[Buzzberd6]

Originally Posted by autocross

Oh man! What a day! I’m back after 5 test drives... (all around the same location for accurate comparison)

V6
Hmm... I am very conflicted about this. The dealer let me wind her out, and at high RPMs it literally screamed. It was so exhilarating, but I was left wanting a little something at low RPMs. It didn’t feel super torquey down low... I couldn’t imagine myself doing this though, so I’ve got mixed feelings.

V8
Oh boy, what words can I use?...The car felt heavy, but it didn’t feel bad. If felt like it was very planted and hooked up. Not as playful as the other cars, more like “cut the crap, let’s go”... I really did like it, but the fuel economy was absolutely horrendous. Fun car.

So, what’s my consensus?
I really don’t know. The V6 felt like the best performance bargain, and puts down the best acceleration times other than the V8.


Hopefully this long babbling post helps someone, because it sure as hell doesn’t help me!

Just curious but was the V6 camaro you tested a 1LE? If not then imagine the 'planted' feel you experienced with the V8 powered SS car, but with the V6 engine, and a little less weight across the front axle (~250lbs). Because that's what you'll be driving, with better wheels/tires. Not as good as what the 1SS 1LE gets but still better than what comes with the standard 1SS model.

I really enjoy the sound of mine too. Not to mention the fun I have with it on track... and some of the cars that it can run with that think it's V8 powered.

[SecondZ28]

If you liked the turbo four down low, it also has much better mod ability than the V6. So you can easily make up the difference and then some

[mdhopt36]

It crossed my mind, if Chevy built a new 6.2 with DOHC like the rather smallish V6 has on it.
Heads on the V6 each is about as large as the whole engine block. If the normally aspirated V8 had a valve train like that, it might be like the blown version---maybe 600hp or more, and without the assist of a supercharger.
(change the beast to absolutely STUPID horsepower, simplified form.) !!!

[autocross]

Originally Posted by mdhopt36

+1.
To me, you nailed the power characteristics between the V6 and V8 Camaros.
However, the mileage in mine (V8) with about half and half driving was a verified 27.74mpg---
Which is precisely what I got with the V6 on the same route, and at the same speed.
????????
Go figure. I suppose if you're a bit heavy with the right foot, mileage will be affected. In my case, there were a lot of bears around, so in each case, I didn't push my luck. Both cars liked 80mph, but I felt the 6 was just a twitch off on the low end.
Nice update!

There was no high speed driving on my test. All stop and go. Lots of traffic lights, and traffic light pulls. A few sharp corners, but there were no straights on my drive

Originally Posted by Buzzberd6

Just curious but was the V6 camaro you tested a 1LE? If not then imagine the 'planted' feel you experienced with the V8 powered SS car, but with the V6 engine, and a little less weight across the front axle (~250lbs). Because that's what you'll be driving, with better wheels/tires. Not as good as what the 1SS 1LE gets but still better than what comes with the standard 1SS model.

I really enjoy the sound of mine too. Not to mention the fun I have with it on track... and some of the cars that it can run with that think it's V8 powered.

It unfortunately wasn’t a 1LE. The weird thing is, I don’t think that planted feel came entirely from the suspension/tires. It felt heavy, but that translates to a more glued to the ground feel. I think the lightness of the V6 made it feel much more dirty/toss able. I think the 1LE will probably make it feel even more like this because you can probably achieve a higher lateral grip.

Both felt awesome, I’m just trying to figure out whether i’ll be hooning around or driving a serious sporty machine. The ‘smile test’ didn’t match up with my research

[Rayfield]

Great update, autocross, thanks! Interesting to hear your thoughts, since I didn't drive all 3 options, before getting my SS.

Originally Posted by mdhopt36

+1.
To me, you nailed the power characteristics between the V6 and V8 Camaros.
However, the mileage in mine (V8) with about half and half driving was a verified 27.74mpg---

I think I have a heavy foot..my V8 mileage has been atrocious. Granted, I'm only now passing breakin mileage; perhaps it will improve as things loosen up. But even on days where I do some highway, I'm not seeing 27mpg. In mostly "around town" driving..I'm getting 17-18, lol.

All good, it's not what I bought this car to do.

[enzia35]

Originally Posted by Rayfield

Great update, autocross, thanks! Interesting to hear your thoughts, since I didn't drive all 3 options, before getting my SS.



I think I have a heavy foot..my V8 mileage has been atrocious. Granted, I'm only now passing breakin mileage; perhaps it will improve as things loosen up. But even on days where I do some highway, I'm not seeing 27mpg. In mostly "around town" driving..I'm getting 17-18, lol.

All good, it's not what I bought this car to do.

I get right about 18 in mixed driving. But if I don't hit *slightly* above highway speeds going to work, I'm not having a good day.

[Rayfield]

It's not about top speed with me, more about enjoying 5000 rpms, a little too much. I know that this thread is about the love of the V6, but the LT1 with NPP sounds EPIC, fully open, at higher revs...

[IMadeYouReadThis]

Originally Posted by Rayfield

It's not about top speed with me, more about enjoying 5000 rpms, a little too much. I know that this thread is about the love of the V6, but the LT1 with NPP sounds EPIC, fully open, at higher revs...

I can fully believe that because the V6 with the NPP sounds epic at higher RPMs as well.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by autocross

There was no high speed driving on my test. All stop and go. Lots of traffic lights, and traffic light pulls. A few sharp corners, but there were no straights on my drive

It unfortunately wasn’t a 1LE. The weird thing is, I don’t think that planted feel came entirely from the suspension/tires. It felt heavy, but that translates to a more glued to the ground feel. I think the lightness of the V6 made it feel much more dirty/toss able. I think the 1LE will probably make it feel even more like this because you can probably achieve a higher lateral grip.

