O/T GM Auto in Motion- Personal Results
#1
02-13-2005, 07:27 PM
O/T GM Auto in Motion- Personal Results
We recieved an invite in the mail to drive the new GM line up at Hollywood Park. They also have comparison vehicles to drive also. Here's our independant opinions (myself and wife):
Vehicles we drove:
GTO Stick: Not really impressive....reminded us of an upgraded ricer. Engine has nice pep but has a lot of ricer features (including gas/brake/cluth pedals, instrument panel).
BMW X5 (V8 model): Nice vehicle, good power, but really lets the driver know they are driving a large vehicle. Brakes are very strong...almost overmodulated...could be from drivers with heavy feet on them all day long.
SSR Truck: Niche type vehicle, a lot of cool individual features but a lot of tacky things as well (ex. the dash is a vinyl type plastic, very flexible with no support behind openings for AC vents...place your finger against the edge and it just moves in and out like it was a toy. Light weight with V8 makes for a fun driver but it really doesn't perform in acelloration or handling like it's kinda marketed or you would expect.
Trucks & SUV: Typically GM, either like it or hate it.
Corvette Stick & Auto: They got it right...absolutely, completely, power, handling, ride, ergonomics, inside space/comfort. Torque curve is absolutely flat throughout the entire rpm range....accelloration is very powerfull but incredibly smooth.....better than a ferrari...really. The price is $52K but there is nothing on the market that comes close to this refined vehicle at that price. In general I would compare it to cars in the $150k+ range. There is no difference in performance (seat of the pants feeling) between the auto & stick. I am a stick man but could actually see myself driving this one in an auto.
Kudo's to this GM team!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Vehicles we drove:
GTO Stick: Not really impressive....reminded us of an upgraded ricer. Engine has nice pep but has a lot of ricer features (including gas/brake/cluth pedals, instrument panel).
BMW X5 (V8 model): Nice vehicle, good power, but really lets the driver know they are driving a large vehicle. Brakes are very strong...almost overmodulated...could be from drivers with heavy feet on them all day long.
SSR Truck: Niche type vehicle, a lot of cool individual features but a lot of tacky things as well (ex. the dash is a vinyl type plastic, very flexible with no support behind openings for AC vents...place your finger against the edge and it just moves in and out like it was a toy. Light weight with V8 makes for a fun driver but it really doesn't perform in acelloration or handling like it's kinda marketed or you would expect.
Trucks & SUV: Typically GM, either like it or hate it.
Corvette Stick & Auto: They got it right...absolutely, completely, power, handling, ride, ergonomics, inside space/comfort. Torque curve is absolutely flat throughout the entire rpm range....accelloration is very powerfull but incredibly smooth.....better than a ferrari...really. The price is $52K but there is nothing on the market that comes close to this refined vehicle at that price. In general I would compare it to cars in the $150k+ range. There is no difference in performance (seat of the pants feeling) between the auto & stick. I am a stick man but could actually see myself driving this one in an auto.
Kudo's to this GM team!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#2
02-19-2005, 07:45 PM
My father-in-law as a 98' Corvette with the 6-speed. The car impressed me to say the least. It's not to often that you can be going 80mph and let go of the steering wheel and the car goes straight for a long long way. He told me he drove a two hour trip with the cruse set at 72mph and got 27mpg. RPMs were 1400 or so. That's unreal.