[yotaman96]

2SS with 1LE option would be perfect for me. Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll change it next year.

[MAGAUSA]

I was sold on the 2SS until I drove the 1LE. The seats alone are worth it. The Alcantera obviates ventilated seats and grips your butt. Then there's the support. The seats alone are the key. However, one of the most important performance gains you can do to a car is to tighten up the suspension in a responsible way. It's the largest impact to daily driving one can do. The 1LE has everything except memory seats, homelink, and a rear view mirror that auto adjusts at night. Dual climate control in a car like this? Worthless. Car based nav in today's world is worthless. Phone guidance is much more useful and Apple allows that. Oh, forgot about the 2SS beeps when in reverse, but with a camera do I need a nanny to beep at me? Then there's the wheels and brakes. This car is not a track car and shouldn't be thought of as such (which then marginalizes it to make one think another trim is better for daily driving). I'm expecting this to be like my RS4 where there are no performance mods needed. It even has an aggressive exhaust by today's standards and doesn't sound too raspy. This may be the perfect car for its price.

[yotaman96]

Originally Posted by MAGAUSA

I was sold on the 2SS until I drove the 1LE. The seats alone are worth it. The Alcantera obviates ventilated seats and grips your butt. Then there's the support. The seats alone are the key. However, one of the most important performance gains you can do to a car is to tighten up the suspension in a responsible way. It's the largest impact to daily driving one can do. The 1LE has everything except memory seats, homelink, and a rear view mirror that auto adjusts at night. Dual climate control in a car like this? Worthless. Car based nav in today's world is worthless. Phone guidance is much more useful and Apple allows that. Oh, forgot about the 2SS beeps when in reverse, but with a camera do I need a nanny to beep at me? Then there's the wheels and brakes. This car is not a track car and shouldn't be thought of as such (which then marginalizes it to make one think another trim is better for daily driving). I'm expecting this to be like my RS4 where there are no performance mods needed. It even has an aggressive exhaust by today's standards and doesn't sound too raspy. This may be the perfect car for its price.

I need the homelink, my wife needs the heated seats and dual climate. I'd like the auto dimming mirror and ventilated seats. My wife is always freezing and I'm always hot. She drives with her heated seat on in the summer time.

[MAGAUSA]

Originally Posted by yotaman96

I need the homelink, my wife needs the heated seats and dual climate. I'd like the auto dimming mirror and ventilated seats. My wife is always freezing and I'm always hot. She drives with her heated seat on in the summer time.

Of all homelink was my biggest gripe, but got over that quick. Don't they make programmable remotes? Maybe a retrofit if it's that important.

On the vented seats have you owned a car with the synthetic suede? I've had two and it is the bomb. Leather is what requires ventilation. The alcantera is also easy to clean and doesn't age. I had my friend's son barf all over the back seats and it cleaned up great and never smelled.

But really dual climate? That may work in a full size SUV but you're rubbing elbows in this car.

[DFW1LE]

If I wanted a daily driver, I probably would have gone for a 2SS A8, with the blind spot warning, but since I wanted a fun car that would be driven occasionally and tracked occasionally, the value that you get from the 1LE options pushed me in that direction. Nevertheless, I thought both cars drove very well on the street in the tour mode, and although I did not drive each model back to back, to my recollection, they felt similar in tour mode, but yes you will feel the road contour a bit more with the 1LE's wider front tires.

[mjk3888]

Originally Posted by 77TA400

So, I'm bringing up an old thread again. I am looking for some input from any current 1LE owners that test drove a 2SS with or without Mag. Ride Control before purchasing their car. Any input from current 2SS owners that made that choice over a 1LE would be helpful too. I recently test drove a 1LE with PDR only and also a loaded 50th Anniversary which included MRC and a sunroof. I gotta say, the 1LE seemed to have a much better ride. What doesn't make sense is the shifting was terrible on the 50th. I am going to test drive some more 2SS's to see if the 50th potentially had a issue with the shifting.

