2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS Review - The American M3 Europeans Mock, But Should We?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 22 лип 2020
- I've driven a Chevrolet Camaro before. It was awful.
However, it was a rental spec V6 convertible. Today, I am driving the SS - the mainstay of the performance range. Just how different can it be? Let's find out, courtesy of the good people at www.retroclassiccar.com/
Want to see your car on the channel? Email me on talk@jayemm.com
************************************************************************
Looking to buy a new or used car? HOLMESDALE FINANCE can help!
My channel partner Holmesdale Finance specialises in finance solution for new and used prestige, sports and performance cars - including MODERN CLASSIC policies and many more. You might be surprised at what they can do, so speak to them to find out more. Their website is www.holmesdalefinance.co.uk/
***********************************************************************
If you love our content, please check out our Patreon page for even more:
/ jayemmoncars - Авто та транспорт
"Not hard to place on the road.."
From a man who destroys more white lines per video than a 70s rock band
iT iS rAcInG lInE ;)
Do you write for Jeremy Clarkson? You should LOL
Well, he is driving an American Muscle car.....
Takes the motorcycle line. Best way to corner. Just taught my sister after her driving for 30 years and she's amazed. She didn't realize that it's ok to use the whole road if you can see ahead
Trying to work how to use this language on yellow lines.....just does not work.
I am German and I realize that the Camaro is light years ahead of anything European anywhere near the price.
Name a European vehicle that combines the features and performance at anywhere near the price.
It certainly isn't as sophisticated as a European sports coupe but it is hardly ancient tech.
Chances are it will also be more reliable/durable than it's Euro competition to.
With the Camaro you pay for the engine, with something like an M4 or C63 you also pay for a good interior and sophisticated suspension.
The Camaro is a pizza, whilst the Europeans offer a full course meal with desert.
@@leviathan5207 soo....more money for the same and sometimes less performance. kthxbai german cars.
helluva lot more reliable
@@leviathan5207 lol wow a bmw enthusiast being pretentious? Nooo!
@@jasons4950 If by performance you just mean acceleration then yes, muscle cars give you more of it for the money. I means that's hardly a surprise it's literally what they were created for.
The more money in a proper sports car goes into making it actually able to use the power anywhere other than on a highway, and nowadays into build quality, interior trim, driver comforts etc. These things are all worth money otherwise why would you buy a Lexus if you can buy a Toyota with the same engine? A car isn't just acceleration only 14 year old boys think like that (or grown men whose minds are still those of 14 year old boys).
But the reason why muscle cars are pointless in Europe is because when you factor in import duty and the taxation on the engine/emissions they cost just as much if not more than an European car with the same performance but better everything else. Also in markets like the UK they rarely come with the steering wheel on the right side.
A Mustang with a V8, for example (which is one of the very few you can get in RHD), costs more than a BMW 440i, which is only a 500£ remap away from being just as fast, while being a far, far better car in every other way. Buying the Mustang makes absolutely no sense here even if what you do want is performance.
Reliability is also questionable when you take into overall maintenance costs and hassle involved. Yes these engines are simpler and in theory more reliable, but if something does break, or even just for normal maintenace, it's ofter very hard to find parts for them which end up having to be ordered from overseas, and it's very hard to find someone who has any experience working on them. Hell even the tools needed to work on them are wrong because Americans still use body parts to measure the size and thread of their bolts and nuts. On the other hand maintenance of European cars is much easier here, parts are far cheaper and indie shops with plenty of experience working on them are dime a dozen.
You need to have a go in one of the newer Camaro's with the Ford & GM co-developed 10 speed auto or one with the manual. If you get a chance to drive one of those, jump on it! American sports cars are much better these days than many Europeans think ;)
damned by feint praise.... :)
I sold my 18 but I really want to get one in a manual. The 10 speed does sound alluring but for some reason I feel like this car feels best with a manual.
@Virus world I wanted a house.
I got a house now. It's more awesome than a fast car. I will get another fast car and put it in said house's garage.
Just will be a few years since I want to pay off my truck which has proven to be necessary to have around for the house.
