[MattSS]

Hello! So I've been daily driving a Gen 5 2SS for the past 15 years and I love that car. BUT, it's definitely showing its age. Squeaky vents and windows, interior trim coming loose, radio old enough I can only connect my phone to talk (no music), occasional shimmy in the steering column that no one can find a cause for, etc... All that said, the motor is rock solid with scoop, CAI, headers, exhaust. All of those things are repairable or replaceable. But the local dealer has a '23 1SS 1LE with 2k miles on it. Wondering if anyone else here has driven both and has any words of wisdom about making the switch.

One caveat... 1st owner returned the car via CA's lemon laws due to a 'stalling engine'. Looks like they replaced the motor and are now reselling it in another state.

Thoughts?

Thanks for any feedback you can give!

MattSS

[DamonZ28]

As for trading in an older car, I owned a 1994 Z28 for 27 years. I loved that car and it served me well. But like you, I was getting a little tired of the squeaks and other issues. The car was just tired. I traded it in on a 2020 Camaro 2SS, and haven't looked back. The 6th gen is just a monster, but yet refined in a masculine way. It's more comfortable than most family cars, although only for two people of course. I've even started driving it in the rain (and even snow once), gasp!! But I just love driving it.

I can't speak to trading it in on a car that's been returned for lemon law. I'd be nervous on that one, but if they're throwing in some warranty incentive, or even just keeping the power train warranty, it might turn out to be a really good deal. I assume they're selling for a lot less than the car would be worth if it hadn't been lemon'ed.

[Ray3768]

I bought a 2012 Camaro 1SS M6 new in 2012 and loved it. Heck, I still love it and fortunately I sold it to a business associate that I'm friendly with so I get pics and updates. He's certainly loving it. I bought a 2024 2SS M6 in January. It's like a Cadillac and a C7 Corvette had a baby. The thing is next level. I was surprised since the 5th gen is so excellent. I didn't think the difference would be so extreme. It is. Handling is is amazing. Power, while incrementally greater, is applied in a more brutal fashion and the car feels way faster. Test drive one to be sure it's for you. I liked the comfort of the 5th gen. The 6th gen is smaller and you notice this the first time you sit in one. I got used to it quickly. Another interesting note, the car just feels easier to drive. You should really test drive one.

Regarding the steering shimmy, Check the front radius rods bushings. They have probably separated from the radius rod causing slop. Do you feel the steering wheel kinda jerk when braking sometimes? My solution for that was to install Z28 radius rods. It fixed the problem and was an awesome performance upgrade. Immediately had better turn-in when cornering and braking was a little more immediate. Oh, and do the Z28 rear toe links as well. While unrelated to your steering shimmy, that was another noticeable improvement.

-Ray

[NYJets12]

The question is How do you know the engine was replaced? Who told you that? If it’s the dealer don’t buy it dealers lie just for a sale.
If it was CarFax did the dealer make the CarFax report? If yes don’t buy it you can’t trust dealers.

[Evergreen6]

I had a 2011 SS but only kept it for about 2 years. Good car. Really enjoyed it, but it did feel enormous (compared to what I was used to...4th gens). I was always split on the styling - I loved the exterior of the 5th gens, but the interior felt a little cheesy-retro. The car was a turning point for GM and Chevrolet with materials and tech.

2023 was my return to a modern Camaro and the 6th Gen is dialed in much better than a 5th gen, IMO. The size is perfect, the LT1 is pure bliss, the car is modern. I can't speak for the 1LE package as mine is "just" a 1SS. Bang for your buck is still exceptionally high.

I'm not sure about a prior lemon/buyback car....that's a personal decision. For me, the price would have to be very enticing and I'd want an active warranty. The market for used 6th gens doesn't seem to be terribly constrained, so if you're thinking about buying a newer Camaro and don't have to purchase a prior lemon, then I'd keep looking if it were my decision.

[TransamGTA350]

I have not owned, but have driven a 5th gen SS. I own a 6th gen SS1LE. The 5th gen is a great car and the 6th gen builds on that and is more refined in almost every respect, but I wouldn’t say it’s night and day. Probably a similar difference from a 3rd gen to 4th gen.

As far as a 1LE, awesome car, but it really is more of a track car than a daily driver. Mine is a nice day car and a track car. If I were buying it as a DD, I would not get the 1LE. Too hard to live with every day.

This particular car with the lemon law buyback, I’d pass.

[MattSS]

@DamonZ28 - Thanks! Yeah, i'm a bit leery of the lemon issue, but they're offering it for about 5k below what I'm seeing is the going rate. Depending on warranty, it's at least taking for a test drive.

@Ray3768 - That's great info! I'm not a huge gearhead, but I did all the work on my 2010 with a little help from a friend. Suspension is something I haven't dug into yet. I'll definitely keep your post handy and call out the radius rod bushings. It's a weird shake that only seems to happen for the first couple miles after the car has sat overnight, and not all the time. Worse in colder weather. For a long time i just thought it was the road from my house to town. Feels very similar to having warped rotors and slamming on the brakes, except during acceleration and cruising instead of while braking.

