2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS: The Purchase Dilemma

"Our black Challenger is down on muscle, and I'd need to give it a redo in regards to the tires, wheels and suspension to make it look right"

How so?

"more than a little ironic that the Ford Mustang GT, live rear axle and all, handles and steers better"

Because the whole live rear axle thing is way over blown! People (media heavily included) focus way too much on one detail and often fail to look at the package as a whole.

Anyway, I'm not sure I'd actually buy anything in your current long term fleet.

My want of more Challenger tire: http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtests/2009/06/2009-dodge-challenger-rt-can-we-have-more-tire-sir.html. - Brent

^Broken Link.

"Yep, the steering wheel is lame and outward visibility is poor, but as Jay wrote in the first pony car comparison, 'You want to kick ass, or fondle the door panels, sissy?'"

The "cool" factor of doing smoky burnouts would probably get old after the second month. I'd rather a car that can perform once the tires are back in contact with the road.

None of the current muscle cars strike my fancy, but if I had to pick one, Mustang please. Amazing how the least powerful car is actually the best performer.

The dealers around here will not even let you test drive a Camaro (not even the V6) unless you either commit to buying one or fill out a credit application. It's a Camaro, not a Ferrari, give me a break! We pulled into one dealership driving my BMW that cost several thousand more than even the most expensive Camaro, but still no go. I'm in my late 30s, so not like I'm a teenager out joy riding. We crossed it off our list just because of that, not to mention they all had "$5000 additional dealer mark-up" over the sticker price (again, even the V6 models)!

stoppre75, get rid of the period after "html" and the link works fine. :o)

http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtests/2009/06/2009-dodge-challenger-rt-can-we-have-more-tire-sir.html

i'd have to drive it... but sure do like the idea of all that power. even if i can't turn worth a damn, i'd be fine with it. i just think the looks are played out already... its been in concept form forever now and its been all over transformers. the fact that kids dont really care despite having watched transformers is a bad sign... kids will still swarm Ironman's ride though.

overall, i find the Challenger best looking and Mustang most appealing. but the big bad LS3 will still be calling my name... just a shame GM can't get it right.

"I do find it more than a little ironic that the Ford Mustang GT, live rear axle and all, handles and steers better."

Ironic? No. I believe the word you are looking for is "counter-intuitive".

I have to agree, the Camaro has always been the one that has left me coldest out of the current crop of pony cars.

Drove a Camaro SS and Mustang GT back to back. Bought the Mustang.

What in the heck does "the Washington Redksins" of the pony car wars mean?

A point about the Mustang handling better - that's only been said of the Track-pack equipped models. What GM really needs to do is read a history book and make a Z28 that is a GT track pack fighter, rather than the supercharged beast that can't be built due to CAFE regulations.

Congrats to GM for bringing the car back and making it as good as it is.

That said, I'll take the Mustang GT with the 6spd RT as an alternate.

I'll take a Mustang. The camaro is overly styled. It says "I'm a douchebag" or "I'm a high school girl". The Challenger and Mustang are both much more subtle. I like subtle.

Re. "Well, first, let's assume that if I didn't buy one, which new muscle/pony car would I buy?"

Why start with a premise that restricts the choices ONLY to domestic muscle / pony cars? Potential buyers are not similarly shackled.

good point Jaeger: I would also compare the Genesis Coupe and probably the WRX if I was shopping.

"The new Camaro, in contrast, is more refined. That's a good thing, of course, and it's the best pony car here."

I am rather puzzled with that statement from the end of the post. Based on everything you said up to that point the Camaro is clearly NOT the best pony car, not even in your own mind. The Camaro has the best engine hands down. Even this died in the wool Mustang guy has to admit that.

But best over all? On a purely functional basis the Mustang seems to hold an edge over the Camaro and the Challenger, albeit a small one. For most people it will come down to the subjective issue of styling.

For me the Camaro is a distant 3rd behind the Mustang and the Challenger.

Dealer markup on the Camaro should make you buy something else right now.

I will never understand why people get so bent out of shape over the 'market adjustment' premiums dealers tack on in the early days of a hot new car.

Where is it written that you have a right to purchase the car of your choice for no more than the suggested retail price?

Dealerships are low margin businesses even in the best of times (in the early days of my banking career in the mid 1990's I was an analyst on a dealer floorplan portfolio, so I have seen dozens of dealer financial statements for a variety of domestic and import dealers including Mercedes and BMW dealers). While some were very profitable in the past (based on volume more than high profit per vehicle), many dealers right now are barely hanging on. Why should they forego the opportunity to make some extra profit while they have the chance?

This not the Soviet Union. Here in the US you have over a dozen different manufactuers to choose from. You don't have to buy a Chevy if you don't like the price. Go to Ford and get a Mustang, or Hyundai and get a Genesis Coupe. You have options. Stop whinning about dealer markup and go exercise the right you actually do have, the right NOT to pay more than you think is fair. Or perhaps try to have the patience of an adult rather than a toddler and just wait. Such markups are always temporary and you will eventually be able to get the car you want for probably less than MSRP.

Agreed, Bankerdanny. The pricing should always be based on what the market will bear - sometimes it means the consumer pays more than MSRP and sometimes less.

$8000 above MSRP right now is too much money.

Agreed, but there new Camaros being driven around.....the market will decide what is too much.

Question: do only the Big 3 make "pony cars?" What are the requirements for a "pony car?" Is one being domestic? having 4 seats & 2 doors? 300+ hp? V8 (even if the V8 is down on power)? 0-60 in less than XXX seconds? What are the prereq's for a pony car?

Yellow,

I think that domestic is a requirement. Pony Car was a class started by the Mustang, and later included the Camaro, Firebird, Barracuda, Challenger, and AMX (and maybe the Javelin). So mid-size, 2-door, 4 seat sports (or sporty at least) coupe. A V8 is not required as the original Pony Car, the Mustang, came in both 6 and 8 cyclinder versions.

In the 60's when the term was coined the imports didn't play in this class. Today the Genesis Coupe is clearly a competitor for the Pony Cars, though I would not use that term to describe it. To me, only the Mustang/Camaro/Challenger are "Pony Cars".