My Camaro Experience...a good read, but long.

[Longhorn SS]

I've been following this forum for about a month since I bought my ride and just joined a couple days ago and I have to make one additional point that you're missing not having one in your stable.

I agree 100% with your writeup. I saw Transformers and the second the Camaro made its debut, I thought "must possess". Well when my wife's 8 year old Saturn started having problems SHE convinced me to buy the Camaro to squeeze a little more joy out of every day and she is now driving my Ram 1500 Hemi with Dynatech LTs. Good girl! She even helped clear out one side of the garage in our new house to make enough room to park inside.

So here's the extra point to make that only a Camaro owner will be nodding their head to. You can't stop ANYWHERE without reaffirming your glee over this purchase because EVERYONE comments on how fantastic the car looks. I think mine's particularly great with the IOM exterior 2SSRS and the upgraded matching interior. I mean at every light it happens. It happens on the road - to the point that I have to be careful because you steer where you look and I often find people crowding my space to get a better look. But everyone that passes me (or more often gets passed by me) I can see their heads turn and will get the thumbs up at least, or the request to roll down the window and chat at the next light.

When I brought my car back to pick up my plates the dealer asked to see my window sticker. I bought a loaded 2SSRS and apparently it came with the sticker package. After thinking about it quite a bit (of course this is my personal taste) I decided to have them tint my windows instead. I just thought that stripes would take focus away from the rest of the car which I believe to be near styling perfection. And I don't want to cover up any of the fantastic orange. You really have to see this color in person if you haven't already. Of course being a UT grad has a little to do with my extra fondness of this color, but it really does look great.

Everytime I get back to my car in a parking lot (and I park remotely) there are handprints on the windows at least, and more often someone there waiting to talk about the car. Last time it was a freaking soccer mom where I drop my daughter off for Pre-K. Smiled all the way to work that day.

Last weekend we were in Austin visiting friends (three hour trip no problem in this car, even with a four year old in the back). She's more comfortable in the Camaro than in my truck because she can lay up against the side in the back and sleep easier. Anyway, we met my college roomate out at a a mall there to visit and eat lunch. When we got back to his car in the parking garage we could see a couple pouring over my car about 75 yards away. I couldn't help it, I used the remote start and startled the onlookers. Childish, I know, but I then talked to them about the car for a few minutes and another full day of smiling ensued.

I couldn't be happier with my purchase! And I've owned a lot of nice cars. Last was my Ram, but before that; Trans Am WS6, Grand Prix GTP, Trans Am (yes, an earlier one), and first car was a Celica.

I historically liked the Pontiacs vs. Chevy's because I preferred their styling outside and really didn't get the Chevy's interiors, but with Pontiac essentially dying out Chevy really stepped it up with the Camaro to fill that gap IMO.

Last point. I may be wrong here, but I think the GTO started this whole retro thing. Of course they totally pooched it by not retaining any of the retro styling queues, but then smarter folks brought back the Mustang, the Charger, the Challenger and now the Camaro which (my final point) I think is the pinnacle because the '69 Camaro has to be one of the finest styled cars ever and Chevy did the best job modernizing that styling.

In OKC for a couple days, flying back to Houston today. I miss my wife, my daughter, and my Camaro.

[megancanada]

I have had my SS L99 for 4 weeks now and have over 1,400 miles on it. I have owned previously a 1980 Camaro, 1983 Camaro, 1986 Corvette, and a 1989 Corvette. I still have a grin everyday I wake up and drive my new 2010 SS. It handles as good as any of these previous cars I have owned.

I could have bought a new Corvette for ony $5-10k more but didn't and I am very glad with my decision. If people ask me how I like it I say it's like owning a Vette with a back seat. I have two small kids 6 and 8 so I needed a back seat.

To get this car, I convinced my wife out of a new Van and she said well if you get the Camaro you better drive it in the winter. She said and I don't want the old car sitting in the driveway... get rid of it!

After finding out it will cost me $1,500 - $2,000 for winter tires/rims I said I could get the old car fixed for that and put the Camaro away for the winter. She said "no way" buy the tires and get rid of the clunker.

What was I to do now...

