New to the Camaro, any advice? - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

someone18 · 04-06-2012, 01:46 AM

Hey guys, so for the past couple of years Ive always wanted to get a Camaro. It'll be my first car, but Ive worked my butt off and saved up 25k for it. Im a freshman in college but I have scholarships covering most of my tuition so I dont have too many expenses. I usually dont blow away the money I make and am a pretty careful spender but this is one thing that I've always really wanted so I decided to splurge a little this time haha.

The only thing Im a little concerned about is that the only other cars Ive been driving have been my parents and sisters camry's and corrolas lol. I turned 18 about six months ago but I havent gotten any tickets since I got my license two years back.

Basically my questions are, do you guys have any tips for a new (future) camaro owner? How hard do you think itll be for me to adjust to a camaro from the cars ive been driving? I know its gonna be my first time, but everyones gotta start somewhere right?

Also, I know insurance is gonna be a b**** for a young driver like myself, any tips on which insurance company would be best to go with?

angie7 · 04-06-2012, 01:51 AM

Wow thats great you managed to save that much!!! You will adjust just fine and wonder why you wasted your time on crappy cars, lmao!!

Just be smart and dont show off or race and youll be fine. Congrats on your future Camaro!

monstertodd · 04-06-2012, 01:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by angie7

Wow thats great you managed to save that much!!! You will adjust just fine and wonder why you wasted your time on crappy cars, lmao!!

Just be smart and dont show off or race and youll be fine. Congrats on your future Camaro!

What angie said. You won't regret getting the car. Are you planning on a V6 or a V8?

someone18 · 04-06-2012, 01:57 AM

A V6. at this point I think that'll be just fine for my first car haha. The V8? That will follow

I wanted to get the 2LT but that seems to be a little out of my price range at the moment..which is another reason I was considering a 2010 instead of a 2012, but thats a whole nother topic for a different time.

sene · 04-06-2012, 02:05 AM

Insurance rates vary depending on your location, United States is quite broad.

someone18 · 04-06-2012, 02:06 AM

Im in California, Sacramento specifically..

monstertodd · 04-06-2012, 02:08 AM

Yeah, unfortunately for you, you probably won't see decent insurance rates until you are about 25. Just shop around, try to find the best rate you can, stay on with your parents policy as long as you can. Personally, I use USAA, but I am former military. If you have a parent who were, or are, in the armed forces, then you'll be eligible for USAA as well.

someone18 · 04-06-2012, 02:12 AM

Ahh okay I figured..but all good things come at a cost right? Yeah Ill probably stay on my parents for as long as I can and avoid those tickets!

angie7 · 04-06-2012, 02:17 AM

I use USAA too but my bf is former military as well. B4 that I was with Liberty Mutual and they were the lowest I found. Leave a little extra $$ for mods

iHasCamaro · 04-06-2012, 02:23 AM

It's a big car that feels even bigger when you drive it. Mirror adjustment needs to be perfect and you'll use them a lot since the car is a rolling blind spot. It's hard to see around corners because you are physically very far from the front of the car. You'll want to back into parking spots or park excessively far back because it's almost impossible to place the front of the car and you don't want to scrape.

The V6 has enough power to get in trouble if you aren't careful, but it's not the controlled explosion the V8 can be. It's actually a great engine as far as I could tell driving a V6 for a few hours. The front seems more lively than the V8, and it's very rev-happy.

I've been driving for years so the traits of the car are more novel than anything else, but I could see how they might be intimidating or even dangerous to a new driver. I had to fall back on truck driving skills AND track day skills at the same time, as well as having to be very busy when counter-steering due to the lazy 16.1:1 steering ratio.

So...the best thing you could do would be rent a Camaro for a couple days (buy insurance) and see if you really want it before dropping your cash on one.

A similar car that might be easier to drive would be a 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe. The new 2.0 turbo will make I think 275 horsepower and it's lighter, so probably about the same power to weight ratio and price point.

Also the new WRX is a cool car.

monstertodd · 04-06-2012, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sene

Insurance rates vary depending on your location, United States is quite broad.

Wanna hear something weird? I live in San Diego, CA and for a while I was contemplating moving to Fort Mill South Carolina. Long story short, I didn't end up moving there, but when I called USAA for an insurance quote, my insurance was actually going to be MORE EXPENSIVE in Fort Mill South Carolina than in San Diego, CA!!!!

Go figure eh?

USARCPT · 04-06-2012, 03:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monstertodd

Wanna hear something weird? I live in San Diego, CA and for a while I was contemplating moving to Fort Mill South Carolina. Long story short, I didn't end up moving there, but when I called USAA for an insurance quote, my insurance was actually going to be MORE EXPENSIVE in Fort Mill South Carolina than in San Diego, CA!!!!

Go figure eh?

Seconded. I had the same discovery; going from Silicon Valley, CA, to Knoxville, TN, my rates went up.

Now that I get old man rates (ha) with USAA, the difference is negligible, but at the time, it was shocking to see the jump in $$$ when moving from a more urban area to a more rural one.

SSBlack · 04-06-2012, 05:56 AM

You could get into trouble with a Smart Car, if you drive like and idiot, so power is only part of the equation.

The suggestion to rent a Camaro is a good idea, but it might require a friend, or relative, because I'm not sure they would even rent one to you at your age.

Insurance will be insane on the Camaro. When I was your age, I had a Daytona turbo 4 cylinder and my insurance was almost $300 a month.

adlucem · 04-06-2012, 07:15 AM

Take your time deciding, since you have a lot of money saved up and ready to spend make sure you get exactly what you want in terms of options and color. I rushed into my first buy and didn't get the rs package, I started regretting it about two months later.

