2010 Camaro

[CompanyXPaladin]

Has anyone driven the new Camaro? I've seen them, I really like the way they look, I really like the idea of a V-6 with a 6-speed, and RWD. I hear they handle really well, and I've heard of people pulling mid-30's MPGs with them. Anyone have opinions on them?

edit: poll added.

[Yar Is Word]

Camaro vs Mustang vs Challenger
9+ minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-uTjaQ6E7g

[silver_echo]

i kinda like them, however, i have always been the type to wait on a car that i like until it has been out for a year or two so that they can have a change to fix some bugs... the lady at the parts counter for the auto tech program at my school bought one, and it is already having some tranny issues... also, when hers showed up for delivery, it had a DENT on the passenger side that was there in the FACTORY!(yes, they knew)... had i been in her shoes, i would have made the dealer get me a new one and make them give me a discount for my inconvenience...

[Darb]

Not my bag, plus... GM. :thumbdown:

[mikenacarato]

i love gm cars...just not the camaro. i would rather have a challenger.

[hachi-roku_fan]

I like it, and love the looks of the challenger, but I'd rather get a Hyundai Genesis coupe

[ka0sx]

that motor trend review doesn't mean shit =P
does not challange any of those cars capabilities.

[kargoboy]

I would definitely buy one. With a V6, work on upgrading the suspension setup first and
in a few years add a supercharger.

The V6 is lighter and handles better out of the box. My only problem with the
car is the overall weight. I would have liked to have seen it weigh in at least 300lbs
less.

[CompanyXPaladin]

that motor trend review doesn't mean shit =P
does not challange any of those cars capabilities.

+1

I've been reading a lot of reviews, and it looks like the Camaro V6 actually performed reasonably well compared to the Genesis coupe. Heres what I'm given to understand about the Camaro, Challenger (since someone mentioned it, and it is worth mentioning), and Genesis Coupe:

All three cars have available V6 engines. The Challenger doesn't offer a manual transmission with it's V6 - in fact, the manual transmission option starts at 33k (and you have to pay extra for it.). All 3 cars feature independent front suspension and 5-link rear suspension. All 3 V6 motors make similar power (plus or minus a little HP or ft/lbs). All 3 V6 models get similar fuel economy - high 20's EPA estimate, although I've read that mid-30's are common on the Challenger.

The Challenger weighs more than either other car - at 4400 pounds. It's suspension is soft, the steering response sucks, and it generally does not handle curves well. All the reviews I've read indicate that it's an awesome cruise car. You can get better suspension on it, but I don't know how much that helps. And it still weighs 4400 pounds. This, combined with the lack of a manual transmission for them, doesn't make the Challenger an option for me. I love the styling, its great. Its just more car than I want to haul around; I don't want a boat, I want something fun to drive.

The Camaro and the Genesis Coupe perform similarly in every test I've seen them in. They got similar skid pad and figure 8 numbers, performed similarly on a technical track, and even get similar 1/4 mile times and trap speeds despite the Camaro being a little heavier. Given the choice between a Camaro and a Genesis with that information, its a tough call. I much prefer the Camaro's body styling over the Genesis, which just looks too Celica, too "I'm a ricer and my mommy bought me this car," for me. If the Genesis spanked the Camaro in all performance areas, I wouldn't care. But as is, the Camaro looks hotter, performs the same with (I think) more potential, and actually comes in 4k cheaper for similarly equipped models. I'll bet you a quarter the Camaro is cheaper to insure, too. :wink:

Hopefully, I'll have the opportunity to test drive some cars this weekend - maybe then I'll have an actual opinion. :biggrin:

edit: edited for clarity.

[Bob Dog]

I would definitely like to take one for a spin, after I do I will have an opinion.

[BrazdonW]

all look same

[talnlnky]

wow.... it looks just like the all the newer "muscle" cars from american companies the past 4 years... new mustang... charger.. yeah...

imma pass on this one. American designers are lame.

[BrazdonW]

all look same

















;)

[hachi-roku_fan]

I think the Genesis will have a bigger aftermarket, especially if you get a 4 cylinder turbo model. HKS already has a upgraded kit and making V6 power. My opinion on the car has nothing to do with the MT review, I'm just not a fan of buying American cars

[highwaypass]

i love it,but simply can't afford it :biggrin:

[hasher22]

DAMMIT!

I wanted the genesis coupe, aust is not getting the model apparently from australia's head office

[NJBob]

Can't afford it but I like 'em. I was looking at them last week. :thumbsup:

[talnlnky]

oh yeah.... WTF? its not a camaro if it doesn't have T-TOPS!... I WANT T-Tops!... But even then.... still wouldn't buy it because it's american.

[supmet]

I'm pretty sure they'll only sell you a camaro if you have a mullet. That's how it was in the 80s anyway. IROC-z ftl

[UTVitz]

It's a huge car-I could not believe it dwarfed the big ass corvette setting next to it. Will it save sorry GM from itself-no. Just another can to kick down the road for a few years. These three car companies are all the same-keep beating a dead horse since they can't come up with anything new or innovative. Yea, let's live the 70's again-big detroit steel-ugh! They never learn.