Then I let her drive the car for a few days.... OMG... now she's telling me to get the clunker fixed and not to drive it in the winter. She loves it!!!

Thanks to all the people who awed and galked at the car when she was driving it. New owners better get ready for this!!!

I am meeting more people and getting more looks with this car than any other car I have previously owned. People will walk up my driveway asking if they can take pictures of it with their kids!!

Excluding all of the hub bub... all I can say is ... it is a pleasure to drive everyday and I am glad I don't have to drive it in the winter.... I don't want to!

I drove all my other Camaro's and Vettes all year long so that must say something for the 2010... It just looks to good to get salt on it!

[jeffhatton]

I must add, to all of you "tall" people that may be scared to purchase this car due to the Camaro5 forums ... go to your local dealership and check one out. I am 6 foot 5 inches and I fit into this car just fine. In fact, I don't even put the seat all the way back. This car is amazing and it really is frustrating to hear all of the negative comments that are made throughout the forum. I ordered a black on black 2SS/RS w/ the LS3 back in first part of June and received it the last part of August. I think this write up of the car was spot on! I too have owned many sports cars in my day (porsches, bmws, etc, etc) and the Camaro is close to if not the top of that list. I wake up everyday looking forward to driving this car. Don't believe everything that you read in these forums ... drive one and judge for yourself. You will NOT be disappointed.

[MSG']

I have had this car for alittle over 2 weeks. The only previous sports car I have owned was a 94 Turbo Eclipse (it was black too heh)

I first saw this car, during the premier of Transformers, when that old Camaro transformed in that tunnel, I almost fell out of my chair, I have never seen a car like this in my life, its hard to explain, but I have never been more passionate over a car before then this car, and that was BEFORE i owned one.

I refused to preorder one, I wouldn't be able to handle the anticipation. So daily during my lunch I would search the internet for one within 150 miles of me, every day for months I did this, until the day came when there was a black ss with silver stripes, at a good price.

This car has changed me, I actually enjoy waking up early for work, just so I can drive it. I normally would get home from work, and just sit and watch tv or play video games and not do a damn thing. Now I try to find reasons to go do something, even to pick up milk, or whatever lol. I have never felt this way towards a car..i love it!

The attention I get in this car is simply crazy, but you all know.

Great review man, now go get one!

[Sstac]

Thanks for the GREAT review!
I was getting upset after reading all the negative threads the last few weeks about people not wanting to keep their SS...

I sat in a SS before ordering mine and turned on the engine... i felt the corvette "feel" and was totally impressed! I'm glad you had the same feeling after driving it.

[Dan3]

Sums it all up.

[levi1922]

awesome write up!!

[myblackcamaros]

Very well written! If I could have put all those feelings into words I would have beat you to it. The day the Camaro was announced for production I started the waiting list at my dealer. If memory serves me correctly the date was August 10, 2007. Oct 15, 2008 the order date finally arrived. Then the most anticipated car purchase I ever made began. The wait was both frustraiting and rewarding. First of all, I would have never looked for or found this website. Never been a forum guy but I love this one. Now that I have had my car over 4 months I almost miss the anticipation. Those of you still waiting, this car is well worth the wait. I still love my car and thank you Oshawa, GM, and the Fbodfather for keeping the dream alive. I have had 26 or 27 Camaros and this one is now my favorite. I hope everbody enjoys their Camaro as well.

[mstrfdsstr]

I get caught staring at mine like the armoral com. with tony stewart at work just wishing i was driving him.

[shinzon]

Wow Reads like a commercial, I didn't expect anything else

[ClaymoreZ28]

So are you going to be buying one ;-) ?

Many thanks for the write up. You made a lot of good points in terms of real life driving vs track/superhero driving where a driver's relative skills could actually make up difference between cars.
A lot of this gets down to "feel" not numbers
"Feel" is why I still love firing up my old Z28 every morning and why she will be getting handed to my daughter as opposed to being executed via cash for clunkers and thats what I am hoping to continue with my new SS

I am at nail-biting stage now - Anduriil getting built this week !
Reading this and all the other comments really got my adrenalin going. Thank you

I am like a kid waiting for Christmas morning now

[martman]

I second the emotion. I drive an IOM 6 speed. I came out of a 2005 vette and I love love love this maro. Could not be happier with a car. I put a set of Borla cat back touring pipes and a new 12" sub and amp and the car is like a dream come true. Great write up.

