[Bumbleboy92]

I’ll start off with saying that I’m 18 and staying under parents insurance. I have an older sibling with a ‘15 2LS so my parents have some understanding of the insurance rates on Camaro v6’s. Though mine is still high as I’m under 25, the key apparently is to have the car in a parents name.

I’ve been told that sometime by the end of 2018 I can buy a car in the $15-20k depending on how worth it. I’ve expressed interest in Camaro’s for quite a while and it’s ok on parents side.

Onto the question:

Looking off Craigslist (Clean title, still seeing the flooded cars from Harvey), I’m seeing ‘14-15 LT models going for around that price of 15-20k. I’ve found a ‘15 1LT w/ RS package for ~16k, what I was hoping to get information on when the refreshed 6th gen launch this year do you think I could potentially find a ‘16 LT (v6) in the 15-20k price range?

My options right now would be a ‘14/‘15 LT w/RS or ‘16 LT w/o RS (I’d still try to look for RS for the nicer lights)

Or have I made a long post with useless information? Can’t tell, if so sorry :(

Should add that this car would be my daily driver for 4+ years going downtown (60 miles round trip for just home to uni and back) around 4 days a week every week for university. Yea it’ll stack miles but I kind of want this car not to be a buy and sell after a few years but who knows what happens.

[Obzen]

I have no idea what the value of a 16 LT is but if it ends up in your budget shoot for that. It’s better in every way over the 5th gen.

[protovack]

probably not a 16 for that price range, yet. In a year or two, maybe.

[doc7000]

Depending on where you live you might have to settle for a 5th generation camaro in order to hit that price point. With that said you might be able to get a 2016 camaro in that price range, if you could then it would be the car to go with over a 5th generation car as it is pretty much better in every way. The 2014-2015 was 3,700 pounds for an LS and 3,800 pounds for an LT camaro. A no options 2016 V-6 Camaro is 3,450 pounds which is dramatically lighter then a 5th generation V-6 Camaro along with the fact that it has more horsepower and torque.

[Gunkk]

IMO, get the cheapest car you can (total cost of ownership including insurance) and save your $$$ so you can get something nice like an SS when you're 25. For now if it's a Camaro, then great... if not, so what.

[ST1LE]

Originally Posted by Gunkk

IMO, get the cheapest car you can (total cost of ownership including insurance) and save your $$$ so you can get something nice like an SS when you're 25. For now if it's a Camaro, then great... if not, so what.

This is great advice. This may wind up being the newer car, maintenance warranty etc., and it may not depending on reliability.

I do think you will be able to find used 1LT's for $16K and used 2LT's for $20K by summer though. There are a few now, more the outliers......but that will become more common as the months go on. Used car market is going to be a buyers paradise soon(IMHO).

[KingLT1]

Originally Posted by Gunkk

IMO, get the cheapest car you can (total cost of ownership including insurance) and save your $$$ so you can get something nice like an SS when you're 25. For now if it's a Camaro, then great... if not, so what.

I have to agree here...car prices have increased dramatically. Back in 2000 when I turned 18, I bought a 96 z28 M6 with 10k miles for 13,500. It cost me 125.00 a month for full coverage. Now it takes double that buy the something comparable such as a 2014 SS M6 with 10k miles. You might look for a lower mileage 4th gen SS or WS6 to play with.

[Mister Will]

Originally Posted by Gunkk

IMO, get the cheapest car you can (total cost of ownership including insurance) and save your $$$ so you can get something nice like an SS when you're 25. For now if it's a Camaro, then great... if not, so what.

God advice. This will impact your insurance costs and registration. Trust me you will be looking for something new when you graduate. This will not be your last car.

[Stroked84]

Keep looking. You can find brand new 1LT's for $22k now. (Bomnin Chevrolet) has dozens of them. I don't know what kind of financing you're looking at, but typically you'll get a better interest rate on a new car so that might help offset the added cost. I'm waiting on the 2019. I'm buying my 2015 GT at the end of my lease so I can turn it in for the $2000 conquest cash on a 2019 later this year. Bomnin is the cheapest in my area, might have dealerships similar in Texas.

The responsible advice is to lease something like a Hyundai Elantra or Chevy Cruze for $125/mo and save for those three years. If you set aside the money you'd have otherwise spent on the 1LT (roughly $225/mo) you would save over 8grand and have a nice down payment on a (possibly 7th gen) 2022 SS.

But I couldn't do it... lol

[gpskinzhut]

Originally Posted by KingLT1

I have to agree here...car prices have increased dramatically. Back in 2000 when I turned 18, I bought a 96 z28 M6 with 10k miles for 13,500. It cost me 125.00 a month for full coverage. Now it takes double that buy the something comparable such as a 2014 SS M6 with 10k miles. You might look for a lower mileage 4th gen SS or WS6 to play with.

$13.5k in '96 is equivalent to about $22k nowadays. You can find 14-15 1SS' for that with decent mileage. So it's really not THAT different.

Back to the OP, go small. I leased a Cruze for a few years then bought a '10 LT, then upgraded to a '17. No shame and was financially sound for the for that particular stretch of time.

[TrickracenLS3]

A little info on insurance, at least here in Cali, if you live with your parents, legally they will have to put you on their insurance or have you listed as a person not driving it. Really no way around that, so you will still have to pay for increased costs due to your age. But shop around.

[Snagged]

Originally Posted by Gunkk

IMO, get the cheapest car you can (total cost of ownership including insurance) and save your $$$ so you can get something nice like an SS when you're 25. For now if it's a Camaro, then great... if not, so what.

This.

When I was in college I was lucky enough to have two cars. One was my extremely fast 94 Mustang GT(sarcasm ) and the other was, can't recall the year, Civic. I just drove back and forth in that. I was tremendously happy to be able to save gas money and wear and tear on a car that I loved. I ended up keeping that Mustang for 13 years....and then sold it for the 03 Cobra that I have now. Doing the same thing with it. My not sell this one though, ha.