mustang vs Camaro
First of all, Hi everyone! Long time no see, sorry I havent been around but they've been working me like a dog. the good news is that the hard work has been paying off because I have received an "unofficial" job offer from my firm. It should be official within the next couple weeks. Which of course leads me to my next point...
I am going to spend about 35,000 max on a new car in may. I want a sports car that is fun, seats four, and goes 0-60 in less than 5 seconds and does the 1/4 mile in the very low 13's or high 12's.
That leaves me pretty much with the new mustang and new camaro. As most of you probably already know, i have been a camaro whore for quite some time. I have owned 2 myself and my parents own a 2010 z28. They came by to visit the other weekend and their camaro was basically "my car" for the weekend. I tested it quite extensively. My mom, my dad, my wife, and I went on a 5 hour road trip, i screwed around with the handling at various times, and of course, i screwed around with the acceleration at various times.
there are a lot of things I like about this car. First of all is the styling. I personally dont like it very much, but it is growing on me and it seems to invoke involuntary seizures from onlookers from every walk of life. At the least, it looks unique.
Second, I like the interior. The fit and finish and the quality of the materials is definitely top notch for the price. It is also very comfortable both in the front and the back. The gauges are absolute junk and the speedometer is basically useless. I am also not crazy about the buttons for the HVAC and radio. However, overall the interior is very nice and it seems like it will be durable in the future.
Third, and most significantly, I like the ride. The camaro just glides over bumps and it is extremely planted, smooth, and solid. The camaro is so solid, that it inspires confidence if you are driving it.
I like the engine, its got a good exhaust note, and in typical small block fashion, it has gobs of torque throughout the power band, and it is smooth. However, I prefer the LS1 in my 2002 z28, the LS3 feels less responsive than the LS1 and needs to rev quite a bit before its making a lot of power. The LS3 feels significantly faster during the last 2000 rpm's than the first 4000 rpms. My LS1, in contrast feels like it makes the same power at 2500 as it goes at redline (i know this isn't the case, but thats how it feels).
the transmission is pretty good too. Its not quite a 911 but compared to the old t56 in my 2002 or the t-5 in my old z28
However, there are a lot of things I dont like...
First, the camaro is kind of slow. the numbers are fast, but when you are driving it, it does not feel fast. There are very few times when you step on it and go "wow, this car is fast" I dont know if its the suspension or what but my 2002 SS feels faster, and much much more responsive. I think a lot of this comes down to the camaro's high weight, and is compounded by the heavy wheels and tall rear end. I also raced my dad several times from a roll and beat him 5 out of 6 times in my car.
The interior, as nice as it is, also kind of sucks because the visibility is horrible. you have to spend quite a bit of time adjusting the seat to be able to see moderately well, the rear window is useless but there is no backup camera, the A and B pillars are massive, the doors are too high so i cant comfortably put my arm on the door out the window, there are huge blind spots, and the rear view mirror basically cuts already tiny windshield in half. For as much confidence as the the suspension and chassis inspire, most of that confidence is sucked away as soon as you get ready to turn because you cant see very well.
But most importantly, and this is what made me even consider looking at the mustang, the camaro does not feel sporty at all, and it is no fun to drive! It is heavy, it drives heavy, its just so smooth that its almost boring, its unresponsive, it doesn't feel fast and the visibility is like driving a submarine. All these things combine to make you feel like you aren't really driving a sports car. its great for my mom who just wants something less boring than a lexis, but doesn't really care about performance that much but I am buying a car to have a little fun on my way to work without sacrificing all comfort and practicality. the camaro nails the practicality and comfort, but misses the fun. I feel like i would tire of the camaro quickly because driving it is just like driving a normal car, just with a lot more power.
So the other day, i did the unthinkable and test drove a 2011 mustang GT.
A woman goes to the doctor to figure out why she is having breathing problems...The doctor tells her she is overweight. She says she wants a second opinion...the doctor says, "your ugly".
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Originally Posted by roosterjuicer
