Z284ever drives a Camaro SS ---and he likes it!
09-04-2009, 07:48 PM
#17
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 233
So, today I went to check out a yellow IROC-Z which I'm considering buying, and right across the street is a Chevy dealer. I figured, while I'm here.....
The car I drove was a 2SS, six speed, with the RS pkg and sunroof. It stickered for $36,xxx. And it was black. I have a thing for black cars and I have to say it looks just gorgeous in that color.
The car drives really nice. The LS3 is magnificent, although strangely, my "butt dyno" was expecting it to be faster. Acceleration felt very similar to a 4th gen LS1 - that is again, according to the "butt dyno". Brakes are stroooooong. I had a chance to take it down a twisty road and the car's dynamics feel well balanced and responsive. I was particularly interested to sample the steering, considering the remarks we've heard in all the reviews. The steering is 'good', but I can see exactly what they're talking about.
The interior? Well, what do you want me to tell you guys? I think it's just plain weird, nothing is going to change that. The shifter ball has kind of a goofy shape to it too, which doesn't necessarily feel good in my hand.
Overall though, this is a really nice package. Is it big? Yes. Does it feel heavy? Yes. Do you have the best visibility in the world? No.
I think Geoff Chadwick posted here afew days ago that he thought the G8 GT felt more nimble than the Camaro. I didn't really get that impression. I thought the Camaro I drove was quite abit better than the G8 - but if you've driven a G8, you get the jist of what Camaro's chassis dynamics feel like.
Camaro Team - good job overall. But I think everyone here knows what I want. If this car were alittle bit smaller, and alittle bit lighter and alittle bit more nimble it would truly be off the charts as a driver's car. As is though, it's very good. Go get yours...
The car I drove was a 2SS, six speed, with the RS pkg and sunroof. It stickered for $36,xxx. And it was black. I have a thing for black cars and I have to say it looks just gorgeous in that color.
The car drives really nice. The LS3 is magnificent, although strangely, my "butt dyno" was expecting it to be faster. Acceleration felt very similar to a 4th gen LS1 - that is again, according to the "butt dyno". Brakes are stroooooong. I had a chance to take it down a twisty road and the car's dynamics feel well balanced and responsive. I was particularly interested to sample the steering, considering the remarks we've heard in all the reviews. The steering is 'good', but I can see exactly what they're talking about.
The interior? Well, what do you want me to tell you guys? I think it's just plain weird, nothing is going to change that. The shifter ball has kind of a goofy shape to it too, which doesn't necessarily feel good in my hand.
Overall though, this is a really nice package. Is it big? Yes. Does it feel heavy? Yes. Do you have the best visibility in the world? No.
I think Geoff Chadwick posted here afew days ago that he thought the G8 GT felt more nimble than the Camaro. I didn't really get that impression. I thought the Camaro I drove was quite abit better than the G8 - but if you've driven a G8, you get the jist of what Camaro's chassis dynamics feel like.
Camaro Team - good job overall. But I think everyone here knows what I want. If this car were alittle bit smaller, and alittle bit lighter and alittle bit more nimble it would truly be off the charts as a driver's car. As is though, it's very good. Go get yours...
Really?
Hmm. I walked into a dealership and they told me that they were selling base SS/RS's for 42k. Alright...that's ridiculous, but I was only there to test drive, not to buy. I'm comparing all the performance cars that are within my means before I buy anything. I told the guy that, told him I'd already driven a '10 Mustang GT, WRX, RX-8, a used Vette, and a Genesis Coupe, and I was looking to test out a 370z and SS Camaro, because I'd be gone for OCS the next 4 months and wanted to test drive now when there's no snow on the ground so I can make a purchase when I get back....so he says he'll need to ask somebody, and he goes takes me back to another salesman and introduces me and says I'm looking to get into a new V8 Camaro....so I kindly correct him and say no, I'm looking to test drive one, I'm only comparing today. Nods and Smiles....says to ask this other guy...I get taken to him, and again I get introduced as wanting to buy. Again I correct, and tell him to lay off the sales pressure, which I did not recieve anywhere else. This new guy tells me that they require a 5k safety deposit to test drive a Camaro because it's such a hot car. I started laughing, told him it was a Camaro not a Ferrari, thanked them for wasting 20 minutes of my life and providing an extremely poor sales environment, and walked out. They didn't have a single other customer there at the time. They literally would have had nothing better to do. I always try to go to dealerships when they're not busy so there's less pressure on everybody involved, because I wasn't there to buy right then and I realize that in a commission job, any time they're not on the floor is time they could miss a potential customer.
