I guess they can't give these things away... While getting my oil changed (Rumble Bee) the other day, I noticed a pair of new 2005 Viper verts (1 Copperhead and 1 Yellow). I was soon approached by a salesman who turned out to be a former co-worker. Right away he said quietly, "I can save you $20k off MSRP". After speaking with him for a little longer, I found they may even negotiate further! (especially for the yellow one). He told me the dealership had ordered the cars because Dodge was giving them a $1000 kick back if sold before July. This has certainly gotten my attention, paying as little as $60k on a brand new Viper!

Now my questions are for those who have had experience with these cars...
-How is the general reliability? Any major issues/recalls for 2005?
-What was your impression of the car?
-Have you heard how the aftermarket exhausts sound (Corsa/Borla)? (I'm not impressed with the factory exhaust note)

I know the C6 ZO6 is a slightly better performing car, but I'm not buying the car based purely on performance. It's a vert, it's still plenty fast, it looks sick, and it's pretty rare.

This car will replace my 350z as a weekend "toy" car.

 

Reliability on the Viper's been pretty awful. I know 2 people that already cashed them out for Lemons. It's a GREAT car when it's running, but don't expect a Toyota or even a BMW for reliability.

 

Who cares? Any major stuff you can just turn in under the warranty.
After all it's a one, two, three, fourth & weekend car.

But since you asked, like Rupp says, it's not that great.

Why are you considering the Viper? It doesn't handle that well, has competition in the straight line, has a pretty horrific interior which is made worse by the side-exiting exhaust heating the cabin to an ungodly temp, 12-15 mpg ... maybe, and the list goes on.

Are you that interested in straight line 0-60? If not then just get a regular C6 convert - better interior, still very fast, handles better, more reliable, better gas mileage, maybe slightly cheaper.

The Viper's just for looks.

M.

 

Are you serious? The Viper handles great, especially for a car that weighs 3300lbs. My experience was limited to the short test drive, but it did remind me of my S2000, albeit a little heavier feeling. I've also driven numerous Vettes (this is how I knew the salesperson...both former Chevy employees) and while a good car for the money, it has nowhere near the Vipers handling. I liked it's super quick steering response and the thing pulls over 1.0g on the skid pad!

I agree with the warranty...but nobody wants to pay for a car thats in the shop half the time.

 

IMO I would get the 06 Z06, I just love that car! I am not a big fan of verts......but the viper looks pretty good.

 

Z06 is a better performer, but you dont see nearly as many vipers on the road. The viper does look killer, and since it is your weekender you can get it fixed during the week so its ready for the weekend

 

but the Z06 is probably marked up =(

 

The Viper is a super-unreliable, $80,000 piece of junk that goes through gas, tires, repairs, and insurance money faster than Bill Clinton does girlfriends. IMO it is just about worthless on anything but a drag strip or a race track....especially on wet or slick roads. Even if you do find a legitimate use for it on public roads, police watch these cars like a hawk. I know...one of my friends had two of them...blue GTS coupes. They were used in the exotic-car-rental company he worked for. Not only were they complete lemons mechanically, but cops used to trail him even when he did nothing wrong.

I agree with stang and GS300Rich...if you want a car of this type, and can afford one, ( and the insurance fot it ), get the Z06. Corvettes are no model of reliability either, but the build quality of a Corvette is noticibly higher then that of a Viper.

But do NOT try and drive either one on slick roads with the factory tires.....I can't emphasize that enough. On a slick surface these cars are dangerous.

 

my friend had a 99 GTS he said it was a POS, he sold it and got a Z06. He always had it in the shop. Looked good though, just not reliable.

In the famous Bike vs. Car magazine test, the Viper they chose actually beat the crotch rocket in one category.... HANDLING.

 

Not around here anymore.......they are going for sticker!

 

I've found this to be very true about nearly all Viper owners...they have previously owned 1, 2, and sometimes 3 Vipers. That's gotta say something positive about them. As far as the Z06, there is still a mark up around here (2 months ago they were selling for $30k over!). But the more I think about it...the C6 Vettes have been known to become convertables too ...when the roof flys off

 

My friend, though, unlike most of the Viper owners you probably new, didn't just buy them for himself. They were an investment as a buisness.....part of an exotic rental-car firm. And that was quite an investment......how many people do you know with a $4000 a month car payment?
Unfortunately, people rented them only in nice weather. Winter came and they just sat...either in the shop for unreliability or in the garage because of lousy weather. He eventually ended up selling them both at a loss.