So test drove the 6th gen Camaro SS for the first time

"KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time" (kngt) 05/25/2018 at 18:42 • Filed to: Oppo review, Camaro SS, Camaro, unnecessary car shopping without E90M3

8

26

And I have mixed feelings. 2017 SS 8 speed with the 2SS package

I like it better in Blue, Dark gray and White

The last time I drove a Camaro was a 5th gen V6 back in ‘11 and I vaguely remember it being not so good.

Exterior : Looks great! Love the grill, silhouette, wheels, stance and the wide hips, LED lighting is very good.

Interior: The bad- Holy claustrophobic gun slits Batman! Why Chevy? WHY? Sorry, I give it an F ! I prefer good visibility but don’t prefer convertibles which will solve this issue, obviously. immediate sides are fine. The rear quarters are atrocious. I gave up and relied completely on the blind spot system and I think I will take a very long time to get used to this, and not worth the compromise. I had !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Also the car is super wide and I was afraid I was going to hit curbs all the time. Raising up seats don’t help much.

The side door sill is really really high but can get over it.

Nope. Sorry. I can’t even

The Good- Gauges are very good, crisp and clean.Ventilated heated seats fantastic. Switch gear is good. Infotainment angled downward I thought was weird but was least of my concern because it worked well. HUD was clear. Really liked the rotating bezel on the vents and I was able to adjust them to blow on body rather than just the knees like some reviewers have mentioned. Seats are comfortable. Space is good for driver and passenger. Back seats are a joke. it’s only for babies with seats adjusted to 5'11" I have a feeling I’ll like the Mustang better for visibility and space.

Performance: What an engine! Powerful midrange and high end,Sounds absolutely splendid when revving and it really wakes up after 3000 RPM.I wouldn’t drive a Camaro with any other engine. However, 2 things bring it down a notch.

1. The gas pedal programming. You really need to push in to wake it up, and I believe they have done it in the interest of fuel efficiency. It felt mushy and I had to keep telling myself to push it harder to utilize the full power of the car.. I am used to linear and tight pedals like the ones in older BMWs which you can modulate well .. My G37 seems to have instantaneous response compared to that, even if my 7 speed is only OK. I guess this is something one can get used to and learn pretty quickly, given that all this is coming from a 30 min test drive.

2. The transmission was really good sometimes but not always- In tour mode was perfect for suburban roads, smooth but lacked instant response. Sport mode was good but not great. Track mode it was downshifting too often and hard so probably best left for backroads and the track . I tried Sport, Track and Tour on 40MPH roads and 70mph freeway. Since this engine has a lot of torque I feel 8 gears might not be the right number. Either 6 or 10 like the new one which I’ve is very fast. yes yes, “get the manual” is going to be the answer but it was not available, I have to be realistic- my wife needs to drive it as well sometimes, and also I want to compare this to the 2015-17 6 speed auto in the Mustang and the 18's 10 speed where many reviews have praised it.

Steering is nice and tight, I test drove the ATS 3.6 few years back and loved the Alpha Chassis.

The ride is very good for 20s, and I have a problem with that. Wished they had sacrificed that more for a tighter feel. I don’t know how to explain it perfectly, the handling capability is there, there is no roll but it still doesn’t “feel” as precise as I wanted to. Almost felt lumbering at times even though I know it wasn’t. It wasn’t sharp enough.

Overall this is a rip-snorting brute of a car that has incredible capability that I won’t even closely hit the limits ever, but needs to be more polished, or maybe I am being unrealistic and expecting a lot more finesse from a muscle car. Or maybe I need to drive it for a week or a month., I’m not sure.

I have a very good feeling that I will really like the ATS-V with the same Chassis, much better visibility and the betterlow end response of the 3.6TT. But I haven’t driven it yet.

In Summary: It is phenomenal in some areas and a genuine sportscar and a big let down in certain aspects. Great performance per dollar but it’s just not the car for me.

Next step, test drive both or either 2015-17 Mustang GT or the 2018 with the 10 speed and see how it compares. I would love to drive a regular C7 Corvette as well just to see how this engine works in a more focused high end Sportscar.

