I had the opportunity to drive my customer's 2010 Camaro RS up to Kamloops on the weekend so I wanted to post some unexpected results here.
The car sure is a looker. Nice lines and just a general striking look to it at least from the outside. From the inside however, thats a different story. When you first start to drive this car you feel quite clausterphobic as the windows are about 12" in height from the top of the door ledge and up. Its kind of like looking through a mail box slot. After about 30 minutes though, you get a little used to that. C-pillar blind spots are not great but not the worst I have seen either.
This vehicle was a 6-speed which I prefer and most 'drivers' would like. The shift knob is ridiculously massive though and feels like you are holding onto the wrong end of a rubber mallet. Shifting height was decent and the throw was reasonable. No need for a short shifter though as the gearbox is somewhat 'American' feeling. Not in a bad way though - just a positive and heavy feel to it. Clutch feel is light enough to do daily city driving but heavy enough to feel like it won't break in a few thousand KMS.
Power comes on at about 3800 RPM on this 300 hp V6 model. It took be a little bit to figure this out but once I did, I was able to get nice, smooth shifts at a little higher RPM than I expected. Tourque was surprisingly low so moderate launches were unspectacular. Of course I didn't hard launch because it was not my car and I am respectable like that.
I was suprised that the car was not a little quicker considering its power and weight. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't a rocket either. I would love to try the SS model.
Handling was not its strong point - not by a long shot! Comfort was definitely the order of the day for this car as it was nice and smooth on the highway and had a pretty cushy ride for a 'sports car'. The unrelenting oversteer characteristics at almost any speed were a little unsettling and at some points, quite scary. Body roll, loose feeling and 'mushy' steering control were very pronounced on this vehicle. I think sway bars, a slight lowering and firmer suspension would make this handling verdict a lot more positive. I also think it would look a lot better too without that five finger wheel gap!
Good:
- Interior lighting and dash fit and finish
- Guages, controls and buttons look pretty nice and are made from quality materials
- Exterior looks are pretty hot! Nice panel fitment and the HIDs look great!
- Good seat adjustment and relatively comfortable. Leather is very nice.
- Very quiet interior. Low road noise and panel resonance is nil.
- Brakes are great! No fade whatsoever coming down the Coquihalla
- Factory stereo is decent.
- Paint Quality is quite good.
Bad:
- No sunroof makes the interior feel even smaller.
- Signal 'ticking' is cheap sounding and annoying.
- Interior panels are very ill fitting in some places and once removed, don't like to go back together! Clips are typical 'one-time-use' GM style.
- Power, tourque and handling are a little sad.
- For the price, not a lot of bang for the buck.
- Good sized trunk with a very tiny opening. Poor design.
So thats the verdict. Pretty cool car but I was a little dissapointed in the overall value of it.
- OD
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