[stoopid]

Originally Posted by MEDISIN

Option a 2SS up to SS sedan standard equipment and the prices are nearly the same. What price to performance ratio would you like to see?

At least we agree it doesn't cost any more/less than similar vehicles by other manufacturers . But to draw buyers it would need to offer something exceptional since it's entering the market new. Its strengths (mostly interior styling, accessories) over the competition haven't been luring people away from their other choices (yet). It's evident in the sales. This car just aint selling. I'm not sure GM can do anything differently, they threw just about everything they could think of into this car and kept the price down. Maybe the audience is too small for it. Maybe the market's saturated with options. Maybe I'm right and there just aren't many GM enthusiasts interested in a 4 door sport sedan. Can't be that, because you said so. lol

Even if you look at this forum, there's a general lack of enthusiasm for the Sedan.

Fwiw, I wouldn't dismiss the Impala cross model appeal. I was shopping for a 2.0 Turbo Malibu along side the V6 Camaro. Vastly different cars, right? What could they possibly have in common!

[MYDLIFECRISIS]

Another one???

[Camaro_Corvette]

Awesome Chevy SS OP! Looks great! Not sure why people feel the need to dog on your decisions. There is a Black Chevy SS sitting at my dealer right now looking me in the face every day I drive by it. Seriously thinking about a test drive.

[Denis]

congrats on the new ride. where in MD are you? i havent seen many SS' running around.

[SlingShot]

Congrats and welcome to the SS club, awesome car and good choice of color.

[MEDISIN]

Originally Posted by stoopid

At least we agree it doesn't cost any more/less than similar vehicles by other manufacturers

No we don't. It DOES cost less than similar vehicles from other manufacturers.

Chevrolet SS MSRP: $45,770
Dodge Charger SRT8 MSRP: $47,385
Chrysler 300 SRT8 MSRP: $50,895
Hyundai Genesis V8 MSRP: $52,450
BMW 550i MSRP: $64,825
Mercedes E550 MSRP: $62,325
Audi S6 MSRP: $73,400

The closest competitors are the SRT twins and the SS was unanimously the better car, especially when the standard SS options are taken into account.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...son/specs.html
http://www.caranddriver.com/comparis...omparison-test

Originally Posted by stoopid

But to draw buyers it would need to offer something exceptional since it's entering the market new. Its strengths (mostly interior styling, accessories) over the competition haven't been luring people away from their other choices (yet). It's evident in the sales. This car just aint selling.

You're missing the point of the SS. This car has been selling for years in Australia as the Holden Commodore. Production is at the end of it's life cycle there and GM is moving cars to the U.S. to offload inventory. It was never intended to be a mass market car in the U.S. Enthusiasts complain that Chevrolet doesn't offer the Commodore here since the demise of the G8, so they brought a few in. Nothing more.

Originally Posted by stoopid

Fwiw, I wouldn't dismiss the Impala cross model appeal. I was shopping for a 2.0 Turbo Malibu along side the V6 Camaro. Vastly different cars, right? What could they possibly have in common!

Did you cross-shop the Impala and the SS? No, I didn't think so. I never said anything about 4-cylinder mid-size sedans and V6 Camaro's.

[stoopid]

So the subtopic is derailed, and now we're completely off the tracks! lol

Frank seemed tired of this thread anyway...

If the SS sedan is this great thing, why the lack of sales and enthusiasm? If the fact it's been sold elsewhere is the only reason for the poor sales, then... [draws blank]

I guess I don't see why its prior sales location is relevant(?).

The base Impala comes with the 2.5L 4 cylinder, and the premium is the LFX 3.6L V6. Wouldn't the next logical Chevy upgrade be with the SS sedan? What other options exist for someone who wants the interior fit of the Impala with more under the hood? Or would they just go with a Cadillac? In which case, they'd might as well just find another car maker altogether (?). That was what I was trying to get at, my personal example perhaps wasn't the best. I mentioned it as an example that people in granny cars do sometimes want more power/handling, me being living proof of such a person existing. While it made sense for me to go with the Camaro, the pricing doesn't work out for a potential Impala buyer to look at the SS in a reasonable light. It's all hypothetical. In the nicest way possible I'm saying that your stance that an Impala buyer who might be interested in the SS doesn't exist isn't any more valid than mine that suggests otherwise.

I just priced a 2 LTZ Impala (highest trim level) with the V6 and it starts at $36k well equipped. The $8k jump from there to the SS sedan is rather steep. In trying to put this vehicle in perspective of the other Chevy offerings, the SS indeed just seems jammed in there.

[Camaro_Corvette]

Originally Posted by stoopid

If the SS sedan is this great thing, why the lack of sales and enthusiasm? If the fact it's been sold elsewhere is the only reason for the poor sales, then... [draws blank]

Not sure what you're talking about. This car was never meant to sell 100's of thousands of units. Period. Most salesman won't even know that the car comes from Austrailia. It's a low volume car for weird people like myself that want to go fast no matter what they are driving. It isn't having poor sales. It's doing as bad as expected.

As for the Impala vs. Chevy SS. I'm not even going to get into that. It's a waste of time comparing the two totally different cars that are targeting totally different customers.

[stoopid]

Originally Posted by Camaro_Corvette

It's a low volume car for weird people like myself that want to go fast no matter what they are driving. It isn't having poor sales. It's doing as bad as expected.

