Was able to compare 2010 GT and my SSRS this weekend

[Fiftydriver]

My mother in law brought her new 2010 GT to our place this weekend and I was able to give it a pretty serious testing out. Here are my opinions comparing the two cars. Yes I am biased!!!

GT pros
-Lots of neat gizmos with the interior
-comfortable
-Jumps hard off the line
-Sounds pretty good for a stock car

Cons
-Sounded CLUNKY on rougher roads
-have to really get the revs up to feel any power, even with low gears
-Hood scoop looks like an after thought(I think it would look better without)
-Did not like the shifter at all. Granted not used to it but very easy to get into the wrong gear when running through them hard
-Small engine just does not have much punch at higher speeds, quick off the line if the RPMs are kept above 4K but pretty weak punching it off cruising speeds.

Camaro Pros
-MUCH more punch at lower RPMs
-Much more punch at cruising speeds
-Just feels dramatically more solid then the ford(weight I am sure)
-Pretty easy to really add on noticable power upgrades at a reasonable price.

Cons:
-Factory exhaust is pretty weak sounding
-Factory setting limit launch intensity
-A bit to high of rear end gears for the factory power level and car weight
-I would like to see even a bit more aggressive hood hump then the factory hood has. Just another inch or so would really add to the aggressive look of the car.

Her boy friend and I took each car out. The first time I returned my car to the stock tune setting and we lined them up on a good private stretch of road for a 1/4 mile race. The stang launched much quicker them my SS did but at 1/8 mile I had caught up to him and then pulled ahead slightly to win by roughly a car length.

Then I said lets let them cool down and do it again. He agreed as he said he did not get a good launch. I just wanted a bit of time to reset my tune with the Jannetty custom tune. Did that and this time he got a better launch but the SS held right with him right from the start and just pulled harder away at every shift. Won much easier this time, do not know by how much, it seemed like by 3-4 full car lengths this time.

He said he really had a bad launch but when we drove back there was not a single bit of rubber left in his lane from his launch. Nor was there much in my lane other then a very light smudge right off the start.

Now I have a Roto Fab CAI, Dynatech LT headers, Dynatech HF cats, Corsa exhaust and the Jannetty tune. Its a totally different car then stock

Finally we took them out and tried them at a 40 mph roll start. The larger CI displacement of the camaro really made a big difference here. There was a split second when he would pull off. That was simply the time it took for the L99 to drop from 6th gear down to 5th and then down to 4th and if I really got on it hard, down to 3rd. Once she downshifted, there was no comparision between the two.

I realize the 2011 GT has ALOT more performance then the 2010 GT so it would be a much different comparision but in the end, I am very glad I have an SSRS in the garage!!!

Now I have to decide on the final step, a Magnacharger with water/meth injection!!! That would take her from strong to scary!!!! Maybe next year. Need to find someone that can install the set up properly before I invest that kind of coin!!! It was a fun weekend!!!

[ss ZHO]

My opinion of the Camaro vs Mustang pros vs cons (Comparing 2011....same as 2010 except different engine, trans, and axle).

Bit about my driving experience: I have driven 2011 Camaro SS on 3 test drives. I have driven Camaro V6 RS on 4 trips. I have owned a 2011 Mustang GT for about 2 weeks.

Comparison points (with my opinion of winner):

• Acceleration performance: Tie (both cars are fast)
• Looks: Tie (I like both of the cars, Camaro is more unique tho, which is very cool)
• Exhaust Sound: Tie (both cars are over muffled and will sound badass once real exhaust is put on)
• Comfort: Tie (both cars are comfortable)
• Interior quality: Mustang (better materials in Stang.....Camaro has too much hard plastic.....I hope they take the door panel insert and dash insert and make expensive material as its a big decorative point of car. Also need to add a bit of something to the passenger side dash) [Camaro concept had nice quality materials and looked great].
• Radio Quality: Camaro (its the nicest non-LCD screen radio I have ever seen in a car....just amazing. Mustangs has the dot-pixle look and much smaller screen).
• Interior ambient lighting: TIE (Absolutely love the ambient lighting on Camaro door at night....hope they add it on dash as originally intended soon. Mustang has interior ambient lights that are pretty cool too....+ can change the colors).
• Headlights: Camaro (those eyes just look cool).
• Engine Dressing: Mustang (2011 looks great and Camaros is nice. If I was comparing to 2010 Mustang, Camaro wins tho).
• Clutch effort: Mustang (very light and nice for driving. Camaro is heavy, but easy to get used to. Drag racers may like Camaro's better).
• Shift effort: Mustang (short throw shifter and easy and smooth. Camaros is OK, but longer stroke and not as smooth. Mustang also has feature that only way to get into reverse is by pushing down on the shifter then moving it to R gear.....this is very nice).
• Gage cluster: Camaro (expensive looking speedometer and tach. I also love the location of the secondary gages near the shifter....adds character to the car. Mustang tach and speedometer is completely flat. Only cool thing on Mustang gage is that you can change the colors of it at night).

