[protovack]

I've been a forum member for a year and a half and I've gotten so much good information from here, it's been a treasure. Thank you all. I bought my white 1SS 1LE last year and was extremely excited about it. It was the best car I'd ever owned. I took it to the track, road trips, and even drove it to work frequently. But over the past 6 months I began to have buyers remorse. I posted a thread entitled "Has anyone ever downgraded from V8 to V6 or 2.0?"

https://www.camaro6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=543128

Well, I ended up doing just that today. I traded my Summit White 1SS 1LE with factory installed CAI, strut tower brace, for a bone stock, 2019 2LT 2.0T M6 in Riverside blue. No RS package. Stock 18" aluminum wheels.

Long story short, I had a couple things happen financially that, while I still could've afforded to keep my SS 1LE, it became more of a liability than I wanted. I needed to cut my losses, trade in, take the hit in depreciation and start saving money on gas and insurance immediately instead of continuing to pay on a car that was too much car for me.

Finances were not the sole reason for the trade, just the catalyst. I could have gone without a vacation or two, worked a bit extra, and kept the car. BUT...I had to face the fact that I was not happy with the car--I definitely felt that it was too much car for me, even despite the fact that I took it to the track multiple times and enjoyed the hell out of it. I just couldn't shake the feeling that it was too much. Too much of everything. So, I present to you my thought process, for those who need help in deciding which Camaro to purchase.

Here are the reasons I could no longer live with my SS 1LE:

Power: Before I bought the SS, I read the forums and I must admit I was influenced by the people saying "you gotta get the V8, or you might regret it." However, once I had access to that power, I found that I could not come close to using it. I always felt the untapped potential. Every time I started the engine and it roared to life, the reality was that I was only going to use 1/3 of that power if that. I even felt this way on the track. A small road course is not enough to let the SS 1LE even come close to opening up. When trying to drive fun back roads, I realized that I could not ever utilize that power without something bad happening.

Chassis and weight balance: The car in my opinion felt like a tank that was glued to the road. Balanced, but definitely heavy up front and "ponderous". The power made up for it partially, and the incredible suspension tuning helped, but it was a case of "more of everything." More weight, stouter components, more power to make up for it. The MRC was awesome, I grant that, and I wish I still had it. All together, it was a package that glued you to the road in a vice-like fashion and while that's awesome for putting down wicked lap times, I felt like the rest of the time it was just kind of laborious and un-fun. I wanted the car to roll a little, feel a bit looser...I don't know, respond a bit more. The ride felt just stone cold mechanical to me. Which I know is an incredibly good thing for lighting up a road course. But it just wasn't FUN to me.

Recaros: they were great for running on track all day but for daily driving I did not like them. The bolsters impede arm movement and I could not find a relaxing "rest" position during longer road trips. If I was tracking all the time, yes, Recaros, but a few times in the summer? It was not worth it to me.

HUD: seemed cool until I had it, then I realized I don't really want anything cluttering up my view of the road. It seemed like a solution in search of a problem to me. It also made a spot of glare in my windshield where there otherwise wouldn't be one.

TR6060: I hated skip shift, and I installed the skip-shift delete mod which was IMO necessary. The clutch pedal was stiff and pretty difficult to actuate. I found it quite difficult to get into 2nd gear when just driving around town. To the get synchronization I found I had to rev way up in 1st gear which was very loud and not great for daily driving. The shifts were very solid but it was notchy and it took a lot of arm effort to get into gear, for me at least. The whole system felt incredibly burly and stout, but completely overkill.


Here's why I like my 2.0T more:
(yes this is highly personal and totally subjective)
- it has the right amount of power for me. It is more than enough for me to have fun and I get to use the entire power band, which I find satisfying.
- it's lighter, very noticeably so. I was shocked to discover how much difference the weight savings up front make. It's such a difference, that to me, under 100-120mph, the car feels just as fast, or *faster* than the SS 1LE. It definitely feels less ponderous.
- it's more loosey-goosey and I know not everyone feels this way but to me it's more fun. The car pitches up and down, rolls a little around corners, and there is somehow a rhythm there that you can pick up on and work with.
- it lacks any extraneous features---no HUD. No e-gauges, which I didn't like at all. I like that the LT has analog gas and temp gauge only. It's a cleaner instrument cluster. No rev matching, so no pointless paddles on the wheel that you have to avoid with your fingers. No skip shift. It's clean, simple--just an engine, a damn good chassis, and a stick with 6 gears. I feel more connected to the road and more responsible for good technique. With the 1LE it felt like you just hit the gas, pointed in a direction, and relied on the huge tires to save you.
- clutch pedal much easier to actuate
- it feels like the LTG is perfectly matched to the lighter 6th gen chassis. It feels like a completely different, lighter, more nimble car and I realized THAT'S what I was missing with the 1LE, and the reason was that the SS 1LE had a very heavy engine and transmission, heavy wheels/tires, heavy e-LSD out back, heavy heavy heavy. This car is the complete opposite. On paper it's only a few hundred pounds but on the pavement it's like night and day and I wasn't expecting that.

