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Driving Impressions of 2017 Camaro RS V6

griffbl

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Long time Mustang Owner, including 2015 Anniversary Mustang GT most recently. Drove a 2017 Camaro RS V6 from Dallas to Houston Sunday. Car was an Enterprise rental. I needed to drop a car in Houston and drive another one back, so a one way rental made sense and Enterprise made it easy.

The Camaro, as of late, has always kind of had a "Transformers" feel and look to me. Very angular, no soft curves or lines anywhere. The other thing I noticed, is that the car FEELS bigger than the Mustang: In its' footprint, and that feeling is exacerbated by the really lousy visibility about which we have heard so much. All true! I own a 1971 Mustang Mach 1 Fastback (aka "Flat-Back") That car is nearly impossible to see to out the rear via the rear view mirror! Well, I am hear to tell you the Camaro is literally that bad. The high belt line does feel as if you are looking out of gun slits of sort. The wide hips on the car make visibility from the side mirrors even feel compromised a bit. That was just my two cents, the car felt BIG.

Build quality, over all, felt on par with the Mustang. The interior had lots of interesting bits. This car was a lower trim level than is my Mustang, so it is a bit of apples to oranges, but I will try to be objective. The much criticized media screen is tilted strangely, top to bottom with an inward taper. It does look odd at that angle. The strangest thing for me is the Tach and Speedo Nacelles...they protrude above the dash line in a poorly integrated manner. The lines don't flow, they simply protrude. I found this to be most odd. I liked the flat bottom steering wheel, but visibility of the gauges was not good in my driving position (I am 5'10").

What I liked: The aforementioned flat bottomed steering wheel was nice. The rear view mirror glass was "edge to edge" like in my Porsche Panamera. Very nice touch vs. the thick plastic border that surrounds the glass in my Mustang. The automatic shifter seemed better positioned in the cabin than on the Mustangs I have examined (my GT is a manual). I also LOVED THE
climate controls being integrated with the vents themselves. I found the trim rings surrounding the vents adjusting temp and airflow to be very trick kit indeed!

A huge plus for me is the SUNROOF! One thing I noticed about it was that it seemed to be ALL behind my head, and I had to look back, or turn my head around, to look out. Again, I am 5’ 10”, so I did not have the seats that far forward. Positioning felt odd as a result. I have always missed this option on a Mustang! I know they add weight, and our cars already have a weight problem.....but it is a great feature IMHO.

The biggest difference I noticed, as to DRIVING, is the difference in steering feel. Now this was not an SS or other GT equivalent in terms of trim, BUT the car simply felt more planted on the road. This was because of the steering feel being a bit heavier. My Mustang GT, on the highway, feels a bit twitchier, as if it needs more corrections. The Camaro less. It stays pointed where you leave it. That was my impression anyway.

Overall, it was a nice experience to drive one. I don't care for the lines so much, and would not buy one as a result. But the car felt GOOD on the road.

One last thing that was impressive, was that I drove 80 for 200 miles and the car returned 31 ish MPG. Now I have not compared that to the discontinued Mustang V6 or the Ecoboost, but I found it quite economical for what it is.

That's about it! Thanks!

Brad
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Cheo

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Drove one as a rental for a week and I agree with everything you said. My two biggest complaints were the trunk size (couldn’t fit my golf clubs without dropping the seats) and the road noise from the stock tires. The road noise was very annoying at highway speeds.
 
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griffbl

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Thanks! I updated the post for two things I forgot about: 1) the truck ventilation system vents, and the sunroof! My car had big tires and rubber....they looked like maybe 20’s? But I must have had different rubber....tire noise was ok except for poor road surfaces. Thanks!
 

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I find that the vent position makes it very difficult to get any airflow to your face/upper torso without the fan speed being way up. Putting the vents that low is really puzzling. I agree the control of the temp through the bezel ring is cool, but the placement is nonsensical.
 
