[c4racer]

Another option is keep the practical commuter car and get a SS for your fun car. Drive it a few times a week in the good weather months. Split mileage with the commuter car. Insure it as a pleasure car not a commuter.

[Mighty Mouce]

Originally Posted by cbr1100xx

Glad I work from home. If I did have to commute, it wouldn't be in an SS.....the gas bill would suck. I guess if you have this fun backroad commute with not much traffic, the SS would be fun.

My commute used to have to be more like a "commute" so I had a Focus. Just chilled out listening to podcasts/audiobooks and got good gas mileage. An SS would have been a waste of $ for that trip.

The gas mileage is just little lower than the V6, but almost twice the power.

[c4racer]

Twice ?

[Blue_6.2]

455−335 / (455+335) /2 x 100% = 30.37974683544304%

[Gunkk]

Originally Posted by Jonster

Hey community,

I’ve been looking for a while and wanted to pay off my current Hyundai Elantra before purchasing, but after discussing with wife, she made a good point and asked why I would spend so much on a car only to drive it occasionally. We can afford letting me daily drive the camaro (gas/maintenance) and we know I’ll enjoy driving it all the time anyhow, so let’s stop caring about depreciation and enjoy the car. I’ll never really enjoy taking “the commute car”.

I currently drive 35-40 miles one way to work (~55-60 min). Instead of paying off my Hyundai I want to just trade it in for a camaro (debating between 3LT or 2SS, I like the features and tech). Only features I care about in addition to trim are NPP exhaust and blackout package.

The point of this post was to ask for recommendations that can make it better for a daily driver. Are all weather tires the best route? Is the v6 (or v4) really that much more practical in terms of maintenance/Gas? Any mods or changes you recommend for better commuting? Etc

Side note: I never plan to track the car, just simply get looks and enjoy an awesome car daily. I’ll probably keep the car for 3-4 years and upgrade.

Thanks in advance

A V6 is probably the best bet for that commute. It's got plenty of giddyup for when you need it.

If you're a numbers guy, here are some:

V6 = 87 octane. $2.22/gal Gasbuddy in Charlotte today.
T4 and V8 = 93 octane. $2.87/gal

T4 will probably break even vs the V6 in mileage vs. gas cost. For the V8 let's say the mileage diff is 5 mpg for your commute. At 80 miles/day * 250 days/yr = 20,000 miles/yr / 5mpg * $0.65/gal = $2,600 /yr in additional fuel cost to drive the v8.

V6 is $32k and V61LE is $35.5k MSRP. 2SS is from $42 base to $49k for 1LE. If you go 1LE you will need a 2nd set of tires for winter driving (+$1k).

Depreciation will be ~60% at 80k miles after 4 years on whatever you buy, assuming you keep the car in very good condition, no accidents. KBB trace-in value of a 2016 2SS with NPP and 80k miles in very good condition is ~$20.5k... MSRP was ~$43k. V6 trade-in is $14k and MSRP for a V6 2LT NPP was ~$32k.

So the V8 will depreciate ~$1k+ more per year (not bad) but cost you nearly $3k more/year in fuel.

[ItsChristianInHD]

I have a V6 and I get around 30-36 MPG highway.

[arpad_m]

Originally Posted by Blue_6.2

455−335 / (455+335) /2 x 100% = 30.37974683544304%

This may be correct numerically, but doesn't tell the real story. The V6 has much, much less torque in the low rpm range, and that is the only thing anyone ever feels in a daily commuter.

Real world-ish torque numbers, with a 15% drivetrain loss for the A8 with these two engines would look like this (of course each individual car will differ slightly, plus temperature, altitude, humidity etc. can skew it):

.......torque (lb-ft)
rpm.....LGX...LT1
1000...110...180
1500...160...268
2000...185...310
3000...215...360
4000...230...375
4500...235...385
5000...238...375

The V8 already exceeds the max torque of the V6 well under 1500 rpm, practically at low highway cruising speed in 8th gear. The peak diff when holding the go pedal down is about 60%.

