Trying to justify staying with the V6.

[mowbr4]

One more thing, if you have to "Justify" yourself to stay with a certain option that means you really don't want that in your heart. If you can afford the 2SS then go for it, if not save up so you won't have to justify purchasing it.

My .02

[ttazzijr700]

if i were to buy a V8, it comes with 20" summer tires. I have a few questions
1. If i were to buy some cheap rims and some winter tires, could i get 18" rims and tires or do they need to be 20".
2. how much do u think they would cost.
3. What is the price of having your winter and summer tires swiched and balanced at some "car place"

Sorry for the questions. Just dont want to skid out and hit a tree!!!!

[mowbr4]

Originally Posted by ttazzijr700

if i were to buy a V8, it comes with 20" summer tires. I have a few questions
1. If i were to buy some cheap rims and some winter tires, could i get 18" rims and tires or do they need to be 20".
2. how much do u think they would cost.
3. What is the price of having your winter and summer tires swiched and balanced at some "car place"

Sorry for the questions. Just dont want to skid out and hit a tree!!!!

I will try to answer these the best i can...Here is what I do know...

1) Yes you could get 18", I don't think there would be a fitment issue.
2) I don't think they would cost more then $600. You could go to tirerack.com
3) The price of switching them would be very minimal. You could do it yourself actually, atleast switching them.

[Supermans]

If you are going to spend any money at all, get the SS.. If you can only afford a V6, then save up enough money to make a down paymanet large enough that the monthly payments are small. People have had this argument about stick shift vs automatic in a muscle car for years. One of my firneds bought a 2009 Z06 Corvette automatic and the first thing I said was "automatic??" with a shocked look on my face. His car is very very fast and still lots of fun to drive being an automatic, however it is missing the oooomph and control you get with a stick. You may get the same type of response from people when you say you got a V6 Camaro. However remember that it is not what others think, it is what you think..I wouldn't listen to anyone elses opinions on this since it is one you have to make yourself. My advice is to get an SS if you can afford it and have fun driving it. Remember too that if you get the V6, you'll have just as many people envy you on the road and just as many people trying to race you. The good thing about having an SS is that you don't have to race them for them to know you can beat them...

[mowbr4]

Originally Posted by Supermans

If you are going to spend any money at all, get the SS.. If you can only afford a V6, then save up enough money to make a down paymanet large enough that the monthly payments are small. People have had this argument about stick shift vs automatic in a muscle car for years. One of my firneds bought a 2009 Z06 Corvette automatic and the first thing I said was "automatic??" with a shocked look on my face. His car is very very fast and still lots of fun to drive being an automatic, however it is missing the oooomph and control you get with a stick. You may get the same type of response from people when you say you got a V6 Camaro. However remember that it is not what others think, it is what you think..I wouldn't listen to anyone elses opinions on this since it is one you have to make yourself. My advice is to get an SS if you can afford it and have fun driving it. Remember too that if you get the V6, you'll have just as many people envy you on the road and just as many people trying to race you. The good thing about having an SS is that you don't have to race them for them to know you can beat them...

+1

[lordfriday2]

i'll reiterate what others have said, hopefully it will help your decision... if you don't get the V8 you will regret it throughout the entire lifetime of your V6.

[MajorTom]

Originally Posted by StoutFiles

Last week I ordered the 2LT/RS V6...and I'm trying to justify that choice instead of marching over to the dealer and changing it to the 2SS/RS.

Performance:

When I first researched the car, I saw 300 HP. Plenty powerful at first thought, but further research showed the cars huge weight and 0-60 time. Even if they get the car down to 5.9 seconds, that's still going to get beaten by a lot of cars, especially some embarrassing defeats (Cobalt SS).

I could throw on some mods to get that speed close to the SS, but it still won't be able to match it....and the money for those mods would match or go over the price of the SS. Can I really be happy with a car that has good HP but not the speed?

