[Barnaby]

Hey guys brand new member so I apologize if this question gets asked a lot.. but I am in the market for a new car and could use some advice from people more familiar with the Camaro.

I currently drive a 2016 Malibu, I like it just fine and it is in like new condition, 40k miles, but quite frankly I am bored. I were originally looking at a Mercedes, a BMW, a Lexus, and the like, but on my last trip out to a local dealer here in Seattle I came across a SUPER clean 2017 Camaro. It is a ‘1LT’, it is a soft top convertible, it has 22k miles on it (still under full factory warranty), and it has the ‘appearance package’ from the dealer, what I understand just means the custom paint (matte stripe black on black), the premium wheels and probably some other small things but who knows. I know it is the 3.4L V-6, and it is a 6-speed manual. I am going to try and include some pictures.

Anyway, I have never owned a Camaro before although they have always drawn my interest... more over I have NEVER considered a convertible before much less a soft top. I drove it yesterday for over an hour.. 80mph+, top down, top up, stop start traffic, windy roads and straights, all of it. I was VERY concerned with the road/wind noise, the ‘wind tunnel’ effect is that is commonly associated with a convertible, the lack of comfort on the road and etc.. and quite frankly I was very, very impressed. The road/wind noise was barely noticeable even at 80mph, and even though it of course felt a little ‘cramped’, it was nothing I couldn’t get used to. Honestly, the biggest issue for me was the clutch at stop start speeds having not driven a manual for a long time.. my leg got pretty sore pretty fast, but I assume you get used to that pretty quick... lol.

Anyway, thoughts? Advice? The other option is looking for a normal coupe, I am sure I can find one in my price range, probably without the extras, but nonetheless. I live in Seattle - not sunny year round obviously, anybody own a soft top in similar conditions? Anyone own this exact car for that matter in ANY condition??

Sorry for the long post... any help is appreciated, Thanks!

[Yanniz]

Funny, is that the one from Wild West? I’ve been looking for a car for 3-4 months, looked at everything out there, was considering convertible, V8, manual, etc.

Found and bought the perfect car for me, 2017 coupe V6. Have had it since Sunday and I’m extremely happy and I love the car.

I was set on convertible, but finally hit me that the roof down was not going to be used much and get old after while in Seattle.

Was also considering manual but then also realized that would get old very very fast.

So, I share your skepticism, I’d say drive as many cars as you can and when you find “the one” you’ll know it.

Good luck

[17rsvert]

I have a 2LT V6 auto RS convertible. Love it. Pretty quiet with the top up, so noise isn't an issue. I've had a convertible the past 20 years, this is my third. Everyone is different, some are not rag-top people, but it would be hard for me NOT to have one at this point. I look at it this way: having a convertible gives me a choice of top up or down, with a coupe, I would have no choice.

I assume in Seattle not everyday is a top-down day. Same here, but it lets me appreciate those days even more, especially this time of year. It never gets old.

If you're concerned with wind with the top down, I would reccomend the GM wind screen, it's amazing how much it cuts it down on the highway. Pricey for what it is, but worth it.

[Gunkk]

to the forum!

Check out the convertible section ... LOTS of good info here:
https://www.camaro6.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=301

A well-applied treatment of 303 Fabric Guard on the top will help with water repellancy and keeping it clean.

The 6th gen Camaro vert is a special car. Very fun to drive!

[Barnaby]

Originally Posted by Yanniz

Funny, is that the one from Wild West? I’ve been looking for a car for 3-4 months, looked at everything out there, was considering convertible, V8, manual, etc.

Found and bought the perfect car for me, 2017 coupe V6. Have had it since Sunday and I’m extremely happy and I love the car.

I was set on convertible, but finally hit me that the roof down was not going to be used much and get old after while in Seattle.

Was also considering manual but then also realized that would get old very very fast.

So, I share your skepticism, I’d say drive as many cars as you can and when you find “the one” you’ll know it.

Good luck

That’s hilarious.... yes it is the one at Wild West! The lot is very close to my house and I drove by it like 5 times before I stopped to check her out.

And you know I am in basically the same boat as you are, I love the idea of the convertible and the manual transmission, and I DID have a blast driving it... but it was also almost 70 degrees, clear, and mostly on the highway. Who knows if the honeymoon period will wear off quickly lol. I will be honest I would be lying if I said I was not very concerned for with it leaking… For even the potential to leak, but I assume with so many out there if it was such a huge issue, it would be widely known about?

[Barnaby]

Originally Posted by 17rsvert

I have a 2LT V6 auto RS convertible. Love it. Pretty quiet with the top up, so noise isn't an issue. I've had a convertible the past 20 years, this is my third. Everyone is different, some are not rag-top people, but it would be hard for me NOT to have one at this point. I look at it this way: having a convertible gives me a choice of top up or down, with a coupe, I would have no choice.

I assume in Seattle not everyday is a top-down day. Same here, but it lets me appreciate those days even more, especially this time of year. It never gets old.

If you're concerned with wind with the top down, I would reccomend the GM wind screen, it's amazing how much it cuts it down on the highway. Pricey for what it is, but worth it.

That is a good point. Let me ask you this, in all of the time you have owned a convertible, have you ever had serious issues with leaking, mold, or other issues directly related to the soft top? Also, is it possible to also buy a hard top for this exact car, as a back up option?

[Yanniz]

Originally Posted by Barnaby

That’s hilarious.... yes it is the one at Wild West! The lot is very close to my house and I drove by it like 5 times before I stopped to check her out.

