Camaro 2SS - 2 months into ownership...

[jezzaaa]

Dear all,

I've now had my 2SS for 2 months over here in the UAE.

Firstly the good things...

1. The way it looks...absolutely superb in every respect! I love it from every angle. And so does every one else...I either get thumbs up or jealous stares from other drivers/pedestrians. It's a cool looking car and there's nothing out there at the price, except perhaps the Challenger, that really comes close to the menace.
2. The interior...I was bracing myself for the fact that the interior quality would be poor...but am pleasantly surprised in the way it looks and feels. Good quality leather, soft touch plastics on switches and facias etc. And the excellent blue lighting everywhere. Ok so there's some slightly hard plastics around the door mouldings and dash and centre console...but overall it's a nice place to be, and I don't think it deserves the slating all the US journos seem to have given it. Certainly my colleagues and friends all gave it the thumbs up.

Now the big dissappointment...

Steering and chassis 'feel'...there's none. I have had a lot of performance cars...and I know the difference between cars that give you confidence in the corners through the elusive and difficult to describe 'feel' and those that don't. And it's so dissappointing because it really kills the experience for me. My camaro is completely numb. It does handle for sure...very composed and a great balance between ride quality and cornering ability. I just never feel confident enough to push it and it never engages me. Bottom line...I go out side the house to look at it...but I don't ever bother going for a drive just for the hell of it.

Anyone else having this problem? it's ok..you can admit it. I've just spent the best part of $40,000 on this car and am happy to tell about it!

Maybe I should have bought a year old Corvette C6 instead!

Cheers,
J.

[wullger]

Time to mod it and make it your own!

[jezzaaa]

Originally Posted by wullger

Time to mod it and make it your own!

Hi Wullger...well yeah, I guess I could...but I'm not really into that stuff. Would rather the manufacturer made it right in the first place!

[SlingShot]

I think for a high production car it handles good. You need to remember that the weight makes it feel "edgy" . You never really know how hard you can push it. I find for everyday driving the car handles just fine. And yes I take a nightly drive just for the hell of it. And for what it's worth the LT seems to have a tighter handling with less roll ...

[2010 SSRS]

I love everything about mine, I think these are the best Camaro's ever made, all positives here.

[jezzaaa]

Hi guys,

The best Camaro's ever made...for sure! But my old european Fiesta Zetec-S was way more fun, as was a similarly weighted and priced BMW 5 series that I had a few years back. Heavy cars can still put a smile on your face...

The whole point is...if it had any feel, you would know how hard you could push it...the feed back through the steering and the seat would let you know. The fact that I don't have that confidence because I don't know where the limits are is what ruins it.

Glad you guys are happy with yours though...maybe I'm just too picky!!

J.

[RobertHarriSS]

Pfadt sway bars help the feel of the car big time.

[wayner]

Thanks for your comments. Glad to see others first impressions.
Your review was only positive for me ,because I don,t plan on pushing it to the limits on a corner.
The wife and I rented the SS for a week and our first thoughts were how good the ride was on the highway.
I remember my second thought after cruising at 60 mph for 5 min. using the tap shift.

OH MAN ! I am only in 4th gear.

[Chief Bob]

The Camaro is not a Corvette and is not priced like a Corvette.

Take the money you saved and buy some quality suspension parts. IMHO

[Moorepheus]

Well, it seems that the Camaro is not right for you then. There is nothing wrong with that at all. Maybe it's time for you to put her up for Sale and buy something that, when you at a look at it, you get that feeling of "Lets just take a ride".

[camarorad]

jezzaaa,

I actually don't disagree with your observations. I think its more about expectations, though. This is a muscle car! It lays down rubber like its going out of style and its comfortable. And its got killer looks. I didn't expect my SS to handle like a Vette any more than I expect the Vette to feel as comfortable as a Mercedes S class. If I want razor sharp responsive handling, I'll get into one of my other cars. Part of it is the weight, although as you mentioned even 5 series BMWs that weigh more have a lot of feedback. FWIW, I think the Camaro handles very well for its size.

It always puts a smile on my face when I get behind the wheel. 6.2L does that for me.

[flyby]

My guess is that you are not all that confident in your own ability to drive. I have the 2ss and have driven many cars in the past. This car handles excellent and loves being pushed to the edges of the envelope. For the size and weight of this car I doubt you will find any factory mass produced cars that handle equal let alone better. One other post mentioned about upgrading the suspension, I agree, not that it is necessary, but it may give you more of the feel of the road that you seem to be looking for.

[dave7378]

Originally Posted by camarorad

jezzaaa,

I actually don't disagree with your observations. I think its more about expectations, though. This is a muscle car! It lays down rubber like its going out of style and its comfortable. And its got killer looks. I didn't expect my SS to handle like a Vette any more than I expect the Vette to feel as comfortable as a Mercedes S class. If I want razor sharp responsive handling, I'll get into one of my other cars. Part of it is the weight, although as you mentioned even 5 series BMWs that weigh more have a lot of feedback. FWIW, I think the Camaro handles very well for its size.

It always puts a smile on my face when I get behind the wheel. 6.2L does that for me.

+1. I am enjoying the heck out of this car right now. I get up in the middle of the night to got to the bathroom and want to take it for a quick spin. I love how it handles but I am used to driving my Tahoe so of course the handling is gonna be night and day. Bottom line, if you aren't totally thrilled, find a car that gets your blood pumping. Life is too short.

[SSOOCH]

Sell it.