Thoughts and opinions - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

RandyT · 03-26-2017, 06:03 PM

I am thinking about trading my 12 SS in on a 15 ZL1
I love my SS so this is a tough decision

The ZL1 only has 2600 miles on it, mine only has 20,000

My Camaro is paid off and I like having no car payment, if I trade mine in I will have a payment again

Thoughts?

mpsgolf · 03-26-2017, 06:15 PM

No one can answer this predicament for you.

On the one hand, be satisfied. No car payment is good. You need margin in your finances. You may be able to make some awesome upgrades for far less than a new car.

On the other hand, you can't take it with you. If you have margin / money to spare why not enjoy it?

Depends on your personal situation I suppose.

At 60, I've decided to keep my 2012 for a long time and hopefully be able to give it to my grandson in about 20 years when I'm too old and he's old enough to be responsible with excessive power. Who knows, maybe we'll all be driving electric junk by then and there won't be muscle cars!

Best of Luck. Let us know.

ZMEnow · 03-26-2017, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandyT

I am thinking about trading my 12 SS in on a 15 ZL1
I love my SS so this is a tough decision

The ZL1 only has 2600 miles on it, mine only has 20,000

My Camaro is paid off and I like having no car payment, if I trade mine in I will have a payment again

Thoughts?

Is this an out loud discussion with your Conscience? "I like having no car payment, if I trade mine in I will have a payment again"

silversleeper · 03-26-2017, 10:00 PM

Are you planning on putting lots of money in upgrades to your SS?
Yes= leave it the way it is and get a ZL1

No= keep the SS and enjoy it

STUNNAH · 03-27-2017, 12:33 AM

Keep your SS...It's paid off and you can enjoy the financial flexibility that you have...You hardly drive your SS and you would drive the ZL1 even less...

Viczl1 · 03-27-2017, 05:55 AM

Everyone's finances are different. Do what your comfortable with. I will tell you this having owned a SS and now own a ZL1 with new payments..... No matter what you do to your SS it will never feel like a ZL1. I'd say the ZL1 will hold its value longer but it seems right after I bought mine the bottom fell out on the market haha. I have no regrets. Cars are 95%of the time a terrible investment. Buy what you can afford and enjoy it.

lbls1 · 03-27-2017, 07:45 AM

It depends which one you really like better. If you like the ZL1 a lot better than that's your answer. If you can live without it then keep your 'SS.

DeSH · 03-27-2017, 09:06 PM

If you want more power and plan on modding, I would buy the ZL1. You would be hard pressed to mod a camaro SS to be close to a ZL1 in all performance aspects for the same money. Go drive the ZL1, and then decide. At the end of the day, you have to be able to be happy with your choice and be able to afford it.

PJMZL1 · 03-28-2017, 01:38 AM

You wont be disappointed with the ZL1. Do it!

Can'tHave2MuchHP · 03-28-2017, 08:30 AM

Guys I don't think he's modding anything especially putting a blower/cam or something crazy like that on an SS that just wouldn't make sense.

To the original poster, I'd definitely think about picking up a ZL1 but I'm not sure if you'd really have a big benefit of switching from the SS to ZL1. It guess it depends on how you drive and the ZL1's benefits start coming out over the SS when you're aggressively driving it, so ask yourself how often you do that and go from there.

sengli · 03-28-2017, 09:46 AM

I have had both recently. Going to the ZL1 you will notice the power(torque) increase. Most everything else is the same. Interior, features etc. Having to go back into debt, is a big issue. Is it worth the $20k difference, guess thats up to you. Might check with your insurance company too, before you do it. Might be a deciding factor, or not?

owhite3003 · 03-28-2017, 11:03 AM

If you can, put the 2 cars together and then drive them back to back. You will know if the difference is enough to warrant more payments. Let us know your how it went, would love to hear what you thought.

Aliveguy5 · 03-28-2017, 01:24 PM

Go drive it and see if you like it. If you do get some numbers on purchasing and sleep on it for a night or two then make your decision. Personally if I was in your shoes I'd do it but this is something you need to decide on your own.

ZED SLED · 03-28-2017, 01:35 PM

I did it and haven't looked back. More power, better ride, better brakes. Much more comfortable on a road trip. It's worth spending the money.

03-26-2017, 06:03 PM	#1
RandyT Drives: 2014 ZL1 Summit White Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Boulder,Co Posts: 312	Thoughts and opinions I am thinking about trading my 12 SS in on a 15 ZL1 I love my SS so this is a tough decision The ZL1 only has 2600 miles on it, mine only has 20,000 My Camaro is paid off and I like having no car payment, if I trade mine in I will have a payment again Thoughts?

