Gen 5 Camaro Internal Engine Tech - test driving an SS?

Hi, my cousin and I went to buy an 2ss from the local dealer. We both wanted to buy 1 but we wanted to test drive one. Dealer said nope, no one test drives any ss. Do any of you have the same situation? How are we going to determine if we like how it drives ect...

Go to a different dealer?

I have never heard of a dealer not letting someone test drive a car....unless you are just some young kids?

I would agree if you guys were younger guys, a lot of times they wont allow test drives on these types of vehicles when the first come out unless you can prove that you are pre approved or what not.

i had the same thing happen & im 51 years old.....

if i cant drive it i aint buying it.........

do the dealers even have SS's that r unsold? my dealer has only gotten in the sold cars, even the V6's have been sold cars, except for that 1st 1, that every dealer got... maybe they aren't letting u drive it because its sold?

do the dealers even have SS's that r unsold? my dealer has only gotten in the sold cars, even the V6's have been sold cars, except for that 1st 1, that every dealer got... maybe they aren't letting u drive it because its sold?

she told me they didnt want to run the miles up on them....

5 to 10 miles is enough for me if i am seriously wanting to buy it,that should not be to many miles for a serious test drive & out right buy........

i am use to dealers throwing me the keys & letting me go by myself...like i said i am almost 52.

Yeah there are some SS's on the lot my aunt bought one last week that she didnt order.

I run into this issue alot.

I think it depends on the dealer. If you have been buying from them for years like I have and the same owner of the dealership is there, you will get better treatment than say a new place that doesnt know you.

I cant wait for my new Camaro SS. It should be here within a few weeks

I tell em to go shove it if they do that.

fuckem!!!

I tell em to go shove it if they do that.

That's what I was going to say

How about I will take my money to the dealership across the street that lets me test out the car I may be spending 30,000+ on.

same thing here in Dallas.
I did not go to every DFW dealer, but I went to a few and called even more.

I guess the dealers are thinking it's stupid to have a test drive 1st...
they just want us to buy at MSRP plus $5k....no test drive...

They read the news too 15k+ orders before car released...

Same thing happened on a GT500's no test drives,
took me a year and found a used one to test drive and I finally found one to test drive.
......and guess what.... I liked the power in a straight line, but brakes and suspension was not worth the $50k+ they wanted.......not even close....no sale.....

Internet hype we created creates orders and sales...
I guess I'm old fashion, and I like buying a car to drive, not a brochure to show off....

Isnt that the same thing they did when the GTOs came out? Thats why i dont cry when i hear about dealers going out of buisness and salesmen losing their jobs... their too dumb to learn.

I know a dealership that when the GTOs came out in 04 they wanted like 50K for it. YEARS went by and they dropped to it the MSRP and held there. Roll around to 2007 and they STILL had a mint / low mile GTO for 33K sitting there.

Finally went out of business with the latest dealership shutdowns...gee I wonder why.

I don't know what that is about. I went yesterday and the guy let me test drive one.

I asked him about all of the options and let him unload his little red wagon, looked under the hood, in the car, checked out the trunk and sat in one. The one he let me sit in was auto and I told him I wanted a Manual and I would like to feel the shifter and he said "well lets just go drive it"!!! I didn't even hint towards it, he just said lets just go drive it!!! BITCHIN CAR BTW!!! Drove a 2SS with RS package.

I did just finish detailing my '01 NBM WS6 though :devil: When I rolled in they swarmed my ass as soon as I got out of the car.

I don't know what that is about. I went yesterday and the guy let me test drive one.

I asked him about all of the options and let him unload his little red wagon, looked under the hood, in the car, checked out the trunk and sat in one. The one he let me sit in was auto and I told him I wanted a Manual and I would like to feel the shifter and he said "well lets just go drive it"!!! I didn't even hint towards it, he just said lets just go drive it!!! BITCHIN CAR BTW!!! Drove a 2SS with RS package.

I did just finish detailing my '01 NBM WS6 though :devil: When I rolled in they swarmed my ass as soon as I got out of the car.

Sounds like that guy knows how to sell cars.

Wait 6 months and they will drop the car off at your house and tell you to "try her out for the weekend". It's all just new car hype.

I don't see the problem with this.....a dealer expects you to pay 5K over sticker for a car that isn't nearly worth the MSRP, and they want you to pay it before you've ever driven it. Sounds logical to me!

fuckem!!!

^^what he said ^^:nod:

Move on to a dealership that will let you drive one.

The cars are hot items. They sell themselves without test drives. If you are serious about buying one, you wouldn't really care about a test drive. I've probably bought a dozen cars around the country without test driving them first, because they were the car I wanted no matter what. Once the buzz item wears off and they are sitting on lots, you can probably test drive as many as you wish. This isn't abnormal, several cars are like this.

Most dealers still won't let people test drive new Z06 Corvettes. Why? Because most people who buy them are anal about any miles being on them. Same thing with Vipers and 911 Turbos and several other cars that aren't even "hot" right now.

If you want to test drive a Camaro, go drive a G8 GT or GXP. They feel/drive nearly identical. Then go buy your Camaro if you like it.

