The last week, I have been on a week-long vacation to the American south via the Natchez Trace. I was initially going to rent a compact from Enterprise for the trip, but I upgraded from a Versa to a Camaro for $75. Was it worth it? Yes.
As A loyal Ford man, I never saw myself driving a Camaro, or really any non commercial GM product. But I was desperate for any upgrade from a crapbox Nissan for driving 1,800 miles. So I went with the flow.
The vehicle I received was a Gray 2020 Camaro 1LT Convertible V6. I initially groaned when I discovered it had a V6. Little did I know, GM has really stepped up their V6 game from the Camaro I remember from so long ago.
The V6 had 335 horses, which was plenty to get the Camaro up to 60. My only gripe about the powertrain is the cylinder deactivation. The 8 speed automatic was very smooth. I was impressed. Although anything feels smooth after driving 500K combined miles on 2 Focuses.
The convertible top was great - water tight and able to withstand the 7 hours of nearly constant torrential rain I put it through driving south.
Annother great part of the drive was fuel economy. After 1800 miles of hard driving, I was rewarded with 31.8 MPG. That's pretty good in my opinion. The V6 had a great growl as well.
The Camaro is of course famous for its blindspot, and the convertible with the top up was no exception. The rear seat was completely useless with anyone over 5 foot in the front seats. The trunk in the convertible was absolutely tiny. But the gripes really end there.
I'm now looking at leasing a Camaro and keeping it for a few years or so, to live out my crisis, as I was really impressed with it. Are there any points of view besides the impracticality I should be considering before I pull the trigger?
I haven't even looked at Mustangs, but after hearing @Mod-Man tell his stories, i'm not too excited.
I'm not worried about having the fastest or best handling car on the block (I'm sure there's better performing cars out there - I'm not looking to set track records here). I just want something with some zip to lease for a couple years and get rid of before the problems start.
What do you all think? I think I've earned some speed after driving really crappy compact cars for A long time. Thanks for any opinions on the matter.
Here's a few pictures. We'll see if the links keep working.
Camaro on a car ferry in Gulf Shores, AL
One final thing I wanted to re-mention was I am aware that a V6 Camaro is not the gold standard in the muscle car world. But it was good enough for me, and that's why I'm considering one.
Also I have zero interest in the 4 or 8 cylinder Camaro as I don't want to pay to put premium in a car in the lovely state of Illinois and our gas taxes.
Once again thanks for reading and have a good evening.
I'd go new Camaro over Mustang, just as you said.
Yes, everyone believes you HAVE to have a V8 in a Camaro. But they also aren't going to buy one for you, and if the V6 makes you happy...go that route. You're being smart by considering leasing as well. It will give you a chance to see how it holds up and you can make an informed decision on whether or not to keep it at the end.
I have no problems with the V6 powerplant. As you said, it provides plenty of power for a two door car and saves you a ton on fuel over the SS. I have no qualms with the V8 Camaro either. It's the 4 cylinder turbo that I don't recommend. The Camaro is a heavy car, and the turbo four takes a real beating to get the car up to speed. Just being honest, it doesn't have enough power for the Camaro.
I'm glad you had a good trip and enjoyed the ride. That's always nice...and you wouldn't be looking to buy a Versa after driving it as it really is basic transportation.
I say go for the lease and enjoy it. If something happens, it's their problem. You sound like you have the bases covered to me.
See? I told you before we would likely agree on more than you think. 🙂
Thanks for the advice buddy. I certainly hold no grudge against you, I just disagree sometimes being a Ford guy. But I think we see eye-to-eye on giving advice based on actual knowledge and experience rather than personal experience. I also love the amount of equipment on the base Camaro - perfect for a tech-hating guy like me.
I'll keep you updated. We have to see if finances allow.
I've been a Ford guy my whole life man so I get it. I grew up Ford vs Chevy as my younger brother was a HUGE Camaro fan and I was Mustang all the way. But I could always respect his opinion, just as I respect yours too. Less tech means less to break....so I get that. Definitely keep us informed and let us know if you pull the trigger or decide to hold off. I'll be keeping an eye out for an update.
There's certainly nothing wrong with going the V6 Camaro route. 335 HP is more than 4th gen V8 Camaro's and Trans-Am's, so they're no slouch. With the NPP exhaust (dual mode exhaust) they have a nice exhaust note even for a V6. I'd even have one myself but I couldn't find a V6 with a 6spd manual that had options I wanted, so I got a '19 1SS/1LE. Yeah, there'll always be the "should've got a V8" crowd no matter which camp you're in (GM,Ford,Mopar). What matters is you like what you have and it works for ya, and don't give a rat's a$$ what other's think. I can't stand the cyl. deactivation crap, that's why my SS has a manual transmission. The other benefit of going the V6 route, is you can just fill up with regular gas.
I appreciate it. Had no idea you owned a Camaro. And yes, the V6 not needing premium gas and getting 32 mpg is certainly a selling point. Thanks.
I've always had some sort of muscle car, Camaro/TA or Mustang, over the last 40+ yrs. Believe it or not, usually I get between 27-29 mpg's out of my SS. And on a long trip when visiting friend in FL. it easily gets 30..... Good Luck