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Old 08-16-2016, 09:54 AM   #1
Raven87
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PICS! Drove a New 2SS Camaro and New Scat Pack Challenger back to back - my thoughts.

I had the opportunity to drive a new 2SS Camaro and a new Scat Pack Challenger Shaker back to back this past weekend. Both had similar MSRPs which actually I found surprising. Camaro MSRP was $46590 and the SP was $46,980. Both were 8 speed automatics and both had leather, etc, and neither had NAV. The Camaro had the NPP exhaust and Mag Ride and as mentioned, the SP had the Shaker Option.

The Shaker option is a $4800 upgrade that brings a lot of additional goodies to the car that are non-related to the Shaker hood; things are included such as better seats that are heated and ventilated, power tilt/telescopic and heated steering wheel, rear back up camera, performance steering (not sure what that is?), etc, and made it more on par with the 2SS trim versus a standard Scat Pack Challenger with cloth seats which would be similar to a 1SS.

Both cars felt similarly powerful. But to be brutally honest, the initial throttle response off idle was much better for the Challenger which really floored me. I had to be careful when applying the throttle from a stop as it would want to just get up and GO; it just needed far less application/depressing the pedal.

The SS (like my C7) was less sensitive to throttle application but not in a bad way at all - it was just that the Camaro needed more application of the go pedal to get the same sort of response. The difference was very noticeable and I even drove a second SP to see if it was something unique to the first one but it drove identically.

Pluses for the Challenger - visibility, throttle response, Shaker Hood (which includes a CAI intake), interior roominess, exterior styling, 8.4" U-Connect screen, much larger trunk opening and trunk, and some excellent seats.

Minuses for the Challenger - mileage rating (but no gas guzzler tax with the A8), ridiculously sized 245 tires, manual adjustment for the seat recline, and the dated dash and interior materials/design.

Pluses for the SS - the LT1 engine, much more modern interior, exterior styling (just my opinion of course), 275 rear tires, better fuel mileage, NPP exhaust, Mag Ride, the view out over the hood, and the instrument panel (it blows the Challenger IP out of the water).

Minuses for the SS - absurdly small trunk opening and a much smaller/narrower trunk, higher belt line resulting in less window area, initial throttle response did not compare to the Scat Pack, tighter interior (but still roomy enough in the front seats), and rear visibility. (I thought the side and forward visibility were acceptable.)

I can see why the Challenger is gaining market share and especially why the Scat Pack is so popular - the car was a pleasure to drive in every respect. The SS is a gorgeous car; the one I drove was the Red Hot with polished wheels and it was a definite eye catcher. The Scat Pack was Pitch black with the 20"x9" forged Hyper Black wheels; the car looked very sinister, especially from the front and with the Shaker Hood it looked very retro.

Both are great cars. While the Challenger does indeed look 'old' in styling, I still find it a very good looking car that pays more homage to the original than either the Mustang or the Camaro, even though it is dated. The 6G Camaro looks very aggressive in the front especially and definitely looks like a Camaro, its looks have moved away from a Retro theme. Both looked very good but for different reasons.

Both cars drove very well and were fun to drive. While I did not do any sort of hard launch I did roll into the throttle and both felt identical in acceleration and shifting of the A8s. Neither car seemed to offer a performance advantage over the other but the Scat Pack did want to break the tires loose easier which I'm sure is due to it having the 245s on the rear.

Both were reasonably quiet at cruising speed with low engine rpms and comfortable levels of road noise etc. The Challenger cabin does feel (and is) a lot larger/roomier than the Camaro but from a driver's perspective I do not see that as any advantage. For passengers? Yes, a big advantage to the Challenger.

Like I said, I can see why Dodge is gaining on the market share but the Camaro is an outstanding and very modern sports car.
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Last edited by Raven87; 08-18-2016 at 08:29 AM.
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Old 08-16-2016, 09:59 AM   #2
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Did you do any hard cornering with the Chally? I've not driven a shaker model but the V6 I drove years ago handled like a boat. How did it compare to the SS? Also how was the braking?
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Old 08-16-2016, 10:01 AM   #3
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Doesn't the Challenger weigh about 250 lbs more??
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Old 08-16-2016, 10:02 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thor142 View Post
Did you do any hard cornering with the Chally? I've not driven a shaker model but the V6 I drove years ago handled like a boat. How did it compare to the SS? Also how was the braking?
+1 (I'd like to know those as well)
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Old 08-16-2016, 10:04 AM   #5
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No, I did not do any hard braking but did take some curves but not at any sort of performance level. For day to day driving, they both felt similar but I am certain that for those that performance matters that the Camaro would quickly go around the Challenger.