[GaryTucker]

Originally Posted by Dragoneye

Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce myself to all of you. My name is Joe. I live in a very rural area of Western New York, I am 20 years old. My Dad bought a 1979 Camaro Z28 brand new, and he still has it in the garage. I’ve grown up with that car – the memories surrounding it are invaluable to me. I’ve been a member on Camaro5.com for about 2.5 years, and a moderator for almost two. Most of you know me as an overly diplomatic person…and I hope you all think I’m some sort of kind, usually unbiased and fair.

The next thing you need to understand is that I am ashamed of myself. I’ve spent the last two and a half months deluding myself into not wanting the Camaro. I’ve exacerbated every flaw that a magazine or Joe Somebody has mentioned. The “cheap” interior, the visibility, the handling, the steering, the size, the weight, the aerodynamics…I’ve looked for every “flaw”, and cited it to myself as a reason not to want it. Gtahvit can attest to this, since I wasted a few hours of his life over the length of the summer, and I hope you do, bud – because I can’t explain this part very well. But I am ashamed.

Because of the above, I have notched a very many cars in my belt as having driven and/or sat in for at least 20min-1/2 hour examining…The 370z, the Genesis coupe (both version), the Mustang, the Challenger, CTS LLT, the G8 GT, and the LS3 Corvette. My friends have had suped-up BMWs, Subaru’s, older Camaros, Firebirds, Cobalt SSs…needless to say, I am no stranger to performance, and I’m not out-of-tune on how a sports car should feel and act.

Why am I writing this? Because I’ve realized the very passion invested in every single Camaro put out of Oshawa. And I wanted to give you all a glimpse of who is writing this, because that is what I did today when I test drove a 2010 Camaro for the first time ever.I am going to write the following as truthful and unbiased as I can. My goals all hinge on you believing me in that, or else nothing I’m about to say matters.

First of all, I want to shout out to Paddock Chevy in Kenmore, New York. They are in the running for the #1 Chevy dealer in the country. They have been #1 on and off for a few years, competing with a dealership from Texas. So thank you so very much, Joe (454chevelle71)!!!!

Today I took out a Inferno Orange 2SS/RS with black racing stripes; automatic transmission. First of all, it looks fantastic in person, and the orange is most DEFINITELY different than red (even in overcast like it was today). Words, pictures…they cannot capture the style of this car. If you have somehow not seen one, yet – GO to your local Chevy dealer ASAP…the Camaro’s design is genius, it will blow you away. I realized today, that it’s the subtleties that make it “uncapturable” in pictures. You MUST see it in person. It was right next to a few Corvettes, and I honestly like its design better.

Next, the sound…upon ignition, it literally growls to life, as though telling you “back away, I’m getting ready to move.” The tone has a serious depth that the regular Corvette’s exhaust does not. After ignition, as it idles, the car gently purrs like a sun-bathing Lion, very quiet, very tame. When you step on it though, it roars like nobody’s business. I understand folks’ desire to modify the exhaust, in fact I might as well…but it is an absolutely beautiful sound from the factory, don’t make plans until you hear it for yourself. That first acceleration run gave me goose bumps for the rest of the drive.

On to the ride quality, it rides like a high-end luxury car, that’s about as well as I can put it. To say the roads in the area are sub-par could be considered charity work. The roads, especially in the city, SUCK….BAD. As I drove the Camaro, we hit a few pot-holes, but the car…bumped. That’s it; no erratic displays from the suspension, no side-stepping, no body-jolting movements. It just…bumped. The rest of the roads felt as smooth as silk – I was very, very impressed.