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griffbl

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I find that the vent position makes it very difficult to get any airflow to your face/upper torso without the fan speed being way up. Putting the vents that low is really puzzling. I agree the control of the temp through the bezel ring is cool, but the placement is nonsensical.
Agreed as to placement being poor!....it was the control feature I really liked.

thanks!

Brad
 

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Hack

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31-34 mpg is in the ball park for highway cruise on the V6 Mustang as well. Thanks for the review.
 
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griffbl

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31-34 mpg is in the ball park for highway cruise on the V6 Mustang as well. Thanks for the review.
that's impressive! thanks!
 

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Sunroof: I have a full roof sunroof, so not interested there... :D

Good impressions, the trunk, as mentioned by others, as well as visibility makes it a complete non starter, does not matter how good it drives.
 

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Long time Mustang Owner, including 2015 Anniversary Mustang GT most recently. Drove a 2017 Camaro RS V6 from Dallas to Houston Sunday. Car was an Enterprise rental. I needed to drop a car in Houston and drive another one back, so a one way rental made sense and Enterprise made it easy.

The Camaro, as of late, has always kind of had a "Transformers" feel and look to me. Very angular, no soft curves or lines anywhere. The other thing I noticed, is that the car FEELS bigger than the Mustang: In its' footprint, and that feeling is exacerbated by the really lousy visibility about which we have heard so much. All true! I own a 1971 Mustang Mach 1 Fastback (aka "Flat-Back") That car is nearly impossible to see to out the rear via the rear view mirror! Well, I am hear to tell you the Camaro is literally that bad. The high belt line does feel as if you are looking out of gun slits of sort. The wide hips on the car make visibility from the side mirrors even feel compromised a bit. That was just my two cents, the car felt BIG.

Build quality, over all, felt on par with the Mustang. The interior had lots of interesting bits. This car was a lower trim level than is my Mustang, so it is a bit of apples to oranges, but I will try to be objective. The much criticized media screen is tilted strangely, top to bottom with an inward taper. It does look odd at that angle. The strangest thing for me is the Tach and Speedo Nacelles...they protrude above the dash line in a poorly integrated manner. The lines don't flow, they simply protrude. I found this to be most odd. I liked the flat bottom steering wheel, but visibility of the gauges was not good in my driving position (I am 5'10").

What I liked: The aforementioned flat bottomed steering wheel was nice. The rear view mirror glass was "edge to edge" like in my Porsche Panamera. Very nice touch vs. the thick plastic border that surrounds the glass in my Mustang. The automatic shifter seemed better positioned in the cabin than on the Mustangs I have examined (my GT is a manual). I also LOVED THE
climate controls being integrated with the vents themselves. I found the trim rings surrounding the vents adjusting temp and airflow to be very trick kit indeed!

A huge plus for me is the SUNROOF! One thing I noticed about it was that it seemed to be ALL behind my head, and I had to look back, or turn my head around, to look out. Again, I am 5’ 10”, so I did not have the seats that far forward. Positioning felt odd as a result. I have always missed this option on a Mustang! I know they add weight, and our cars already have a weight problem.....but it is a great feature IMHO.

The biggest difference I noticed, as to DRIVING, is the difference in steering feel. Now this was not an SS or other GT equivalent in terms of trim, BUT the car simply felt more planted on the road. This was because of the steering feel being a bit heavier. My Mustang GT, on the highway, feels a bit twitchier, as if it needs more corrections. The Camaro less. It stays pointed where you leave it. That was my impression anyway.

Overall, it was a nice experience to drive one. I don't care for the lines so much, and would not buy one as a result. But the car felt GOOD on the road.

One last thing that was impressive, was that I drove 80 for 200 miles and the car returned 31 ish MPG. Now I have not compared that to the discontinued Mustang V6 or the Ecoboost, but I found it quite economical for what it is.

That's about it! Thanks!

Brad
I own a 2SS and I agree with most of this.

The Camaro feels a bit bigger as far as overall however the interior definitely feels tighter. I got the gray interior and, to me, it feels like it opens it up a bit compared to the black leather "cavernous" feel.