This is the 3rd ridiculous experience I've had in as many months at a chevrolet dealership...and I doubt I'll be going back into one. Maybe it really is a great car. Doesn't look like I'll ever find out though, because I get treated like **** every time I'm anywhere with the Chevy name. Fbodyfather...if you want your company to survive, something....anything....needs to be done about your dealers. I don't really care if there's any direct control over it or not, the fact remains that I've been to many dealerships and have yet to have a positive experience with Chevy. Patterns don't exist for nothing. Tell somebody to Fix It.
I mean no disrespect to anybody here (especially you Fbodyfather, I've been a lurker but I've read most of your stuff and you have been great with the enthusiasts here)...and I'm not hatin' on the Camaro. But man, I just can't justify buying a product when I'm treated so poorly. And I've never been treated anything but poorly at a chevy dealership.
Last edited by boxerperson; 09-04-2009 at 08:25 PM.
09-04-2009, 11:35 PM
#18
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Annapolis MD
Posts: 2,802
So, today I went to check out a yellow IROC-Z which I'm considering buying, and right across the street is a Chevy dealer. I figured, while I'm here.....
The car I drove was a 2SS, six speed, with the RS pkg and sunroof. It stickered for $36,xxx. And it was black. I have a thing for black cars and I have to say it looks just gorgeous in that color.
The car drives really nice. The LS3 is magnificent, although strangely, my "butt dyno" was expecting it to be faster. Acceleration felt very similar to a 4th gen LS1 - that is again, according to the "butt dyno". Brakes are stroooooong. I had a chance to take it down a twisty road and the car's dynamics feel well balanced and responsive. I was particularly interested to sample the steering, considering the remarks we've heard in all the reviews. The steering is 'good', but I can see exactly what they're talking about.
The interior? Well, what do you want me to tell you guys? I think it's just plain weird, nothing is going to change that. The shifter ball has kind of a goofy shape to it too, which doesn't necessarily feel good in my hand.
Overall though, this is a really nice package. Is it big? Yes. Does it feel heavy? Yes. Do you have the best visibility in the world? No.
I think Geoff Chadwick posted here afew days ago that he thought the G8 GT felt more nimble than the Camaro. I didn't really get that impression. I thought the Camaro I drove was quite abit better than the G8 - but if you've driven a G8, you get the jist of what Camaro's chassis dynamics feel like.
Camaro Team - good job overall. But I think everyone here knows what I want. If this car were alittle bit smaller, and alittle bit lighter and alittle bit more nimble it would truly be off the charts as a driver's car. As is though, it's very good. Go get yours...
The car I drove was a 2SS, six speed, with the RS pkg and sunroof. It stickered for $36,xxx. And it was black. I have a thing for black cars and I have to say it looks just gorgeous in that color.
The car drives really nice. The LS3 is magnificent, although strangely, my "butt dyno" was expecting it to be faster. Acceleration felt very similar to a 4th gen LS1 - that is again, according to the "butt dyno". Brakes are stroooooong. I had a chance to take it down a twisty road and the car's dynamics feel well balanced and responsive. I was particularly interested to sample the steering, considering the remarks we've heard in all the reviews. The steering is 'good', but I can see exactly what they're talking about.
The interior? Well, what do you want me to tell you guys? I think it's just plain weird, nothing is going to change that. The shifter ball has kind of a goofy shape to it too, which doesn't necessarily feel good in my hand.
Overall though, this is a really nice package. Is it big? Yes. Does it feel heavy? Yes. Do you have the best visibility in the world? No.
I think Geoff Chadwick posted here afew days ago that he thought the G8 GT felt more nimble than the Camaro. I didn't really get that impression. I thought the Camaro I drove was quite abit better than the G8 - but if you've driven a G8, you get the jist of what Camaro's chassis dynamics feel like.