Both felt awesome, I’m just trying to figure out whether i’ll be hooning around or driving a serious sporty machine. The ‘smile test’ didn’t match up with my research

I too am of the belief that a SS will always drive heavier than a 1LE V6. I do believe the 1LE V6 will outhandle an SS due to the weight advantage but I look at it this way... One offers a fun ride that you can toss and whip around and constantly asks for more, the other offers a absolute monster that will throw you back in the seats and still does a very nice job at maneuvering.

When you say smile test against your research, what do you mean exactly as in what were you hoping for?

Originally Posted by Rayfield

Great update, autocross, thanks! Interesting to hear your thoughts, since I didn't drive all 3 options, before getting my SS.



I think I have a heavy foot..my V8 mileage has been atrocious. Granted, I'm only now passing breakin mileage; perhaps it will improve as things loosen up. But even on days where I do some highway, I'm not seeing 27mpg. In mostly "around town" driving..I'm getting 17-18, lol.

All good, it's not what I bought this car to do.

When I first got my 2SS, 17 - 19 MPG was the best I could do city / highway.

Currently 23 - 24 is the best I can do 80% highway 20% street and thats driving normal.

Not sure how these people are getting 27 - 32 MPG in an SS.

On a long road trip no street I think I can crack maybe 26.

Originally Posted by Rayfield

It's not about top speed with me, more about enjoying 5000 rpms, a little too much. I know that this thread is about the love of the V6, but the LT1 with NPP sounds EPIC, fully open, at higher revs...

Yeah. I get what you mean, one of my biggest peeves about the SS is the thing is so amazingly over powered that its really difficult to really open it up without absolutely obliterating the law and drawing a bunch of unneeded attention to yourself meaning you almost never get a "sane" opportunity to hear her sing, or a opportunity to just really rip through the gears, 98% of everything you need can be done below 3k RPMS on the street and if you get foot happy while turning out infront of someone she will start getting sideways real quick.

[Tridon]

Originally Posted by autocross

but I was left wanting a little something at low RPMs. It didn’t feel super torquey down low.

This is the complaint I have with my V6. I want more down low as it can feel a little anemic pulling away from a stop. I know I can get the RPM's up to compensate, but then you just look like a douche wanting to show off.

[autocross]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I too am of the belief that a SS will always drive heavier than a 1LE V6. I do believe the 1LE V6 will outhandle an SS due to the weight advantage but I look at it this way... One offers a fun ride that you can toss and whip around and constantly asks for more, the other offers a absolute monster that will throw you back in the seats and still does a very nice job at maneuvering.

When you say smile test against your research, what do you mean exactly as in what were you hoping for?



When I first got my 2SS, 17 - 19 MPG was the best I could do city / highway.

Currently 23 - 24 is the best I can do 80% highway 20% street and thats driving normal.

Not sure how these people are getting 27 - 32 MPG in an SS.

On a long road trip no street I think I can crack maybe 26.



Yeah. I get what you mean, one of my biggest peeves about the SS is the thing is so amazingly over powered that its really difficult to really open it up without absolutely obliterating the law and drawing a bunch of unneeded attention to yourself meaning you almost never get a "sane" opportunity to hear her sing, or a opportunity to just really rip through the gears, 98% of everything you need can be done below 3k RPMS on the street and if you get foot happy while turning out infront of someone she will start getting sideways real quick.

The smile test, hmm... let me try to explain. I wanted the best performance bargain, and I thought that the well mannered characteristics of the camaro would be perfect. I really wanted the BEST i could buy in the budget, and that meant performance.

The funny thing is, just because it is the best doesn’t mean it’s the most fun. At the end of the day, we purchase these things for fun. It, for me, was more run hooning around in a wild beast rather than a tame one.

Sounds bizzare. The stang has worse handling, and the steering wasn’t perfect. But it was crazy fun. Maybe because it was tail happy? Maybe because that motor just revved so crazy fast. I have no idea. All i know is the car felt so crazy fun even though on paper it’s worse than the camaros

*Stick a coyote motor in a camaro and I think you’d have something very interesting

[mdhopt36]

Think high mileage has to do with the area. I'm off the highway. A mile south, there's a small town with 40mph limits, no lights.
North of here, 6 miles up the road, newly paved, no lights thru town; just a flashing yellow. Same 40mph limits, but a p--ck for a cop.
Though not much for lights, the cops generally will give you a hard time, so pays to be a bit light footed.
Going to camp, 100 miles expressway, then an hour east through a bunch of small towns, where there's not many lights, but thickly settled. Cops love to stop out-of-staters there.
*********
My gripe, the actual mileage between fillups shows 27.7mpg, but the car stays at 22.8-22.9 indicated. I wish there was some way of recalibrating what the car shows.
This fits in with what the SS can handle well. The V6 seemed a little underpowered at low revs.
Exits 8-10 were in the hills, and the V6 felt like it was working somewhat, with downshifts at 75-80. SS, absolutely nothing of the sort.
I have over 1.3k on it now, so assume the breakin is done. Oil and rear end got changed Wednesday.
Be interesting to see what happens today, gonna repeat the trip.

[mdhopt36]

Trip repeated.
23.8 indicated.
29.32 actual.
Same speed, a couple clicks on wide open stretches @ 90.
Additional dose of Lucas fuel t'mt, injector cleaner.
This is better than the V6 did on this same trip when I had it.
Wife's Caddy suv with awd---a flat 20mpg regardless.
3.6 V6, too. (Lousy!)

[rotohead]

Love my V-6 and as the price of gas goes up I'm going to love it more!!!