Isn't it odd the # of forum members that have damaged their car?

[HDDAN]

Originally Posted by troop231

I just dont think it's fair that people in cold areas have to suffer with poor grip, i mean a bad injury or death could result to the driver or someone in another vehicle being hit.

you bought a Camaro, not a Silverado. Certain things should be taken for granted such as when you buy a muscle car it will not be a very good winter machine. I have been driving Camaros in the cold (I am from Boston) since I bought my 1987. They suck period. You must be really cautious and lucky. I now have a Buick Century winter machine and I will treat my 2010 SS like my Harley, a nine month vehicle. If Chevrolet put some all season tires on the SS they would be giving tacit approval of this set-up for winter driving and open them selves up to the likes of James V. Sokolove ("I will get you the money that you deserve") My advice is to forgo some of the doodads on your new Camaro and buy a shitbox winter car with the difference.

[djsnoflake]

GM can't win either way. If they put on all seasons, warm climate people and everyone else in the summertime would be complaining that it doesn't perform like a sports car, magazines would laugh at the skidpad numbers and say that they could get better 1/4 mile times if GM would have made the car with better tires.

Now we have all these people complaining that their 426 horsepower RWD car doesn't handle well in snow.

And saying that winter tires are expensive is a terrible excuse. That's like complaining about needing to put premium fuel in. Winter tires are an associated cost of driving a decidedly not all-season car through all the seasons.

If you really want all season tires instead of summer tires, most tire shops will give you credit if you trade in tires. When I got new summer rims for my G5 daily driver, I got winter tires put on the stock rims. The original tires had about 95% tread and I only ended up paying about $100 difference to get winters. That is always an option you guys can investigate.

If you can't afford the proper equiptment to safely operate a car, you can't afford the car. Replacement summer tires aren't cheap, either, as some of our more 'aggressive' members are discovering. I am not trying to sound like a dick, but if I do, my apologies.

Pay to play or park it.

[oldtransam]

Hard to speculate on the actual broader statistics based on a limited sample of C5 Forum participants. But you can bet that if it's true that Camaros are seeing a higher rate of incidents than other cars, insurance companies will take note and jack the rates up (for everybody....).

[garagelogic]

You also need to take into account the following:

-Given its price point, there are a lot of younger (i.e. less experienced) drivers getting into these cars.

-A lot of folks buying the car are moving over from FWD/AWD imports and are most likely inexperienced at handling a high-horsepower, RWD performence car.

-A lot of Camaros are being used as daily drivers.

-People driving today are more distracted than in the past. (i.e. texting while driving).

-Visibility in the Camaro is less than optimal.

[1320junkie]

Or just use good old common sense. My car is ready and I can go get it...but it's in Michigan...can I drive in snow? Yes I can....(lived in Alaska for a bit while in the military) Can I drive an SS in the snow all the way back to Georgia with summer tires....Nope..so I am having it shipped.

[Kalenn]

Originally Posted by 1320junkie

Or just use good old common sense. Can I drive an SS in the snow all the way back to Georgia with summer tires....Nope..so I am having it shipped.

Smart man. Common sense is a wonderful thing.

[MikesZ]

Originally Posted by troop231

It always seems that manufacturers put stuff in fine print that they're scared of letting people to know in larger font because they know it will be a deterrent to many

It is common knowledge that RWD sports cars are NOT intended for snow/ice. Those who live in cold weather climates and who do not possess a second winter vehicle should carefully weigh whether or not cars like the Camaro, Mustang, or Challenger really make sense to own.

[1320junkie]

Originally Posted by Kalenn

Smart man. Common sense is a wonderful thing.

I know my limits..lol

[troop231]

Originally Posted by HDDAN

you bought a Camaro

Actually no, not till after basic training

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by StealthMan

Seems like every day there is someone else posting up about their car either getting hit or damage being done to their car. I know that it is probably a very small % of all Camaro's sold..but it seems to be a high % of Camaro5 forum members? Someone else mentioned that they hope there is no omen with the Camaro...I don't think there is (at least hope not) but really wondering why so many wrecks/damage are occuring (queue up the twilight zone music)??

Several factors. The first is that its fast and affordable. Less owners have experience with these sort of cars and therefore have a harder time avoiding problems. Second is that other drivers are known to have a habit of staring at the Camaro and/or trying to take a picture of it rather than paying attention to the road. 3rd, you won't hear about a Camaro getting into an accident a thousand miles away on the nightly news, but if the owner is a member of this forum they might post up their experience. That doesn't mean we are more likely to have an accident, but you are much more likely to hear if anyone does.


As far as the summer tire argument ... absolutely nobody should be surprised that the car doesn't do well in the cold. And who drives their brand new SS in the winter anyways? Thats what beaters are for, and they cost less than a set of winter wheels and tires.

[Scrappy Doo]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

Thats what beaters are for, and they cost less than a set of winter wheels and tires.

Absolutely. You can get a halfways decent car for $1,000 around here. I picked up a 2000 stratus v6 coupe with 110,000 miles for 600 bucks. Even if you put snows on it, I wouldn't drive the camaro in the snow.

And speaking of snow, we are getting 16 inches starting tonight.

[StealthMan]

Oh..and I wasn't assuming that all accidents were due to the tires and cold/winter....as lots of accidents were not as a direct result of that (i.e. rear end accident that was just posted up today...yes, another new accident!).