2016 Corvette Stingray review: so cool that the the chrome wheels have been forgiven

The following is a full review of the 2016 Corvette stingray I rented from Avis at the O’Hare Airport in Chicago in April 2016.

It was so much fun to drive that, Upon realizing that there was no gas in the car immediately after pulling out of the Avis parking lot, I drove to the nearest gas station and happily paid to fill it up with my own money.

Ain’t no way I was gonna give that car back so quickly.

First impressions

I drove a 2015 C7 from San Diego to Washington DC just one year prior, so I was already quite familiar with the seventh generation Corvette. That still didn’t stop me from feeling as excited as a kid on Christmas morning when sliding behind the wheel for the first time.

Silver 2016 Corvette Stingray side view — I hate chrome wheels on cars, but the level of attraction I feel towards this car is off the charts (and probably bordering on pornographic). The 2016 Corvette stingray looks so hot in silver!

Silver 2016 Corvette Stingray rear 3/4 view — What chrome wheels? Dat azz!

Pictures don’t do the C7 Corvette justice. It is much lower and wider in real life than it looks in photos. A lot lower and wider. It’s like standing next to an exotic car costing five times as much.

Silver 2016 Corvette Stingray front fender and hood detail — Haters ain’t gonna hate when getting this close. The C7 Corvette is a car you need to see up close and in person to really appreciate.

The 2016 Corvette is visually identical to the 2015 model that I drove a year prior. The only difference is the base wheel option. They’re still available in retina scorching chrome of course, but the design is different. I think I prefer the 2015 version.

Silver 2016 Corvette Stingray front fender and headlights — I’m not gonna say that the chrome wheels look good on this car, but I’d be lying if I tell you that I’m not totally repulsed by their existence. I refuse to admit that I actually like this!

2016 Corvette Stingray chrome wheels on 285/35ZR19 Michelin tires — A closer look at the 19″ chrome wheels (wrapped in 285/35ZR19 Michelin Pilot Super Sports). I still refuse to admit that I actually like this! But I might!

Silver 2016 Corvette Stingray front view — It’s really hard to tell that this is a base model Corvette with all those cuts, scoops, and hard edges. Can you believe that the rental car people actually trusted me with this much car?

Silver 2016 Corvette Stingray doors and rear hatch open front 3/4 view

Silver 2016 Corvette Stingray doors and rear hatch open front view

BTW, I also recored a video of my experience with this C7. Here is a detailed overview of the entire car:

Finally, no car is perfect, and in this video I discuss some of the things I like and didn’t like about this 2016 Corvette in general. Of course the “like” list is much longer than the “don’t like” list.

Interior

There’s not much more I can say about the interior of the 2016 C7 that I didn’t say in my review of the 2015 Corvette Stingray. Nothing has changed, and I still like it just as much as I did back then.

2016 Corvette Stingray black interior Passenger side — The dashboard blends into the door panels in the most satisfying of ways IMHO. I quite like this interior.

The base seats that were in this particular car were supportive and comfortable (despite how flat they appear). I’m not normally a fan of the base seat option in high-performance sports cars, but I wouldn’t have any issue with these in my own personal C7 (if that day ever comes).

2016 Corvette Stingray black interior base seats — I suspect I’m in the minority here, but I actually like the base seats in the Corvette. How my scrawny ass feels well supported in these things (which were no doubt designed for the average sized American) is beyond me.

2016 Corvette Stingray center console large infotainment screen — I especially like how they resisted the urge to cram all of the buttons for the climate control and audio system into that large infotainment screen. I do like that infotainment screen of course, but I’m more of a touchy-feely guy that needs physical buttons.

2016 Corvette Stingray digital gauge cluster — Speaking of large screens, the entire center section of the gauge cluster is some whiz bang LCD sh*t. I mean that in a good way of course, as it allows the gauge cluster to be customized to your liking.

2016 Corvette Stingray passenger door panel

Although I found forward outward visibility to be excellent in the 2016 Corvette, the blind spots around the B pillar are horrendous. You ain’t gonna see shit.