Camaro Team - good job overall. But I think everyone here knows what I want. If this car were alittle bit smaller, and alittle bit lighter and alittle bit more nimble it would truly be off the charts as a driver's car. As is though, it's very good. Go get yours...
Bad product needs heavy advertising. Good product defends itself. Also I agree with alot you said. An inch lower belt line would go a long way. An inch or two thinner. Wheels an inch smaller. Striking car.
09-05-2009, 01:38 AM
#20
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Chicagoland IL
Posts: 16,179
Really?
Hmm. I walked into a dealership and they told me that they were selling base SS/RS's for 42k. Alright...that's ridiculous, but I was only there to test drive, not to buy. I'm comparing all the performance cars that are within my means before I buy anything. I told the guy that, told him I'd already driven a '10 Mustang GT, WRX, RX-8, a used Vette, and a Genesis Coupe, and I was looking to test out a 370z and SS Camaro, because I'd be gone for OCS the next 4 months and wanted to test drive now when there's no snow on the ground so I can make a purchase when I get back....so he says he'll need to ask somebody, and he goes takes me back to another salesman and introduces me and says I'm looking to get into a new V8 Camaro....so I kindly correct him and say no, I'm looking to test drive one, I'm only comparing today. Nods and Smiles....says to ask this other guy...I get taken to him, and again I get introduced as wanting to buy. Again I correct, and tell him to lay off the sales pressure, which I did not recieve anywhere else. This new guy tells me that they require a 5k safety deposit to test drive a Camaro because it's such a hot car. I started laughing, told him it was a Camaro not a Ferrari, thanked them for wasting 20 minutes of my life and providing an extremely poor sales environment, and walked out. They didn't have a single other customer there at the time. They literally would have had nothing better to do. I always try to go to dealerships when they're not busy so there's less pressure on everybody involved, because I wasn't there to buy right then and I realize that in a commission job, any time they're not on the floor is time they could miss a potential customer.
This is the 3rd ridiculous experience I've had in as many months at a chevrolet dealership...and I doubt I'll be going back into one. Maybe it really is a great car. Doesn't look like I'll ever find out though, because I get treated like **** every time I'm anywhere with the Chevy name. Fbodyfather...if you want your company to survive, something....anything....needs to be done about your dealers. I don't really care if there's any direct control over it or not, the fact remains that I've been to many dealerships and have yet to have a positive experience with Chevy. Patterns don't exist for nothing. Tell somebody to Fix It.
I mean no disrespect to anybody here (especially you Fbodyfather, I've been a lurker but I've read most of your stuff and you have been great with the enthusiasts here)...and I'm not hatin' on the Camaro. But man, I just can't justify buying a product when I'm treated so poorly. And I've never been treated anything but poorly at a chevy dealership.
Hmm. I walked into a dealership and they told me that they were selling base SS/RS's for 42k. Alright...that's ridiculous, but I was only there to test drive, not to buy. I'm comparing all the performance cars that are within my means before I buy anything. I told the guy that, told him I'd already driven a '10 Mustang GT, WRX, RX-8, a used Vette, and a Genesis Coupe, and I was looking to test out a 370z and SS Camaro, because I'd be gone for OCS the next 4 months and wanted to test drive now when there's no snow on the ground so I can make a purchase when I get back....so he says he'll need to ask somebody, and he goes takes me back to another salesman and introduces me and says I'm looking to get into a new V8 Camaro....so I kindly correct him and say no, I'm looking to test drive one, I'm only comparing today. Nods and Smiles....says to ask this other guy...I get taken to him, and again I get introduced as wanting to buy. Again I correct, and tell him to lay off the sales pressure, which I did not recieve anywhere else. This new guy tells me that they require a 5k safety deposit to test drive a Camaro because it's such a hot car. I started laughing, told him it was a Camaro not a Ferrari, thanked them for wasting 20 minutes of my life and providing an extremely poor sales environment, and walked out. They didn't have a single other customer there at the time. They literally would have had nothing better to do. I always try to go to dealerships when they're not busy so there's less pressure on everybody involved, because I wasn't there to buy right then and I realize that in a commission job, any time they're not on the floor is time they could miss a potential customer.
