What a crappy day

[stovt001]

I have been looking forward to this day for a long time- The first real, full tests of the V6 and SS Camaros. I sat at my computer at 2:59, refreshing web pages until the Camaro reviews were finally posted. And for my efforts I was rewarded by having my dreams of a high-quality, nimble, sporty car to take up Glendora Mountain Road crushed. It seems unanimous: awful views out, unable to see apexes to hit them right, claustrophobic feeling, bad steering wheel, awful interior materials, wide, un-supportive seats, feelings of bulkiness and heaviness. I keep saying I'll reserve final judgment until I can see for myself, but when all the reviews are saying the exact same thing, it just doesn't give me much hope. I absolutely love the looks of this car. I love the engines. I love the heritage. But it just doesn't work for me. My fun drives are entirely on twisty, narrow, two lane mountain roads where any lack of visibility could kill you. I need something that is not only small and nimble, but feels that way too. And my wife will not go for something that feels claustrophobic. She NEEDS that feeling of openness. Honestly, my budget for my next car should be the low-$20K, but I was willing to really stretch that to $30K for what I thought was my dream car, but I just can't justify that now, especially if my wife is gonna hate it. Man I'm pissed.

[Icewinds]

Nimble sports car? Why on earth are you considering a Camaro then? Its not nimble, its a MUSCLE car. Its big and heavy. Get a 370Z if you want nimble.

[eddiehaskell]

1. Quality has yet to be determined.
2. The Camaro was never going to be a Miata - get over it.
3. You want great views - buy a Honda Fit or mini van
4. If you're claustrophobic - seek therapy
5. How can a steering wheel be bad?
6. If you want better interior materials - cough up some dough and get a CTS
7. Again, it's not a Miata.

Conclusion: The Camaro was NEVER the car for you. Honestly, I'm not sure how you stumbled upon it. I'm also not sure why you are still here - the car isn't for you...move on. There is no need to pollute every thread with negativity because the car doesn't meet your needs. Do you want everyone to hold your hand or something?

Additional comments:

- The Camaro starts at $22k - it WILL have some hard plastics. That goes with the territory of building a budget-based RWD performance car.

- The Camaro is not heavy compared to other 400+hp $30k 2+2s on the market. If you want something lightweight cough up more money and buy something else. Regardless, most of the reviews have commented on how well they liked the handling (i.e. Automobile).

- The Camaro gives up practicality (i.e. big arse winders) for the sake of styling. Add enough glass to help overcome your claustrophobia and the Camaro wont be a Camaro...it will look hideous. Most of us will get used to it in a week and enjoy the looks of the car.

- One "review" made a comment about the steering wheel and you've chosen to run with as if it's a fact. If every reviewer complained about sore hands (lol), you might have a point. You don't happen to have arthritis do you?

So yeah, the Camaro just isn't the car for you. Move on.

[MikeZ28]

Yeah, I gotta say, nothing in any of the reviews I've read, and I've read all the ones I can, has been a surprise. The (approximate) specs of size and weight have been available for a long time, it's obvious this is a large car. Physics dictates that it won't handle like a Miata. It's based off a platform for a full-size sedan! And you can tell just by looking at the high beltline and windshield profile that visibility is going to be an issue. This car's design was dictated to a large extent by styling, to keep it close to the show car's look. But poor visibility is often an issue with sporty coupes, no matter what brand, due to low seating, small or nonexistent rear windows, rear spoiler, etc.

And pics of the dash, in various preproduction stages, have been out for a long time, and yeah, it's a hunk of hard plastic just like everybody thought. In that respect, it's not competitive with some other cars in it's price class. But nobody has ever bought a Camaro for the dashboard materials; it makes up for it in other areas.

[manimsoblack]

It's nimble for a muscle car. lol

[eddiehaskell]

Here is what Automobile said about the handling:

The Aussies who developed Camaro's chassis did a superb job of tuning the strut-type front suspension and a rubber-isolated multi-link (independent) rear suspension. The Camaro SS not only handles brilliantly, it also has the best ride in the pony car class with secure grip over bumps, supple damping, and adequate body control.

Turn in is razor sharp, and balance is commendable. Drift fans need only select second gear, add boot, and apply counter-steer to impress the impressionable with their car control. Feedback from the road is lacking until the tires work up a sweat but the steering is quick, the leather-clad wheel spokes feel right, and the Pirelli P-Zero rubber bites the road like a Gila monster.

The Brembo 4-piston rigidly mounted brake calipers provide predictable pedal feel, no fade, and excellent balance during all-out stops. One of the developmental hurdles cleared at the Nürburgring and on GM's Milford Road Course was demonstrating true race-track readiness.

[OUR72GTO]

I think eddiehaskell nailed it. There is a theme to your posts for some time. Try the Honda Accord Coupe.

Have a nice day!