No hating plz. I give my honest and unbiased opinion.

[ss ZHO]

BTW, of the tons of reviews I have read. I always read that Camaro has ugly steering wheel........I have no idea WTF they are talking about. It looks nice.

Also, they complain about the limited visibility. Its not bad and it is necessary to keep the low roof line, which makes the car very aggressive and nice looking. Hope they don't change that.

[Fiftydriver]

I have taken probably two dozen differnt people for rides in my SS and every one of them have mentioned how it felt like sitting in a cockpit of a jet fighter but not one of them every mentioned anything bad about it. In fact they all loved it.

As far as the interior of the Camaro being sub par compared to the GT, I did not get that impression at all. In fact they are in fact very similiar, yes different material used but in design, both seem to be a bit of a throw back to the older style cars which had much more hard surfaces then the fluff we have become used to in todays cars.

I like the retro look in the camaro. It simple, clean but when the lights go out, VERY MODERN!!!

The steering wheel, I really like it. For aggressive steering, I like the 10 and 2 position grips with thumb rests. I do not understand what is so bad about it. Like I said, I drove the GT and have driven that car several times and I did not get any different impression of the steering wheel between the two.

[toehead93]

Nice comments from the both of you but to the OP...you need to use your tapshift!! From a 40mph roll drop to 2nd gear at let it rip. I have yet to see a 2011 GT but I haven't been to the local strip since it was released. Onfortuneately my SS is modded too so a fair compaison is out of the question.

[patSS]

A SS will spank a 2010 GT stock for stock. A 5.0 is a drivers race, but anything before the 5.0 is a win for the SS, except termi.

[lil_chef]

i agree the stock shifter is not all that great, and there are SOME noises on rougher roads (but my sway bars and spring/dampers are still being broken in). The factory hood scoop is simply just a taped on ordeal and is really no better than a ricer scoop.

The power comments are also correct, but you feel it in a much more exaggerated way going from 400ish hp/tq to 300ish hp/tq.

The problem with the camaro steering wheel, mustang suffers from this as well to a lesser extent, is that it is BIG.

[28.]

Originally Posted by lil_chef

i agree the stock shifter is not all that great, and there are SOME noises on rougher roads (but my sway bars and spring/dampers are still being broken in). The factory hood scoop is simply just a taped on ordeal and is really no better than a ricer scoop.

The power comments are also correct, but you feel it in a much more exaggerated way going from 400ish hp/tq to 300ish hp/tq.

The problem with the camaro steering wheel, mustang suffers from this as well to a lesser extent, is that it is BIG.

I completely agree. What is it with everyone coming out with these new bulky a$$ steering wheels. Though I like both the Maros and Stangs, they could have designed them a bit smaller..

[REEFBLUE93]

Originally Posted by Fiftydriver

I have taken probably two dozen differnt people for rides in my SS and every one of them have mentioned how it felt like sitting in a cockpit of a jet fighter but not one of them every mentioned anything bad about it. In fact they all loved it.

As far as the interior of the Camaro being sub par compared to the GT, I did not get that impression at all. In fact they are in fact very similiar, yes different material used but in design, both seem to be a bit of a throw back to the older style cars which had much more hard surfaces then the fluff we have become used to in todays cars.

I like the retro look in the camaro. It simple, clean but when the lights go out, VERY MODERN!!!

The steering wheel, I really like it. For aggressive steering, I like the 10 and 2 position grips with thumb rests. I do not understand what is so bad about it. Like I said, I drove the GT and have driven that car several times and I did not get any different impression of the steering wheel between the two.

That's the exact impression I got as well. When you look inside the Camaro, it just oozes 1st and 2nd Gen, but with a modern twist of course. The Mustang, not so much save for the dash and instrument cluster.

[Synerbee]

I was able to sit inside both 5.0 and SS RS. The Mustang interior looks nicer but in honesty the Camaro interior way more comfortable. The Camaro leather was way less stiff than the 5.0 felt cramped i am around 5' 10" to 5' 9"ish. The view out of the Mustang was better but easily adaptable in Camaro. The Camaro interior is more relaxed, fun, energetic atmosphere as mustang looks like something in an Acura. Although the shifter knob and clutch were not that smooth.

[oldlugs]

Originally Posted by Icandrivejustnotlegally

...The view out of the Mustang was better but easily adaptable in Camaro....

YES, mirrors are your friends...



Even a Camaro can have excellent visibility..