I also kind of want the next Camaro to be in manual and those 1LE variants just look cooler with the wicker bill rear spoiler.
That 10 speed is trash. I've driven a pickup with it and it's smooth but it hesitates. A car like this deserves a true manual anyway.
@@honkhonkler7732 the tuning for the truck vs sports car 10speeds are wildly different. ESPECIALLY after a professional retune.
You need to drive a zl1. That will knock the socks off this...
Don't think theres an insurance company in the country that will play ball with a ZL1 (unless you have a spare £15K-£20K lying around to cover it)
The 6 speed manual is quite good. You would have loved it!
Great to see you on the roads in my neck of the woods and I could seriously listen to that engine all day long.
I had a 2019 one of these last summer for 5100 miles over in the US. Fortunately, those have a 10 speed box and I can tell from your video that the 10 speed is far better. It also got shockingly good fuel economy as you said (even better actually). My average economy over the 5100 miles was 28.8 mpg (US, so probably 34 imperial), and I wasn't afraid to give it some stick when I could. One thing I really noticed was that, cruising at 70, the engine only needs to do 1500 rpm. I was going to have another this summer before... you know.
I love how these cameros sound they sound very similar to the Maserati Quattroporte/Granturismo
Seeing an SS Camaro cruising down proper English back roads is like seeing a WWF professional wrestler at Wimbleton….as a long time Vette owner I test drove a couple of the Camaros and I just couldn't get past the absolutely terrible outward view...reminded me of some of the combat scenes from "Fury" with the outward vision of a Sherman Tank...not a follower of "form follows function" but my C7 M7, with a short shift kit is wonderful for being the beast it is. Thanks for an interesting view of an American pony car outside the US. Haven't even discussed gas prices....and the problems owners have had with cylinder deactivation and the 8 speed auto. Well done sir...
I have the 2018 SS with a 10 speed auto. Just that little difference is amazing.
I love watching those old classic American cars race at the Goodwood Festival giving the nimbler European cars a headache with their relentless tenacity.
The SS 1LE is even better. 6 speed 6.2 l V8 eLSD.
I love mine with 17k miles now. Came from an E90 M3 which was also a great car. On my first track day I took my 1le to buttonwillow. I chased someone In a brand new F80 M3 Competetion so hard he went off track. He was faster in straights but I just clawed it all back in the corners. The chassis is very underrated.
nomnomguy680, I’d have loved a 1LE, but for work I have to travel to so many homes with steep driveways here in the hills of Southern California. I’d have lost the front splitter the first day, so it had to be the SS for me. Never driven a 1LE. I’d be curious to see just how different it feels.
This is a fairer comparison with an M3
@@ListingViews i broke the splitter the day I got the car. There's another huge chunk missing from the front. Doesn't help you can't really see the front end either. But the driving experience is worth it
@@joe718gt4 LOL.
Lawrie isn’t going to very pleased with you driving one of these without him
Having owned one of these myself, I completely agree with you regarding the 8 speed automatic - right trash. However, the SS from 2019 onwards features a dramatically improved 10 speed automatic that, while not as responsive as a PDK, is still good in its own right. The ZL1 always had the 10 speed, even in the 2017 and 2018 model years. Would definitely recommend that transmission; really brings out the best of that engine.
I have a 2017 SS and I adore it. It certainly has flaws, but the engine sound and performance make them easy to forgive. Growing up in England, cornering ability is important to me. So when looking to trade in my 2012 WRX, the new car couldn’t be just a straight line car. The Mustang was heavier, the Challenger heavier still. And all the reviews of the Camaro said it was a much better driver’s car than the competition, short of the Shelbys which are much more expensive. Also, a new M3 is literally twice the price here in Southern California. If you don’t have the magnetic ride optioned, the drive mode won’t change the suspension; only the exhaust opening at earlier rpms, the traction control being eased back a little, the steering becoming artificially heavier, and the silly interior lights changing color. All of which can be selected individually. With little flat land in my area (mostly mountainous), mpgs aren’t great. I average about 25mpg (imperial). The trunk/boot is large, but the opening is ludicrously small. So small that a large suitcase will barely squeeze through. The auto transmission is painfully slow with up shifts in manual, but use it in auto and it’s much, much quicker. When you get an open road, this is a quick, quick car for the money.
