FR-S Vs. Camaro (Decisons...decisions)

[Mikem53]

OP.. Tough choice.. But if 5K more gives you the car that is more fun to drive, will have a better resale value and cheaper to own and maintain in the long run..
Then you need to factor that in as well..
I have been a GM guy most of my life.. 4 corvettes and 2 camaros.. 94 and a 98 camaro.. The twins are more pure sports car for sure..
The weight issue alone is enough to pay the extra money for the twins and you will never look back..

[Optimus Prime]

OP, I don't know your personal background nor is it any of my business. So maybe you've already experienced this -- though I hope not. I've lost way too many people close to me. Not to get morbid, but we're only around for so long. If your finances are in order and you can afford it, get what you want and what's going to make you happiest. Both cars are sweet (cross shopped v6 camaro/mustang/challenger with my FRZ). You can't go wrong. Get the most enjoyment out of life that you can any way you can get it. That's what it all boils down to.

[Turbowned]

I respect your decision given your circumstances. Have you given any consideration to a 2006-2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP or Saturn Sky Redline? That would save you a few grand, be closer in spirit to an FR-S/BRZ, keep it American, and give you a turbo to mess around with!

[Turk]

Originally Posted by quasi86

No matter how much you pay for that Camaro it's going to be worth half what you paid in 8 months.

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

Bull. He'll likely be able to sell it for around the same price he bought it for in 8 months. He's getting employee pricing and the 5th gen Camaro is a pretty popular car (not sure why).

[mid_life_crisis]

I didn't see anywhere that you had driven the V8 version.
If I had an employee discount, I would first have to see how much Camaro I could get for the same cost as the FR-S. I'm not saying V8 or GTFO, but it is a heavy damn car and having real power to play with makes it a much different animal. You might decide you like the V8 version better than the FR-S, and with your discount it might be affordable. Of course you'd probably end up driving your dad's car most days when he keeps finding excuses to borrow the Camaro...

[RedFR-s]

I just went through something very similar to the OP, too bad I read the post late. I just graduated in Engineering, live at home (for now), no student debt, and was interviewing at both GM and Toyota. I fell in love with the Camaro while at GM on a Co-op Job, but later was at Toyota when the 86 was announced. I got to drive the V6 Camaro when I was working at GM, and really enjoyed the power. You do get used to the visibility.

I really love the styling of the FRS though, so that and the handling sold me. I work for Toyota now, so that was a no brainer too. My FRS is my DD and only costs $0.11/km to run, and I'm not always gentle on her. (For reference my Cobalt was also $0.11/km to run as a DD on the same roads)

Good luck on your career, and you won't be disappointed with the Camaro man, hard to turn down such a good deal.

[Phantobe]

Originally Posted by mid_life_crisis

I didn't see anywhere that you had driven the V8 version.
If I had an employee discount, I would first have to see how much Camaro I could get for the same cost as the FR-S. I'm not saying V8 or GTFO, but it is a heavy damn car and having real power to play with makes it a much different animal. You might decide you like the V8 version better than the FR-S, and with your discount it might be affordable. Of course you'd probably end up driving your dad's car most days when he keeps finding excuses to borrow the Camaro...

I actually did test drive both the V6 and V8 and obviously the V8 was nicer. I'm just trying to justify getting a Camaro over an FR-S because of the price differential. I didn't get a quote but I'm fairly certain the cheapest I'd be able to get the SS for is somewhere in the range of 28-30.

At this point I'm still sorta on the fence, even though I said I was going to settle for the Camaro, I still can't make up my mind from reading all of the responses.

Brain y u no maek up ur mind?

[WolfpackS2k]

Unless you're getting a V8, FRS/BRZ all day long.

[mid_life_crisis]

Originally Posted by Phantobe

I actually did test drive both the V6 and V8 and obviously the V8 was nicer. I'm just trying to justify getting a Camaro over an FR-S because of the price differential. I didn't get a quote but I'm fairly certain the cheapest I'd be able to get the SS for is somewhere in the range of 28-30.

At this point I'm still sorta on the fence, even though I said I was going to settle for the Camaro, I still can't make up my mind from reading all of the responses.

Brain y u no maek up ur mind?

Those are some pretty key word choices. It looks pretty clear which car you really want. You'll be driving this car for a while. Life is too short to drive fat cars or live with bitchy women. You know which one you want.

[tennisfreak]

Only Camaro I'd take over the FR-S is the 1LE SS package and only if I could get the car for $30k or less.

[Morg]

Big wall of text...

For the TLDR people - - I owned a Camaro, I vote for the '86.

-- Now for the rant...

I owned a 2010 Camaro 2SS/RS m6 for..... 2 years-ish?
Have been on Camaro5 pretty much since it's conception.
Have been loitering here a while too, as I really like the FR-S/BRZ.
Have driven the FR-S a bit. I'd like to get one, it just doesn't make sense for me right now.
Traded in Camaro for SVT Raptor.
Currently own Raptor. But likely selling it, and getting a Fiesta ST.

