Gen 6 Camaro vs Focus RS vs Nissan 370Z vs C7 Vette vs Nissan GT-R

[Galts Disciple]

This is more for fun than anything else but I would be interested in input from other members. I currently have a 2012 Camaro 2SS with 8500 miles on it and a 2014 Focus ST with 10K miles. The Camaro is paid for and the ST has a loan. Using KBB as a gauge I could sell both and walk away with around $32K. I'm tired of maintaining two cars. I want to get one car that I can drive year round and all of them listed in the subject would fit the bill with snow tires, I'm in Michigan. I've only driven two of the cars listed, the 370Z and the GT-R. Obviously the GT-R is insane. I had one for a week and it is an unbelievable piece of machinery. That's the outlier in my list due to the price. The 370Z is a decent all around sports car but IMO not the best car for the price. I'm a fan of my Focus ST and I think the RS is going to be a rocket, the poor mans GT-R. Not sure I'll get to drive one of them for awhile. I love my Gen 5 Camaro and I'm leaning toward the Gen 6. But the price point of the loaded 2SS Gen 6 is high enough that it has me looking at the Corvette. I've always been a huge Vette fan and I love the C7. I know this is a Camaro forum so I expect that most will say Camaro or Vette but try to leave bias out of it and give me your honest opinion. I know it's my money and all that, I'm just curious to see what others think about the cars I've listed. I think it's a hell of a list and if I had won the PowerBall I would have bought every one of them. Looking forward to your thoughts.

[masterguns95 1LE]

I hate salt on roads. Do you drive both of your cars in winter? I just can't do that. I want a 10 year old pos with fwd or awd for winter. Put the 1le in storage and changing the insurance pretty much pays for the pos. My present winter ride is a 2002 escape I paid 2k for. It started rusting on the rear wheel well this fall. Ought to last a couple more winters. Then get another pos. I hate salt on the roads.

[Galts Disciple]

I store the Camaro in the winter. In fact it's never seen rain either. I drove the ST last winter but this year I'm driving my daughter's Nissan Versa Note because she hasn't figured out I'm the boss. I can't stand salt either. The first hand wash of the year after a salty winter is ridiculous, it takes me all day.

[christianchevell]

With a 370 Z your in rear wheel drive, the same with Corvette you need to decide what your really wanting as they are not winter driving options by your standards either.....

I drive my Camaro daily. If you think the weathers too hard on it get undercoating and wash down the undercarriage occasionally as what they use should be Mag Chloride in most places and much less prone to rust versus a real SALT which here in Oregon I think is only used up on the mountains passes as its not very environmentally friendly and most places have moved away from salt long ago. Its the road grime that sucks in snow as its dirt held to the car and then the gravel is the worst, and my tires now can handle a little snow but more than a few inches and I would park it for snow tires,( That and I can barely get traction enough with rain and 400 ft lb at like 950 rpm....LOL

Sometimes the smart thing is to stay with what you got and mod it in the future and learn to drive in the rain.... LOL trading in always leaves a bad feeling in the wallet, I think if I were you I would go to Livernois and wake the beast mode up. As your warranty should be voided and paid for in fun..... Or wait and get into a used gen 6 if you like them and the mileage on your car being so low wont exactly save you much in money on trade in value.............. Or ditch both buy a winter beater and a used zl1... LOL and it might as well be a vert apparently the way you treat it...... the problem with putting something on a pedestal is when you have to use it you have to worry about it more than normal and then its not so fun..... Clear bra is great........

[Rock-It Man]

I can't imagine driving a sports car in a snow. A four wheel or front wheel drive car is so much safer!

And, as everyone else has said, then there's the salt.

[Apex Motorsports]

I can't really comment on the Focus. It really isn't my cup of tea so I don't know much about them. The 370Z is getting long in the tooth and the 2016 Camaro V6 has almost identical performance specs. The C7 Z51 is a hell of a car but you are going to pay $15k more than a 2016 SS. The GT-R is WAY more expensive.

