So I put about 360 miles on it today and will give a detailed assessment below, but my executive assessment is - the Camaro SS is a great cruiser, but it is not a touring car, although a convertible would probably garner an entirely different opinion. This was a 2013 SS with 22,500 miles on it with a 6.2L V8 and the 6 speed automatic. As a side note, it was a typical rental car in that I do not believe it has been well treated or maintained—the engine had a slightly rough idle which I do not think was due to cam or performance tuning. My best guess is it has been beat on quite a bit and though I did not follow suit, this car makes it hard not to do so.
Ride = 6/10. Once on the open road, it was pretty rough and though I realize this is a sports car, it was overly rough and was pretty noisy too. The road noise permeated the cockpit, especially from the rear of the car. Several moderate bumps on I-10 in Louisiana threatened to flip my stomach. I could not ascertain if this was “as intended” or abuse as a rental, but my ’96 LT4 Corvette did not ride this roughly, nor did my ’95 LT1 Trans AM.
Handling = Wet road; 7/10 | Dry road 9/10. It did not like the rain even though the tires were at proper pressure and had plenty of tread. There was more than a few times when it felt as though it wanted to hydroplane, even though I had slowed down enough to prevent it. I realize that tires play a key role here, but width is width no matter the brand. However, on dry roads, it handled like on rails, even when I pushed it in the curves. On dry pavement, it remained stuck on the road surface like epoxy. The brakes on this car were also fantastic and never felt as though they would fade even after a few 80 to 0 stops.
Performance = 10/10. Nothing like 425 HP under the hood and they are well managed ponies at that. I managed 23.7 mpg going and 23.2 mpg coming back--drive was slower outbound versus the return due to the rain on the outbound leg. Acceleration did have a bit of a lag from zero up to 20, but on the open road, moving from 65 to 80 was a blink and there was never of a feeling of not having power. At speed, the power curve is phenomenal and does not disappoint. The transmission never felt like it was “seeking” a gear which is a nice change from my previous experiences with GM slushboxes and performance cars.
Interior = 4/10. IMHO, this is the area where the Camaro suffers the most, from the anemic mirrors, to the blind spots, to the seatbelt that will choke you [with or with the seat back guide], to the roofline that threatens to whack your head on heavy bumps, to the wanna be sun visors.
Though the instrumentation is laid out in an easy to read orientation, from my vantage point the engine oil temperature gauge was blocked by the massive left A/C control knob (which will freeze you out in short order). The HUD was a welcome piece of gadgetry allowing me to (nearly) keep my right foot in check within the posted speed limits. At night, the LED bars on the doors are a distraction and I did not find a way to turn them off (there must be a setting somewhere). Missing was a navigation tool, though my Android S5 always provides decent instructions, it would have been nice to have it built in on the large radio LCD panel. The gas gauge was spot on, requiring 9.3 gallons to fill the tank when ½ full was indicated. The audio system was fantastic and at the proper volume easily drowned the road noise, but on a longer trip, this much volume would eventually start to grind on you. There were several inputs on the sound system (MP3, BlueTooth, USB, and the like), and it seemed like movies could be watched on the adequate LCD.
I am right at six feet tall and when I slid the seat back to a comfortable position, there was no room for a passengers legs between the rear of my seat and the rear seat. My wife is quite short and despite that fact, only an empty soda bottle fit vertically between the back of her seat and the rear seat. In essence, this is a two seater car with a “shelf” area in the rear for a few things—I would find it hard to think that anyone of any size could ride back there, but then again, that was never really the intention. If there is one major negative to take away, it is the roofline. It is far too low and (at least my head) was well above the window opening, even with the seat as far down as it would go. Speaking of seats, though they were fairly comfortable, GM’s choice of leather is lame. It felt very plastic to the touch and the sides/backs of the seats are trimmed in vinyl--which were already showing moderate signs of wear. A higher quality leather would reduce the cheap feel of the interior (despite the price tag which argues the opposite).
However, kudos to the design team for as closely mimicking the interior layout of the ’69 SS or Z/28 as they did. Sitting in this thing definitely brought back some memories from my high school days when I foolishly sold my ’69. It is not exact, but it is pretty close and nostalgia seekers will not be disappointed.
Exterior = 9/10. The body lines of this car look great from any angle and the pseudo cowl induction hump in the hood gave a nice line to use as a guide against the road lines. Night lighting was equally good with plenty of illumination and I never felt as though I would “outdrive” the lights. The HUD is adjustable to compensate for day/night and was not a distraction after adjusting it for darkness. The trunk opening is a bit strangely shaped, but I could place two rolling overhead bags into it with some room to spare.
Final thoughts—As a weekend getaway car or Saturday night cruiser, the Camaro can hang with the best of them, but for a long tour, it is severely lacking in a few areas. If I had to pick two things that dissuade me from choosing this car, it would be the low roofline--a cave feeling as one poster noted (my head was easily 2-3 inches above the top of the window and thus contributing to the poor views from inside), and the excessive road noise which could leave a low level hum in your ears after stepping out. From a performance standpoint—hang on brother! I pinned my wife into her seat on two different occasions and there was power remaining on tap. For those wishing to relive some glory days in that ’69 Z/28 that you could never afford or never find, this car will help you do that in so many ways possible including some upgrades in every department. If you are looking to do that—this is the car for you. If you want a car to take a 500-1000+ mile cruise, this one will get you there, but I am not sure that you will like the “after effects”.
Next up for my test is a Ford Mustang (in convertible, if I can find one to rent). Should that one not pass muster, a Dodge Charger is on the agenda next...stay tuned.