Update: Just saw local dealer has a used ChevySS. Tempting.

E90M3 > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 05/25/2018 at 18:02

0

Are you in the market for a new car?

camarov6rs > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 05/25/2018 at 18:10

0

I think the tire choice will help in your feel department or look at the 1LE.

lone_liberal > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 05/25/2018 at 18:14

2

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Well, they based most of the look on a ‘69 Camaro but decided to honor the early second generation cars by including their massive blindspots.

Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 05/25/2018 at 18:15

1

I had a very similar experience, but I didn’t seem to mind the visibility as much. It’s not good by any means, but I was never really in a situation where I was worried about what I couldn’t see. The worst was in a tight, high curbed drive-through line, but I really felt any modern long-hooded coupe would have had me guessing a little.

“Almost felt lumbering at times even though I know it wasn’t.”

This caught my eye because I had a similar resolution, in the Mustang as well, that makes me think I wouldn’t really want either of these cars to daily drive. I drive a 2700lb (slow) hatchback right now, and the best way I can describe the feeling is that in normal maneuvering these car just feel HEAVY, ALL THE TIME.  

My little hatchback feels so much lighter on it’s feel, so much more nimble. It just seems much more engaging more of the time.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > E90M3 05/25/2018 at 18:20

1

Not for a few years and this is basically your Trademark Unnecessary Car Shopping Haha, but have been very intrigued over the last year or so with these 2, especially with the ZL1 and ‘18 Mustang 10 speed reviews coming in. Both cars, used ones hardly last a couple of weeks on the market here so jumped on the chance because the dealer was like a mile from work. In fact, there are no Mustangs of comparable configuration in nearest 50 miles (new ones sell in a week, small Southern town) so I have to wait and watch. I would love to have a V8 sports coupe but the reality of increasing gas prices, practicality, and the possibility of kids etc. might push me to the tried and tested route of a used V6 RWD Turbo luxury sedan/Liftback.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast 05/25/2018 at 18:23

0

Maybe Heavy was the word. It could be the weight or the weight distribution making me feel that effect.

As for the visibility, just like anything associated with driving a different kind of vehicle, one can get used to it but I doubt I can. I was more confident I could get used to driving a massive Chevy Suburban compared to this thing.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > camarov6rs 05/25/2018 at 18:25

0

1LE might be impossible to find locally and I might have to drive 100 miles, I was just checking it out not serious. Tire Choice might help, I forgot to check what this was running on.

E90M3 > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 05/25/2018 at 18:26

1

That makes sense. Also, Unnecessary Car Shopping™ can be fun.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > E90M3 05/25/2018 at 18:32

1

You got that right, I am on Autotrader.com almost always LOL.

Also, added the necessary tag to this post:

Klaus Schmoll > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 05/25/2018 at 18:47

0

To many double s’s in the name/spec/package for my taste.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Klaus Schmoll 05/25/2018 at 19:01

1

I did Nazi that coming

camarov6rs > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 05/25/2018 at 19:19

0

If it’s stock rubber it’s run flats so some more appropriate stuff might help and Chevy will sell you the 1LE components al a carte ;)

boredalways > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 05/25/2018 at 19:21

0

“Next step, test drive both or either 2015-17 Mustang GT or the 2018 with the 10 speed and see how it compares.”

King T’Challa, the Black Panther is a champion of the people. Do you really want to risk their faith in you by running them over after a C&C?

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > boredalways 05/25/2018 at 19:27

3

You’re right. I should run over them in a Lexus Lc500. And actually, here’s me checking to make sure they’re dead after exiting Wakanda Cars and Coffee

M.T. Blake > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 05/25/2018 at 19:49

1

So it goes forward good, backwards bad, and sideways...? GAUNTLET THROWN DOWN!!!! DRIFT IT BOYEEEEE!!!!