The handling? A-Class. You can’t compare numbers, and tell me that one car handles better than the other because it scored 2 one-hundredths of a G better on a skid-pad. Sorry, but to be blunt, shove it where the sun don’t shine because that’s asinine. Did you know that the 'fabulous' GT500 is only one second faster around Leguna Seca than the Camaro with all its understeer? The car felt like it was on rails. Now granted, I didn’t go racing in the car, but we took a 90° on-ramp at speed, and the Camaro just went there. I turned the wheel, and it went. Fantastic. Now, I’ve read that when racing, the car displays a lot of understeer…fine. But that’s fixable, and if you intend to go racing to win, you should have been planning to modify it in the first place. I did the same thing in the Vette…and though the Corvette (non-Z51) was mildly more precise, I found them to be in the same league…believe it or not. And this is a double-shocker when you consider how comfortable the ride is…

Steering…this was a big one for me, because I’d heard bad things about it. Too loose, too detached-feeling, over-assisted…we all have our opinions, I suppose, but I thought it was perfect. The steering wheel, for one – is the perfect size, and if you’re tracking the car, you’ll find those bumps at 2:00 and 10:00 to be very handy. Thick, but not too big…very nice. The steering feel was very similar to the Vette, only it was a little easier to turn when sitting still. Something we ALL will appreciate when/if we end up in a parking lot. Very performance-feeling…stiff, but not hard…and precise -- the car reacted the minute I twitched the wheel.

The weight…I had a friend tell me that the car felt lighter to drive than a Corvette. I laughed at him. Look, I come from a 2700lb Cobalt with steering so boosted, I can turn it lock-to-lock with my pinky when sitting still. I know “light”…I drove the Vette…and it felt noticeably heavier than my Cobalt, but not “heavy”, in the modern sense of the term. Well guess what…It does feel lighter on its feet than a Corvette. I cannot explain it well enough for any of you to understand. But the Vette’s steering is so stiff, imo, it adds an illusion of weight when you’re driving it. The Camaro has a tight suspension, hiding some of its weight, but the added bonus of lighter steering (compared to the Vette), removes even more weight. I was just floored.…ask Gtahvit what the first thing I said to him on the phone was…. The bottom line? The car does NOT feel heavy, like…can’t-get-out-of-its-own-way heavy, or has-lots-of-power-but-has-to-fight-against-its-weight heavy. It just doesn’t. You know there’s car underneath you, but it isn’t hindering anything, if you can follow what I mean.

Visibility. Hear, ye; Hear, ye…if ye has an issue with the visibility…put on some glasses!!! (I’m only half joking.) First of all, if you are basing your opinion of the visibility off of only sitting in the car, I’m sorry, but you’re not going to have an accurate gauge. I remember I was sitting in a Red SS at another dealership about a month ago…I closed the door…it was sunny out, too…and I looked forward, sideways, and in the back – I still think my interpretation of the visibility felt constricted, and compromised. It was a totally different story in the SS today. Driving around, I got to experience it…I got to use it with other cars around…It’s FINE…and you know what? I would venture to say that It actually has improved side-to-side visibility than my Cobalt, because right now I have a stinking B-pillar in my face when I look to the left, the longer door in the Camaro allows me to see more along side of me. Look, when you’re driving a car, you are going to be looking out of it along a flat plane. There are no midget-cars below the glass-line…and you aren’t sharing space with airplanes, so you only ever look side to side, forward, and rear. Never up or down (excepting traffic lights – in this case, just don’t pull all the way up to the white line). I also knew exactly where my corners were on the car for parking purposes, and I did have to squeeze into a tight spot, so I’m not assuming this. It’s something you need to get used to, but it’s not a problem after about 5 minutes of driving. So visibility is FINE. I think, when people refer to bad visibility…they are really talking about a closed-in feeling they get, because there is relatively little glass. That’s there, no doubt…but banish all these false notions of dangerous visibility.

As a side note, did you know that the hood of the Camaro dips down a little bit on either side of the cowl, and then comes back up to meet the fenders? It’s one of those subtle things that make the design genius…check it out next time you get a chance, it’s a really cool view out of the front.

The interior…is FANTASTIC!!!! I like it better than every car I mentioned at the very top. And I didn’t before, just sitting in it. I thought it looked a little awkward…and the plastic was overpowering. When you drive it, it’s a totally different story, though. The gauges light up, and I could read them (I was afraid of not being able to). The LCD screen in the middle is neat, and you never notice the plastics, because you’re too busy driving to fondle the dash. The buttons and knobs were very direct, and solid. A stark contrast to the flimsy switches in the Colbalt (I love my car…but c’mon, knobs should NOT wiggle…). Everything was within reach, and very useable. And the BA audio system was….WOW. Clarity, absolute, unabashed clarity. It may not have the raw volume capabilities of, say…a Shaker 1000 system, but boy – the bass was beautifully thumping, and I could hear every little note that played, a must-have if you have the chance to get the option. The interior also wraps around you, hugs you almost. You may have heard that before, but it’s very true, and again…I didn’t fully realize until I was actually driving the thing.

