwd, and others,
My C6 is a triple black 2006 M6 Z51 3LT NAV convertible with a Vararam CAI and minor mods like mudflaps, iPod unit and removed GM chicklets. I like it. It is fun to drive most of the time. Sometimes I get agitated with the binary clutch action. My C4 clutch was beautifully smooth. So, my thoughts are, if I'm going to move to an auto trans C6, then I may as well get an XLR. Yes, I am considering the XLR-V, but seeing that I have not driven either the XLR or XLR-V I won't rule out either. I'll want to test drive both.
The Z51 ride is harsh compared to just about any other car, but I don't mind the ride, even when I feel agitated. I do not like roll and yaw so I'll have to add sway bars to an XLR if it doesn't already have it.

What is displayed on the XLR HUD? i.e. what's missing that the C6 has? Is it like 'street mode' in the C6?

I'm not a fan of the C6 seat fit. I really like the way my 92 C4 seats supported my legs and lateral support. Don't get me wrong. The newer seats are of a far superior quality, but they are designed for 'wider' 21st century Americans. I would imagine the XLR fit will be similar to the C6. If I had different seats and clutch in the C6 I'd be a completely happy man.

My C6 mirror has the compass, while our STS does not. I miss it. It's nice to know the general bearing without having to always have the NAV on. Is there a compass somewhere else in the Cadillacs other than NAV?

Is the XLR auto trans similar to the STS? The STS is wonderfully smooth. I can't even tell when it is shifting. My wife usually drives the STS, but I take it when I get a chance. It definitely is the cure for the agitated feeling. When I drive the STS, I become transformed to a peaceful, gentle, polite driver who obeys all the traffic laws. I'm serious. The STS is averaging an unbelievable 20mpg in mixed driving with regular gas. Does the XLR do similar numbers? 93 or 87 octane?
I'm not sure about sport shifting in an auto C6, but I would imagine that GM has to prevent the driver from making a bad downshifting decision. It could be fatal - if not for the driver, then at least for the engine.

Lastly, I looked at a 2004 Nieman Marcus edition mauve XLR, a 2005 and a 2009. The 2009 arrived just as I was leaving. It has a new grill and exhaust facia. I'm sure there is more, but I'm still not that familiar with XLRs.

Thanks for your time and opinions.

You're welcome, paz.

Drive everything you can. Although the cars are mass-produced and look alike, there can be significant differences in performance, noise and comfort between individual units. Again, these remarks are primarily regarding the base car.

I agree with your comments about the C6 seats. I prefer the early C4 seats, too,

In any case, the base XLR seats have very little lateral or leg support- less than the C6 variants. Arguably, the car wasn't initially intended to be cornered aggressively or it wouldn't have gone so long without the rear bar. The 2008 suspension changes and bar improve the car significantly, imo. The V has always had the rear bar, iirc, but I don't know about its seats.

Given your current car and the ones you're considering, the tires (type, size and profile) will probably make the biggest difference in the ride and noise. I would expect the revised base XLR to feel more compliant than any anything but the current C6 base suspension, partially due to the X's 50-series tires. It is also more tolerant of abrupt impacts like concrete divider strips and potholes. While the roof does eat up some trunk space when retracted, when it's up it makes the car quieter (based on a digital sound meter) than the various C6 models. It also makes the interior feel roomier and more open than the vert with the top up.

Even after the C6 steering revisions in 2008, the vette steering still feels a bit like steer-by-wire, and you may prefer the XLR version.

There's no other compass location I'm aware of, and I haven't had gotten around to checking whether a mirror off a contemporary GM car (or export XLR) might be substituted. If anybody knows, the information would be helpful. Similarly, why the clock and temperature data have to be so small when the nav system is off escapes me.

AFAIK, the 2009 is essentially the same hardware as the 2008, and the revisions are primarily, if not entirely, cosmetic. The front and rear fascia are different, as is some of the interior. A vertical side grille on the front quarter panel was seen on some photos of the pre-production cars, but I haven't seen a 2009 yet and don't follow the board that closely.

The transmission is very similar in performance to the C6 version. I haven't driven an STS, but I doubt it's that smooth. Mainly, you notice the change in engine note and rpm during shifts. IMO, the auto shift points are not ideal and, depending on local speed limits and driving style, can cause gratuitous shifting, engine noise and wasted fuel.

For example, in automatic, you get 4th gear at 30mph, but it drops back to 3rd if you drop to 29. That can be annoying, if the speed limit is 30mph. However, in sport mode you can select 4th at 25mph and drive around between 25-30mph or more without any problems. Both 5th and 6th are also manually selectable much earlier than the auto will give them to you, and the impact of that extra rpm on fuel mileage in the auto range is significant. Unfortunately, if you use the sport mode to save fuel in the higher gears, you either have to shift back to auto at stop signs or manually upshift all the time.

BUT even in sport mode, it'll still downshift on its own (surprise!) and force you to upshift again if you drop 1mph below its programmed speed. Still, iirc, it's the same with the C6 version. I doubt either would let you mechanically overrev on a downshift as you describe, but if you switch frequently between the auto/sport modes, beware of accidentally selecting neutral if you're in auto and you think you're upshifting in the sport. That's a mistake you can't make in the C6, since the gear selection is on the steering wheel instead of the transmission lever.

The mpg will depend on the mix of speed limits, terrain and how you drive, but 21-ish shouldn't be out of the question unless it's all city. Basically, it's a 3600-pound car, and the rest is physics. The V adds a little over 200 pounds, btw. You'll get varying opinions on fuel grades here just like the C6 boards.

Color availability aside, I'd generally recommend getting the latest model since it will have the most revisions and fixes. Since the 2008 appears to have the same hardware as 2009, if you prefer the prior body style you can still get it with the improved hardware. There are still unsold 2008's, and, the last time I checked, 2007's and 2006's, as well. If you play around with GM Buypower, you can find them.

Got to run. Sorry for the long post. IMO, YMMV, professional driver closed course, etc.