This is the 3rd ridiculous experience I've had in as many months at a chevrolet dealership...and I doubt I'll be going back into one. Maybe it really is a great car. Doesn't look like I'll ever find out though, because I get treated like **** every time I'm anywhere with the Chevy name. Fbodyfather...if you want your company to survive, something....anything....needs to be done about your dealers. I don't really care if there's any direct control over it or not, the fact remains that I've been to many dealerships and have yet to have a positive experience with Chevy. Patterns don't exist for nothing. Tell somebody to Fix It.
I mean no disrespect to anybody here (especially you Fbodyfather, I've been a lurker but I've read most of your stuff and you have been great with the enthusiasts here)...and I'm not hatin' on the Camaro. But man, I just can't justify buying a product when I'm treated so poorly. And I've never been treated anything but poorly at a chevy dealership.
Good luck at OCS and thanks for your service. Sorry about your experience. I don't know if it's just because I'm older than some of you guys or what, but I just walk into a dealer, go up to the first sales person I see, look them in the eye, and say Hi, I'd like to drive X - no questions asked. The last car I had a hard time test driving was the 2004 GTO.
09-05-2009, 03:47 AM
#21
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Santa Clara, CA
Posts: 3,132
I'm not surprised that you liked it -- maybe a little that you admitted it 
The V6 6A rental I drove was quite impressive. I think the G8 works better for every day use, however. There's no comparison between the base G8 and the V6 Camaro, though. The base G8 felt pretty weak to me in the engine department, coming out of the 2002 Z28. Not so the new base Camaro.
None of these cars are roller skates, but neither was my '85 IROC-Z.
The Mazda RX-8 -- that's a roller skate. A lot of fun to drive. But ultimately I want more engine.
The V6 6A rental I drove was quite impressive. I think the G8 works better for every day use, however. There's no comparison between the base G8 and the V6 Camaro, though. The base G8 felt pretty weak to me in the engine department, coming out of the 2002 Z28. Not so the new base Camaro.
None of these cars are roller skates, but neither was my '85 IROC-Z.
The Mazda RX-8 -- that's a roller skate. A lot of fun to drive. But ultimately I want more engine.
09-05-2009, 09:53 AM
#23
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Chicagoland IL
Posts: 16,179
No. I think someone on this site put it perfectly when they said, "some of us were hoping the Camaro would be the car but it's just a car". And that's where I'm at on it.
For me, a new Camaro would be a fair weather toy. If it doesn't take my breathe away when I drive it, there is really no reason for me to buy one. I could see buying one as a daily driver though - if I didn't have kids. But that's just not the case with me.
I liked it just fine. But it didn't give me goosebumps like some other cars do - and that's what I want it to do. Maybe next gen.
For me, a new Camaro would be a fair weather toy. If it doesn't take my breathe away when I drive it, there is really no reason for me to buy one. I could see buying one as a daily driver though - if I didn't have kids. But that's just not the case with me.
I liked it just fine. But it didn't give me goosebumps like some other cars do - and that's what I want it to do. Maybe next gen.
Last edited by Z284ever; 09-05-2009 at 09:56 AM.
09-05-2009, 01:53 PM
#27
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 233
South Dakota. I've gotten this kinda run-around twice, and another time I actually got a test drive and the dealer started talking about having sex with his woman with me in the car. Not even kidding.
Never had a problem getting a test drive in any other brand. Ford gave me 2 different ones and didn't send a dealer in the car with me. It's like the chevy dealers have all given up on their cars and aren't willing to let anybody try them unless they get some money in advance. The first thing the dealer said to me when I came in to try to test drive a camaro was "wow we don't see many people in the chevy section" (it was during a big sales event where the owner of the local Chevy/Hyundai/Nissan dealer had all their cars out at the fairgrounds together)
It was just downhill from there. It makes me wonder whether there's some kind of secret "we're closing you" list and the previous owner of the dealership sold it off to this new guy who only wanted the property, and they're just trying to get the place closed as quickly as they can. It was that bad. I really can't imagine anybody buying anything under those conditions.