[SScattergunSS]

Originally Posted by stovt001

I have been looking forward to this day for a long time- The first real, full tests of the V6 and SS Camaros. I sat at my computer at 2:59, refreshing web pages until the Camaro reviews were finally posted. And for my efforts I was rewarded by having my dreams of a high-quality, nimble, sporty car to take up Glendora Mountain Road crushed. It seems unanimous: awful views out, unable to see apexes to hit them right, claustrophobic feeling, bad steering wheel, awful interior materials, wide, un-supportive seats, feelings of bulkiness and heaviness. I keep saying I'll reserve final judgment until I can see for myself, but when all the reviews are saying the exact same thing, it just doesn't give me much hope. I absolutely love the looks of this car. I love the engines. I love the heritage. But it just doesn't work for me. My fun drives are entirely on twisty, narrow, two lane mountain roads where any lack of visibility could kill you. I need something that is not only small and nimble, but feels that way too. And my wife will not go for something that feels claustrophobic. She NEEDS that feeling of openness. Honestly, my budget for my next car should be the low-$20K, but I was willing to really stretch that to $30K for what I thought was my dream car, but I just can't justify that now, especially if my wife is gonna hate it. Man I'm pissed.

I too am concerned about some of what I've read tonight. I REALLY want this car to handle well...and I WANT a good feel in the steering wheel too!!! That's one thing I love with my old WS6 T/A, and why I still drive it, (and because of the T-Tops of course) the car has a great feel in the wheel. A nice, heavy, quick ratio steering wheel feel that's very communicative, makes all the difference in the world for me when it comes to the FUN FACTOR! I'm still going through with my order, but if it doesn't give me what I want, and I can't spend a reasonable amount of money on upgrades (like some of the Pedders USA goodies) to get what I want, somebody is going to be getting a pretty good deal on it. This was the main thing about the sight unseen preordering thing that I hate! Anyway, I'm sure it's still going to be a terrific vehicle in every other respect though, so don't give up just yet.

[Badger]

Originally Posted by OUR72GTO

I think eddiehaskell nailed it. There is a theme to your posts for some time. Try the Honda Accord Coupe.

Have a nice day!

[SandiCandi]

Reviews of any kind (movie, restraunt, dog shows -yuck!) are like a$$holes - everybody has one.
R&T, C&D and Automobile, etc. reviewers have their biases, good/bad days, and all that.
And in the end the only one that really counts is yours (opinion, not the other thing) when you get behind the wheel of the car that is equiped the way you want, and you get on the road and drive it the way you want.
Rather than focus on what 2,3,4 reviewers wrote look at all the comments that have been written over the last 2 years, almost everyone pretty positive.
Expecting that the Camaro was going to be everything to everyone in every regard is silly. Any car that tries to be that winds up designed and engineered by committee, corporate suits, and everything that ulitimately no one winds up buying.
Celebrate the almost overwhelmingly positive things we've been hearing and know that you are getting the absolutely lastest technology in a mildly retro look and everything you could want in a car called the Camaro! I am now more than ever confident we all made the right choice

[UCF w00t]

You can find every side of almost every opinion in these reviews, just pick one. They all contradict each other.

one review said that there's plenty of room for 4 adults while another said there's no room in the back.
Jalopnik said that the handling sucked while several of the others loved it.
C&D said it was too quiet while autoline said it was too loud.
autoline hated the steering wheel but automobile mag liked it.
automobile was slower in the auto in 0-60 but the rest were faster in the auto

Re: interior quality... cars.com said this...

GM has been making strides in interior quality for some time, and the Camaro's cabin — with nary a parts-bin piece in sight — is a summary result. It looks more retro than the exterior, with a deck-like dash and a separate floor console that recall the '67-69 Camaro interior. Plastics are hard to the touch, but they don't look that way, and low-gloss finishes across the doors and dash impart quality. It's hard to believe this comes from the same company that makes the Chevy Cobalt and Pontiac G6

re: bad seats... road and track said this...

The front seats are clearly made for wide Americans, but despite this they offer good lateral support and comfort aplenty.

I too was worried a bit at first. But, after reading ALL the reviews and weighing their contradictions, I'm not. Sure it won't handle like a car that ways 600 less pounds and has no back seat but it's not far off. The striking looks make for visibility that isn't the best but any good driver will learn the limits of their car in a short bit of time whether you see the edges or not.

Jalopnik's review was the worst. But their editor-in-chief doesn't full agree with the opinions stated in the article they've run. Think about that... two writers at one publication who road in the same cars don't even agree!!!!

Like others have said... opinions are like assholes. And these reviews demonstrate that PERFECTLY. Even their numbers vary a great deal!

[SSwitzerland]

...you're absolutely in the wrong film... you have not a procent of the spirit..

[CanadianCamaro]

Go buy a Miata. More Camaros for the rest of us.



PS - The seats are awesome. We have MANY people here who have said the same so don't just take my word for it.

[Number 3]

If you expect a panoramic view and hop in a Camaro you will feel like the visibility is porr when you get in. The cowl and belt line are high, the windshield slopes back. But none of these reviews were written by guys who have lived with the car more than the few hours GM let them drive them.

Sit in the car. Drive one. Make your own decision. My fist sit in the Camaro I would have agreed with the reviews. Now, the only thing I can really agree with them on is the the C-pillar is thick so you use your mirrors.

And only you can define "nimble". Both LT and SS ride and handle superbly. I've had no problems driving on the curvy roads you bring up and in fact seek them out.

Yes it is a big car and that may not be what you are looking for and that's ok. Go look at a Solstice GXP or Saturn Sky convertible.

Keep in mind, any small nimble car I've driven, I wouldn't want to take on vacation. Number 3 got me to California iand back n comfort and style.

You have to judge for yourself. The reviewers are correct, it is a big car and the styling has reduced the visibility a bit, but now that I've driven and ridden in the 2 cars for several months, it is much less of an issue.