04-06-2012, 01:46 AM	#1
someone18 Drives: 2012 Camaro 2LT Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: California Posts: 12	New to the Camaro, any advice? Hey guys, so for the past couple of years Ive always wanted to get a Camaro. It'll be my first car, but Ive worked my butt off and saved up 25k for it. Im a freshman in college but I have scholarships covering most of my tuition so I dont have too many expenses. I usually dont blow away the money I make and am a pretty careful spender but this is one thing that I've always really wanted so I decided to splurge a little this time haha. The only thing Im a little concerned about is that the only other cars Ive been driving have been my parents and sisters camry's and corrolas lol. I turned 18 about six months ago but I havent gotten any tickets since I got my license two years back. Basically my questions are, do you guys have any tips for a new (future) camaro owner? How hard do you think itll be for me to adjust to a camaro from the cars ive been driving? I know its gonna be my first time, but everyones gotta start somewhere right? Also, I know insurance is gonna be a b**** for a young driver like myself, any tips on which insurance company would be best to go with?

04-06-2012, 01:51 AM	#2
angie7 Smoked by a GIRL Drives: 2014 2SS/RS Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Southern Indiana Posts: 3,748 View My Garage	Wow thats great you managed to save that much!!! You will adjust just fine and wonder why you wasted your time on crappy cars, lmao!! Just be smart and dont show off or race and youll be fine. Congrats on your future Camaro! __________________ 2014 2SS/RS Summit White w/ IOM interior "Powder 2.0"

04-06-2012, 02:17 AM	#9
angie7 Smoked by a GIRL Drives: 2014 2SS/RS Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Southern Indiana Posts: 3,748 View My Garage	I use USAA too but my bf is former military as well. B4 that I was with Liberty Mutual and they were the lowest I found. Leave a little extra $$ for mods __________________ 2014 2SS/RS Summit White w/ IOM interior "Powder 2.0"

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04-06-2012, 01:57 AM	#4
someone18 Drives: 2012 Camaro 2LT Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: California Posts: 12	A V6. at this point I think that'll be just fine for my first car haha. The V8? That will follow I wanted to get the 2LT but that seems to be a little out of my price range at the moment..which is another reason I was considering a 2010 instead of a 2012, but thats a whole nother topic for a different time.

04-06-2012, 02:05 AM	#5
sene Drives: 2011 Summit White 2LS Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 918	Insurance rates vary depending on your location, United States is quite broad.

04-06-2012, 02:06 AM	#6
someone18 Drives: 2012 Camaro 2LT Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: California Posts: 12	Im in California, Sacramento specifically..

04-06-2012, 02:08 AM	#7
monstertodd Drives: 2010 Cyber Grey Metallic 2SS/RS M6 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Tega Cay, South Carolina Posts: 4,032 View My Garage	Yeah, unfortunately for you, you probably won't see decent insurance rates until you are about 25. Just shop around, try to find the best rate you can, stay on with your parents policy as long as you can. Personally, I use USAA, but I am former military. If you have a parent who were, or are, in the armed forces, then you'll be eligible for USAA as well.

04-06-2012, 02:12 AM	#8
someone18 Drives: 2012 Camaro 2LT Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: California Posts: 12	Ahh okay I figured..but all good things come at a cost right? Yeah Ill probably stay on my parents for as long as I can and avoid those tickets!

04-06-2012, 02:23 AM	#10
iHasCamaro Drives: Silver 2012 1SS Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Oregon Posts: 367	It's a big car that feels even bigger when you drive it. Mirror adjustment needs to be perfect and you'll use them a lot since the car is a rolling blind spot. It's hard to see around corners because you are physically very far from the front of the car. You'll want to back into parking spots or park excessively far back because it's almost impossible to place the front of the car and you don't want to scrape. The V6 has enough power to get in trouble if you aren't careful, but it's not the controlled explosion the V8 can be. It's actually a great engine as far as I could tell driving a V6 for a few hours. The front seems more lively than the V8, and it's very rev-happy. I've been driving for years so the traits of the car are more novel than anything else, but I could see how they might be intimidating or even dangerous to a new driver. I had to fall back on truck driving skills AND track day skills at the same time, as well as having to be very busy when counter-steering due to the lazy 16.1:1 steering ratio. So...the best thing you could do would be rent a Camaro for a couple days (buy insurance) and see if you really want it before dropping your cash on one. A similar car that might be easier to drive would be a 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe. The new 2.0 turbo will make I think 275 horsepower and it's lighter, so probably about the same power to weight ratio and price point. Also the new WRX is a cool car.

04-06-2012, 05:56 AM	#13
SSBlack Account Suspended Drives: 2010 2SS/RS JFB Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: DFW Posts: 807	You could get into trouble with a Smart Car, if you drive like and idiot, so power is only part of the equation. The suggestion to rent a Camaro is a good idea, but it might require a friend, or relative, because I'm not sure they would even rent one to you at your age. Insurance will be insane on the Camaro. When I was your age, I had a Daytona turbo 4 cylinder and my insurance was almost $300 a month.

04-06-2012, 07:15 AM	#14
adlucem Drives: 2011 2SS/RS A6 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Southeast MI Posts: 10	Take your time deciding, since you have a lot of money saved up and ready to spend make sure you get exactly what you want in terms of options and color. I rushed into my first buy and didn't get the rs package, I started regretting it about two months later.