Hey guys, I was hoping you guys could give me some info on the new Camaro. My girlfriend whom I live with is thinking about getting a new Camaro for her first car (first car that she will OWN, she's been driving for 8 years). I currently own a 2006 Mustang GT (i know, i know.....) that she has driven pretty regularly, so she is used to RWD vehicles. But I just have a couple general questions for you guys:

- How do you like the car?

- Any big issues? (for instance 05-06 Mustangs had a bad metal on metal clunking issue that owners had to fight to get Ford to recognize with a TSB to get it covered under warranty)

- My girlfriend is 4'11''. How hard will visibility and overall driving be for her? (Shes driven larger cars such as an old Camry before. When I looked at the dimensions the Camaro was about 2 inches longer than the Camry)

- Any ladies on here who could give me a testimonial on how driving it is?

- Any cool options you guys recommend getting in the car?

- Does the car come with either a telescoping steering wheel, or adjustable pedals? By that I mean are those options, not does it come standard.

- As far as overall engine power, is the Camaro V6 comparable to a Mustang V8? She doesn't need anything shes's going to kill herself in, but Ill be driving it also on occasion, and Id like to have a little bit of power behind it.

- Shes going to get the "Connectivity package" as well as an automatic transmission, so she wants the remote start. Anything I should know about these? (Not worth the price? Not work well?)

- On the Chevy website when you can "Build Your Own", it says you have to pay $150 for a compact spare wheel and tire......are your serious? A spare wheel isn't included? Or are they talking full size spare and not an emergency donut?

- What is the "Ground Effects Package"? Is it worth it?

- What are LPO Quarter Flares? Worth it?

- Engine block heater worth it?

- If anyone here ordered their car from the dealer, about how long did it take to arrive?


Obviously I can take the comments about my car, I expect those when coming into enemy territory. However I like all American cars, specifically these remakes of the older cars, and if the Camaro had been around in 2006, my decision would have been alot harder. But either way I really appreciate any help you guys can give me. I like to be a little prepared when walking into a situation, and googling Camaro reviews wont give me the real answers as you guys will. Thanks in advance, and hopefully Ill be sticking around once she takes the plunge.

Zach

 

I love the car. I have the V6 1LT with the Connectivity package and it's great.

The only issues I've heard of on here is GM's wheel hop issue eating up CVs in the rear. The V6 makes a lot of clicking noise which is coming from the injectors, sounds weird, but is a normal. With my connectivity package, it seems I have to cycle through the menu twice when finding playlists on my iPod. It's a minor inconvenience and don't know if it's an interface issue or a software issue. The PDIM is nice and having the steering wheel controls for everything is great too.

Visibility takes some time to get used to. The needle on the speedo is fat and hard to glance at while driving so using the speed readout on the info screen is recommended for the first couple of trips. I find it is easier to back the car into a space rather than pulling in straight. The driver seat is height adjustable but the pedals are not. No telescopic steering wheel either.

I recommend opting for the RS package. You get HID headlights with the halos, darker tail light lenses, lip spoiler, and 20" wheels with a dark finish. The RS package also has an ambient light strip running from the door, across the dash and to the other door. If you have the regular RS package it will be ice blue. If you get inferno orange, it will be orange. A sunroof is really up to you. It is nice but you lose the roof crease if you get it. And if you live in a state that requires two plates, get the electric show-n-go license plate holder. It hides the front license plate under the bumper and with the push of a button, pops out and up like an in dash dvd player.

Engine power is good. 304 hp/273 torque. Since your girl is getting the Connectivity package, I think she will have the paddle shifters on the steering wheel. If she does have the V6 with the paddle shifters she will have the 6L50 transmission which has a 4.07:1 1st Gear Ratio and a tall overdrive ratio (better fuel economy). It's got some get up and go to it and a decent size tank (19 gallons). The remote start is a cool show off feature and can only be done five times in a row. After the fifth time, you need to start the car like normal for reasons I can't remember.

The spare tire issue has become a norm for GM. You get the tire inflator kit standard which is a can of fix a flat basically. There is no full-size spare option. And just as a side note, the battery is under the spare tire.

The ground effects package from what I've seen is just side skirts and a more aggressive rear bumper. There is one ground effects package that has square exhaust tips but don't know which one that is exactly.

The block heater is recommended for areas up north where it gets freakin' cold.

I hope this answers some of your questions. Another interesting thing to note is there are three fuse box panels in the car: under the hood, on the side of the driver's side dash, and in the trunk.

 

Thanks for all of that. Since Im going to be doing most of the tech work I figured Id need to start doing some research.

 

No problem, anything to help. Also, a few other things I forgot to mention is the motor is right out of the Cadillac CTS so when you go to do the oil change you can look up the motor under the '08 CTS with direct injection. It is a cartridge filter and is accessable from the top of the engine. I just confirmed today that the warranty will not be void if you change your own oil, just keep receipts and dates. Also, there is no "set" mileage for changing the oil, just go by the oil life monitor and change it when life is at 25% or less. Oh, and another perk to the Connectivity Package is the backup sensors, you don't get an LED readout, but you do have the beeping to let you know how close you are.

 

without a doubt, find a dealer that will let her test drive a V6 before you even consider buying one....it's a much different ride than the stang and for sure ,takes more getting use to!!

 

the drivers seat will go up but the pass seat wont.