#1 advice, make your own decision.. You'll be the one living with it, and it would suck huge nuts to look back and think "I shouldn't have listened to ______" if you end up regretting it.

I don't envy you, as it sounds like there may be pressure on you to buy GM... Co-workers / bosses / Dad.....That to me is what makes it the toughest decision. Sounds like you'd prefer the 86. Hopefully not justifying the Camaro cost savings because of the peer pressure. The bright side is you're stuck deciding between two pretty cool cars.

6 Grand savings ? Did you actually base this on quotes? Go get quotes.. Compare those numbers and get insurance quotes too.. and calculate fuel for a year and warranty. It'll make a big difference.

I pre-ordered my Camaro which at the time was my dream-car... Without ever having driven one.

Visibility...The low seat position and high belt line & window line, with narrow window slits + those fat pillars... really rapes outward visibility. All the guy's on Camaro5 will tell you "you get used to it." You really don't.. Bad visibility is bad visibility.. If you are not one of those GM blooded fanatic loonies that has the opinion that Camaro > everything. GM > everything... Then you are probably never going to lose sight of the fact that the visibility stinks.

I would strongly advise you to test-drive more than once because this is probably one of the biggest / most common issues people have with this car. Don't be fooled by the c5 zombies. Make damn sure you can live with it.. imho. Was one of my biggest regrets with that car.

It does handle well, it is heavy.. (But who cares?) The average person complaining about the weight, will never drive in a way that the weight would matter.

I can't speak for the v6, but the v8 power/sound was quite nice. Daily driving though, you're not going to see the full potential of either one.

Between The Camaro and '86.. I'd rather the 86 in the city, the Camaro on the highway. I miss my Camaro, but if I was shopping between the two again, it would be a BRZ. For the following reasons : Visibility/ MPG / Fun / reliability/community. Probably in that order. Also, for me.. v6 vs v8 only makes sense as far as MPG and cost. If those were my reasons for downsizing, I'd be even more inclined towards the '86.

Not sure why people who like 4 cyl engines insult a 6 cyl as lacking power.I am admittedly not a fan of v6 "muscle" but not because of the power.

Visibility aside, being inside the Camaro cockpit always felt pretty badass! lol. I loved the "feel" hated the function.

My Raptor is BY FAR easier to park.

It was an awesome car, but turned out to be more of a nightmare for me than a dream-car. I had constant problems with the car and poor treatment from dealership & GM. So I am clearly biased. You are probably in a better position than I was in that regard.

As far as gas goes... I was getting 13L/100km mixed driving or (18mpg) with the v8. (94 octane)

Insurance was BRUTAL ! More than twice the cost of insuring my Raptor. (Which cost a lot more).

Driving the FR-S was really fun as far as handling goes.. Everyone brings up the track when talking about it... but if you're not going to track.. who cares. As far as city driving / highway commuting.. It's an enjoyable car. I loved the handling. And as played out as it may be... I am on the same boat as everyone else who wishes there was just a little bit more power..

BOTH cars put a grin on my face, but for very very different reasons.

Visibility was noticeably much better in the FR-S. The interior is POO. Sorry, but the whole minimalist retro driver's cockpit thing doesn't fly for me. There are many "drivers cars" that don't shit the bed as far as interior quality. I could deal with it though for sure. Thankfully the seats are still comfy! Camaro seats were great too.

I think someone said Aftermarket support for the FR-S was better?? I only skimmed the thread.... But the 5th Gen Camaro has MASSIVE aftermarket support. The good news is the 86 has awesome aftermarket support too.

You will encounter fanboyism in both the Camaro and the '86 communities... Nature of the beast.. That said, I find the '86 community to be a lot less hostile. (Maybe not after reading my comment about the interior.)

Take a long test-drive, and really check the financial side of things.

Try and do some soul searching figure out what you'd enjoy most. Your dad might forgive you for having different taste? Working on a car with your dad could be a great experience too though. I personally wouldn't give a rats ass what my co-workers or bosses thought of MY car. But family is family.

[enwave]

People in four cylinders complaining about a V6 being weak is all about power-to-weight ratios and what additional stuff you sacrifice in a larger, heavier car.

It's weak relative to everything else, not weak overall.

[6speed_Sam]

I had narrowed down my car choices to a used 2011/12 Camaro SS mt and a new FRS mt. Brute force vs handling/gas mileage, etc. I went FRS. Besides the lack of power(though I don't think it's terribly slow) I have not regretted getting the FRS one bit. If I hadn't driven it in a few days I walk to the garage and just stare at it a minute and grin.

[rcm47]

A V6 muscle car has no muscles. Get the FR-S/BRZ