Originally Posted by Raven87
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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