2016 Corvette Stingray rear hatch area size — Oh. That rear hatch area? Large enough to think that I didn’t bring enough luggage!

One of the best things about the interior of the 2016 Corvette? It’s how amazing the base audio system sounds. Bass is deep. Highs are crisp and clear. Mid tones are mostly nice (and not muddy). Unless you’re a true audiophile, you’ll more than likely find the base setup to be more than sufficient.

Engine and transmission

The 455 hp 6.2 L V8 in the 2016 Corvette is easily one of the most responsive engines I have ever experienced in a car. It pulls hard all the way to redline, and sounds great while doing so. It’s just as happy to cruise around town from stoplight to stoplight as it is to be rung out on the freeway at higher speeds. It’s incredibly versatile.

2016 corvette stingray 6.2 L V8 — Just saying *“6.2 L V8 with 455 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque”* out loud makes me feel like more of a man than I already am. I can feel hair growing on my chest!

2016 corvette stingray 6.2 L V8 detail close up — To be honest, looking at it has the same effect. I think my other testicle just dropped…

This car featured an 8 speed automatic transmission which, if I’m being honest, wouldn’t have been my first choice for a car like this. However, I’m happy to report that shifts are lightning quick. It almost feels like a dual clutch transmission found in higher end sports cars. I’m a fan.

2016 corvette stingray quad exhaust — And the sound of that this thing makes from this central quad exhaust? I’ve never felt more masculine in my entire life. This thing sounds *good*.

The dual mode exhaust is pretty amazing on the C7 Corvette, and in this video, I demonstrate the audible differences between the two modes:

Performance and handling

I think the most impressive thing about the 2016 Corvette is how docile it is when driven normally. I wouldn’t have any issues using it as a daily driver, as it’s quite comfortable and smooth when driving around town. Yes, it is stiffer than, say, a 2023 Cadillac CT4 (duh). But there wasn’t that much of a difference on this non Z51-equipped version IMHO.

Scott driving a 2016 Corvette Stingray — Of course the 2016 Corvette Stingray is ridiculously quick in a straight line. And the magnetic ride control is phenomenal (making it feel soft and cushy on the freeway and race car like stable in the corners). But F me if I didn’t spend most of my time worrying about rock chips and windshield cracks. This was not a carefree rental car experience!

Straight line acceleration is brutal. It goes around corners like a slot car. The best part? The traction control is excellent, so you won’t have to worry about the back end unexpectedly getting away from you when accelerating out of a turn. It’s a very stable platform which will prevent even the worst drivers from making embarrassing mistakes.

2016 corvette stingray brakes — If you look closely (and if you can avoid all the bling from the chrome wheels) you’ll notice the Ferritic Nitro-Carburized rotors (12.6 inches front and 13.3 inches rear). They’re supposed to be really long lasting, but all I know is that they did a very good job of slowing this C7 down from high-speed very quickly. I mean, I *assume* they would.

2016 corvette stingray in silver parked at the shores of Lake Michigan

Gas mileage

I put over 250 miles on this car, with an average MPG of 25.2. Most of that was highway driving between Chicago and Southwest lower Michigan, but I suspect the gas mileage would’ve been better if this wasn’t a brand new car. I picked it up with only 18 miles on the odometer, so it hadn’t even been properly broken in yet.

Silver 2016 corvette stingray at the gas station — **Pro tip:** if having the coolest car at the gas station is of the utmost importance to you, it’s hard to go wrong with a 2016 Corvette Stingray. It’s a contest you’ll win almost every time.

Final thoughts

It’s not very often that a car will pull on my heart strings as much as this 2016 Corvette did. I actually felt sad when I had to give it back.

Is it perfect? Nope. It’s actually difficult to get in and out of if I’m being honest, and I don’t like the attention that it draws. Worrying about where (and how) to park it was annoying as well.

But boy didn’t ever make me feel alive. The sound, the speed, the looks…the 2016 C7 has got it all. I want one. Bad.