@NYJets12 - Dealer's site has a link to the carfax. Not sure how to tell if the dealer made the carfax or not. I'd love your input! Here's a link: https://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistor...FF1R72P0134879

@Evergreen6 - Yeah, i hear ya on pretty much every point! Absolutely love the 5th gen look, and I still like the 6th gen WAY better than what the blue oval is putting out these days. I think it'll come down to timing and how i feel after a test drive. Wifey and I are heading out of state for a nice long vacation. It might not even be there when I get back, lol.

Thanks everyone for your responses!

MattSS

[FH212]

Get the SS 1LE and say goodbye to the 5th Gen. But get one that wasn't a lemon buy back.

[custommx3]

I have a 2SS I've ben driving daily for the past 7 years and I love it. I had a 5th gen before that, which I "upgraded" from. It was a Bumblee V6. My kid loved that car, but I needed a v8. He always told me he wanted that car, but I had the itch. My son was turning 17 and we were looking for a Camaro for him to drive for a good year or so. Prices kind of skyrocketed on used cars and those with low miles were few and far between, or ridiculously priced. (Ironically my old car is for sale. Its been sitting on the lot for at least 6-8 months. Was sold at auction has had 4 owners and 140K miles. I would be the 1st and 5th owners. No Thanks)

Around the same time, my wifes transmission was going out in her daily and she decided to get herself a Camaro. We go to CF every year and a few years ago she fell in love with Rapid Blue when she saw one. She picked up herself a 3LT RS as her new daily and she loves it. A friend of ours asked if that was her car sitting outside her office and she said yes. He said his brother in law had one for sale. As mentioned, we were looking for one for my son and inquired about it. We ended up picking it up for him. It was a 2011 2LT RS with only 49K. It wasn't yellow, its red, but he's in love with it. We let him drive to to school, but not on longer trips so when he's out and about in Memphis, we let him take an old Tacoma hes been driving for a few years now. When its here, I take it to places instead of my 6th gen. Its so much more roomy inside. It rides great too. It truly makes me want to get a 5th gen ZL1 or SS as my daily and park my 6th. Although I do love the 6th gen technology, a 5th gen is still a great car. You can always get upgrades. We put a reverse camera/mirror in my sons car as we all know the 5th gen is a bathtub with wheels. His had no mylink as its a 2011, so we got that to help him see when reversing. Its not as great as the one in my wifes car, but its mounted using the OEM mounts and looks factory. As far as rattles, dynomat can help. If the creeks are annoying you, upgrade the stereo and hide them!

[RIPws6]

I was a Transam guy until they quit making them and I had to sell my 2001 after a couple of years thanks to a surprise divorce. Loll!
Never owned a Chevy until the 5th gen came out and I had to have one.
Got mine in 2011 and it was the best car I had ever owned.
When the 6th gen came out I pulled the lever and I was never disappointed.
They just took the 5th gen and made it better, a little faster and the technology leaps that are made in a few years is insane.
I bought mine brand new in 2019 and within a year they began coming out with wireless CarPlay!
I think you’ll definitely love the new one and as others have mentioned, do your due diligence on that car to ensure you aren’t buying someone else’s problem. Good luck!

[DaveC113]

I think the 6th Gen SS 1LE makes for a good daily driver, the magride is super smooth and it's very comfortable. It's quirky though... the useability is compromised for styling too much. It's wide and has long doors, backseats are tiny, trunk opening is too small, visibility can be annoying at times, but isn't as bad as it's rep. It's one of the best driving cars I've ever been in, but you can't appreciate it fully on the street.

My daily is a '16 BMW M235xi, GM Alpha chassis cars are BMW clones, but the BMW 2 series is smaller and yet has more useable space and great visibility vs Camaro, plus you can get AWD. They just aren't really sports cars unless you get an M car. If you're looking for a daily and don't intend to use it on track or autoX, the F22 235 or 240 is well worth looking at.

[MattSS]

Test drove it tonight but didn't have time to get into nuts and bolts with the sales drone. Car feels great and sticks to the road like it's glued to it. I tried to push it a little to see if I could notice anything weird with the motor, but Salesy McSalesman started getting a little twitchy in the passenger seat. All I really noticed was how bizarre it feels to move to a 10 speed auto from a 6 speed. I get that it probably helps with acceleration, but I'm used to fewer taller gears, lol. I need to go back and give it a good once over and play with the tech before I get too serious. looks like this car would be 48k new and they're asking 43. I think if I do make them an offer it'll be 30ish with a full warranty. If they'll take that its probably worth whatever trouble I have with it. Super tempted to buy the 6G and keep the 5th gen parked for a few months before selling it outright. That way if it turns out to still have issues I won't have lost my fun car.

[m6-lt1]

Seems like you already know this but a lemon branded 23 1ss 1le is worth no where near their asking price. I wouldn’t be afraid to low ball them at all. They will be stuck with that car if they are trying to get 40k out of it but of course there’s a sucker born every minute.

[MT-SS1LE]

I would never buy a lemon buy back unless the price was practically a steal. No telling what sort of headaches you'll be in for. I'd consider it at $35K-$38K, but no more than that assuming the car is otherwise like new. Good luck, they are awesome cars.