Cost:

The V6 cost is much less not from just the purchase price, but the added insurance I'm going to be paying for the V8 (under 25 years old), and the extra gas prices with premium and mileage. Is the 2SS really worth all the added expense?

This car is also going to be my daily driver...at least for a couple years until I get a regular car to save money on work commutes and for bad weather. Is the V8 good for daily use?

Overall Effect:

If I'm paying this much for a car, I want it to impress...i think everyone here wants their new car to impress. Both models will do that just based on first looks, but how big of a deal will the V6 rumble be over a sexy V8 rumble?

Also, I know a lot of people on here have said "the V6 is nothing to scoff at." I'm sure some people would agree but when I tell people I got the V6, you can sense the disappointment. It's like when you get the V6, people think you're "settling"...I want to be proud of my car at all times and have that "wow factor". Am I going to get that with a V6 and be able to keep impressing people with it for years?

So anyways, thanks for listening to my rant. Whether you're a V6 or V8 fan, please voice your opinion on which way you think I should go.

I somewhat agree that you should get the car for yourself. But if your gut is telling you V8, but your brain is telling you V6 you've got a tough decision to make.

I've tasted V8 performance. I would not settle for V6 performance knowing what a V8 would do.

The fact that people said "Wow! 300hp! More than a Mustang! It'll outrun a Mustang!!" was stupid. It's going to be alright for a base car, but theres no way you're going to get SS performance for SS price if you buy a V6. There's so much more to the SS than V8 rumble and acceleration.

Everyone has said this before you get the FE3 suspension that will improve greatly upon the car's already great handling. You get Brembo brakes. I've priced those for the GTO and the fronts are around 3500 dollars. Just for a front kit. That's nearly the difference between the LT/RS/SS and the SS2/RS. That's not including the heavier duty sway bars, 9" rear wheels with 275 series tires on 20" wheels ($$$) as well as the tuning that goes into that setup to make it handle like it will.

If you can afford the SS, I suggest doing it. The V6 is decent I suppose, but when there's a car available that will do everything it does but better, it'd be difficult to settle.

On the subject of what people think of it, I'd like to say "Who cares what other people think, it's your money" but I know I'd be a little ashamed to show up to a cruise with my buddies and be the guy who says "I've got the V6". And at the strip, when they're smoking me by running low 13s and possibly 12s with good drivers and a little modding while I'm trying to break out of 14s with lots of money in mods, I'll feel ashamed then too. Or at least left out. The V6 apparently responds somewhat well to mods, but adding 30hp will possibly take a tenth or two off your 1/4mile time. And you'll have to spend a lot to make that. Those K&N air intake kits measure their power under the peak so it means that at one point in the power band, it has 14 more hp than stock. Or whatever number they're selling you. They're not a complete waste of money, but they're not going to make your car any faster. Maybe a 10th at most.

I suppose none of that should matter too much.. But being able to have the fun of a V8 is something as well. Don't count that out. Saying "Get what's best for you." makes sense, but like headpunter says, if you're thinking at all of getting a V8, do it. Because you'll regret it. Price insurance and make sure the V8 is going to be considerably more expensive before counting it out. Considering they'll offer the same safety features, prices may be similar.

The V8 will get decent mileage too. I get about 16-17 in the city in my GTO and about 25-26 (sometimes as much as 30mpg at low speeds for extended highway jaunts) or so with a similarly geared transmision on the highway. The Camaro should get near as good despite what the EPA rating says.

[MajorTom]

Originally Posted by Supermans

If you are going to spend any money at all, get the SS.. If you can only afford a V6, then save up enough money to make a down paymanet large enough that the monthly payments are small. People have had this argument about stick shift vs automatic in a muscle car for years. One of my firneds bought a 2009 Z06 Corvette automatic and the first thing I said was "automatic??" with a shocked look on my face. His car is very very fast and still lots of fun to drive being an automatic, however it is missing the oooomph and control you get with a stick. You may get the same type of response from people when you say you got a V6 Camaro. However remember that it is not what others think, it is what you think..I wouldn't listen to anyone elses opinions on this since it is one you have to make yourself. My advice is to get an SS if you can afford it and have fun driving it. Remember too that if you get the V6, you'll have just as many people envy you on the road and just as many people trying to race you. The good thing about having an SS is that you don't have to race them for them to know you can beat them...