There is no comparison in the sensation of power, really, and I had both these exact cars---but then again, this may not be what matters the most in a daily driver.

[JT58]

Originally Posted by arpad_m

This may be correct numerically, but doesn't tell the real story. The V6 has much, much less torque in the low rpm range, and that is the only thing anyone ever feels in a daily commuter.

Real world-ish torque numbers, with a 15% drivetrain loss for the A8 with these two engines would look like this (of course each individual car will differ slightly, plus temperature, altitude, humidity etc. can skew it):

.......torque (lb-ft)
rpm.....LGX...LT1
1000...110...180
1500...160...268
2000...185...310
3000...215...360
4000...230...375
4500...235...385
5000...238...375

The V8 already exceeds the max torque of the V6 well under 1500 rpm, practically at low highway cruising speed in 8th gear. The peak diff when holding the go pedal down is about 60%.

There is no comparison in the sensation of power, really, and I had both these exact cars---but then again, this may not be what matters the most in a daily driver.

I'm sure the V8 would be the better daily driver if you can afford the extra cost of the car, insurance and gas. With all of that torque down low it will be much quicker off the line and get the jump on other cars- especially in a lot of traffic and stop and go where the speed limits are 45-60. You have to work and rev the V6 pretty hard to get all the power out of it but it's still way more fun than a typical cookie cutter car. At the lights here, especially during rush hour, everyone floors it and the V8 would be nice not working quite so hard to keep up with or be ahead of traffic. In my case the V6 is optimum only due to cost, not driveability when you are comparing V8 and V6 Camaros. When comparing the Camaro 4 or V6 against other boring cars I'd much rather either Camaro.

[cellsafemode]

why would you buy a car you only expect to keep for 3-4 years new?

If we're already starting out with horrible financial decisions then what's the point of talking about gas prices?

So since money isn't a reliable factor for discussion, it comes down to what would be most fun for daily driving and long commutes.

The right choice would be to either buy a used 2018 or lease if you're only going to have the car short-term. If that's the route you go with, then the V6 will probably have a lower cost to own than the other models, and it will sound better than the turbo car.

If you buy used, then the decision could also be impacted by available aftermarket. Turbo 4 and V8 have one. The v6 is ...well, very small. We do have some supercharger options, but if you're gonna drop 5k on the car, most people would just put that towards the v8, and have a higher ceiling for later. The auto v6/i4 also do not get lsd, unlike the v8 - which can be a concern in places that have snow or other poor traction conditions (power adders etc). So if you plan on modding the car, v8 is the obvious choice, however the I4 does offer relatively cheap tuning options that can greatly increase stock power with little to no other changes.

[DaveC113]

Originally Posted by cellsafemode

why would you buy a car you only expect to keep for 3-4 years new?

If we're already starting out with horrible financial decisions then what's the point of talking about gas prices?

This is what I was thinking.

Unless your commute involves backroads with no traffic and a few laps around the track maybe it's a better idea to recalibrate your brain and what you expect out of your car? Don't give AF about traffic and just listen to music or podcasts in a comfortable car that costs very little to own.

Here's the deal... with the mileage you put on the car it's very likely a small commuter car will pay for it's self vs a V8 Camaro. So it may actually be cheaper to buy a Camaro for occasional use + have a small commuter car. You can often find really good lease deals that would cost less than the difference in gas you'd pay for a V8 Camaro.

I don't get driving any nice car if you have to commute. It's usually a traffic filled slog that's not going to be awesome in any car. IMO it's easier and less stressful in a smaller car you don't care that much about. Commuting in a Camaro would suck. It's big, it's a PITA to park because the doors are long AF and the car is wide.

I'm glad I work from home!