Never had a problem getting a test drive in any other brand. Ford gave me 2 different ones and didn't send a dealer in the car with me. It's like the chevy dealers have all given up on their cars and aren't willing to let anybody try them unless they get some money in advance. The first thing the dealer said to me when I came in to try to test drive a camaro was "wow we don't see many people in the chevy section" (it was during a big sales event where the owner of the local Chevy/Hyundai/Nissan dealer had all their cars out at the fairgrounds together)
It was just downhill from there. It makes me wonder whether there's some kind of secret "we're closing you" list and the previous owner of the dealership sold it off to this new guy who only wanted the property, and they're just trying to get the place closed as quickly as they can. It was that bad. I really can't imagine anybody buying anything under those conditions.
Last edited by boxerperson; 09-05-2009 at 02:13 PM.
09-05-2009, 02:10 PM
#28
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 233
Good luck at OCS and thanks for your service. Sorry about your experience. I don't know if it's just because I'm older than some of you guys or what, but I just walk into a dealer, go up to the first sales person I see, look them in the eye, and say Hi, I'd like to drive X - no questions asked. The last car I had a hard time test driving was the 2004 GTO.
Nobody else gave me any trouble at all...I just walked in, said hey I'm comparing sporty cars in this price range and I want to give car X a drive, and they were like hey sure! The Ford and Subaru dealers in particular were great....they knew their cars (the Ford guy even knew all about every car I said I was looking at besides the Mustang!), they knew about the motorsports their cars participate in, they were friendly, there was no pressure at all....it was just like "well I know our product is good so I trust he'll be impressed when I give him a shot." The Ford guy even knew what heel-toe downshifting was and told me that the car's pedal spacing was perfect for it before I went for my drive (which it was...)
The Chevy dealership felt like a slimy hole in the wall used car lot in comparison. It's sad....because I know that their service department is actually top notch...I've had 3 different cars serviced with them (one of them a hopped up IROC-Z, hence my love of Camaro) and they were great, mechanics did everything right, fair price, and were up for a little chit chat...you could tell they were all car guys.
I probably will try and test drive one again when I'm in Georgia. The dealers around the military bases are always very eager to let the officers try anything they want...and they usually give you a more than fair price. But man...this experience was just insultingly bad and I had to comment. I certainly will never set foot in the dealership (or any under the same ownership) again.
Last edited by boxerperson; 09-05-2009 at 02:27 PM.
09-05-2009, 04:29 PM
#29
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Annapolis MD
Posts: 2,802
I am young (25), but the military pays it's officers well and I'm single with no kids...I'll be able to finance a new vette when I get back from OCS (though that would take up a larger percentage of my disposable income than I'm willing to spend each month for what IS just a car, especially when I'll be spending a good portion of my time out of the country anyways). Hell, I know I look young and that can scare dealers off, so I even dressed well for the test drives. I don't want a dealer to feel like he's wasting his time with me, you know? That'd just make the experience worse for both of us.
I got similar treatment with the 05 GTO. I had just come from the Ford dealership when Mustangs were new and scarce. I was just looking. I was seriously considering the Ford for a change but wanted to check out the GTO. The girl who showed me it was young and did not know much about them. She went to get the key but took a while comming back out to the car. She said the sales manager had grabbed her on the way back out and said something to the extent hes not going to test drive that car. Needless to say that ended my curiousity. The Mustang on the other hand, the only one on the lot was a convertible V6 and was only sold anyway. The Salesman was friendly enough but let me know I was lucky that hed let me get one at MSRP when other dealers were charging markup.
Anyway I dont tollarate disrespect. Sometimes I can be vindictive. If a dealer, or any company is willing to let their salesmen be so disrespectful, if their lucky I might tell their management. If Im not in the mood to be bothered I tell everyone of my bad experience and warn them to steer clear if they dont want the same treatment. Its their responsibility to respect clients/customers in my eyes. If visiting their business cost me respect, then I cost them business and reputation
Being disrespected, or even worse comming across someone who feels I owe them my business is a pet pieve of mine.
Thank you for your Service.
Last edited by 5thgen69camaro; 09-05-2009 at 04:32 PM.
