2010 Chevy Camaro: Priorities

I think a exhaust note challenge between all Edmunds IL V8 performance cars is in order.

Many say the M3's V8 doesn't sound "manly" enough (a bit insecure?) yet I think it sounds awesome.

Sounds great but when you hear the exhaust note memories of salad bowls and bumblebees will come rushing back.

Just another pushrod. Loud but not good enough for anything else.

I agree with hondacura4. Make a video of the following cars exhaust notes and then all of us could have a giant arguement in the comments. :Audi S5, BMW M3, Chevy Camaro SS, Dodge Challenger R/T, Dodge Ram, Infiniti FX50, Pontiac G8 GT, and the MINI E then you could see which is best :)

Mini E FTW!

So essentially this car drives poorly but that's ok because it sounds good?

No thanks. At $42,192 there are plenty of other cars to choose from that do BOTH equally well.

Where did they say the car drove poorly?

And keep in mind, the readers who have actually experienced the car first-hand tend to think the car drives just fine, the steering wheel fits in the hand just fine, and the visibility, while limited, isn't a problem at all.

Don't believe everything you read online. Go check it out with an open mind (an impossible task for some people here, I know) and you might come away with a different impression. I know when I actually experienced the Camaro I realized everything I read about it on Edmunds was way off base.

I have to kind of side with stovt001. I haven't actually driven the thing but I did have the opportunity to sneak a sit in the cockpit and I gotta say, all the IL staff must have banana fingers or something because I didn't find the steering wheel nearly as offensive. It looks stupid, but 10 & 2 and 8 & 4 I found pretty comfortable. The controls were within reach too.

"Will it be worth anything in 5, or even 2 years?"

I hope not, because I would love to land a deal on a lightly used example.

OK everyone who has driven the camaro has noted the lack of visibility. I question the intelligence of anyone who didn't figure that out before driving the car. If you don't like the shift knob, get the automatic. The style, performance and sound are worth the price of admission. Period.

Honda:

The M3 sounds awesome compared to what exactly? A V6? It cannot compare to any of the V8 soundtracks of the American muscle cars or any Vette. Not to mention the C63.

PS:

Not buying a car because it was in a successful blockbuster movie has to be one of the lamest things I've ever heard. How insecure is someone who is worried about being associated with Transformers when they make a car buying decision? Who cares?

I couldn't agree with 1487 more. The association with Transformers being an issue not to buy a car is utter nonsense. I'd question the sanity of a person who wouldn't buy a car based on the association of a movie.

Because my car is yellow and I get a bunch of crap from my friends about Bumblebee I even got autobot badges on my car as a joke:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/TheModestWizard/DSCN1003.jpg

Have a sense of humor.

From the posts before i do own a 2010 camaro ss and i do like the steering wheel. It fits my hands perfect. Everybody is different and has different hands. As for the visibility, the first time i sat in the car i said wow visibility sucks. By about half way home from when i picked up the car i had gotten used to it. Now i dont notice any visibility problems. Yes the C pillars are huge and the back window is tiny, but the mirrors in the car work great. You just have to know how to drive.

I wanted the car long before transformers.

stovt001 says
Where did they say the car drove poorly?

And keep in mind, the readers who have actually experienced the car first-hand tend to think the car drives just fine, the steering wheel fits in the hand just fine, and the visibility, while limited, isn't a problem at all.

Don't believe everything you read online. Go check it out with an open mind (an impossible task for some people here, I know) and you might come away with a different impression. I know when I actually experienced the Camaro I realized everything I read about it on Edmunds was way off base.

Yeah, but the IL staff has driven far more cars than most any of us ever have or ever will. I think their opinion comes from comparing their experiences with the many cars they've driven before, whether it be conscious or subconscious comparisons. The Camaro may be fine for owners/readers who have them now as they may not have had as much experience with such a wide variety of vehicles, but to people who have driven many cars, some arguably better, the Camaro can be a let-down.