[AndrewTheHokie]

I daily drive a 2016 2SS M6 to work every day in rush hour traffic around Detroit (17 miles each way) and it is not bad at all but it can get pricey. High mileage tends to depreciate the Camaro SS pretty quickly, and the gas (17 MPG on 93) and maintenance get pretty expensive with a lot of miles. I had a 2018 1LT/RS with the V6 and A8 before this car, and it got closer to 25 MPG on 87 and had much cheaper maintenance, as well as better all-season tires for commuting and less depreciation. I enjoy the SS a lot more but have since purchase a second used car as a commuter car for bad weather and the winter, but still DD the Camaro about 3-4 days a week. For your situation, I'd probably recommend getting the 3LT with a V6 and automatic transmission, it is a lot cheaper and easier to daily drive to work in traffic than an SS. Best of luck! Really can't go wrong either way!

[cbr1100xx]

Originally Posted by DaveC113

This is what I was thinking.

Unless your commute involves backroads with no traffic and a few laps around the track maybe it's a better idea to recalibrate your brain and what you expect out of your car? Don't give AF about traffic and just listen to music or podcasts in a comfortable car that costs very little to own.

Here's the deal... with the mileage you put on the car it's very likely a small commuter car will pay for it's self vs a V8 Camaro. So it may actually be cheaper to buy a Camaro for occasional use + have a small commuter car. You can often find really good lease deals that would cost less than the difference in gas you'd pay for a V8 Camaro.

I don't get driving any nice car if you have to commute. It's usually a traffic filled slog that's not going to be awesome in any car. IMO it's easier and less stressful in a smaller car you don't care that much about. Commuting in a Camaro would suck. It's big, it's a PITA to park because the doors are long AF and the car is wide.

I'm glad I work from home!

^This. Commutes are often sh!t slogs. That's what Hyundai Elantras are made for.

[Petrol Head]

Originally Posted by DaveC113

This is what I was thinking.

Unless your commute involves backroads with no traffic and a few laps around the track maybe it's a better idea to recalibrate your brain and what you expect out of your car? Don't give AF about traffic and just listen to music or podcasts in a comfortable car that costs very little to own.

Here's the deal... with the mileage you put on the car it's very likely a small commuter car will pay for it's self vs a V8 Camaro. So it may actually be cheaper to buy a Camaro for occasional use + have a small commuter car. You can often find really good lease deals that would cost less than the difference in gas you'd pay for a V8 Camaro.

I don't get driving any nice car if you have to commute. It's usually a traffic filled slog that's not going to be awesome in any car. IMO it's easier and less stressful in a smaller car you don't care that much about. Commuting in a Camaro would suck. It's big, it's a PITA to park because the doors are long AF and the car is wide.

I'm glad I work from home!

I drive about 15-20,000 miles per year and fully intend on using my Camaro for every day driving. Yes, even through harsh Cleveland winters and snow/ice/rain. Contrary to what a few people on here believe, the Camaro in SS trim is not going to be a high dollar collectible in 30 years. How many Z28s from the 1970s-late 90s are worth more than maybe $20,000 in absolute MINT condition? Not many if any. It's the low/limited production cars that will retain and increase value. So the ZL1s, the 1LE equipped SSs, and the 5th gen Z28 are going to be the ones you see at Barrett-Jackson with two guys going crazy over it.

But as to your point about actually using it as an every day car, I learned to drive on a 1985 Cadillac Eldorado. It had worse blind spots than the Camaro, had longer doors than the Camaro, had a hood that went on for 10 miles, had tiny side view mirrors, had a mail slot for a rear window, and yet I passed my parallel parking test with no problem.

So really, there's nothing other than the non-existent back seat and the tiny trunk opening which I don't really care about that make the Camaro any less useable as an every day driver.

It's a fun car, it's meant to be driven, and I intend on putting 150,000 miles on it.

[cbr1100xx]

Originally Posted by Petrol Head

It's a fun car, it's meant to be driven, and I intend on putting 150,000 miles on it.

That's great. If sitting in stop/go and your basic commute is your idea of fun driving in a Camaro, go for it. Just using up gas in a V8 that's travelling at the same speeds as a Prius. Not to mention, I'd get so bored of a car like a Camaro if I had to slog a commute in it.

Love that I only drive it at night/weekends. Makes it way more fun. I actually enjoyed my commutes in my Focus. Was the perfect car for that cr@p.