And you know I am in basically the same boat as you are, I love the idea of the convertible and the manual transmission, and I DID have a blast driving it... but it was also almost 70 degrees, clear, and mostly on the highway. Who knows if the honeymoon period will wear off quickly lol. I will be honest I would be lying if I said I was not very concerned for with it leaking… For even the potential to leak, but I assume with so many out there if it was such a huge issue, it would be widely known about?

We looked at the car last Saturday and essentially that was th car that changed my mind re convertible vs coupe. I liked the coupe body style much, much, better than the convertible.

You should find a coupe, drive it, and see what you think. No matter what, the V6 is great and the car in general wonderful.

[Barnaby]

Originally Posted by Yanniz

We looked at the car last Saturday and essentially that was th car that changed my mind re convertible vs coupe. I liked the coupe body style much, much, better than the convertible.

You should find a coupe, drive it, and see what you think. No matter what, the V6 is great and the car in general wonderful.

Wow beautiful car.

If you don’t mind me asking, how much did you manage to get it for? Also, what about the coupe do you like so much better than the convertible? More room? I was under the impression that it were the exact same car minus the soft top.

[protovack]

I'm in Washington, grays harbor county. Don't get a convertible unless you plan to garage it for most of the year and have another daily driver. Get the coupe and then you can drive it and enjoy it year round, and never have to worry about it. If you lived in California, sure get the convertible. But not here. Not worth the hassle and worry.

Do you have another vehicle?

A Camaro is obviously not going to be as practical as a malibu. It's also not going to be a BMW, mercedes, or lexus. What it will be is a lot of bang for your buck. But there is no way I'd have a camaro as my only vehicle.

[Silverado57]

Originally Posted by protovack

... Don't get a convertible unless you plan to garage it for most of the year and have another daily driver. ...

I think this is sound advice.

Last year we got into a Camaro convertible as a vehicle to transition from big motorcycle trips into something more practical - and safe - and fast.
We have not taken a trip in the Camaro yet but had done some local riding with the top down. All I can say is that we can't wait for spring and summer driving!
Good luck.

[Yanniz]

Originally Posted by Barnaby

Wow beautiful car.

If you don’t mind me asking, how much did you manage to get it for? Also, what about the coupe do you like so much better than the convertible? More room? I was under the impression that it were the exact same car minus the soft top.

It was little less than the one at Wild West.

The back of the coupe is very different than the convertible, if you can pull up a couple of pictures side by side you can see what I am referring to.

Also, the coupe has much more trunk space than the convertible, we are planning to take some road trips and that was a big factor. Additionally the rear seats of the coupe fold down for more space.

As the other replies above, even though the convertible was great with the top down and we were almost set on it, that’s another thing that can go wrong with the car (we saw a couple of convertibles that the rear window had come unglued which from my research is a common issue.) also the top is another thing to take care of as far as cleaning, apply coating to it, and eventually something would go wrong with it and would need to be addressed. Just looking at the pollen we’ve had the last few days, I’m thankful that we don’t have that rug top👍

Also having to park outside in winter at work, etc, potential vandalism, weatherstripping going bad and creating leaks or air noise, etc.

That was the thought process, we did take a lot of time, put a lot of thought in to it, and compared many cars until we found “the one” 😊

Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions.

[Yanniz]

I also should have mentioned that I checked cost re repairing the glue issue on the rear window. Also another car had a broken sliding panel behind the driver seat that covers the top when down.

For withr fixe above, the whole top would need to be replaced per my research which is crazy.

Cost is around $2K (if you don’t have the warranty still active!)

Just another example/factor that we considered during our decision.

[Barnaby]

Originally Posted by Yanniz

I also should have mentioned that I checked cost re repairing the glue issue on the rear window. Also another car had a broken sliding panel behind the driver seat that covers the top when down.

For withr fixe above, the whole top would need to be replaced per my research which is crazy.

Cost is around $2K (if you don’t have the warranty still active!)

Just another example/factor that we considered during our decision.

Thank you. Wow at a little less than the one at a Wild West, assuming the miles/condition were comparable you got a steal!

Anyway yes I am highly concerned with the potential issues arising from the roof... I hadn’t seen the glue one in particular, but I have certainly read about potential leaking, seals going bad, etc. I would not be ‘garaging’ it year round, no, but I think if I ever were to end up with a soft top I would most definitely buy and utilize a car cover quite a bit!

Well, I guess I will keep looking at keep this one in my head just in case. Thank you very much for the replies!

[Barnaby]

Originally Posted by protovack

I'm in Washington, grays harbor county. Don't get a convertible unless you plan to garage it for most of the year and have another daily driver. Get the coupe and then you can drive it and enjoy it year round, and never have to worry about it. If you lived in California, sure get the convertible. But not here. Not worth the hassle and worry.

Do you have another vehicle?

A Camaro is obviously not going to be as practical as a malibu. It's also not going to be a BMW, mercedes, or lexus. What it will be is a lot of bang for your buck. But there is no way I'd have a camaro as my only vehicle.

Thanks for the reply. I have spent any time in Grays Harbor but am I right I’m assuming you guys get more rain, wind and more severe conditions in general than we do up here in seattle?

Anyway, you’re right I think the convertible would be interesting in the winter/fall, it’s just frustrating because I have never owned one before, and I am trying to practically determine between the ‘new toy hype’ and being intelligent in a 20k dollar purchase, lol.

I work 5 days a week and I am a contractor, so I drive a work truck. The car would be a ‘daily’, yes... but for what ‘daily driving’ is for me I guess is weekends, and short excursions out and about after work. I rarely if ever take road trips, and I don’t commute. However yes it would be parked out side. Car cover, yes - but outside nonetheless.

Thank you for your help with this!