The visibility could definitely use some work for sure. But if you ever drove a 5th gen Camaro... It's better minus the horribly small rear window. With the 5th gen, it was pretty much a gamble on when changing a lane, whether there was someone next to you or not. :shrug: You can at least turn your head now and see behind you a bit if you want to change lanes. Also, with higher end models the blind spot assist is a massive help as well.

The screen is definitely weird when you first see it. However after a while it quit bothering me. It's that way to reduce glare. That being said I think it's out of place and should be more integrated into the dash. I hate the whole "raised/tablet" style that some car manufactures have went to. It's dumb.

I'm 6'-1." Any GM car I've ever owned has had horrendous cluster placement. I'm convinced that they design all of these for people that are 4' 6" that don't have any interest in actually seeing where they're driving.

I have the manual so I can't comment on the auto. However the manual shifts nicely and doesn't feel loose.

The climate controls blow. And not in the "air comes out" way.

I can't do sunroofs. Tracking a car with a helmet @ 6'-1" is a no go as the roof is already low enough without one. Plus it ruins the lines as far as the roof goes for me. However this is just a preference of mine.

The car rides like it's on rails for me. ESPECIALLY since I just upgraded to 1LE spec wheels/tires. However I wouldn't mind a slightly softer option for the mag ride suspension. I get that it's a sports car but Houston back roads aren't my favorite thing. You also can do one hell of a power slide in this thing with the torque it puts down.

Edit: Trunk opening sucks as well. Jumping on that train. The only issue I've had so far mechanically is the loose end-link issue. Had the TSB done twice. Didn't fix it. Had the updated TSB done. Still didn't fix it. Bought BMR end links, some nord-lock washers and loctite. Those are currently being put on. That should solve the problem permanently. I'm over it.
 
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2015V6Fla

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I'm in a rental 2018 Camaro RS automatic coupe this week and was noting the pros/cons versus my 2015 V6 Mustang with 6-speed manual.
The HVAC controls and buttons are very nice and have a good upscale feel to them. And, I agree, the speed and temp controls integrated into the trim rings is extremely trick! I agree the down low vent placement is quite odd, but I didn't find the air flow insufficient or weak.
I actually like the Camaro's touch screen display location and position. It falls into place fine for me when my hand is on the shifter. I rented a 2018 Mustang Ecoboost Premium a few weeks ago and was really frustrated with the screen being invisible due to sun glare.
The steering wheel is very nice and has a great quality feel to it. But, the gauges are a disaster. Like the OP, I'm 5'10" but with a long torso. Even with the steering wheel adjusted somewhat comfortably and my seat positioned where I'm not rubbing the ceiling (sunroof equipped Camaro), I'm still reaching up to the 9 and 3 positions on the steering wheel. Feels very odd. Additionally, the window sill feels like it's at ear level, so resting my arm on it is a non-starter.
The trunk opening is a joke. It's a pretty sizable trunk, but it's deep and inaccessible. I had trouble putting a carry-on sized bag in there.
Overall visibility is better than I expected, but not as good as my Mustang. But, it is light years ahead of the Dodge Challengers I've rented.
The Camaro I'm renting has 20" wheels with Goodyear F1 tires and they are LOUD! My Mustang is relatively loud, especially on some of the rough pavement near the car rental place, but the Camaro is extremely loud. I almost returned the car because it was that loud on the rough pavement. It got better on the smoother stuff, so I decided to tough it out. (First world problems...)
I connected to Bluetooth because I'm on the phone a decent amount and hate holding the phone while driving. I made my first call in the Camaro and my customer asked, "Are you in a wind tunnel??!! It sounds like you're in a f-ing wind tunnel!" He's never said that when I've called him from my Mustang, so that confirmed how loud the Camaro is.
The automatic transmission in this car constantly hunts between gears on the highway when in the 75-80mph range. It also slips into the "V4" cylinder reduction mode too easily and struggles to keep up with traffic until I push the accelerator and the "V6" mode re-engages. (The "V4" and "V6" are visible in the bottom right portion of the IP near the transmission position indicator.) Saying that, I'm averaging a tad over 31mpg on my 500+ mile trip, primarily on the interstate.
The Camaro's standard stereo is quite good compared to the shitty base one in my Mustang. The Camaro's armrest storage area is laughable and whoever designed it should be embarrassed.
Overall, the Camaro isn't bad and stomps the Dodge Challenger all around. I'd take the Camaro any day over a Challenger. However, I still much prefer the Mustang due to better visibility, layout, ergonomics, and driving dynamics. The Mustang, in my opinion, has better proportions, styling, and usability for a performance coupe. I'm pleased with mine and give it 2 thumbs up. The Camaro is a worthy challenger, though (pun intended!).
 
