But how does it DRIVE?

[h2oskier]

Originally Posted by Golfitz

I see all these posts about everything from vandalism to parking to mods to auto vs standard, V6 vs V8....but how does the car drive? how does it handle? accelerate? corner? overall performance?

I'm coming home from deployment in 3 weeks to a brand new 2011 2LT RS, and i've never seen or touched one.....

thank you for protecting us!


The cars handle well. High speeds it will float a little but is very agile for a larger car. Very comfortable for longer trips and once you get used to the 56' hood you'll be good.

[spurscar]

It drives like it's pissed off. Lots of fun.

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by Golfitz

I see all these posts about everything from vandalism to parking to mods to auto vs standard, V6 vs V8....but how does the car drive? how does it handle? accelerate? corner? overall performance?

I'm coming home from deployment in 3 weeks to a brand new 2011 2LT RS, and i've never seen or touched one.....

Freaking AWESOME!!!

fbodfather coined the phrase "permagrin"....and that about sums up the impression the Camaro will make on you.

[nolimits76]

I have yet to buy. But I have test drove several. I'm looking at the SS so my experience may vary slightly from the LT model.

Obviously with the SS, the power is amazing. I first drove the automatic and it was okay. Then I drove another automatic at a different lot and the sales person put it in "competitive mode", which basically means turned off all traction control and it was just old school power and tire burning. IMO, this was much better as I was a little disappointed driving the first. Not that it was a dog by any means, but because I expected to be impressed and I wasn't until it was in competitive mode.

After this, I drove a 6-speed in competitive mode. I left with chills down my back. Wicked fast and exactly what I expected. Also I might add, it wasn't uncomfortable to drive the stick in traffic, which was one of my big concerns as previous sticks have been a pain. This was smooth & effortless. Everything was in perfect reach for me, and truly it just seemed like it was supposed to be meant that way.

Obviously I am a fan of the SS power & the 6-speed tranny. But what about the ride quality, right?

For me, I was impressed with the responsiveness and quality of the handling. And braking was awesome as well. Currently, my daily driver is an 07 Nissan Titan Crew Cab and it's much "rougher" than that. I use the term rough lightly. Anytime you buy a sports car, you feel the road more. It's just been so long since I owned my old Vettes and Camaros that I had forgotten that. While I noticed it alot during the first test drive, it just seemed natural in the other drives.

As a side note, I just drove a Challenger RT the other night. One with normal suspension and one with the Super Trak suspension package. Both were VERY plush compared to the SS. In fact, both my wife and I commented how the Challenger actually rode smoother than the truck. LOL, I'm not sure that's good or not. I do know pulling figure 8's the Challenger didn't exactly "fail" either, although number wise the SS outperforms on agility. And I would agree. I guess I'm just saying if you are looking for a cruiser, you might enjoy the Challenger ride better (not trying to turn this into a Camaro vs Challenger thread, just reporting my experiences). Whereas, the SS is much more performance based.

Things that took some getting used to on the SS was the overall height of the car. I'm a big guy and getting in was difficult. The first few times I cracked my noggin. Of course I got used to it, I'm just pointing it out. Also, once inside the car, all the windows are really short and can make you feel closed in. Add the huge blind spots of the rear pillars and you might be a nervous wreck the first time you drive your Camaro in traffic. Again, all these factors go away with some drive time. However, I can say in my limited test drives I never felt fully comfortable with the "blindness" of the car. On the flip side of that coin, I was getting used to it, just not fully comfortable. So it's something I believe most people will over come with time.

All in all, I was very impressed. There's no doubting the sexy good looks of the Camaro, and the outstanding performance. And really, lots of bang for the buck. I'm not sure I would ever recommend anyone buy this car (or any car for that fact) without test driving and ensuring it fits their expectations and driving styles. But for many, including myself, it is a great car and something most would enjoy owning.

[nolimits76]

By the way, thanks for serving our country.

[camaroitalia]

Thank you and you will not be disappointed.