E92 M3 vs 16' Camaro SS

[ksa]

Contemplating trading my M3 for one of these. Watched a review Motor Trend did comparing the SS to the M4 and they picked the SS.

I am assuming the M4 is considered better than the last gen M3's. Love the look of the SS and what they have done with it.

What do you guys think? Opinions?

[roastbeef]

i drove a last gen ss and it felt slow, sluggish, small on the inside with low visibility, and unnecessarily big on the outside. despite what a pro driver can do when comparing cars, i think the average joe is going to do better in an e9x or f8x.

[dcpatters]

Test drove a '16 Camaro SS. It's everything they say. Motor is so strong, all over the RPM band. Traction is an issue though

[ksa]

I hear the new one is completely different and way better than the old generation. Love the looks of it as well. People saying to wait for the ZL1 package but I think the price gets here then and at that price point it's not quite worth it for me then. Plus I need to drive the car in winter and the more powerful it gets, the harder it gets.

[Sephiroth]

Who cares about a video review. Drive the car and see what you think.

[Killerfish2012]

Pick refinement, go Lexus RC-F

[Ezio]

I think the camaro as a brand has improved a lot, i had the last generation car. I sat in the new one, and its pretty amazing for the price.

I won't buy one because I am willing to spend more money, but at that price range its probably the car to buy.

[M.Power]

I drove a manual one. Extremely fast and fun car. With that being said, it does not excite me as much as a BMW does and the handling cannot handle all of the power that it has.

[cmo_93]

I drove one before buying my m3 and I will say here, what I said in the m4 forum about the new SS vs M4...


If I had to call it between the m4 and the new SS, strictly on driving experience for a few hours at low to moderate speeds, I would say the new SS is just as good or slightly better. The sounds are AMAZING compared to the sound of the m4. Also, I'm a fan of naturally aspirated cars (hence my e92) so that was a plus for me. It also felt shockingly light compared to the previous SS. Very Agile.

Where the Camaro SS falls apart and should not even be compared to the m4 is...well, everything else. The reason I never got an SS was always the interior. This interior is better aesthetically but it still feels like it was made from Legos. I hate a cheap feeling interior. That's where I have to sit. lol The m4 interior is beautiful and the seats are amazingly comfortable. The m4 feels MUCH better at high speeds. Once I hit about 110 mph in the new SS, it seemed to come unraveled a bit. It didn't feel nearly as safe as the m4 up top. The m4 feels as solid at 140 as it does at 40. The m4 just felt better from a quality stand point and when I told the Chevy salesman that this was how I was thinking, he didn't even bother trying to convince me otherwise.

The m4 is also better looking, period. That is not subjective. lol In the end, the m4 is the car you want to own of the two. But, GM has achieved something with the new SS and the C7. If you absolutely can't afford or don't want to pay for the m4 or m3, you can get very close from a performance stand point, with the American cars. I guess that's something to acknowledge.

Long story short: On a long term basis, I'm gonna choose the m3 every single time. For one day of fun, its gonna be a toss up...which makes the m3 the better car to own, IMO (seeing as how I consistently choose my e92 over the new m4, which I easily choose over the SS.)

[ksa]

Thanks for your input everyone. I of course intend to drive the SS before getting it, so will know more then. Just figured I'd some research and ask for opinions and experiences of other who may have debated this question etc. Since we are on a BMW forums and presumably most members have BMW's, I expect some one-sided opinions but it's always good to get an idea.

I do lime M3 quite a bit so it's not a decision I am taking lightly.

[cmo_93]

Originally Posted by ksa

Thanks for your input everyone. I of course intend to drive the SS before getting it, so will know more then. Just figured I'd some research and ask for opinions and experiences of other who may have debated this question etc. Since we are on a BMW forums and presumably most members have BMW's, I expect some one-sided opinions but it's always good to get an idea.

I do lime M3 quite a bit so it's not a decision I am taking lightly.

I looked into getting rid of my m3 recently for something I would enjoy as much or more and literally the only thing I could find to put the smile on my face like it was the 911 GTS or GT3. IMO, nothing else combined the smiles per gallon with the comparative practicality of the e9x M3, however.

But, it depends on what you're looking for I suppose.

