370z or Camaro SS
 

Yes I know these are completly different vehicles but still looking at both. I have been looking for a new car for a couple months now and won't be able to buy one until next Jan. anyway. The reason for me not being able to choose is two fold. One, I did own a 280zx and a modded 300zx tt for a couple of years and loved it. I now have a son so 2 seats is difficult. We do have my wife's car which has back seats so in my mind is that if its just me and him then my car works. If its all three of us then just take her car. I have owned all 2 seaters until now, z was breaking so bought a pos truck until i graduate. The thing is I know the Z is lighter, handles better, and has better tech in it. But I also know that the SS is quick, has back seats, and the engine won't ever break. I am leaning towards the SS but I do miss having a light, quick car. Mostly just looking for some real pros and cons between the two. This sounds like rambling so I guess this is where the discussion begins.:icon14:

I cant vouch for the SS as i've never driven or ever even sat in one. but I can say that I love how the Z drives head and shoulders above my dads challenger. :driving: (which I know is not a camaro. but it is a big, heavy, car with more horse power.) it felt like I was driving a boat.
I hear the camaro z28 is coming out next year. I'd wait and test drive both before I decided. (i'd also recommend asking this same question on a camaro forum.)

I'd rather be driving something whose designers understood the meaning of future direction, class and quality than whose designers were atavistic knuckle-draggers bent on prolonging an era that really reached into its last-hurrah.

The Camaro is very nice, not gonna lie....from the outside.

I sat inside it and felt very underwhelmed. When I sit in my Z, I feel like I'm in a sports car. I feel like I'm already going blistering fast and I haven't even started the car yet. When I sat in the Camaro, I really felt that I was still back in the 90's. The ambient lighting is ok in the Camaro, but looks like they only half completed it, when compared to the Buick's ambient lighting. The gauges are horrid compared to the Z. The steering column telescopes, which the Z doesn't, but the cluster does not move when the steering wheel is adjusted, which the Z does.

The stock exhaust note of the Camaro reminds me of my Mercury Tracer...non existent, especially for a V8 (2SS).

You mentioned the engine won't break in the Camaro. While every car has it's problems, thus far the engine in the Camaro seems to have more issues than the Z. Long term, nobody really knows, but these VQ's seem to be well-built.

The Camaro mods a little better than the Z, from what I've heard, as it's a V8. Bolt ons and a tune sky rocket the already high Hp/Torque numbers, where as the Z really doesn't get a whole lot, being a V6 NA car from the factory.

The back seat and trunk offer the illusion of more space, comfort and convenience, but really just make the car bigger than it should be. The backseat has zero leg room if the front passengers are over 5'9, which is great if you have a couple car seats back there and nothing else. The trunk is more of a 2nd glove box, albeit bigger than the cubby hole of a glove box they gave us in the Z.

The 2SS is going to win at the traffic light sprints, if that is what you're going for.

The Z is going to win, in my opinion if your ultimate goal is to create a driving experience you're going to remember and cherish for a long time.

The Camaro SS is butt ugly inside. You should wait until the 2011 Mustang 5.0 arrives. If you need a back seat, the Mustang 5.0 should be considered. I know I’ll test drive it!

Oh, hey, I was in this position.

I test drove both back to back a few times, so I'd like to think I have a pretty solid grip on both cars.

The Camaro is faster in a straight line and has the roar of the v8 which is just awesome. Honestly, that was almost enough to make me go with it. It also has back seats (although your kid will be uncomfortable back there, lol -- really isn't that much room) which may also sway your opinion, like you said. The handling isn't bad on the Camaro, but it is pretty typical for a car of its type.

What turned me off of the Camaro however was how mediocre the interior quality was. I had previously driven a Cobalt + a G5 (which is a Cobalt with Pontiac badging :p) and with the exception of the "retro" feel, the interior felt the same. The seats were comfortable, but the materials felt tacky and just generally unpleasing. I wasn't a fan of the retro gages or steering wheel either.

I think it is worth noting that I am a young guy and wasn't in the market for a Porsche so my bar for interior quality wasn't really high -- and yet the Camaro -still- bothered me.

Also while the Z isn't as fast in a straight line, but it isn't that far off the mark considering a SS is made to go fast in the 1/4 mile. The handling in a Z makes up for that, too. Trust me. I've had the car for only a short time and I'm already in complete love.

