Ownership Costs For the C8 Corvette are Quite Reasonable
Bucking a common trend with mid-engine sports cars.
True Cost
The C8 Corvette brought forth arguably the biggest changes in the 70-year history of the sports car, chiefly its shift from a front-engine vehicle to a mid-engine layout. However, the problem with mid-engine cars is that many of them are exotics that are known more for their performance than their reliability, making them rather expensive to own and maintain. Thus, we were very interested to see what Edmunds’ ownership costs for the C8 were after racking up 25,000 miles on theirs.
Photos: Chevrolet
Routine Maintenance
Edmunds has owned their C8 for two years now, and as one might imagine for a long-term tester, it’s seen its fair share of track use, as well as road miles. Regardless, the rag has experienced zero problems with their new Corvette thus far, only dishing out money for routine maintenance and various other necessities.
Photos: Chevrolet
Costly Mistake
The first-time maintenance visit didn’t cost a thing, but instead of opting for a transmission filter replacement at that time, Edmunds chose to forgo that and wound up paying for it at the 7,500-mile service – $205 for the filter kit, $43 for a quart of transmission oil, and $498 for 2.5 hours of labor, bringing that trip up to $769 with tax included.
Photos: Chevrolet
Oil Changes
The second oil change and wiper replacement came at 17,500 miles and cost $236, while another $278 was spent at the 25k mile mark. It was good timing, however, as there was also a recall for the ECU to prevent erroneous additional fuel enrichment, so a software update was installed to correct that issue, too.
Photos: Chevrolet
Costly Mistake
As is often the case with cars that get tracked, this C8 did experience a big issue there – one of the staffers hit a curb, which damaged two wheels and cracked the windshield. The wheels cost $595 each to replace, while the windshield wound up setting them back $747 – a costly mistake, indeed.
Photos: Chevrolet
More Bad Luck
Sadly, a rock hit the windshield while the crew was driving on the highway and it had to be replaced a second time, but this time around, it cost even more – $1,126. Not too long after that, a rock chip cost another $149 to repair, and a flat required a new pair of Michelin 305/30R20 Pilot Sport tires, setting them back $1,266.
Photos: Chevrolet
Nothing Outrageous
All-in-all, these costs are nothing outrageous by any means, but they’re particularly impressive if we exclude accidental damage like the flat tire and windshield debacles. A set of replacement Michelin tires for the car cost $2,125, and that’s likely the biggest expense most owners will incur, particularly since they prioritize grip over tread life.
Photos: Chevrolet
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