What makes the
SS so much fun is its neutral handling behavior. With the center mode
select knob, I punched up performance mode; two taps of the traction
control button turns off traction, but keeps stability in competitive
mode. Throw it into a corner and oversteer is easily controlled by the
throttle. And there is a fair amount of slip angle given before the
computer cuts in and straightens things out. Holding down the traction
control button turns traction and stability off, leaving everything up
to the driver -- which is lovely with the lively rear end.
The
weighty steering feel is great through the flat-bottom steering wheel
with quick turn in response. There are Brembo front and rear brakes now,
which were plenty powerful for the driving I was doing. The brake pedal
begins to bite at the top of the pedal stroke, but I would be
interested in seeing how the system holds up when subjected to track
work.
No
surprises with the LS3 V8 that has good grunt everywhere in the rev
range, quick throttle response and makes great V8 rumbly noises. The
six-speed shifter is notchier than I would like and I did get hung up
between second-to-third gear shifts a few times, but I’m guessing more
seat time would ultimately remedy things. The clutch pedal isn’t overly
light or heavy, and grabs in the middle of the pedal stroke and the
pedals are spaced well for my tastes.
Besides
the manual raising the SS’ performance game, the magnetic suspension
helps make it a more user-friendly vehicle. You now have the best of
both worlds with the ability to firm things up when you want and to
soften the suspension when you’re commuting around normally. Even with
things in sport mode, the ride is livable, but it’s real comfy in the
tour setting
There’s just
something so right about an American rear-wheel drive sedan. I know,
this SS is built in Australia and all that good jazz, but it’s wearing a
Chevy bowtie on the grille, so it’s American in my book. With V8 power
under the hood, an available manual transmission and a very well-sorted
chassis, it’s difficult to find something to really be disappointed
about in the SS now. Even the as-tested price of $46,865 doesn’t seem
absurd considering the clean sheetmetal styling and amount of
performance you get.
You can call the SS a budget BMW M3 of
sorts. The M3 starts at $62,950 with 425 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque
from its twin-turbocharged I6, which matches up fairly closely with the
SS’ 415 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque from its V8. No, the SS doesn’t have a
fancy carbon fiber driveshaft and roof panel or aluminum body panels
and suspension bits. Without all those weight-saving efforts, the Chevy
is quite a bit heavier than the M3 (3,940 pounds vs. 3,540 pounds), but
it doesn’t feel overweight or lumbering on the streets. Maybe those
extra pounds would get real annoying on a track, but I can’t speak to
that just yet. Hopefully I can in the future. But there’s wholesomeness
to the SS that the BMW doesn’t have. It’s a simple vehicle with a big
motor and rear-wheel drive that you get into and want to drive hard.
Obviously,
there is a tradeoff of fuel economy when you’re operating a vehicle
with a V8. The best I could muster on a fill-up was an average of 16.4
mpg, which isn’t great. Though gas prices have been falling lately…
Our test 2015 Chevrolet SS was equipped with the now optional six-speed manual gearbox, and for no extra coin we might add.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: This
is a great car to drive, a great car to look at -- though there’s a
little too much chrome for me -- and a surprisingly great car to listen
to, if you keep the radio off. I hope Chevy sells a ton of these, but I
doubt it.
I’m worried that big sedan buyers, probably your average 35-54-year-old demographic, would either step up to a BMW 5-series or stick with the FWD Chevy Malibu. But, if you’re looking for a RWD American sedan, this Chevrolet SS should be high on your shopping list.
The
6.2-liter V8 provides a ton of power. I even started in third gear by
accident, but got going very quickly and didn’t bog out at all. Oh yeah,
and hooray for a manual transmission! Please, please people, buy this
configuration, or we’ll never see them again.
Like our long-term Jaguar F-Type R,
but to a lesser extent, if you leave it in gear a little long, or
abruptly come off the throttle, you get a nice pop from the muffler. I’d
like a little more exhaust volume, maybe with a button to turn it on
and off. The actual gearbox is pretty easy to use, though it did get
hung up a few times on the 2-3 and 4-5 shift, and in the morning it felt
a little notchy.
It’ll burn up the tires, and the
winter tires were even less likely to stick. It goes sideways with a
little stab of the gas pedal, but slips slowly and predictably. It was
fun in the slippery 2 inches of snow we had for a day.
We
hit up all the big box stores over the weekend, but never had to go
into the trunk. Those backseats will fit day’s worth of Christmas
shopping.
I like the look and shape and size, but
like I said, that chrome is a little too much. Make the wheels, accents
and grille points brushed aluminum or body color. On the other hand,
Americans do like it loud, visually.
Unfortunately,
if you’re spending $50K, and aren’t set on American, there are a bunch
of RWD sedans to choose from. I hope everyone gives this a shot before
they go across the pond.
We like the look and side of the 2015 Chevrolet SS, but the chrome is a bit too much for our liking.
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