That's kinda sad, I suppose. It makes the model easier for them to lob from the lineup if it isn't generating much or any revenue for them. :(

I guess I WANT it to succeed.

[Frank in MD]

The 2LZ Impala loaded w/ full range adaptive cruise is over 40K. Having said that, aside from both being full sized sedans the two cars couldn't be more different. I've driven both and I can say with confidence they aren't comparable. Why would anyone compare an Impala to a Dodge Charger SRT?

Impala while plush, roomy and tech savvy is a front drive, family hauler designed for comfort. Driving characteristics are smooth, soft and comfortable. Squishy soft, more Buick than Chevy.

The SS Performance Sedan has contoured bucket seats up front designed not as much for comfort but bolstered with extra support to keep you in an upright driving position. You have room for your family but the car was designed to haul ass(es). Driving characteristics are sharp, crisp responsive and sporty but never harsh handling. Definitely more Pontiac than Chevy.

The twist is all the extras that the SS offers, which still puzzle me. Rain sense wipers, active park asst, full size spare on an alloy wheel, as well as a flat bottom steering wheel are not found on any other Chevy, (the later found on Camaros). Also you get heated and ventilated seats, push button start, full proximity key fob, nav, rear camera with front and rear passive park asst, lane departure, fwd collision alert, rear cross traffic and side blind zone alerts, all of which are standard equipment.

My only gripe is with all these extras on this car, why stop short of a 1st class premium infotainment audio system? Now don't get me wrong, the Bose 9 speaker Centerpoint audio system is ok, but you have that system on other Chevys, including Malibu and Impala. However, the Impala has more USB hubs and SD card slots whereas then SS has one USB/one aux 3 mm port and no SD card ports. Why not use a premium round console mounted navigator wheel rather than the steering wheel mounted control like the rest of the Chevy's. Again, you're charging 47K for the SS, and while the car certainly delivers far more than the competition for less money, it must do more in order to stand above all others.

Can I live without those things? Of course, I don't need any of it.... but I'm digging on all of these unnecessary luxury amenities. Of course a 6.2 liter LS3 RWD powerplant doesn't hurt.

But damn do I miss my Camaro. I have to stop thinking about her. I was going through the ass load of pics I have and while it saddens me to look at the pictures, I just can't bring myself to delete them. I probably won't start appreciating my new car until I get over the knot in my gut that I get from just thinking about my Camaro.

If having her was permagrin, then right now I'm suffering from permafrown.

[MEDISIN]

Originally Posted by stoopid

If the SS sedan is this great thing, why the lack of sales and enthusiasm? If the fact it's been sold elsewhere is the only reason for the poor sales, then... [draws blank]

It has nothing to do with the fact that is available elsewhere. It's at the end of its life cycle. Finished. Sales are not poor they are meeting expectation. Do you think Cadillac spent the effort to develop a CTS-V wagon because it was going to sell 100,000 units every year? Be glad GM still caters to enthusiast with so many great models (Camaro, Corvette, SS Sedan, CTS-V, and soon ATS-V) and most available with manual transmissions.

Originally Posted by stoopid

I just priced a 2 LTZ Impala (highest trim level) with the V6 and it starts at $36k well equipped. The $8k jump from there to the SS sedan is rather steep. In trying to put this vehicle in perspective of the other Chevy offerings, the SS indeed just seems jammed in there.

It doesn't fit in the Chevrolet lineup. It isn't intended to. On the Chevy website it isn't listed among "Cars", it's listed under "Performance" with the Camaro and Corvette.

Originally Posted by stoopid

That's kinda sad, I suppose. It makes the model easier for them to lob from the lineup if it isn't generating much or any revenue for them. :(

I guess I WANT it to succeed.

We're lucky it's there at all. It's not imported to generate revenue. It's imported to cater to enthusiast. You would think having choices is a bad thing. Every enthusiast should want it to succeed. Imagine as this thing evolves...manual transmission and magnetic ride control next year, maybe the LT1 and 8-speed auto after that. Would be fantastic.

[stoopid]

Originally Posted by MEDISIN

Imagine as this thing evolves...manual transmission and magnetic ride control next year, maybe the LT1 and 8-speed auto after that. Would be fantastic.

That is ultimately my concern with this discussion - if they don't see enough interest they may not bother to continue the model. And as Frank explained above, there's a lot of other options for performance already. But it sounds like what I was seeing from the sidelines is actually the case - GM just doesn't care (much).

Frank, the reason for bringing up the Impala wasn't to compare it to the SS sedan, it was actually the opposite. Because of the SS sedan Chevy has a viable 4 door option in the performance category, something current and potential Impala owners might consider. But the pricing gap is a little wide (?). [Only GM would know if this is true since that would come out in the results of customer surveys ('why did you buy this car', 'what other models did you consider', etc)] IMO luring the more sport minded Impala buyers into the SS would be an obvious business move. Again, the personal view of the average Impala owner aside, there are people who drive granny cars who drive them pretty hard. I am one, and I know a few others personally.

[FenwickHockey65]

Potential Impala buyers are looking for a roomy, full size, stylish and luxurious family sedan. They value space, features, and fuel economy.

They aren't going to consider a RWD V8 sports sedan that only does 21 MPG on the highway.

[digdeep0169]

SS grocery getter - packed like a boss!