[l008com]

I know half the people in this forum get real pissed off when you compare a camaro to something else but I guess I like problems because I'm posting this anyway.

I've had my 2LT for about a week and a half now. Here are all the impressions that come to mind. Mostly compared to the RX-8 because I've owned two so thats my basis for comparison.

The Camaro has some SERIOUSLY limited visibility. Not just out the back but even out the front. You have to position the seat just right so you can see over the steering wheel and under the roof. But honestly, you actually get used to that very quick. I'm not sure about the backup sensors yet. Sometimes I think it's just a random beeper. It could use some bigger mirrors. Since you really can't see much at all out the back, being able to see in the mirrors would be nice.

Sounds like a v6, drives like a v8. I almost feel like it's a sleeper in that sense. I mean it would only work if someone was blindfolded, but it sounds like its going to be slow, but omfg you hit the gas and the thing explodes. v6 stick feels MUCH better than the v6 automatic I test drove. The auto felt like it sounded. The v6 has a TON of power when you get on it. So much more off-the-line oomph than the RX-8. And of course, torque can be fun.

It's definitely a sports car, but it's noticeably less sharp than the 8. All around in fact. From the blinker lever, to the clutch and brake pedals, to the steering and throttle response. The shifter is not very smooth going through the gears, and you really have to throw the lever pretty far. And it's particularly rough going from 1st to 2nd. But I think I might just need to let the RPMs drop more. Just today I noticed that they seem to take a second before they start to fall. The brake is weird, its like you have to push it in a ways before it starts actually braking hard. Like its not a consistent rate. The steering is loose, particularly on the highway. But this compared to the RX-8s electrical power steering, its hard to compete with that. Even though the wheels are bigger, the tires are also bigger, so the camaro has a lot more sidewall than the rx8. So while the handling isn't as sharp, the ride is a lot more bearable over bumps. Which is nice because all the roads in my state are completely shit.

So far the only thing I really hate is the clutch lever. Its pressure is not constant, and it jumps in with more pressure right as it catches. So I've been stalling it like I'm a stick newb. SO besides stalling, your options are super gentle take off, or mashing it and spinning the tires. You really can't get any middle ground at all. That annoys me.

Aas far as driving goes, the car has a much looser feel, way more power, way more low end acceleration, but it's not as good cruising on the highway, and doesn't feel like its as solid when you're going really fast. It does get WAY better MPGs on the highway though!

Hows about the inside? I figured out how to telescope the wheel the other day and its much more comfortable now than it was the first few days. The seats get hot, thats important. The phone integration is on par with other factory bluetooth units i've seen, but not nearly as good as the bluetooth built into navigation units. The main issue is that the car doesn't access your address book, so you can't see whos calling you. This drives me nuts. My Garmin will just use my phone's address book. But it's mic sucks so I can't actually use it. The iPod integration is great. Much better than the aftermarket solution I had to buy for my RX-8. Even shows song info right on the radio. I just need to get a newer ipod. My 3rd gen iPod is Firewire. I need (want) a 5th gen. Sometimes I plug in my iphone but thats a hassle. The DIC is very poorly named. Also its a pretty big screen that shows very small pieces of information. Why not show several things at once? Seems odd. My non RS headlights look kind of lame. RS would have looked much better I just didn't want to spend another $1500. Back to the radio, the sound is ok. Its not amazing but its not bad. The seats do fold forward pretty easy, but its still not as nice as the back doors the RX8 had. I probably miss that the most. I have a big work bag that I put in the back every time i get in and out of the car. In a related problem, the doors on this car are so friggin huge, its hard to open them without hitting the car next to you! They are crazy long.

Camaro is definitely more spacious in the front, than the rx8. I'm especially not fat, so it doesn't really effect me, but some larger friends find the camaro more comfortable than the 8.

Thats all I can think of now. Its a nice car. I do like the RX8 better overall, but the 2LT camaro compared to the GT RX8 is about $3000 cheaper, plus i got $3000 on my GM card, plus it gets at least 50% better gas milage, possibly more.

Oh and the gas tank is on the right side of the car. This is the first car I've ever had with the tank on the right. But thats actually a really good thing because there are always much smaller lines right side pumps. So between that and the better milage, i'm going to spend a lot less time at the gas station.

Where are the pics you ask? I drove it home in a snow storm and it's been covered in salt ever since. Monday its going to pour but Tuesday I hop on a plane for three weeks so I might not have pics for a while.