The SP suspension was not floaty or soft and I could not detect any more body roll but again, no hard curves were available on the test drive.

But the number of buyers who do not track their cars is small in relation to the overall sales. On the street, driving around town, going down the highway, etc, the Camaro will not 'feel' any different to the average buyer. It is definitely a better road course car without a doubt - but to John and Jane Doe those performance advantages will be lost and never enjoyed.
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Old 08-16-2016, 10:04 AM   #6
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Very nice write up! Thank you!
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Old 08-16-2016, 10:06 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Raven87 View Post
I had the opportunity to drive a new 2SS Camaro and a new Scat Pack Challenger Shaker back to back this past weekend. Both had similar MSRPs which actually I found surprising. Camaro MSRP was $46590 and the SP was $46,980. Both were 8 speed automatics and both had leather, etc, and neither had NAV. The Camaro had the NPP exhaust and Mag Ride and as mentioned, the SP had the Shaker Option.

The Shaker option is a $4800 upgrade that brings a lot of additional goodies to the car that are non-related to the Shaker hood; things are included such as better seats that are heated and ventilated, power tilt/telescopic and heated steering wheel, rear back up camera, performance steering (not sure what that is?), etc, and made it more on par with the 2SS trim versus a standard Scat Pack Challenger with cloth seats which would be similar to a 1SS.

Both cars felt similarly powerful. But to be brutally honest, the initial throttle response off idle was much better for the Challenger which really floored me. I had to be careful when applying the throttle from a stop as it would want to just get up and GO; it just needed far less application/depressing the pedal.

The SS (like my C7) was less sensitive to throttle application but not in a bad way at all - it was just that the Camaro needed more application of the go pedal to get the same sort of response. The difference was very noticeable and I even drove a second SP to see if it was something unique to the first one but it drove identically.

Pluses for the Challenger - visibility, throttle response, Shaker Hood (which includes a CAI intake), interior roominess, exterior styling, 8.4" U-Connect screen, much larger trunk opening and trunk, and some excellent seats.

Minuses for the Challenger - mileage rating (but no gas guzzler tax with the A8), ridiculously sized 245 tires, manual adjustment for the seat recline, and the dated dash and interior materials/design.

Pluses for the SS - the LT1 engine, much more modern interior, exterior styling (just my opinion of course), 275 rear tires, better fuel mileage, NPP exhaust, Mag Ride, the view out over the hood, and the instrument panel (it blows the Challenger IP out of the water).

Minuses for the SS - absurdly small trunk opening and a much smaller/narrower trunk, higher belt line resulting in less window area, initial throttle response did not compare to the Scat Pack, tighter interior (but still roomy enough in the front seats), and rear visibility. (I thought the side and forward visibility were acceptable.)

I can see why the Challenger is gaining market share and especially why the Scat Pack is so popular - the car was a pleasure to drive in every respect. The SS is a gorgeous car; the one I drove was the Red Hot with polished wheels and it was a definite eye catcher. The Scat Pack was Pitch black with the 20"x9" forged Hyper Black wheels; the car looked very sinister, especially from the front and with the Shaker Hood it looked very retro.

Both are great cars. While the Challenger does indeed look 'old' in styling, I still find it a very good looking car that pays more homage to the original than either the Mustang or the Camaro, even though it is dated. The 6G Camaro looks very aggressive in the front especially and definitely looks like a Camaro, its looks have moved away from a Retro theme. Both looked very good but for different reasons.

Both cars drove very well and were fun to drive. While I did not do any sort of hard launch I did roll into the throttle and both felt identical in acceleration and shifting of the A8s. Neither car seemed to offer a performance advantage over the other but the Scat Pack did want to break the tires loose easier which I'm sure is due to it having the 245s on the rear.

Both were reasonably quiet at cruising speed with low engine rpms and comfortable levels of road noise etc. The Challenger cabin does feel (and is) a lot larger/roomier than the Camaro but from a driver's perspective I do not see that as any advantage. For passengers? Yes, a big advantage to the Challenger.

Like I said, I can see why Dodge is gaining on the market share but the Camaro is an outstanding and very modern sports car.
Great review!