VajazzleMcDildertits - read carefully, respond politely > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 05/25/2018 at 21:03

1

The SS 1LE I test drove drove really well. I couldn’t see well out of it, but the tires gripped the road so hard it was essentially unflappable. However due to my small size the panels and displays were not pointing at me. And it wasn’t that much faster in a straight line than my current car. Other than that, it rides well and has decent amenities... For a track car you can’t really go wrong with the 1LE. I liked it, but I didn’t love it, nor did I enjoy them trying to run numbers with the price at 50k.

SHARPSPEED > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 05/25/2018 at 22:14

0

“I have a feeling I’ll like the Mustang better for visibility and space.”

Spoiler: you won’t.

camaroboy68ss > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 05/25/2018 at 23:09

0

they are Good Year Eagle F1 run flats. I have a 17 2SS. Love it. It only took a day to get used to the blind spot and rely on the monitors but you can adjust the side mirrors and eliminate all the blind spots.

camaroboy68ss > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 05/25/2018 at 23:14

2

I own (almost a year already) a 17 2SS Camaro Auto and I agree with the pedal response being a little slow. The visibility only took myself to get used to. I have found unless you are doing track days the track mode is useless. I drag race my at the local track and sport mode has given me the best e/t’s. I would say the car need the 10 speed not a 6. I traded in a 5th gen SS camaro for the 17 and the 6 speed left a lot to be desired.

A coworker just bought a 18 GT with 10 speed and I rode in it when he got it and it does feel snappy but around the office isn’t any place to really step on it.

Jayhawk Jake > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 05/25/2018 at 23:20

1

I need to go test drive one. I think the Mustang has much better visibility, and as long as you’re in track mode the pedal feels very linear.

I drove a Chevy SS a few years ago. It’s a nice car, but it didn’t impress me much peformance-wise.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > camaroboy68ss 05/25/2018 at 23:30

0

Good to know, I might try the 2019 10 speed whenever I get the chance but I would never buy one because they made the SS so ugly.

The visibility is a deal breaker for me. It makes me feel claustrophobic and I had to give up on checking blind spots. Sure I can stick blind spot mirrors, and the Blind Spot system is always there so could get used to it but I would never get 100% comfortable as it would always be a niggling feeling in the back of my head.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 05/25/2018 at 23:57

0

You really should drive a V6 1LE or an SS 1LE. Granted you must be able to drive stick (No autos available on 1LE models), but it solves the transmission issues (naturally), and the throttle tip in programming is a lot cleaner on the manual transmission cars. (Drove an auto SS, hated it, drove a manual SS, was fine with it. Ordered and bought a Hyper Blue 1LE.)

I don’t get the whole “I can’t see out of it” at all. I drive a 2018 SS 1LE in Atlanta traffic without any issue. If you set mirrors according to SAE recommendations (along with what you will find as recommendations when you are learning to drive on a race track), there really isn’t a blind spot much bigger than, say, on an Z4 droptop.

And my 1LE is an early production 1SS 1LE, so therefore there is no blind spot monitor available for me. It’s correctly adjusted mirrors or YOLO.

Tristan > Klaus Schmoll 05/26/2018 at 00:21

1

Comparing Camaro to Nazi Germany is a bit of a Reich.

camaroboy68ss > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 05/26/2018 at 00:36

1

I can understand the advisability issue. It surprisingly is an issue in pretty much every non convertible or hatchback Camaro. My 68 Camaro’s got the same C pillar blind spot as the new car. The 3rd and 4th gens Ive driven or owned are the only Camaro’s that dont have this issue due to the big glass hatch.   

h7gjannie > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 05/26/2018 at 07:21

0

If you don’t act soon, how will you feel a year from now? What about 5 years from now?
Will you suffer with obesity, high cholesterol, or low self-esteem?

Take the first step to claim the body and the confidence you’ve deserved for a long
time — but just didn’t know how to get.

Watch the short, complimentary video right here, right now. >> https://www.3weekdiet.com ?hdsf6dh8

Salmoneater > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 01/27/2019 at 11:44

0

My 2017 SS with the stock run-flats does what I hear is called tramlining. When I hit freeway ruts at speed, the car follows them and sometimes suddenly puts me almost into the next lane before I can react. This requires more than normal attention on the freeway to keep the car in the middle of my lane. Any luck with other tires?