I think the continuing popularity of the previous generation of Camaro among today's youth (for cheap performance) despite the continued redneck/mullet association with the cars speaks for the new car's continuing popularity in the future.

An example: The Ferrari 308 that IL had. At first, there was nothing but references to Magnum P.I. However, after a while, the car's own merits shown through past the perceived Hollywood glamor.

I expect the same for the Camaro. There will be comments about its Hollywood fame, but they will dim and it will be known for its performance at a bargain price.

I am going to side with the IL team on the whole Transformers connection being a downside thing. I was at the dealership today and saw a Camaro coming out of the service department and it had the Bee-yotch thing hanging down from the rear-view mirror straight from the movie. It really made me sad. When/if I actually buy a Camaro for myself, I really, really don't want to hear any Bumblebee references.

"The M3 sounds awesome compared to what exactly? A V6? It cannot compare to any of the V8 soundtracks of the American muscle cars or any Vette. Not to mention the C63."

Difference is, the muscle cars would be farting and wheezing at revs where the M3 will continue with its holy symphony. Pushrods are just louder. Louder can be achieved on a four banger with a coffee can muffler. Nothing unique about them, deal with it.

"Not buying a car because it was in a successful blockbuster movie has to be one of the lamest things I've ever heard. How insecure is someone who is worried about being associated with Transformers when they make a car buying decision?"

A lot less insecure than the pricks who buy cars for a louder soundtrack.

The only way I would think to avoid the movie sting is really to avoid yellow or even black.

If the soundtrack to a sports car doesn't matter at all to you, reexamine your groinal area for evidence of an external reproductive apparatus

If a soundtrack matters that much to you and makes you think it obliviates every other issue the car has, go see a doctor. There might be nothing wrong with your groinal area but chances are, you're low in testosterone.

I suppose if money is no object, then, no, the cons don't matter. However, I'd wager that those cons would be deal-breakers to most of us. The flip side, I suppose, is that most of us aren't interested in owning this car...

Why that's preposterous it certainly doesn't thesaurus.com all the other thesaurus.com with the car. In fact, I'd thesaurus.com that the thesaurus.com is at the core of the problem. Indeed, thesaurus.com.

"The Camaro may be fine for owners/readers who have them now as they may not have had as much experience with such a wide variety of vehicles, but to people who have driven many cars, some arguably better, the Camaro can be a let-down."

How many cars are better for the money? Maybe one. The car is a let down if you are a Z car fan who deluded yourself into thinking the Camaro was going to be a lithe sports car even though it's NEVER been such a car. People complain because its hard to place while doing 80 on a twisty country road as if its a Miata or Z. Its neither and I wonder why anyone would be shocked.

ACE:

the Mustang doesn't have a pushrod V8. Not surprised you didn't know that. Let the foolishness continue.

Look up "better" in the dictionary and then look up "louder". Tell me what you find. Never said the cars I mentioned are "louder" than the M3. They are more aggressive, more appropriate and all out superior to the jet engine whine of the M3.

You know I think 1487 might have a point. It does seem like the Camaro is often compared to sports cars, when it is more of a GT, along with the other 2 pony cars.

"You know I think 1487 might have a point. It does seem like the Camaro is often compared to sports cars, when it is more of a GT, along with the other 2 pony cars."

I'd agree there. Its never been a 'sports car' in my eye. Thats not a bad thing either.

The Camaro's shortcomings wouldn't matter if it weren't for the availability of equally entertaining vehicles that do not have them.

Sounds great, looks stupid. When I drove one (V6) I thought it drove just fine. I just hated the styling, interior and visibility. And the steering wheel does suck, period. Dont drink the Kool-Aid.....the interior is indeed for species 8472.

I'll tell you what's lame - dismissing a vehicle's many shortcomings because it sounds good. Can't see out of the thing? Never mind - you'll crash with a smile on your face, enthralled by the beautiful soundtrack.

These shortcommings must be really blown out of proportion if they can be overlooked for the exhaust system.

