rdgdawg

What kind of comparison is that, Camaro to CLS500??? Two entirely different cars, same with a GS... so your statement doesn't make sense

... and yes, for $32K there are DOZENS of cars (especially in light of today's rapid depreciation) where you can get more for your money.

??? Do tell....

tsavo

Are you even aware that you have proved my point in your own post? They really aren't that different, both are RWD sports cars with tiny back seats. One is just much better than the other...

I'll repeat my point for you...You can buy a 2006 CLS 500 for the same price as the new Camaro. It's obviously no comparison, the Benz blows it away, hence what a terrible value the new Camaro is when compared to what else you can get for the same price.

rdgdawg

Almost didn't reply rather than thread hijack, but YOU proved my point

Two-doors, 4-doors, luxury brand vs domestic... ANY criteria for your generalizations? STILL trying to figure the point... or did I miss where GM has positioned the Camaro against MB?

MY POINT- compare apples to apples, simple enough You can trash ANY car's "value" when matching dollar for dollar new vs pre-owned.. and you'd obviously take a used CLS500 over a new Camaro... your choice

SLegacy99

I don't know if you have noticed but we compare apples to oranges around here more often than not.

rdgdawg

We do????? Kidding, boy, do we ever!!!

tsavo

It may be my choice, but a CLS Mercedes is a much nicer car in terms features, quality, reputation and attention to detail. Therefore, regardless of my choice, that choice is based on factual information.

I'm not sure how I can explain it differently. The bottom line is if we take Person A: this person has 32 thousand dollars to spend on a car. Do you think that consumers don't take into account many different brands when shopping for cars?

I doubt there is anyone who says gee, "I want a 2-door American sports car made by Chevy that ends in "maro" and rhymes with Robert De niro.

Most people are open to different options. There are VERY few people who ONLY want a Camaro. That's why the car was dropped from GM years ago.

rdgdawg

Again , must've had decaf instead of regular this morning... I'm not disagreeing with you ... just trying to follow logic on the points.

Would I get a Camaro over a CLS500 pre-owned? "Depends"... IMO that's the answer most anyone would choose. Which is the "nicer car in terms features, quality, reputation and attention to detail?" I'm sure not everyone agrees the MB is "nicer" based on those terms because people have different interpretations of "nice".

Do I think the Camaro will be built? Sadly I doubt it. Even GM dealers are stating the Camaro is "the biggest marketing campaign GM has ever undertaken" as all current orders are just NUMBERS... and they have 11,000 pre-orders right now.

Am I a DeNiro fan? YES. Would I drive a car that rhymes with his name? Maybe... if they build one...

mmarshall

The Camaro's marketing campaign is nothing compared to the massive hoopla and enormous marketing that accompanied the introduction of the GM FWD X-Body compacts in 1980 (Chevy Citation, Buick Skylark, Oldsmobile Omega, and Pontiac Phoenix).....and those cars were some of the most poorly-built vehicles GM has ever done.

Orders are orders, though, and 11,000 is nothing to chuckle at. If those orders incluse a deposit at the dealerships (as I suspect most, if not all of them do) then GM is committed to build all of them unless the order is cancelled and the deposit refunded. Some of that, of course, will depend on the economy and if people keep their jobs, but it shows the car's basic popularity now. You'e got 11,000, or close to it, even before the factory starts cranking up.....with perhaps a lot more orders to follow.

So, the idea that this car is going to fail, to me, just doesn't hold water, at east in the short-term. Tsavo makes the point that demand may fall off after the initial novelty wears off, like with the PT Cruiser. Perhaps .....but I wouldn't bet on it. The Camaro has always been, and will always be, the classic Anti-Mustang....more so than the Challenger.

Bean

iTrader: (1)

Yes and my neighbor's awd ATV is comparable to the Veyron in that they both have awd, 4 wheels, and a piston engine.

A 747 is similar to an F18 because they both have multiple jet engines.

In all seriousness, I'd take a new Ford/GM vehicle over a used Mercedes ANY day of the week. Good luck with that repair bill

mmarshall

As rdgdawg said earlier, though (and he is correct on this), you can't really compare the Camaro to a CLS, even aside from price. The Camaro is a classic American 2+2 pony car. The CLS is a 4-door sedan with a low, Humpty-Dumpty roofline, styled to look like a coupe. And I know that some people will disagree with me on this, but, IMO, the CLS is a butt-ugly car, especially in the rear end and its slit-like, peep-hole windows, which is not the case with the Camaro.

Of course, the CLS, being a Mercedes product, has far more safety features than the Camaro does, and its unibody frame, like that of most M-B products, is as solid as a rock. But, also like many M-B products, it has a below-average reliabilty history.

tsavo

You've clearly highlighted my foolish comparison with your obvious wit and sarcasm that's clearly over my head.

How many Mercedes have you owned? I have several family members who own them as well as friends and they have not had any issues with their cars that I'm aware of.

Again, I'll state the facts...

THE CAMARO STOPPED SELLING, IT WAS DROPPED FROM GM BECAUSE OF EXTREMELY LOW SALES.

Despite what you may think in your own little fantasy world, people were comparing the Camaro to other cars and they were choosing to purchase from competitors... Obviously, that's why the car wasn't selling.

Will these "new" Camaro be such a great deal that it will finally win in the comparison with it's competitors, probably not. The interior is crappy, the styling is questionable, and it's overpriced IMO.

IS-SV

IMHO, the old Camaro/Firebird junk was well past its prime when GM dumped them. I can't remember if they still offered the flaming chicken on the hood of the Firebird in its last days. And no significant amount of Mercedes buyers will be cross-shopping the new Camaro, IMHO.

Yes, sports coupes in general can fall into the "flavor of the month" sales pattern. Japanese sports coupes have historically shown that type of sales trend to a high degree.

I'm expecting Camaro sales to benefit from the base configuration being both modern and desirable as well as stylish. But only time will tell.

I like the CLS, but a used 2006 (which is just running out of warranty which a Mercedes buyer really needs, these are not reliable or inexpensive cars to own) is not comparable to a new car sale. I've owned plenty of Benz's and I know the positive attributes.

mmarshall

Well, of course they were past their prime. So was the Mustang. The so-called "Prime", for the American pony car, was 1965-1970. After that, all pony cars went downhill (the mid-1970's Mustang Cobra, for example, was essentially a Pinto with a small V6).

But, the prime for the Mustang resurrected again, some 35 years later, with the superb present-generation model (though some of the interior materials are cheap). Now, we are likely seeing the same resurrection for the new Camaro.


Only on the Trans-Am model, I believe. It was a T/A tradition.

IS-SV

And that's why the junky Firebird/Camaros were discontinued, they were a burden on the business. LOL, but the flaming chicken is cooked.

The new Camaro is really only similar in name only. It's a good modern car with some retro styling elements.

rdgdawg

+1 MM and IS-SV... positive, FACTUAL, and sensible, as always....points made without angst... did I mention positive... and opinions are like... well.. you know...