So, in summary, the SS 1LE was, and is, an incredible machine full of modern tech and limitless capability, which, at the end of the day, was too much for me and I admit that. For those of you who are into that, you can find my old car at Good Chevrolet in Renton, WA. Hahaha....

I'll be out on the backroads, still having fun, with a bit more peace of mind. And I'll be on these forums as long as I have a Camaro, which, thankfully, is still the case

[Need4Camaro]

Cool car don't get me wrong but I'd have cut a few vacations and worked a bit harder to keep my SS

Just me.

[dpevans]

Sometimes we have to be practical and that's why I have a 3.6 RS 2LT. I wanted more creature comforts and safety items then power I will never use. I have had several muscle cars and this 3.6 is the fastest one I have owned and the best part is the G meter. I would like to experience 1.15g but .75 on the street is plenty for me. Then again I have been buttering up the wife with thoughts of a ZL1.

[arpad_m]

Man. for your honesty and appreciate the details of your thought process... but I admit this is the first time I see anyone so thoroughly explain how a stock SS 1LE is too heavy and offers too much extra power that doesn't get used often enough (...so what?), the ride being mechanical, the gauge cluster not clean enough, the HUD cluttering up the view of the road etc...

I could never have imagined someone would see the SS this way, but I respect your decision and wish you a ton of enjoyment in the 2.0, as you said, it's still a Camaro. You have opened my mind a bit today

[cryssm]

Hey, what matters is what you want and are comfortable with. I think it's very cool of you to be able to admit this, and do what you did! Thanks for sharing, and enjoy your LT!

[ChefBorOzzy]

As long as you're happy. Personally, I would have opted for an ATS if shopping for a 4 cylinder coupe.

[Idaho2018GTPremium]

Good story. If you think the SS 1LE (3,750 lbs) feels heavy, imagine how the Hellcat feels at 700 lbs heavier (4,450 lbs)! The 2.0T Camaro is a pretty light car, by today's standards (3,350 lbs). My previous car was a 2007 Mazdaspeed3, and it weighed 3,140, but was a compact hatchback (with 300 crank hp). That was a fun car.

[WhyUMad1LE]

Sounds like a good car, just curious, did you shop anything else vs the 2.0T? Like BRZ, 2-series, Miata, etc.

[Baker]

some people like the simpler things in life I am a firm believer in not everyone needs a V8 and have a lot respect that you were able to see this and adjust

[samurai]

Your 2019 looks really good. I can totally understand you. If you car eats too much of your money, you will ask yourself if it's really worth it. I'm glad that you are happy with the 2.0 engine, hope you got a good deal. Have fun and enjoy your Camaro


Have you thought about getting the Turbo 1LE? The reviews are pretty positive andit should be really fun on track.

[karmatourer]

In the space of 13 months,I went from a new 2017 C7 M7 to a new 2018 Cruze diesel LT to a new 2018 V-6 M6 RS w/NPP and I am completely happy with it. I'm in my late 60s and have owned many true sports cars and whatever car you own at the time is what makes you happy. It's not all simply HP. It's about what makes you happy AND as the OP states,what works for him at the moment.

[redcoats1976]

sounds like you have found the right car for you.im quite happy with my 2015 2LT RS,and like you,i feel the V8 would be a waste as i wouldnt be driving that fast most of the time(if ever).but i do like the HUD and backup cameras and all the toys.

[vtirocz]

I’m a little surprised it made financial sense, despite the MSRP of the ‘19 2LT being much lower than the older SS 1LE. I looked into trading an SS for an SS 1LE (one model year newer) and it would have cost around $10k minimum.

It sounds like in your case they gave you enough to make it worth it.

[Bluecyclone]

Good post, I owned a V6 Cyclone 2014 and built the suspension, Koni's, camber plates, 1 piece drive, Bmr lca's, ect. The car was really a good handling pony car. Torque bit me as I learned the 350 + Hp. I wanted more & traded for a base GT which I am still building. I'd go back too if I could sell my GT for a great price, won't happen as most people don't value a "built" pony for what it's worth. I admire your openness.