The new SS is raw and unbridled. But, feels cheap (because it is). The modding capabilities are through the roof, however, if you're into that.

[ksa]

I gotta say, I love the M3 and everything it offers. But sometimes I miss the raw appeal and sheer lunacy that my C63 offered prior to the M3. I was even thinking about getting another V8 version of that but just out of the sake of having a different vehicle started looking at the SS as it seems to be very similar to the C63 as far as the power/engine/torque is concerned. I love the looks, I think it looks better than both C63 and my M3 and of course you can't beat that price. I would most likely lease if I go this route so that I can give it back easily after 3-4 years and get something different.

[Bucki14]

Originally Posted by Killerfish2012

Pick refinement, go Lexus RC-F

Off topic to OP question but,

I test drove an RCF and the motor felt terrible and the transmission was even worse. For a car with more power (more weight too) the car did not feel stronger than my car in anyway

[Bucki14]

I love the new camaro....wouldn't replace it with my M3 but wouldn't mind adding it to the mix. Though with any ls/lt motor i'd have to came that badboy to give me the true american sound.

Also, I'm not a huge fan of the camaro owner crowd..but thats just me

[Killerfish2012]

Originally Posted by Bucki14

Off topic to OP question but,

I test drove an RCF and the motor felt terrible and the transmission was even worse. For a car with more power (more weight too) the car did not feel stronger than my car in anyway

Um....a brand new car that has not been broken in, won't give you full power, and you shouldn't really be flooring it.

[cmo_93]

Originally Posted by ksa

I gotta say, I love the M3 and everything it offers. But sometimes I miss the raw appeal and sheer lunacy that my C63 offered prior to the M3. I was even thinking about getting another V8 version of that but just out of the sake of having a different vehicle started looking at the SS as it seems to be very similar to the C63 as far as the power/engine/torque is concerned. I love the looks, I think it looks better than both C63 and my M3 and of course you can't beat that price. I would most likely lease if I go this route so that I can give it back easily after 3-4 years and get something different.

Man, you sound just like me! lol I sometimes desire that rawness of the C63 as well. In that case, now that I think about it, I can kind of understand the desire of the new SS.

I think the route Im going to take is just pick up a C63 to compliment my M3 and have two pieces of history lol

[ksa]

Originally Posted by cmo_93

Man, you sound just like me! lol I sometimes desire that rawness of the C63 as well. In that case, now that I think about it, I can kind of understand the desire of the new SS.

I think the route Im going to take is just pick up a C63 to compliment my M3 and have two pieces of history lol

Haha you definitely can't go wrong with that. I am out of garage space for the time being due to all the toys so I have to replace mine but if I could I would do something like that too lol.

[Bucki14]

Originally Posted by Killerfish2012

Um....a brand new car that has not been broken in, won't give you full power, and you shouldn't really be flooring it.

It wasn't brand brand new it was sold back to them from the original owner had 7000 miles on it. So I'm sure it was broken in. Was also for sale 10k lower than the original asking price. I guess they are having a tough time selling them. As a luxury car first the RCF is beautiful, the interior, seats, and comfort is fantastic. As a sports sedan its a bit underwhelming and didn't feel as great as my FBO m3.

[ksa]

I THINK I have made my decision....

The verdict is, going to stick with the M3 for now. Unless something drastic happens, I THINK this is what I want. lol.

My warranty is up in 2012 and am getting a little worried about that but hopefully I am just being paranoid.

[DEV M3]

Any thoughts on the new ZL1? 640 HP/TQ is going to be insane... And with less weight and a much improved interior

[Jack14]

Keep an eye out for the z28. A bit pricey for a Camaro, but based on what the old one managed on a sluggish chassis, the new one will no doubt be the better drivers car compared to the m4. Interior will still be "legos" haha. Also not the best daily. Thats something i wouldn't mind but I'm not everyone.

[UPSROD]

Originally Posted by ksa

I THINK I have made my decision....

The verdict is, going to stick with the M3 for now. Unless something drastic happens, I THINK this is what I want. lol.

My warranty is up in 2012 and am getting a little worried about that but hopefully I am just being paranoid.

I think you are making the right choice.....for sure your new Camaro SS would NOT be one of one in North America!