Dealership here in Bowling Green, KY refused to let anyone drive a v6 model. Now they have a yellow ss that has 705 miles. Looks like a demo for sale.

Went to a gm dealer looking at new trucks. They had an rs-ss there and he was more than willing to let us drive it.

Wait 6 months and they will drop the car off at your house and tell you to "try her out for the weekend". It's all just new car hype.
True that...GTO...cough cough:eyes:

I'm a young guy (22) I have a friend (21) who went to the local Chevy dealerships around here trying to drive a new vette. Well the salesmen said to go inside and talk numbers first, my friend said ok. They go inside and they are talking and he even said, " look i know alot of young guys come in playin around but i really have the money", well they go down to like $42k on it but still refuse to let him drive it so he says bye and walks out. 3 days later, he pulled up to every Chevy dealership he went to in his brand new GT500 and had a nice talk to each salesmen that refused to let him test drive the car. Some of them had the nerve to see if he wanted to test drive the vette then. It was one of the best things ive ever witnessed.

The cars are hot items. They sell themselves without test drives. If you are serious about buying one, you wouldn't really care about a test drive. I've probably bought a dozen cars around the country without test driving them first, because they were the car I wanted no matter what. Once the buzz item wears off and they are sitting on lots, you can probably test drive as many as you wish. This isn't abnormal, several cars are like this.

Most dealers still won't let people test drive new Z06 Corvettes. Why? Because most people who buy them are anal about any miles being on them. Same thing with Vipers and 911 Turbos and several other cars that aren't even "hot" right now.

If you want to test drive a Camaro, go drive a G8 GT or GXP. They feel/drive nearly identical. Then go buy your Camaro if you like it.

I full heartedly agree that there are so many people out there that will buy the car no matter what.

Personally, I wouldn't buy a new Camaro without a test drive. I can ignore the stuff like road noise and being hard to get in and out. But if the seating position hurts my back or there are blind spots I don't like then I don't want the car. Which you'd have to sit in it for awhile while driving in real life situations and see how the ride affects your comfort to do this properly.

Why do car lots care if you drive it 1-2 miles?? They have insurance...

I full heartedly agree that there are so many people out there that will buy the car no matter what.

Personally, I wouldn't buy a new Camaro without a test drive. I can ignore the stuff like road noise and being hard to get in and out. But if the seating position hurts my back or there are blind spots I don't like then I don't want the car. Which you'd have to sit in it for awhile while driving in real life situations and see how the ride affects your comfort to do this properly.

Why do car lots care if you drive it 1-2 miles?? They have insurance...

They care, because most REAL buyers don't want any miles on their new Camaro. The car is a gotta-have-it item, and they know if you don't buy it based on a test drive, someone will buy it anyways. Supply vs demand. Demand is high, supply is low. They don't have to sell it to someone who is demanding about a test drive. Give it a few months, there will be plenty on the lots to drive then.

BTW, the Camaro does have bad blind spots, over your left shoulder. It is a car that held styling primary, function secondary. That was due to the public demand that it retain the looks of the concept car. I, and most gearheads I know, can deal with this. It isn't meant to be a Honda Accord.

I'm a young guy (22) I have a friend (21) who went to the local Chevy dealerships around here trying to drive a new vette. Well the salesmen said to go inside and talk numbers first, my friend said ok. They go inside and they are talking and he even said, " look i know alot of young guys come in playin around but i really have the money", well they go down to like $42k on it but still refuse to let him drive it so he says bye and walks out. 3 days later, he pulled up to every Chevy dealership he went to in his brand new GT500 and had a nice talk to each salesmen that refused to let him test drive the car. Some of them had the nerve to see if he wanted to test drive the vette then. It was one of the best things ive ever witnessed.

I've heard variations of this story 10000000000000 times before. I have friends who are car salesmen. If you really think they give a crap if some punk shows up in a new car bought somewhere else, you are dreaming. I'd say your life has to be pretty boring to want to go back to some other dealership to prove how cool you are or how much money you have to a sales guy. What is next, rolling throug McD's and flashing your Platinum AMEX to the burger flipper? LOL! At the end of the day, you will still look like a douche or arrogant clown. They won't give a crap about not selling a car to you. If your buddy has insecurities about being treated like a young/broke guy, tell him to show up at the dealership BEFORE the test drive and show them a copy of his bank statement. If you have enough zeroes, I guarantee you get a test drive.

I, and most gearheads I know, can deal with this. It isn't meant to be a Honda Accord.

:jest:


I've heard variations of this story 10000000000000 times before.

Now, that's a big number.

They wouldn't even let me sit it one.They said I might mark up the seats.I was like wtf??
I guess I will have to wait until the hype cools down,there are very few camaros out where I live and the were asking 14k above list.All of the amereicans are lucky to have most of these cars.

Best thing to do is find someone that has one, and ask to go for a ride in one..
I have sat in one at a dealer, and I have ridden in one..
It rides nothing like the current 4th gen..
To be honest.. the 5th gen rides just about as smooth as my Escalade. Honestly.
Nice and smooth and firm.. Great ride..
And doesn't sound like the rattle trap that you are accustom to in the 4th gen either

^ yea it drives like a BMW, not a muscle car...awesome.