The seats deserve their own paragraph. They are HEAVENLY. The most comfortable automotive seats I’ve ever sat my bottom in. And they ARE supportive, very supportive, in fact. Something you can’t measure until you drive it. They are, however, NOT racing seats – so don’t confuse “supportive” with “I can track this car at eleventy-billion lateral G’s and stay in my seat without bracing myself. You can’t, and that’s an exaggeration, but you get my point, and it’s silly to think so. Finally…I’m very curious as to where some people get the opinion that the seats were made for “larger America”. I disagree profoundly. I am 5’11, and 185 pounds, mostly muscle (no, I’m not ‘ripped’). I am definitely not overweight or “large”. And I fit very well; almost as though it was made just for me. I don’t understand this comment…I don’t think I ever will.

Finally…I want to say that if the Corvette is a 10 out of 10 as a whole car? I consider the Camaro to be a 10 as well. I drove a Corvette LS3 a couple weeks ago…and I hammered it a couple times…I told myself, foolishly, that if the Camaro couldn’t replicate 90% of that feeling, then I wouldn’t get it. It did more than that…I was absolutely shocked how very similar to the Corvette it felt, again – I am trying my absolute hardest not to exaggerate here…It felt like a comfortable Corvette. I---…I really can’t say much else about it in that respect. I know Corvette owners will hang me, and Mustang owners will laugh at me…but I have me and my butt-dyno…the damned thing felt like a Corvette, and I was absolutely shocked. Ask Joe…I think I spend a full minute stuttering about it in the car.

And the LS3 Camaro is better than this?!?!? WOW. You V8 guys are lucky as hell, I’ll tell you what. And you V6 people are also very very lucky. All of you Camaro owners be officially put on notice: I’m stupid-jealous of you! The Camaro is absolutely wonderful. I tried to imagine how much fun you all are having, but I was so way off. In and out, just an A+++. I went in there expecting the car to feel as detached and “soft” as I thought the G8 GT was. I drove home still shocked and awed by how much this car felt like the Corvette…I really cannot believe it. Thank you Joe, once again, for doing what no other dealer in the area would do. Thank you Paddock, thank you GM for this fantastic car, and thank you; members of Camaro5.com for providing a place where I can spout this “non-sense”, and have fun with you all.

If anybody has any questions -- I'm not an 'expert', but I'd be happy to share, elaborate my experiences.

When driving the Camaro…when you looking at it from inside and out…I could feel the passion of the folks who designed, engineered, and built it just ooze out of it; the spirit behind Camaro. The Corvette didn’t do that…it just felt wicked fast and a helluva lot of fun. You know those stories of Native American tribes who go into the woods for a month or so to “find themselves”. Well…I think I can relate…after a full summer of researching, test-driving…and bugging the crap out of poor gtahvit…I’ve finally found my center, and returned ‘home’. I am a Camaro guy, this car f’n kicks a$$…and there ain’t nothin’ that can change that.

Scott Settlemire…you often speak of this thing called a “perma-grin”. I couldn’t say until today that I knew what that felt like…Well, I test drove it at 2:25 PM today, It’s been close to nine hours and I’m still smiling!!!!!!

I'm happy to see this review. It's nice to see someone with an "investment" in the Camaro's legacy providing information like this versus just spouting "I've talked to the plant people" or "Its a Camaro, it rules." It is a review like this that will make people pay attention. This doesn't come across as fanboyish, this comes across well-written and well-planned. Congrats!!

[texan]

Thanks for the write-up. It's cool to read a complete overview especially from a self described skeptic. I had reservations before ordering but this forum continues to shed light on my prior concerns.

Your write up has me kicking myself for not ordering sooner. I'm waiting in agony while my Black 2010 2SS RS makes the rail trip to Texas!