@Daver G, I haven't, no. But I don't track the car, so it's something I can live with. Naturally, the 8 speed has longer gearing than the 10, so by the time I get into 3rd gear I'm breaking most speed limits anyway. And you're right, to find something comparable to the ZL1 in Europe, you'd probably be looking at AMG and, yup, certainly twice the price.
I have a '17ss and l love it, l don't need more hp. Have a ton of BMW's that want to race. But l know my limitations...lol.
This car rocks going around turns at good speeds. I feel great when l drive my camaro, l traded my Mercedes in for it and couldn't b happier.
That’s amazing fuel economy for 455 horsepower
When it got a full independent rear end,to me that is what made this car really good. Just like the Mustang GT in 2015.
This Camaro (sixth generation) is built on the GM Alpha platform, which is quite good and has IRS like you said. The prior generation Camaro (fifth generation, 2010-2015) based on the GM Zeta platform (from Holden designs) actually also had an IRS, and the handling was fairly different from what I've read.
@Ben Daulton they won many cups. Cadillac is no slouch.
The 10-speed in the 2019 Camaro SS convertible that I've driven was seriously a good transmission. Overall it was a fun car to drive in pretty much every way a car could be.
JayEM!!!! You’re spoiling us
The exhaust note cool ..then again..the chevy small block V8..the worlds best engine.
Close your eyes and it’s it’s like listening to 90’s Clarkson, back when he was doing proper reviews
With a hint of Partridge.
A ha
Clarkson rarely reviewed anything proper in the 90s on top gear.... The odd fast ford and a viper come to mind but in general, standard shitboxes, so why try to copy someone who already does this shtick?
@@128jaydr what you on about be did not of fast cars on Top Gear in 90s
I had a 2018 SS 6-speed manual that I sold about a month ago and I miss it dearly. If you thought it was good with the automatic do yourself a favor and try one with 3 pedals, it is sublime!
1LE is where it's at, fantastic track car.
Your films are brilliant Jay.
I hope someday you can drive a ZL1 on a track, very revelatory!
Or a Z28.
Just bought one and this video helped thanks!
that's the same elbow position you get when driving the 2006-2017 aston martin vantage. just to be fair. :)
That's so the sight of of your ballpoint dart gun is at eye level without being suspicious. :)
Great review. Thanks!
That ending song by ELFL is pretty cool! I really think they deserve more views!
Awesome video!
12:54 Did M3’s ever sound like that??
Great Review 👍 The Wife and I just picked up our Ordered build 2020 2SS Camaro. Love 💘 it. Peace from RI U.S.A
I love this car, drove this same model year and colour SS across America a few years back 😍
Fuel economy is no joke. My old commute I could get 35 mpg (US) regularly driving it like a regular car. That all goes out the window when you floor it of course since it will go from 30 mpg to 3 mpg in a second. It's a good cruiser but it feels at home on the back roads.
Not gonna lie, that pass by at 10:25 sounded really good
I would absolutely LOVE for you to get your hands on a most recent generation viper ACR (I know they are super hard to get ahold of, even in America) . An absolute track weapon and the last of its kind!
The 5th Gen Z28 version had an awesome lap time for the Nurburgring even though it was fairly expensive,it had carbon brakes and top quality suspension,it aced the supercar competition.
I do love these, I'll never have one and I doubt I'll drive one, but I love them so bloody much, this and the C4 and C5 Corvette
Cylinder deactivation sounds like a good idea; but over time it can cause cam and lifter issues. Read expensive. Most folks faced with that financial pain convert to a much more reliable conventional setup. One way to avoid this is frequent (3000 mile) oil changes with full synthetic. GM doesn't really care if the car is reliable much past the warranty, so they specify extended drain intervals.