I think you nailed a lot of the things that helped make my decision. My wife owns 2015 Challenger and I just find the interior of the Camaro much better. If it comes down to space the Challenger wins, but for me, it's the Camaro. I really like the seats in the Camaro better.
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Old 08-16-2016, 10:08 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by avalonandl View Post
Doesn't the Challenger weigh about 250 lbs more??
Challenger
Curb weight: 42,XXX lbs

SS Camaro
Curb weight:
36,XXX lbs

I like them both.. But love the styling of the Camaro more (sharper, meaner look from the front).

I would choose the SS for the weekend and the Chally as the DD if I had it my way..
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Old 08-16-2016, 10:11 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard0nee View Post
Challenger
Curb weight: 42,XXX lbs

SS Camaro
Curb weight:
36,XXX lbs

I like them both.. But love the styling of the Camaro more (sharper, meaner look from the front).

I would choose the SS for the weekend and the Chally as the DD if I had it my way..
I think you may have one too many 'X's in there! I don't think the Camaro weighs 18 tons!
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Old 08-16-2016, 10:13 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard0nee View Post
Challenger
Curb weight: 42,XXX lbs

SS Camaro
Curb weight:
36,XXX lbs

I like them both.. But love the styling of the Camaro more (sharper, meaner look from the front).

I would choose the SS for the weekend and the Chally as the DD if I had it my way..
Holy crap - these things are WAY heavier than I realized!!
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Old 08-16-2016, 10:15 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Raven87 View Post
No, I did not do any hard braking but did take some curves but not at any sort of performance level. For day to day driving, they both felt similar but I am certain that for those that performance matters that the Camaro would quickly go around the Challenger.

The SP suspension was not floaty or soft and I could not detect any more body roll but again, no hard curves were available on the test drive.

But the number of buyers who do not track their cars is small in relation to the overall sales. On the street, driving around town, going down the highway, etc, the Camaro will not 'feel' any different to the average buyer. It is definitely a better road course car without a doubt - but to John and Jane Doe those performance advantages will be lost and never enjoyed.
I think this is right on point. Chevy absolutely has the highest performance metric in the segment BUT (and this is where they're getting hurt) the level you have to drive the car at to separate it from it's peers is not going to be experienced on a test drive or as you said by John and Jane Doe ever. So you have a smaller car with a high price tag and less comfort.
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Old 08-16-2016, 10:26 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Raven87 View Post
I think you may have one too many 'X's in there! I don't think the Camaro weighs 18 tons!
Haha right? Let's just way the Chally is about 400-450 lbs heavier

I drove a Scat but a manual.. I believe the effective gearing of the Chally's A8 is slightly aggressive than the SS's A8. Which really helps it get up and go..

Manual for manual, the SS feels lighter thus faster.. Both very torquey cars but shifting at a mere 3k rpm the SS will past the speed limit quicker it seems..

Cornering, I didn't even dare to hit the low speed turning freeway ramps at high speeds and especially if it's not my car. My SS especially after lowering it, stay's planted hitting those freeway turns hard.

As much as I love straight line speed, the ability to corner hard is just as important for me. And I haven't even done sway bars/strut tower brace yet haha

Both awesome cars and I would def. prefer the Chally for road trips, cruising with multiple friends/fam.
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Old 08-16-2016, 10:50 AM   #13
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I have driven both the 2016 Scatpack 6 speed and 1SS 6 speed. Your write up seems very accurate. The Scatpack has much more room inside and the seats are more comfortable. But I like driving the Camaro better since it seems to handle better. The Scatpack clutch was way too heavy even for my strong leg and it would be terrible in traffic.

In my discussions with the Dodge dealer, they said the Scatpack is a better overall car than the Hellcat Challenger because the tires on the Hellcat just spin way too much because of the 707 hp. I am interested to see whether the ZL1 puts the power down so it can be driven daily. The 1SS has really decent power for the street. With 1LE coming, it seems like it has all the ZL1 mods except for the LT4, so I am leaning toward the 1LE for a daily driver.

I have driven the 2015 Z28 and loved it except for the overly expensive brake rotors that list for $2500 ($1300 thru Chevy wholesale online) and the Troffeo tires with a 60 AA rating that sucks.
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Old 08-16-2016, 10:51 AM   #14
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True, that most won't ever take any kind of car to any track....(And that's a shame)....

But I would, and I hope most buyers would, consider this: The car that performs best at the track, can stand up to track conditions, is ever warrantied with track use, will also be the best engineered, best quality and reliability above the rest for street and non-track use...

Eventually this initial non-perceivable difference on the street will give way to better quality and reliability over time. The better track car will last longer and have a better ride for many more years than it's competition.....
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