SS vs. 1LE as a DD

[Mongojoe]

For those who have driven both a 2012+ SS and a 1LE, are there any significant disadvantages with the 1LE as a Daily Driver? Fuel Consumption, Throttle/Clutch engagement, Comfort, Interior Noise, Ride, etc?In the market, and would like to get in to autocross, so I will accept a certain amount of compromises.Thanks!

[Cleancoupe]

The ride in the 1LE will be harsher because of the suspension & lower profile tires that the SS. The tires will also wear a lot faster on the 1LE than the SS.

[Spartan01]

The 1LE is an SS.
It has upgraded suspension, and 3.91 gears as opposed to 3.45 for the final drive ratio. Because of this it will get slightly less MPG.
The 1LE is only available as a manual transmission.

[Mongojoe]

Originally Posted by Spartan01

The 1LE is an SS.
It has upgraded suspension, and 3.91 gears as opposed to 3.45 for the final drive ratio. Because of this it will get slightly less MPG.
The 1LE is only available as a manual transmission.

Am okay with the MT. That's the price of admission for the npp gloriousness that has captured my mind since I test drove a 14 2ss (no 1LEs around to take for a spin).

[menendez1293]

Just like said above the 1LE will be a slightly rougher ride than the standard SS due to the suspension and the tires, it will also burn a tad bit more fuel because of the 3.91s and lastly it will cost a little more to replace the tires that will also wear quicker.

With that being said either of the two will make a great DD and if are interested in getting into Autocross then go for the 1LE

[thompstl1]

I drive my 2014 1LE 104 miles every day, 5 days/week. It's all highway miles, although 1/2 of it is two lane. I drive 77 mph and it gets 20.5 mpg if I'm doing some passing and 21.7 if I don't do any passing.
The highway is smooth, so ride comfort is no problem at all. I love the tight handling and close ratio transmission. I "turn" about 1,800 RPM's at 77.
Hope that helps.

[Palabraword]

If you can get a 1le then get a 1le. It's a superior car. You don't really see that many on the road compared to a regular ss. Yes the ride is a tad harsher ( though I was surprised bc I thought the difference would be more significant) and the tires wear out faster. The tire issue can be slightly fixed with a different set of tires.

If you want to autox or race in any sort of way then get a 1le.

[The_Blur]

For drivability, the 1LE is a better performer, and that's why there's a premium on that package. Buy it to drive it as a competitor, but if you're not actually a racecar kind of guy, the SS is plenty of car. Were I in the market and not constrained by college loans and my own financial goals, I'd have gotten a 1LE.

[trashmanssd]

Tires would be my main concern as a DD. They are not cheap and don't last long 8-18k miles depending or your driving style. You can get some more expensive better all around tires that wear a lot better. But you will loose some of the cornering ability on a track but you wouldn't notice that almost at all on the street. The ride depends entirely on your expectations my last sports car road like a rock and my pick up truck DD drives like a pick up. I find the ride to be great real bad bumps come through but they are not bad.

[J-vette]

Get the 1le & another set of tires. The 1le pkg is a great value for what you get. The gearing is different in the trans (different trans I think) so its tighter. If you can afford the 1le pkg get & you won't look back.

[toehead93]

I had both and I am happier with my 1LE, much happier!!

[Dropspeed]

Originally Posted by menendez1293

it will also burn a tad bit more fuel because of the 3.91s

Originally Posted by Spartan01

and 3.91 gears as opposed to 3.45 for the final drive ratio. Because of this it will get slightly less MPG.
The 1LE is only available as a manual transmission.

Both statements above are incorrect in regards to mpg because of the 3.91 in the SS/1LE. The 3.91 is only half of the overall ratio, the other mutiplier is in the trans which is different between standard SS and SS/1LE and it has different gearing in the SS/1LE (MM6) vs. the SS (M10)

As you can see below the overall gear ratio (in red) is almost the same between the SS and the SS/1LE in most gears and almost identical in the over drive gears (5th/6th) so the delta in mpg should be negligible.

MM6 w/ 3.91
1st gear ratio: 2.66 10.42
2nd gear ratio: 1.78 6.97
3rd gear ratio: 1.30 5.09
4th gear ratio: 1.00 3.91
5th gear ratio: 0.74 2.90
6th gear ratio: 0.50 1.96

M10 w/ 3.45 w/ 3.91
1st gear ratio: 3.01 10.38
2nd gear ratio: 2.07 7.14
3rd gear ratio: 1.43 4.93
4th gear ratio: 1.00 3.45
5th gear ratio: 0.84 2.90
6th gear ratio: 0.57 1.97

The other (bigger) difference to look at that can effect mpg can come from the OD of the rear tires. The SS uses a 275/40/20 (taller) and the 1LE runs a 285/35/20 (shorter). A short tire on the same car is similar to putting a numerically larger rear end gear in the car: IE the RPMs are higher at a given speed.

275/40/20 = 28.66" OD
285/35/20 = 27.85" OD

Overall I would bet mpg is about the same.....Your foot will dictate the mpg.you get.

-Matt

[javi05]

1LE hands down.. i wouldnt say rougher ride.. i would say stiffer more planted imo.. i get 17 mpgs all day mixed driving. i had an 11 convert a6 L99.. got the same mpgs. i love the 1le and would not trade it for anything else... its awesome..

[SPCBA]

No reason not to get 1LE if you have the cash for the option.