Most people that care will upgrade lifters before this happens. Mainly a problem on the auto with cylinder deactivation. The lifters go and it eats up the cam with it and only gets worse after that. Depends on how bad the failure was. It typically starts with a light tap and gets worse until it's a big problem.
i would definitely buy this car again. its a musical instrument that you can drive. the mag ride was the biggest surprise. cornering is stunning. heads up display is crystal clear. plenty of features that you would otherwise spend a fortune with most luxury cars. plenty of safety tech to cover the blind spots. this car will make you a better driver as you become more conscious of your surroundings. worst part is the cylinder deactivation (aka v4 mode) so I always drive in manual mode. m4 sounds like absolute...
Love this car, with the ZL1 package I prefer it to an M4 as an ownership prop. Way more fun and character plus much more reliable and cheaper to run.
I’ve had 4 SS V8’s from Alamo, a couple in California and I did 3000 miles in one in Arkansas this year. I love these cars. Good that you found the gearbox poor, I find them very lazy compared to the dual clutch in my M2 but overall they are a fun drive when you get them off the freeway. I did some spontaneous 0-100’s on some quiet roads and I’m sure it was quicker than the M2 both to 60 and 100. If I could get a RHD one in the UK would definitely consider it. Must admit I struggled for 25mpg though. I always pick one over a Mustang. A quick tip, my company rents me a Toyota Corolla type car but I always ask for an upgrade at the desk (I pay for that bit) and I got the one in March for $15 a day extra, cheap at 3x the price.
The manual is more fun. I find that the 2017 Camaro's stickshift is easier to put in gear than my 2017 Corvette C7. However, the Camaro is nose heavy and it weighs more than the Corvette, and the Corvette has better outward visibility especially over your right shoulder. Like you said, it's easier to rest your left arm on the Corvette's window because it's lower than the Camaro's.
The Camaro has the cool upgrade of color ambient colors.
A review of bit interior and exterior would have been great
Here in the States, a lot of us consider the 1969 Camaro Z/28 to be the gold standard. I tried to approximate that model when I ordered my 2018 BMW M2. I think I did pretty well. It's relatively light and has the same overall balance as that early 1969 Z/28. Among my friends, I call it my German Camaro.
I love my 17 SS 1LE. While heavy the driving dynamics and engine make up for many of its interior shortcomings
It's really not that heavy for the footprint and having a V8. 3650lbs. About what an M4 weighs but half the price in the US. They're stupid expensive internationally for some reason.
@@taylorc2542 because there no federal sales tax in USA , high taxes on cars outside the USA
@@taylorc2542 These Chevy pushrod V8s are light though, similar weight to the M4 engine
This review really took me by surprise! Thought you would hate it.
If you're ever in northern California, you'd be welcome to drive my ZL1. Really enjoy your reviews!
Can a Camaro go thru the bends? Well, Randy Pobst bought one for a daily driver, what ever that means....
just bought a ZL1 1LE for $52k. Fixes a lot of the flaws of this car, plus the manual trans is really good. The 10 speed auto was also the best torque converter trans I've driven.
Like the new beginning
I had been laughing at American cars all the time... Until one day... That day I drove this very same Camaro SS... I was quite speechless and my jaw dropped... What prejudices I'd listened to in my mind until I had such a pleasing surprising experience. I've squeezed from it 180 mph and it was still pulling (the bonnet and the side mirrors were quite shaking though 🤭)... The very next day we rented a C7 Corvette which was a little bit faster and had much aggressive sound (at least on idle) but in longer curves seemed to me quite trickier (due to the engine placement right behind the dashboard). So overall in my opinion this is one of the best packages when it comes to value for your money... The Camaro SS is quite unbeatable especially when you opt for stick shift or 1LE package...
