I sold an 08 Vette a couple years ago and was planning on getting a C7. Never paid much attention to Cameros (am more interested in sports type cars) until the 2016 won the MT car of the year, and a good part of the reason was handling and ride and declaring it to really be a sports car AND a muscle car (like the C7), not just for straight line performance, plus the drive train, HUD, rev matching, MRC, brakes, infotainment, etc. on the SS were just about the same as the C7. Ended up with a used 16 2SS, 7800 miles, MRC, snrf, M6, npp. An I am enjoying it more than I ever figured I would, even the disco lights, figured only teenagers would get off on that but I love them.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/jDaqQ0uMsypeHVig1
Here are my reasons:
- Price (especially used, Vettes depreciate much slower)
- ground clearance (really got sick of scraping the ground with the vette, no problem with the SS)
- OMS (Old Man Syndrome) (am going on 68 and my kids (and wife) gave me crap about driving the vette old man car, I would guess the average Camero owner is at least 20 years younger?)
- much of the 2SS is C7 (as mentioned above, plus BSD that you can't get on the vette, I never had it before but with a car like a Camero or C7 I found it to be one of the most important options on the car)
- more cockpit room in the Camero (the C7s is tighter, don't know if its the seat itself or the door/center console closer to each other)
- 6 vs. 7 speed manual (unless you regularly need to exceed 175 mph who needs it? Had read many complaints from C7 owners about that)
- un-snob factor (Camero is more blue-collar, many people just get vettes to impress)
- much easier to get in and out (if you are a millennial it doesn't matter)
- has a trunk (I got a Modern Spare and no longer worry about getting flats and having non-runflat tires, could put one in the back back of a C7 coupe but who would want to look at that all the time?)
- can get a sunroof (if you like that kind of thing, removing/stowing the vette top especially in a rain storm got to be a pain, but it is more convertible-like than a sunroof)
- the three main negatives you hear about in all the 6th gen Camero reviews don't bother me a bit:
- outside visibility (especially with BSD).
- small trunk opening is a very small negative and with fold down rear seat there is plenty of room.
- downward angle of infotainment screen (never would have noticed if I hadn't read about it in a review).
BUT, if you just have to have a vette, there is no logic to it, you just get a vette, as others have said, its a win-win either way.
RH