I'm with you on the stick vs automatic. I would never buy a performance car with an automatic transmission. The thrill of rowing the gears yourself can nearly double the thrill of having a lot of hp. I've driven auto gtos and I found myself grabbing for a stick when trying to rev and when slowing for a corner. Not as fun with an automatic.

I do have to call you on one thing. There is no automatic offered on a Z06. Or a ZR1 for that matter. Perhaps for those very reasons.

You can get one on a Z51 equipped Vette, but even that makes very little sense considering it's so much more entertaining to utilize a car's upgraded performance with a stick shift. People say "faster" as in faster in the 1/4 mile, but they forget that being more involved in the drive is half the fun of a stick and v8.

[MajorTom]

Originally Posted by StoutFiles

I can afford the SS, it's just hard to say goodbye to so much money for that extra power and sound. Just because you can afford something doesn't mean you should buy it.

You make a very good point. Just because you can afford something doesn't mean you should buy it.

But there's so much more to a V8 Camaro than power and sound.

[Matrix]

Three years ago I bought my Dodge Magnum V8 Hemi instantly after test driving it for the weekend. Having driven the V6 versions about a year later (car in for routine service) I was really happy that I opted for the V8.

Some people DONT need the power.
Some people DONT want to spend the extra.

For me power was an issue and I wasnt gonna be happy until I WOT and I was grinning ear to ear. That was important to ME.

I didnt really care about the price difference, I wanted a car that EXCITED me!!!! PERIOD!!! If I spent that much money on a V6 and I wasnt itching to drive it every moment of the day and night I would have done MYSELF an injustice.

I didnt buy it to impress anyone, just ME!! To excite ME!! To have fun with it! So I drive like a I stole it sometimes... so what!!!! its gotta V8 Hemi in it!!! And I Love it!!

What I'm trying to say is if you WANT the power of a V8 and cant settle for anything else then you MUST get the V8. If V6 is enough for you then why spend the extra money! its all about YOUR satisfaction!

[Brent_NC]

How about test driving them both and buy whichever one works for you...

[a6pk2go]

What is your favorite car? 2010 Camaro SS

That is what is your favorite but doesn't mean you have to go and get something that is going to cost more and eat more gas. Write down three things that describe the car and that will tell you what you think of yourself.
Do you have to buy the SS? No you don't. I think if you got the V6 then stick with it. People are going to envy you anyway no matter what engine is in it.

What's your favorite animal? List three things that describe the animal and that is what people will think of you. Try and and see if you agree.

[OCRIDA]

i myself will probably by a v6 only for these reasons 1. live in so cal so gas is still expensive as f%^k. 2. cheaper insurance 3. cheaper insurnace hopefully translates into more money 4 mods. 4.overall cheaper in price.

after all dont 4 get that aftermarket parts are guna come out for the new camaro's whether it be a v6 or v8. plus i bet gm is betting they are going to sell alot of v6's with the way gas prices are so there are probably going to be more aftermarket parts for the v6's than previous camaro generations. cuz u can bet flowmaster and magnaflow are already designing exhaust for the new camaro and k&n and edelbrock or designing stuff already its just a matter of time thats how it always is so even with a v6 there will be alot of aftermarket products to help boost hp.

plus i dont care whether people start talking trash on why i bought a v6 there not working 40+ hrs a week making my car payment and insurance so screw'em.

[StoutFiles]

I changed the order to a V8. I can afford the V8 just fine and I'll have no regrets this way. If I'm not completely satisfied with the V6, then I'll always regret taking it instead. Thanks for all the opinions everyone.