Amazing how you can import any car you please into the UK but we can’t in the USA but we fought a war against your rulers for our “freedom”
Our rulers? Your freedom? 1776 i take it your talking tosh a out? The french helped you, don't get carried away now! Half of England's naval fleet and you just about did it 😆 hhhhmmm....yet the queen still owns the land
Pretty sure most countries have relaxed import rules. I think the 25-year block on imports was due to the US Government wanting to prop up the US car industry, as people were buying international cars because they were a lot better than the US cars on sale. When your industry is losing, just ban the competitors!
treethetree regardless of the reason the US still hasn’t lifted it :/
@@Fee.1 it has, its the crash test regs that dont allow them in, like TVR for example, doesn't meet the US standards, although, this could've been altered to prevent them entering! Good, very quick lil cars, but the vastness of your country...they be broken down every 200 miles lol
MC MC it hasn’t, the r34 just recently became eligible to be imported after the 25 year rule, I bought one immediately so I know it’s still in effect
I have a gen 6 zl1, so interesting to get your thoughts. I have had the oil pump replaced 2x already under warranty, not the most reliable unit.
The VAG fanboys’ script checklist when slating a car like this (or any classic / muscle / more interesting car):
- Interior materials
- Panel gaps
- Resale values (applies especially to any colour that’s not a shade of white or grey).
In 2018 they switched to a 10 speed automatic but really its the ZL1 1LE you want to drive. Closer gear ratios, cup 2s, stiffer chassis, stiffer suspension
If I can, I will
Pretty looking car in my opinion. In Yellow for my preference.
Yeah I like mine yellow, with black stripes and preferably a alien transformer inside if possible
Have often thought that the new generation Camaro would be a touch too wide to comfortably navigate along those narrow country lanes in the UK.
I have a 2017 2SS Fifty Anniversary edition. That isn't a 50th anniversary edition. That one only has the Fifty on the bottom of the steering wheel. The Fifty anniversary package includes all kinds of other things that aren't on that car, including a new front lower grill, orange stripes with matte middle, orange stitching with fifty etched into headrests and a fifty dashboard.
Rented this SS when I was in the US in 2017 and loved every minute in it. You're right about the auto trans, it's shit, fumbling around to find the right gear. A six speed auto would be better! Visibility it's also pretty crap. Steering and handling is amazing
Too bad you didn't get to try the 6speed manual. It's a good shifter.
I believe this car (and all Camaros for the last decade or so) is actually based on a Holden platform. It's pretty cool but I'd probably seek out an equivalent Aussie car with the same underpinnings, and the steering wheel on the right, and import that instead.
Probably the first non bumblebee spec camaro I’ve seen
The manual doesn't have the same cylinder deactivation though, so fuel efficiency really isn't great, but nonetheless still completely worth getting over the automatic.
The ZL1 1LE quicker than anything BMW have put together! and merc for that matter an pretty much anything, bar 1, from porsche
James, here down under in Australia, you can only get these Camaros in right hand drive.. HSV has spent a fortune in doing a proper mirror image version that is perfect.
Not really Australia has high car taxes , 2ss spec in oz retail for $47000usd without taxes in USA , the cloth trim 1ss retail for $37500usd
Cool cars.
You need the manual or the 10 speed automatic. Maybe the 1le package
Where I live, Mustangs are quite common and I like them... but to see a Camaro is rare and truly special. I guess the $30k price difference here in Australia doesn't help sales ha ha 😀 Thanks James
GM would not want to compete with its own Holden line. Of course that issue is no more.
And maybe that the Camaro doesn't come in RHD.
It not $30000 price difference , GT premium is $7500usd less than 2ss spec in USA , sunroof , mono dual exhaust , lle suspension $470000usd without taxes in usav+ $5000 lct in Australia makes it expensive, consumers are lied by the media like caradvice blame Government car taxes
If you were driving a 2019 model you would get the 10 speed which I believe it shares with the 2019 Mustang. Does the 20107 Camaro you are driving have magnetic ride?
You need to drive a ZL1, manual and convertible...which is just what I ordered :) good visibility, better rear seat comfort, better sound.
TRY THE 1LE
Let's be honest, what do you want in a sport car, soft and "luxurious" interior or naturally aspirated 6.2l V8?
We can buy right hand drive Camaros here in Australia, even a manual version.
The biggest complain people have is the visibilty other than that 40-45 000$ for v8 coupe is great value.
Does sound ace 👍
5:14 indeed!
