Firsthand report: just sat in two Camaros at the Cleveland Auto Show

[Attorneyguy]

Well I just got home from the Cleveland Auto Show. They had a great display of Camaros on hand. The exterior of the car looks absolutely stunning. It was one of the best looking cars I saw at the entire auto show. And let me tell you, there was a damn good crowd around the Camaro.

The great thing about the show is that I finally...FINALLY got to sit in the Camaro and experience it first hand. You don't realize how long I have waited for this moment. The wait was killing me! I actually got to sit in two different Camaros at the show, which was even better.

Unfortunately, I was very underwhelmed by the interior. In fact, I came away from the show very disappointed. I didn't like the seating position and height, I didn't like the poor visibility out the windows, and I didn't care for the interior quality and layout. Simply put, the retro theme didn't do it for me. It actually undercut the car. My concerns were amplified when I started sitting in all the other cars at the show and realized how much nicer those interiors were. The Camaro stuck out like a sore thumb.

I am very disappointed. I was looking to buy a Camaro in the next 6-12 months, but now I'm starting to look elsewhere. The interior is important to me. It has to have the right "feel." And I am just not feeling it right now, despite going back to the car and sitting in it three times to try to like it.

[Inspector 17]

Interesting. I would have expected that it would be somewhat similar to your G8. How do the two compare?

[Embalmer]

Interesting indeed......

[bob2the2nd]

I had very similar thoughts at first but i think the one of the big problems with sitting in these show cars is the seat isnt adjustable. If the seat is all the way back and all the way down visibility is going to be poor for anyone that isnt 6 5 and likes to lean back

[a6pk2go]

I think when you can actually make adjustments on the seats you will like how it sits. I'm 6'0" and weight around 200lbs and it FIT ME LIKE A GLOVE. I wasn't able to make any adjustments and will be able to drive one before actually getting mine but I have had a couple of 69's and this car WORKS for me. I sit in the Challenger and those seats didn't do a thing for me.

[PQ]

Not good. But how bout some specifics. What interior design package? What do the panels look like. How bout the dash panels? I don't give a damn about visibility, I know how to use mirrors effectively. Need more detail. Not seeing the car yet having allready ordered it, it is starting to be disapointment after disapointment. And I've been one of the most patient ones. Not good.

[Milk 1027]

Have you never been in a Camaro.
The poor visibility is what makes it a Camaro.

[edog]

I must say my opinion was much different. I know we are all different, but when I sat in it I felt it fit like a glove. I was able to adjust the seats in one of the vehicle I sat in.

I felt the leather interior had a better look than the fabric, but they were both nice and very comfortable.

[a6pk2go]

Originally Posted by irpq11

Not good. But how bout some specifics. What interior design package? What do the panels look like. How bout the dash panels? I don't give a damn about visibility, I know how to use mirrors effectively. Need more detail. Not seeing the car yet having allready ordered it, it is starting to be disapointment after disapointment. And I've been one of the most patient ones. Not good.

I'm pretty SURE you will LOVE IT.

[PQ]

It's not the comfort or feel I'm giving a shot about. I want to know if the interior is worth a damn. More and more people are saying their unimpressed with the interior. 41k is the cost of the one I ordered. I'm not sure what I'll do but having never seen the thing in person, I goota go with what I hear. Pictures are cool but I don't know.

[etrigan]

The seat must have been adjusted to the perfect sitting position for me when I sat in one - I'm 6'1". It was like something very familiar that you have forgotten about for years and then rediscover. It felt like my old Camaro from 20 years ago.

I'm still smiling thinking about it.

[ArcAngel]

I sat in it and if your expecting CTS interior your shit outta luck, but truth be told for what it is its leaps and bounds over mustang or challenger, so I don't know what the OP wanted!??

[Shurenuff]

I didn't have the exact reaction you did, but I was a little underwhelmed by the SS/RS interior at the Chicago show. I don't mind the retro styling at all, I actually really like it, I just wish better materials were used in certain spots.

The painted silver/faux aluminum trim looks kinda cheapy and the speedo\tach dials look very underwhelming (especially when not illuminated). Better quality trim pieces (perhaps real aluminum for the RS models like the new Mustang offers) would go a long way IMHO. The tach and speedo design of the Camaro Black also would have been much better than the stock, extremely plain Jane version.

Little details like this would make a huge difference. Hopefully there will be aftermarket options to help address some of these things.

[etrigan]

Originally Posted by irpq11

It's not the comfort or feel I'm giving a shot about. I want to know if the interior is worth a damn. More and more people are saying their unimpressed with the interior. 41k is the cost of the one I ordered. I'm not sure what I'll do but having never seen the thing in person, I goota go with what I hear. Pictures are cool but I don't know.

Everything feels better in person than it looks in the photos. I was concerned that the interior would feel like cheap plastic but it has a very solid "feel" to it. When you sit in it, the armrest on the right is perfect height to set your elbow on and shift, etc. On the left, the door is just high enough so you can put your arm up there when driving with the window down.