And yes, I am one of those guys that wishes the 1LE was available in a 2SS. And yes, I am one of those guys that would be purchasing a 1LE for the sake of having one. It will barely see track time, if at all. Who knows, maybe it's the car that would get me into it?

Also, I noticed the 1LE I test drove felt like it had a pull to it. The roads seems like they had a significant cross-slope so I'm sure that with a combination of wide tires makes it pull. Just seemed a little much. The 50th barely had it, at least it was only slightly noticeable.

I have put 2,000 miles on my 1LE and its currently in the shop for a few cosmetic repairs that they promised me they would correct when I took delivery of the car. I have had a 2SS 6 speed loaner from them for the past 2 days and I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt I have ZERO regrets.

The 2SS is a great car but truthfully I turned the interior lighting off because the door lights were constantly shining in my peripheral vision. The heated wheel is definitely needed for the leather but my suede is never too hot or too cold to the touch. The dual climate control is rather useless to me. Frankly the recaros are much more comfortable, although entry and exit are a little easier in the 2ss, but the bolsters on the bottom of the 2SS seat are way too narrow for me. They are constantly resting under my thighs unlike the recaros. I used the mylink nav for about 30 minutes before I chose to plug in my phone and use the carplay nav. Shifter in the SS is just a hair too tall for my liking.

The only unfair comparison about the 2SS loaner was it didn't come with MRC. I think my 1LE in tour mode is slightly more comfortable than the 2SS. However I will admit the lack of huge grippy tires on the 2SS was enjoyable since it didn't suffer from some of the same tramlining that my 1LE does.

All things considerd the 2SS loaner that I have stickers at 46k and my 1LE msrp was 45.5k and for me the 1LE feels like $10k more car! I feel special in the 1LE, the 2SS makes me feel like the average joe who just bought the first camaro he could find on the lot.

[SS 1LE]

Originally Posted by mjk3888

I have put 2,000 miles on my 1LE and its currently in the shop for a few cosmetic repairs that they promised me they would correct when I took delivery of the car. I have had a 2SS 6 speed loaner from them for the past 2 days and I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt I have ZERO regrets.

The 2SS is a great car but truthfully I turned the interior lighting off because the door lights were constantly shining in my peripheral vision. The heated wheel is definitely needed for the leather but my suede is never too hot or too cold to the touch. Frankly the recaros are much more comfortable, although entry and exit are a little easier in the 2ss, but the bolsters on the bottom of the 2SS seat are way too narrow for me. They are constantly resting under my thighs unlike the recaros. I used the mylink nav for about 30 minutes before I chose to plug in my phone and use the carplay nav. Shifter in the SS is just a hair too tall for my liking.

The only unfair comparison about the 2SS loaner was it didn't come with MRC. I think my 1LE in tour mode is slightly more comfortable than the 2SS. However I will admit the lack of huge grippy tires on the 2SS was enjoyable since it didn't suffer from some of the same tramlining that my 1LE does.

All things considerd the 2SS loaner that I have stickers at 46k and my 1LE msrp was 45.5k and for me the 1LE feels like $10k more car! I feel special in the 1LE, the 2SS makes me feel like the average joe who just bought the first camaro he could find on the lot.

Good write up...

With that said, I have yet to put my car in Tour mode for more than a few minutes. I find Sport mode a nice compromise between that and Track mode. Plus, I like a ride that is a little stuff, yet compliant even during cruising.

[mjk3888]

Originally Posted by SS 1LE

Good write up...

With that said, I have yet to put my car in Tour mode.

Oh I'm always in tour mode until I'm playing with the car. Tour mode MRC with track mode exhaust is probably what my car has been in 85% of the time. Love the adjust ability of this car!

[nate.the.great]

I bought a 1LE after test driving a 2SS with Mag Ride. Yes, it really would have been nice if Chevrolet would have added a few amenities to the 1LE because I use it as a daily driver (40 mile round trip).

I also had the same experience as you, for some reason the 2SS I drove with a 6 speed had a very high/awkward clutch. I'm still getting used to the 1LE clutch, but it feels better for whatever reason. My understanding is that the clutch is the same between the two.