Agree. Doesn’t sound like the result of valves and too much trickery. He’s right about the likes of the M3. They sound awful. Not that it stops their owners revving them to try and get attention.
Jay: *puts his foot to the floor*
My face: :D
The pony cars are trying to be reinvented with Camaro, Challenger and the Mustang. All are much better in performance than the originals ever were, even with their base V6 engines. And they all are offering mega HP drivetrains well above that they did in the 60-70s. Other than the Mustang, the proportions seem a bit off the originals, particularly on the Camaro there the roof seems like the top is chopped. Suspensions and brakes are great.
I would of bought one if I could see out of it. It was the only thing that held me back.
I prefer the 4th gen for driving character and the 1st and 2nd gens for looks
If you got behind a ZL1's wheel your pants would be on fire in excitement.
They are ventilated not cooled seats, they have 2 or 3 fans and they blow what ever the surrounding temp air is out through the seating surfaces. I own a 2014 Chevy/Holden SS/Commodore VF an yes they are ventilated same with the LT-2 and 3 C7 Vettes seats. my dad owned 3 C7's a 2015 Callaway SC 627, 2016 Z51, and then a stripper base 2019 Z51 and the first 2 had the vented seats.
The Zeta platform that the 2010-15 Camaro had was pretty good but this new Alpha 2016-20 beats it in every way other than maybe ride comfort.
How strange just watched JRGO work on his car 🚗
Man you kinda sold me on one... It looks a bit funky, particularly at the rear, but at that price it's a bargain. I know it's not really the same car but these go for less than half than a C7 where I live
Another great review! I like this, it has presence and panache. I couldn't justify buying one but I am glad they exist and I think the world will be a poorer place as these dinosaurs die out to save the world. In recent years I have found myself feeling much more enthusiastic about cars like this than German performance cars. Yes, I think German alternatives are "better" but you can't use their performance on public roads anyway and cars like this seem "nicer" (and cheaper).
Europeans have been beating up on Camaro's since the '70's. It's only a matter of time before even the quintessential American Muscle car was done right. Just get the manual.
The manual is so much better, to say the least. Also, try the SS 1LE, quite a bit better dynamics
You’re not getting it wrong
The camaro does have better steering than the seventh generation corvette
You should have a go in the 1LE with a manual
Problem is the mustang does all this in rhd with dealer support for less money
2ss sunroof , mono dual exhaust , lle suspesion retail for $470000usd without taxes in USA, the not nearly double the price in Australia
I 'm pretty sure the 2019 and newer Camaro's have the much better/faster 10-speed auto. There is also a cheaper model (LT1) with the V8. From what I've heard, the manual is also really good.
This is why Ford and Chrysler are significant. And the future of General Motors is actually in question. Don’t get me wrong the GM pick up trucks are selling and they can’t make corvettes fast enough but I’m in Detroit and these Camaros just aren’t popular. Can you name a very popular GM product aside from The truck based models and corvettes?
2017 2ss spec like that 33000usd in USA without taxes . Usa doesn't have federal sales tax
Let’s hope they consider making importing cars from America cheaper and easier with the new trade deal
do a GT350R!
As you may know Australia no longer manufactures Holdens or Fords. But HSV ( Holden Special Vehicles) now do right hand remanufacturing of the Camaro conversions from their site in Victoria Please see link www.hsv.com.au/see/camaro/ Thanks James
See, James seems to enjoy driving this more than a late model Corvette, even though the Corvette performs better. It's those tactile dynamics which the Corvette may lack.
Not with the C7..and the C8 is on another level...supercar level.
@@studio-flash yes, they have the stunning performance; no doubt. I'm wondering if they're all that fun to drive.
Love the Camaro, loaded at a good price with an engine that sounds awesome. Who gives a flying **** about the back seats said everybody who owns one.
The gearbox is tuned from the factory for longevity.. you can tune it and itll really wake up.
Agreed. Also GM was proud of the 8speeds one ace up its sleeve, rapid full throttle upshifts.
The ‘68 Camaro is a thing of beauty that I’d buy just to look at... the new one, simply nope..