[cali yaris]

If I were going to buy one of these new American retro-muscle cars, I would get the Challenger -- I love the looks of that one.

[CompanyXPaladin]

Update: drove some cars today. I had the opportunity to drive the Hyundai Genesis Coupe I4-Turbo, the Mustang GT, and the Mustang V6. Not relevant to this comparison, I also drove the Nissan Cube. I did not have the chance to drive the new Challenger, as no dealer within 200 miles of me had one. I did not have the chance to drive the new Camaro, as all the dealerships nearby were doing "Credit-application test drives only" - they wouldn't let me drive it until I signed on the dotted line. My local Hyundai dealer has promised to let me know as soon as they get a V6 6-speed Genesis Coupe in. :smile:

Mustang: I was pretty impressed by the Mustang. It felt like a much higher quality product than the 2004 Mustang I drove a few years ago. It handled reasonably well, but the steering response wasn't spectacular. There was no real feel for the road. When I got on the freeway in the GT and punched it, the acceleration was awesome. With the stock, soft suspensions, it's a 'point it in the right direction, hit the gas, and hang on' kind of car. Unfortunately, it seems difficult to take advantage of that power in anything but a straight line, HOWEVER, it felt like there was a lot of room for improvement with suspension. I walked away feeling like the GT had potential to be fun to drive. The V6 was much less impressive. The V6 with auto tranny felt lethargic - nothing muscle-car-esque about it aside from aesthetics, really. After driving both Mustangs, I got back in my Yaris, drove for a few minutes, and went "I love my Yaris. :wub:"

Genesis Coupe: This was an interesting experience. This one had the I4-Turbo, with the Shiftronic automatic transmission. I did not like the Shiftronic tranny. There was a good second to second and a half in between hitting the shift-up button and the tranny actually shifting. Shifting at any speed was clunky and jerky - it seemed like the tranny just didn't know how to shift smoothly at any RPM. Before my next statement, my experience with Turbocharged cars is limited to my mom's PT Cruiser, which kicks you in the butt and goes at 3200 RPM. The Genesis Coupe had no such kick. I kept waiting for the car to start suddenly accelerating, and it never came. It was quite anticlimactic. And somewhat disappointing. Overall, less than impressed - I might even go so far as to say "Slow. Ish." Handling was good, though. The steering response was good, the car wanted to be tossed around corners; the stock suspension was adequate, but with some good suspension it would definitely be fun to drive. It was stable and predictable around corners faster than my Yaris (lowered, rear torsion strut). I'll definitely be interested to see how the V6 drives, with a proper tranny on it. I got out of the Genesis Coupe, hopped back in my Yaris, and after driving for a few minutes, went "I love my Yaris. :wub:"

The guy at the Dodge dealership, after establishing that he had no Challengers in stock, literally told me to go buy a Mustang. "You want a real muscle car, man. I got me two Mustangs, and they're awesome. They're a real car, man. The Challenger just feels like a normal car, the Mustang feels like a muscle car!" Wouldn't take "No" for an answer. I was with my buddy, who actually wanted to order a Challenger, but we ended up cruising over to the Ford dealership, instead. I guess that dealership really wanted to sell us a car...:rolleyes:

I then proceeded to head over to the Chevy dealer and drool over the new Camaro. :redface:

[kargoboy]

I dunno about the Mustang...with a solid rear axle you're not going to get much better handling than you would have in a 1970 Mustang. I think this was a huge mistake on Ford's part.
I love the muscle-car look, being an old guy and all...but I also prefer a twisty road to a straight line. In this respect I truly believe the V6 Camaro will offer the most potential
of the three while still being respectable off the line.

Brute force isn't everything. But honestly, if the RX-8 had a little more oomph there would be no question and I wouldn't even be considering a Camaro. And yes, I know there are other nice import couples out there but I still need a somewhat usable rear
seat.

[NJBob]

I'm pretty sure they'll only sell you a camaro if you have a mullet. That's how it was in the 80s anyway. IROC-z ftl


http://smilies.vidahost.com/otn/laughing/icon_smile_lachuh.gif

[TLyttle]

I could never understand why they must be so big! Sports cars don't need a trunk, and they sure as hell don't need frontal area! Touring car? different machine, but even they don't need frontal area.

I wouldn't even give these beasts a second glance. If you want some plain fun, go find a Miata and a winding road...

[ROCKLAND TOYOTA]

saw a new camaro SS over weekend and it was ALRIGHT looking. i wasn't too thrilled with blue color it was wearing but nice car nonetheless......

[NJBob]

I could never understand why they must be so big! Sports cars don't need a trunk, and they sure as hell don't need frontal area! Touring car? different machine, but even they don't need frontal area.

I wouldn't even give these beasts a second glance. If you want some plain fun, go find a Miata and a winding road...

Seems like they are trying to reach some kinda safety standards but I agree they look a bit bulky, so does the Challenger. The Mustangs aren't too bad, though, IMHO. :smile:

[Thirty-Nine]

At first I wasn't thrilled with the new Camaro. However, the more I look at it, the more I like it—and the less I like the Challenger, BTW. Actually, I like the Challenger's front end better, but I don't like it's rear.