I am not ashamed... V6 bound.

[dougmac]

I'm at 100k miles on my 3rd V6 5-Spd Mustang that I bought new (1994, 1998, & current 2004 ... over 320k miles total). I'll be needing a new car late this year / early next year and the 2010 Mustang still has the pathetic 210 HP 4.0 V6 that was sourced from the Explorer and is based on a 70's design block that 1st appeared in the imported Mercury Capri. Yes this is a little better than the 193 HP 3.9L I've got in my current car, but not by much.

Am I jealous of the Camaro's state of the art V6 borrowed from a 40k+ Caddy ?? You bet !!

After reading last week that the MT version will get 17/29 MPG on regular unleaded plus it comes with Limited Slip Differential & True Dual Exhaust w/ X-Pipe as STANDARD equipment I'm thinking Chevy may just convert this life-long FORD MAN !!

I modded both my '98 & '04, adding comfort & performance enhancing features N/A from the factory including Dual Exhuast and Limited Slip Differential. These two key features I can no longer live without and still to this day I would have to ADD these to a 2010 V6 Mustang.

Why don't I just buy a V8 GT ?? I drive 400 miles a week ... 60-70% of this on the interstate w/ cruise set at 75 MPH. The only time I miss a V8 is when I'm out on 2-lane road and I want to pass in a short zone, otherwise the V6 is almost as much fun as a V8 with the added comfort & performance features. If I want V8 power, I can take my '69 Mustang (351W 4-Spd) or '67 Fairlane (HO 5.0L / C6 AT) to get my torque fix.

Why don't I just buy an econobox as a daily driver ?? Ever since I bought the '94, I've been hooked on RWD and Manual Transmission ... when not on the interstate I like to play a bit.

I could just buy another V6 / 5-Speed Mustang and mod it like I did the other two. But why, when I can buy a similar car at a similar price from Chevy that I will be quite pleased with out of the box that has 44% more HP / 14% more torque and gets 3 MPG better on the highway. Add the 3 gallon larger gas tank and it has a range of 323/551 miles vs. 272/416 for the Mustang (27% more average). And to think it does this carting around an extra 400 lbs. !! The weight difference is probably the only thing "Camaro vs. Mustang" that bothers me ... how much better yet would the Camaro be if it did not weigh 11% more ??

Durring my normal work week commute, my '04 gets 27-28 MPG (EPA rating was 20/29) on ethanol free 93 Octane Premium (using an SCT flash tuner program). The new Camaro "state of the art engine control" will automatically compensate for better fuel so if it gets 29 MPG with the more conservative EPA ratings on 10% ethanol 87 Octane, what's it capable of on the GOOD STUFF ??

I'm guessing low to mid 30's which is exactly what I got driving my son's 2700 lb. 4-door Cavalier (2002 w/115HP 2.2L) for most of last Summer !! Was this fun ?? Hell no ... but I sure dreamed of a car that combined the Mustang FUN with that Cavalier's frugality and range !! Chevy just made my dream come true ... someone please poke me, are you sure I'm not still dreaming ??

Doug

[justmeron]

Great review Doug.
NO this is real you are not dreaming.
Hmm maybe a new camaro owner in the future?

[ron c]

hot rod tested the v-6 , it ran 14.29 at 100mph

[dougmac]

I'm patiently waiting for the May release ... even got 2 local Chevy dealers (vs. 1 Ford) so hopefully one of them will have a MT V6 for me to test drive !!

Never test driven an '05-up MT Mustang before either which I plan on doing as well. Drove a rental '05 V6 AT Mustang back in 2004 for 2 days and was glad to get back in my 4 month old 2004 (better interior comfort ... go figure). Kind of hard to explain how Ford could go backwards on interior comfort but they did. On an '94~04 Mustang, you can see the whole instrument cluster though the top of the steering wheel ... on the '05, the rim of the wheel blocks the Speedo so you can't see 75 MPH !! Also, the lower dash / console is so much fatter and more rearward that my knee rested against the side while cruising ... with the seam in my Levi's between my skin and that hard plastic it was very uncomfortable !! To touch the side of the console / dash in a '94~04, I'd have to swing my knee over quite a few inches and it certainly is not a natural driving position !!