Exterior wise the cars are a toss up -- that's all up to your personal opinion. I think that Camaro looks awesome, but the 370Z is just sexy. I am always smiling when I walk up to my car.

Ultimately it comes down to what you want and what you like, though. I strongly suggest you do some more research on both cars. Go to your local dealer and get a test drive in both and try to squeeze as much time out of them as you can.

One more thing -- while I agree on going and asking some Camaro dudes what they think, be ready for "BUY AMERICAN" and similar things. I read over a few forums and was extremely turned off by the community over there, but to each his own!

Good luck in your search and feel free to PM me if you have any questions about the car, I'll be glad to help!

It sounds like you're looking for a car that has "function" with "performance". The Z offers more performance than the latter. If I was a man with family, I would go for the Camaro SS. It's a car with performance and with my family occupying the rest of the seats. IMO, everything else is subjective for a man with family like yourself.

If I was a man with a family, I'd make sure my *other* car was the family car.

In before lock!
You obviously don't know what you want.
Z = 2 seater sports car
Camaro SS = 4 Seater sports car
I think you should get a camaro cause you sound like a fanboy.
[:

Test drive them both and make up your own mind. I test drove the Camaro and really liked it, but when I test drove the Z it was like falling in love.

My wife does have the family car. I don't know why you say that. I have owned 2 Z's so I know what I getting into. The biggest issue that I have with the Z is the engine. Yes its a great engine, but if anything breaks, well it costs tons of money unless you do everything yourself. With my 300zxtt it would have cost me 1000 just to get to my injectors that went out twice. And I was also have to change what you said. Z = 2 seater sports car SS = 4 seater muscle car. That is the biggest issue. The Z is quick and nimble, which I like, while the SS is quick in a straight line, which I also like.

here is the question I pose for you: Would it bother you to see your car, same color, model, trim, etc. at every intersection you pull up to and 3 others in the crossing lanes? The Camaro is the new Mustang, everyone has to have one, the Z has been out long before the new Camaro, and I'm already seeing them populate the streets like Mustangs, I've had my car for 7 months and seen 6 370's city wide, personally I hope you go with the Camaro, less Z's equals more exclusivity for the rest of us.

haha honestly I have only seen a couple of both. The thing I like most aout th Z is the technology thats behind it and in it. I hated the 350z. Diff was crap, engine wasn't great, seemed to lack power. The 370z seems to have gotten everything right. Plus the key fob is sweet haha.

Just so you know, I'd give you a rep point for that if I could...

:tup:

Infiniti G37s

HAHAHAHAHAHA Knuckle-draggers

stop wasting my time. no comparison, Z is better.

A few insulting posts ... but not bad considering the topic :)

This link below more or less summarizes some of the posts here -- If you like Edmund's it's a good read

2010 Chevrolet Camaro Review and Specs

The link comes without the insults

My first post was a little rough, so let me rephrase:
Picking your own car is one of the few freedoms we have left. Be a patriot, pick your own car. You don't want to listen to people on a msg board anyway.

My current Z is the 3rd Nissan I've owned---first two were trouble free and reliable for many years. My '09 Z--- so far no problems. I've also bought 3 brand new Chevys, an expensive new Cadillac and 2 new Oldsmobiles and have consistently had far more reliability issues with them than I should have (I gave GM way too many chances). Two were first year models (as is the Camaro) and they were significantly troubled. There's nothing worse than fighting with GM. I'd go with the Nissan and reasonably expect and receive a lot of years of trouble-free and reliable service from the Z.

Double post, slow server.

You need to go over the Camaro Forum and school yourself before making a decission. ;)

You would think I was joking, but I have seen TWO different camaros broke down on the side of the freeway. I'm not sure what's going on with that car, but gtfo GM.

Well my post was the most insulting and I don't wish to change anything I said.

For over 4 decades GM and their car owners have done nothing but disrespect and rub other manufacturer's cars and their owners into the ground. And they had absolutely now respect or tolerance for imports. In that time when quality was pretty much an even playing field across all manufacturers, GM got away with the low quality sh_i_t they have been making in all those years.