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griffbl

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I'm in a rental 2018 Camaro RS automatic coupe this week and was noting the pros/cons versus my 2015 V6 Mustang with 6-speed manual.
The HVAC controls and buttons are very nice and have a good upscale feel to them. And, I agree, the speed and temp controls integrated into the trim rings is extremely trick! I agree the down low vent placement is quite odd, but I didn't find the air flow insufficient or weak.
I actually like the Camaro's touch screen display location and position. It falls into place fine for me when my hand is on the shifter. I rented a 2018 Mustang Ecoboost Premium a few weeks ago and was really frustrated with the screen being invisible due to sun glare.
The steering wheel is very nice and has a great quality feel to it. But, the gauges are a disaster. Like the OP, I'm 5'10" but with a long torso. Even with the steering wheel adjusted somewhat comfortably and my seat positioned where I'm not rubbing the ceiling (sunroof equipped Camaro), I'm still reaching up to the 9 and 3 positions on the steering wheel. Feels very odd. Additionally, the window sill feels like it's at ear level, so resting my arm on it is a non-starter.
The trunk opening is a joke. It's a pretty sizable trunk, but it's deep and inaccessible. I had trouble putting a carry-on sized bag in there.
Overall visibility is better than I expected, but not as good as my Mustang. But, it is light years ahead of the Dodge Challengers I've rented.
The Camaro I'm renting has 20" wheels with Goodyear F1 tires and they are LOUD! My Mustang is relatively loud, especially on some of the rough pavement near the car rental place, but the Camaro is extremely loud. I almost returned the car because it was that loud on the rough pavement. It got better on the smoother stuff, so I decided to tough it out. (First world problems...)
I connected to Bluetooth because I'm on the phone a decent amount and hate holding the phone while driving. I made my first call in the Camaro and my customer asked, "Are you in a wind tunnel??!! It sounds like you're in a f-ing wind tunnel!" He's never said that when I've called him from my Mustang, so that confirmed how loud the Camaro is.
The automatic transmission in this car constantly hunts between gears on the highway when in the 75-80mph range. It also slips into the "V4" cylinder reduction mode too easily and struggles to keep up with traffic until I push the accelerator and the "V6" mode re-engages. (The "V4" and "V6" are visible in the bottom right portion of the IP near the transmission position indicator.) Saying that, I'm averaging a tad over 31mpg on my 500+ mile trip, primarily on the interstate.
The Camaro's standard stereo is quite good compared to the shitty base one in my Mustang. The Camaro's armrest storage area is laughable and whoever designed it should be embarrassed.
Overall, the Camaro isn't bad and stomps the Dodge Challenger all around. I'd take the Camaro any day over a Challenger. However, I still much prefer the Mustang due to better visibility, layout, ergonomics, and driving dynamics. The Mustang, in my opinion, has better proportions, styling, and usability for a performance coupe. I'm pleased with mine and give it 2 thumbs up. The Camaro is a worthy challenger, though (pun intended!).
Great observations....I had FORGOTTEN about the center console design.....it is AWFUL....you have to be a contortionist to access the micro storage area. Mustang is hands down better there to be sure!

Thanks!

Brad
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