I've heard variations of this story 10000000000000 times before. I have friends who are car salesmen. If you really think they give a crap if some punk shows up in a new car bought somewhere else, you are dreaming. I'd say your life has to be pretty boring to want to go back to some other dealership to prove how cool you are or how much money you have to a sales guy. What is next, rolling throug McD's and flashing your Platinum AMEX to the burger flipper? LOL! At the end of the day, you will still look like a douche or arrogant clown. They won't give a crap about not selling a car to you. If your buddy has insecurities about being treated like a young/broke guy, tell him to show up at the dealership BEFORE the test drive and show them a copy of his bank statement. If you have enough zeroes, I guarantee you get a test drive.

:jest:




Now, that's a big number.

Yup. I wasn't expecting that to be a long number so my stack overflowed.

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<post#29>", line 6, in <module>
10000000000000
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:jest::jest::jest::jest:

I'm a young guy (22) I have a friend (21) who went to the local Chevy dealerships around here trying to drive a new vette. Well the salesmen said to go inside and talk numbers first, my friend said ok. They go inside and they are talking and he even said, " look i know alot of young guys come in playin around but i really have the money", well they go down to like $42k on it but still refuse to let him drive it so he says bye and walks out. 3 days later, he pulled up to every Chevy dealership he went to in his brand new GT500 and had a nice talk to each salesmen that refused to let him test drive the car. Some of them had the nerve to see if he wanted to test drive the vette then. It was one of the best things ive ever witnessed.

I would have done the same thing. I like to wear my worst clothes and drive up in my small car and then write a check for the car I want. I like the game where do you work at or how can you afford it. I always tell them my credit is no good. If I don't get a deal-I walk. :D:D

They wouldn't even let me sit it one.They said I might mark up the seats.I was like wtf??
I guess I will have to wait until the hype cools down,there are very few camaros out where I live and the were asking 14k above list.All of the amereicans are lucky to have most of these cars.

What a bunch of crap...I can understand the attitude with a 50+K car... but a 30K car? Cars are stupid expensive anymore and 30K for a new car is about par for the course these days. It's like denying someone a ride in a camry. :eyes:

I remember trying to test drive a GT0 about 2 years ago. First dealership we rolled up to told us there wasn't a chance (and it was a used 04 Auto). They wanted 23K for the car and we rolled in with a 26K Pontiac G6. Seriously? We walked out and went acrossed the street...same deal. So we went a few blocks down and the sales guy there tossed us the keys to an 05 M6 and we went for a ride. My buddy decided he didn't like the whole 6 speed deal and wanted an auto. Then proceeded to buy his 06 A4 from the place that gave him a chance to drive the car.

Funny how that works.

Definatly no way im gonna buy a car without driving it im 6'2" so i have to make sure i fit in stuff.... My whole life i dreamed about having a Stingray Corvette. my dad bought one.. i sat down and it felt like i was being abused haha. and yeah let the hype die down then go buy one. I will personally be waiting till around the time i get back from iraq and out of the Army the ill be shopping for one. Once they work out any issues.. i hear they might be having some with the output shafts anyways.. we will see

We are both 6'3" 210+. Both are in our late 30's. Funny thing is we got to test drive a slk 55 amg, a bmw z4 and a Boxter s just prior to going to the chevy dealer. I think they didnt want miles on the car. Funny though the salesman said "I SOLD 80 OF THEM" and my cousin said thats 80 retards with an impulse decision problem. Eh oh well. Ill just go buy something else.

I don't blame them. When I worked at Saturn and the Sky first came out, we had to have at least 25+ people come in everday asking to see adn drive the car. Now we only had one or two of those on the lot at the time. They were not allocating very many and most were sold before they ever hit the floor.

Now the route we let people drive the car is about 3 miles. So you average all those people driving those two cars. Damn the miles add up real quick. No ones wants to buy a brand new car with a couple hundred miles on it. Escpecially when the car is limited at the moment.

We told the customer that we would draw up all the paper work and get the numbers straight and make sure they qualify and what not. Once they were ready to go into finance we took them for their test drive. They liked it still they could buy it, if not then we tore the paperwork up and they were free to go. This eliminated 99% of all the tire kickers. If you want to come and look at the car cool, but don't come by and waste my time just to drive it because you want too. Your costing someone money because they could be selling a car to someone who will actually buy.

I have to agree with Nine Ball if I was going to buy one I would want really low miles on it. Less then 5 would be nice the last new car I bought had 3 miles on it, I did test drive it though.

Walk in there with the deposit if you are serious. If not you are just another face that wants to drive the car. You can't imagine how many people with bad credit will waste your time.

just wait a year, go back in there when they have more on the lot and they more than likely will let you tst drive them. The craziness will subside for this car soon
I bought my Z06 with no test drive. Although I did drive another Z06 a year earlier.

Didn't read the whole thread, but at my dealership we don't let anyone test drive one unless they put some money down and the papers are signed, though we do note that it is all "pending demo drive". Your not locked into the purchase, but we want to know your serious. And yes, it is because we don't want to run up the miles on any of them.