While foreign import manufacturers and Ford have used the last decade to raise their quality to a consistent, substantial, recognizable and sustainable levels, GM has done nothing but sit on the laurels of their powertrains and done absolutely nothing to improve anything else.

Look up the abbreviation of "GM" in the urban dictionary...you will find that its synonamous with "POS".

I have one of each. Although the wife's Camaro is not the SS, I think aside from the power difference they drive much the same. I did test drive both.

After driving the Z the Camaro feels downright huge. You know you're driving a big car, and you know it's not a sports car. The car feels really heavy, although the suspension is relatively well tuned, the steering isn't as responsive due to a higher ratio. I thought the blind spot in the Z was bad, the Camaro is worse. The interior is functional and of good quality, although it looks a little more kiddish than the Z (that's a personal preference thing).

The SS certainly has the power to get up and go, doesn't really go any faster than the Z in a straight line due to the significant extra bulk. It's no Corvette.

Bottom line, drive both. Figure out which car suits you, and your needs.

Camaro Update:

Drove the car today in order to get an inspection sticker and get some snow tires mounted. Here is what I noticed today. Steering is light as a feather and completely disconnected from anything the car is doing. You can also step the rear end out fairly easily but you don't really feel it, you simply see it. This means your corrective inputs end up being a lot slower than they really need to be. The traction control does catch it, and it does let you slide around a little before intervening, unlike the Z that locks you down almost instantly.

You obviously have no idea what you are talking about saying the 350z had a bad engine

I am not going to lie, I have only been so-so on the camaro from the start. but I did think they looked cool - at first. the more I see them the less impressed I am with their look. I think its the whole "retro" deal. looks good when you first see it but gets old quick. I don't know, could be just me, but I wonder how well that car ages.

on the other hand, with the 370Z I thought Nissan did a good job of incorporating retro touches into a very modern looking car.

Basically, you probably can't take a single valuable thing from my post. i just wanted to write something on this topic.

As a z owner for the last 11yrs and current owner of a 280z, 300zx, and 370z I enjoyed my test drive of the Camaro. Not as nimble but still handles decently. Love the exhuast and acceleration. The interior doesn't seem all that bad to me either. Your best bet is to just go drive both and see what you like better.

If looks didn't matter...and the same with the manufacturer's history and reliability being considered...only price vs performance ratio...

Camaro would get my vote. Once people start modding that engine things will get ultra-insane. Imagine that car with 5-10K worth of mods (all aspects), vs 5-10K of mods to our car...I imagine the Camaro would take better to performance mods - it just needs help with losing weight and suspension upgrades to handle better...

But, nothing make it look as sexy as the Z, IMO.

By "be a patiot"...know that both cars are not made is the USA, before you make your selection.

When I said be a patriot, I was referring to using his freedom to make his own choices. I'm perfectly aware of where both cars come from.

I agree with most people. When I first seen the Camaro I was dedicated to buy it, but a few days later I heard about the Z in production. The Camaro is a gorgeous car on the outside but IMO the interior is cheesey and boring ( guess becuz they're doing a throw-back type deal with making all the new cars look like the old version) The Z has good power and the interior is nice..even with the base model. But not everyone wants the same things....so it's all up to you. Just please, PLEASE..if you decide to get the Camaro...don't get YELLOW unless you want to be like all others. Them things are everywhere! Thats the good thing about the Z..they are rare. I haven't seen one on the road since I bought mine 11 months ago :)

I've seen more black Camaros than anything, most of the yellow ones that I have seen are the RS versions. I think the Red ones look the best, yet I havent seen 1 on the street yet.