So why'd I choose the 1LE?

1. I'm a car guy, and I want a car built for car guys.

I got excited when I saw Randy Pobst rave about the 1LE, an affordable domestic sports car able to hang with other sports cars which are twice the price. Seeing and driving the 1LE provides some sort of joy/satisfaction that the 2SS just didn't. Some of it has to do with the actual physical setup of the car, the seats, larger brakes/sways, eLSD, etc... make it feel like a tighter, more responsive car, and part of it is emotional. There's just something about the way it sits, drives, and sounds that the 2SS could not match. Every once in a while I open the garage just to look at it. I don't think I'd be doing that if it was a 2SS.

Because it's only purchased by car guys, I'll get excited when I see another one on the road. I've had a WRX, S4, and RX-8. Part of the fun of having a WRX and seeing another is knowing that you've found another enthusiast. Only an enthusiast would pay that kind of money for that level of performance and cope with such a poor interior (which is why the Subaru wave exists). Seeing other S4 drivers on the road was a mixed bag, but I rarely saw another enthusiast.

I'm not saying that car guys don't buy a 2SS, what I'm saying is only car guys buy a 1LE. (Lots of car guys will buy a 2SS, most of them are on this forum.)

2. If I really wanted to prioritize a great daily, I would've bought a Lexus.

At this price point, there are some very nice Lexus options. For example, my local Lexus dealership is clearing out 2016 AWD RC350s for $45k. Let's face it, the Lexus is probably a better daily in every way (powerplant is debatable). The 2SS is a compromise between a great daily and a toy for excitement. Personally, I just didn't want to compromise on the excitement portion. As a devoted husband and father of 4, my whole life is compromise. My car is one of the few areas that I didn't have to compromise, so I decided not to compromise.

3. It's easier to add the 2SS amenities than to add the 1LE performance.

I'm sure it's only a matter of time before we figure out how to add homelink or an auto-dimming mirror. Those things are far cheaper than figuring out how to source a pair of Recaro seats, 6 piston brakes, eLSD, etc... Personally, I can wait on those things and add them later while I enjoy the driving experience.

Honestly, there are still times that I wish I had something with more amenities, but what I realized is that I don't really need them. What I really needed was something to help me unwind from time to time that put a smile on my face.

[FNxR3DNECK]

Originally Posted by SS 1LE

Good write up...

With that said, I have yet to put my car in Tour mode for more than a few minutes. I find Sport mode a nice compromise between that and Track mode. Plus, I like a ride that is a little stuff, yet compliant even during cruising.

When I made the 470ish mile trek from NC up to Maryland I kept it in Tour the whole way and that will probably be the only time I ever use Tour is on long trips. I leave it in Sport the rest of the time, and can say the ride is slightly stiffer but it's nowhere near uncomfortable.

[77TA400]

Awesome feedback guys! I must also admit that the dual climate control is a little bothersome as well. My wife is also always cold and I'm always hot. I can't even count on my fingers and toes how often I use that feature in my truck. I am a car enthusiast which leads me to the 1LE. And the Recaros are that good. Them alone make a strong check towards the 1LE.

[Bosse'sBoss]

I would put my 2 cents on this. I bought a Corvette Stingray Z51 (track package) and after owning the car I find those features very unnecessary for me, because I don't have a local track or exhilarating curved roads. Has been a waste of money for me because wearable parts like tires and brakes of the Z51 are much more expensive than those on the base Corvette.

I'm planning to go back to the Camaro, I strongly admire the greatly designed Alpha chassis and getting back to a shifter transmission which I strongly have enjoyed ( My '14 Stingray has the A6 transmission).

Taking this in consideration and having a strong respect and love for the Camaro ZL1 and SS1LE. I consider that neither would be practical for my geographic location. The best deal on my case would be the Camaro SS with the manual shifter, probably just I would look for a strong sounding sporty exhaust option.

[beedo]

I think he made his mind up 2 years ago lol

[Bosse'sBoss]

I just post it because this type of post are very hepful to others including myself