[CurtiSSWatson]

I wouldn't even put a Ford Focus in the same category as the other 3....The 370z is barely even on the list lol. Personally, if I were to get one of the 3 others, Id get the gen 6 Camaro...followed by the Vette...the GTR(R35) is ugly to me, but a hell of a car

[Galts Disciple]

Originally Posted by CurtiSSWatson

I wouldn't even put a Ford Focus in the same category as the other 3....The 370z is barely even on the list lol. Personally, if I were to get one of the 3 others, Id get the gen 6 Camaro...followed by the Vette...the GTR(R35) is ugly to me, but a hell of a car

The Focus RS is no slouch. 350hp and 350ft/lbs of torque. Ford claims 0-60 in 4.7 seconds. I'm leaning towards the Gen 6 Camaro though. Or save a bunch of money and keep my Gen 5 Camaro and dump the ST.

[Joseph1LE]

My choices would be C7 Vette, GTR, Camaro 6 in that order.

[SIN R G]

Take a look at the new VW Golf R. I have a 2008 VW R32 and the thing is a blast to drive, not near as fast as the Camaro, but it is a lot of fun. It is a fantastic car to drive in the winter because of the all wheel drive.

[Elykson]

I have a Camaro and a Focus. The Focus is a 2005 ZX3 that I may keep as a beater, but I'm going to get a Focus RS in a year. I figure with the winter wheel package, I can drive it all year. I really like the Camaro gen 6, but I would have to get the SS. The Focus RS, with it's AWD and power, plus it's hatchback functionality, has sold me. Plus, it has a drift mode!

[Aequitas & Veritas]

I'll throw my two cents in. Appologies in advance for the long post.

I own a Camaro and a GTR.

I daily my Camaro and I have for the past six years (got her in September 2009) and shes been through a lot of winters.

My GTR is my track car that I drive after work, on the weekends, go to shows, cruise in, etc.

This past Wednesday we got 5 inches of snow. My employees thought I was crazy driving the Camaro instead of the GTR because of the AWD.

But my theory is I know how to drive in snow, I go slow. Plan and simple. It normally takes me 40 minutes to get to work but with 5 inches out and slow plowing it took me just over 85 minutes to get to work. But my top speed was 40 instead of idiots trying to do 85, in which two 4x4 trucks spun. I've only ever driven sports cars in any type of weather. It all depends on how YOU drive and what tires you use. I am currently on Continental DWS 275/315 so I have plenty of contact patch and decent grip. I've never needed to swap to strictly snow tires as I've been fine with my snow/ice driving concept.

But in Michigan I would go with snow tires, Kansas is hit or miss if we get a lot of snow or just on/off few inches here or there.

My main problem with snow is other drivers. People think it is okay to go above the speed limit, they do not know or care how to drive in the snow and think they can drive like it is the middle of summer and all dry. Or you have other drivers that think slowing up a hill is a good idea and then slide back into you.

That is why I do not drive the GTR in the snow. Rain? Absolutely, doesn't bother me. It will cost me more to repair the GTR than the Camaro and that is my biggest fear when it comes to snow.

I will never own a car that I do not enjoy driving, I will not own a POS just to keep my cars safe from weather because then I would not enjoy the journey to and from.

So with that I would say keep the Camaro.

But if I had to pick one out of your list I would say the Focus RS. Four doors, going to be an evo/sti rival, awd, has a drift mode. All around fun.

Sorry for the long post.

[ForcFed93]

Focus RS is the most practical car for your needs hands down. GTR is ridiculous in price.

My picks for one all year round car would be the RS > Camaro > C7.

If you're looking at buying a cheap daily, my pick would change.

[amerimuscle]

2012+ audi S4. Great handling, supercharged V6, awd, luxurious interior , etc. That fits the bill on everything just a little pricey to maintain. Or an older evo maybe? !