Ford has redesigned the interior for 2010, so I'll see if either of these two major gripes have been addressed. From all the pictures I've seen, I do like the 2010 Mustang interior and dash appearance better than the Camaro ... exterior wise, I can't say I like one better than the other they both look really good. The only thing "spec" wise the Mustang holds over the Camaro is the 400 lb. diet, but that is truely it. Chances are pretty good I'll be ordering a new Camaro by end of year rather than a Mustang.

Doug

[dragon22]

Originally Posted by 9SevenSS

This is my first post. Just joined, although I've been salivating over photos on the site for years.

I just wanted to take the chance to defend my decision to make a 2010 Camaro V6 my next car. I've been driving my 1997 SS for over 6 years now, and it has been wonderful to me. I attempted to sell it on eBay last year, but set my reserve so high that I knew it wouldn't sell. I couldn't part with it.

The past three years have been torture as I cannot be convinced to look at any other car than a 2010 Camaro as my next purchase. Up until a few months ago, I was hell-bent on buying a black 2010 SS/RS to match (or replace) the one I currently own. This was until the pricing options were released.

I'll be graduating from college this spring (Go Hoos!) and as such I don't have a hell of a lot of money to spend right now. Looking at not only MSRP, but also dealer markups, I have been sobered into the realization that I probably won't be able to afford a new SS.

I love my car, but man putting premium gas into a 5.7L V8 every week is really wearing my wallet thin. Plus I don't really want to piss off President Obama... I kinda like the guy. With the country/world having so many concerns over vehicle emissions, I can't help but pretend that I'm making the switch for humanitarian reasons.

Well all being said, I think I've finally decided to do the responsible thing. I'm getting a V6. 2LT/RS, now to choose a color...

I'm thinking that with some minor alterations, this V6 could out perform small block V8's. I've heard stories over the years of people converting 4 bangers into rockets. (Now were they blowing smoke?) You never know. The CTS V6 is a proven, reliable, strong engine and I am quite certain will take mods.

I myself have opted for the V6 for very similar reasons, so there are at least 2 of us. (I'm sure there will be many more too).

Congrats on your "responsible" decision!

[BackinBlackSS/RS]

Looks are very important and the Camaro compared to the 04-06 GTO. Well, there really is no comparison. While the powertrain in the GTO is phenomenal the looks of the GTO are so boring. The Camaro just screams of muscular overtures.

[justmeron]

Originally Posted by ron c

hot rod tested the v-6 , it ran 14.29 at 100mph

damn good for a v6 I say.

[ArcAngel]

Heres the reality who is going to take there Camaro v6 or v8 to the track to run these 1/4 mile times etc a smaaaaaallllll small percentage so for many many people the v6 is more than adequate!! The v8 is gonna be overkill for most so God bless you with whatever you decide and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!!

[Sorrow]

You really dont need to justify anything to anyone, as long as your happy thats all that matters.

It just helps that its the most advanced engine chevy has produced in a long time. Theres going to be a-lot of advancements with this engine! You're going to be able to use all chassis modifications that the ss's can use. And, as soon as the computer's code is all hashed out there should be no limit to what can be done with this power plant.

[Sierra]

Nothing to be ashamed about. Good luck.

[BackinBlackSS/RS]

Originally Posted by 9SevenSS

Lol... uhh... thanks. but I was looking for more of an explanation of how this feat has been achieved. And for it to perform on regular fuel... that's a pretty powerful statement. Any technical details from the General?

as camaro5 said, They retard the ignition timing to account for lower octane.

[justmeron]

So would a higher octane improve performance?? Seems I read somewhere on here that a higher octane could actually be bad for this motor.??

[ArcAngel]

No a high octane would definitely improve performance and possible MPG as well the CTS uses the premium

[BackinBlackSS/RS]

Originally Posted by justmeron

So would a higher octane improve performance?? Seems I read somewhere on here that a higher octane could actually be bad for this motor.??

If your referring to the V6 I don't have the answer for that. My guess would be that at 89 octane you would be fine and putting premium probably would not make a difference. Now on the V8 I will run nothing but premium in mine.
You can run 89, but in my experience with the high compression ratio you can feel the difference. Now the V6 has an even higher compression ratio, but it is direct injected so I know this plays a part allowing the lower octane.
More people with knowledge with this engine hopefully will jump in here.