"The Camaro's shortcomings wouldn't matter if it weren't for the availability of equally entertaining vehicles that do not have them."

which cars in this price range are you talking about?

@ wrinklebump - *applause*

" ace47 says:

10:58 PM, 10/ 3/09

Difference is, the muscle cars would be farting and wheezing at revs where the M3 will continue with its holy symphony. Pushrods are just louder. Louder can be achieved on a four banger with a coffee can muffler. Nothing unique about them, deal with it."

ace47 - you obviously have some deranged bias against pushrods. Did you trip on a pushrod laying on a garage floor when you were little or something? Seriously, what is your problem?

Get off your chair, go to a race track, and listen. There you will find pushrod V-8s singing glorious songs. Better yet, maybe you should drive one, and feel and hear one yourself. It's a far better experience than watching a YouTube clip. Some of you people really need to get out more.

There is far more to a great engine than simply a high redline. And as far as sound quality goes, one really doesn't have much to do with the other.

And now you're comparing the exhaust sound quality of a pushrod V-8 to a 4-cylinder with a fart pipe? Give me a break. You sir, have zero credibility with that comment.

dont feed the trolls. He doesn't know anything about cars.

I was behind a Camaro SS at a red light on my 636 yesterday and let me tell you it sounded great when he bliped the throttle. Also, the color makes this car. I've only seen red, yellow and silver in person and didn't like any of them. This one was grey with dark grey stripes. It looked fantastic!

Sorry, 1487. It doesn't cost any more to design a functional interior than a dysfunctional one.

"the Mustang doesn't have a pushrod V8. Not surprised you didn't know that. Let the foolishness continue."

Show me where I mentioned Mustangs, please do.

"Look up "better" in the dictionary and then look up "louder". Tell me what you find. Never said the cars I mentioned are "louder" than the M3. They are more aggressive, more appropriate and all out superior to the jet engine whine of the M3."

They are just louder, deal with. More appropriate? For what?

"Get off your chair, go to a race track, and listen. There you will find pushrod V-8s singing glorious songs. Better yet, maybe you should drive one, and feel and hear one yourself. It's a far better experience than watching a YouTube clip. Some of you people really need to get out more."

Get over yourself. I know you drive a mighty pushrod. And I prefer the soundtrack of F1 cars, you know, the ones that have actual engineering involved. Watching a bunch of morons going round in circles or racing down the 1/4 doesn't excite me, sorry.

"There is far more to a great engine than simply a high redline. And as far as sound quality goes, one really doesn't have much to do with the other."

What is more to a great engine? Which engine revs more, utilising more air and needing more cooling and yet still having near perfect torque curves. It is not a shitrod. The torque excuse that everyone pushrod fan is so fond of? A Porche NA flat six has better torque output per displacement than any shitrod, including the 7L V8 in the Z06. So again, what makes it so great? Other than the loud noise, that is. Displacement makes the torque and loud noise, it doesn't mean an engine is better built if it has more torque and bigger noise.

If a low output high displacement was worth anything, GM wouldn't have been bragging about accomplishing a 100hp/L in the ZR1. Of course, the GM clowns never realised that other makers get 100hp/L WITHOUT boost.

"You sir, have zero credibility with that comment

He doesn't know anything about cars."

Don't worry, I won't lose sleep over what a couple of GM fanboys think.

"Sorry, 1487. It doesn't cost any more to design a functional interior than a dysfunctional one. "

Who said it wasn't functional? What are you talking about? The interior is easy to use according to what I've read. The steering wheel is an IL complaint. Most others barely mentioned it. Owners don't seem to mind either- not that we should care what they say.

Ace:

You tha man! I can't argue with someone as bright as you. Its a no win situation for me. You just know too much.

Avoided the question again I see. Good on you 1487. Its not about winning, try having something credible about your comments. Using Mustangs when I didn't even mention them truly does say a lot about your intelligence.

shitrod? ace47 confirmed himself as a retard. I don't waste my time conversing with retards. Be gone little boy...