03-26-2017, 06:15 PM	#2
mpsgolf Drives: 2012 Camaro SS Transformer Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: St Louis Missouri Posts: 501	No one can answer this predicament for you. On the one hand, be satisfied. No car payment is good. You need margin in your finances. You may be able to make some awesome upgrades for far less than a new car. On the other hand, you can't take it with you. If you have margin / money to spare why not enjoy it? Depends on your personal situation I suppose. At 60, I've decided to keep my 2012 for a long time and hopefully be able to give it to my grandson in about 20 years when I'm too old and he's old enough to be responsible with excessive power. Who knows, maybe we'll all be driving electric junk by then and there won't be muscle cars! Best of Luck. Let us know. __________________ 2012 Camaro SS Transformer Mods: trunk subwoofer and amp, LED lighting (fogs, interior, trunk), skip shift eliminator, CAI cold air kit, Vmax ported throttle body, Stainless Works retro chambered cat back, JBA Cat4ward SS ceramic coated headers Potential Next Mods: Tune, F&R sway bars, rear cradle bushing inserts and trailing arms

03-27-2017, 12:33 AM	#5
STUNNAH "BEASTM*DE" Drives: 2013 ZL1 Black Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Tennessee Posts: 1,655 View My Garage	Keep your SS...It's paid off and you can enjoy the financial flexibility that you have...You hardly drive your SS and you would drive the ZL1 even less... __________________ Vengeance Racing Stage 1 Kit 575rwhp, 569 rwtq... Rims powder coated gloss black...BFG'S Comp 2 A/S... Dual 10" Kicker Comp S Subs 1200w...

03-27-2017, 05:55 AM	#6
Viczl1 Drives: 2019 ZL1 Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: New York Posts: 162	Everyone's finances are different. Do what your comfortable with. I will tell you this having owned a SS and now own a ZL1 with new payments..... No matter what you do to your SS it will never feel like a ZL1. I'd say the ZL1 will hold its value longer but it seems right after I bought mine the bottom fell out on the market haha. I have no regrets. Cars are 95%of the time a terrible investment. Buy what you can afford and enjoy it. __________________ 2013 Inferno Orange A6, bone stock

03-27-2017, 07:45 AM	#7
lbls1 Drives: 2002 Camaro SS SOM; 2015 Malibu LTZ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 4,022	It depends which one you really like better. If you like the ZL1 a lot better than that's your answer. If you can live without it then keep your 'SS. __________________ '02 CAMARO SS SOM; 5.7L LS1/FLS6B '08 TBSS AWD Black Granite Metallic '15 Malibu LTZ 2LZ Turbo *'14 CAMARO ZL1 Blue Ray Metallic*

03-26-2017, 10:00 PM	#4
silversleeper Big Crow Drives: '13 ZL1 Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: California Posts: 1,486	Are you planning on putting lots of money in upgrades to your SS? Yes= leave it the way it is and get a ZL1 No= keep the SS and enjoy it

03-27-2017, 09:06 PM	#8
DeSH Drives: 2013 ZL1 A6 #4801 Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Pensacola, Florida Posts: 241	If you want more power and plan on modding, I would buy the ZL1. You would be hard pressed to mod a camaro SS to be close to a ZL1 in all performance aspects for the same money. Go drive the ZL1, and then decide. At the end of the day, you have to be able to be happy with your choice and be able to afford it.

03-28-2017, 01:38 AM	#9
PJMZL1 Drives: 2015 ZL1 Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Alberta Posts: 274	You wont be disappointed with the ZL1. Do it! __________________ 2015 ZL1 M6

03-28-2017, 08:30 AM	#10
Can'tHave2MuchHP Drives: Fast Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Michigan Posts: 3,696	Guys I don't think he's modding anything especially putting a blower/cam or something crazy like that on an SS that just wouldn't make sense. To the original poster, I'd definitely think about picking up a ZL1 but I'm not sure if you'd really have a big benefit of switching from the SS to ZL1. It guess it depends on how you drive and the ZL1's benefits start coming out over the SS when you're aggressively driving it, so ask yourself how often you do that and go from there.

03-28-2017, 09:46 AM	#11
sengli Drives: 2015commemorative vert 2SS Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: northern Indiana Posts: 948	I have had both recently. Going to the ZL1 you will notice the power(torque) increase. Most everything else is the same. Interior, features etc. Having to go back into debt, is a big issue. Is it worth the $20k difference, guess thats up to you. Might check with your insurance company too, before you do it. Might be a deciding factor, or not? __________________ 2018 ZL1 Bright Yellow, A10, PDR, sunroof, carbon hood, and dash- sold 2020 2SS A10 sunroof..shock and steel special-traded 2015 commemorative vert 2ss

03-28-2017, 11:03 AM	#12
owhite3003 Z-BEAST Drives: 2013 JDP ZL-850 Track Spec ZL1, Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Oregon City, OR Posts: 1,470	If you can, put the 2 cars together and then drive them back to back. You will know if the difference is enough to warrant more payments. Let us know your how it went, would love to hear what you thought.

03-28-2017, 01:24 PM	#13
Aliveguy5 Drives: 2017 Red Hot ZL1 Join Date: May 2015 Location: Metro Detroit Posts: 216	Go drive it and see if you like it. If you do get some numbers on purchasing and sleep on it for a night or two then make your decision. Personally if I was in your shoes I'd do it but this is something you need to decide on your own.

03-28-2017, 01:35 PM	#14
ZED SLED Drives: 2017 Mosaic Bk ZL1 M6 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: South of Raleigh, NC Posts: 9,477 View My Garage	I did it and haven't looked back. More power, better ride, better brakes. Much more comfortable on a road trip. It's worth spending the money. __________________