I have a very similar opinion to everyone else. I test drove and inspected several cars before purchasing my G. The camaro was on the top 3. I was really excited but was scared they would destroy the interior. But seeing how much of a quality car the new malibu is I thought chances were better than not that the camaro would be a great car...
Then came the dallas auto show. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! The interior was heartbreakingly atrocious.
Cheap looking. Steering wheel looked like it belonged on a power wheels car. The features were very low end for the price range. The 245watt polk audio? Come on. This car is huge. They couldn't at least match mustang in the audio dept. (And I hate mustang) The mustang is a much better value.
Then I decided to test drive it. Nice power, handles great for the battleship it is. Went inside, took a look at the super complex options list that needs translation and photos. (Which they didn't have.) But the options were outrageous. $1750 for stripes, so many wheel packages I didn't know what was what? All very expensive might I add. Aftermarket performance parts through the roof. Basically to make this car look like the kind of car that would make you drool you will be looking @ 51k. Only problem is, you will still have more options and features in a $39k Z or a 45k G.
This is a car for the nostalgia guy. The Uncle Rico's of this world need this car. If you coulda gone state in 78 or you think the mullet is still the best cut ever invented. Then you will appreciate every outdated. Soviet plastic componenent in this vehicle. The engine is an attractive feature. The suspension is just good enough to get by as a sporty coupe.
The Z has this car beat in so many ways its disgusting. Even if the camaro was as fast as a vette? I couldn't justify the chop job of an interior they put together. And at $32-51k price range, that interior is an insult to my wallet, my bank, my credit and most of all, my intelligence. I hope and pray year 2 and 3 bring together some serious interior updates. I don't want to see GM fall. But the camaro is a half azz chop job with a great engine.
If the Z is too small and the G is too expensive. Take a look a the GENESIS COUPE 3.8 TRACK 6MT.
Its the slowest of the bunch but as it stands. Poweraxle has unlocked the ecu, injen has killed it with the sick exhaust and intake. They are also working on a hfc, but are having a little difficulty because hyundai welded some sensor crap in the system and making an hfc so far has thrown crazy CEL's But they are getting close. I test drove the gen coupe and it was a very strong 3rd place.
1.) Z (will sell altima for Z)
2) G37- (chose cuz of killer deal. Massive car for money)
3) genesis coupe.

I had the old SS, albeit with some well upgraded suspension, and geared down, still geared way higher than the Z...

The old SS kills the Z in seat of the pants kick, way more torque, and with my set up noticeably faster in a straight line. The SS was excellent in the corners, until I drove the Z on the same roads. The Z makes it feel so much easier, and is noticeably faster through twisty, bumpy, challenging roads, and it feels safer (which it actually is) and that makes it more fun for me. The Z refuses to under or over steer with the stability control on, at any speed I'd hit on the road...which is extremely fast, like 75mph in a 45mph-signed corner. The Z has way higher technology in stability control, which keeps the car safer for very agressive driving. The Z is almost as fast as the SS in numbers, but doesn't feel it, as the power comes from high RPM and not high torque.

The Z is a much more mature vehicle, it's like a luxury car in terms of interior experience, fit, finish, refinement (except for the road noise...which is insane...but probably will be much improved with better tires..see Tire Rack ratings for comparos).

The SS is dominated by the experience of the engine. In the Z you hardly notice the engine, it's rather all about the handling dynamics and incredible braking....you can go into a corner at completely mad speeds and last second braking...I'd never do that in the SS, which doesn't have nearly the braking nor the composure. The SS takes it's time getting set up in a corner, but once it does it has very high grip, though well below the limits available in the Z. The SS would get all rear end steery with traction control off, which was fun, very controllable. I haven't tried that in the Z yet, and probably won't.

Anybody walk up to the Camaro from a rear quarter angle about 40 feet away? I think it looks boring from that angle, too much like a charger. Walking up to my 370Z from that angle (or any angle) puts a smile on my face every time. I agree with the exclusivity comment above because the Z is something very special whereas the Camaro will become a bore in a year or two. I still see people getting excited with the 300TT and the 350Z's. If the rear of the cars doesn't make your mind up then you should drive a kia...

:driving:

http://l.yimg.com/dv/izp/nissan_370z...xhF0mvBqwk.g--http://l.yimg.com/dv/izp/chevrolet_c...DmvGUKdc7UUg--http://l.yimg.com/dv/izp/nissan_370z...ItmZqMLgrZRw--http://l.yimg.com/dv/izp/chevrolet_c...we6nOhNPGmVg--http://l.yimg.com/dv/izp/nissan_370z...yGi8IADYqczg--http://l.yimg.com/dv/izp/chevrolet_c...WW5AoNOkEWIg--

One of my co-workers is getting an SS soon. He said he liked the interior. I know that doesn't help haha If you looking for bang for the buck performance and plan to keep the car stock then the camaro might be your best bet.

I know that you know...but others might not! :)

Wide post is wide!