2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS on the Dyno

I'll place my order today.

albook:

you may want to sit in it first. On paper it looks OK, but seeing it shows you some other important things. The trunk opening is ridiculous, the interior sadly looks way more like an old gm product than it does the new CTS or even the new Malibu. My biggest complaint of all though is the visibility. Imagine yourself looking out a sportscar's back window (in my head im thinking 350z)... now imagine that small slit of vision as being the view out the front windshield. Thats basically what its like inside the camaro. I wanted to like it, but there are just too many misses for my tastes. And on a personal note, the fake stamped in shark gills just behind the front door look completely cheap and ridiculous in my opinion. They should have made them actual holes or left them off altogether. The nonfunctional slit above the grill on SS models is also a let down...

@umiami350z

...IMHO...

Most of those things are forgivable on a 35k car with 360+ hp at the wheels.

I REALLY wanted to like this car. I like the exterior styling, although "fake/non-functional" add ons arent my taste....they arent over done.

I just CANT get away from how BAD the interior is, especially the dash and gauge layout. I mean retro styling is one thing, but to actaully raid the old parts bin and put LED's in there....COME ON!?!?!!!

I know thats not how it was done, but the interior alone is enough to keep me in my 03 Mustang Cobra.

That sounds pretty righteous.

redliner

I also feel that most of the things i mentioned are forgivable on a 35k car. However, Id rather have a less powerful, lighter car, that I can see out of of decently. If you havent sat in the car then there is no way to realize just how bad the visibility is... its worse than any car ive ever been in and ive been in ALOT. Props to GM for making it sexy, fast, cheap, and actually able to handle for once, but most of that is useless to me if i cant see well enough to take advantage of those latter characteristics. For the same money (35k or less) these are what I would consider...

370z with sports package $32,930- if you only need two seats then this is hands down the winner, if you need more than two seats then stop reading now. Its one tenth of a second slower to 60 (5.1 versus 5.0 WITHOUT rollout). It has a much more upscale interior, and can easily outhandle the camaro on any road. Its also got a great 6 speed in my opinion.

genesis coupe 3.8 track $30,000- This car may be a little slower(still plenty quick) but it handles well and gets better fuel economy. It also exhibits textbook rear wheel drive balance (quote insideline). In my opinion it looks just as good as the camaro if not better. It also has a much more upscale interior and some cool standard feature that the camaro doesnt have (intelligent key, push button start)

2010 mustang gt premium $31,000- since your looking at a camaro you probably wont even consider a mustang unless your like me and havent given american cars the time of day until a few years ago. Its got some great updated looks and a very nicely done interior (surprisingly). What looks like aluminum is aluminum, the stiching of the leather is very nice, the interior controls are nicer and there is an option for navigation with microsoft sync. It is also only a tenth of a second slower to 60 (5.1 to 5.0) but has the benefit of less weight and better visibility so its most likely easier/more fun to drive hard.

The other huge factor for me is that you cannot get automatic climate control in the camaro. All the cars i just listed either do come with or can be gotten with automatic climate control for under 35k. Im not a fan of constantly fidgeting with the AC.

I wont go one about lightly used cars but if i did id tell you about a g37 coupe. Others are escaping me at the moment...any one else got any ideas of used cars under 35k that fit the bill?

Sorry such a long post these are just all cars im considering purchasing (even the camaro).

I'll take a Black 2010 GT Premium Mustang with the red interior, please.

Yeah, I'll take a Hyundai 3.8 b/c it gets 2 mpg more than a 400+ hp V8.

Sorry, i couldn't say that with a straight face... Oh, that's a good one.

Colorado

I just said better. Not alot better and yes its not a difference that would keep me from buying a car. And it is very impressive that GM can get that good of mileage from such a heavy car with so much power. I still think that the interior of the genesis and the standard features it offers are miles ahead of the camaro. I forgot also to mention the 10 speaker infinti sound system thats another of my favorite features. I sat in both the camaro and genesis back to back at the FT Lauderdale international auto show and while the camaro made me think, wow i thought this interior would have been better given GM's recent improvement in interior quality and wow i want out of here now its so claustrophobic, the genesis made me think, holy s**t i cant believe this is a hyundai! The interior was literally nicer than all the hondas and toyotas at the show and while not as elegant as the g37, its nearly as nice wherever it counts (seats, controls, stereo, power, ect.) And i PERSONALLY prefer lighter more tossable cars to heavier ones that may be a little bit faster.

having sat in a genesis coupe, I personally thought it was on par with a 3 year old saturn. Just my opinion. I drive a 2004 wrangler rubicon so anything with 4 wheels has a better interior.

Everyone always complains that GM never makes those cool showcars a reality. Well damn, here you go!

Yeah it doesn't have the visibility of your econosedan. That's what you get when you're down in the weeds with a stump pulling thug.

I love that they didn't compromise. It's an in-your-face 400hp thug. And they did it with refinement. It's styling is GREAT. This is one $30K ride that will look at home next to anything three times the price.
I say they kicked ass. Good job Chevy.

Sure, the Camaro has some shortcomings, all cars do, but complaining about it's trunk opening? It's a sport coupe, how much can you carry in there anyway. At least nothing you would need the trunk opening of a full-sized sedan to put in.

I'm a Chevrolet salesman from Staten Island, NY. I am willing to accept all of the complaints pertaining to the interior of the car, but only if you've actually sat in and experienced the car first hand. I will be attending a Camaro marketing training on April 9th, in Long Island, NY which will involve a side by side comparison of the Camaro, Mustang, Challenger and 370Z. As far as I know, the only non-GM people that will have experienced the car before that time will be other salesman attending similar events across the country, and the people involved with the recent Barrett-Jackson auction where they auctioned off the first SS for charity. Bottom line is, if you don't have real-world experience with the product that you're expressing your opinion on, then your opinion is worth crap. So, again, feel free to say what you will about the interior, but I personally will be reserving my judgment until I either experience the car for myself, or speak to someone who has.

null-

Im assuming that your comment is aimed at me. Well im sorry to inform you that you are wrong as anyone that visited the FT Lauderdale International Auto Show got to sit in the camaro if they wanted. Looks like for now im the expert and my opinion does not mean crap.

Has anyone else here sat in it?

Also, it was not only me that felt the way i do about the interior. My girlfriends agrees with my observations and she really really didnt like the inside of the car. A few other people sat in it too while i was there and they felt largely the same way about the car that I do. One of those guys was an older guy who prolly owned one of the first camaros (you know the people GM is targeting this car at). He got in and was really let down. He was only in the car for like 30 seconds, at which point I pointed him towards the 2010 mustang... and no im not a Ford fanboy... i have owned only japanese cars but would consider buying one of the recent american cars (cadillac CTS, mustang, corvette)... in other words i have a pretty unbiased opinion

The Camaro looks good, inside and out. Perhaps the interior disappoints up close, but I've yet to sit in one. The visibility could be an issue for me. I'll have to check it out. I assume most coupes have issues like that, but this sounds more extreme.

Still, the presence is there, and the drivetrain is tops. You will turn heads in this thing, and grown men (me included) may giggle like school children hearing this throttle up around town.