A damn tough decision...

[Born_Fast]

Hey guys,

with my 70' Challenger nicely parked in the garage during wintertime, i feel the increasing need to replace my current PT Cruiser daily driver with something newer, faster and more badass. I might even consider to keep the PT as an every day working horse, or girlfriend's car, but generally i tend to just trade it in and keep only 2 cars total (1 being my classic Chally).

Of course the first thing that came to my mind was TRIPLE BLACK SRT8! And yes, that would be one of my absolute favorites. However the 2010 Camaro SS is also a really appealing package, given the 6.2L 426hp engine comes at around 10K less than the SRT8 and my decision basicly boils down to selecting one of these two ponies. I know folks this is a Challenger forum and most people here are not too fond of anything with a bowtie. But living in Europe where American cars in general are a rare sight to behold (especially musclecars), i love and appreciate all of them - regardless the brand.

With that being said, i could unfortunately not yet testdrive the new Challenger or the Camaro myself. So i can only rely on reviews and comparisons in the media. And it seems that all of them favor the new Camaro over the Challenger in terms of performance and value for money. Heck they even consider the 'stang a better deal than the Chally.

Leaving all facts aside and talking solely about emotions, as a classic Challenger driver i naturally favor the new Chally over anything else. However i kinda dislike the chunkier proportions compared to the original and the interior could've been done with a little more love. It reminds me too much of what is underneath the body - a slightly modified 300C.

I'm writing this mainly to get your opinions, because when i first learned about the new Challenger, i was dead certain that i would buy one. My dream was to have both Challengers - the clasic and the new one - both in triple black and parked right next to each other in my garage. But for all of the above listed reasons, i am not so sure of that anymore and the new Camaro seems an at least equally appealing choice to me.

So it's fully loaded SRT8 vs fully loaded 2SS. I just wanna hear all the pros and cons, so that i don't spend lots of money on a car, only to find out afterwards that i had better chosen the other one.

Cheers,
Ralph

[72hemi]

When I first heard the challenger was coming back i planned on buying a fully loaded top of line model. Saw the concept car and loved it. Then came the production version which Dodge changed the body proportions on and I no longer want one as next to my original it looks bloated (the new challenger is 4 inches taller and 1/2 inch narrower than the originals), and the interior does not make me think challenger either.

So then I went and checked out the new camaro when it came out and i was blown away! The body proportions are better, and the interior is way more retro and feels like a classic camaro. I actually almost bought a new camaro back in September, but decided i didn't want a car payment so I walked away.

Now there are some issues with the camaro, the trunk opening is fairly small, and there is less interior room compared to the challenger, but for me I prefer the coziness of the camaro interior, it reminds me more of a muscle car, then a full size sedan.

There are stock SS Camaros in the high 12's (bone stock from the factory), I am on challengertalk.com and I have yet to see a bone stock SRT 8 Challenger in the 12's. For the money the Camaro makes a lot more sense, $10k cheaper than the challenger and its faster, gets better mpg, and not bloated.

Hope this helps.

[cowboy]

-
Blasfemi, - Can't we delete these guy's from this site..



      

[Chryco Psycho]

Well I have driven both , it is hard to spend the extra for the Chall , I have no clue how GM builds basically the same car in Canduh @ 10 k less than the Chall & Mopar is playing games with the supply of the new Chall , there are orders for over 700 in western Canaduh alone but they are only shipping under 200 , I didn`t get either of them out on a track to really test them , both are adequate cars , I found the Camaro harder to get in & out of being taller , I just cannot get past the looks of of the camaro , the side profile of the car is decent but the front & rear are just butt ugly with the caddy styling . I just couldn`t live with myself owning a GM again

[hpe600rt]

i have a 2010 challenger and and i have a 9 second camaro 1979z28 i think the new camaro sucks and would never buy something so butt ulgy,and say what you want but the challenger will always be worth more when it gets older thean the camaro and does gm have a lifetime warnety i dont think so as the saying goes mopar or no car

[72hemi]

I'm pretty sure the SRT8 doesn't have a lifetime warranty either.

[hpe600rt]

im sure it does because i have it on my car any car that is dodge can get it it just coust extra

[72hemi]

Nope, not available on SRT models, or diesels, sprinters or chassis cab rams.

http://www.dodge.com/en/lifetime_powertrain_warranty/

[Born_Fast]

Actually i was expecting kind of a flaming rant over this post, but i'm glad to see there are valid points everyone's making. 

Chryco i read you can't live with owning a GM AGAIN, which means you used to own one before. Shame on you! (just kidding) 

Where i live you see countless Audis, VWs, BMWs and other European standard cars. Not many GM or Chrysler vehicles on the streets and if so, then they are usually Voyagers or other family carriers. Few in between you can spot a Stang or a Vette, but that's about it with American cars. So both the new Challenger and the Camaro are as rare as a unicorn and guaranteed headturners.

If the pricing on both cars would be turned around (with the Challenger costing 10k less), i would of course grab a new Chally and spend the 10K on upgrades, turning it into a real beast. But as it stands i might rather get a Camaro and spend little more on an aftermarket grille, suspension and exhaust, cause i believe power would not be an issue.

[hpe600rt]

mine is not a powertrain it is prety much bumper to bumper it is called maxuem lifetime and my car is a rt,that would be dumb that you can get it on mine and not srt

[dutch]

I guess it is easy for me to say since I cannot afford either by a long shot,  but when I first saw the camaro I didn`t know what to think of it. When I first saw the Challenger I liked the looks... But... now after a couple of years looking at both I like the chevy and I`m done with the challenger... sorry.... I think it too big ,plump and boring...
  IMHO  it isn`t a shadow of the original Challenger and that`s the other way around with the Camaro... I never liked any Camaro, till this one...
so.. do you want to go to the Fiat-dealer or the Opel-dealer for warranty... 

[JH27N0B]

Why not get a Challenger R/T, then the cost difference between the Camaro and the Challenger will not be there.
There are lots of performance parts available for the 5.7 and you can easily modify them to get into the 12's.
I have heard many complaints that the interior quality of the Camaro is "cheap".  Also they are more cramped, especially with the sunroof (which when opened looks like a cheap J. C. Whitney bolt on IMO).
The trunks on the Camaros are almost unusable due to their short narrow trunklids.
Looks are subjective, but the Challenger seems to get raves from almost everyone except for, surprisingly, some Mopar guys who gripe about the "slab sides".  I sometimes wonder if their complaints are just sour grapes, they can't afford one so they comfort themselves by nitpicking about the styling?  Everyone else, including Ford and Chevy guys always complement the looks and give Chrysler credit for the best job with the styling.
If you can wait until late summer when the 2011's come out, the interior is supposed to be improved on the Challenger, including a new steering wheel.  And for the SRT there will be a 500hp 6.4 liter engine! 

[dutch]

.....If I had that kinda money, I would NOT bring home a chevy....      but it wouldn`t be the challenger either.... I don`t have any clue what`s the better car, but I like the looks of the Camaro a lot better and when I hear about the 10k difference...... 

[Born_Fast]

... the interior is supposed to be improved on the Challenger, including a new steering wheel.  And for the SRT there will be a 500hp 6.4 liter engine! 

Sounds interesting. Any detail on what will be improved for the interior, or pictures of what it will look like?

[Born_Fast]

...and equally important: Any ideas of the pricetag on this 500hp version?